You guys surprised me with your reaction to their break-up. I thought you guys would be all 'I hate you! I'm never reading this story again!' But you weren't, and I was kind of scared by that. Anyways, in this chapter, Talon is out of the picture, there won't be very much interaction between Katara and Aang, but a GIANT secret is revealed when Samaria returns. And to make matters worse, her secret messes up their relationship even more. So with that said, sit back, relax, and enjoy! Oh, and if you wanted to know what Talon looked like, well, use your imagination. Katara never falls for an ugly dude, you know.
I don't own Avatar: TLA
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"YOU WHAT?" Sokka yelled. He and Aang were in their hotel room, and Aang had just told Sokka the whole story. They were packing their bags because he didn't want to spend another second on this stupid island.
"I broke up with her," Aang groaned, falling onto his bed. "She cheated on me again and I didn't know what else to do." He glanced up at Sokka, who's mouth was about to touch the floor.
"But Aang, I always thought that you two would be together always. Why did you dump her?" he whined. Aang looked up at his friend. Why can't he just get over the fact that we're not together anymore? Besides, it has only been three hours.
"Sokka," Aang started, with a slight annoyance in his voice. "I broke up with her because she cheated on me and lied to me. I couldn't take it anymore. So I dumped her," he repeated for the twelfth time that evening. Sokka sat down on a chair, pouting.
"Why do you look so upset? If anything, I should be the one with my lip poked out," Aang said. But for some reason I feel kind of free. True, he was angry, and true, he was miserable, but he also felt like a burden has been lifted off of his shoulders.
"Is this how a dumper is supposed to feel?" he asked himself.
"Like what?" Sokka asked.
"Angry, sad, and free all at once?"
"I don't know," Sokka answered truthfully.
"What do you mean, 'I don't know'?" Aang sat up, pressing Sokka on for a reply.
"I mean that I have no clue on how a dumper is supposed to feel. I never was one."
Aang forgot his problem for a moment to laugh at Sokka. "You mean that you were always the one getting dumped?"
Sokka glared at him. "A 'dumpee' is the correct term. And I never got dumped. I had to leave Suki and Yue had to turn into the moon," Sokka explained, telling Aang about the situations behind both of his girlfriends. (A/N: But was Suki ever a real girlfriend? Someone tell me.) Aang nodded, even though he was still laughing. They continued packing up. Once again Aang returned to his gloomy, burden-free mood.
"I'm going to go talk to my sister," Sokka said, leaving the room. Aang finished his packing and lied down. Whether he felt free or not, he was still hurt, and couldn't keep a few tears from falling.
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Katara quickly dried her eyes as her brother walked in. He sat down on her bed across from her and asked her one simple question: "Why did you do it?" This brought a fresh, new round of tears. Sokka handed her a handkerchief and waited until she calmed down.
"Why did you do it?" he asked again. Katara shrugged. She didn't really have an answer to that. Or at least one that won't sound stupid when I say it.
"Tell me," he ordered.
She sighed, knowing that he wouldn't let her off the hook. "Talon was so nice and sweet," she started.
"So was Aang," Sokka protested. He hated to treat his sister like this, but this was the second time she has hurt Aang seriously.
Katara nodded at his statement. He's right. "I know, but there was something I liked about Talon, something I didn't see in Aang."
"The lure of a new person?" Sokka asked sarcastically, but also in a serious tone. She looked away, feeling ashamed. Now that I'm actually thinking about the whole thing, I feel ridiculous.
"Katara," Sokka said, taking his sister's hand. "It's fine to hang out with other guys as friends. But you can't just go around kissing them just because they do something nice." Katara looked up into her brother's eyes, nodding to let him know that she understood. The two pulled into a hug.
"Thank you," she said. He got up and walked to the door, growling. Talon must be here. Her guess was correct. He was asking her brother if he could talk to her. Sokka gave him a warning glare but let him in anyway. He left the two to some privacy, but not before casting Katara a 'you better not do anything' look. Talon started first after the door was closed.
"I'm sorry for what happened between you and Aang," he apologized. You don't sound to sorry to me, Katara thought, getting up and sitting on the other side of the room.
"I don't want to be bothered by you right now," she told him. He got up to get closer to her.
