Thanks so much for all the comments!
Now… to answer a few questions:
Calm-Water: But, if Aang can't have one, why could Roku? I don't mean to, like, you know, make you feel bad... But Avatar Roku had a family. Zuko's mother IS Avatar
Roku's grandchild
KDB: I'd like to say that this is my story and I'm null and voiding it but… I totally forgot. XD Ummm… he can't have a family cause he's a monk and monks are suppose to be abstinent? XD I sorry.
Annnnnyways….
~o~o~o~o~o~o~
Zuko's days fell into a set routine: he'd wake up early, check on Katara, train, check on Katara, deal with some diplomatic issues, and of course check on Katara. To say that Mai was less than pleased with the Fire Lord's interest with Katara would be an understatement.
She wirily smiled as Zuko would skulk off to go check on the beautiful water bender. "Fire cannot stay in close contact with water for very long, or else there will be too much steam to see clearly," she stubbornly thought. All seemed peaceful in the Fire Nation, until the weather abruptly changed. The warm humid air disappeared as though it was never there. A chilling cold blanketed the fire nation.
Millions of Fire Nation citizens, unsettled by the sudden change in weather, gathered outside. The Fire Nation had been at peace for three calm years. No one was ready for it to end.
Zuko stared out the window in astonishment: a thick layer of water bender ships coated the coast. In his three years as leader, Zuko had never had any direct contact with the Northern or Southern water tribes and thus he had no idea how to tell what ships belonged to each tribe; if they were friend or foe—no doubt that rat Hahn had gone crying home. Either it would be Katara's father coming to collect her, or Hahn attempting to get Katara back, with his intimidating fleet of ships.
"I guess I can't just go blow them up seeing as it's not a declaration of war. However I hate being diplomatic." Zuko muttered to himself.
"Who are you thinking of blowing up?" demanded Iroh.
"Uncle!" exclaimed Zuko. "Any news on who is at our doorstep?"
Iroh shook his head as he stared at the window, worry evident in the old man's eyes. Zuko sighed, agitated. "It's messing up the climate," he said bitterly. He swiftly walked out the door, his shoes softly echoing in the halls.
He slid the shoji door open and closed in quietly behind him. Katara lay quietly in the bed, her forehead covered in a slight sheen of sweat. She did not look feverish, and looked much better than she had earlier. Zuko's elegant fingers smoothed the crimson blanket and carefully moved the hair out of her face.
Katara hadn't seen much sun, despite being in the Fire Nation. Her illustrious tan had faded to a light milk chocolate tone.
Zuko cradled Katara's face and longed to see her sapphire eyes open, to see them looking at him. Her lips looked like a young rose bud, partially open.
"What am I doing?" he thought to himself. He abruptly stood up and quickly left.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~
"Appa! Isn't this wonderful?" yelled Aang, the cold air rushing against his skin. He couldn't wait to see Katara after so long; it was like drinking water in a hot desert.
As he got closer he sensed something odd. Different. There were no homey noises that were usual for the southern village. All the ships were gone. A few people could be seen, dotting the group. They all seemed to be women as Aang drew closer. Where were all the men?
Appa landed softly and Aang slid down his soft down fur, as his feet crunched the ice, and a feeling of nostalgia filled his entire being. After all, he had been encased in an ice ball for a century here.
"Katara!" he cried out. Aang lightly danced and ran towards where she would normally be. He pulled aside the curtain to the hut.
"Katara! I'm ba-" Aang's eyes widened; the entire hut was empty. The rest of the words died in his mouth. All her clothes and belongings were gone. Katara was not a woman of many objects, but she had a handful of things. They were all gone. He shivered; the air was stale, as if she hadn't been here for a long time.
Aang stumbled out, frightened by this discovery.
He couldn't understand. Where had Katara gone? He flicked open his air glider with a simple twist of his hand and bit of airbending. With a puff of cold air he sailed above the village. There only seemed to be a handful of people, going about their own business, not seeming to notice the flying bison.
That's when he saw her, Katara and Sokka's Gran Gran. He quickly flew down to meet her. "Excuse me…" he started, not wanting to frighten the woman. "Ms. Kanna?"
Kanna turned around, her old blue eyes widening in surprise. "Avatar," she stated simply.
"Where is everyone?" Aang asked, voice as controlled as possible. He was getting a very very bad feeling about this.
Kanna's eyes stayed locked on the Avatar's face. His young youthful face stared back at her with a certain intensity. He was concerned for Katara, and their village.
Kanna let out a breath that she didn't even know she was holding. "Have you not heard?" she asked, her eyes burning into Aang's face, scrutinizing his facial features.
