Once more, I wanted to take a moment to thank you all so much. Thank you to everyone for your well wishes, they definitely helped. I can't express how thankful I am for all of you. When I first posted this story I didn't think that anyone would read it, it was more to prove to myself that I could. And now to hear people think I'm talented? I'm absolutely blown away. No one in my life knows that I write, let alone has read anything I've written and to get such a positive response had absolutely astounded me. Each and every one of you are amazing, and I'm so truly thankful for all of you!
Stupid, stupid stupid, Aang thought as he pressed his fists into his temple. She asked for space, she asked for time, and what did he do? He pressed her up against a wall and kissed her. Stupid! What was he even thinking? He wasn't, that was the problem. The second he heard her say that she didn't think he cared about her his mind went into a state of shock and all his feelings overwhelmed his common sense. He was battling a conflicting fusion of heartache and happiness. His lips still tingled from the memory of being pressed against hers and his heart fluttered. But the moment was short lived as fear crept into his mind. Did he just ruin everything?
He wanted nothing more than to explain everything to her. To tell her that he didn't know what came over him all those years ago. That he lived every day since than drowning in regret, wishing that she would just write him back so he could explain. He knew that she didn't owe him that, she didn't owe him anything. In fact, he was expecting her to be much harsher towards him than she had even shown glimpses of. He expected her to outwardly hate him. It shocked him when she said that she knew they needed to talk. Her years of silence had convinced him that he had done enough talking for the both of them and that she felt no desire to reciprocate.
It was just that being back with her stirred such strong emotions in him. He had always loved her. He didn't think that a full day had passed since he woke from that iceberg to her mesmerizing eyes that his heart didn't beat solely for her. The overwhelming desire to love her, cherish her, and protect her had been weighing on his chest since the moment that he read the letter saying that the tribe needed help. "I'd do anything in the world for you, Katara. That's an Avatar promise." His own words constantly haunted him, mocking him for what a failure he'd been at upholding them. Not only did he break the promise, he threw it in her face.
He grabbed his head with his hands and cursed himself. He had to go apologize and see if he messed everything up. He'd beg if he needed to, he'd do anything. As much as it pained him to be with her and not be actively trying to fix their problems if she needed more space and time he would give it to her. He had to. Nothing could be truly fixed if both of them weren't ready for it. He would wait lifetimes for her. Standing up straight and taking a deep breath, he turned and walked back towards where he had left her, prepared to grovel.
Meanwhile, the waterbender was left stunned leaning against the glacial ice. She slowly lifted her fingers to her lips and closed her eyes. So many emotions washed over her that she almost couldn't think. It had been so long since she'd felt his lips against hers, and now that she felt it again, it wasn't enough. She felt the wall she build begin to crack even further. She was so afraid that talking would mean finding out that they were definitely over, without any hope, but that kiss… You don't kiss someone like that unless you have feelings for them, still, right?
She knew she was faced with a choice. She could keep pushing him away, and keep hiding from the truth or they could just lay it all out there. What was the point of keeping her heart safe if she was stuck? Maybe it was time they talked. Keeping her eyes closed, she let her mind wonder back to distant memories she had of the two of them. They were so, so good together, until it went so, so wrong. Now she was simply… scared. But that kiss…
She heard footsteps and inhaled sharply, whipping her head towards the source of the noise hoping that she knew exactly who was walking towards her. And when he rounded the corner the flash of yellow and orange caused her heart to soar. Her mind wanted to run to him and wrap her arms around him to pull him back into a kiss, but her body stayed frozen in her spot, fingers still pressed softly to her lips. Her wide eyes connected with his silver ones and she saw the same fear reflected in his that she was feeling. Her stomach twisted in knots, not sure where his fear was stemming from.
"Katara…" he said breathlessly, and she found the strength to push herself off of the wall and take a hesitant step toward him. Silently, she nodded her head at him, her facial expression encouraging him to continue. She wanted to hear what he had to say. She hoped that it would help her with her own choice of words. "I just… I wanted… to say…" He seemed lost, frightened like a deer-cat caught in a hunt.
