Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA
AN- Sorry about the wait... You know the usual, school, stuff piled up. Stupid term...
Man, are these chapters getting longer or is it me? Anyway here is chapter 14, this one has some more Kataang in it and…uhh…ooh, ooh! (sing-song voice) Guess whose back!
Chapter 14
Katara played with her new hair. She was in a large metal room near the centre of the ship, traveling to the Fire Nation. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. She really did look Fire Nation. She still needed to get used to her new hairstyle, though. Katara had had the same hairstyle for as long as she remembered.
Katara looked behind her and gazed at Aang, lying on the bed with red Fire Nation pants. He still wasn't awake. But Katara held onto the words Airis had said when they were leaving the island; that he would wake up sooner than expected.
His hair was longer now and looked like real hair. Katara looked back into the mirror again to look at her clothes. They were made of silk and consisted of a long skirt and sleeveless top. Everything she wore was red. Even the necklace she had used to replace her mother's. The only thing that made her stand out from any normal Fire Nation person was her blue eyes. But Airis had reassured her that there were some people in the Fire Nation that had blue and that her eyes should be of no concern to her.
Katara smiled. Airis was like the mother she lost and the best friend she always wanted. Toph was a good friend but Katara always had to force her to do girly stuff, Sokka was her brother, enough said and Aang, she liked Aang to much to consider him a normal friend.
Katara was taken out of her thoughts by Airis's voice coming through the vents. "Katara, lunch is ready, so come up get some fresh sea air and enjoy a nice meal!" Her voice was cheerful and full of fun. Katara laughed before moving up to the vent and saying "I'm coming, hold your ostrich horses"
Airis laughed from her vent and Katara moved to the door. She looked back at Aang and sighed. She hated leaving him alone but if she wanted to take care of him she needed to take care of herself. She had already been lectured by her two moms about this (coughSokkacoughAiriscough) and they had made it clear that she didn't miss any meal times.
She closed the door and locked it behind her. It squeaked and Katara flinched, she hated those annoying ship sounds. As she made her way through the memorized passages of the ship, Katara lurched from side to side now and again thanks to a wave hitting the ship. She looked around; the inside was completely made of metal unlike her father's fleet which were made from toughened animal skins, the rare piece of wood and dolphin-whale bones.
Katara climbed up a hole with a built in metal ladder and found herself on the first floor under the deck. She popped her head just in time for a couple of hamsters to run past her nose and up another hole. She pulled herself out and headed for the dining room. The room was easy to find 'cause it was the only one with any sounds coming out of it. She heard Airis and Toph laughing. She pushed open the door to see Toph smashing Sokka's face into his food and laughing along with Airis.
Sokka managed to pull himself out of Toph's grip. He pulled some food off his face and ate it. He turned around licking his fingers to see Katara staring at him. The look he gave her was priceless. His eyes were wide and looking straight up at Katara and he was in mid lick of his middle finger and it seemed as though he was giving Katara 'the bird'.
Airis and Toph fell over in laughter as Sokka got busted.
"Nice to see you too, Sokka" Katara said cheerfully
"But…I… Airis…Toph pushed me…" Sokka sputtered
Airis and Toph laughed again. Katara looked down at the hopeless trio. Those two could live off laughing. Katara shook her head and sat down beside Airis.
Airis pulled herself back together and offered Katara a bowl of noodles. But her silence didn't last. Airis sputtered and began laughing again and Toph joined her, along with Sokka.
What the hell? Katara thought as she slurped up a long noodle. What is wrong with them?
Airis stood up and wiped her eyes. "I gotta go, there's no telling how long this current will lead us in the right direction." She left and closed the door securely behind her.
Toph and Sokka finally stopped laughing and went back to eating their lunch; chuckling every now and again. Katara looked up from her noodles and glanced at her friend and brother. They were both wearing Fire Nation clothes.
Sokka was wearing what Airis told them was a common outfit for Fire Nation teenagers and Toph was wearing a suit that wasn't much of a change from her old one; just red and a bit different with the placing of the fabrics.
Toph hadn't changed her hair much; she still had her bangs that shadowed her eyes, but her headband was red. Big surprise there Katara thought sarcastically. What really surprised Katara though, was that Sokka had actually let Airis change his warrior wolf tail.
