A/N: Wow, I totally decided to make this a oneshot... I knew it was going to be short, but I figured it'd be too long for a oneshot, but... it's not really in my opinion. Bleh. This is officially a totally pointless and weird oneshot. I don't even know if it's worth reading and I'm not adding onto it anymore. Have fun. :)
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of the characters within it.
--
Stronger Still
"KATARA!"
Aang dashed towards Katara's limp body, using a gush of air to speed him up. He flung his arms underneath her, trying to be delicate... trying not to cause her any unnecessary pain. A tear fell from his eye, landing on her torso and soaking into her shirt. It mixed in with the blood from a burn wound on her left side. He tore hopefully at the rim of her shirt, clawing at it and ripping it in an effort to expose the wound and avoid irritation. Toph had looked down once more at the airbender. The one she had known for what seemed like lifetimes.
"Just go!" he shouted at her, liquid pooling in his eyes.
The girl walked up the stoney steps that she made with her bending skills, and disappeared into the horizon.
The western air temple shook and thundered, like it was disconnecting from the canyon wall.
"We have to go!" the girl they hadn't known for long spat at him. Her name was Nera.
"I can't!" Aang yelled over the noise.
"Just leave her! She'll never make it!"
Aang glared at her with disbelief. Did she really just say that? Leave Katara here? Was she crazy?
Aang knew Nera didn't like Katara. Mostly because of the spiteful looks she gave her constantly. She always had this aura around the young waterbender, an aura that mocked her and said, 'bite me'. Aang wasn't sure why, but he didn't care. Ever since she showed up here; a day ago even, she'd just been rude and arrogant. Not to everyone, just to Katara.
It was yesterday. Zuko had stumbled across her sneaking around and forging for food. He tried to help her, and told her the Avatar was here. Well... that was the story at least. She seemed so fascinated with Aang; asking him questions about where he'd been in the world, how he coped with the loss of the airbenders, and such things like that. She even asked him to show her a few airbending techniques. He shrugged it off. A lot of people acted like that around him. He figured, 'intrigued with a lost civilization'.
"She's worthless, Aang! She's not strong enough! This whole place is going to collapse!"
"No, Nera!"
"Aang, she can't-"
"SHUT UP!"
Aang looked down at Katara. Katara. His waterbending teacher. His best friend. His true love.
"Come on, Aang! Now!"
Aang knew she was right. The temple would escape into the abyss any minute now. But he couldn't leave Katara here to die.
Nera had rushed up the stairs Toph had conjured. She was halfway up and shouted once more.
"Leave her!"
And with that she darted up the last few steps and above to the top where there was land.
Aang pondered his options. His tears continued to cascade down his color-drained cheeks, his eyes longing for her to stay alive, his mouth pulled down at the corners, a permanent scowl directed to the escaped Nera...
The monk pulled Katara up to a standing position, her eyes fluttering a little and her breaths short and painful. He lead her slowly over to his glider resting on the wall. Opening it, he figured how tough this would be. Katara was barely conscious.
He walked to the edge of the temple, which was slowly crumbling, and pulled her onto his stomach. He wrapped an arm around her waist, avoiding her charred skin, and used the other arm to balance himself upside down on his glider. It proved extremely difficult, but he would do anything to make sure Katara made it out alive. Aang jumped off the cliff when he was pretty certain he wouldn't fall, and seconds before he descended, the temple collapsed and dived into the deep.
He tried not to look at the depth he would fall if he slipped or made a single mistake, but that didn't stop him from thinking about it. He gulped and clung onto Katara even more, trying his best to make her feel comfortable. She moaned in agony on his chest, and he lifted his fingers softly to check and see if he touched her injury. He hadn't, but he felt guilty all the while.
"Aang..." she pressed, her arms clinging to him in return, obviously coming to.
"Shh..." he hissed softly in return, stroking the exposed skin of her back lightly with his thumb. As they neared the land, he slowed down, taking most of his concentration and pulling his thoughts temporarily away from Katara.
He maneuvered the glider in a slight upward way, pulling his body into a standard position. He tried to lie Katara on the softened grass, but she squeezed him and begged:
"Please, Aang... don't let me go..."
He inhaled sharply, his thoughts suddenly taking an interesting turn of events to his seventh chakra.
No.
He would never let her go.