"Heard what?" he asked. His patience was running thin. He wanted to know where Katara was. That was his main priority.
"She's not…" he started, his eyes widening with fright.
"No, no… she's not dead." Kanna briskly said.
Aang's shoulders relaxed, his muscles tired from the strain of the journey.
"It's a long story," Kanna said cryptically.
"I'm not going anywhere," he replied firmly.
"Before I tell you the happenings you must first tell me something," Kanna simply stated.
"Go on," Aang urged.
"Where did you disappear to when you left?" she asked, her eyes burning into his skull.
Aang felt the anger radiate off of her. Something had happened to Katara and it must have been his fault to warrant this kind of response when he got back. He bit his lip and decided what to say.
"I can't exactly tell you. I can tell you that I didn't leave by choice. I left because of Avatar reasons," he said after a long while.
Kanna seemed to take this into consideration. She knew that she was already going over her boundaries by not telling the Avatar all that she knew the moment that he inquired. However this was a matter of her grandchildren and should not be taken lightly.
"Come in, I'll tell you what happened, but you look exhausted, and I can't have the Avatar fainting," she said decisively. She then started to walk to Katara and Sokka's empty tent.
She sat down, and motioned for Aang to do the same. He sat down on the slick ice.
"After you left, Avatar-" she started, Aang quickly cut her off.
"Kanna, can you please stop calling me Avatar? I would really like if you called me Aang." He said smiling as best as he could.
"Aang. After you left many things were swung into motion. I don't know why you left, but the fact of the matter is that you left. My granddaughter, whom I'm sure you're aware has feelings for you, was absolutely heartbroken. You didn't tell her where you were going, how long you were going to be there for, and if you were even going to return. If I recall correctly she said she woke up one morning and you, Appa and all your belongings were gone, " she said, staring at Aang, daring him to say that what she said was untrue.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~
"Gran Gran!" cried Katara. Kanna opened her eyes wearily; she was tired from last night's events still and wanted to sleep in.
"Yes, Katara?"
"It's Aang! He's… he's gone! All his clothes, Appa, his staff is gone! " she cried out frantically, tears running down her face.
"And you have no idea where he went do you child?" Kanna asked her softly.
Katara's sobs trembled throughout her whole body. She shook her head, as she covered her face.
"Come here," Kanna said softly.
Katara ran into her arms like she was a child waking up from nightmares that plagued her.
"What if he never comes back, Gran Gran?" she sobbed into Kanna's jacket. She smoothed out Katara's hair and started to sing an old water tribe lullaby to soothe the crying water bender.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~
He nodded stiffly, and waited for her to continue.
"Katara fell into a great despair. When Sokka returned from visiting Suki on Kyoshi Island he came with news that he was going there to live with her for good. I had known that Sokka was thinking about this for a while now, because he had asked me for my opinion on the matter. However, he wanted to surprise Katara, except in this case it was not a welcomed surprise." Kanna said grimly remembering the scene.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~
Katara would barely eat, her father Hakoda had been consulting with many healers and none could find a way to cure it. However everyone he consulted agreed on the cause. Katara was depressed. Katara would go to the water side and bend water for half an hour each day. The day that Sokka came home, as soon as his feet were off the ship, her eyes lit up, and she ran to her brother's side.
"Sokka!" she cried, smiling a bright smile.
Sokka smiled and hugged Katara back. "Katara, have you been losing weight?" he asked her playfully, concern etched his eyes.
"Are you trying to say that I was fat before?" she demanded.
"Ehehe… I'm not even going to get into this one." He said nervously.
"I have news to tell you!"
"I have great news to tell you!"
Katara and Sokka said at the same time.
Katara smiled and said. "You tell me your news first! I haven't heard from you in so long!"
"I'm getting married to Suki, I'm going to be living with her on Kyoshi Island, and I'm going to live with her until then." He said his smile brightly blazing.
Katara's insides felt like they melted away. She could feel her smile melting right off her face. Sokka's blue eyes searched Katara's face and he started to frown.
"What's wrong, Katara?" he asked, confused. "I thought you'd be happy for me."
"I am happy. I'm just so surprised that someone wanted to marry you at all!" she forcefully smiled and choked out a laugh.
Sokka smiled and hugged her tightly. "I'm so glad that you approve."
Katara faintly smiled and hugged him back for dear life. She had missed her brother dearly, and wanted him to stay with her but that would be unbelievably selfish.
"What did you want to tell me?" Sokka asked as they pulled away from their embrace. Katara froze up. 'If I tell him what happened he'll never leave because he knows how much I loved Aang.' She thought to herself quickly.
