Wazzup y'all? I've been so happy lately, and I don't know why. Anyhoo, chill out man. Do you really think that I'm going to let Zuko rape Katara? I already know that Zuko wouldn't do something like that. So now that we got that settled, here is your next chapter! It starts out a little slow, but it gets good later on. Warning: this chapter has a little bit of a "me" in it, especially with another OC. Don't be surprised if the dialogue becomes a little bit more modern, but it will still be "Avatar".
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Katara was surrounded by walls of fire; it was on her, in her, and around her. It was even blazing inside of her. It's too hot, she thought. Katara tried to walk through it, but when she did it felt seven times worse. Suddenly she saw a pair of golden eyes blink at her and felt a pair of burning hands travel up and down her body.
"Stop!" she screamed, struggling against the hands' grip. The heat became hotter.
"Let me go!" she yelled. Katara gasped in pain as a fiery slap came across her face.
"Leave me alone!" she cried out. She fought against the grasp. She cried out as the walls became thicker and higher and the eyes turned to miniature furnaces.
"Be still or face the consequences!" a harsh voice ordered. Katara screamed and cried, but to no prevail.
"Help me!" she shouted. As she fought she heard a soft voice.
"Katara?" it said.
"Please help me!" Katara cried.
"Katara!" it said again. She sensed worry in the voice.
"Katara!"
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Katara sat up, gasping for breath and squinting in the morning sunlight. Sokka and Aang were sitting beside her; Sokka had a bowl of water and Aang was dabbing her head with a cool, wet rag. Her brother handed her some water.
"Are you okay?" Aang asked her. She gulped the water down and shook her head.
"I had a bad dream," she whispered.
"No kidding," Sokka replied. "You really had us worried there." Aang nodded in agreement.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Aang was looking at her, and his expression clearly showed his worry and concern.
"No, not really," she answered. Sokka and Aang nodded their heads; they had a pretty good idea what her dream was about. Katara got up and rolled her sleeping bag up. I just want to forget all of this mess and move on. She fought back tears and reached into a bag, pulling out a small apple. She felt used and embarrassed with her situation.
"So, um, there is a village nearby. Do you guys want to see if we can stay there for a few days?" Aang said, trying to break the silence. Katara smiled weakly. He is so sweet to try to take the attention off of me.
"That's great, Aang. How's that plan with you, Sokka?" she responded. Aang smiled at her, happy that she was at least speaking.
"It's fine," Sokka said. "Help me pack things up." Aang and Katara got up and helped him.
"Is that everything?" Aang asked when they were loading things onto Appa. Sokka nodded. The three climbed aboard Appa, and with the usual "yip-yip!" the bison was flying.
"How far is this village?" Sokka asked.
"A few more minutes," was his answer. Sure enough, they were on land again, and were looking for a place to stay for the night.
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"That will be two silver pieces per room," the counter girl told the three. Aang dug in his bag and gave her the money and took the keys from her.
"This is yours," he said, handing a room key. I don't really want to be left alone. Her uneasiness must have shown on her face, because Aang had entangled his hand in hers.
"You okay?" he asked. Katara took a deep breath.
"I'll be fine," she told him. Aang looked doubtful, but nodded.
They walked upstairs and went down the hall. Since the boys' room came first, Sokka took their bags into their room while Aang led Katara to hers. He opened the door and helped Katara settle in. She sat on her bed and looked out the window, tracing the outline of the design on her necklace. Aang stood a little bit away and watched her. She isn't herself. Aang saw the misery, depression, and decline in her upbeat personality that her experience resulted in.
He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. She turned to him and smiled. For a moment she had some of her old self back. It was gone as quickly as it came. Aang kissed her gently. She sighed and settled into his loving embrace. "Please talk to me." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, urging her on.
Katara looked down to the ground. "I don't know what to do anymore," she choked out, not noticing the tears that fell. "He took advantage of me, and I've never felt so mixed up before. It's awful" She sobbed harder, clinging to Aang for support.
Aang watched warily as the water bender clutched him and cried. He hated to see her like this, all confused and hurt. "I'm sorry," he said, not knowing what else to say to comfort her.
"Just be here," was her answer. They sat there for a while; Aang comforting her with kisses, words, and his embrace, Katara allowing herself to take the relief from him. Soon her cries subsided. They sat there looking at the moon. Aang heard smooth, even breathing come form Katara and knew that she was asleep. He tucked her into bed and kissed her goodnight.
