Beginning
*Setting: Just after the war, back on Aang's old home, the Southern Air Temple*
Katara was in one of her pensive moods again, her slender hand brought up under her chin, and both of her arms resting on the railing of the topmost balcony of the Southern Air Temple.
The forever-present breeze was soft and soothing today, gently combing its cools fingers through her long wavy hair as her eyes trailed friends, Appa and Momo, through the air as they flew, played, and frolicked about the Temple.
But her eyes, Aang had noticed long before now, were not sparkling like the ocean like they normally would be. To him, she seemed distant, far off in some unknown land, far away…from him.
Aang had been watching Katara for the past hour; he had been sitting up top the Temple's roof, quietly wondering what she could possibly be so concentrated, so silent, in her thoughts. Usually she spoke them to anyone who would listen, and usually that would be Aang. But not today.
The Avatar was mute in his pondering of the "what ifs" in his head. His conclusion about Katara was simple, and in all the possible theories he came up with, none ended up with Katara staying with him, at the Temple.
Sokka left with Suki, after the war, to travel back to Kyoshi Island, to spend some time with her and the warriors. Toph had gone home, back in the Earth Kingdom, to her parents for a while. She admitted to missing them, a very unlikely thing for Toph to do, but she in turn, left to go home. And Zuko, well, he went back to the Fire Nation with Mai, to prepare to be crowned as the new Fire Lord.
Though Aang knew the team would be together once again in a little over two weeks' time, for it was a promise to Zuko that they'd all be there for his coronation, Aang was worried Katara wanted to leave to be with them. Otherwise, not him.
Aang couldn't bare the idea of being without Katara. Could you even begin to think of it actually happening?
Aang's own thoughts were broken in half when he heard a long, thoughtful sigh coming from Katara. She still looked out to the jagged horizon beyond the mountains, frozen like her bending ice in the same position she had been in for the past hour.
Aang could not hold it in anymore. He had to know.
Silently, he grabbed his glider lying motionless on the roof tiles next to him, flipped it open with a jerk of his arm, and jumped high into the air. Gripping tight, he swooped down low, almost brushing the top of Katara's head, and then riding the wind currents like the waves of the ocean tide, he climbed higher and higher upwards. Aang looked down to see Katara straight-backed, peering into the cloudless sky after him.
He was too far away to catch her expression, but he knew he had her attention now.
In efforts to cheer her up, Aang then flipped over, to stand on the wooden rod of his glider, the large fans beneath his feet. He screamed with glee, laughing, as he rode the wind, doing small corkscrews all the way back down.
He landed in a smooth arc, coming in just behind where Katara now waited for him.
Aang grinned, the toothy smile stretching from ear to ear, squinching up his ashen colored eyes and said, "Tah dah!" He spread his arms out wide, and had his foot out in front of him, as if it was the finale to a long vigorous dance number.
Katara smiled, "That's great Aang." Her smile was empty, her voice was languidly gentle. Her eyes? Still not sparkling. Not even a shimmer.
Aang's own smile diminished to a thin line almost invisible on his face. He picked up his glider and joined Katara back at the edge of the balcony. Dubious, he asked, "Katara what's wrong? You have been up here a while."
"I'm just thinking about things, Aang," she replied, as if only stating a fact. There wasn't even a hint of emotion trapped in the linings of her voice.
"Like what?" he inquired, genuinely interested. He set his glider off to the side, ready for one of Katara's stretchy, heartfelt speeches, which he loved so much. But he never received one.
"Thoughts," she blinked, curving some stray strands of dark hair behind her ear.
Aang knew persisting on that subject was futile. He puffed some airbending air out of his mouth before saying, "Do you miss them? Do you want to go home?"
"What?" Suddenly, her voice seemed to be back. Her true voice. The spark in her speech was back, "Of course not, Aang. I know I'll see them soon, so why should I miss Zuko, Suki, or Toph?"
Aang raised an eyebrow, "What about Sokka?"
