Ch1: My Angel
It was a starry night of full moon. Team Avatar and Earth King Kuei were running away in Appa from Ba Sing Se. Sokka was trying his best to guide Appa while Toph was crying softly on his shoulder. Kuei was stuck with Bosco watching his city being taken by the claws of the Fire Nation. Now Katara was with the lifeless body of Aang. Tears runned down from her sapphire blue eyes and her chocolate brown hair fluttered in the wind while she was trying to heal Aang with waterbending "Aang ... Aang " she was calling "please wake up ... don't go. The world still needs you. I still need you. Please don't go." seeing that the body of hers best friend had no reaction, she takes her hand to her chest where she had a little beautiful vial attached by a string around her neck. "Water from the spiritual lake in the North Pole" her eyes opened wide with realisation "Has special healing properties ... maybe if I ... " she opens the vial and bends the water in to her hand, forming a small ball of water. Soon the ball started to spin and glow, she was astonished by the waters behavior, it never happened before in her hands, but the body near to her was the first pryority. The next step was to put the spinning water in the big wound caused by the Azula's lightning, which absorbed all the water in her hand. After that, she rested his head on Appa's fur and looked at Aang's eyes, waiting for them to open so that she could see his silver eyes again. "Please ... Wake up " she whispered. After some moments her prayers were answered when his tattoos glowed for a second followed by a gasp for air.
The eyes slowly opened. And the first thing he could see was an angel smiling at him with tears falling through the cheeks, the same angel that saved him from the iceberg a few months ago ... his angel "Ka ... Katara." he managed to say painfully " I need ... to tell ... something ... to you"
"Shhhhh ... You tell me later. " She answered, whispering, what made him weakly shake his head.
"No ... " every word to him costed a lot of energy "I need ... to tell you ... now " she sighed in defeat noticing that she couldn't do nothing against him "Come closer" She did what his friend told her " Please ... closer"
Her smile opened a little bit more remembering the time she first saw him, but still, did what was asked " Aang this is not ... "
She interrupted by his lips on hers ... he had kissed her pulling himself up. Then, 5 seconds after, with all his strength he departed from her and laid down sighing before entering in a slumber of coma" I ... love you"
Katara was never this confused in her life, but at the same time a bomb of realization exploded in her mind. She never thought that Aang felt something more than friendship about her. But now all made sense: The weird reaction to the necklace he made her, The Cave of Two Lovers, the weird behavior in the village of aunt Wu's. He was in love with her all this time ... that is the answer to all those times. ' How could I have been so blind? ' She asked herself in her mind over and over.
...
One month had passed and Aang was awakened by a very familiar sigh and some steps that went the opposite way to him, a grunt of pain was heard coming from his mouth. The steps stopped and he could sense a gaze watching him, then he opened his eyes to hear a gasp and to see an angel ... his angel "Ka ... Katara'' he asked weakly " Is ... is that you ?"
The girl started to smile furiously, she felt so happy in this moment. Finally after a long month, she finally listened to that voice that she missed so much. She started to run to Aang's bed and, forgetting his atual state, she hugged him with all her strength while a tear of pure happiness started to form" Aang you're finally awake. This ... this is like a dream." she then moved away a little to look at his eyes, never dropping her arms around his neck " I love you too" she said before kissing him. Aang was very confused. The girl of his dreams just confessed to him? This was like a dream to him ... a very ... very real dream. He kissed her back and stayed like that for a few seconds until another grunt of pain came out of his mouth, his body was still weak and hurted to take her weight "Sorry ... Sorry " she apologized, taking a step away. " I was driven away."
(K.A " Just to clarify one thing. When Aang told me that he was in love with me I didn't feel the same, in reality, I just started to feel things more than friendship for him after a few weeks after his death. I think the saying " You only miss something when you lose it" it's true")
Aang gives a small laugh " Don't worry ... it was worthy" their cheeks started to blush a little when his eyes met hers, they stayed like that for a few moments, but the tranze was broken when Aang asked " So ... are we ... you know ... together? " Aang already kissed her and heard her confection, but still he was too nervous to ask such a thing.