He had a top knot now and Airis had told his to stop shaving the sides of his head to let it grow in; making it more Fire Nation.
"Sokka?" Katara asked her brother as she played with a noodle in her bowl.
Sokka looked up from his food. He had a mouth full of noodles. "Yeah?" his answer muffled by the food.
"Since when do you listen to Airis? Last time I checked you hated her 'firebender guts'"
Sokka swallowed his food and placed the bowl down formally. "I have come to a realization that Airis is a worthy opponent and a reliable ally, not to mention a fairly good leader; not as good as me though."
Now Katara was really confused "Translation from Sokka language please."
Toph leaned over to Katara "Airis kicked his butt the night we left and gave him a lecture. After a lot of yelling they came down to a truce."
Katara nodded "That's more understandable"
"Hey I let her kick my butt, I was being nice!" Sokka yelled standing up.
"Yep, and Master Pakku married the Fire Lord." Katara said finishing her noodles and leaving the table.
Sokka sulked and sat back down. He grabbed his bowl and gobbled up the rest of the food.
Suddenly Airis's voice came through the vent. "Sokka, your turn to drive, Katara and Toph come up to the deck and we'll spar."
Katara walked over to the vents "But I need to check up on Aang"
"No buts, you've been with him all morning, you need fresh air"
Toph grabbed Katara's arm and hauled her over to the door. "Crazy is right, c'mon"
Reluctantly Katara gave in and let Toph drag her all the way up to the deck were Airis was waiting for them; all smiles.
"I knew you'd have to do that to get her here" Airis laughed walking over to them.
"Here are your swords" Airis said handing Katara her broad swords.
Katara pulled them out of their scabbard. "I thought I forgot them" She said looking at the weapons.
Airis shrugged "No worries, I grabbed them while you were sleeping I knew it would be hard for you to bring them."
Airis turned to Toph "Got yours?" she asked
"Yep" Toph answered tapping her wrist.
"Alright, let's see how good you've gotten" Airis said backing up smiling.
"You guys against me, Go!" Airis said as she pulled her swords and deflected a blow from Katara.
Toph manoeuvred around Airis and flung a couple of daggers at her. Airis, using both her swords she deflected them and twirled Katara around. "Good Toph but try and use I more unexpectedly, that's the key"
Toph threw some daggers at Airis feet. They caught the fabric of her shoes. "Next time, throw them stronger" Airis said twisting her ankle, the knives let go immediately. "Feet and legs are stronger than the look."
Katara lunged at the airbender, but Airis ducked at the last minute and pushed Katara far away. "They are to halves of one sword Katara. They are one sword, not two separate." Airis said dodging a close dagger, tripping Toph and jumping away.
Katara was up in an instant and slicing her swords toward Airis. Airis swerved to avoid the attack and knocked a dagger out of Toph's hand in the process.
Toph jumped in the air, where she was completely vulnerable and blind, and kicked a couple of shuriken at Airis's chest. They caught her arm instead. Airis flinched as she hauled them out and continued to fight.
"Airis you're bleeding! Stop fighting!" Katara said as she defended a blow from Airis.
Airis pulled back and smirked "This is nothing. Keep fighting" She said catching Toph in the air again and kicking her down hard. Toph hit the ground with a large thud and Airis turned to Katara. Katara charged Airis, but she left her abdomen open and set up for a target. Airis ran between Katara's swords and kicked her in the gut.
Katara rolled to the other side of the deck. She hauled herself up and glared at Airis. She would never go easy on them. Katara saw Toph get up and run to Airis and Katara did the same. Airis watched the two girls charge her and stayed there till the last moment. Then she jumped up and caused the two girls to run head first into each other. They both went flying back and skidded to a halt on the sun warmed metal deck.
"Good job you guys" Airis said tearing off a strip of her clothes and wrapping around her arm, as Toph and Katara got back up to their feet.
Toph wiped a thin layer of sweat off her forehead. "You are too good"
"I'm okay with weapons and so are you guys, I want to see what you guys can do with your bending." Airis said pushing some hair out of her face.
"I gonna go see how Snoozles is doing, besides if I started bending on this boat, we would never make it to the Fire Nation." Toph said waving and heading back inside the ship.
"You still want to spar?" Airis asked Katara.