"I love you, Katara."
He tiptoed towards the door.
"I love you, too. Thank you," she mumbled in her sleep. Aang smiled at her sleeping form. She finally calm and even wore a faint smile on her face.
"You're welcome." He walked out the door and closed it behind him. When he reached his room he found Sokka still awake.
"Have fun?" he teased, smirking. Aang shook his head.
"Zuko messed her up really badly," he said. Sokka sighed and looked over at the monk.
"Aang, think about it. What if your arch-enemy tried to rape you? Do you think you'll be still your normal self?" Sokka asked.
"No. You're right," Aang replied, shaking his head. "But will she ever be herself again?" he asked. I want Katara back. Unfortunately, the look on Sokka's face was anything but hopeful.
"Maybe she will; maybe she won't." Aang stared at Sokka for a minute before turning off the lights.
Lying down on his bed, he thought about what Sokka had said. Maybe she will; maybe she won't. That simple statement upset Aang to no end. He knew for a fact that she was scarred, and would take a long time to heal. I'm going to help her anyway that I can, he resolved. Aang turned over and fell into a deep sleep.
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Aang woke up at dawn. After yawing and stretching, he got up and washed his face. Realizing that both Sokka and Katara would want something to eat other that fruit, he decided to go the market. Aang slipped his shoes on, grabbed a few coins and headed out the door. Once he reached outside he took a deep breath of the crisp morning air and looked around. This place hasn't changed a bit, he thought. It hadn't, except the forest was a bit thicker and there were a few more houses. He walked towards the village market, ignoring the stares he got from the people. Once there, Aang walked through the aisles, eyeing the clothes, food, and toys the vendors were selling. Most of the stalls weren't open, but there were still a fair number of things to choose from. Aang stopped at a vendor that was selling some sort of flat bread. It smelled really good to Aang, and the vendor was eating some with syrup and butter.
"That looks really good; what is it?" The clerk looked up at Aang with a slight annoyed- amused look on his face.
"They're called pancakes; it's an Earth Kingdom treat." He explained. Aang gave him a strange look. Then how come I never heard of them? King Bumi is a king, so that means that he probably has access to things like pancakes. The clerk noticed Aang's bewilderment and laughed.
"You can only get them on this end of the Earth Kingdom. Where are you from?"
"My two friends and I are traveling from Omashu," Aang answered. The clerk nodded.
"That explains a lot. Do you want a sample?" the clerk handed him a piece of the bread, but Aang wasn't paying very much attention to the salesman; he was eyeing those delicious pancakes. Aang saw that the man was handing him a portion of the bread, and he took it and wolfed it down.
"I'll take three," he said in between bites. The salesman laughed again.
"Trust me; you can't have only one each; you need at least two."
"Then give me six." The man nodded and poured some liquid dough onto a griddle as an older man walked towards the stall. The older man noticed Aang and looked at him with curiosity.
"The Avatar?" he said. Aang looked at him with a 'yeah, so?' look on his face. He nodded.
"I can't believe this! It's been so long!" he exclaimed, jumping up and down. Aang watched him with amusement. How could such an old man be so energetic? He thought, but decided to take it back. Technically, people could say the same thing about me. The clerk flipped a few pancakes over and looked over at the guy.
"Gramps, you know this guy?" he asked, obviously confused. But Aang was scanning him. He looks kind of familiar.
The old man nodded. "I used to play with him when he visited. He was always full of mischief. His name was…Aang!" He smiled proudly at himself. Aang was still wondering. He looked back and forth between the two. The older guy looked a little bit familiar, but the younger looked more like someone he knew.
Aang rocked back and forth on his heel, thinking. I used to visit this place all the time, and someone used to look exactly like that boy right there. "Are you Kristof?" he asked. Aang knew he was correct when the man jumped up and down excitedly. He smiled and hugged his friend.
"How are things? I haven't seen you in years!" Aang said. "And this is your grandson?"
"Things are great, thanks! It's great to see you, too, and yes, that is my grandson." He answered each of Aang's questions one by one.
"Nice to meet you." Aang introduced himself, giving the cook his hand. He shook it and handed Aang his food. Aang paid him.
"I'm Talon." (A/N: does that name sound familiar to anyone?) The three guys stood there staring at each other. Talon finally spoke up. "So, who are your friends?"
His grandfather chuckled. "Don't mind Talon. There aren't many kids around his age, so he's always trying to meet other people." Talon shrugged.