"Sokka? Sokka who?" She smiled wryly, a flash in her eyes. "Of course I do. Sokka is grown up now, and he's with Suki, so I know he will be okay. And I'm already home," she told him, the sweetness in her tone overbearing.
It made Aang undeniably happy to hear her say that. His heart fluttered a moment, like a bird taking flight (or an airbender taking flight…), in his chest. "I wouldn't expect a waterbender to love my Air Temple so much—there isn't any water for miles," he stated, surprised she'd said it, but still glad she did. Perhaps he took it a little too literally…
"Not the Temple," She smiled again, "You."
Aang glanced at her meaning to look away a second later, but found his eyes stuck staring into hers.
Katara turned away shyly. Behind her curtain of hair, he knew she was blushing, as was Aang.
"I'm just—worried, is all," Katara mumbled, still turned away. Her voice lost its lifting tone Aang had grown accustomed to hearing.
"Worried about what Katara? We defeated Fire lord Ozai and won the war, and we don't have to run anymore—" Really, he was confused. What could she be worried about?
She turned back to face him, "That's just it, Aang. We won. We defeated the bad guys. We don't have to go from place to place anymore. So, where do we go? There's no war for us to plan for. What do we do?" Her voice cracked, her lip trembled, and her eyes became glassy. Aang suddenly realized that she was scared. She was scared about the future.
"Live," simply stated the wise old Avatar within Aang.
Katara sniffed and wiped her eyes, only just noticing she was crying. Gaining back her composure, she said, "What?"
"We live. We go on with our lives. Toph had the right idea—go visit family. We get to be kids again." Aang gazed back at the Temple doors now, looking as if to see behind them, into a memory.
Katara knew he was thinking of his life before the war. The Air Nomads. His friends. Monk Giatzo.
"After going through all this—the war—it won't feel right. The war knocked the kid out of me even before I met you. I don't think I'll ever be a kid again. And of course I want to see Gran Gran, but then what?"
Aang shrugged. He hadn't thought that far ahead. "I don't know."
Disappointed, Katara nodded and folded her hands together, continuing to gaze to the land beyond the Temple.
"But that is the good thing Katara," he piped up, trying to sound merry, "Not knowing where to go or what to do, makes it a great beginning for an adventure. Who knows? We might save the world again someday."
"Don't you mean you'll save the world again someday? You are the Avatar—and one of these days you're going to leave me—and Sokka," she added quickly, "—to go save it."
"Leave you?" Aang unconsciously, instinctively, stepped closer. "Never."
Tears welled up in Katara's deep blue cerulean eyes, yet a small loving smile was plastered on her lips.
Aang sweetly smiled back, "And you said so yourself, Sokka has Suki. And I'm sure what the Avatar can do, a master waterbender can do equally as well. Including saving the world."
Katara flung herself at Aang, wrapping her arms around his neck. She was crying, but they were joyous, relieved tears. A tremendous weight lifted from her heart.
Shocked at first, Aang just stood there. Then he blinked, realizing what was happening. He, in turn, wrapped Katara in his arms, leaning his head into hers, soaking in the moment.
Aang was afraid that if his heart beat any faster, Katara would hear it. These feelings that grew in his chest…they were all for her. His heart was, too. And, he guesses, that that is why he can't stand the thought of Katara's departure.
Katara whispered, "You know, I still remember the first time Sokka and I found you." She still held onto Aang, as if she would let go, he would fall away from her. "And then you asked to go penguin sledding with me." She chuckled, the eminent sound of a sob within it.
Aang smiled to himself, looking back into that memory.
"I knew then that it would be the start of something great," Katara finished, sniffing and finally releasing Aang.
"No," Aang countered.
Katara stared, confused.
"Impossible," Aang continued, "It didn't begin until just now. Not really," a grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Katara beamed. And there it was! The sparkling ocean within her eyes! Sparkling, shining, dazzling.
Afraid to see the sea vanish, Aang leaned nearer to Katara, closing his grey eyes. Katara met halfway and they joined lips. Pouring their hearts out into that blissful few moments, it is pretty evident that yes…
This really was just the beginning.