Katara saw the determination in Airis eyes. She wanted a challenge and so did Katara. Katara nodded and got into a bending pose "What'll it be, water vs. fire or water vs. water?"
Airis did the same "Your pick" she said narrowing her eyes.
"Let's try water vs. water." Katara said summoning a large column of water and sending it straight to Airis. Airis smirked and broke through the water and using the remains of the attack she encircled herself with water and created a long water whip.
Airis attacked Katara multiple times with it each time Katara destroyed a bit of it. Airis let the water fall and froze the stream leading right to Katara. Katara tried to move but her feet were frozen, Katara couldn't unfreeze herself in time to avoid a large wave. The ice broke and Katara rode the wave to the other side of the deck.
She changed the direction of the wave and returned it to Airis, who froze it and broke into a million pieces. Airis surrounded her body with water and flung herself at Katara.
Katara threw ice daggers at her opponent but the water suit swallowed and melted all of them. Airis grabbed Katara with her water arms and threw her to the other side.
Airis created two columns of water and slammed them into Katara, they picked her up and coiled around each other and she froze it there. Katara stuck at the top. Airis smiled at her work. Katara smirked and melted the ice surrounding her.
She trapped Airis feet with some octopus tentacles and wound her way up to the rest of her body. She brought Airis up to her face. "I think this means I win,"
Airis smirked "Not really" She froze the water surrounding her and cracked it. She jumped away and she and Katara began to circle each other.
"You're good" Airis said as she swerved to avoid some ice daggers that were a little to close for comfort.
"Thanks" Katara said as she collected a glob of water from the ocean and surrounded Airis with it. Airis quickly broke through it and flung some ice daggers of her own at Katara. Katara twirled around and dodged all of them.
They both went for the floor with the idea of freezing each other to it. But when they both looked up they saw that they were both frozen the frozen to the metal surface
Airis and Katara were both breathing heavily and used this as a break. "Truce?" Airis asked Katara, through breathes.
Katara nodded "Truce"
Both of them caught their breath and melted the ice surrounding each other. Airis walked up to Katara and draped her arm over Katara's shoulders. "We're too good!" Airis laughed
"Yep!" Katara said cheerfully.
Airis smiled "C'mon let's go check up on Aang" she said leading Katara back down to his room. Knowing it was exactly what Katara wanted to hear.
Katara didn't know what time it was, but she guessed it was late. The lights in the room were dimmed and everything had a shade of red to it. Airis and her had chatted for a long time discussing their lives and examining each others love life. But no matter how much Katara pried or pushed Airis would not give up any info on her old firebender boyfriend. Katara in turn kept her mouth shut about Aang.
Airis was sitting upside-down on a chair; her knees hanging over the side, her butt on the seat and her head resting on the floor, with her hair creating a long cascading route to her face. Katara was sitting on the bed next to Aang with her legs brought up against her chest and her head resting on her knees.
"So" Airis said staring at a particularly interesting spot on the ceiling. "Who was the first guy to ever tear out your heart and stomp on it until it was twitching?"
"Colourful" Katara remarked. Airis smiled but it looked like a frown to Katara, so Airis frowned instead.
"But it's true. So who was it?" Airis pushed, stretching her arms.
Katara tightened her grip on her legs "Ummm if I had to guess I would say Jet, a freedom fighter in the Earth Kingdom…" Katara went on to tell her everything about Jet.
At the end of it all Airis looked up at Katara "Harsh"
"Yeah," Katara whispered and stroked Aang's hair.
"You know something he might not be dead, if he's as tough as you say"
Katara focused her blue eyes on the female Avatar. "What makes you say that?"
Airis scoffed "You're talking to the person who survived the massacre of her people, fought off an Arctic hippo; underwater, lived through a battle carrying three dead friends and fought the Fire Lord and won. I think if he has a little bit like you say he is he'll survive a rock blow to his internal organs. I helps too, that he has friends with him"
"Really?" Katara asked her friend. Though she was unsure if she actually wanted to him to be alive, he was always an asshole, he may changed to a different type of asshole, but he was still an asshole. But even he, didn't deserve to die.
"Yep" Airis answered simply.