Katara gave a small laugh and answered " Yes ... we are together." and kissed him again on the lips. After a few seconds of kissing they departed away, and it was only there when he saw the room where it was. It was a very plain room made of metal, it had nothing special, it had a bedroll near his bed, two pots with water inside, his bed and on the other side of the room it had a desk. Then he felt something rather strange, he could feel the room move slowly ... They were in a ship.
"So ... we are on a ship?"
Katara's eyes opened wide with worry, she knew that she had to tell him sometime, but she did not wanted to tell him this soon. In the end she told him the truth " Well ... please don't be afraid but ..." she took a second to take a deep breath " We are in a Fire Nation ship" She was rather surprised by his answer 'Okay' it was. " Are you not mad or afraid or even surprised?"
"Oh, but I am surprised. But I know that we were not captured by the Fire Nation " she looked at him with a 'How?' look and he chucke " You are here with me, if we were Fire Nation prisoners, you were certainly not allowed to be here"
She then thinks a little bit and smiles "Yeah, makes sense. Probably you're right ."
"But I bet that you are not here by yourself, where are the others"
"They are all in the deck, do you want me to call them ?"
He shook his head " No, I want to go there."
"What? No, you are still too weak to walk." she then gets up " Wait here" but was interrupted by Aang's hand on her arm who grabbed her.
"Come on Katara I'm not a baby nor an elder, I want to go. Besides, you are with me if I need help" He then does the lost puppy face "Pwetty pwease?"
Katara just laughs "I'm starting to hate that face." She gives him another look " Fine " she sighed " Lets go"
"Thanks" he said with a childish smile. It was a little difficult but after a few minutes Aang was in the deck,grabbed at Katara with one arm and the other hand taking the closed glider as if it was a walking stick. The first who greeted him in the deck was Momo who flew to his face, hugging it and licking it. What caused a laugh from the boy, but the fun ended when Katara taked Momo off his face.
The second one was Toph who felt him through the metal and shouted "Hey everyone, Twinkle Toes is awaken" and runned to him giving him a punch in the arm and pointed to him shouting "You never ... NEVER do that to us again, or I'll eat you alive!"
Aang started to rub his arm and with a painful smile " It's good to see you too Toph."
Now every one was around Aang welcoming him, and a masked soldier geted out of the crowd in direction to Aang " Aang!" He had a very familiar voice " It's so good to see you up and walking" and hugged him with all his strength lifting him a little.
"Sokka stop trying to kill Aang with that hug." Katara ordered
"Sokka?" Aang was breathing heavily, and Sokka put him back on the floor. After a few seconds trying to compose himself he couldn't take it and faded away.
Katara could catch her boyfriend's body before he could hit the cold ground, she looked to her friends and exploded with rage "What is wrong with you ?!" she shouted "It was really necessary?! I mean, you punched him Toph!" Toph never showed remorse. " And you ..." she pointed to Sokka who has no helmet now "Did you really had to give him such a hug ? I mean, he is still weak even if he's awake and walking."
"As if you didn't do the same " Sokka crossed his arms.
"That is ..." she blushed a little " different."
"And why is that ?"
"BECAUSE I DIDN'T PUT HIM ASLEEP AGAIN!" Some seconds of silence appeared, but Katara was worried about Aang. "Sokka, do something useful and help me with Aang. We need to put him back in his room."
...
It was the next night and Aang managed to convince Katara that he was strong enough to return to the deck. The two of them were alone in some makeshift chairs near to each other. " Katara, why are we on a Fire Nation ship?" he started asking "Why is everyone dressed like this? And more important, why am I the only one left aside?" He was too excited to Katara's liking, he was hitting the floor with his foot like crazy, And was sweating a bit.
Katara put a hand on his pacing leg calming him down a little bit "Aang, calm down. You were hurt pretty bad and are too weak. Calm yourself."He took a deep breath calming himself but everything got worse with her next comment. "You became pretty handsome with hair."
