Ch3: The Painted Lady
Three days have passed since the secret dance party that Aang launched. It was deep night and Team Avatar just arrived at the cave that they would call home for a few days. They were near the polluted river of Jang Hui where Aang and Momo played one hour earlier. The team had a long day and were completely tired, they were just waiting for the dinner and rooms to go to the bed. Beyond the tiring day Katara and Sokka were different today. Katara was distant from the rest of the group, more sad and quiet. When Aang asked her what's wrong she would kiss him and say softly "Memories."with a fake smile and a tear in his eye. Sokka was a completely different case. He was more irritable, no one could say him anything without being insulted or threatened with a punch. Aang was doing the rooms for the Team while the siblings were revising the remaining supplies, Toph, as expected, made her earth tent and stopped. "Grrr Shit! We only have supplies for today. Tomorrow we have to go search for food in the woods." Sokka warned.
After making his and Katara's room Aang entered the conversation saying. "No need. I saw a village while playing with Momo in the river."
"What? Where? I can't sense nothing." Toph just arrived from her earth tent spot.
"It's in the middle of the river. Besides, It's made of wood."
"I'm not going then." Toph declared
"Maybe it's better. At least here you can see where you're going." said Katara with a hand on her chin.
"Oh thank you Miss Obvious, I really never thought on that."
Katara rolled her eyes in response and stopped them on Aang "Is our room finished."
"Ye ... "
"Wait, what?" asked Sokka "'Our room'? What do you mean by 'our room'?"
"I mean that me and Aang will share a room. Any problem?"
"Yes, a lot of them. And you know at least one."
"I will see if Appa needs something." Toph said getting out of the cave predicting the future discussion.
"You won't share a room. "Continued Sokka what made Katara angry and sadder."You know what happened the last time you stayed alone with your boyfriend in a room. I won't let that happen again."
"Can I ask what happened with ..." Aang asked before being interrupted by the siblings "Not now." "Okay." he then said softly before Katara could continue.
"C'mon Sokka, Aang would never do what Sol ... He made." Her voice was shaky now.
"I don't know that yet. You won't share the same room alone." At this point every one of them had forgotten of the tiredness.
"Look Sokka," Aang talked before Katara could answer "you don't need to be this worried. I'm not this ... 'Sol' guy, and ,whatever he made, I would never hurt Katara."
"I don't care what you say! You'll not be alone in a closed room! That's final!"
"Please Sokka if you don't trust him, trust me. I know and trust him enough to know that he would do anything of the sort."
"NO KATARA! YOU'RE NOT BEING IN A CLOSED ROOM ALONE! NO!"
Her tears started to get out of her eyes. "Sokka you have no right to do this to us! What passed has passed!"
"True, what passed has passed! But if I can prevent it from happening again, I will!"
And they stayed like that for a few minutes, arguing with each other until an idea popped in Aang's mind. "Sokka, and if we do like this?" The two of them turned their gaze to the young Avatar who made them stop shouting. "I make your room near to ours, like, attached to each other. Like that we kinda have our privacy and if you hear something suspicious you just have to run to the next room. How about that?"
Sokka thinks for a minute, he really didn't want to accept it but, to his unhappiness, he looked to his sister's face full of tears practically begging him to accept. He sighed in defeat "Okay, we'll do like that. But just because I'm sick of watching her crying. And this is a one time thing." Aang nodded and went to make Sokka's room. While that Katara lit the fire after taking a deep breath and Sokka called Toph for dinner. The meal was silent, no one said anything for at least ten minutes before Toph saying a little irritated after an annoyed grunt.
"C'mon, I'm sick of this silence. What is happening today?"
"Memories." Katara sighed before Sokka could say anything.
"What kind of memories."
She paused a bit before answering "Painful ones."
"But what ..."
"For the love of the Spirits Toph, shut the fuck up!" Sokka started almost shouting." Exactly a year back a thing happened to Katara!" Katara's eyes started to water a bit and Aang started to rub his hand on her back to calm her down. "Something horrible, ok? Just stop asking!"
"Okay, okay. Geee. I was just worried." No one dared to speak another word for the rest of the meal. Aang was trying to comfort Katara who was struggling not to start crying and sob. Sokka was poking softly at the fire with a long stick mumbling something that no one understood and The Blind Bandit was simply 'looking' to it, feeling the pleasant heat. Another ten minutes passed and the group went to each room. Sokka and Toph landed on the earth-made bed and the couple talked to each other before cuddling in their bed.
"Aang, are you awake?" Katara whispered one hour later.
"Yeah." He also was whispering "What's up?"
"Nothing important, just wanted someone to talk ... to unburn things."
"I'm here for you, My Angel."
"How can you?" she asked a few seconds later, getting out of the cuddle to look to his eyes.