"Yeah, I do. Would you like to meet them?" Aang offered. He too always liked to meet others. Plus, if he is anything like his grandfather, we will have so much fun. Talon eagerly stood up and followed Aang back to the hotel.
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Katara woke up to a soft knock on the door. "Come in," she said, sitting up in the bed. Aang walked in with Katara's share of pancakes.
"I got you something to eat," he said, handing her a plate of pancakes. She stared at them for a moment.
"They look and smell really good, but what are they?" she asked. He laughed.
"They're called pancakes, and they can only be found in this part of the Earth Kingdom. Try them." He cut a pancake into a few pieces and poured the syrup on them. She took the fork that he had handed her and gingerly took a bite.
"This is really good," she said, showing the bits of food in her mouth.
"Chew and swallow," Aang told her. He waited a few moments while she finished off the piece.
"That is really good," she told him again. Aang smiled to himself as she wolfed down her food. Much better than fruit and nuts all of the time, he told himself. He knew that it wasn't as true because they had been staying at King Bumi's palace.
"Thanks," she said, setting the empty plate on the nightstand.
"You're welcome. So how are you feeling today?" Aang wasn't very sure how well today would go, since Katara seemed to be such in a bad mood yesterday. She had a good reason, but I want today to be a happy day.
"I guess I feel okay. Not much better from yesterday, but I'm working on it," she said. Aang beamed at her and kissed her gently, disappointed when she didn't really respond back.
"I'm sorry. I'm just not in the mood."
The young Avatar sighed, trying to keep from getting frustrated. I know that she isn't really feeling well, but she can at least give me some response that tells me she is accepting my comfort. "Okay. Hurry up and get dressed though, there is someone that I would like you to meet." With that, Aang left her room.
Katara got out of bed and went over to the mirror. She hated her reflection, the reflection that said that she was worthless and ugly. She sniffled a few times, letting a few tears fall. "I hate what you did to me. Am I that much of an enemy? Is Aang so important that you will try to do something so awful to me just to bring him down?" Katara kneeled down from crying, her legs unable to support herself. She heaved in great sobs. "Why? Why? Why?" she whimpered. Suddenly a faint voice that sounded distinctly like Aang's came through her mind. Katara, you deserve to be treated better. You are in no way a tramp, and it is not your fault that he did that to you. She sat there for a moment, letting the words sink in. Shakily, she stood up and looked at her reflection. It was hard to do it, but what she said to herself helped tremendously.
"I am not going to let him get me down. I am not going to let him get me down." She repeated those words over an over. She kept repeating them as she washed up. She kept saying that sentence as she got dressed, and she kept thinking it as she went to the boys' room. A guy opened the door.
"I'm Talon," he introduced, offering his hand. Katara shook it.
"Is Aang's there?" she asked.
"Yeah, there in here. You must be Katara." Katara nodded her head.
"Come on in, Katara! He won't hurt you," she heard Sokka say. Talon stepped aside to let her in.
She studied Talon for a moment before speaking to Aang. "I guess that he is the one that you wanted me to meet." Aang nodded and pulled up a chair. "How do you know him?" she asked.
"They were about to tell me when you came," Sokka answered. Katara rolled her eyes at her brother and turned to the two other boys. Aang spoke first.
"Well, his grandfather and I used to hang out years ago," he started.
"More like a century," Sokka and Katara said at the same time.
"Anyways, I stopped at a stall today to get us some breakfast. I was waiting when this guy came over."
Talon finished the rest: "And my grandfather was getting excited because he remembered Aang from their childhood together. Aang finally recognized him. Then I asked him if he had any friends. And now I'm here."
Sokka rolled his eyes. "You guys made me think that there was some dramatic reunion." Katara gave him a gentle slap to warn him to be more polite.
"Well, it's nice to meet you," she said to Talon.
"Guess what? It turns out that he is an earth bender, and he's very good, so he's going to train with me." Katara smiled at him, knowing that earth bending was important to him.
"We're going down to the river. You want to come?" Talon asked.
Maybe if I go with them it'll help me get my mind off of Zuko. "Sure I'll go."
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Aang, Katara, and Talon headed down to the river, passing the hour it took to get there by talking.
"I've lived here all of my life, and I'm one of the youngest." Talon was telling them a little bit of his life. He had told them about having his mother getting killed in an attack, having his father get killed in a shipwreck, and having been raised by his grandfather.