"Okay, so your turn same question" Katara said grinning. With Airis this aught to be good
Airis brought her hand her face and stroked an invisible beard. "Hmm let's see…stomped heart…twitching…"
Katara giggled at her thoughtfulness. Airis broke eye contact with Katara and sighed. "I guess it would have to be my firebender boyfriend again," Katara nodded, even Airis had begun to call him that "after I won the fight I only saw him for a couple of weeks after, to help him heal. But after he was healed we were broken apart and never allowed to see each other again."
"I'm sorry." Katara looked away. "Did you love him?" Katara asked, her friend's adventures peaking her curiosity.
Airis smiled and looked at Katara "Yeah I did" Katara smiled back when she saw the real smile in Airis's eyes. She really did love him and she was proud of it.
Katara moved her hand to Aang's chest. Would she and Aang ever be like that? Proud and happy in their love. Katara sighed; it was a long shot. All she could do was pray that their love could even blossom into anything more than the strong crush Katara had for him.
"Do you think he'll be in the Fire Nation when we get there?" Katara asked as Airis sat back upright, stretched and moved to the bed. She layed down next to Aang and looked down at her feet.
"Yeah, he'll be there" Airis whispered lowly; she didn't want to talk about it.
Katara nodded sleepily. Yay! More drama for our group! Katara groaned at her own sarcasm. Her groan was interrupted by a massive yawn, she stretched in respond and layed her head on the pillow.
Airis looked up at Katara with the corner of her eye. "Man, you're tired!"
Stupid mind powers! Katara thought. "Na, I'm not tired"
Don't even try that Katara heard Airis's voice inside her own thoughts.
"How did you do that?!" Katara asked looking down at Airis
Airis smirked and shrugged "I really don't know. Here, I'll take the night shift with Aang. I'm good for staying up all night. Besides I need to check up on some of my old firebending teachings."
Katara sputtered "But Aang needs me…"
Airis sat up and shook her head. "Not now, he doesn't, but he does need you to rest up so you can help him when he really needs it. Come on, you can sleep in my room"
Katara nodded her head slowly, Damn Airis and that stupid line! She looked at Aang "Okay"
She took Airis hand and followed her to her room. It was the same like all the others though it only had a bed for one in the corner. Katara and Aang's room had had a larger bed so Katara could sleep next to Aang and monitor him. That's what Katara had told Airis when she had given her the room, but Airis had understood a whole different story.
"Sleep." Airis ordered gently "Sleep in tomorrow morning too, trust me you'll feel much better. Night Katara" She ended softly, like a mother who would rock her child to sleep.
"Night Airis" Katara replied getting into bed. Airis smiled and closed the door behind her.
Now where did I put those firebending scrolls? Airis thought as she went to find the scrolls.
Airis backtracked to the kitchen; there she found the bag of scrolls she had tossed in the corner when they first departed for the Fire Nation. She also found a mountain of dishes piled in the sink.
She sighed and went over to clean them. She grabbed a rag and pulled a bucket of water next to her.
Me again!
Damn it! Why now? Airis pleaded to her subconscious
Because you're doing dishes and therefore not really doing anything
I hate you
Thank you, by the way I realized that you didn't tell them about their new names yet.
I'll do that soon enough.
Tomorrow morning
Fine! What else miss I-know-everything!?
For your information, you still need to warn them about Combustion, tell them your Fire Nation name and tell them about 'you know who'.
I will,to the first and second, and they already know enough! To the third
The longer you wait, the harder it'll be. Alright that's all I gotta say, so see ya later
Airis cleaned the last of the dishes and picked up her bag of scrolls. She looked around the kitchen. Better get something to eat for the night. She said eyeing the food cabinet.
She dug in the cluttered over-flowing closet and picked up one of her many fruit pies and a bag of fire flakes.
Satisfied she left the room and headed back down to Aang.
It was the same memory he was always having. He was back at the Air Temple about a month before he finally decided to run away.
The air was crisp and clear and Aang let out a weary sigh. Avatar training was over for the day and it was already really late. He bet the only other kid that wasn't having supper right now was the one he was trying to find. She could never be found unless she wanted to found; an ability in Airis that made Aang jealous. No matter how hard he tried Gyatso always found him every morning, Airis on the other hand had so far managed to avoid several hours each morning until she actually got bored of hiding. But he and Airis were best friends and they could never stay mad at each other.