"How can I what?"
"Be with me. I'm horrible. I'm motherly, I'm temperamental, I'm ugly, my brother is so protective that he doesn't let us sleep together without watching us. I bet that this "She pointed to the shared wall." is a one time thing. I mean, you could get every girl you wanted, and you choose me. Why?"
"You just want me to tell you the reasons of why I love you all over again, don't you?" He asked with a soft chuckle what caused a small smile on her face that quickly faded away. "Look Katara, I already told you, I love you more than everything in this world. Being motherly is not a flaw, rather the opposite, I know that when you have children you'll be the best mother that ever existed. Okay, you're a bit temperamental, so what? One flaw in an ocean of good things. And it's not even a big one. And ugly? Katara, you're the prettier woman that I ever saw, and I travelled around the world. You're not ugly, never been and you never will be. I already told you this a million times and will tell you another million if it is needed. And your brother is super protective, yes, that's true. But that's not a bad thing either. At least I can count with him to protect you if someday I'm not there. Look Katara, whatever that Sol guy made to you it's not your fault. Don't blame yourself." Her eyes started to water.
"How do you know that?! How can you be so sure about that?! How can you trust me like this?!"
"Because I know you Katara! Damn, you made yourself being arrested by the Fire Nation to save a bunch of earthbenders that you never even saw in your life. Do you want me to think that a person who is capable of doing such a thing for complete strangers can do something bad enough to cause all this?" Her tears stopped falling but her face still showed fault in a sort of way, so he grabbed gently her chin and pushed to a gentle but loving kiss which made her smile lightly against his lips. "Katara, you're not ready to tell me now, and I won't push you because I know it can be painful. But someday I want you to tell me everything that passed. Okay?" he said softly when they disbanded.
She thinks for a bit and sighs "His name is ... "But is interrupted by his finger in her lips.
"No Katara. Like I said you're not ready, it's killing me and I really want to know, but I don't want you to tell me because you're feeling obliged. I can wait." Her eyes were starting to be filled with tears again, but this time with happy ones. She really didn't know what she did to deserve Aang. "Let us sleep My Angel. Tomorrow we have ro go to the village and it's better fully rested." He pecked her lips and closed his eyes but she pulled him to a deep an passionfull kiss which caused her to open them again.
"I love you so much." She whispered after the long kiss, it was the first time today that she was truly smiling.
"I love you a lot too." He also was smiling.
She kissed him again before returning to cuddling. "Goodnight Aang."
"Goodnight My Angel."
She sighs in bliss. "I really love when you call me that."
"I really love calling you that." They both giggled a bit what was the last thing heard that night.
...
The next morning Katara was better, her talk with Aang really helped her, clearly, something still bothered her but she got out of the room with a smile on her face. Now Sokka was still the same irritable guy of the previous day. "So, "he started to the couple, "We have to go to that village. The question is :how? I mean, we can't go on Appa and I'm not in the mood of swimming, let alone in mud."
Katara thinks for a bit and then says "Well they have to get out and enter the village somehow. Maybe there is a dock or something."
Aang slap his forehead with realisation "But of course! I forgot to tell you, I also saw a dock in the riverside, maybe fifteen minutes walking from here. Sorry, my bad."
"Okay, it's better than nothing. By my quick calculations we're returning a few hours after lunch." Sokka cleardified.
"Just because someone does not know how to wake up early." Aang whispered out of the corner of his mouth to Katara who giggled a bit.
"Do you have anything to say to me, Aang?!"
"No, not at all."
"Good, now let's go. we don't have all day."
The trip to the docks took twenty minutes and it was the longest twenty minutes in Sokka's life. All the trip Aang and Katara didn't stop to say how much they loved each other, share future plans and even some kisses along the way. In a few words: a hell to Sokka and a heaven to the couple. He tried to stop them by joining the talk but in the end they would continue. When they finally reached the dock Sokka threw himself to the feet of an old man that was there "FINALLY! "he shouted before whispering to the man" Please make them stop. I can't take it anymore."
"C'mon Sokka, get up you already walked more than this." Katara demanded with a smile on the face.
"It's not the walk, but what I had to bear during it." Sokka clarified while getting up.
"Hello strangers, my name is Dock and I work here, in the docks. Ya don't mind if ask who you are, do ya?" The old man introduced himself.
"Not at all, my name is Sapphire , this is Wang and this is Kuzon and we're from the Earth Colonies. A pleasure to meet you, Dock."
"The pleasure is mine. It's nice to see new faces around. Do ya want a ride to the village?"
"We would love it." Aang said before taking Katara's hand and guiding her to the boat.
Now everyone in the middle of the river, Dock struggled to paddle in the muddy waters causing him to grunt a bit every thrust he gave. The couple just continued talking about the previous matter and Sokka who was already sick of hearing Aang and Katara got up and asked "Hey Dock, do you need help with the paddle?"
