What up? So this chapter is short-you've been warned! I hope you like it though. Also, Sangkok is the waterbender that Katara totally defeats after learning to waterbend from Master Pakku.
Cinemascope8: yeah Aang is bad but I promise things will work out.
Akay2: hmmm what trouble to cause (evil grin)
Scherherazade: I'm not losing you as a reader am i? I hope I haven't made you too angry with the plot line and there will be love
Hellokittyirrpwincess: Glad you like :D I hope you continue to enjoy and ( hands cookie to awesome reader)
Love me: yeah I can see Mai and Zuko being friends after a while again and I'm thinking Rhan Jon as a love interest for Mai: any opinions?
Pclark: Totally! Zutara Forever!
Untilthemoonrises: you rock. Enough said.
Zutarafan: have to admit I love the cliffys :D
Aegiszero: there will be one! I have it planned out in my head and its epic! It's also very far in the future
Officials3xcs3xc: now would I make it hurt their relationship
Kimberly T: that's actually where I got the idea from. You're the only one to either notice or comment on it. It's definitely going to have some issues later on but it will all work out
Fanaddict15: updating like now lol. God I loved that made me smile and laugh
DofD: Wow! Everyone is totally hating Aang right now lol
KenziikenZ79: eventually Zuko will get that day. And possibly do more than punch :D
FireIce: yeah. I mean yousee Zuko taking on Sokka with a spear so easily it seems like something he could do.
Jess: well I'm thinking on something with Toph so I don't know yet.
Katara sat on her sleeping bag staring out the window. She had spent all yesterday talking to Gran Gran and learned that they both agreed. It was time to end things with Aang, but Katara should wait till after they left Kyoshi Island so she wouldn't mar her brother's wedding. She had left out the more recent issues with Aang not wanting to upset her Gran Gran, but Katara had a feeling that Gran Gran could guess what had happened.
Katara sighed as she ran her fingers over the slim golden chain; her heart still ached. She stared fondly at the bracelet. A token to remember you by? How could you think I would ever forget? She leaned back into the bag. I wish I could turn back time. I'm such an idiot. You were begging me, and i couldn't even tell you to wait. I can't be with Aang. He may have loved me since he met me but he's nothing more than a little brother to me. An image of his fingers searching for her entrance came back to her. What have I done? I can't believe I let him do that. Katara wrapped her arms around herself. In a few hours I will get on that boat and then after dinner I will tell Aang. That way if he wants to leave, him and Appa can just take off.
"Hey little sister," Sokka walked in. his face fell as he noticed Katara's cuddled up position and her expression. Sokka's eyes narrowed at her. "What did he do?"
"Sokka?" Katara's eyes widened as Sokka's brow furrowed with anger. "He didn't do anything!" the lie felt bitter on her mouth.
"Yes he did. I can tell by the way you are acting!" Sokka whirled around and stormed out of the room. Katara jumped up running after him.
"Sokka stop!" Sokka turned to face her.
"I am tired of standing by while you are with the wrong man. Katara, I can't watch him hurt you anymore and if you won't stop letting him walk over you then I'm going to prevent him from it." Sokka turned on his heel again.
"Sokka I'm not going to let him walk all-"
"Katara I'm tired of hearing that." Sokka growled over his shoulder.
"I'm leaving him." Katara stated. "I was going to wait till we left the island." Katara averted her eyes.
"You are?" Sokka asked turning to face her.
"Yeah. I didn't want to make a scene here right after your wedding." Katara shrugged.
"I'm glad." Sokka pulled his sister into a hug. "Aang is my friend but you will always come first."
Sangok ran toward through the little village, his eyes searching for his old master. He hoped he would catch him before he departed back to the South Pole. He stopped as he noticed Master Pakku standing on a small sliver of ice 20 yards into the ocean.
"Master Pakku!" Sangok yelled waving toward the Master. Pakku turned toward him his brow furrowed. The moment he turned a large wave lifted behind him. Pakku swiftly turned back throwing his arms apart, making the wave part. As the wave parted a woman dressed only in underbindings flew into the sky with the help of a long whip of water.
Sangok could only stare. It's her. He had dreams of the woman before but that was when he was much younger, when she was still at the North Pole. He watched as Katara shot icicles at the older man who deflected them. Sangok ran toward the beach. I'm not that scared student anymore, Katara. I can take you now. He remembered the last time he had faced her. He had been that last student in a long line that was taken down by the talented woman. She had easily stuck him in the air by bending a wave of ice. Now he had grown into a more talented man. He watched as Katara flipped back into the water, barely creating a ripple.
"A bit lost aren't we?" Pakku smirked as his ice trail easily led him to the beach. Sangok looked around for the young woman but couldn't see her. "She'll be a minute, she wanted a little more of a swim." Pakku said as he noted the man looking.
"I…" Sangkok couldn't finish his sentence. He watched as the woman pulled herself out of the ocean, tossing her long brown locks behind her. She was beautiful. The years had turned the young girl into one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.
"Sangkok, isn't it?" Pakku asked. Sangkok nodded.
"I have been sent to request your return home to the North Pole." Sangkok bowed to his old master.
"My home is the South Pole now, where I intend to stay with my wife and grandchild." Pakku bent the water from his clothes. "If that is all you have come to say then I suggest that you leave." Sangkok frowned.
"Hi." Katara smiled at the man. "We've met haven't we?" She recognized his wolftail that allowed hair to fall past his chin and his bangs that fell to the sides of his face.
"Yeah. We were students at the North Pole." Sangkok attempted to not watch the water droplets trail downward on her body.
"I remember." She laughed.
"Well I have gotten stronger, maybe a rematch." Sangkok raised an eyebrow.