"What is this?!" he heard Nera screech at him. "I told you to leave her!"
Sokka and Aang had the same raised eyebrow look after her words sunk in.
"Yeah, well I made it. And she made it. You should be happy!"
She narrowed her eyes into daggers at Katara, glaring at her with her usual death look. Katara just stood there, arms around Aang's neck, head on his shoulder, trying to support herself.
"What is your problem? Ever since you've been here you've been stubborn and ruthless! What do you want from her?!"
Aang didn't shift his eyes from Nera although he knew everyone was staring at him now. Usually Aang was the calmest one. Even Katara looked weakly up at him.
"Aang..." she murmured once more, a weak sigh of a word.
"You need to lie down."
She just felt like dead weight on his shoulder. With his adrenaline dying down, it took him great strength not to drop her.
"Mmm... you're warm."
"AUGGHH!" Nera screeched in a pouting tone, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes.
Toph laughed softly, but Sokka hit her with his elbow and she quieted.
"Katara, honey, you should lie down. Aang's going to collapse if you don't let go of him," Suki said, trying to relieve Aang. He enjoyed her enjoying him... but not like this... not when she was hurt.
Aang tried to sit her down. With a few moans and sighs of discomfort here and there, he got her on the ground.
"Don't... don't leave..."
"Do you think you can heal her, Aang?" Hakoda asked, a glimpse of hope in his voice.
Aang nodded.
"I'll try my best."
He pulled the water from the air after realizing Katara's water pouch was left at the temple. He placed his hands delicately on her side, his eyes following up to where her exposed skin ended, right below her breast-line. He had been careful not to be too inconsiderate when tearing her shirt off... even though there wasn't much considerance there at all. It was an act of adrenaline, not of lust, and he needed her not to endure any more pain. Besides... he wasn't a very lustful person. Rarely even when it came to Katara.
He shuffled his silver glowing hands up and down the wound, gazing at her eyes the whole time. Seeing if they'd show signs of agony, refreshness, or just fatigue. They were barely open; just slits (which was much different than her usual bright-eyed self), and it made Aang fall into melancholy seeing her this way.
As he pulled his water-covered hands off her torso, he looked at the burnt area, which looked much better. There might not even be scarring tissue if he did well enough.
He felt proud of himself. Proud that he could return the favor like she did when he was struck by a malicious Azula. The exact same favor actually.
"So... what now? She's healed, but what if she goes down again? Then what are you gonna do? Let her die next time?"
Aang shot her a threatening look.
"No."
Nera sighed deeply. "You're putting your life on the line constantly for that... thing... aren't you?"
"What do you have against Katara?"
Goodness. It felt like Toph-Katara all over again. They hated each other so much, and never got along when they were first together. But even then, Toph would never tell Aang to let Katara die. She never hated her that deeply.
"Oh, it has a name now?"
Toph seemed to read Aang's mind.
"Will you just shut it, Precious?"
Aang was beginning to appreciate Toph's nicknames. Especially when they belonged to Nera. The common ones were Precious, Leechseed and Wanton.
Nera just turned away from everyone, muttering to herself.
Yeah. Aang surely appreciated those names.
--
Nera did what she was told and stayed quiet as Katara's breathing calmed a bit.
"Aang?"
"I'm right here, Katara."
"I... I don't want to lie down anymore."
Her hand faced downward and plucked at the blades of grass.
"Whatever makes you most comfortable."
"Yeah," Toph added, "And doesn't kill Twinkletoes."
Aang rolled his head around to face Toph and sighed.
"I'll be fine, Toph."
She simply shrugged and walked off with Sokka towards Appa. Suki and Zuko followed suit, and Hakoda approached his daughter and the Avatar.
"Is she going to be okay?"
The airbender nodded and Hakoda smiled.
"Thank you, Aang."
He patted the boy on the back.
"Not just for this... but for protecting her when I wasn't around."
"She doesn't need anyone to protect her. She's pretty capable on her own."
The chief laughed.
"Not today... Oh, and Sokka, too - I'm sure you've had to save him a few times."
"Yeah, well. It's been worth it."
Aang flashed him a soft smile.
"Well I appreciate it. Maybe even more than they do," Hakoda finished with.
"Of course," he replied, nodding.
Hakoda walked back over to the others, leaving Aang and Katara alone and Nera talking to herself, and built a campfire. It was getting dark.