"Yes?" She said, and her voice sounded foreign to her when she spoke. She took another step forward, hoping that the proximity would encourage him to talk as well, but fearing that it was making him even more flustered.
He took a steadying breath, running a shaking hand down his robes. He seemed to glance around in a million different directions before settling on her face. She thought her heart would burst from pure anticipation if he waited much longer and let her fingers trail down to her neck. She was so used to worrying her mother's necklace when she felt like this, sometimes her hand gravitated there purely out of habit. Finally, the boy spoke, "Katara, I'm sorry."
Her heart dropped, right down to the bottom of her stomach and she could feel it splinter and shatter inside of her, the sharp edges ripping her to shreds. Her mind raced, he was sorry, he regretted it, she was wrong, the kiss meant nothing. Her eyes filled with tears, that she stubbornly cursed and tried her best to hold back. The princess swallowed hard, giving everything she had to not let them fall. She took a deep breath, letting her gaze fall to the ground for a moment- just a moment- while she tried to regroup. "You're sorry…" it was more of a statement, than a question, so quiet that Aang could barely hear it over the roaring of the blood in his ears. He opened his mouth to respond, but she continued on. "You regret kissing me." Again, it was a statement. She closed her eyes, willing the tears back, and when she opened them again they were cold as ice and aimed at the young avatar like lethal weapons.
Aang thought to himself that if she could freeze someone just through her eyes, he would have found himself right back in an iceberg right now. He stumbled over his words for a moment, before pausing and collecting his thoughts. "No, not the way you think." Her eyebrows scrunched together in a gesture of confusion and annoyance. He knew he only had a few seconds to rectify his meaning before her temper would take control and she would stop truly listening to his words. "I don't regret kissing you. I only regret pushing you when you asked for time. That wasn't giving you space, like you asked me to do. So I only regret if I made you uncomfortable."
Wind whipped passed them, catching her hair and his robes and billowing them as if for dramatic effect. She shivered, against the cold of it, but her skin felt contrastingly warm. For a fleeting second, she wondered if this was what it felt like to be on fire, for her whole body burned for the man standing in front of her. That statement, the meaning behind it. This was the kind, caring boy that she fell in love with. This was her soulmate. She wasn't sure who the man who broke her heart three years ago was, but it wasn't the person standing in front of her right now. The only thing that was running through her mind was would this person stay, or would that other stranger reemerge?
She had choices to make, so many choices. Her heart and her mind were mortal enemies, taking widely different stances on those choices. Her mind showed her outcomes, what would happen if she was wrong, if he were lying, if he left her again. Her heart showed her memories, falling in love, feeling safe, finding herself. The good, the bad, the painful flashed through her mind, as she questioned which path to take. Then she made eye contact with him and her mind cleared, seeing only one, solid path.
Without warning, the waterbender ran the few steps to the shocked airbender, grabbing his face with her hands, pulling it down to her height and crashing her lips against his. At first his warm face stilled under her arms, his whole body tense. Doubt crept in and she was abound to pull back before he shuddered, wrapping his arms around her waist tightly. She bit back her moan of pain, knowing it wasn't that bad and not wanting to let anything ruin their connection. Their lips moved against each other in a masterful dance, one they'd done countless times before. She wrapped her arms down around his neck to pull him closer. He took the hint, bending down so he was more her height.
Katara took full advantage of his new position and braised her hands on his shoulders. The monk had only seconds to realize what she was doing before she used her arms as leverage and hopped up, wrapping her legs around his waist. The new position tore a moan from his throat as he tilted his head up to stay connected with her lips which were now above him. He tightened his grip on her, which sent a thrill through her body. Before she knew it he had walked them over to the glacier and slammed her against the icy surface. If her senses weren't so dulled by their kiss, it might have hurt, but all she felt was pleasure.