"I'm sorry that you got caught, but we have so much chemistry. Can't you just sneak behind his back so we can be together?"
Katara's eyes widened. His nerve! The audacity! She had to hold herself back from slapping him. He was big, and although he had shown himself to be trustworthy and respectful, she was in no way going to try to get in a fight with him.
"We broke up," she informed. He automatically turned soft and hugged her.
"I'm sorry to hear that, but look on the bright side. Now we can just be together guilt-free!" She shoved him away from her, and kept pushing him until he was out the door.
"Get out! Don't come near me!" she yelled. Her actions resulted in a few stares from people lingering in the hotel hallway. She slammed the door in his face, leaning on the door on the other side.
"It's not my fault!" he argued. She angrily opened the door to see a smirking Talon. "Katara, lighten up. It's not my fault that you got caught. Forget about the whole situation and come to me." Katara slapped him.
"Look! Never show up again in my life! Leave me the hell alone! You're right, it is my fault, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to forget all about it for you! No, I'm going to get Aang back, and you can't stop me! Now LEAVE!" She slammed the door once again in the face of Talon, who was wearing a dumbfounded expression on his face. She ran over to the window and opened it, taking in gulps of air. She let her cries disappear into the night. Sighing, she got up and washed herself and her clothes, then packed up her bags. After a few moments, she slid into bed, falling into a restless slumber.
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Aang woke up early the next day. He had heard the whole argument between Talon and Katara the night before, and it had left him wondering. She said that she was going to get me back. That is all he had been thinking about. In a way, I'm happy that she cares so much, and one part of me is dying to get her back, but what if I don't want to be back together? What if I want to be on my own for a while? He sat up, knowing it wouldn't do any good to wonder. He walked into the bathroom and washed him and his clothes. After water bending him and his outfit dry, he got dressed and walked out.
"Took you long enough," Sokka grumbled.
"If you want to be with a funky boy for the next few days, then you can keep on complaining," Aang snapped. Sokka walked into the bathroom and shut the door, mumbling junk. Aang walked over to the window, breathing in the fresh air. He looked at the children playing, at the wives doing their morning chores, and the men heading to the market. He sighed, knowing that there weren't any benefits from moping, but he continued to stand there, taking in the morning. He looked over to the left and saw that Katara was doing the same thing as he was. Before she got the chance to notice him, he ducked back into the room. I can't keep running away from her. But this time, he wasn't going to get involved with some psycho-chick again, either. That is what got us into all of this mess anyway. He sat down on a nearby chair and buried his face in his hands.
"I've got to get a grip on myself," he muttered.
"You sure do. Both of you. I swear, between the two of you, I don't know which one is worse with all the crying and the moping," Sokka complained.
Aang looked up and frowned. "Shut up," was his only reply. Then he asked, "Are we ready?", trying to change the subject.
Sokka nodded. "Yeah, we just need to stop at the market before we go."
Aang groaned. "I'm never going back there," he stated. But Sokka shook his head.
"Yes you are. I know for a fact that Katara won't go, for the obvious reason," he watched as Aang winced at the memories. "So that leaves you, because I am not going by myself."
He scanned Aang. "Besides, you need to learn how to face the problem head-on, instead of dealing with it later. You need to practice that, anyway."
Aang sighed, knowing that Sokka was right. "Fine." He got up and followed him out the room.
They walked through the stalls, buying food and supplies and looking at the items the market sold. One stall caught Aang's eye. Or rather, one item caught his eye. It was an exact replica of his air bender outfit. He walked up to it, touching the silk fabric. How in the world is this here? He traced his fingers along the seams.
"It's gorgeous, isn't it?" a familiar voice said. Aang looked up into the face of Kristof, Talon's grandfather. He also noticed that Talon was there, hanging a few items up on racks.
"It is," he whispered, still entranced by the outfit. "How did you get this?" he asked. Kristof chuckled.
"My wife specializes in antique clothes," he answered. Aang took this moment to take a look at the other things hung up around the stall. Sure enough, other versions of his clothes were present, along with old suits of armor, dresses, and even jewelry. He gazed down at his own attire, which was torn and worn from too much use.
"How much?" he asked. Kristof glanced over Aang quickly, as if he just noticed his garments.