"Oh thank ya Wang. Here it is. "
"How do you think the discussion will continue later?" Aang whispered to his beloved when Sokka grabbed the paddle from the old man's hands.
"I'm not sure. But Sokka has to understand that you're not like Him. But if it is not today then it is another day, don't worry sweetie, he will get it." And pecked his cheek before turning her head to the old man "Um ... Dock."
"Yes young lady?" he had turned to her.
"If you permit me asking: Why are you in the middle of a polluted river?"
"This river wasn't always like this, ya know?" His open smile gave place to a frown while he downed his head to face the ground." Not even a month ago this water was clean like every water should be, even more maybe. We were a fishing village until that factory came." He pointed to the factory that was hidden behind some tall rocks, everyone looked at it. "They started to pollute our river and steal medicine and food. They say that it's needed to produce steel to the army but because of them our little village is struggling just to survive." And then, out of nowhere, the smile came back and his head returned to the previous position as if he never said nothing "But well, that's the life the Spirits gave us and we have to live with that." And he returned to help Sokka who had now turned to him to better listen to the old man. Both Katara and Aang were stunned with the tragic explanation, so stunned that the only things that could be heard for the rest of the trip was the moving water.
Five minutes passed and they finally arrived at the small village, Aang and Sokka were waving goodbye to Dock thanking the trip but Katara was paying attention to the sick and hungry people of the village. It was miserable, everyone was skeletal of hunger, their skin was dry and their eyes red. There were people coughing sterically and others puking, some of them blood. Katara was truly disturbed by the sad view but her eyes just stopped in a small boy trying to help his mother who was in bed coughing. Aang who was worried about his beloved came close to her. "Katara are you alright?" She never took the gaze from the little boy but her hand responded to the voice by starting to search for his that was squished when she found it. The Avatar who was even more worried started to follow her eyes. "Oh" was what he said when finally found out the boy "That's ... sad, to say the least."
"You can say it again. We have to do something about this."
"No we don't." Said Sokka who just arrived what caused Aang to look at him "We don't have time nor resources, besides" now whispering "they're the enemy."
Only then she took the gaze off the boy. "What?! How can you even THINK on something like that?! Even if they wanted they couldn't hurt us! How can I be so cold-hearted?!"
"I'm not being cold-hearted. We are helping them already just by taking out the ... by accomplishing our mission. Not just this village, but all the others too. I know it's hard but our mission has to come first, and you know it." And with these final words Sokka turned around and started to walk searching for a market leaving the couple alone again.
"I can't believe it. How can he even say something like this?"
"I know, but let's just grab what we need and go."
She looked even more shocked. "What?! You too?! What kind of Av ..." Aang quickly put a hand on her mouth making her stop.
"I know My Angel. But it is not the time nor the place to talk about this. We will talk in the cave, okay?." He then took out the hand of her mouth and stretched asking her to grab it. He had an understanding smile on his face.
Some seconds passed before Katara finally understood why Aang did this. "O-okay. I'm sorry." She simply said while grabbing his hand and following Sokka. After some minutes they finally found out where the market was and, to their surprise, they found Dock there working, but this time he had a different hat. He was cleaning a small statuette of a very beautiful woman with the face painted. But only Katara seemed to be interested in the small figure.
"Dock? Do you work here too?" Sokka asked.
"Oh, the colonials, Dock told me that you were coming. I'm Xu, Dock's brother. Pleasure to meet ya all."
"Wait what? But we just saw you. You're even wearing the same clothes." Just now Sokka notices the different hat. "Besides the hat ... Everything is the same besides the hat."
"No, Dock works on the docks, that's why we call him 'Dock' and I work here, in the market, and that's why they call me 'Xu'."
Some seconds of awkward silence showed up before Sokka, with a confused look in his face confessed "I don't get it."
"Neither do I. I didn't choose the names they call me. But well, back to business. What can I get ya colonials?"
Sokka clearly was still very confused but shook his thoughts away before answering "We want to buy food please."
"Well, it's not perfect but it's all we can give." He explained while putting some fishes full of mud on the table. The trio gave disgusted faces. "And you're lucky, today I am making a special deal. Buy three fish and leave with a free clam." He then pushed some clams that were even more muddier.
"I think we will stay only with the fishes, thank you." He then put eight fishes in a paper box very carefully so as not to touch the mud. "Hey Katara, would you mind grabbing this please?" She then grabs the box that made Sokka go with his hand to the pocket to search for money.
"Before going," Katara started" Do ... Xu, who is that?" she asked, pointing with the head to the statuette.
"This is the Painted Lady, it's part of our lore. She used to help us by healing and protecting us. Some spirit I think, now it's just an old legend."