She threw her head back to lean against the ice with a gasp, her eyes fluttering closed at all the sensations. Aang took this opportunity to attach his lips to the column of her neck. She let out a whimper at the contact, and when he sucked on that one spot on her neck that always drove her crazy all her thoughts fizzled out. She dug her nails into his shoulder, grinding her hips into him as best she could, desperate for any sense of friction and relief. Her actions spurred him on, as he kissed his way back up to her lips and dug his fingers into her backside.
She pulled away to moan, overwhelmed by the feeling of him surrounding her. Fire burned it's way across her skin wherever they made contact. She dove her hands into his robes, yearning for the feeling of his skin against hers. When he shivered she lightly dragged her nails across his shoulder blades. He tightened his grip against her almost painfully in response, pulling his name from her throat. He answered in kind, repeating her name and capturing her lips again, wanting to drink up every single sound that she made.
Katara never wanted this moment to end, she was prepared to happily live out the rest of her existence just like this. So when the couple heard a throat clearing loudly, they broke apart, quicker than either of them thought they had ever moved before and disappointment coursed through her. Katara nearly fell flat on her face as her feet touched the ground, but thankfully Aang had grabbed her shoulders to steady her. The pair whipped around, needing to see who it was that caught them. Katara could feel the heat coming off of the blush in her cheeks as she saw Zuko, with his arms crossed over his chest and his eyebrow raised up in a questioning smirk.
"Well, I was sent here to see if you guys were okay, and from the looks of it you're… doing pretty well." He wasn't even trying to hide his smirk, his eyes shone a playful glint in them and his lips pulled into a full smile.
Katara looked at Aang, who's mouth was opening and closing like a fish. She cleared her throat, trying to regain her breath and straightened out her clothes. "Yup, all good here, totally fine," she said, and her voice practically squeaked. Aang seemed to be in a state of shock, nodding quickly without actually saying anything. He rubbed the back of his neck fiercely and from his neck to the tip of his ears was a bright red.
Zuko let out a soft chuckle, nodding his head. "Hey, Aang, why don't you go help Mai with dinner, I'm sure she would love the help."
Katara raised an eyebrow, tilting her head head in disbelief at the firelord. She knew exactly the game he was playing. Aang looked at her, almost for permission and she nodded her head at him before nodding back towards the camp, letting him know that he should head back there. She could handle Zuko on her own. Aang swallowed hard, nodding in agreement and starting to walk back towards the camp. Every step that the avatar took just oozed tense, awkward energy. The waterbender turned her gaze back to Zuko and crossed her arms over her chest, mimicking the boy's stance. "Subtle, Zuko." She said when Aang was out of ear shot.
"Well, you don't have to be a firebender to feel the heat coming off of you two, Katara." He said, shifting his hands to his hips, a smirk still playing on his lips. "So does this mean that you guys are back together?"
She didn't think that it was possible, but her cheeks flushed even brighter. Obviously they weren't back together. They hadn't talked about anything and heated kisses didn't always solve problems, especially not problems like they had. "No, we're not. We still have a lot to work out, things just got…"
"Heated?" Zuko finished for her, seeming almost giddy.
Katara rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips, "You know, you're enjoying this a little too much, Zuko."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I've just been spending the last three years wondering if you two would ever, well… kiss and make up."
The comment earned him a swift slap on the shoulder before the waterbender crossed her arms again. "Did you and Sokka swap bodies or something?"
Zuko laughed and shook his head, "No, but clearly I have been spending too much time with your brother." The boy admitted, before taking a deep breath and getting serious. "Really, though, I wasn't expecting to come out and see that."
The girl's cheeks blushed further and she sunk into herself slightly, feeling exposed. She hadn't exactly planned on that happening either, it just sort of… happened. Her nerves flared and her stomach twisted almost painfully. She wasn't sure what was going to happen now, but she did know that she chose to open a can of worms that she couldn't put back. She couldn't avoid their impending conversation much longer, not after that display. "Yeah, I wasn't exactly expecting it, either," she replied.