"For you, only ten silver pieces." Aang sucked in his breath, even though he knew that the price was a cheap one. He dug into his pouch, taking out ten of the last eleven silver pieces. Handing the change over to Kristof, he excitedly took the outfit off the rack.
"Want me to wrap it up for you?" Kristof offered. Aang nodded and waited patiently as it was wrapped. After it was given back to him, he went off to search for Sokka. Talon followed him, making sure that he went unnoticed by Aang.
"What's that?" Sokka asked when Aang finally found him.
"You'll see. I don't want to unwrap it," Aang told him. Sokka shrugged and the two walked back to the hotel, their arms full of their purchases. Talon continued to tag along. The two boys found Katara outside, bending over a wash bin. She was washing their sleeping bags. She and Aang made eye contact, but neither did anything else to acknowledge the other. She brushed a wisp of hair away from her face and continued on washing.
She's so pretty, Aang thought. He couldn't help but still notice how gorgeous she was. Her tan skin practically glowed in the sun, her wavy hair was pulled into a loose ponytail with a few tendrils framing her face, and her pretty blue eyes were focused on the task before her. He came down to earth when Sokka gave him a quick jab in his side. Ignoring the pain, he realized that Katara had asked him a question.
"What's in the package?" she repeated. Aang unwrapped the package and he held up the outfit.
"How did you manage to get that?" she asked. He shrugged.
"I was just walking through the market and it was just hanging there," he said. He folded the outfit back into the paper. Katara turned back to the sleeping bags and started to water bend them dry. Sokka threw Aang a look that said, "Now that wasn't so bad, not was it?" Aang rolled his eyes in reply.
"I'm just going to start bringing our stuff outside," Sokka announced, nearly running into the hotel. Aang would've run too if Katara wasn't looking at him.
"I'm sorry," she apologized.
"Do you need some help with that?" he asked, ignoring her statement. He pretended that he didn't see the hurt look on her face. She nodded and handed him his sleeping bag. He focused on his task for a few more moments before Katara repeated herself.
"I'm sorry," she said more firmly. She went so far as to look him in the eyes. Aang had to force himself to look back at her. He had to admit to himself, she does look genuine about her apology.
"Thanks," he replied. Katara stopped what she was doing, startling Aang.
"If you want to act like nothing's happened, then you can. But I'm not going to act like we are just friends, when we are so much more," she said. Aang could tell that she was tearing up, even though he was facing the other way.
Please don't cry, he wordlessly said. Then I won't be able to think straight. She didn't stop, though.
"And I just want you to know that I really regret what I did, not only because it was wrong, but because it hurt you." She gazed at his still figure.
"Okay," he replied.
"Aang, please. Can we work things out?" she asked.
Aang shook his head. "I'm sorry, Katara, but you can't just break my heart and then ask to work things out. It doesn't work that way. I need some time to think things over." Katara finally let her tears fall. Turning back to her work, she quickly finished the drying and ran inside the hotel. Aang sighed and sat down on the ground.
That went well, he thought sarcastically. He didn't want to hurt Katara, but I need to straighten out my thoughts. He finally saw Talon, who was standing nearby.
"What do you want?" he asked bitterly, trying to pay no attention to him. Talon sat down beside him.
"You should forgive her," Talon said. Aang could've sworn that he saw a smirk appear on Talon's face.
"Why should I?" Aang answered. Talon grinned.
"So that it will be easier for you when she's mine."
"Get away from me," Aang whispered.
"No," was Talon's simple reply. Aang had to resist the urge to beat Talon to a bloody pulp. I won't stoop down to that level.
"Get away from me," he said more firmly this time. To emphasize his demand, he gave Talon a fierce look. Talon stared back at him defiantly before giving up. Aang let out a sigh of relief when he was out of sight. Bastard, Aang thought, silently insulting him.
He sat there for about a half hour before Sokka came to tell him that they were ready to leave. Aang rolled up his sleeping bag and walked over to Appa. Climbing onto his head and making sure that they were ready, he told Appa, "yip-yip!" and left the island behind.
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Katara yawned and stretched out. She had been on Appa for six hours and it would be another ten minutes before they landed near the gates of Omashu. I can't wait, she thought, glancing to look at her two companions. Things have been too tense for me to handle. The last time she had talked to Aang was when they were back on that stupid island.