"I know how you feel. My mom was killed by fire benders and I haven't seen my father in years. Sokka and I lived with our small tribe until we found Aang. We went to the North Pole so Aang could learn water bending, and then to Omashu for earth bending, and through a series of events," she had to pause to take a deep breath. Aang gave her a 'you can get past it' look. She smiled and turned back to Talon. "And that's how we ended up here." Aang and Katara smiled at each other, happy of their small accomplishment. Talon was giving them weird looks.
"Are you two together or something?" he asked.
"Yes," they answered simultaneously. Why does he look disappointed? Aang thought, suspicious. He watched as Talon's eyes lingered on Katara for a moment. I don't like the way he is looking at her. Aang didn't want to believe that Talon wanted Katara, but if he did, it was no problem, because he was confident that Katara would stay with him. But just in case, Aang cleared his throat and threw Talon a firm look, making it clear that Katara wasn't on the market. The three kept on walking in an awkward silence.
"So how far are we?" Katara asked, breaking the silence. Talon ignored her and instead led them through a few low trees. A few more steps beyond that led them to a small clearing with a small river cutting it in half. Katara absentmindedly walked over to the stream and closed her eyes, gently water bending. She forgot her surroundings and the two boys with her, and instead focused on the calming influence the water had on her. Push; pull, she silently commanded herself. She continued to do this until her hands had a mind of their own. Nothing and no one can bring me down. She guided the stream of water up and down and around her body. Off to the side, Aang and Talon sat on the ground, mesmerized by her performance.
"Wow, she's really good," Talon whispered. Aang gave a faint smile in response. I have never seen her like this before, water bending without actually noticing herself doing it. They watched as Katara's movements slowed down. She finally guided it back into the water and sat back down, facing away from the other two. Unknown to them, her eyes were still closed, and she was only half-awake.
Aang crawled over to her and wrapped his arms around her. Her eyes fluttered open. 'I feel better now," she whispered. His eyes filled with adoration for her.
"I'm glad." They sat there like that, calm and at ease, forgetting for a moment their troubles. Aang forgot that he was a little frustrated with Katara for not being very responsive, and Katara had relief from Zuko for a moment. They were in a bubble of serenity, and for now, nothing else mattered.
A few feet away, Talon was studying Katara intently. He knew that adultery was one of the most horrible sins someone could do, and yet he couldn't help but like her. He felt even worse knowing that he and Aang were friends, not long friends but friends nonetheless, and that he and Katara were together. He hated the little voice inside his head that was telling him to make a move on Katara, and who cares about Aang? It wasn't like they were best friends. But the other side of him, the good side, was telling him that he should run far away. Talon took deep breaths and made his decision. "You guys okay?" he asked, walking up to the two. He pushed his guilty conscience aside when Aang looked up at him with a 'why the hell did you do that?' look on his face. Katara looked up at him, too, but she didn't seem as angry as Aang did. Talon quickly came up with an excuse for interrupting.
"We should start our training," he said. Aang reluctantly got up and started to stretch. A few minutes later, Talon was teaching him one-on-one combat techniques.
"So what is the deal with Katara? Why does she seem to be far-away?" Talon asked, stealing a glance at the bender. She was still sitting down, and she was practicing basic water bending. Her eyes were focused on some far away object, maybe nothing at all, and she seemed to be in a distant place. Aang's answer snapped him out of his trance.
"I can't tell you. If you really want to know, you're going to have to ask her, but she probably won't tell you. She hasn't even told me, not really." Aang stopped wrestling him and stood up. "It was a horrible experience for her and she hasn't been the same since."
Talon looked up at him with question, but didn't open his mouth. He merely shrugged. The two continued to fight, stopping every so often to correct mistakes. Talon couldn't get his mind off of Katara. I wonder what her problem is.
Aang couldn't get rid of the feeling that something horrible was going to happen. And I have a feeling that it involves Talon.
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Katara sat down on the river bank, water bending and occasionally glimpsing at Aang and Talon. Aang gets better everyday, she thought. She loved Aang even more now, especially with him helping her heal. But every time she thought about Aang, somehow Talon seemed to creep his way into her mind. Sure, he was hot- she was used to seeing hot guys on a regular basis- but it was something about him that she liked. It was that little something that Aang didn't possess. And she found it alluring, mysterious, and annoying all at the same time. She didn't want to admit the fact that she had a crush on Talon. The last little crush I had got me into so much drama already. Aang was more than she ever wanted, and yet Talon was…Talon. It might just be that he is someone new, and this is just the curiosity that goes along with meeting a new person. Or it could be a real crush. Either way, I don't want to get in any trouble again.
