Chapter 1
Katara sat in her room thinking deeply. What would happen now? Peace was restored, the war was over, and there was nothing. Nothing to do not adventures to go on. She could go visit gram gram but what after that? Sokka had gone to Kioshi Island to stay with Suki for a little bit but he wasn't sure what to do either. Katara felt jelous that Sokka was out and about while she was just uninterested and bored.
"Hey Katara!" said Aang interupting her thoughts and kissing her on the cheek.
"Oh...Hey Aang." she said standing up. That was the problem too. She didn't feel in love with Aang anymore. She loved him like a brother.
"What's wrong? You look upset." said Aang looking into her eyes.
"You are my brother. I don't feel anything else...i think." she said hesitantly.
"I...love you though. Are you sure you are fine?" he asked just assuming she was sick.
"I think i need to talk to Zuko" said Katara racing out of the room. Zuko had let them stay at the fire nation castle for as long as they'd like. She when to his office and opened the door. Mai was sitting on Zuko's lap smiling. When she noticed Katara she jumped off his lap.
Katara blushed "I'm sorry. I just…sorry I'll come back another time." She said looking down in embarressment.
"Okay." said Mai. Zuko gave her a look and she hesitated then said "Actually I was just leaving." she walked out of the room with her head down. Katara stood in front of Zuko with a distant look.
"What's wrong?" asked her best friend Zuko with concern in his voice. "Is it something with Aang? Did you guys have a fight or something?"
"What happens now?" she asked as though she hadn't heard a word of what Zuko said.
"What do you mean? What happens now? Peace and bliss and happiness happens now." said Zuko standing up.
"That's not what I meant. You have a nation to run, things to do, places to go. I don't even know what I'm going to do today. I just feel like that there's nothing left for me to do here. There's no fire nation to run from, no journey to the northern water tribe, no excitement anymore. It's just over…I'm jealous that you and Aang have things planned and meetings to go to. Sokka has places that he want's to visit and people that he can live with. I can go to the southern water tribe but theres nothing for me there…..I broke it off with Aang today. I don't think I love him. I don't know what I want to do, or who I love, or what my purpose is anymore." said Katara shakily.
"I get it. You were just used to fighting a lot. Katara I think that you should just do what you have to do. Go back and visit some old friends maybe. Or some places that were important to you." he said walking towards her. "Run away, do what you like but if you ever get in a sticky situation just know that Aang, Sokka, and I will always be right here." he gave his best friend a long hug. Memories of them flashed through his head, all the good and all the bad. The fear and anger in her face whenever she saw him. Their journey to find the man who killed her mother, the way she protected everyone but fought like a skilled water nation warrior. And she was.
She pulled out of the hug and said "Thanks Fire Lord Zuko. Please don't tell anyone." she said before kissing him on the cheek and running out the door. She grabbed a piece of paper and wrote 'I'm running away.' and left it on her bed. She changed into the clothes that she had worn when she went to go find the man who killed her mother. She pulled her hood up and ran out of the fire nation castle with nothing but the clothes on her back.
right here :D
Chapter 2
Back at the Fire Kingdom Aang started to notice something. for some reason the kingdom felt empty. Like someone was missing. Maybe he was just distracted because of Katara. She must've hit the Cactus juice. But then again, Katara had been acting wierd...But he was older than her and he was starting to look like it. He would go and talk to her one more time.
He walked towards her room again. He opened her door but she wasnt in her room. Only a white sheet of paper that said 'i'm running away' Aang clenched the piece of paper in his hand. He was angry and sad and felt his heart sink. He ran out of her room searching the kingdom franticly. Maybe she hadn't gotten that far. As he searched every room and asked around his heart sank lower.
"Aang whats wrong?" asked Zuko walking up to him.
"She's gone Zuko! She left!" said Aang with tears in his eyes and anger in his voice. Zuko had been expecting this, just not for her to leave the minute she could. But he couldn't act like he knew.
"Did it say why?" Zuko asked fighting the urge to tell him everything.
"No….I feel like it's my fault. I didn't even notice her change of behavior…" said Aang in such rage it scared Zuko slightly.
"Listen Aang, she won't be gone forever. Maybe she just needed some alone time. To figure things out." said Zuko trying to fight the urge to tell Aang what Katara told him. Zuko just patted Aang on the back.