Zuko softened, his mood dimming and concern for his friends settling in his chest. He knew that both Katara and Aang loved deeply. He suspected that regardless of the breakup, the two still harbored intense feelings for each other. He remembered how his airbending friend had completely changed after the breakup. His cheerful demeanor quickly faded, leaving behind a quiet, withdrawn shell of his best friend. Katara had changed as well, hardening her heart to the world. He remembered being devastated, that when they split they shut down some of the best parts of themselves in self preservation. He didn't want to see either of them hurt again, especially not like that. "Just be careful, Katara. The last thing I want to see is you guys getting hurt again. Either of you. Make sure that you're both on the same page, whatever it is you decide to do."
Katara nodded, dropping her eyes and absorbing his words. He was right, of course. They needed to get on the same page. She had been waiting to see what she had wanted, before having any serious talks with Aang. But maybe what they needed was to get it all out there before she decides what she wants. It was like Sokka had always told her, you need all of the information in order to make the best choice. "We will, Zuko."
He nodded, walking up to her and resting his hands on her shoulders. "I just want you to be happy, both of you. You know how hard it is for me to let people into my life. I never want to see you hurt, Katara, I care for you too much." His eyes were warm and intense on hers, his unwavering eye contact almost too much.
She smiled at him, raising her hand up to lay it over his, dropping her cheek down to his other hand quickly. "I know, and you know I care for you, too." The two stayed like that for a few minutes before she spoke again. "Speaking of not wanting to see me hurt… You're not going to say anything to Sokka, right?"
Zuko laughed fully at this, closing his eyes wrapping his arms around his abdomen. "Don't worry, I'm definitely not going to say anything to Sokka. Or Mai for that matter. I have better self preservation skills that that." He joked, and Katara even let out a chuckle at that. "I can just picture the screeching now," Zuko said, flinching visibly. The girl laughed loudly, nodding her head in agreement with him. He nudged her shoulder and tilted his head back to the campsite. "Come on, let's to eat."
The two walked in silence, joining the others who were gathered around the fire. Katara met Aang's eyes and sat down next to him. She could feel the nerves radiating off of him and sent him a soft smile. He scanned her face and seemed to calm a bit, his shoulders easing their tensions. She leaned in close, so only he could hear her and whispered, "Maybe we could talk later? About, well, everything?"
His eyes stared deeply into hers, as he waited, almost as if he was waiting for her to change her mind. When she held his gaze without fear he could practically see the hope bubbling up inside him as his face lit up. "Yes, absolutely, I would do anything to make that happen, Katara."
A soft blush bloomed across her cheeks and her smile widened. She nodded her head pressing her shoulder into his for a moment, "Good, it's a date. After everyone goes to sleep tonight? So we have some privacy?"
Aang's head bobbed in uncapped excitement, his lips finally pulling into a smile. His eyes were burning so bright that the girl wondered if he could stop the sun itself from setting with a light like that. "Yes, deal, definitely." He stumbled excitedly over the words and she giggled softly, leaning away and grabbing some food before digging in.
She could feel the adrenaline coursing through her, keeping her going. Realistically she knew that she was going to be running out of fuel very soon, but right now anticipation was keeping her going. She felt as if she had fire-butterflies dancing around in her stomach as she thought of the kiss that her and Aang had shared just moments ago. Everyone was relatively quiet, causing her to glance around the circle of her friends. She had honestly forgotten that Aang had hit them with some pretty big news from the spirit world not too long ago.
Sokka broke the silence by speaking up, talking though his mouth was full of food. "I think it makes sense, what Roku said. There's got to be someone that partnered with these spirits." He rubbed his chin with his fingers, seeming to be deep in thought. "Now, we just have to find out who…"
Katara felt the anger rise within her instantly, snapping her head to glare at her brother. She tried to remain as calm as she could manage as she spoke. "Sokka, I'm telling you, it has to be Tulok, I'm sure of it."