"Aang? Can you... can..."
"What, Katara? Anything..."
"Will you... hold me? I'm... I'm cold."
She was shivering, but Aang was still taken aback by her comment.
"I'll go get a blanket. I'll be right back, I promise."
Aang used airbending to get up.
"No... Aang, please. Hold me."
He looked down at her, her eyes were pleading and she looked like she was going to cry. There was so much misery in her tearing eyes, so much of a broken heart reflecting in them in hurt Aang to look at them.
"Okay," he said, finally giving in, but reluctant to.
He kneeled down beside her and put his hand under her head.
"Tell me if you hurt, okay?"
She nodded.
Aang lifted her so that she sat up, and leaned her against him. She threw her legs out to the side and put her arms around his neck.
He didn't need this right now. He loved Katara, but he wanted her to do something like this when she was in her right mind... not so deep in shock.
He sighed and held on to her anyway. Maybe she was in her right mind. Maybe she was just messing with him. He had no idea. Aang just closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment more than he wanted to.
"Aww, look at that. It's so disgusting it hurts," Nera said, trying to mock them.
"Go away, Nera."
She stood in front of them, arms still crossed, a look of complete disatisfaction on her face. Her porcelain skin white in the twilight air, her black and silver hair that she normally keep in a ponytail, loose and flowing. Her hair extended to her lower back and her eyes were a beautiful grey color. She was stunning, as Sokka had pointed out to Aang several times in the past 24 hours, but Aang paid no mind. He had eyes for no one but Katara.
"You know, Aang, Nera is a pretty amazing girl. She's just a year older than you, nice long legs, beautiful features. You should try talking to her."
"Sokka... I don't like her like that. Besides... she's not my type."
Sokka glared at him in confusion and pity.
"You have a type?"
After asking this, Sokka burst into laughter.
"Amazing. The Avatar has a type. But even a man with a type can't turn that down. If she was a few years older, and I didn't have Suki, I'd probably give her a chance."
It was things like that that made Aang separate from Sokka. He could never understand how Katara and Sokka were siblings... they were so... different.
"Aang," Nera said, the spite forcefully drained for the time being, "I'm sorry to interrupt the cuddling session, but could I talk to you for a minute?"
"Sure, go ahead."
Nera darted her eyes from Aang to the waterbender leaning against him.
"Alone?"
"Sorry, but I can't leave Katara."
"Oh, she'll live for like 5 minutes. Just put her on the ground." The agression was returning.
"Uh... let me rephrase that- I won't leave Katara."
Nera sighed.
"Fine, but you're missing out on some very valuable information to you."
"What?"
Katara shifted her head on his shoulder and one of her hands fell to his leg. He looked down at it, but she pat his knee softly, smiling at him.
"It's okay. Five minutes, Mmmmkay...?"
"Umm..." he gulped, everything she did just made him so nervous. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah... you- back, though."
He thought he understood.
"Yes, I'll be right back."
Katara let go of him and laid on her back, putting her elbows down to support her; her main goal not to fall over.
Aang stood up with a quick gush of air and eyed Nera suspiciously. Even though, he followed her. She lead him back below where the temple once was, taking a path he didn't recognize.
"Where are we going?"
The ledge was very thin, but he wasn't worried due to him having his glider. If he fell he'd be fine. If she fell... well maybe he could just let her... He smacked himself. He knew he shouldn't be thinking such things.
"The forest. It's how I found you guys."
Yeah. The forest. Where Zuko had camped when everyone still didn't trust him. Where Toph had her feet burned. And where apparently, Nera found the temple.
"Okay. Why? And are you sure this'll take 5 minutes?"
"No, but chill. She'll be fine."
"I thought you wanted to talk to me?"
She sighed.
"Look. It's not that I don't like Katara, okay?"
"Um. Okay?"
She continued. "It's just, I don't like her liking you. It doesn't seem right... You're a monk. You can't like her."
"What're you talking about?"
"I know all those stories you told me are true. I believe them all. And I believe them because I've always known who you were."
He had no idea what Nera was talking about. He was lagging behind her train of thought so badly, it was giving him a headache. "Who I am?..." -he scratched his head- "I'm a bit confused."
They made it off the trail and into a clearing that led straight to the forest. Nera sat down on a large rock and Aang made his own seat with a bit of earthbending.
