Part 4 – The Earthquake

"What's happening?" Katara screamed above the noise of moving ground. Aang held her hand tightly as the shaking earth caused them both to stumble to the ground. The wind blew across the empty meadow taking the dirt and ruble with it. Aang shielded himself and Katara with a shield of solid earth. The ground trembled beneath their heard the crack before he saw it. Aang got up and helped Katara to her feet, too. There was a large jagged crack through the meadow, a few feet from where they were standing.

"Is it over?" Katara asked clinging to Aang's arm tightly. Aang didn't answer. The ground started to shake again. "Oh no," Katara whined.

Water started to bubble out of the large, wide crack. Aang's eyes widened as the ground shook. Suspenseful music lead up to the moment, when the geyser spit out an underground ocean. The wave came up so fast the two didn't have time to defend themselves before the wave hit them.

"Don't let go of my hand," Aang yelled above the water. The current swept them both to the side. Katara tried to waterbend herself closer to him but the current kept them apart. Still, the strength of her hold on his hand did not diminish. The strength of the wave, finally, dissipated and let the couple fall to the ground and cough up water.

Katara crawled slowly over to Aang who was still trying to get water out of his lungs. She kneeled beside him and rubbed his back. Water swished around them. Their clothes were soaked and they were cold. Katara swung her drenched hair over her shoulder and began to ring out the water. Once Aang's coughing spill was over he waterbended the water out of his robes.

"You okay?" he coughed again.

Katara nodded and dried her own clothes, too, with waterbending. "Yeah," she choked. Aang looked at her sadly. He stood up and looked around to see where the water had taken them. They seemed to be on the edge of the big meadow. The grass was pushed down by the giant wave and looked like a heard of buffalo-gazelle trampled over it. Aang looked around some more. They were on the opposite side from the really tall mountain. He couldn't see any villages, or tents, or even campfires. Katara stood up, as well, and marched over to dryer land, where the water hadn't reached yet. She sat down numbly. Aang knew she was upset and didn't want to be bothered. He tried anyway.

"Katara–"

"No Aang, I don't want to here it! I don't want you to tell me that everything will be okay, because, you know what, It won't! Whenever we think we find a way out of here something worse happens. I know that I'm supposed to be this brave, motherly figure for you all, but Aang," she looked up at him, tears finally being released from her eyes, "I'm scared, okay? I am freaked out of my mind! One, because I don't know where we are! Two, dangerous things are attacking us and three, I almost got brutally murdered by my own element!" she counted off these things on her fingers.

"At least we have each other, and we can defend ourselves," he sighed, "and you beat your element."

Katara stared at him, her lips pursed with annoyance.

"And it's okay if your scared," Aang carried on. "I'm scared too. I'm wet, cold and so confused and frustrated. I wish I could get us out of here and bring you back to the Fire Nation where we could sit in front of the fire in the parlor and get all warm and cozy. And then, we could wrap a blanket around ourselves and drink hot Jazmin tea until we fall asleep." He sat beside her on the dry ground.

She sighed and leaned against him, but didn't say anything. "And I'm going to tell you something," he whispered. "It will be okay." She cried and he held her, until they both fell asleep under the sky, which happen to have turned white again.

Take my hand; it will be okay

There will be many dangers along the way

A drop of water landed on the tip of Aang's nose. He awoke with start as other droplets of water began to rain down on him. He lurched, suddenly, backwards, awakening Katara, as well. She moaned as the rain hit her hard and dampened her hair and clothes. She held a hand above her head, stopping the water droplets from touching her dark skin. Aang followed the example. He held out a hand for her to help her get up but she ignored it and rose by herself.

She faced the open meadow and watched the rain fall across it. The meadow was already drowned in water and the rain made it look more like a lake.

"This is just perfect!" Katara screamed into the open air. Aang stood behind her, shifting from one foot to the other. In a flash Katara was facing him. "I was even having a nice dream about none of this happening, but look," she gestured out to the muddy field. "I wake up and, suddenly, I'm surrounded by water! In the exact same place I didn't want to be!" When there was no reply from Aang, the angry waterbending turned back to the meadow and, in anger, sent currents of water crashing together. Aang stood there, miserably, as the Master Waterbender released all her anger on the waves. When she found no more energy to continue her rampage she knelt by the shoreline and yelled in frustration.

"This is all your fault," Katara said spinning around to face him. Aang's jaw dropped. "Why did you have to trust that stupid lady and let her put you to sleep!"

"My fault?" Aang defended. "Why did you let her in, in the first place. I was meditating! I had nothing to do with this!"

In another attempt to release her frustration, Katara began attacking Aang. The fully-realized Avatar, dodged every water whip, ice dagger, and any other move Katara through at him. In turn, he found it much easier to unleash his anger and return the attacks instead of leaving them. So a full out battle of the waterbenders started; teacher versus pupil, Avatar versus Master, lover versus lover.

Aang was raised by monks. They always taught him the difference between what is right and what is wrong and how do recognize the two. To him, fighting to kill, taking advantage of another, and taking one's life was wrong. Katara was raised parents who love her. She was always taught to fight for what she loved and to never give up hope. Fighting to release her anger was wrong. Unfortunately, Katara was raised during a war, and sometimes you don't have a choice.

The two just stood there now, both ready to throw an attack but not willing to do it. Their eyes were locked. The disturbed water swayed around their ankles and legs. The world seemed to hold it's breath; all was still. Then there was a soft splash. The young Avatar and Waterbending Master began the journey across the wet meadow. She separated the water so they had dry land to walk on. The only sound was the crushing footsteps and the wind. With grim, smile-less faces they walked on. Who knows what goes through one's head, at a time like this. What if I had attacked, instead? Would they forgive me if I hurt them? Would I forgive myself? I'm I too weak to attack, or strong enough not to? These questions bothered the benders most of the way down the path they had created for themselves. They took turns controlling the water path. The whole journey not a word was said, and yet, they tolerated each other, not one wanting to leave the other's presence.

Katara caved first, "I'm sorry."

Aang stopped walking. "Katara–"

"You were right, I just didn't want to believe you," she said recklessly.

Aang released the water and it splashed back into place. He went to her and took her in his arms and hugged her. "What was I right about?"

She leaned her head against his shoulder and buried her face in his robe, although it was dirty from the swamp. "When you said we had each other and it would be okay. I didn't believe you, but I believe you, now."

"What changed your mind?"

Katara smiled. It was the first since they had woken up. "You. I love you."

Aang smiled into her hair and hugged her tighter against him. Soft, lovely music sang across the mountains.

Katara pulled away from the hug. She breathed in through her nose and forced tears down her throat.

"You okay?" Aang asked, holding her by the shoulders and titling his head to one side to see her face.

Her blue eyes were shinning brighter than before with renewed hope. Katara nodded to his question.

Aang took her by the hand and guided her the rest of the way to the tall mountain that seemed to stand in front of the rest. Destiny was only a few miles away.