His feet pounded on the gravel below him as he ran. He ran as fast as he could, his heart pounding in his chest. Aang was late,
he knew very well Katara would be upset with him. But he had a reason to be late, he gone to get her something he knew would
make up for his tardyness. 'Oh man! She's gonna kill me!' He thought as he thundered down the walk-way to the Avatar Kyoshi
shrine. When he reached the golden statue of Kyoshi, he froze dead. He saw Katara, talking and laughing with Haru. She had
a very livly look about her. Her eyes glowed with happiness, she seemed more cheerful then when she was with him.
At the sight of her with a man that was not himself, Aang grew sad. Sad that it was not him making her laugh. Making her feel
alive. Aang reached into the pocked of his robes and pulled out an object wrapped in silk. He slowly unwrapped the packedge.
Inside the giant mound of silk was the most exsquiset set of hair combs that he had ever seen. They where carved from a piece of
Ivory in which the Statue of Monk Gyatso was made from. Inside the delicate carvings where intricate drawings of Air and Water
symbols, and her name in the language of the Air Nomads.
His grasp on the combs tightened at the thought of possibly losing her to that man. He wrapped the combs back up, gently placing them to his heart. 'I love her so much... I though she felt the same...' He thought as he ran from behind the giant statue and over to where Katara and Haru where sitting. Katara gave a surpized look to Aang, who was standing right above her, his shadow cast down on both of them. He looked at Katara, pain flashed in his eyes. Before she could even utter a word, Aang dropped the parcel into her lap, opened his glider, and flew off into oblivion.
Katara picked up the silk-wrapped object, fidled with the knot at the top, and when the cloth fell around her hands, she gasped. What she held was the most elegant set of combs she had ever seen. "Wow! These are so pretty!" She said as she picked them up to get a better look. Haru sat, stunned to silence as she placed the combs into her bun. When Katara finally go the jist that something was wrong, she looked to him. "What's wrong? Are they to good for me?" She asked in a wicked tone.
"Um... Katara? Do you know what those combs mean?" He asked as he went to take them from her hair. "What!" She asked, getting annoyed with the Earth Bender. "They are a symbol of engagment. And when you put them in your hair, you accepted." He said, point blank. "I thought you where kidding at first when you said you where his bethrothed, but I guess I was wrong." All Katara did was sit, a look of total surprize on her face.
"Haru..." Katara said, in a low vocie. "What is it?" He asked as he bent forward and placed a hand on her cheek. "Go home." She said as she got up, and walked back to the inn.
x o x o x
Katara knew where Aang would be hiding. A place he loved more than any thing, Mikado Beach. It was so remincient of his homeland; with it's never ending mountain ranges, surrounding the ocean. She knew he would be there, drowning his sorrows with meditation and air bending drills. The beach was a mile from the Inn; when she got to her room, she changed from her formal kimono to her light blue cotton Yutaka and simple woven hemp sandles. She tore the combs out of her hair, set them gently on her dressing table; pulled out her bun. Her long brown hair streamed around her face. She whisked it into a messy bun, and set the combs back into place.
She was ready and out the door within four minutes time. She ran down the long straigt-away path that led to Mikado. Taking in short
breaths as she went. When she reached the beach, she had been right. Aang sat on the sand, his back to her. His clothes had been shed,
all except for his pants. Katara was shocked when she saw him. Eyes closed, breathing steady, Arrow syblows glowing. He looked
out of place, as if he was channeling the spirit world.
Katara slowly walked up to him, taking one step at a time. She was not sure if he was just meditating, or channeling Roku. But one thing was for sure, she never knew how muscular he was until she saw him without his bright orange tunic on. When she reached him, she placed a small hand on his right shoulder. When the skin of her palm met the his, Aang instantly came out of his trance. His body shook as his spirit came back to his body. "Who's there!" He demanded as she lifted himself to his feet using his air bending.
When he turned his body around, he saw Katara, looked stunned. Her eyes wide, tears at the corners, ready to fall. Then he realized she had never witness him contact the spirit realm, or even Roku for that fact. "Katara!" He said as he ran to her, and took her form into his arms. "I'm sorry!" She said as tears fell from her eyes and onto his shoulder. When he felt the moisture on his shoulder, he tore himself away from her, holding her at arm's length. "Why where you with Haru?" He asked in a worried whisper. Katara took a deep breath and whipped away her tears with her palm. "I was waiting for you, and when you didn't show up, Haru and I started talking. Catching up on lost time. Nothing more than old friends re-united. We are nothing more than old friends. Just friends." She said as she backed away from him.
"Just friends?" Aang asked as he took a step toward her. "Just friends, remebering the nostalgic times of the past." She said as she too took a step forward. "That's such a relief..." Aang said as he took her into a hug. "I thought you where in love with him... The way you where with him, you never act like that around me... And it makes me sad, that I can't see that girl inside you, and he can..." Aang said quietly into her ear. "I wish I could see you like that, just happy to see me..." He said as his hold on her tightened. Katara's heart almost broke at his words. 'He thinks I don't love him... And that I'm never happy to see him...' She looked up at him, took hold of his head, and placed a kiss upon his lips. "Don't ever say those things again. Ever. I love you, Aang. And nothing will ever change that." She said as she took his hand and placed it over her heart.
"Do you feel how fast my heart is beating? I never get this exicited when I'm around Haru. Only when I'm around you. My heart beats because it knows the fact that you have feelings for me." Aang was so taken aback by her words that he took her even closer to him. She was just tall enough to reach his chin, and then he noticed it. The combs that he had given her where in her hair. His heart swelled with happiness that she hap accepted him. But then a pang of guilt over took him. 'Does she know what she is getting herself into?" He asked himself. "I see that you like the combs I gave you." He said as he brushed a stray hair from her face. "Yes! They are so pretty! I love them!" She said as she hugged him tight. "...thank you..." She sighed as she rested her head on his chest. "Do you know what they represent?" He asked as he pulled her just far away from him so he could see her face.
"Yes. They stand for the Air Nomad courtship rites." She said, all knowingly. "How did you know that!" Aang asked, totaly suprise on his face.
"Haru said something about having studied the Air Nomad culture. He also told me what they mean." She said as she placed a kiss on his
cheek. "...and I accept!" Katara shouted to the heavens. "You do!" Aang was so over taken with joy that he whisked her up from the ground
and ran into the ocean with her. "AHH! What are you doing!" Katara giggled as she fell into the warm water. "It's the first part of courtship,
drop the girl of your dreams into the ocean!" He said as he laughed wildly, splashing her with water.
x o x o x
...To Be Continued