"I HAVE HAIR?!" he shouted, feeling his hair "How long was I out?"
"One month."
"Is everything Okay?" Hakoda came near to the kids a little worried. Katara annoyed looked at the opposite way "I just heard someone shout."
"We're fine, dad"
Hakoda looks at Aang, who was trying to calm himself a bit, and stretch his hand to him "My name is Hakoda, I'm Katara and Sokka's father."
Aang tried to shake Hakoda's hand, but was stopped by Katara who pushed his hand "He knows, I just called you dad, didn't I?"
"Yeah ... I guess you're right" he sadly put his hand down.
Aang was a little confused by Katara's behavior, but ignored for a moment, so he stretched his hand too the chief while taking Katara's hand out of the way. " It's an honor to finally meet you in person, Chief Hakoda."
Hakoda a little happier shake the kid's hand "The honor is mine"
"Great, you finally met each other. YUPI happiness." she looked at her father's face for the first time "Now, would you mind giving us some privacy."
He sighs sadly again and says while turning around to exit "Not at all." She watched him angrily while he's going away.
Aang, who is worried about her, asks " Are you mad at your father or something?"
She looked at him a little confused " What? No, not at all. Must be imagination."
"Yeah ... maybe." he then shakes his head to take out the thought for now " So, what ...?" he is interrupted by a sudden grunt of pain of his own.
"Come," she gets up and help him do the same "lets go to your room. Is time for another healing session."
Now in his room he was seated in his bed backing Katara who was bending the water of the pots near. "Aang, you tell me where it hurts more, Okay?"
"Hmhm." she put the water in his wound " Hmmm, a little higher please." She did what was commanded. When she did the boy had a flashback. He heard screams of battle and he saw himself in the avatar state. The flashback ended "Wow ... I ... I think it's there."
"Yeah ... there's a lot of twisted energy here, let me just ..." she took off the water from the wound and another flashback happened in the boy's mind. The same screams were heard, he looked to his left side and saw Katara surrounded by Dai Li agents. He then heard a thundering noise followed by a choking pain and then ... dark. The next thing he saw was the face of his angel smiling down at him with tears in hers eyes. After that, darkness ... pure darkness.
"I ... I died. I didn't just get hurt. I really died. And you brought me back." He said when he came back to the present.
"I just used the spirit water from North Pole to heal you. I don't know what I did."
He looked back to her "You saved him."
She then puts a hand on his face and kisses him "You need to rest." he nodded softly and went to lay down beneath his sheets.
"You know? This is rather unfair." He said with a weak smile. Her response was a confused look "You just give me more reasons to love you, while I can't do nothing".
She laughed a little and kissed him gently and said while going to the door " You don't need to give me more reasons to love you. Because I already do love you."
"I love you too." He closed his eyes " Goodnight Katara, sweet dreams."
"Goodnight Aang."
...
It was the next evening and Aang was very impatient it was today that his friends would tell him everything to him."After what happened at Ba Sing Se," Sokka started "we had to get you to safety. So we flew back to Chameleon Bay where we found my father and the other Water Tribe men. The Earth King decided he wanted to travel the world in disguise, so he set off alone. Well ... not completely alone, Bosco went with him. Man, he loves that bear-thing. Soon the bay was overrun by Fire Nation ships and we decided to ask politely one to ourselves. And the captain of this ship gave us this one alongside this armour. They were such gentlemen" Everyone laughed besides Aang who was very focused on the explanation.
"So what's our next step?"
"We've been working on a modified version of the invasion plan." Hakoda explained
"Sokka's invasion plan." Katara corrected
"Yes, Sokka's plan. We won't be able to mount a massive invasion without the Earth King's armies, but the solar eclipse will still leave the Fire Nation vulnerable." he continued.
"So we're planning a smaller invasion. Just a ragtag team of our friends and allies from around the Earth Kingdom. As you can see we already ran into Pipsqueak and The Duke." He then grabs Aang by the shoulders very excited before he could even look at the boys. "And the best part is, the eclipse isn't even our biggest advantage! We have a secret ... you!"