I should have left things alone. She began to think about their conversation for what seemed like the hundredth time. Shaking her head, she leaned over the side and bended some water to take her mind off of things. She thought about the good times she and Aang had been through.
"What's going on?" she heard her brother ask. They landed and hopped off of the bison, taking their bags with them. The trio walked towards the city. From the sky,they could see that there was some commotion going on in the city. The guards let them in and the three were escorted to the palace.
"What's going on?" Aang asked Bumi. He shushed them and led them to a private room, where Samaria, another lady, a man, and some Fire Nation people were all in handcuffs and were surrounded by heavy security. The three sat on a small bench. Katara saw Samaria roll her eyes at her, but Katara couldn't help but smirk. I'm not the one who is arrested.
"Do you recognize any of these people?" an Earth Kingdom officer asked. All three nodded.
"Do you have any information about any one of them?" he asked again. Not really. Just that the girl on the end basically trashed my relationship, she thought bitterly. Katara spoke up first.
"The girl on the end is named Samaria," she told him. Someone else in the room wrote down the things she said. Aang spoke next.
"She sold us to the Fire Nation," he said. Katara admired Aang for what he just did. It was a bold move to sell someone out, especially one who has dealt with authority. The officer nodded and the man scribbled more things down. We must be witnesses, she realized when the man turned to Samaria.
"So now I am going to try to piece together all of the information that I have gathered." He dodged a kick, a rock, and blasts of fire all at once. Katara's eyes widened at the violence from the arrested, but especially at the story behind Samaria.
"So your mother is a Fire Nation spy," he said, dodging another blast. "And a fire bender," he said, wiping off the ashes from his clothes.
"Twenty years ago she was sent on a mission to figure out the Earth Kingdom's missions. She then sneaked intothis city of Omashusomehow and started her mission. Then she married an earth bender and had you. You grew up to be a spy alongside your mom, and also discovered your earth bending abilities." He looked around the room before continuing. "Meanwhile, you have been communicating with the royal family of the Fine Nation for some time, and you were assigned recently the job of luring the Avatar to the Fire Nation anyway that you were able to. You were supposed to, uh, mess with his head." The officer said it in an unsure way, as if trying to understand her lingo. A scowl from Samaria and the other lady- must be her mom- confirmed his beliefs. "So to lure the Avatar to the Fire Nation, you decided to break him away from his girlfriend by making him 'cheat on her'." By now, Katara was on the edge of the seat.
That bitch! She thought, thinking of no worse word to call her. I can't believe her! All of her schemes were a way to get Aang captured! She caught everybody's attention by letting out a long scream. Aang and Sokka had to hold her down to keep her from hurting somebody. After finally calming down, the military officer continued.
"After a series of events, which you make a point out of not mentioning, you paid Zuko fifty gold pieces to take the girlfriend away. During all of this time, your father had absolutely no idea that this was going on." He paused for a moment. "We will have to prove him innocent, but he may be set free." The military man motioned for them to unlock the handcuffs from Samaria's father's handcuffs, and they watched as he left the room surrounded by guards. Before the military officer could say anything more, Katara was standing dangerously close to Samaria and her mother.
"You," she said, her voice dripping with venom. She pointed an accusing finger towards Samaria. "You wrecked my relationship, and for the FIRE NATION!" Samaria grinned. "You destroyed me! You destroyed me and Aang! You," she stopped for a moment to take in some air. Samaria had the decency to look scared. "You will pay!" She unscrewed the top from her canteen and prepared a miniature water whip, but she was stopped before she had a chance to give Samaria revenge.
Katara, Sokka, and Aang were led from the room. They headed to their bedrooms. Katara sat on her bed and cried. "Why did all of this have to happen? Why did she have to cause all of this mess for us?" she said through her sobs. If it wasn't for her, we might not have been in this chaos. She buried her head into her pillows, crying harder. But more importantly, "Why did I let this happen to me?"
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Aang sat up in his bed. Ever since he had heard about Samaria's past, he couldn't eat, sleep, or talk. He could barely think. And when he did think, it was about his relationship. She ruined it all. My whole friendship with Katara is ruined because of her. Why did I have to overreact and meet her? Why didn't I go and work things out with Katara? Why was I so quick? Maybe if I hadn't gotten involved with that whore we wouldn't be in this crap! He got out of his funk for a moment to laugh at the memory of Katara about to fight Samaria an hour ago.