"I'd say to do it on the full moon." Pakku remarked. "Or possibly in front of the Avatar."
"Full moon helps all waterbenders equally," Sangkok shrugged. "And why in front of the Avatar?"
"Her boyfriend does like to watch his old master." Pakku almost laughed as Sangkok's face fell. "And when you perfect the art of bloodbending then you can say that it helps all waterbenders equally."
"Bloodbending?" Sangkok turned to the woman. "He's kidding right?"
"I really don't like to use it," Katara smiled with a small blush. Is he checking me out?
"Katara!" Aang's voice proceeded the young Avatar.
"Guess it's that time." Pakku started heading for the boat.
"Let me grab my clothes," Katara grabbed the blue garments from a nearby rock.
"Hey," Aang jumped over to Katara, hovering in the air a few seconds. "We've got to go."
"It was nice meeting you." Katara smiled at Sangkok.
"You're the Avatar aren't you?" Sangkok asked Aang.
"That's me." Aang grinned.
"You're friends with Fire Lord Zuko?"
"Uh…yeah." Aang nodded.
"Have you heard the news about him and Mai?" Sangkok asked. Aang's eyes widened.
"We already know about Zuko." Katara said as she bent the water from herself. A lump was caught in her throat. I can't hear it again. I can't hear about you marrying that awful woman. Aang breathed out a sigh of relief.
"Did you hear about the arrow?" Sangkok asked.
"What arrow?" Aang asked.
"The Fire Lord was addressing his people when this guy shot an arrow at him!"
"Arrow? Is he hurt?" Katara turned to the waterbender.
"NO! He caught it! He just reached out and grabbed it out of thin air!" Sangkok exclaimed.
"He caught it!" Aang gaped.
"It's said that he wouldn't even sentence the man to death because he refused to be like his father." Sangkok grinned.
"Zuko did that?" Katara said faintly. She could almost see Zuko standing before a crowd of people grabbing the flying arrow. In her mind it was him standing shirtless with a presence of power as he caught the arrow easily. It sent shivers down her spine.
"Let's go." Aang whispered to her. Katara nodded. She gave a small wave to Sangkok before racing off to the boat. Aang attempted to grab onto her hand but her fingers easily slipped from his.
Aang felt the tenseness of Katara. He hoped it was nothing more than her worrying about her friend. Dinner passed with talk of taking on more waterbending students at the South Pole. He mostly played with his food throughout the meal. When he finished he went back out on he deck of the ship. He petted the sleeping bison on the head as he walked past him toward the railing. The sun had already set and he scanned the horizon. It takes a day for a bird to reach Zuko, he should be getting that back anytime. Will you write back Zuko? Or was I right?
"Aang?" Katara walked onto the deck. "Are you out here?"
"Katara?" Joy swept through the young Avatar. For once she had sought him out.
"It's a pretty night." She glanced up.
"Yeah the Yue is sure shining brightly. She must be happy that Sokka is finally happy." Aang commented.
"Yeah. That he's finally with the person he belongs with." Katara watched the waves hitting the boat. "Aang, I think we should talk."
"What about?" Aang's heart raced.
"Us." Katara said simply.
"I mean did we move too fast? Too slow? I mean whatever it is I can fix it."
"Aang…" Katara tried.
"We can work whatever it is out!"
"I'm not in love with you." The words seemed to echo through Aang's mind. The world seemed to stop around him.
"B-but." Aang could only sputter.
"I thought I was. I kept telling myself that I should be with you because you loved me." Katara's hair blew with the wind, her blue eyes shining in the moonlight.
"We can work this out." Aang tried.
"No we can't. I was wrong, I shouldn't have let it get this far." Katara moved closer to him. "It's over."
"You're breaking up with me?" Aang asked angrily. "I thought things were just going right!"
"They weren't. I love you Aang but just as a brother." Katara said sadly.
Aang grit his teeth as he remembered the actors saying the same thing.
"I would have it another way." Aang said quietly.
"What?" Katara asked.
"No!" Aang stared at her. "We just need a break." Aang headed for Appa who was sleeping on the other side of the ship.
"Aang, get back here. This isn't something you can just ignore." Katara said angrily.
"Just think about this Katara." Aang said from Appa's head. "Yip Yip!" Appa stood with a groan and flapped his tail outward.
"AANG!" Katara screamed at the boy. "YOU CAN'T JUST IGNORE THIS!"
Zuko laid on his bed blowing out bits of fire above his face. He attempted to make rings of fire, frowning as they came out lopsided. He blew harder creating a small ball of fire. He coughed as the ashes fell onto his face. He wiped away the ashes and began blowing fire again. A pecking noise came from the window and Zuko immediately ran toward it. He grinned as he saw the Hawk he had sent out before.
"You're back already?" Zuko grinned. He pulled the parchment out and read over the letter. His heart plummeted. His nose began to tighten, his chest constricted as tears welled behind his eyes. He grasped the parchment between his hands as he bared his teeth. He felt the heat underneath his fingetips as part of the parchmnet blackened. He breathed in wanting to torch every word, every letter of her words.
"Why?" Zuko fell to his knees. He threw the parchment down instead, dropping to his palms. "Why Katara? I love you! Why won't you let me fight for you! Why wont you let me…" tears streamed down his face. "…be with you."
It's short but needed. Next chapter is actually the chapter I planned on beginning this entire story. Lol. Please review. Hopefully I can get this one out pretty quick but I have work. I know it sucks. Okay I know that a few of you made the comment about Zuko noticing the differences. I may go back on it later but no promises. Also, i will point out later, Katara hasn't written Zuko many letters so he doesn't really know her handwriting.
Okay been reading those reviews: I give you choices! Do we want my lil TAANG chapter now or as a flashback?
