It was a great day. Aang couldn't believe it. It's been five years since the end of the war. He was now a tall, handsome young man and life couldn't be better. There have been the up and downs of life, the worst was the day he and Katara had broken up. He still didn't like to think about it. She had her duties to the Southern Water Tribe and he had had his as the Avatar. She complained because he was never around, yet whenever he was with her all she did was avoid him.
It hit him hard when she told him that things weren't working out. Sokka had been indifferent. Toph, the same. Sokka and Suki were now married, happily. Aang had been thinking for a long time that he should propose to Katara but it was soon after these thoughts came forth that she had broken up with him.
She had invited him for a walk and he accepted, he was glad they would finally be spending some time together. They walked down the main road leading out of the village and she stopped by a small flat area with a close bay to watch the sea. He realized this is where he first came with Katara and Sokka, almost six years ago. This was all that was left of the old village. She had coaxed him to sit with her on a ledge near the open water. It was sunset and they sat for what felt like and eternity in total silence.
"Aang, do you remember when I first brought you back to the village. What a silly little kid you were?"
"Of course I do, Katara." This question put Aang on edge a little.
"We've all changed so much since then. Sokka's a warrior and married. The war is over, I'm a master waterbender, and you're a fully realized avatar." She finished with a small smile over her face.
"Where are you going with this Katara?" Aang couldn't help it, he was nervous and his guts were twisting in knots.
Katara sighed and her smiled dissipated under a frown.
"Aang, I can't do this anymore. You're never around for us to spend time together and I don't think you're taking this seriously with me. I need to marry someone who wants to be with me all the time."
Aang's eyes were filling with tears. How could she think that it was his fault he's never around?!
"You think I dont take you seriously!?" He was screaming incredibly loud. He knew he should show more control but he didnt care. He was angry.
"Aang, just go." Katara stared him down with the most vicious glare. It hurt Aang too much. To think that she could just dump him and not care.
Without a second look, Aang took his glider in his hand and flew off. He didn't care where just away from Katara.
She sat there glaring everyday. Everyday for the last five years. She would awake at sunrise, eat the wretched breakfast they fed her and she would sit in her chair everyday glaring daggers at the door. She didn't talk much. When she did, it was a threat or an insult. Her brother, the Fire Lord, had put her here. They called her crazy slapped a straitjacket on her and locked her away forever. He rarely came anymore. Zuzu used to visit her everyday, then once a week, then once a month. He hasn't been here for 78 days. She counted days to pass the time. He had given up on her. She wasn't crazy. The day of the comet she slipped up. Not anymore though. She was as cold and calculated as ever.
She heard the sound of the lock. She had a visitor, wonderful. Was it Zuzu? Ty Lee maybe? Or the gracious Fire Lady Mai? Iroh? Hopefully not.
As she looked up she saw the one person she had not expected.
"Hello, Avatar."
He flew for hours. He arrived at the shores of the Fire Nation. Good, Katara hated being in the Fire Nation. She would never find him here. He soon saw the royal palace, a place that used to house all his fears but was now the home to his best friend, the Fire Lord Zuko. He would pay him a visit, maybe Iroh would be here with some good advice.
As he landed at the front gates the guards parted to allow him through. He walked through the garden into the palace down the hall. There it is. Zuko's personal study. He knocked and heard the response he wanted. He entered and as soon as he looked up he saw him. Fire Lord Zuko.
Zuko jumped up and grabbed Aang in a tight hug.
"How have you been Zuko?" Aang was now sitting in the chair directly across from Zuko.
"Great, everything is going well with the Fire Nation. And Mai and I are now expecting our first child."
"That's great!" Aang jumped up and grabbed his friends shoulders.
"Yeah." Zuko shrugged the hands off of his shoulders.
Aang's positivity faded when he remembered why he was here.
"So how are Sokka and Katara?" Zuko didn't expect to hear what he did.
"Katara and I broke up." Aang looked down to hide to reappearing tears. "That's why I'm here, I needed to get away from everything for a while."
"Well, actually I've been meaning to talk to you." Zuko looked him sternly in the eye. "My sister has not made much progress lately. I am really worried Aang. I don't want her to spend her whole life locked up in the asylum."
"Say no more hotman. I'll talk to her."
And with that he headed out the door to the Capital City Asylum.
