Aang couldn't believe what had just happened. He sat on the shore of Kyoshi Island, trying to figure out where it all went wrong. What had he done? Why did it have to happen like this? He couldn't believe that just like that, it was all over. Katara was nothing more than a thing of the past, a memory. Katara had broken up with Aang hours earlier. Why she had broken up with him, he didn't know. It was almost random. They hadn't fought, he hadn't done anything wrong. He just couldn't see Katara's motive for it at all.
A few hours ago.
She approached Aang with a broken look on her face. She looked devastated, as though she was about to break down and cry. Aang was sitting in their home in the South Pole when he saw Katara walk in. He jumped across the room using airbending and put his arm around her shoulder. "What's the matter Katara? Why do you look so down?" She took his hand off her shoulder and sat down on the floor. "Please, let me help you. Is everybody okay?" "Yeah Aang…everyone's fine…just not me. I'm not okay right now."
"Why Katara? Please…tell me what's bothering you. I promise I can help and make you feel better."
A tear trickled down Katara's face. "You're not going to like what I have to say. But it has to be said. Do you respect me Aang? How I think, everything about me?"
"Of course I do…but what does that have to do with anything?"
"I need to know that you'll respect my decisions and how I feel. I'm glad to know that you do. Now…I need to tell you." Katara took a deep breath and paused. "I can't do this anymore with you Aang. It's been so wonderful, being your's and everything. But I just can't be in a relationship anymore. My feelings are so numb. I want to love you, and I want to stay in love with you forever. But I just don't feel that way anymore. It frustrates me so much. For these past two weeks…where I've been somewhat distant, I've been trying to get those feelings back for you. I feel so bad, because you're so deeply in love with me, and here's me, just rejecting your love. I don't know what's wrong with me. But part of me feels like it'll never be fixed. Like I'll always feel just how I do right now."
Aang sat there speechless for minutes. Tears trailed down his face, as well as Katara's. Why was this happening…why? He loved her so much, and this is what he got in return? Stop thinking like that, he thought to himself. She can't control feeling like this, being angry at her will get you nowhere. Finally, Aang spoke. "What can I do to help you, to change how you feel? I'll do anything Katara…you know I will."
"I want you to move on from me Aang. You're a wonderful boy, and I had never been happier than I was in your arms. But there's so many other women out there, women who are better than me who would take you just like that Aang. Divert your attention to them. I don't regret a minute that I spent with you…but nothing can change how I feel right now. I'm so sorry."
"But…what about in the future? Do you think there's any chance there, of us being together again? You know I'd wait through everything until you felt loving again.
"No Aang. I'm sorry to say that I've never been more sure about anything before."
"But what about everything we planned? How we wanted to get married one day…maybe even have kids? Whatever happened to all of that that we wanted together?"
"I…I don't know Aang. I just can't feel that way about you anymore. I wish I knew what was wrong with me. It frustrates me so much…I'm so sorry about this Aang. It breaks my heart that it has to be this way."
"I…I am too Katara." Aang got up, and he went to leave. "No Aang…please stay with me here…please."
"I can't stay. I'm not in my right mind to. I'll only feel worse by staying here by your side…but Katara?" Katara looked up, tears flowing down from her bloodshot, water blue eyes. "Yes Aang?"
"I want to give you something before I leave. A symbol that it's all over between us. You have to let me give it to you though. Do you promise?"
"Yes, I promise."
"Do you promise to give it back?"
"I will." Katara didn't know what was about to happen, but she had a feeling that it would be a magical moment…that truly ended it all. And before she could even think about what this feeling was, something magical DID happen.
Aang's lips found hers while she was lost in thought. Aang kissed her with more passion then he had ever kissed her before. He put all of the emotion that he ever felt for Katara into that kiss. And before Katara knew what was doing, she was giving the kiss back with twice the feeling put into it. She kissed with Aang with everything she had. The pain, the hurt, the love she felt for the boy, everything that she had ever felt for him.
The kiss itself seemed as though it lasted for hours. Neither of them knew how long they had been kissing…but by the time it was over, both of them knew that their relationship with each other was a closed book in the library of life. They knew that that would be the last kiss that they ever shared together. Aang began to walk away, without a word when Katara rushed over and hugged him from behind. "I never regretted a moment I spent with you Aang. I'll always love you in some way."
"I don't regret anything either. You gave me something that no one had ever gave me before. Love, in a pure, unfiltered way that felt so brilliant. And I have to thank you for that. Cause even though this might be over now, you've given me something and made me feel in a way no one has before. That's special." She nodded with eyes full of tears. Aang looked into her's, his eyes shining from tears too. "Goodbye Katara." And he walked away.
Katara watched as Aang called Appa, and flew off into the night sky. Yes, she was aware she had just given up the best thing to ever happen to her. Why she had done it…she wanted their friendship to still exist, she didn't want it to end in an everlasting grudge.
"Fly me to Kyoshi, Appa. I need some time alone to think. Maybe I'll talk to Sokka, or ride some of the giant koi fish."
Aang just wanted to know where it all went wrong…