"Nothing as exciting as what you wanted to tell me. I want to talk about the wedding! I am invited right?" she stared at him.
"Of course!" he laughed, they chattered about his wedding all day and night long. No one had mentioned the disappearance of the Avatar when he was home. Sokka wasn't home for very long, long enough to pack up his things and on the way out.
"Come and visit whenever you want Katara! Suki and I would love to have you any time!" he said to her, hugging her one last time.
She smiled mutely, and watched him board the ship. It felt so weird, seeing him off like this. They had rarely been separated throughout their lives; they were like twins. However, once the war had subsided he would travel to visit Suki for weeks at a time.
As the ship started to sail off into the distance, a light bulb went off in Sokka's head. "OH! TELL AANG TO COME TO THE WEDDING TOO!" he hollered from off the shore.
Katara's eyes started to fill with tears, and she waved to her brother. She watched the ship until it was just a dot in the distances and ran into the tent sobbing.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~
"It was months before the wedding invitations were sent out. In this time frame, Katara deteriorated rapidly. She ate less and less, and after Sokka left she refused to go out and waterbend." Kanna said, taking in a deep breath to steady herself.
Aang's eyes remained a stony neutral, but inside his heart was breaking. He never meant for this to happen, to put Katara through so much pain. Kanna's voice brought him out from his self-hate and guilt.
"When we all went up to Kyoshi Island for the wedding, Katara went alone. The wedding was unusual and nothing like I had seen before. It was also very hot." Kanna commented, frowning.
"I had hoped that the sun and companionship would do Katara good. Some of it did, she got a little darker, ate a little more, and hung out with Suki. It was a beautiful ceremony and Sokka had carved an engagement necklace for Suki just like his father had for his mother. " she said, smiling, tears filling her old eyes.
Aang suspected that the trouble was not far off as he sensed her words straining to come out.
"The after ceremony party is what you're probably most interested in. We returned to our village to hold the party for those that could not endure the trip to Kyoshi Island." Kanna said, dread lacing every word.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~
"Thank you everyone who came out for the ceremony to bind those two young love birds in marriage." Hakoda said smiling brightly.
"May you two have a lifelong happiness, forever and ever." He said smiling.
Suki and Sokka smiled at each other happily, their fingers intertwined.
"Oh yes, and one last announcement." Hakoda said.
Sokka and Katara looked at their father with questioning eyes.
"My daughter Katara is arranged to be wed to Hahn of the Northern water tribe!" he announced joyously. The applause was thunderous, and happy. Katara dropped the glass that she had been holding. It crashed onto the table, spilling the contents on the pristine white tablecloth, and all over her dress.
Sokka's eyes widened in fury.
The music started up again and everyone was smiling and laughing. Katara looked as white as a sheet. Kanna took Katara outside to a private room to talk. Hakoda, Sokka and Suki soon followed.
"Suki, you don't have to be here for this." Sokka said.
"I want to be here. Katara is now my sister in law, I think of her as family and I would not abandon family in a time like this. Especially when she looks the way she does," Suki said a bit angrily. She walked over to Katara and held her hand firmly and waited.
The silence was deafening. No one knew what to say. Katara looked like a leaf shivering in the wind; her body was trembling, and she looked sick.
Hakoda looked around the room, his eyes surprised to see such grim faces. "Yes?"
Seeing as no one was going to say anything any time soon. Hakoda looked at his son and daughter's face. "Is something wrong?"
"You're marrying her off to Hahn." Sokka said, trying to make sure he had understood correctly.
"Yes," Hakoda answered.
"Hahn from the Northern Water Tribe?" Sokka said again.
"Yes?" Hakoda said, not quite understanding.
"You can't marry her off to that demon!" Sokka exploded.
Hakoda looked taken aback. Sokka was not the type to disrespect his father.
"And why can't I?" Hakoda asked as anger started to boil in his veins.
"He's a monster! He used Princess Yue!" he bellowed. Suki's eyes widened at this. She knew the story about him and Princess Yue. To say that she was jealous would be an understatement. She knew she shouldn't be jealous but had no choice. The entire room was filled with a whirlwind of emotions.
"Hakoda, you arranged this marriage without first asking me or your daughter? You are making your daughter marry although she is in love with someone else?" Kanna asked.
Hakoda nodded stiffly, "I'm doing what I think is best for her."
"Where is Aang?" demanded Sokka.
It was no secret to anyone the relationship that Katara and Aang had shared.
"He's gone," whispered Katara. Those were the first words out of her mouth all day.
