A/N: I had a bit of a fixation with this episode, and this idea sprouted from it. So I invented this little time period between the Kataango and the party getting busted by Fire Nation authorities wherein this conversation would occur. This is kind of a soft-sequel to Katara's chapter in Good Together, so I would recommend reading that before reading this. Idk how in-character this is, but I just like writing Katara as insecure/angsty for some reason. It's like...a nice change of pace.
I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of the characters :'-(
The dance with Aang ended minutes ago, but I still feel like I'm flying. Like I could reach out and touch the clouds; weightless, ethereal, beautiful. Like it's still just him and me, because right now I don't see anyone, anyone but him, and I don't remember why we threw this party but now I'm really, really glad we did.
"Great party, huh?" A sweet voice remarks beside me. The daze is broken, and I remember where I am. Grounded. In a cave nestled in enemy territory, surrounded mostly by people I don't trust. I turn to the person embodying the voice I just heard, and my stomach drops. Of all the people here...
It's the girl Aang danced with right before me, which I'd almost forgotten about but now that I see her I remember. My idiot brother's crippling words: "Wow, they look pretty good together." I force a small smile, then quickly face forward again. It's warm in here, yet somehow I don't think that's the reason I'm starting to sweat.
They belong to the enemy; you don't trust any of them. That includes her, and not for any reasons otherwise. Yes, that's right. That's what I tell myself so I don't hate myself. They are all strangers to you.
But...she's not a stranger entirely. No, she can't be, because it appears we have something significant in common. The very thing that could unravel me, if only I let it.
And I will not become a stranger to myself.
"Yeah, it is," I reply lamely, not meeting her eyes. Unlike Sokka (or rather, Wang Fire), I opted not to don an alternate persona tonight. Without my disguise from earlier, I don't look like Aang's—I mean, Kuzon's—"mom." I just look like me. Just…like me.
"Kuzon's a great dancer," the girl comments. She too now faces the action. "I mean, you knew that. Sorry, dumb thing to say. I'm just not very good by comparison, that's all."
By comparison.
Those two words; my undoing.
She's friendly. Just talk to her; she won't bite. "He is, isn't he? I mean, it didn't really occur to me before tonight, to be honest." See? Was that so hard? I keep my unfocused gaze facing forward. My throat feels tight. I am no longer flying.
The girl drums her fingers on something in her hands, which I soon recognize as one of the earthenware cups Toph made for tonight. "I'm On Ji, by the way." In my periphery I see her turn towards me. Flying hog monkeys—it would just be rude not to look at her now.
I compromise by fixing my eyes on the fringes of her perfect bangs—close enough, right? I smile again; fake, but she doesn't need to know that. I suppose I am wearing a sort of disguise tonight. "I'm Katara. Nice to meet you."
"Same. So how long have you known Kuzon?"
As long as you have, he's only existed since yesterday. "Oh, you know, we grew up together."
"Nice. Did your families come here from the colonies together?"
Did we what? "Mm-hmm."
I must sound skeptical, because On Ji rushes to explain. "Ack! Sorry if I'm being nosy, it's just, our teacher could tell immediately that Kuzon wasn't from the homeland. Different mannerisms and stuff. I guess you like dancing out in the colonies, huh?"
Spirits, do I hate lying. It's okay, Katara, pull yourself together. "Yeah, we love it. Definitely a staple out there."
An awkward pause follows. Just when I think it might be time to part ways, On Ji asks, "So you know how he got his scar, then?" Her question makes me do a double-take. Scar...Zuko? Confused, I lose focus and my eyes slip down and lock onto hers.
On Ji's eyes are pure, innocent, protected. The color of black tea with cream. Easy to get lost in. Huh. She has that in common with him...
I feel my mask crumbling away the longer the eye contact lasts. I guess I was right about her. She does have a personality, and I don't hate it—I don't hate it at all, and that makes me hate it, and I guess I just hate myself for letting this get to me. For La's sake, we have much, much bigger problems outside of this cave, by way of several dangerously powerful individuals hunting us down...and yet, I'd rather be charging head-first towards any one of them than holding a conversation with this harmless Fire Nation schoolgirl. It's laughable, really, and not in the funny way.
I'm still wondering why she's asking about Zuko's scar. "...His scar?"
"Yeah, that's why he wears the headband, right? He said he was covering a scar."
Oh. My gaze shifts to Aang leading a call-and-response dance in the middle of the cave, which Sokka has joined and is following along very poorly to. Toph remains stationed at her table in the back corner.
A scar. Interesting. It's very nearly the truth.
I grip my arm tight at the elbow. "Yeah, um, it was an accident with some firebenders when he was little. I've told him before it doesn't look so bad, but he doesn't believe me." I can hear my voice speeding up, and my palms going sweaty, and I know it's because I'm lying. But it's weird, because I'm not lying about Aang, I'm lying about Kuzon, so I should be fine,
so why do I feel like I'm going to be sick?
On Ji tilts her head to the side in pity, glancing at Aang in the midst of the crowd. "Oh, that's too bad. He's pretty cute otherwise." Then she's looking back at me, in a way that's almost a smirk, almost an I-know-something-you-don't smile, and almost an invitation to Just look up.
I don't know how to respond to any of it. My stomach sinks, heavy with that same ugly feeling I got when they danced. "...You think so?"
"I think you do."
Say what?
My eyes snap up from the ground to the glimmer in On Ji's soft beige eyes. Her smile is gentle. I search for any sign of animosity in her countenance, but find none. On Ji looks over Aang's way again, and I follow her confident gaze with my bewildered one. Just look up...
He's flying again. No, really, he's halfway to the ceiling of this ginormous cave; I know it's airbending, but On Ji doesn't. Petty as it is, the thought makes me smile. I know something she doesn't. Now we can call it even.
She means well, I'm sure, but I really wish she wouldn't make me look at him like that. There's still a good number of days until Sozin's Comet arrives and Aang battles Fire Lord Ozai, and...if something happens and he doesn't make it back... I can't give that much of myself away only to lose it, not another person I love, not again.
No, wait—
On Ji's light laugh draws me out of my frazzled thoughts. I can't quite recall what we were talking about; all I hear echoing in my anxious, sleep-deprived, overwhelmed mind is person I love, person I love, person I love.
Taking my wide-eyed silence as her answer, On Ji continues. "I mean it, he's great. You're lucky, 'cause most of us have to search long and hard to find someone like that but you grew up right beside them." She swirls her drink around in her cup, while I stare at her like an idiot. But she knows, she knows she's right so I don't think she minds.
On Ji winks. "Enjoy the night, Katara."
Then she's gone. The girl with the perfect bangs and eyes and words. The stranger who's not really a stranger.
I can't help but smile, awed by her astuteness if nothing else. "You too, On Ji...thanks," I mumble to the now-vacant spot where she stood. Of all the people here...
Once again left to my own company, I lean back against the wall of the cave, graced with a perfect view of the heart of the party. Though On Ji may not know who we really are, she did get one thing right: I am lucky to have Aang. But you never know when your luck might run out. And after how close I came to losing him in Ba Sing Se, I'm even more determined never to take him for granted again.
person I love...
TL;DR On Ji ships Kataang ;P
A/N: So this was a little different...we all knew On Ji wasn't any real threat, but Katara didn't and boom: Stranger was born. I like to think On Ji watched the Kataango and said "oh yeah, these two are gonna make it." Tell me honest, did I do her any justice here?
As always, you who read this story and these boring A/N's are one-hundred percent amazing :)