Katara looked over at the two boys again and watched them fight. She didn't realize that she had been staring at Talon until Aang walked up to her.
"Are you okay?" he asked her. She felt heat creep up her neck, embarrassed for being caught staring at Talon. She glanced up at Aang, and was not surprised to see a confused look on his face. "You were just staring into the distance, and I wanted to make sure that you were all right."
I wasn't staring into the distance; I was staring at Talon, her guilty conscience admitted. "I'm fine, Aang." She reassured him with a smile, sighing with relief when he relaxed. He kissed her cheek and went back over to Talon, who was watching them closely. She told herself that it meant nothing when Talon winked at her in a flirty way, and that she was just being nice when she smiled back. You better watch it, or you'll be in trouble, a voice warned her. It meant nothing, she tried to convince the voice.
Problem is, I'm trying to convince myself.
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It was late afternoon when the boys finally collapsed from exhaustion. Aang walked over to the stream and dunked his head underwater, feeling the water cool his head. When he came up for air he spotted Talon, who was talking to Katara. It's probably nothing, he told himself, but he couldn't be so sure. He had noticed that Talon was flirting with Katara, giving her winks and smiles and small waves. Aang tried to deny it, but he could've sworn that he saw Katara flirting back. He didn't really care if Talon was flirting with Katara, but he didn't want to admit that she was flirting back. Knowing that he was better off just asking her "How do you feel about Talon?" he decided anyway to do this the less straightforward way.
Walking towards the two, he asked, "I'm going to go to the bathroom. I'll be back in a few." They nodded without looking up and continued whatever conversation they were having. Swallowing his jealousy, he walked a few feet into the forest until he decided on a good spot to spy. He made sure that he could see them but they couldn't see him. He also made sure that he could hear them. Crouching down a bit, he watched them converse.
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"So you seem distant, are you okay?" Talon asked her.
"I'm fine. Did Aang send you over here?" she asked. Talon shook his head.
"Oh. So, what's up?" Katara asked. She scooted over slightly, making sure that they weren't too close.
"Nothing much," he said.
Then why did you come over here? She silently told him.
"How was training? You and Aang seemed to be working really hard over there."
"It was pretty good, thanks. So how was, um, water bending?"
Katara gave him a smile. "It was good. I was just going over my water basics." Katara liked how he had a way of making her relax when just about everything was wrong. Aang could do this, too, but lately he seemed too concerned for her. I like him caring about me, but does he realize that he should just act like nothing's happened? She felt a little resentment towards Aang come over her, but then it was quickly erased by realization. But if he would have acted like nothing's wrong, then I would have been mad at him for not being concerned. She sighed, not knowing what she should feel.
She noticed that Talon was studying her. "Seriously, are you okay? You seem to be upset about something." If Aang would have said something like that, she would have probably been a little reluctant in telling him what her problem is. But with this new friend of hers, she somehow felt completely comfortable telling him things.
"Is it about Aang?" he asked her. Katara hesitated, but nodded anyway.
"Want to talk about it?" he asked.
"Not really," she answered.
"You'll feel better if you do." Katara looked at him with surprise. She couldn't remember if Aang had ever used that line on her. It was always 'please' or 'you don't have to'.
"Um, okay," she replied, feeling a little bit of her confidence come back. That happened when Aang had tried to cheer me up, but it always felt short-lived.
"Well, something really bad happened to me and Aang has been trying to help me heal ever since. But every time he did, every time he comforted me and told me encouraging things, it always was short-lived. Soon enough, I was always back at square-one, and then the cycle would start all over again." That should be enough information to keep him satisfied.
"What happened?" he asked. "Maybe if you gave Aang some more information on what happened, he would be able to help you better." This guy gives good advice, she thought.
"I did tell him, but I never did tell him how I had felt, and I never really expressed my feelings outside of crying. I even had a dream about it the other night, but I still didn't really tell him about it." She couldn't believe she had just told an almost-stranger all of those things, and she still had yet to even remotely talk to Aang.
"That was a great start. So maybe if you told Aang how you feel, maybe things won't seem so complicated." Katara nodded and hugged him.
"Thanks. I haven't really thought of it that way." She blushed at Talon's grip around her middle and pulled back.
