Here's another installment. Just a short conversation that fills in nicely before the start of the battle. Hope you enjoy!
It was a quick walk over to the courtyard for Aang but it was filled with heavy thoughts that would likely prevent him from sleeping tonight. Why do I always have to feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders? Aang questioned to himself as he began to pull water from some of the jars around him. To Aang, water bending was such an elegant bending discipline.
Aang slowly flowed the water around him, gracefully allowing it to swirl through the air. He loved listening to the way it sounded as it moved and flowed around him. It was always so calming.
He had come to the realization that things happening around him were not his fault but rather his responsibility to address. Waterbending had done well to ease the tension that had slowly formed in him throughout the day. It was calming.
Calming until he felt footsteps behind him. He tensed up for a moment until he realized it was Katara that was walking towards him.
"It seems like you have such a natural talent for water bending. I noticed it myself when we started learning it together and now you seem so much more advanced." Katara spoke as she walked over to him and took a seat on the ledge to watch him bend.
Pulling himself back into reality, he quickly brought the water down and guided it back into the pots he had originally pulled them from. Much to Katara's dismay. "Master Paku has been a wonderful teacher. After this is all over, I will introduce him to you." Aang finished before remembering: "Oh! And Yianna as well, she's really been wonderful to practice with."
Aang noticed something briefly flash over Katara's face. Is that… Jealousy? Aang thought briefly but quickly disregarded the thought.
Katara quickly recovered: "I would really love that if you could, you know I've always wanted to master Waterbending."
Aang nodded in agreement. "I wish we met again under better circumstances. Trouble always follows the avatar I guess." Aang shrugged. Knowing this was true from his experiences that he had faced on his journey thus far.
Katara sighed, knowing Aang well enough herself, she knew that he was focusing on the past again. "Just because the Fire Nation has decided to continue this war has nothing to do with what you are doing right now. This is on them, so stop blaming yourself." Katara finished.
Aang knew where she was going already: "Don't worry, I'm not blaming myself like I used to. I've come to the point where I've realized that sometimes, regardless of what you do, there will just be evil in the world that you cannot prevent or control. As the Avatar, I need to stand against it, but I cannot always be the one who prevents it."
Katara was stunned by his confession: "Aang…"
He walked over to where she was sitting and sat next to her, speaking again: "And I know there are consequences for every action I take, I learned that from my mistake with you and Sokka. I shouldn't have hidden the letter from your father. It was selfish and childish of me but at the same time, I am who I am today because of it. I've gotten to the point where I've forgiven myself from the mountain of blame that I placed on myself throughout this first leg of the journey and have come to peace with myself as the Avatar."
"Then why are you up so late Waterbending?" Katara responded.
Aang sighed at this: "Because Waterbending relaxes me and allows me to calm myself before what I know is coming tomorrow."
Katara nodded at this: "Do you think we have a chance to survive this invasion?"
Aang paused for a moment: "I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that happens but just in case, if things seem like they are going downhill, I want you and your family to get as many people as you can out. Leave us." Aang finished, looking directly in Katara's eyes.
The look that he gave her made a chill run down her spine, but all she could do was nod. Now SHE was worried for Aang. "We are going to help you Aang." Katara said with determination. "I'm not leaving you again and the Northern Water Tribe isn't going to fall."
Aang was now the one to be stunned: "Katara, I need you and your brother to be safe. I know you want to help me but at this point, I can't protect either of you. Knowing you both are AWAY from the fight will allow me to fight harder tomorrow."
Katara knew there wasn't much she could do at this point, she by no means a master Waterbender. Her father and the men of the tribe would fight alongside of the Northern Watertribe warriors but what could she do?
"Katara I know what you are thinking… I don't mean that there is nothing you can do. You are a capable fighter; I just don't want to see you get hurt. Stay back from the fight tomorrow and I promise I will teach you some intermediate level moves tomorrow night." Aang concluded.
Katara smiled widely at this: "Deal!" Katara quickly agreed. It was another opportunity to talk to Aang and to learn Waterbending from him at the same time.
Aang stood up from the ledge and yawned: "I guess its time for me to head off to bed, I have an early day tomorrow."
Katara stood up as well and turned to face Aang, she looked him directly in the eyes: "Come back to me tomorrow."
Aang was stunned into silence, he just nodded.
Katara closed the gap between them and enveloped him in a tight hug: "I don't want to lose you again Aang." Katara said, tearing up as she spoke.
"I can't promise anything, but I know my work isn't done yet, so you better believe I'm going to give it my all tomorrow." Aang finished.
At this, Katara released him from the hug, satisfied with his answer. "Get some sleep Aang, I'll see you off in the morning." Katara said as she turned to make her way towards where she was staying.
Aang nodded: "See you in the morning." As he to made his way back to his room.
As he lay in bed, fatigue from the day finally hitting him, he drifted into sleep confident in the fact that he knew he had people to fight for.
Hope you enjoyed it!