She was about to say something but the same young boy who Katara watched went running to her.
"My Lady, would ya kindly spare some food? I-It's for my mother, she's very sick."
Katara first looked to Sokka who was still searching for the money. "Of course, here it is." She placed two fishes in the boy's hands. "There is one for you too." She then said winking at him with a sad smile. The boy, in response, bowed to her and with a huge grin went running to his mother again who smiled when she saw her child with food in his hands. Aang, who just saw everything, placed an arm around her waist with a smile on his face.
He pecked her in the cheek but never said anything. "I wished I could do more."
"I know My Angel ... I know." he said before kissing her cheek one more time.
...
It was the most awaited dinner time and everyone was around the campfire to cook and eat the fishes. Katara and Toph, a few minutes earlier, had cleaned the fishes and some water with their bending making them consumables once again and Aang had searched for some berries and fruits for him. "Can I borrow some? I kinda don't want to eat that fish." Katara asked her boyfriend who was already eating while sitting by his side.
"And what do I get out of it?" He joked with a flirtatious smile on, a smile that was returned by her.
She returned the smile. "Well, first of all you would feed your BELOVED girlfriend. Second, you would make her VERY happy. And third, you wouldn't give her a reason to reclamate to her father. But if that is not enough, I think she can think of something later." She leaned her head to his and kissed him when she finished talking.
"Good enough. Here." He had placed a bowl of berries and fruits on her lap, the truth is that he was already waiting for someone who didn't want to eat those fishes and had collected them also.
"Now listen everybody." Called Sokka a few seconds later "We have a problem with the schedule."
"Split it out." Toph said after a bored sigh.
"This trip to the village ruined everything. We have to wake up earlier at least ... forty three minutes earlier every day from now?"
"Who are you and what did you do to my brother?"
"Look, we only have one month until The Black Son Day. And we just lost an entire day, so if we want to follow the schedule we have to wake up forty three minutes earlier."
"Well, I'm not waking up earlier!" Toph declared.
"Then maybe you want to cut the eating breaks!"
"What?"
"NO!"
"Again, who are you and what did you do to my brother?"
"I got it, from now on we'll take eating and potty breaks at the same time." Everyone gave him a disgusted face, Aang even put a hand on his mouth when he felt the fruits come back to his mouth. "It's gross but ..."
"Look Snozzles!" Toph shouted, making him stop "We are not waking up earlier nor eating while shitting! The first step to make is to YOU to wake up early and eat less so that YOU don't take so much time eating! You really never noticed that you're the last of us to wake up and finish eating? When that day comes, maybe we'll think about it." Everyone agreed with her and Sokka gave a defeat sigh. Some minutes has passed and Sokka was constantly looking at the couple who were happily feeding each other with their food.
"Aang, can I speak with you for a second?" He asked while getting up from the stone that they were calling off his chair.
"Uhhh ... Of course." He also got up and started to follow the warrior out of the cave. "What's up Sokka?" He finally stopped.
"Do you remember when I told you that I trusted you to be with my sister?"
"Yeah?"
"Well ... I don't."
"But ..."
"Let me finish. I don't trust you enough. I know it's not your fault, and that you never made nothing to hurt her, rather the opposite. But I can't ... "He sighed and a few seconds later he continued." ... But still, I can't separate you two. The truth is that I never saw her so happy after our mom's death, not even when she was with Him. Now that I think better, I think I NEVER saw her so happy. And I'm not capable of taking that happiness from her. So yeah, I'll let you sleep together alone in that room ... But let me put this clear, "now in threatening voice" if you ever hurt her, if you ever give me ONE reason to make me believe that you are like Him ... Oh, you can run and hide because I will not rest until your next life takes your place as The Avatar. Do I make myself clear?"
"As crystal."
"Good, ... now go to her, she's waiting."
"Thanks Sokka." He then started to walk to the cave leaving Sokka alone staring at the moon.
"Please Yue, tell me that I made the right thing." He also started walking to the cave after a few minutes but something made him stop again, a sweet feminine voice in his mind "You made." it said. The Water Tribe warrior didn't know if it was his imagination playing games with his emotions or a divine message from his first and lost love, but still, he returned the gaze to the moon but this time with a smile and a small tear forming in his eye.
Back in the cave Aang went running to Katara, he had hugged and kissed her repeatedly making her giggle a bit. "What?" she managed to ask between the kisses. Toph walked to her earth tent to leave the lovers alone.
"He'll leave us alone."
"What?"
"Sokka. He'll not bother us about sleeping together without being watched anymore."
She laughs a bit before saying. "And that's reason to kiss me like that." And by response Aang puts a fake offended expression on his face.
"What? Now I have to have a reason to kiss you?"