Aang sighed as he looked through the deserted bison stables. Appa was there and so was Teke; Airis's bison, but there was no sign of Airis. He had come to treasure their friendship not only because she was the only friend he was allowed to have but because she was the awesomest people he knew. They got along like they were brother and sister. And when they concocted a prank together, no one was safe.
Aang heard the crunching sound of dry hay and Teke and Appa's low groans. He turned around just in time to get a fruit pie smushed into his face.
"Surprise!!" Airis yelled as she smushed the pie further into his face. "How was your day?" She asked dropping the pie on the ground and talking as though nothing had happened.
Aang licked the fruit pie off his face and laughed "Yum! Pear! My favourite!" He said scraping the rest of the pie off his face and eating it.
Airis laughed. She wrapped her arm around his neck in a head lock and gave him a nuggie on his bald head. "Hey" he said trying to break free. He couldn't, so he gently pulled on her hair. One difference between the two twelve-year-olds was that while Aang was bald, Airis had hair that went below her waist.
Airis let go immediately "Ow!" she said rubbing her head, then smiling as if nothing had happened. "Come on let's race our bison!! Through the mountains! First one to reach the Kakate peak wins!" Airis said airbending herself to Teke's head.
Aang followed her. What Aang really liked about Airis was that she could be one of the pride and joy's of the monks one minute; being all calm, serious, and studious. And the next, the most wild and crazy person he knew, besides Bumi,
Airis led Teke to the take off ramp and Teke launched into the air. Aang was about to do the same with Appa, but as Appa took off everything was swallowed by darkness, Aang watched as Airis and Teke grew fainter and fainter…
Appa disappeared from under him and Aang was surrounded by black. His head and back began to hurt and he felt as though he was being hauled out of someplace…
Aang began to blink his eyes open. But his eyelids hurt too much and he kept them closed. He began to hear things, a familiar song. Someone was humming an Air Nomad lullaby. He felt his head being propped up by something warm and he didn't want to move. He just relaxed and let the song lull him.
"As the wind rides through the mountains, the bison fly, soaring with there creater…" The person sang. It was a girl Aang could tell that much as she returned to humming.
"As the winds begin to cease, we rest, until the air soars again, a never ending search for its true birth…" She went back to singing
"We are, too, never ending and as one of our lives rests, the next flys away in a never ending journey for our true soul…" The person shifted her lap, and ate something crunchy. He involuntarily groaned and the person froze.
Aang forced his eyes open as, the person shifted him off her lap and onto a bed. She looked down into his eyes. He knew those eyes from somewhere; those stormy grey eyes.
The girl had long hair that rested mainly on the bed even as she sat. She smiled warmly down at him. "Look who finally decided to wake up. You had people worried sick." Her voice was happy and oddly cheerful for someone who didn't know him.
Aang groaned and brought his hand up to his forehead "What happened? Who are you?" he asked.
But before the girl could answer he sat up and looked around his room. It was completely red and a large painting of the Fire Nation insignia was placed on one of the walls.
"Oh no" Aang backed up right into the girl. He turned around; the girls face was now filled with worry and concern.
He pointed a shaking finger at the girl, he realized now that she was dressed in red Fire Nation clothes. "Your Fire Nation, I'm on a Fire Nation ship. I was captured!" he yelled getting up, pain shot through his back he fell on his hands and knees. He remembered the catacombs where he had gotten the wound. Katara was left all alone! The Dai li won! Azula and Zuko won! The Fire Nation won!
As is the girl could read his thoughts she placed a gently hand on his shoulder "Wait, calm down" The girl said softly; he had heard that voice before.
Aang rose to his feet and using his airbending he slammed the girl into the wall, she hit it with a thud and a groan. She seemed nice but, Aang didn't know if he could trust her.
She got up almost instantly. Aang bolted through the door. "Wait!" The girl yelled from the room.
Aang raced through the unfamiliar halls of the ship, clutching his pained side. He found a dead end with a metal ladder built into it and going up to more unknown.
"Come back!" The girl said; her voice getting closer.
He looked up at the ladder. "Okay you win!" he said to the inanimate object.
He tried to run up the ladder, but the wound on his back caused him to slow. He reached the top just as the girl reached the ladder. His eyes darted from hallway to hallway; he chose the one that seemed to the main one. The girl jumped out of the ladder hole as Aang began to run-limp down the hall.
