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Never Let Go

He was falling...falling...into an endless new universe of darkness...a realm that even the pitch, inky blackness would bow to its defiance. The intensity it bore blinded the crystal stars, emanating nothing..nothing..but emptiness. What turned out to be an obvious victory was shattered into a million pieces with only one, powerful act. It seems as if destiny itself had commanded the entire situation under the hands of fate, changing what was an act of remembrance into a heart wrenching reminiscence. The whole world could be seen, holding its breath, as millions of eyes glanced towards the Avatar's fall-and that, too, in the Avatar State. Now, there was nothing but ashes-ashes of a broken victory-and the evil smirk of the opponent's sinister eyes. Avatar Aang was falling...

The devoted waterbender was rising...rising..above all who lay with the answer wavering in their hearts. She rose forward, leaving the world behind in the tidal wave of heartbreak and anger. She turned her attention to the airbender, the only one who she wanted to hold so dear to her heart. Her vision was blinded by the unfolding nightmare, and the waterbender's prayer bloomed among her escaping tears, but no matter...her destiny at the moment was to catch him in her arms-to hold his hand through the world's evil glares and disappointed stares. She was rising, he was falling, and the whole world was watching...

Within the darkest moment of the night's wrath, she caught him in her arms, just before he reached his defeat in upholding the hopes of millions. Despite the opponent's efforts to bring the Avatar down again, she rose higher..higher..cushioned by the winding spirals of water and air. Yet again, she made him rise above the world, her eyes glistening and telling her story to the others. Within minutes, she laid him onto Appa's soft fur, tears escaping her eyes even more rapidly. Without a moment to waste, she bended the water from her cerulean amulet and into the airbender's wound. Her oceanic eyes shone with hope as she held him close to her heart, just as she had hoped...Now, she was the one who was falling...into a universe of despair.

Aang felt himself slipping away into a whole new realm. He was drifting apart from the physical world, unable to sense his body. Nothing but pain was glistening in his eyes as he felt himself subtly in Katara's arms. He had let her go...he had no choice but to let her go. His melancholy soul felt itself uplifting, as if it would never descend to the world. And there he was, rising...rising above the heavens and away from the love of his life...Suddenly, he felt his darkened world dim away, and instead, a wide and endless golden light overcame him. He felt himself descending little by little, until he reached his body. With another glow, Aang felt himself groaning as he finally opened his eyes. The air rushed into him as he gasped in the prescence of his returning life. Instantly and gratefully, they met Katara's...just as they had when he awoke from his iceberg sleep. The light returned to him as he smiled faintly, but happily. He was back...no, she brought him back. The waterbender felt her heartbeat resume at the sight. The two wrapped themselves in a tight embrance, as if they had been seperated for lifetimes. Fate seemed to smile upon them at their simple reunion. Both were thankful for the other as the midnight sky returned to its glistening state, the stars radiating brighter than ever under the full, silver moonlight. Relief and ineffable happiness emanated through Aang and Katara. Although the defeat of Ba Sing Se still wavered in the air, the Avatar didn't lose himself into denial. He simply craved to lay on his beloved Katara's shoulder, not wanting to ever let her go. With a broken sob and a grateful sigh, he held onto her hand. He had let her go, but he found her again...