"And has to be a good one." She joked. "The only one in this relationship who is permitted to kiss without a reason, is me. Do I ..." She was cutted off when Aang kissed her again. "And did you kiss me this time because ...?"
"Because I love you."
"Best reason ever. " she said before kissing him again. They weren't that tired so decided to stay there talking to each other about random subjects until, some minutes later, Sokka entered the cave still with a tear in his eye. "Sokka, are you alright?" A very concerned Katara asked who had noticed the shining tear.
He smiled "Better than ever." was his answer before entering his room what caused the couple to be puzzled for a few moments before deciding to shrug it away.
They continued talking for a few moments until the village became a topic again. "I don't understand Aang, these people need our help and you turn your back to them, how can you?"
"I'm not turning my back to them Katara, I simply don't know what to do to help them. I mean, I'm not a healer like you, I can't say that I'm the Avatar to them to give at least some hope of a better world and we don't have enough money to help all of them. I swear that I want to help, but I can't.
"Okay Aang I understand. At least you're not like Sokka." A very convincing yawn was heard from Katara a few seconds later. "Aang, I'm a bit tired. Can we go to bed?"
"But of course." He said while got up from the embrace. He extinguished the fire bending some water, he then gave her his hand, "Shall we?" he asked with a smile on his face.
"We shall '' she said, accepting his hand. Now in the room, Aang started to undress his suit but was interrupted by the sweet taste of his Angel's lips and soon enough her tongue was begging his lips for entrance, he opened lightly his mouth while placing his arms around her waist. A few moments later they relactly broke away for breath.
"Wow." He whispered in bliss. "Why was that?" They both were red as tomatoes.
"What? Now I have to have a reason to kiss you?" She joked putting her hand on the hips.
"Ha ha very funny ... Now really, why was that? Not that I'm complaining, I loved it, but isn't normal to you to kiss like this without a reason. I don't tell me : because I love."
"Well ... I said when you gave me your food that I would think of something to repay you later ... here it is." She said while sitting in the bed.
"I was only joking Katara, I'm happy to help you. You don't have to give me nothing in return."
"But who said that I didn't want it either?" she said giving him a flirting smile that melted him immediately.
"Oh well, in that case ..." He then kissed her while she slowly pushed him so that he could be on top of her in the bed. They made out for some time until they decided to call it a night ... At least Aang did because Katara couldn't sleep, always thinking about the villagers. "Aang." She whispered to make sure that he was asleep "Are you awake?" Silence was her answer. She got up off the bed and went outside of the cave to see Appa who was sleeping. "Appa. Wake up please." Appa groaned in answer while his big eye opened "Appa let's make a deal, ok? I give you these sweet, sweet berries every night ... " she showed him a big bowl full of purple berries "... and you pretend to be sick, even to Aang, ok?" he groaned again as if was asking 'Why?' and, for some reason, she understood. "I ... I ... I-I want to make him a surprise. But Sokka wants to go away tomorrow and then I can't make it. Can you help?" In response he licked her which made her laugh. "Thank you Appa." She said while giving him the berries after cleaning herself. She made herself some red paint from berries and fruits and, with help of a ice mirror, she painted herself like the statuette of the Painted Lady that Dock (or Xu, she didn't know anymore) had shown them, while that she was wondering how Appa could understand her so well and even more strange: how could she understand him at all? "An interesting topic to think about later, now I have a mission." She thought aloud. She then went to the little village waterbending herself across the polluted river. The village was quiet, there were few people outside and the ones who were, were sleeping. "Ok then, I should start in finding the rest of the disguise." Some minutes of searching for something she could wear to be similar to the figure she found out was a very big hat, a robe, a veil and some string. Doing an ice needle she sewed the veil to the hat so that could hide her face. "I'm ready." she whispered while walking towards an old man who was sleeping against a wall of a random house. His face clearly showed a lot of pain. Katara bended the water inside her water bags and healed him. She treated a bunch of sick and hurted people before the first ray of sunlight appeared, at that time she was already in the cave with her disguise off and hidden.
She could sleep only one or two hour before Aang woke her with a light kiss and saying "Rise and shine My Angel." In answer she groaned before she got up.
"Good morning My Love." She greeted while yawning rather loudly.
"Good morning." After a long kiss they went outside to ready the thing for the departure.
"I'm going to prepare Appa." She said before him.
"Okay, I'll pack the things then
Half an hour later everyone was ready to go and were walking towards Appa, who was lying down in the ground showing the belly and arfing, and Katara that was pretending that was healing him. "I don't think that we are going today." Katara declared when she heard the steps.
"What?! Why?!" Her brother asked.
"Appa's sick."
"Really? He seems good to me" Aang said while going to pat his friend's snout who took out the purple tongue. Aang gave on step back and said pointing to the tongue. "I take back what I said. This is not normal."