"You okay?" Sokka asked. Aang was about to say no, but was interrupted when a few knocks were heard on the door. Sokka got up to open it.
Aang joined Sokka at the door when they saw who it was. "Is something wrong?" Aang asked him, noticing that it was the military officer from before.
"The king fears for your safety, and Fire Nation ships have been spotted near the coastline. He wanted to give you this note." The officer handed them the letter and disappeared around the corner. "What does the note say?" Sokka asked.
"It says that since there are too many Fire Nation ships around, and with the drama Samaria and her family caused, we should go to the nearby city of Kailur. He says that they are one of the only cities left that has been untouched by the war, and that there are many earth bending masters there so that I can finish my training."
"So what, are we just supposed to pack up and leave?" Sokka says. "We just got here two hours ago!"
"Is everything alright in here?" The two saw that Katara had come into their room while Sokka was yelling. Aang looked away and Sokka nodded.
"It's not a big deal. We have to leave by tomorrow," he said, reading some more of the letter.
"Why?"
"Safety reasons." They stood there in silence. Sokka noticed that Katara and Aang were avoiding each other's gazes.
"I'm going to leave you two alone." Before either one of them could protest, Sokka fled. Not again, they silently groaned. Katara gathered her courage and spoke.
"Aang, Samaria was wrong. Most of our problems were somehow caused by her. Can we just make up and start over?" However, Aang was rethinking a little bit, mostly about how Samaria had sold them out, how she had kissed Talon, and what the connection was between the two events.
"I know that she played a big part in the, um, destruction of our friendship, but it still doesn't matter much. You kissed him on your own, without anyone else's advising. Don't get me wrong, I am just as angry with Samaria as you are, but I still need time." Aang finished his little speech, while Katara looked at him with anger and hurt.
"All I want is to work things out. All I want is to at least get our friendship back, but you keep on pushing me away. You keep telling me that you need to think. I am going to give you your time, because it might help us, but don't think for too long, because then I may be gone." She turned on her heel, no doubt heading for her room to gather her bags. Aang sat down on his bead and buried his head into his hands.
Why did I have to be like that? Why couldn't I just accept her again? He got his answer in a familiar voice.
Because you're not ready. When the time comes, though, you will be. Aang knew that voice; it was Avatar Roku's.
What does he want from me? And what does he mean by, 'when the time comes, you will be'?
"Something going to happen," he said.
"What is?" Sokka asked. He went around the room, picking up their bags, which, thankfully, haven't been unpacked.
"Nothing," Aang answered. Sokka shrugged.
"Okay, then." He motioned for Aang to come help him.
"We have to go now. The guards are here to escort us to Appa." Aang nodded and took two of the bags from him, then followed him out into the hallway. After one last good-bye and a thank-you to King Bumi, the three were taken to Appa. They loaded their things and climbed onto him. Sokka took the reigns first.
"Yip-yip!" Sokka cried. The bison took off into the air, leaving Omashu behind. The three got comfortable on his back, or in Sokka's case, his head.
"Where's Kailur?" Sokka asked. Aang checked the letter, which said that Kailur was fifty miles southeast. Sokka steered Appa in that direction while Aang and Katara crawled into their sleeping bags.
"Good night," she whispered. Aang soon heard her even breathing, and knew that she was asleep. He turned in his sleeping bag to face her, twirling a piece of her hair around her fingers.
"You still like her, don't you?" Sokka asked. Aang nodded.
"Then tell her," he advised. That was the last thing he heard before he fell asleep.
But I'm not ready yet.
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There is so much emotion. Talon thinks the world revolves around him, Samaria is arrested, and Aang is being stubborn. Sokka is being a big brother and Katara is begging for forgiveness. Review please!
Anyways, I know that is a little short, but I want to save all the good stuff for the (take a deep breath) FINALE! Yes, you heard me right. Chapter 16 will be the last chapter, and trust me, I have a great ending plot for you guys. But don't cry just yet, because there is going to be a sequel (check out my profile for a brief summary).