Mean while in the outskirts of the fire nation
Katara ran through street after street just trying to get out of the fire nation. Finally she got out and stole one of the giant lizard things that Azula pursued them on such a long time ago. She still didn't know what they were called. But they were fast, and could run over water. She headed towards the first place she could think of. The freedom fighters. If they weren't there it wouldn't matter. She would relive all of the memories by going to the places that meant the most to her. She wouldn't stop till she got there.
Chapter 3
It had been a week. Katara had crossed water, mountains, everything that was in her path. She stopped for food once every 2 days. Finally she got to familiar looking trees. She tied Moshi( the lizard type thing she gave a name to) 2 a tree. She wandered around aimlessly until finally she wandered through the same bushes she had wandered through nearly a year ago. She remembered crashing through the bushes then the freedom fighter coming down. She looked up at the trees. Finally she found one of lifts that lifted her up to the top of the trees. She grabbed it and had a flash back to when Jet wrapped her in his arms and they were lifted to the top where a town was hidden. She pulled and was immediately lifted into the air, zooming off the ground. When she got to the top everyone was gone. It was just abandoned. Her heart sank slightly. It had been such a fun and amazing place but now it was just empty and lonely. She sat down at the highest point that looked over everything. Memories of Jet filling her mind.
Meanwhile back at the Fire Kingdom
Zuko sat in his office thinking about where Katara might be. He didn't know anything about most of the places she was probably going to. Aang was getting worried by the day and tense too. Zuko still hadn't told him about what he knew. But did he really know anything? Just the fact that Katara didn't know what she wanted anymore. That was pretty much it.
Aang stormed towards Zuko. "I sent a letter to Sokka and he doesn't seem worried! He just told me she could take care of herself! What if she gets kidnapped? Or mugged!" said Aang.
"It doesn't look like she took anything with her. Listen Aang you need to calm down. Maybe she went down south, or north." said Zuko trying to not tell him about Katara.
"Or east or west! I don't wanna calm down!" said Aang with such fierceness Zuko took a step back.
"Aang she talked to me before she left. She didn't want anyone to know. She was really confused and bored. She came to me for advice. I told her that she should do what she had to do. Go visit some old memories." said Zuko putting a hand on Aangs shoulder. Aang's face fell. "Aang it's okay."
"No its not. She doesn't love me. I know it now. You guys were better friends…..the fact that bothers me is she felt like she could talk to you….and not me."
Chapter 4
Katara sat in peace for what seemed forever. She heard rustling in one of the trees. She stood up prepared to fight. But a squirrel just came out from the bushes. Katara dropped her water. She sighed. She sat back down and buried her head in her arms and cried. She couldn't help feeling that Jet's death was all her fault. She could've stayed to help him. "I could've helped you!" she yelled at absolutely nothing. She sat there tears streaming down her face. Finally when she couldn't cry any more she knew what she had to do. She jumped out of the tree she was in and hit the ground with a soft thud. She grabbed a rock and wrote :자유 투사가 살고…..the freedom fighter live on. She left a rose there. She looked at the trees. "Stop 1 finished. Now onto the next" she said before running back to Moshi and jumping on his back. She would go visit some place that she had changed completely.
Meanwhile Back at the Castle
Aang came walking up to Zuko with about 25 scrolls in his arms. "I've decided to send letters to everyone I know. Katara could be any where. The first one is going to Ba Sing Se. Then the northern water tribe, southern water tribe, the swamps, to Haru."
"Who?" asked Zuko deeply lost. He hadn't really heard about the adventures or meaning of the adventures.
"Well we were in a forest and eating nuts when we heard rumbling going on. So we went to go find out what it was and we found Haru. He was earth bending. We said hi and he ran away and we followed him. His village was being run by the fire nation and anyone who bended was arrested and sent to a prison on a fire nation ship in the middle of the ocean. We became friends with Haru until an old man was in trouble. He earth bended and the old man told. He was arrested and Katara made it look like she could earth bend to. She gave the prisoners hope and took down the fire nation. But that's where-" but Zuko cut him off.
"Where I found her necklace. I'm sure Haru will help. Sounds like they had a pretty strong friend ship." said Zuko biting his lower lip. "Good luck."
"Wait, aren't you going to help me?" asked Aang. "You know you've gotten weirder since Katara left."