"Oh no, oh nonono! This is horrible!" Sokka panicked.
"My Spirits Sokka, I never realized that you cared that much." Toph became very surprised.
"Of course I care! This is as good as simply throwing our schedule away!"He said, launching his arms to the air, what made everyone give him a deadly gaze, even Appa and Momo were looking at him in a different sort of way that they wouldn't normally do. "I mean, our furry friend is not feeling bad."
"You're mean Sokka. Appa probably became sick for swimming in the polluted water. Maybe he drank some."
"What can you do Katara!?" Her brother asked.
"Nothing, I am already trying since I came here."
"Okay, we have to see if they have medicine in the village then. Maybe it can help."
"They don't have."
"How do you know?"
"Hmmm maybe because Dock ... "
"Dock?" Toph asked Aang.
"The guy who works in the docks."
She laughed a bit. "The irony."
"... told us that they don't," Katara continued not noticing her boyfriend and friend's little talk. "or maybe because if they had they wouldn't be so sick and hurted. And seriously Sokka? Give human medicine to a giant flying bison. It would kill him."
"Can't blame a guy for trying. But so what now?"
"We have to let Appa rest, meanwhile we have to stay." Declared Katara. "Now we go to the village."
"For what?"
"Uh ... food?"
"We don't need to. We buyed for today also." Sokka answered what made her nod.
"Well then. I'm going back to sleep. Couldn't sleep right this night." She then started to walk to her room.
When Katara was out of the hearing range, Toph 'looked' to Aang and said in a mocking way. "Spirits, I wonder why."
"Geee Toph, you're funny today huh?" Aang said sarcastically, blushing slightly.
This comment just made Toph's smile grow wider. "You know me Twinkle Toes."
Aang by response chuckled a bit and, when he did, he noticed a big deep blue flower in the ground that immediately made him remember his beloved. He took the flower and went running to her in the hope that she was still awake, but, to his unhappiness, she had fallen asleep in the moment that she landed in the bed. He then smiled a bit and kissed her forehead which made her smile in her sleep.
...
Again, night. Three in the morning and Katara was dressed as the Painted Lady once again. She again had fed Appa with the purple berries and was already in the village healing the rest of the people, there was a lot of people still on the cold of the night sleeping and coughing lightly, but there was something different that she noticed in the faces of the sleeping people, something that warmed her heart. Smiles, everyone of them had a smile on their faces, a smile full of hope and happiness. A contagious smile that made her smile also. Some hours had passed and she was healing the young boy's mother who had a strong fever, apparently she wouldn't pass one more week without treatment. When her job was finally done she started to get out of the house but, for her surprise, the little boy who was sleeping near to his mother heard her what made him wake up. "Thank ya Painted Lady" he said before she could get out. Katara when heard looked over the shoulder and, with a happy tear forming in her eye, nodded.
She, again, just slept a few hours before Aang woke her with a gentle kiss. "Good morning My Angel."
"Good morning Aang." She yawned sitting in the bed. "How is Appa?"
"Not good. We still have to wait. We are going to the village to buy food. Wanna come?"
"Yeah, why not." She got up, stretched herself with a loud and long yawn and sat in the bed to brush her hair with her hands
That made Aang think for a bit and, after a few seconds, he asked "Can-can I help?"
"Hmmm?"
"If I can help you. You know ... fixing the hair."
"Oh ... Yes. Of course you can." she assured him while taking her hands out of the hair.
"Thanks." He thanked sheeply while sitting behind her "You know? You have a wonderful hair." He declared a few minutes later.
"You're just saying that." She had a slight blush and a smile was growing in her face. Clearly she only said that so that he continued with the compliments but, apparently, Aang never got her intention.
"No, it's true. I love the chocolate brown color that matches perfectly with your caramel skin, I love the ocean scent," When he said this, he took a handful of hair and sniffed softly." the soft silk texture. I love it ... almost as much as I love you."
"Awww you're so sweet."
"Only speaking the truth." He said, making the finishing touches. He then looked to his right to see the flower he took in the day before in an earth vase filled with water. He took the blossom and placed it in her hair. "Aaand ... there. What do you think?"
She made an ice mirror and gasped at the view. It was beautiful, he had made her hair loopies going to the back of her head to be tied in a little hair knot with a beautiful blue blossom. The remaining hair was free being surrounded by them. "Remember me to make you fix my hair more times. It's beautiful." (A:N "If anyone of you is wondering: her hair now is like when she uses in their first kiss but with a blue blossom instead of pink.")
"Really? It's the first time that I made something like that."
"What? You're joking. You never made this to your girlfriend back at the Air Temple ?" She asked afraid (and a little jealous) of him being sad to remember his lost love, but to her surprise he simply smiled sadly.