"I like you, Aang, but not only for the reasons you would naturally think." She blushed and it was a deep color on her pale skin. "Well that, because your kind and sweet and smart and handsome... but also because... I have to."
--
Aang was so lost in his own mind. There was two things that were nagging him.
The first one: Nera liked him? No wonder she hated Katara!
And then, she hated Katara because he liked her... how did she know he liked her? He sighed. It must be pretty obvious. But then, did Toph know? Did Hakoda? Zuko? ... Sokka? He shivered at the thought. No. If Sokka knew, he'd surely be a very dead last hope for the world right now.
"You... like me, then?"
She nodded.
"More than I thought possible."
"Than what do you mean 'you have to'?"
Nera gazed at him with a hard look.
"Well... you're the last airbender."
Aang shifted his eyes to the grassy floor.
"I've been told."
She took a deep breath as if preparing for a long speech. Then she spoke softly in a kind, calm tone.
"Aang... that's not really true."
This caught his attention, and he focused back on her again. She was smiling warmly at him, piercing his hopeful eyes with her own.
"Now that I've met you... I know three airbenders."
The Avatar became wide-eyed and deeply interested.
"Three?" his voice cracked, a sad, but happy tone to it.
"You, my dad and-"
"That's great! Could I talk to him?"
Nera clenched her fists at the question, her face becoming sharp and she closed her eyes.
"He... No... He's gone."
"Oh. Well we could find him."
She shook her head.
"You don't understand... he's gone. Two..." -a tear fell from her eye and she bit her lip- "Two months ago."
"Oh. Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, Nera, I-"
"No. It's okay."
He felt the need to comfort her, a new found compassion for her. Like he could consider her a friend. A friend who was recovering from a horrible loss. He stood up and hugged her, not caring if she thought of it as an act of friendship or a gesture of something more.
"I understand how it feels to lose someone you love."
She hugged him back and stood up, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Thank you, Aang... I... I really do like you."
Aang refused to say anything. He didn't like her in the same way, but he didn't want to hurt her feelings when she was already crying. He closed his eyes in an effort to stop himself from objecting to her comment.
The next thing he knew, she was kissing him. His eyes shot open as Nera's arms flung around his neck and she caressed the back of his head softly with her hand.
He pulled away, leaving her with saddened eyes and a wry stare.
"I'm sorry... I..." she started, tucking her hair behind her ears.
Aang looked away from her.
"Please... please tell me you felt something. You had to... you... we're the last ones, Aang."
The Avatar turned around so quick to face her, it had to be an act of airbending. He quivered as he stood there, feeling unbelievably dumb. How could he be so stupid!? She said she 'had to' that her father was an airbender! How could he not have realized she was one, too? He felt like such an idiot. He should've known.
He gazed at her light skin... that should've been the first sign.
And then... oh, those eyes. Those brillant grey eyes that reminded him so much of his own. Those beautiful, gleaming eyes that were such a poor and complete giveaway it made it impossible not to know she was an airbender.
It finally, truly sunk in.
Another airbender. His own standing right in front of him. He thought he'd never see another, but here she was.
"Show me something."
Nera just gazed at him with an innocent stare.
"What? You want me to do it again?"
Aang furrowed his brow.
"Huh? Oh... no! I meant airbending!"
She laughed.
"Oh. Okay. Well... I don't know too much, but my father taught me a bit."
Nera jumped into the air and faced her arms towards the ground, blasting air at it and shooting upward. She floated back down gracefully.
"Y-you... really are?" Aang stuttered.
She nodded and leaned against a nearby tree.
"Yeah," she confirmed, "And I'm the only other one besides you. So, don't you see? We have to like each other."
"Why? What?"
She smirked at him.
"My mother was an earthbender, my father an airbender. She concieved 8 children, the youngest, me. Out of all of them, there was five earthbenders, two non-benders, and one airbender. The chances of getting what you want as two different benders is slim, so there's a greater chance if two from the same nation have a chi-"
"What?! Are you saying-"
"We have to. Do you know with that waterbender of yours, you might not... what if she only wants one kid-" She was cut off by Aang who walked up to her and point an accusing finger at her.
"Who said we were talking children?! We're too young for-"
"Yeah... but later on. What if she doesn't even want children? I'm up for as many as my body can-"
"Nera! I don't like you like that!" he exclaimed, his breath coming in quick and heavy. "I'm done with this conversation."