"May I ask what happened? It's kind of obvious that you two are close, and it just seems kind of unbelievable that you wouldn't talk to him about whatever." She knew that Talon wasn't forcing her to tell him, but since he asked so nicely, and since he seems like someone she could trust…
"I was almost raped," she whispered. She didn't have to look at Talon to know that he had a shocked look on his face.
"I'm sorry," he said. Katara could tell that he was being genuine, because the next thing she knew she was wrapped in a bear hug. "Now I can understand why you have a hard time telling Aang. It must be so humiliating."
"It is," Katara agreed. She forgot about Aang for a moment, taking in Talon's embrace.
"Well, it isn't your fault," he told her. Katara pulled away and smiled.
"That's what Aang said."
Talon nodded. "And he's completely right." They sat in a comfortable silence for a few seconds.
"By the way, where is he?" Talon asked.
"I'm right here," Aang said, taking the opportunity to come out of his hiding place. "I kind of went too deep into the woods and got lost a little bit," he lied. He watched as Talon shrugged.
"Well I'm glad that you're safe," Katara said. Aang smiled. He had heard their conversation and seen them hug, but he had to admit, Katara seemed happier.
"We should go before it gets dark," he said, helping Katara up. Talon nodded in agreement and led them back to the village. They said their good-nights to Talon and walked back to the hotel.
"I had a really good day," Katara told him. They were back at the hotel. She and Aang were sitting on her bed.
"I'm glad. You seem to be much happier," he said, scooting closer to her.
"I am. Talon gave me some great advice today," she said.
"What was it about?" he asked, even though he already knew.
"The almost-rape," she said quietly.
"Okay." Aang didn't know exactly what to say.
"Well, um, first-off, I'm sorry if I haven't been open with you. I wasn't really ready to give you the complete story. Aang nodded, giving her the signal to continue.
"Well now I am. When Zuko tried to rape me, I felt used and disrespected and ugly. Then when you rescued me I didn't know how to tell you and I didn't know how to act, so I just shut myself off from the world and cried. I loved it when you tried to encourage me and it worked a little bit, but then I would just forget all about it and start from the beginning. And then I had this horrible dream." Aang took her hand.
"Tell me about the dream. Keep going, you're doing great." Katara smiled and continued.
"I was surrounded by fire and then when I tried to get away it became hotter. I saw a pair of eyes and felt burning hands feel me up. Then when I tried to get away and when I screamed for him to stop, I got slapped." She started to cry, remembering the dream. Aang took her into his arms.
"Keep going," he whispered.
"And then the eyes turned to fire. I kept yelling for help and then I heard a voice call out to me. It kept calling until I woke up." Katara sat there, gasping for breath and crying. It felt so good to finally let go of her fear. Talon was right; it does feel better to let things out in the open. "He was right," she said.
"Who was?"
"Talon." She saw Aang's face darken a bit but didn't pay to much attention to it. "He was right about opening up instead of keeping things bottled inside. It makes you feel so much better to let things out."
"Then can I ask you something?" Aang said.
"Sure."
He hesitated, but he asked his question anyway. "Do you like Talon?" It was kind of a stupid question for him to ask, but he had to ask it anyway.
"Yeah," she said. Aang could see that she didn't quite get what he meant.
"I mean, do you like him?" his face heated up, embarrassed by the question. It was a good thing he was looking down, because Katara's face was red, too.
How can he ask me that question? "No," she replied. She cursed herself for letting her voice sound shaky. Aang looked up at her, somewhat doubting her answer.
"Are you sure? It kind of looked like you were flirting with him," he continued.
She felt herself get hotter, because she now knew that she really was flirting with Talon, and worse, that Aang had noticed it.
"I'm positive. We weren't flirting." Katara made sure that she sounded firm. Aang was still a little doubtful, so he came up with an ingenious proposition. He leaned in and kissed her deeply, weaving his arms around her and lying down. She snaked her arms around his neck and returned the kiss. Aang couldn't help but notice that she didn't give as much passion as he was giving her. He pressed her closer into him, deepening the kiss further. Aang felt his girlfriend shy away from his grasp a little bit. Why isn't she responding as much as she usually does? he asked himself. He had the distinct feeling that it had something to do with Talon. He gently eased the kiss until it was just them holding each other, staring into the other's eyes.
"I'm going to bed," he whispered. After a light kiss on the lips and the exchange of "good-nights", he left his room and entered his own down the hall.
"Have fun?" Sokka asked, smirking at Aang. He turned serious when the young monk lay on the bed without even a glare.
"Something wrong?" he asked, turning towards Aang. He was answered with a slight nod.