"I never had one actually. You're my first." 'And hopefully the only.'
She gasped in disbelief. "How is that possible? You're the sweetest guy ever."
He chuckled a bit and kissed the back of her head. "Thank you My Angel. I always had a problem with girls. Apparently, there were a lot of girls after me, I really never noticed but it was what my friends used to say, but none of them catched my eye. I never understood why ... until now.
"And why is that?"
He leaned and kissed her cheek. "They were not you."
"UAU ... That's super cheesy." she said, looking to his eyes.
"True ... But you like my kind of cheesy."
"You've got a point." They had passed the next five minutes kissing and saying cheesy things to each other. Now outside Sokka and Toph were waiting for them.
"Why did you take so long?" Sokka asked annoyed while they were getting out of the room hand-to-hand.
"Aang did my hair." She answered excitedly.
He gave a kick glance but never seemed to care."Cool. Can we go now?"
"Yeah." The excitement gave place to annoyance "Bye Toph."
"I'm goin'."
"You are?"
"Yeah, this is boring as hell without you here."
...
Half-an-hour later Team Avatar was again in the wood dock but stopped when Toph became a bit panicked for the fact that she couldn't 'see'. "Toph, are you sure you don't want to return to the cave?" A motherly Katara asked.
Toph took a deep breath, pushed an arm who was in her right and with a confident voice she said "Nope, I have Sokka to help me."
"That's Aang." Katara said between a soft laugh what made Toph blush a bit.
"She speaks the truth." He assured also laughing.
"Well Uh ... I have Aang to help me." The Gaang besides Toph laughed and Dock, a few seconds later, entered the conversation.
"Hello again. colonials It's good to see ya. I see, you brought a friend with yourselves. Hello there young lady."
"Hello I'm ... um ... Leen."
"It's good to meet ya Leen, I'm Dock. Do ya need another ride?"
"Yes please." Katara said.
...
Five minutes took to be again in the village and everything was different, there was now a giant statue of the Painted Lady in town square and everyone was praying and cheering to it. Katara when she saw that, smiled, a smile full of pride and happiness, a smile that Aang noticed, so, with a light smile, leaned to her and whispered in her ear "It's a good feeling when you see that what you do helps other people, isn't it?"
"Yes it is." She said dreamly in a kind of trance but when finally understood what he really had said turned instantly the head to him. "What? How do you ...?" His answer was a soft wink to her while the smile grew wider. The Team then started to walk to the market and Katara wanted to talk to Aang in private but Toph never left him.
"Hey Xu." Sokka greeted him when he reached the market. "What is going on today?"
"The Painted Lady is."
"Wait, that's the statuette you showed me the other day. What happened?" Katara entered the discussion.
"In the last two days she came here and helped us by healing our sick and hurted. She already healed all of us. But back to business, what do ya want colonials?"
"Food." Sokka said "We have a sick friend back at the camp. Just to make sure, you don't have medicine that we can buy, have you?"
"No, the factory steals every medicine we have."
"Okay." He said a bit down.
"But cheer up, maybe the Painted Lady stops at your camp to help your friend."
"Yeah, and maybe she'll cook us a midnight snack and sing-along with us." He sarcastically said, earning a slap in the back of his head from Katara.
"Yeah maybe." They both stared into each other's eyes. Sokka with a disbelieving stare not believing that Xu didn't get the sarcasm, and Xu with a pure smile. "But well. Now we have two things today." He ducked to pull one and two-headed fishes from his stall. "One or two-headed fishes?"
"Two-headed." He answered almost instantaneously what made the rest of the Team give a disgusted face. "What? "He asked when noticed it "It's more food for the same price. We are winning here."
Aang not wanting to hear more shook his head of the thought and called Xu "Xu, could you call Dock? We need a ride back."
"Of course, just a second." He again ducked down and appeared again literally after a second but this time with Dock's hat. "Hello again colonials, Xu told me that you need to ride back. follow me."
"So, it is because of this ... Painted Lady that this place is so festive?" Aang asked, giving Katara a discrete, smiling glampse.
"Yup." Dock answered "All because of her."
"It's incredible how much this village changed for the better because of a single lady ... I mean spirit." Katara admired, secretly waiting for a compliment of her work.
"I really hope that she returns here every night. Otherwise this place will fall again." Sokka said, disappointing and annoying her.
"Probably." Agreed Dock.
"What do you mean by that?" She totally ignored Dock "This place is much better."
"That's true. But without her help they wouldn't be able to heal themselves, not with that factory anyways. If she really wanted to help she would destroy that thing with her spiritual powers." He then made a "wooooo" and an explosion sound with the mouth which made Katara even more annoyed.
...