The boy put his food down, raising his hands in peace at his sister. "Listen, I'm not going to sit here and say that it's definitely not him. If you really think that, I won't completely count him out. But we have to admit that we don't have any concrete evidence that points to him, that points to anyone really."
The waterbender found herself calming at his words. He did have a point, she didn't have any proof that its was him. As much as she wished she could, it would be stupid to march back to the tribe and accuse him of all of this just because she had a gut feeling. They did need evidence. As long as Sokka was willing to actually listen when she found some, she understood where he was coming from.
"I'm with, Sokka," Zuko said, and the boys shared a look. "We need to see if we can find any evidence. Maybe draw whoever it is out into the open somehow."
Zuko's words sparked an idea and the girl worried her lip between her teeth, glancing around her friends. "Use me as bait." The words left her lips without her permission and everyone'e eyes snapped to the girl. Sokka's mouth opened, she was sure it was to protest, so she pressed on, determined to explain her reasoning now that the words had slipped out of her mouth. "We've all agreed that this person is after me. So it only makes sense. We need to find out who it is. The sooner we find out the sooner we can send another hunting group to prepare for winter. Not to mention, the sooner you'll be able to get back to Suki."
"No." Sokka and Zuko answered at the same time, causing Katara to huff in annoyance. She looked at Aang for backup, but his face seemed like it was stone and he shook his head.
"Absolutely not," the avatar spoke up. "It's not going to happen. We haven't even officially beaten one of the spirits, Katara, there's no way we're going to dangle you in front of one of them, hoping that we'll figure it out this time." She could tell from the set in his jaw that he had made up his mind, but she still needed to try.
"I see what you're saying, I do, but we need to find the person behind this and stop it, we're running out of time. Besides, you would all still be there, so I won't be completely on my own." She replied, trying her best to make him see her reasoning. She wanted this chapter to be over, and the quicker she found the person responsible, the quicker that could actually happen.
"No, Katara," Aang continued, "Whatever we do, we have to choose it as a group. There's no way that we're agreeing to this." He looked around the group and they all nodded in agreement with him, even Mai. He turned his attention back to her looking deeply into her eyes. "We'll find another way, I promise you. But not like that."
She maintained eye contact him with him for what felt like an endless amount of time before nodding looking away. She stared into the fire while everyone seemed to bounce around ideas on what to do. She knew that she should be contributing to the planning, but she had her own ideas bouncing around her head that she wanted to think through herself without sharing them with the group. As the fire dimmed down, so did the conversation and soon the adrenaline that was keeping Katara awake faded. She could feel her eyelids getting heavier by the minute, her head dipping down to her chest occasionally.
Feeling Aang's eye on her, she tensed. She was finally ready to have that talk with him, and she didn't want it to be overshadowed with a lecture about not getting enough rest. Especially since she hadn't come up with a way to sleep without putting her friends in danger. The next time she felt her head dip she figured that enough was enough. She needed to go for a walk and clear her mind. She made an excuse to the others, standing quickly and walking away from the campsite.
They were camped not too far from the glaciers edge, and soon enough Katara found herself seated at it, dangling her feet over the ledge. She looked below at the dark waters of the ocean, finding a sense of calm coming over her. Letting her thoughts get lost in the push and pull of the waters, her mind drifted back to memories. She thought of Suki, and wondered how she was doing. She felt desperately guilty that she wasn't able to be there for her now to watch over her pregnancy. She hoped that Akna and Yuka were doing well, too. A knot twisted in her stomach whenever she thought of them being stuck with Tulok. She needed to find evidence and fast, so everyone she loved was safe.
She was engrossed in watching the tide rise and fall, basking in the glow of the moon. The princess tilted her head up, letting it's rays hit her face. She smiled softly to herself, losing herself in the moment so much that she didn't even hear Aang walk up behind her. He sat down softly, using some airbending to keep it quiet. The feeling of his presence next to her surprised her slightly, but not entirely. She barely heard him when she was trying to. Being exhausted and distracted watching the water? She barely stood a chance.