"I've just been busy. I have to go." Zuko ran to his office. He would tell Aang later. He didn't need to know.
Chapter 5
Haru walked into his house. He just received a letter from Aang saying that Katara was gone. If he saw her he was to tell Aang. It'd been awhile since he'd heard from Aang and Katara. Katara was probably the beautiful girl that saved his town so long ago. He smiled. It was so like Katara to run away. She probably would be going to the northern water tribe, or to find that stupid Jet guy. He went back out side to talk to his mom when something was coming over the horizon. It was moving fast. He got into his bending stance. It looked like….. "Katara!" he said as she jumped off the lizard and ran towards him. She ran straight towards him and they embraced each other. When they were done he blushed slightly. "Hey!" he said.
"Hey Haru!" she said flashing him a bright smile. "It's been awhile. Your mustache is gone."
"Yeah, I didn't really like it. Where have you been?" he asked.
"Here and there. I had to come here. Just to see you….and your village." she added quickly. Haru remembered the letter that Aang sent. He sighed deeply.
"Aang's looking for you. He's uh really worried." he added looking down at his feet.
"I know. I don't really want to be found." she said. Haru looked at her with question on his feet.
"Come on, lets go take a walk." he said grabbing her hand. He led her out of town. "What happened after the defeat of the fire lord? We never really said bye. And then I was just gone." he said dropping her hand.
"Every one was living in harmony. Aang seemed so happy and we were living with Zuko. But I realized, peace isn't for me. I lived in fear my whole life, trying to see what was coming after me, trying to Improve my bending. I traveled all over the world. And it's different and not exciting. Then Aang became to attached. And I realized I didn't love him. I talked to Zuko and then I left. Trying to find excitement and thrill in my life."
"Why didn't you tell Aang?" Haru asked bending some rocks out of his way.
"I didn't want to be followed. I had to do this for me." Katara said bending some water in her hand.
"Well then, I guess I just wont tell Aang. So excitement….Feel like Earth against Water? I've gotten better." he said grinning.
"You're on! But lets make it more interesting. We both hide and try to take the other down." she said with a look on her face that just said: go your hardest. Haru nodded and Katara launched herself into the trees. Let the games begin.
Back at the Castle
Aang paced back and forth. He looked at the sky hoping to see some mail for him. From someone who had seen Katara. Aang was so angry these past few days that he often had to scream to relieve his tension. Zuko walked up to Aang. "I have to tell you something." he said.
Chapter 6 Different Plans
Katara and Haru battled all day. Equally matched, but challenging at the same time. So many attacks and counter moves. Finally it ended with Haru pinning Katara to the ground and the sun finally setting. All Katara could do was smile. "That was fun." she said as a sweaty Haru walked over to her. "You're right, you have gotten a lot better."
"So have you. I hear they're calling you a master now." said Haru releasing her from the ground.
"Yeah, I guess. I still think that I have a lot more to learn but my teachers don't think so. They know I can blood bend, draw water from the air, and even take it from the earth. I can do what ever I think of doing." she said eagerly.
"I teach an earth bending class in the village. Earth bending is everywhere now. No one is afraid anymore." said Haru bending some rocks in his hand.
"I wish I had that." Katara said as she looked at the beautiful setting sun. "I wish I could have sweet utter bliss in my life. I wish I could just be happy with what I had but honestly, I'm not. I traveled the world, going through deserts, fighting the fire nation, running from attackers, hiding. But now it's just all gone." said Katara looking down.
"Everyday that I spent with you was like the adventure of a life time. You took down the fire nation, and you didn't even care that you'd be put in danger. You saved me and my father from a life that wasn't worth living until you came." Haru said looking at the sun. They both blushed deep red.
Back at the fire nation
"YOU KNEW?" yelled Aang furiously. "You knew she was leaving and why and you didn't even tell me!"
"It wasn't my secret to tell. If she wanted to be found she would've let you find her! I told her that she had to do whatever she had to do. You cant control Katara. No one can! She will come back when she feels she's done with her journey. It could be forever but you have to know she is not a little baby!" Zuko yelled back angrily. His temper getting the best of him.
"I have to protect her! She's 'mine! I love her!" said Aang as a large wind entered the room.
"Then let her go. You have to. She will never forgive you if you keep her in a cage." said Zuko calming down.