"No, not down there!" She yelled running after him.
Aang smiled to himself, he was almost sure this was the right way now.
The girl continued to plead to him. "She needs to sleep!"
What does she mean? He thought getting really confused now. He continued to run anyway.
"I'M YOUR FIREBENDING TEACHER!" The girl yelled. This time Aang skidded to a complete stop.
The girl took this chance and jumped for his legs. She grabbed him from behind the knees and he fell on top of her back.
Aang looked down at the girl he was sitting on. "What?!" he asked her.
"Shh!" The girl put a finger to his mouth and focused on the door in front of them. Almost as she was trying to will the door to stay shut.
He listened too. They both heard the pitter-patter of bare feet and the girl underneath him froze. "Please don't open, stay asleep, don't open" Her begs went unheard it seemed. The door began to slowly and Aang began to become terrified of what was behind it. Was it Zuko? Azula? The Fire Lord?
The door began to slowly open. The Fire Nation girl with long hair looked away. Aang widened his eyes in fear. Who was behind that door?
It opened to reveal a girl, in Fire Nation clothes too. The girl was afraid of her? It wasn't Azula so why worry? But who was it?
The girl rubbed her eyes and looked up at Aang and the girl. Her eyes told him exactly who she was. He smiled "What th-" She started to say but she recognized his face too.
"Aang! You're awake!" Katara cried as she ran over to him and picked him up in a killer hug. Aang hugged her back and smiled into her hair.
When they pulled away Katara's ocean blue eyes were blurred with tears and the girl was standing up next to Katara, she was smirking and shaking her head.
"Where am I?" Aang asked as his eyes darted from the girl to Katara. "Who is she?" He asked pointing to the girl that had chased him up here.
Katara opened her mouth to answer, but the girl put a hand on her shoulder. "You're on a ship headed towards the Fire Nation and I'll show him who I am. Let's head back to your room Aang."
Katara followed the girl with her arm around him and he let Katara lead him. For some reason this new person had some sort of leadership here. He wondered exactly how much he had missed.
Aang took a seat on the bed with Katara still hanging on to him. The girl took a seat on a chair next to a desk with a mirror over it. "Are we stow-aways on a Fire Nation ship or something?" he asked
"Nope, this ship belongs to me" The girl answered simply, shoving her extremely long hair behind her back.
"Who are you anyways?" he asked her, looking at the girl, then Katara for an answer.
The girl gasped pretending to be shocked "You mean you don't remember me?" She asked the young Avatar.
Aang shook his head "I am supposed too?" He asked, shuffling through his memory of the past couple of months. Nope. No one he had met even looked like her.
A sneaky smile grew over her face. "Let me refresh your memory. Close your eyes." She told him. He looked at Katara, she shrugged, and he did as he was told.
He heard the girl pick up something.
"What are you doing?!" He heard Katara whisper harshly.
"You'll see" The girl responded "he'll remember me"
Aang held his breath, waiting for what was going to happen. Was she going to kiss him? If she was, he wouldn't let her. He was saving his first kiss for Katara.
He cracked open his eye just it time for something cool and mushy to smash into his face; it was a ... fruit pie? Katara giggled uncontrollably and so did the girl. The pie was pulled back and the girl yelled "Surprise!!"
Aang's eyes widened in surprise. It couldn't be her! She was supposed to be dead. For a hundred years now. At least that's what he had thought.
"Airis!?" he asked standing up, his face still covered in pie. "Airis! Is that really you?!"
Airis stepped back and opened her arms. "The one and only!"
Aang smiled so much he couldn't breathe. He was too happy for words. He had found another airbender and Airis at that! His old best friend! This day couldn't get any better.
Airis cocked her head at his pause "What? No hug for Airis from pie face?" She said giving him puppy dog eyes.
Aang laughed and jumped into her arms. "I can't believe it's really you!" He said into her shoulder getting pie all over her clothes. He looked up at her face "You've gotten taller" he remarked and she laughed "How did you get here? How old are you now?"
Airis patted the boy's head, wiped some pie off his face and ate it. "Yumm. Calm down" she laughed. Aang smiled. Yep, it was really Airis he was sure of that now.