Katara turned to get a better look at him and smiled, a warm feeling spreading inside her when he smiled back. Her heart was fluttering, knowing what was about to happen, but the pure exhaustion kept her calmer than she thought that she would be.
The monk scanned over her face, and his lips pulled down into a frown. She looked like she could pass out right there. Her eyes were bloodshot and brimmed with dark circles. They didn't sparkle quite the way that they usually did. It clicked in his head what had happened and he pulled his eyebrows together. "You didn't actually sleep last night, did you?" Her eyebrows practically rose up into her hairline and that was all the confirmation that he needed.
She could tell that there wasn't any use trying to lie her way out of this one. He'd figured her out in no time. She sighed, looking down at the water again, not wanting to see the disappointment in his eyes. "I just couldn't risk it."
The boy's heart tightened and he shifted closer to her. A sense of helplessness washed over him, stealing his words. He swallowed hard, trying to remove the lump in his throat before he spoke. "Katara, we talked about this. You need to sleep, I was right by your side the whole night."
"I know you were," she said, placing her hand over his on instinct. She debated continuing her thought, but after a slight hesitation pressed on. "But I just keep thinking what would happen if I attacked you while you were sleeping. It frightened me too much."
Love swirled in the airbender's chest as a blush rose to his cheeks. As much as he wanted to have their talk tonight, he knew that it wouldn't be happening. He wanted her to be well rested when they had this talk, it was too important not to. He sighed, flipping his hand over and grasping her hand that was resting on top of it. "Katara. We can't have our talk tonight."
She gasped slightly, trying to pull back, but he tightened his grip and wouldn't let her hand go. "What, why?" She felt herself start to panic more. She was finally ready to talk and he suddenly didn't want to?
"Trust me, I want to, I promise. But you're dead on your feet, Katara. We can't have a conversation like this when you can't even keep your eyes open." His eyes burned with sincerity and she couldn't help but believe it. It did make sense. She was so tired that her mind felt all sorts of groggy, especially with the adrenaline crash. She nodded her head in understanding and her lips tilted up when she saw him smile in return. "Let's get you to bed, huh?"
She shook her head, fighting against her closing eyelids. "No, Aang, I can't," she protested, fear swelling in her chest, "I can't sleep you know what could happen."
"And what's going to happen if you don't?" The airbender challenged, taking his hand and cupping her cheek, "Please, Katara. For me. Because until you get some rest I'm going to be worried sick about you, distractingly so. Please."
She squinted her eyes at the boy, ready to chastise him for playing dirty. She knew that he was exploiting her empathy of others and using it against her. The boy simply widened his eyes, like a polar bear puppy, and her heart melted. She let out a deep breath, feeling her limbs start to give into her exhaustion before she nodded her head. "Okay, I guess we can try."
The avatar smiled, before springing up into the air and landing gently on his feet. He extended his hand out to her and she took it, letting him help her stand up. She was expecting him to drop her hand when they started walking, but he didn't. The girl was too tired to protest it, or really pay it much mind. He was right, she really was dead on her feet and needed sleep. When she realized where he was leading her, she looked at him in confusion, scrunching her eyebrows together out of habit. "Aang, this is your tent, we can't. If Sokka found us…"
"He would be thankful that you got some desperately needed sleep, Katara," Aang finished for her, turning to face her fully and gently grabbing her arms. "He's worried about you, too, we all are. If you're really not comfortable with it, we can find some other way. But my tent is the furthest from the campsite if anything happens, which I thought would give you peace of mind. And if I'm with you the whole time I can wake you up if I need to, I'll stay up all night."
She searched his face for a moment pondering his words. It did make sense, and she supposed that Sokka didn't really have much ground to stand on. She was a grown woman after all, and even if she didn't always want to admit it, her brother had truly come a long way. "But you'll be just as tired as I am if you stay up all night, too," she countered, raising an eyebrow.
