Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or the song "Bella Notte" from Lady and the Tramp, words and music by Peggy Lee and Sonny Burke.

Author's Note: Okay, this is for airnaruto45. Aang and Katara discuss what he learned about firebending by meeting the dragons. Hope you like it!

Bella Notte

"Hey, Aang. It's a nice night. Want to go for a walk?" Katara's voice broke into Aang's thoughts, and he blinked at her in surprise.

"Uh, sure," he agreed, standing up from where he'd been contemplating the flames of their campfire and turning away to allow his eyes to adjust to the moonlight beyond.

The pair walked some distance in silence, and it occurred to Aang that this was the first time he'd been alone with Katara since he'd kissed her. He wondered if she wanted to talk about that. Half of him wanted to talk about it, but the other half was content to let events stand without muddling them up with needless talk.

Eventually, Katara selected a spot to her liking and sat down on a gentle, grassy slope. Aang settled in beside her, waiting for her to give the reason for pulling him aside like this.

This is the night,
It's a beautiful night,
And we call it Bella Notte.

"So, how was your journey with him?" Katara asked. She no longer used Zuko's name, unless it was absolutely necessary to identify him. Aang knew that Katara had not forgiven him and would probably never forget the things he had done.

"It was okay," Aang shrugged. "He's not so bad, really. Actually, we're not that different."

"Are you kidding me?" In the low light, her incredulity was more heard than seen. "You are nothing like him!" Aang couldn't help smiling a little at that. In her own way, Katara was just as stubborn in her beliefs as Sokka, even if their articles of faith comprised different areas.

"We have more in common than you'd think," he answered calmly. "We both got confused and made mistakes while we were trying to figure out our destinies."

"You learned a lot faster than he did."

"I had more help."

Aang could tell that Katara wasn't convinced, but she seemed content to change the subject as she turned her gaze toward the sky.

Look at the skies,
They have stars in their eyes
On this lovely Bella Notte.

"The stars seem so close here," she remarked. "Even closer than at the other air temples. It's almost like you could reach out and touch them. I don't know why."

"I don't know why, either, but I know what you mean." Aang paused. "I've been thinking about the stars."

"What about them?"

"Well, the sun's basically a big ball of fire. It's the source of firebending, and it gives light and heat to the world. What if the stars are made of the same stuff?"

"You mean, smaller versions of the sun?" Katara sounded perplexed.

"Not necessarily. If they were really far away, they could be about the same size but look tiny because of the distance."

They both sat in silence for a few beats, considering this. Aang realized that Sokka would be the person most likely to shed light on his idea.

So," said Katara slowly. "What you're saying is that every one of those stars might have worlds like ours near them?"

"It's possible," Aang replied noncommittally.

Side by side with your loved one
You'll find enchantment here.

Katara lay back, resting her head on her hands and letting her hair spread out, and Aang followed her example. This gave an unimpeded view of the crescent moon and the starscape spread out above them. Aang could almost imagine that there was nothing but sky and Katara's presence beside him. He could easily lose himself in that feeling, forgetting all of the harsh realities that awaited him on the ground.

"Wow," Katara whispered. "It makes you feel really small, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, but I don't think that's a bad thing. I'd really prefer not to be the center of the universe." He turned his head when she giggled.

"You know, you're very…different," she remarked.

On the face of it, this was a pretty neutral comment, but Aang had the feeling it was meant as a compliment. Tentatively, he stretched a hand out toward her, stopping when he touched the bent elbow near her head. He was gratified when she pulled her hand out from behind her hair and twined her fingers lightly with his.

The night will weave its magic spell
When the one you love is near.

The stars also reminded Aang of his training with the Guru, trying to harness "cosmic energy." At the moment, he found it hard to believe that any amount of "cosmic energy" could possibly be more powerful than what he felt right now, under a clear sky, in peaceful surroundings, knowing that the one he loved most in the world was right beside him.

"I think I did learn some important things," he said, returning to the topic of his quest to find the origin of firebending. "For one thing, I know now that Master Jeong Jeong was wrong."

"Oh? Wrong about what?"

"Well, he said that fire could only bring pain and destruction," Aang tried to explain even as he was working out all of the ramifications in his own mind. "But that isn't true. Fire also gives life. Nothing could live without the sun, and we use fire to warm us on cold nights and cook our food."

"Well, yes, that is a good point," Katara acknowledged after a moment.

"It wasn't Jeong Jeong's fault," Aang continued. "The destructive side of firebending was all he'd been taught – all anyone has been taught for a long time."

Oh, this is the night,

And the heavens are right
On this lovely Bella Notte.

"So what does that mean for you – for all of us?" Katara raised herself up on her elbow to face him while keeping their fingers in contact. Aang chewed his lip thoughtfully. It was very hard to concentrate when she was gazing at him so earnestly.

"I think it means that one of the things I have to do is bring balance back to firebending," he decided finally. "I need to show people that there are two sides to fire."

"I have a better idea," mused Katara.

"Oh really?" Aang turned his body to mirror her. Instead of answering immediately, Katara leaned in to give him a soft kiss on the mouth. When she pulled back, her eyes were shining with an inner light.

"Leave that to the firebenders who know the truth, like Iroh and him," she suggested quietly. "I think returning balance to the world is quite enough for one Avatar." Aang would have liked to argue that restoring firebending to its origins was part of that, but he was entirely too stunned to speak.

And that was perfectly all right.

Oh, this is the night,

And the heavens are right
On this lovely Bella Notte.

--

Member of the Boomeraang Squad: charleegirl, Jesus.Lives, Liselle129, Strix Moonwing, Avatarwolf, MormonMaiden, libowiekitty, Snows of Yester-Year, La Vixen de Amor, chocolatecoveredbananacheese, Aangy, and honorary member SnakeEyes16

Author's Note: I didn't originally plan to have them kiss, but it seemed like a good ending, and I hadn't done this kind of fluff in a while.

Review responses:

airnaruto45: Actually, reincarnation is a hallmark of the Hindu religion, but I intentionally left it open to interpretation. However, I was actually thinking that it fit in with the first two chapters of Avatar Goes Broadway.

Wishing Only Wounds the Heart: I hope two "calm" Kataang chapters in a row isn't a problem for anyone. I'm so busy right now that I'm focusing on the songs that don't have a lot of words.

Katara2102: Well, Toph seems to like Zuko all right, too. After all, she's never really fought him. The new episodes have to begin airing in the next month because the DVD is due out May 6.

Anti-R: I've really addressed your comments privately, but with so many things to accomplish before the finale, I don't understand why the show seems to be spending so much time on filler. It's not that I think information on the source of firebending wasn't valuable but that it wasn't worth an entire episode.

TTAvatarfan: I feel like I'm doing nothing BUT Kataang lately, but I forget that my readers don't necessarily read all of my collections, so I need to spread it around. As the last chapter was at the beginning of the series, so this one covers Kataang at present. Bookends!

Aangsfangirl1214: I think the show does illustrate how quickly Aang and Katara developed a connection, but I try to spell it out in more words. I'm glad you think it fits; that's what I was going for.