"Well then tell me," he demanded. Aang sighed and turned to the warrior.
"I think Katara has a thing for Talon," he said. His eyes sent daggers towards Sokka when the teen laughed.
"Yeah right. Aang, she doesn't like him. She likes you. And I'm sure that she won't cheat on you." Sokka looked over at Aang, who was staring at the ceiling.
"But they were flirting all day. She hardly even spoke to me today. And when she did, she was all 'Talon was right; it's better to open up'!" Aang turned over and buried his head into the fluffy pillow.
"Are you sure it was flirting? It could have been that they were only being nice to each other," Sokka reasoned.
"I may be twelve, but I know that giving winks and smiling and glancing at each other every two minutes qualifies as flirting," Aang replied. Sokka sat there, stunned.
"Okay, Aang, I see where you're coming from, but-
"I know what I saw," he argued.
"Okay. If you really want to know if she likes you and not him, just kiss her. If she responds like she usually does, then she is still for you and you only. But if she doesn't and seems distracted, then I'm sorry buddy." He heard a groan come from the pillow.
"Don't tell me that she didn't have give energy," he pleaded. Aang looked up at him.
"She didn't," he said. Sokka gave him a 'tough-luck' look and lied back down. Aang sighed and turned away from him.
Maybe she was still shaken up from her admittance, his good side said. However, to Aang's annoyance, his bad side seemed to kick in. Yeah right. She seemed happy to me. I bet she was thinking about that Talon retard. Good replied, I should give her the benefit of the doubt. I know that she wouldn't cheat on me. But his bad side just wouldn't give up, You saw the way they were looking at each other. Plus, tonight when it should have been all about you, she decided to bring Talon into the mix. Aang had to admit that both of these voices had a great argument, and he didn't know which one to follow. He blew the candle out and went to sleep.
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Katara woke up early the next day, just before dawn. Yawning, she sat up in her bed. She had such a good day yesterday and it was because of Talon, so she decided to thank him. He had told her yesterday that he and Aang met at a food stall in the morning, so she had an idea where he was. Washing up and getting dressed, she walked out into the crisp morning air. Making her way to the village market and weaving through the aisles, she finally found Talon setting up his stall.
"Morning," she greeted him. He turned around and smiled at her, obviously happy that she was there.
"Good morning. How did you sleep last night?" he asked.
"Well, thank you. That reminds me, I wanted to thank you fir yesterday. I had a great time talking to you and you made me fell so much better."
"You're welcome. Did you talk to Aang?"
"Yes, I did. You were right; it would make me feel better if I talked about it." Katara sat down on a chair that was beside the stall. "How did you know that?"
"Know what?"
"That talking to someone would make me feel better," she said.
Talon pulled up a chair beside her. "When my parents died, I was so full of hatred towards the world. And since their deaths were caused by the Fire Nation, and me living so near to the border, it was awful. I even used to terrorize the Fire Nation people who lived nearby. Then my grandfather sent me to counseling, and I learned that I should take my anger out in other ways."
"And what ways did you take it out?" she asked. Katara always did have a thing for guys with tragic pasts, and Talon wasn't any different.
"Believe it or not, cooking," he told her, handing her a piece of a fresh pancake. She took it and popped into her mouth.
"How is it?" he asked. Katara swallowed.
"It's really good. Who taught you to cook like that?" Talon chuckled.
"No one did. I taught myself," he answered.
"Wow! That is amazing. Other than pancakes, what else do you make?"
"Everything. And I love to learn about cooking from other cultures." He looked at her hopefully.
"Sorry, but I don't really know how to cook," she said. He shrugged and turned back to the skillet, pouring some pancake mix onto it.
"May I help?" she asked. He smiled and motioned for her to come behind the stall. She eagerly obeyed, washing her hands and tying on an apron.
"Okay, not put these ingredients into that bowl," he motioned her towards a small table full of flour, eggs, and other ingredients. "Then use this to mix it up. Make sure that no eggshell pieces get into the batter, and make sure that the liquid is smooth." Katara nodded and got to work.
"How's it coming?" Talon asked ten minutes later. He stepped over to her and took the stirrer away from her.
"Wow, what did you put into it?" he asked, dipping a finger into the now-empty bowl.
"Oh, just some apple juice, cinnamon, and vanilla," she answered.
"It's really good," he said, flipping over the apple-pancakes.
"Thanks." She watched as Talon wrapped the finished apple-pancakes in some paper and gave them to a customer. He put the money away before turning to Katara.