"Me?"
"Yeah, the whole world thinks you're dead! Isn't that GREAT?!
Aang was shocked by this new information "WHAT?!"
"I said that the ..."
"I KNOW WHAT YOU SAID. But how is that good news? That's horrible."
"No, it is good. It means that the Fire Nation won't be sending anyone to hunt us down anymore! And even better, they won't be expecting you on the Black Sun Day."
"No ,no ,no ,no ,no. You don't understand, This is so messed up."
At that moment a soldier got out of inside the ship to speak to Hakoda "The watchman saw another Fire Nation ship."
"Okay thanks," now to the rest of the people " everyone to your places ... we have guests"
"Leave this to me" Aang shouted " The Avatar has returned" and opened the glider with a grunt of pain.
Katara who saw everything grabbed him by the arm "No Aang, they think that we are one of them, besides you're too weak to fight."
He grunted with annoyance "Fine" he closed his glider and went with her to the inside of the ship.
...
After a calm moment of speaking to each other the captains of the two ships departed ways and Team Avatar's ship was docked at some village where they would buy supriments. Katara is healing Aang in his room when Sokka and Toph enter.
"Hey lovebirds!" Toph shouted, making Aang and Katara look at her with a confused and terrified look, how did she know?
Sokka entered the room after this call "Why did you call them that, they're nothing but friends." the couple became scared they knew that if Sokka would know he would kill Aang, or at the very least he would forbid them to be together.
Toph noticed the change of heartbeat of Katara and Aang, was a terror heartbeat. They clearly didn't want Sokka to know, at least for now. So she decided to cover with a quick excuse " Um ... What sound better Snozzles? Friendship-birds? Or Lovebirds?"
Sokka thought about that for a second. "You gotta point." The couple sighed "But do not call them that again."
"Deal" now she 'looks' at Aang and Katara "So we stopped in a town and we are going to dinner, do you want to go?"
Aang's belly growled "Well I think this is the answerer."
"Good, here," he stretched his arm and in his hand he had a red bandana "Tie that thing around your head. It will cover your arrow."
Aang's mood changes drastically "No!" he shouts "I'm not going if I can't wear my arrow proudly!"
"Come on Aang, be practical!
"You two go. We'll catch up to you." Katara gently advised and they nodded before exiting the room "I think I got it why being a secret bothers you so much. You don't want people to think that you failed."
A angry fake smile appeared in Aang's face while he got up and turned around to face his girlfriend "FINALLY! Good, yes, you finally got it Katara! But there is a problem." The smile got away "I ALREADY FAILED!"
"Aang, that is not true and you know it." she also got up.
"Oh isn't it? I was there, Katara. I was in Ba Sing Se. And I died. And now the Earth Kingdom has fallen for good.
"Not for good, we still have the invasion plan."
"I hate the invasion too, I don't want you or anyone else risking your lives because of MY mistakes!" He turned his back to her "I've always knew that I would have to face the Fire Lord. But now I know that I need to do it alone."
"Aang ..."
"Katara, please! Just go ... please. You need to eat. Go."
She takes a few time but starts to walk to the door "Do you need anything?"
"I need to redeem myself. I need to restore my honor back."
...
It has been one hour since the stop in the town. And Katara was going to Aang's room with a tray of food "Aang" she called with a singing tone " I brought you some food." she then notices that neither him nor his glider are in the room. "Oh, no" she muttered while the tray of food was falling to the floor and, with a tear in her eye, she ran to the deck.
...
Aang was doing his best to continue to fly to the Fire Nation. One phrase was said by him before he left, phrase that is echoing nonstop in his head like a psychological torture "Forgive-me Katara."
...
Katara runned as fast as she could to the deck, she didn't know why to choose him, she was still angry with him, but Hakoda was the best option for her. The chief was talking to his best friend, Bato, when she came. "I will leave you two alone," Bato said exiting.
