At long last, another chapter! I'm sorry for the wait. I figured that since it was Spring break, I should do something. So sit back, relax, and get ready for me to take up the next five minutes of your life.

Disclaimer: It's been a while, I know. So here's the update: I heard that Katara and Aang were having some issues in their relationship, if ya know what I mean. But they'll fix that up right and nice pretty soon, don't you think? Oh, and that Zuko boy! Don't get me started on him...

Discent

Katara's hands worked tirelessly with the knife as it bit through the seacumber with ease. Her eyes were trained on the spot of the massacre beneath her. Her mind... ever so clear...

"Hey there Ice Queen!"

And suddenly the tranquil scene was transformed into a mission of life and death as the Airbender spun quickly out of the way to avoid the piercing of the seacumber stained knife. Katara's hand was still attached to the object as it was held out as if in a surprising attempt at self-defense.

"Katara! What the Hei Bai are you doing?!"

The woman looked at him, unmoved and her eyes as cold as the tip of the blade between her fingers. "Well, you shouldn't sneak up behind me like that! What if it was a serpent of some kind wrapping itself around my waist? You should know better than that."

Aang regained his composure and stood up, looking as confused as ever. "What are you talking about? You're treating me like a child. We're not kids anymore."

The sound of a handle being laid against the wooden cutting board reached Aang's ears and his heart even faster. He knew what was to come next. " I think I know what you're upset about."

Katara finally turned around to face him. "Oh, do you?"

"Probably."

The woman threw down her apron onto the counter. "Not even 'probably'. Yesterday, Aang. You know that I was worried upstairs about you. And what do you do? Just run away from everything! I was trying to protect you."

Aang took a few steps forward. "Katara, I don't need you to protect me! You know that. I was just... in the middle of something that didn't seem to involve 'me' anymore. As far as I was concerned, I had no business being up there any longer. So I left."

"Yeah. You left me to fix a mess that you created!"

"What are you talking about-"

"The fact that you made feel... a little self-conscious. And left me to deal with it all alone!"

Aang sighed. "You know that I didn't have even the chance to defend you or me. And then Toph came in-"

"Oh, so more excuses!"

"I wasn't given the chance to say anything, and you know it!"

The two were now in a shouting match, seeing whose voice could rise higher than the others. The hostile atmosphere was a sharp contrast to the melting colors of the sunset outside of the Jasmine Dragon that evening. The airbender sighed, letting his entire defense drop instantly.

"Look, Katara. I'm sorry that you were feeling that way yesterday. I assure you, I had no idea. So let's just forget it, okay?" He wrapped his arms around the Waterbender's slender waist and pulled her in, his lips lightly grazing hers before moving to her cheek.

Katara's arms were loosely tied around his torso. "So," she continued flatly, "You'll tell me what you and Sokka were saying about me?"

Aang chuckled nervously, trying his best to hold the cracking glass of their relationship together. "I told you it was nothing."

Katara let out a breath and her palms pushed away at Aang's chest. "Then maybe this is nothing."

Aang was too stunned to move from his spot, to try and catch her in an attempt to stop such an escape. But he couldn't move his legs. The moment wasn't registering in his head. A moment later when he did work up the courage to look behind him... she was gone.

-

Okay, so that was relatively short, so here's what's up. I'm going to try to update more frequently, but that does mean that some of the chapters will be shorter.

But that won't make them any less interesting, will it? ;) I hope that you guys can get back into the groove here.

So please, share your thoughts and leave me a review with that pretty little button over there. It's calling you...

... (Mandi just remembered that the button is no longer purple. )