"Do you want to hang out today? Today I only work until noon." Katara thought it over. If I go with him, it might be some sort of date. She swept the thought aside. It wasn't a date; she was only going to spend the day with a new friend.
"Sure. I'll go." The two smiled at each other and continued working. Katara made some more of her apple-pancakes, which never stayed off the pan for to long.
"Thanks for helping me," he said a couple of hours later. He handed her a bag of coins. "This is what you earned today."
Katara glanced at the bag, happy that she had made money and had a fun time doing it.
"Thanks."
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Aang walked through the busy market. Katara wasn't in her room this morning, and even though she didn't leave a note, he had a pretty good idea where she was. When he got to Talon's stall however, he was surprised to see that it was abandoned. A sign on the wall said, "Closed". He sighed, not knowing where to find the two.
"I believe Talon and a girl went down to the clearing," an old man told him. Aang gave him a quick thank you before running off to the clearing.
It's probably nothing. It's probably nothing. It's probably nothing.
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Katara and Talon were once again sitting on the river bank. This time, they were sharing funny stories and having fun. They had taken off their shoes to dip their feet into the water, and Katara had also shown him some water bending moves.
"Hey!" he had shouted. Katara had stood there laughing as Talon had rubbed the sore spot she had given him from a "gentle" water whip. He had shown her some earth bending, and they even had a tiny spar. Neither of them won, so they had taken off their shoes to put their feet into the cold water. Now they were telling each other jokes and doing other silly things.
Katara was having such a great time, she forgot about her boy worries and just enjoyed being around Talon. She didn't even notice when Talon had taken her hand and was massaging it gently. She didn't notice when she was eventually leaning against him, and they were sitting in a comfortable silence.
"I'm having a great day with you, Katara," Talon said.
"I had a good day, too. Ever since I met you, I have been feeling so much like my old self." Talon looked down into her eyes, leaning…leaning. Next thing she knew, she was trapped in an extraordinary kiss. She knew it was wrong, but it felt so right. She deepened the kiss further and let his tongue slide in. Katara forgot her surroundings, until…
"I guess this is déjà vu all over again." She looked up to see a hurt- no, heartbroken- Aang behind her. It was plain to know that he had seen them kissing.
"Except it's on a larger scale." He ran back into the forest. Katara got up and ran after him, leaving Talon to process everything that just happened.
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Tears were stinging his eyes; braches were whacking him across the face, and he was getting cuts all along his small body, but he kept running. I knew it! I knew that something was there! Why didn't I listen to myself? He kept running until he collapsed against a tree trunk. He squeezed his eyes and his mouth shut, not wanting to let the sobs escape him. He heard footsteps coming towards him, and he had a pretty good idea who it was.
"Aang!" Katara exclaimed, finding him. Oh God, what did I do? She looked at a dirty, inconsolable, and aching Aang.
"Leave me alone," he whimpered.
"Aang I'm sorry."
Aang looked up at her angrily. "You told me that you would never hurt me." She cast her eyes down and took a step towards him, crying inside when he took several steps back.
"You said that there was nothing going on. You said that Talon didn't mean anything. You said-
"Stop! I know I said a lot of things, but Aang, please hear me out. I wasn't thinking straight. I didn't know what I wanted or how I was feeling." She tried to explain things to Aang, but he wasn't having it.
"Well, you can think things over without me," he said, walking away. Katara's heart rate sped up, not believing what she was being told. She stopped Aang and turned him around to face her.
"What do you mean, Aang?" she asked. He yanked his arm away from her.
"What I'm saying is that I tried so hard to make you comfortable. I tried so hard to help you heal. You repay me by kissing Talon. I understand that he was helping you, too, but what I saw was too much. I'm sorry Katara, but it's over."
He ran away and Katara fell to the ground, sobbing. She couldn't believe that he had broken up with her.
And it's my entire fault.
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Aang was nearby, having an emotional break-down. He couldn't believe that Katara was making-out with Talon. He couldn't believe that she had lied to him about their relationship. The least she could have done was being honest. So there sat two brokenhearted teens, crying over what they had lost that is most precious to them: the other.
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Wow. That's all I have to say. That was such a hard chapter to write, because of the fact that this story is a Kataang, and I don't think anybody has read a Kataang that has gone down that path. But just so you know, there are two more chapters to go, and I am currently making up the basic plan of the sequel. Review please; I really want to know what you think.