He grinned and tilted his head, "Ah, that's where I'm one step ahead of you, Sifu Katara. I'm simply going to make you steer Appa tomorrow while I take a nap."
The gleam in his eye made her giggle and she nodded her head, concluding that his plans was actually pretty solid. The boy smiled back at her and lead her into his tent, closing the flap securely behind him. There was a time that she would have been thrilled to sneak away and hide out in his tent with him on a trip like this. She felt her cheeks heat up at the memories, and wondered if she had ever blushed this much on a single day before. The two of them settled on the floor of the tent, Aang wrapping them up in his sleeping furs.
He gently guided her to lay down on his chest, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, his steel orbs staring into her soul. She settled her head in the crook of his shoulder, a position that they had taken probably a million times before. Her arm instinctually rose to lay her hand on his chest, right above his heart. She could feel it pounding in his chest and slowly raised her gaze to meet his. It was fiery and intense and she felt her heart swirl with emotions.
He let out a shaky breath himself, seeming to try and settle his nerves. "Is this okay?"
His voice was so unsure that she was instantly brought back to when he was just a shy twelve year old, afraid every move he made would scare her off. She sent him a sweet smile and nodded her head, snuggling in further. "Yes, it is. Thank you."
He smiled back at her, resting his chin on the top of her head and humming softly to himself. "Good. Now try and rest, Katara."
She nodded her head, letting her eyelids flutter closed. In a matter of seconds exhaustion filled every one of her limbs, settling over her like a blanket. Still, she tried to fight it off, though she knew that she was about to lose at any second. She hummed softly back to him before whispering, "Good night, Aang."
Just before sleep overtook her she could have sworn that she felt him press his lips to the crown of her head before whispering back to her, "Goodnight, Katara."
The wind whipped around her as she stood at the top of the cliff, looking over it. The bitterness of the cold stung at her cheeks, yet her heart was still warm with joy. She looked back over her shoulder to see Aang staring at her in complete awe, smiling from cheek to cheek. He was radiating happiness and she couldn't help but walk over to him, pressing a solid kiss to his cheek. "Are you ready?" She asked.
He wiggled his eyebrows in response sending her a flirtatious smile, "When aren't I ready? I'm just waiting on you!" He teased and she laughed in response.
Cocking her hip out and placing a hand on it she smiled back at the boy, tilting her head and raising her eyebrow. "Say no more then. May the best bender win!" And with that she tossed a fish down in shirt and laughed hysterically as the penguins all swarmed him, trying to retrieve the precious food. He grabbed his chosen penguin and she grabbed one as well, taking advantage of them being distracted by his fish, thankful she didn't have to use her own.
The two flung themselves down the hill, gaining speed almost instantly. The wind carried their cries of joy away as they raced each other, dipping and weaving down the icy landscape, both trying to cling to any lead that they could. She passed him, and pressed herself further down, allowing her to pick up a lot of speed. She looked behind her to see how much of a lead she had and gasped at the sight before her.
Aang was no longer riding his penguin, but was wrapped up in an inky tentacle. She screamed his name, and before she knew it, the penguin she was riding disappeared into thin air, causing her to slide harshly against the ice. She eventually rolled to a stop, hopping up as soon as she could and desperately looking around. "Aang!" She screamed, hoping to hear his voice in response, she needed to save him, she had to save him.
"Looking for this?" A voice said from behind her, and she whipped around so quickly that her braid swung back around and smacked her on the cheek. Fear tore through her mind as she saw Tulok standing before her, behind him was a spirit that had Aang wrapped up in its clutches. The Avatar struggled against its grip, trying to say something to her, but his words were muffled by the creature's limb covering his mouth.
She lunged forward, hoping to be able to snatch the boy from the spirit, but the three of them disappeared and she fell to the ground with a hard, thud. She pushed herself up slightly, looking over her shoulder when she heard Tulok's taunting laugh. "Let him go!" She demanded, screaming loudly, scrambling to get back to her feet and lunge again.