The expression of a worried father appeared in Hakoda's face "What's wrong Katara?"
"He left."
"What?"
"Aang, he just took his glider and ran away. He ... he has this stupid notion that he have to save the world alone, that is his responsibility."
"Maybe this is his way to show that he is brave."
"But is not brave, is stupid and selfish! We could help him, and ... and I know that the world needs him, but can't he understand that we need him too? That I need him? How could he leave us behind?"
Hakoda was hitted by realisation "You're speaking about me, don't you?"
"How could you Dad?" she tries to clean her tears in vain. "I know that we had Gran-Gran and that she love us but we were so lost without you, and ..."
Hakoda hugs his daughter with all his force "I'm so sorry Katara"
She hugs him back and cries in his chest "I understand why you had to leave, I really do. So why do I still feel like this? Why am I still sad and angry and hurted?"
"Katara I love you and your brother more than anything in this world, you two ARE my world, the reason why I am still alive and breathing. I thought about you every day after my departure. Every night when I went to sleep I would stay awake, feeling the ache of your absence. Please ... forgive me "
"I ... I forgive"
Minutes had passed and they still were hugging. But Hakoda had to ask something that was bugging in his mind, so when Katara stopped crying, with a playful voice but still calm and low he asked "So ... when did you plan to tell your father that The Avatar was a possible candidate to be his son-in-law?"
Katara stepped away and, blushing a bit, as she asked "How did you find out ?"
He laughed a little with a warm smile in the face "Dear, if you wanted to hide your relationship, you did a terrible job." Katara smiles sheepishly and the cheeks become even more red "Your worry out of normal about him when he was unconscious, all the time you pass with him now and the "I need him" that you just said."
She started to scratch the back of her head "Yeah ... we ... confessed to each other when he woke up." she opened her eyes wide "Don't you dare to tell Sokka, he probably would kill Aang." Hakoda gives a laugh and Katara looks to the moon while a frown surged "I just hope that he didn't give up on us. Please Yue, bring him back."
...
While this talk was happening. Aang was struggling to continue to fly. After some minutes of flying he could see a blockade of Fire Nation ships. When he was near enough, he took a deep breath and closed his glider diving beneath the ships. Unfortunately he could not continue to fly so with a burning pain in his back he searched for something that could save his life. And as if it was a gift from the spirits themselves a tree bark slowly approached him. He eagerly accepts his gift, grabbing it to stay above the water. Then, out of nowhere, he had an idea, he climbed the tree bark and, with his trusty glider, he rode the tree bark as if it was a sailboard. Half an hour later, Aang could see land but also a storm that started to form. Every minute that passed it was more and more difficult for Aang to stay above the surface. What he feared had happened when a wave made him lose balance. He had lost everything in that moment, ... he lost the battle against the forces of nature, he lost his glider and the tree bark and soon enough he would lose his life. "It's the end" a tear started to form as well a wave that would end the job " Forgive me Katara" he said in his mind accepting his fate. But, to his surprise, the wave faded away as well the storm. The moon shined upon him and the same tree bark came to him like a dog-cat would come to his owner who just called it.
"It is not the end young Avatar" A familiar voice proclaimed
Aang knew this voice as Avatar Roku "It is not ?" he answered with a cold voice "Everyone thinks I'm dead again. They think I've abandoned them, and I'm losing the war. The hope died and I'm letting everyone down: Katara, My friends ... the whole world, I'm no good as the Avatar."
"That is not true, Aang. You are the best damn Avatar that walked in this world. It was given to you an impossible task, and still you're managing to do it. Besides, if there is anyone to blame about all this, then that would be me. I should have seen this war coming and prevented it. You inherited my mistakes and problems. But I believe ... I know that you are destined to redeem me and save the world."
"I ... I don't know"
"But I do know" said the sweeter and younger voice of Yue "Aang, you already saved the world once. And you'll save the world again, but you can't give up nor let the hope die"
Aang thought about how he just heard for a few seconds "You're right " he said while he was climbing again in the tree bark. " I won't give up. Not now, at least." He made a gesture with his hands but was interrupted by Yue's voice.