Aang picked up his staff and walked the way he came.
"But Aang!" she yelled from behind him. "What about the airbenders? It's our duty to rebuild- no! It's you're duty to bring balance to the world!"
He stopped in his tracks, but didn't turn around.
"No. There will be another way."
And he continued to his strides back towards their camp.
--
As Aang made his way back to camp, the words Nera pounced on him just a few minutes earlier haunted him. He couldn't stop thinking about it. At one point, he even agreed to her argument, causing his cheeks to flush awkwardly. He threw that thought from his mind all together though, knowing for a fact if he wanted to re-populate the airbenders he would want to do it with none other than Katara. This of course just made the blushing even worse.
Once he was back at camp, he found Katara was lying down, but in a sleeping bag this time.
"Aang?" she called, sitting upright.
He approached her and sat next to her.
"Yeah?"
It seemed as if tears were forming in her eyes.
"Did you... heal me?"
"Yes," he responded, calmly.
She threw her arms around his neck, but he had no idea why.
"Are you feeling okay? Are you better now?"
"No, Aang... I mean... you healed me!"
"Yes, Katara, I..." It seemed to finally hit him. "Wait, I did!"
Katara sighed contentedly. "How?"
He shook his head.
"I don't know. I just... did it. It must've been an act of adrenaline or something..."
"Well... I do feel better. That was so horrible. When she hit me... I didn't think I was going to make it... I..."
"Katara," he said, pulling slightly away and holding her chin to make sure she was looking at him. "Don't say that."
"Why did you do it?" she questioned, leaning back into him.
"Do what?"
Her glip loosened, but she didn't move.
"Save me... Sokka said Nera was saying things and- wait, where is Nera?"
She felt him swallow hard and pulled away, finally realizing she probably shouldn't be holding him like that. No matter how much she wanted to. But just at that moment, Nera could be spotted walking back toward them from the cliff path.
Aang sighed deeply.
"C'mon. We should go over to the others."
The Avatar helped her up and guided her over to the group near the campfire.
Nera sped up and approached everyone, getting dirty looks from Sokka, Toph and Aang.
"What do you want, Precious?"
Aang chuckled, amused. There was that name again.
His mind flashed back to under 48 hours ago, when they met Nera.
"She is so weird..." Toph said, shrugging and sitting on the temple's edge.
"Yeah," Katara agreed, "She's so prissy, too."
They were inspecting Nera as she cleaned out her fingernails and prepped her hair.
"I dunno. She's okay, I guess," Aang responded, stiffling a yawn.
"You don't even know her, Aang." Toph got up after saying this and walked away, past Nera, accidentily bumping her. "Sorry," she said, not really caring.
"Oww! That really hurt! Ugh... now my hair's messed up again..." She began fingering her hair once more, running her nails through the strands and pulling it up into a ponytail.
Toph smirked.
"Forgive me, Precious. I didn't know you were such a delicate little pansy."
Before Nera could respond, Toph was already gone.
"Nothing. I'm just sitting with you guys..."
Nera took a spot next to Aang, who was in the process of scooting as far over to Katara as possible.
"Aang?" Katara whispered to him, "What're you doing?"
Aang looked down to realize his scooting had violated Katara's space. His hand was rested on her ankle in the middle of her lap as she sat with crossed legs.
"S-sorry," he said, ripping his hand away. She blushed and looked away, but didn't say anything else.
"So..." Toph started, "Where to from here?"
Sokka shrugged from across the campfire.
"Not sure... all we can do now is sit this out and teach Aang what we know. From there it's up to him."
They all agreed to listen to Aang.
"Aang..." Nera whispered, "have you thought about it?"
He glared at her.
"No, Nera. I'm not changing my mind."
"About what?" cut in Katara.
Aang shook his head and Nera shoot her a rude glance.
"Nothing... nothing..." she replied. Then she faced back to Aang. "Are you sure?"
He nodded.
"Absolutely."
After Nera stood up, she dusted herself off and sighed deeply.
"You're making a mistake."
With that, she departed from the rest of the group and was never seen again.
Even though Aang was offered extensive hope from Nera, his love for Katara never once went away. After the incident with the other young airbender, Aang's love for Katara was even stronger.