Aang turned to Katara with tears in his eyes "I found another airbender; I'm not the last one anymore!"
Katara smiled and Airis opened her arms wider. "Group hug! Aang's awake, I'm alive again and we all love each other!"
Katara jumped into the hug and smiled into Airis's shoulder and Aang's hair. She loved that Aang and Airis were ecstatic to see each other but Katara couldn't help but feel a pang of jealously for what was between Aang and Airis.
They stayed like that for a while until Aang began to wriggle out. "Okay I can't stand it" Aang said cheerfully but impatiently "How did you get here and how did Katara meet up with you."
Airis wiped some pie off her shirt and looked at Katara "Tell him everything?" she asked the waterbender.
Katara smiled and nodded "Tell him everything."
Airis sat Aang on the bed and pulled the chair up closer to the bed. "Alright, Aang, prepare for one of the most confusing stories you've ever heard…"
When they finished it was almost dawn. Aang sat with his legs pulled to his chest, his eyes intent on Airis and his brain... only following every other word. So far he only understood the bases of Airis's story. Enough to know it was complicated and that his brain hurt just thinking about it. Anyway he would clear it up with Katara later.
Airis breathed "...So we left the island and we are now headed to the Fire Nation… in fact we should be reaching Fire Nation waters soon. Crap! I gotta go help Sokka!" Airis jerked open the door. "You two get some shut eye. I'll make sure no one bothers you." She sprinted out of the room and shut the door hard, behind her.
The door made a clicking sound and Katara flinched; that meant the door was locked and that they would be stuck in here until Airis came back.
Aang fell back on the bed trying to comprehend what his old friend had just told him. "Okay... so Airis is the Avatar too, the monks just didn't know it." He said staring at the ceiling, moving his arms in differernt directions trying to set up an invisible map.
He continued "And she was stuck in a rock for 95 years and only came out about four years ago. So now she's sixteen, right?"
Katara nodded and layed down beside Aang.
"She knew you guys from before when she was Wataki and she Toph when she was Exia and traveling with a group like ours trying to master earthbending. They died and she moved to the Fire Nation, and mastered firebending. Now she lives on an island between the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation with the last remaining herd of Flying Bison." His arms were now wrapped around his head and waist and his was in a ball shape.
"And since she's a firebending master we're going to the Fire Nation to finish my training, head back to the North Pole for the final attack plans and then coming back here to finish off the war. If she's a master why doesn't she just teach me somewhere else? And then I'll only have to go to the Fire Nation during the invasion." He said untangling himself and laughing at his result.
Katara laughed and turned over to face Aang. "I asked her the same thing, but she said you had to see how the Fire Nation had changed and develop your own perspective on it. It's part of the Avatar process."
Aang turned over to face Katara, "Well, at least there are two Avatars now. Life might get a little easier."
"I hope so" Katara whispered and yawned.
The yawn was contagious and Aang repeated it. He stretched "Good night Katara" he said snuggling deeper into the pillow.
Katara smiled and propped her head up with hand "Night Aang, it's good to have you back. I really missed you"
Aang's grey eyes opened wide "Really?"
Katara remembered her dream the night they had left. It was close but not exactly the same; at least Aang was really awake now.
She nodded "Really." She said leaning in and kissing his forehead.
"I missed you too," Aang said staring into her crystal blue eyes.
Katara smiled "Night Aang" She said turning over and nuzzling into the bed.
"Night Katara" He said as he fell into the pillow.
Once Aang heard Katara's breath even out and deepen and he was sure that she was asleep. He leaned over and whispered into her ear "I love you, Katara" He kissed her head. Katara moaned in her sleep, nuzzled deeper into the pillows and sighed.
Aang smiled and propped his head up with his hand and stared at her sleeping form; for what seemed like forever, before giving into the heavy sleep that pounded at his love-struck brain.
All he needed was a little more courage and he would Katara when she was awake. "Just a little more time..." Aang whispered before collasping into the pillow and instantly falling asleep.
AN- Kataang! There it is! I found it :D
By the way everyone's in their season three clothes, if you hadn't guessed by now, so that's what they look like.
I hope this chap was good. Hey, I've got an idea! Just tell me by reviewing!
Please review.
Please? (puts on puppy dog face) Please?