"See what you're doing, Katara?" He tilted his head, and the spirit tightened his grip on Aang, causing him to cry out in pain.
Her eyes filled with tears and she balled her hands into fists at her side. "I'm not doing anything to him, this is all you, Tulok! Let him go and just fight me like we both know you want to!"
Again, Tulok's laughter filled her ears and he disappeared from in front of her, causing her to have to turn to face him again. "Don't you see, Katara? The longer you hide from me, the worse it'll be for him. You can keep running all you want, little waterbender, but it'll be that much more painful when I finally find you." Once again, Aang cried out in pain and this time the tears brimming the girl's eyes spilled.
"I won't run, I won't hide. I'm more than ready to face you, Tulok, just name a time and a place." Her determination was almost palpable, and she meant every word. She would do whatever she needed to to keep her loved ones safe. To keep him safe.
"You know what you need to do then, Katara." His words echoed through the space between them and the three of them disappeared, leaving her standing alone in the snow. She cried out and collapsed to the ground, sobs wracking her body.
She awoke breathing raggedly, her whole body trembling intensely. It took her a moment to realize where she was. She sat up slightly and looked down at the airbender sleeping soundly next to her. He seemed unhurt, definitely not wrapped up in a spirit's arms. She calmed slightly at that thought, but her body was still shaking violently. She pressed a hand to her heart, sitting up as slowly as she could to try and catch her breath. It was just a dream.
But what if it wasn't? She thought to herself. She replayed it over and over again in her mind. What if it was more of a vision. If the spirit could make her mind see things that weren't there, she didn't see why it couldn't put a dream into her head, tailored to whatever Tulok wanted it to look like. She thought about it for a few more moments before new words echoed in her mind.
"Some distance should help you."
The words had been stuck in her head ever since Aang had said them to her. Looking over her shoulder at the face of the airbender who held her heart, she made up her mind, knowing exactly what she had to do. She wasn't going to risk taking a chance this time. She needed too keep them safe, to keep him safe. She glanced around the tent, spotting his messenger hawk kit. With a last look back at the boy she made up her mind, silently making her way to the kit and hastily scribing a note, which she gently placed on his pillow.
Now she just needed to get out of this tent without waking him. She was certain the her heartbeat thundering in her chest could wake an entire village, but she managed to slip into the cold night air without stirring the monk. She quickly walked over to her tent, haphazardly throwing her supplies and clothes into a single bag, knowing that she would need to leave some things behind. After all, she could only carry so much on foot. Once she double checked that she had packed all the essentials, she poked her head out of her tent, glancing around to ensure that no one else was up before making a break for the other side of the glacier wall.
Once she was out of sight from the camp, she used her ice skating technique to eat up more distance, keeping a hang thrown out behind her to bend away her tracks as she practically flew across the ice. The last think that she wanted to happen was anyone following her. She needed to do this on her own, she felt it in her gut. The wind ripped at her skin, sending a chill down to her very core, but she battled on, not even considering giving up. If she was going to keep them all out of harms way this had to be done. She knew that she would do it, even if it meant that she was surely sacrificing herself. It was more than worth the cost to her.
She skated until the trembling in her limbs was too intense to continue, and then she found a glacier wall. Taking as steadying breath, she gathering all the strength she could, she bended a massive chunk of ice out of the side of the wall. Disposing of the ice, she threw her bag into the hole before climbing in herself, bending a wall back up behind her so that no one could see her little campsite. She didn't doubt that when they awoke to find her gone they would come looking for her. She just needed to make sure that she stayed hidden long enough to finish this.
She pulled a blanket from her bag and circled up on the ground, pulling her limbs into herself as tightly as she could manage to maintain heat. Tomorrow she would gather enough materials to make a fire. But tonight she simply gave in, letting the sobs wrack her body, feeling so alone. But as terribly lonely as she felt, she knew this was a choice she needed to make. For the good of her family. That thought brought her just enough comfort to slip back to sleep, dreaming of the monk that gave her the strength to continue on.