"Gone? What do you mean gone?" demanded Sokka.
"He's gone. He left. I woke up one morning and he was gone. It is as simple as that. He's gone. I don't know where he went or if he's even going to come back. " Katara blurted out. Tears streaming down her face.
Sokka stared at her, his mind trying to process what he was hearing.
"He just left? Aang wouldn't have just left. There must have been a reason. Did he say anything to you before he left?" Sokka asked.
"I just said that he didn't say anything to me!" she wailed, tears falling down her face. Sokka's anger dissolved at the sight of tears on his sister's face. Suki stepped in and hugged her gently. She soothingly patted her back.
"There there, Katara. Don't cry. We're here with you, " she whispered.
Katara's sobs subsided, she looked at her brother, remorse written on his every feature.
She reached out and grabbed Sokka's hand and warmly squeezed it. "It's okay. I know you're concerned about Aang too."
Sokka nearly recoiled. Katara was almost all flesh and bones. He pulled her into a hard hug, and nearly started crying; she barely felt like she existed. Yet she was there telling him it was okay.
Sokka turned around to face his father. Hakoda continued on, "The Avatar has left, he didn't ask me for Katara's hand in marriage and so I can't consider him even a prospect," he announced.
Katara knew this to be true, but still when he said it like that it hurt so much more.
"You can't marry Katara off to Hahn. He is a jerk, and I won't have my sister married off to someone like that," blurted out Sokka. He had idolized their father for as long as he could remember but this was different. This couldn't happen to his sister, he wouldn't let it.
"Ask Katara what she wants! Katara does not want to marry Hahn."
He looked at Katara for her to back him up. Katara looked away, her eyes studying the ground as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.
Sokka's mouth hung open with disbelief. "You're not going to back me up? Do you want to marry him? Do you have any faith in Aang? Or are you just going to lie over and play dead just because he left? You don't even know why he left," Sokka continued, shouting at her.
Katara squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't want to hear about this. She didn't want to think about this.
"Sokka. That's enough," Suki said firmly, her lips pressed into a line.
"Suki, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin your wedding," Hakoda said, a wrinkle of worry forming between his eyebrows.
"It's okay," she said, smiling prettily. "I'm going to go back inside to tend to the guests." With that she turned around and headed inside to give them the privacy that she knew that they all probably wanted.
"Sokka, my decision is final. There is no evidence that Hahn was ever like that to Princess Yue. I won't have him spoken ill of in my presences. " Hakoda said firmly.
"Are you kidding me?" Sokka shouted. "He was using Princess Yue in the Northern Water Tribe because he got all the perks that came with her! He will be worse to Katara!" he argued hotly.
"Not another word! You should know better than to talk about a girl who held your heart before Suki! It's disrespectful." Hakoda barked.
Sokka's face pinched in anger, smoothed out and simply said, "I must return to my party to be with my newlywed wife."
The tension was so thick it was hard to breathe. "Katara, you understand why I have to do this, right?" Hakoda gently asked Katara.
Katara stared at him, her eyes a blue void. No happiness, no hate, and no love. She turned on her heel and walked away.
"Hakoda, you can't rush depression. You of all people should know that," said Kanna, and with that she walked away swiftly.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~
"She married Hahn?" whispered Aang his eyes wide with disbelief.
"Not yet. The date is still tentative. They wanted a ritually long engagement." Kanna said, shaking her head.
"Avatar Aang, I believe in marrying for love. I don't believe in arranged marriage. If I had married Pakku it was out of sheer luck that he loved me and I grew to love him," she said, thinking about herself.
"But I left her… could I still go there and rightfully try to take her away from him?" he asked.
"Those aren't questions that I can answer, young airbender. However, I do think you should go to her and check on her. She was worried about your absences. I haven't heard anything from her since she went to go live with the Northern Tribe. "
Pakku had died from old age about a year ago, and it still affected Kanna greatly to speak of the Northern Tribe. Just thinking about her home tribe made her chest clench up.
"I will go," Aang decided.
Kanna merely nodded and went back to her work. Aang rushed back to Appa and was off so fast that all that was left behind him was a gust of cold air.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~
This is the longest chapter I've written for Water and Air and I hope you enjoyed it. A lot of information to digest. I hope this wasn't too much for you guys. The school year has started up again, so expect updates to be slower, but probably heftier. Thanks so much for all the support. Read and Review! Thank you again to my awesome amazing editors! KataangDieHard and Axis of Symmetry. For some odd reason I keep wanting to call Hakoda, Hokoda and continued to write his name like that through out the chapter. XDDD My poor editors had to fix that up. Thanks so much again!