Title: Day 7: Continued…
Rating: K+
A/N: This is the last day for the Kataang Week 2012, with a sad chapter. Katara-centered, set in her sixties after Aang's death and her relationship with her three children. I want to thank you all who supported me in my first (but not last) try writing this pairing and this series!
Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Mike and Bryan, Nickelodeon and Viacom.
Day 7: Continued…
The day has come when our Aang and Katara have children, many cute family moments. Or the day when Aang has to leave… -sniff-
Katara watches her children play with both sorrow and happiness weighting her old heart. Kya is her namesake's – and consequently Katara's own – spitting image, with her tanned skin and the same chocolate locks flowing above her shoulders. She is the oldest child and the only girl. Day by day she becomes more and more like Katara but there's definitely some of Aang inside of her as well, with her quirky attitude and love for games. Her brother and second child, Bumi, also share the same love for games. Kya is a very talented waterbender and a proficient healer; in a few years she would definitely become a master, close to Katara's own age when she learned from Master Pakku all those years ago.
Bumi takes after his namesake as well, even though he is not truly related to the deceased king of Omashu. The dark skinned boy with equal chocolate hair tied in a ponytail doesn't sport the same quirky laugh or slightly closed one eye, but he is unquestionably a quirky genius. His ability in creating fantastic schemes and natural skill with weaponry and machines makes him an exceptional young man. Bumi and his uncle Sokka had an exceptional relationship as well, with both being nonbenders and lovers of the same skills. She still remembers with a smile the day when Sokka gave him a boomerang or the day he helped Bumi create his own sword. The smile on Bumi's face could've outshined the sun – not unlike the way his father smiled either. At the thought of her beloved deceased husband, Katara frowns slightly but smiles once more as she watches Bumi dive into the soil, trying to avoid a water whip from Kya. He is a trained soldier, as both Sokka and Zuko called him, and there's talk about him joining the United Republic army soon. Katara is proud of him, for striving to keep the dream of peace she and her friends fought for decades ago when the world was still at war.
"Bumi, for the last time, I will not entertain you with one of my 'cool air scooter tricks'. Now leave me be." Tenzin's voice brings Katara back from her memories. The young man is glaring at his smirking older brother.
Before Bumi replies to keep annoying his little brother, Kya calls out for him proposing a bender-sword duel. That always worked, and soon enough the older siblings are playfully fighting while Tenzin is once more immsered in reading one of the Air Nomads' airbending form scrolls.
Katara chuckles as she looks at Tenzin. That boy had always been so serious; it's a wonder considering how playful Aang had been. Then again, she had to admit Tenzin is the one whose personality mostly reminisced her own. He had a gentle, almost father like nature despite not yet being one. Remembering the stakes that were set upon his shoulders, Katara decided to keep quiet. Ever since her husband's death, Tenzin is now the only airbender in the world and the pressure was nearly suffocating him. Katara was worried about him; she still is, but now to a lesser extent. She trusts Tenzin's good judgment and rightful ways and she knows he will find his own path as an airbender.
She remembers how pressured she felt after – or before even, ever since she first considered marrying Aang – after her marriage and their 'mission'. Aang, of course, being the kind and caring man he'd always been tranquilized her fears and stated it wasn't a mission, but a joy. Now, after all those years, Katara finally understood. She is proud of and loves all of her three dear children dearly. They are the perfect mixture of her and Aang.
Seeing them every day is her biggest joy, but it also brought her pain. A simple action or a quick glance would give her strong heartaches as memories from her late husband flooded her mind. Katara would find herself at times searching for the little bits of Aang in their children, yearning to be a little closer to him. She is afraid of how she'll deal with the next Avatar when he or she will come to her, years from now. Hopefully by then she will be better at dealing with her husband's parting. A couple of months ago she'd been a mess, crying for hours in a row or refusing to leave the gloomy comfort of her and Aang's room. Her children had been the ones who brought her back.
Katara loves her children with all her heart: Kya, Bumi and Tenzin – her and Aang's precious treasures. They are all adults already, but they will always be her children, no matter how flustered Tenzin becomes or how loudly Kya and Bumi laugh in awkwardness. They aren't exact copies of either she or Aang, and that's how it's supposed to be. They are each their own people, with their individual set of skills and different personality: Kya with her waterbending and comforting nature, Bumi with his brilliant strategically skills and rambunctious nature and Tenzin with his unique airbending and often too serious air.
Katara loves them deeply and that will never change. For now the pain of Aang's departure is still too fresh and while she doubts it will ever fade, it will be bearable one day. She still has her friends and her family here to support her and Aang's last words continue to ring in her mind.
"You can't go yet, Katara, my dear. The children need you and the world needs you." She remembers her hollow laugh as Aang repeated her own words to her in an ironic echo. Aang only smiles sadly at her.
"The next Avatar will need you too; you should become their waterbending master. I know you'll do well, sifu Katara." His playful words are still present even during his dying breath. Aang would always be Aang, of that she was sure.
"Live life to the fullest, dear. And remember that-" Katara can still remember the warmth of her husband's hands as he said his last words in a soft whisper only meant to her. "Baby, you're my forever girl."
Tears flow mercilessly down her cheeks as she whispers back to him how he will always be his forever boy as well; words that come from decades ago and still ring true – words that will always be true to her.
A/N: There will be a short oneshot featuring Kya, their daughter, based on the fact that her favorite song is "Secret Tunel" (yes, I also laughed when I read that) which will be published tomorrow!
Also, if you're a tokka fan, I'll be doing the Tokka Week 2012 as well, from August 1st to August 7th. Hope to see you fellow fans there as well!
Once more I thank all of you for your kind support. From now on I'll definitely be more active in both the A:TLA and A:LOK fandoms by writing fanfiction. It's been a blast,
Fieldings aka LovelyToMeetYou