"Oh and Aang," The kid stopped and looked at his friend who was smiling and ascending back to the moon "I'm sure that Katara will forgive you."
Aang smiles back to her " Thank you Yue ... for everything." and then he resumed the gesture he was doing, making a wave who took him to the land in the horizon. When he arrived he fell to the ground and seconds after he fell asleep, he felt he never sleeped in his life. Aang didn't know how much he had slept, but when he was woken up by Katara who was calling him it was morning.
"Aang ... Aang. Come on wake up. We don't have all day" when she saw that he had woken up, she stood up and crossed her arms waiting for answers.
"Ka ... Katara?" his eyes hided opened while he remembered the last hours "Katara I ... forgive me ... please." he was now on his feet "I ... I runned away because I didn't want you to get hurt because of my mistakes ... It was to protect you. I ... I understand if you want to ..." he couldn't say this without a lot of pain so he looked to his feet, took a deep breath and continued " to get away from me and ... and ..." the tear that he was fighting has won and runned down his cheek " and find someone else more ... more deserving than me, I ... I don't deserve your love" He was ready for everything, shouts, slaps or even a cry ... at least he thought, because he was not ready to hear his beloved to start to laugh like crazy. He looked to her confused ... very confused.
Between laughs Katara managed to say "Oh Aang, you're one of a kind!"before returning to laugh at his face. After some minutes of her laughing and Aang being confused. She looked at him to see his face "Wait ... you really thought that I would be that mad." He slowly nodded making Katara chuckle followed by a few steps closer. "Aang I understand why you did runned away." she put her hand on Aang's cheeks cleaning the tear with the thumb while a smile started to appear in his face." and it would need much more to make me stop to like you. Aang understand a thing, I love you and, if it is in my power, that will never be changed." Then gives him a kiss in the lips that he gladly returned.
They stayed like that for some seconds before their departure " So ... " Aang asked with a smile ear to ear "does that mean that I am forgiven?"
"Only if you make me a promise" he lifted an eyebrow "don't run away from me again."
"hmmmm ... I will do my best."
"Good enough for me"
"I have to admit, I really don't know what I did to deserve you."
"Maybe someday I will tell you" she then put the arms around his neck and kissed him again. Aang placed his around her thighs and pushed a little to him. After what seemed an eternity of kissing she starts to look to her sides "Where is your glider?"
His smile turned down to frown while he released her from the embrace, what made her do the same " Lost forever in the sea."
"I'm sorry about that."
"Don't be, it was my fault, besides it would give my identity away I been thinking and ... maybe you are right, it is the best if no one knows that I'm alive"
"Let's go to the ship Aang? " she said, stretching her hand.
"Yeah, lets go" and grabbed her hand. While they returned they became closer to each other and when they were close enough Aang let go of her hand and pushed by her tight "Did I ever told you what I feel about you?"
She played dumb "No, I think not"
"So I tell you now ... I love you. " She opened her mouth to say 'I love you too' but was stopped by Aang's index finger in her lips " I didn't finish" she nodded a little confused "I always loved you since I woke up in your arms back in the South Pole. First time I saw you I thought you were the most beautiful person in the world. And I thought that I loved you because of that ... because you are pretty. " she blushed a bit" But now ... now I understand that there is so much more about my love for you. You are not only my girlfriend, you are my best friend too. You are the one who is there every time that I need someone to heal, talk ... everything. You're the one who always protected me. You're like an angel" he kissed her temple "My angel."
She smiles and gives him a kiss on the cheek before whispering in his ear "Nice try."
"Really, not even one?"
"Nope"
(A.N "Hello again Kattangers, I hope you're alright. And I definitely hope that you liked my first true chapter. As you can see this the Awakening episode with some "small" changes I decided to make. Review if you have anything to say about the story ( good or bad) and again I hope you like it and ... LONG LIVE THE KATAANGERS")