Again, three in the morning. Katara was already dressed like the Painted Lady and already gave the berries to Appa. She was on the shore starting with hate filled eyes towards the factory and was about to leave until she heard some steps and a voice from behind her. "Where are you going now? The village is already healed."
She sighed in annoyance knowing that Aang would try to stop her if he knew the truth. "I'm going chek on them. Maybe I left someone behind."
He finally stops and gives her a deep look in her eyes. "You can stop lying now." He speaked with a calm and gentle voice.
She again sighed and after a few seconds she answered. "Turns out that Sokka is right. The only way to help them definitely is by destroying that factory." He does nothing but looking thoughtful to the factory with a short "hmm". "How did you find out about me?" She asked a few seconds later what caused him to smile slightly.
"Lets just say that I miss your warmth when I'm sleeping. Besides, " He goes with his right hand to a pocket and takes out a purple berry. "I really love these berries." Some silent giggles escaped her mouth when he eated the fruit and showed the purple tainted tongue. Some other seconds of comfortable silence appeared again before Aang continued. "You know that you could tell me, right?"
Again she sighed but this time more deeply while her head downed a bit. "I know. I just was afraid that you would be like Sokka wanting to go away from here at your first chance."
"Katara, you know me. If you told me that you wanted to help these people I would gladly help, even if it was just covering you. Do you remember what I told you? I'm only not helping them because I'm not capable of."
"I know, just ... a stupid thought. So ... do you still want to help me?"
He smiled "Do I have to answer?".
...
After some hours there was nothing but smoke and flame in the area that held the former factory and the couple were back at the camp. The sun was rising and everyone besides them was asleep ... or so they thought. "Well ... It's done. Now we should be quiet." Katara whispered to Aang who nodded.
"No need!" Sokka shouted from behind them. "Care to tell me where you have been?!"
"Morning walk!" Katara said almost instatanialtely.
"Oh really? So care to explain why the heck is your bed full of weeds?" Katara looked to Aang for an answer but Sokka talked again before he could say anything. "Stop lying! I know that you are the Painted Lady, and that Appa is not sick! "he pointed to Toph who had a bowl full of those purple berries. She eats some of them and shows her purple tongue. "Katara, you just jeopardized our whole mission! Pack your things, we are leaving immediately!" She stares sadly to the ground. "And you!" Now to Aang "How long did you know about this?!"
"For a few time."
"I just allowed you two to sleep together, and you do this?!"
"Man, I'm the Avatar, my duty is to help people, if I have to blow up a factory I wi ..."
"YOU WHAT?!"
"oh-oh."
"You blew up the factory?!" He asked Katara.
"You gave me the idea. " Katara defended herself, which made Sokka slap his forehead.
"I was joking! I also said that she should use her 'spiritual powers' and made explosion noises! Do you know what that means?!" At that moment a buzzing sound was heard in the river. "Not even on purpose!" he grabbed Katara's hand and dragged her to a cliff that had view of the village and pointed to the front of the sound, there were some Fire Nation soldiers in jet skis "That means that the Fire Nation will blame the village! They probably are going to destroy it!"
"What I was supposed to do then?"
"Leave! Do nothing!"
"No, I'm not turning my back to people who need help!" She started angrily" Never did and I will never do! Come Aang we are going to help this village." She started to walk away with Aang following her but Sokka stopped her putting a hand on her shoulder while sighing.
"Wait. I'll help."
"But I thought you didn't care about this village?"
"You need me, and I will never turn my back on you. You're my baby sister."
"Awww, you really have a heart." She joked while hugging him.
...
Ten minutes later everything for their plan was ready. Aang was under the village's dock waiting for the right moment to attack. The only thing it could be heard was the threats that a man with a giant scar across his face was making to the villagers and them trying to defend themselves by telling the truth. At some point the man, tired of the 'lies' that the villagers were telling, shouted "We are going to cure the world of this wretched village!" what made the remaining soldiers start to destroy the village. There were two soldiers who had the task of light some kind of bomb that was in a small boat, but when they did, Aang bended the air so that it could put down the fire. The soldiers waited a bit and, again, bent fire lighting the weird bomb. But again the gust of air put down the fire. The soldiers became confused and went to ask for orders to their boss, but, in that moment, Sokka, with help of a cone without nozzle that he made, started to play a flute making the same kind of noises that he made while joking with the Painted Lady. Also, A giant, white fog started to form while giant footsteps and a monster growling could be heard, that being Toph bending a big boulder to do the footsteps and Appa growling doing the monstrous noises. One minute had passed and pure terror started to form in the hearts of the Fire Nation soldiers, ending that time, the fog started to fade away in a specific place to reveal a painted Katara. Some seconds of just silence passed, even the weird noises stopped, so that Katara with a fluid and gracious gesture bended the water carrying herself to the docks of the village. She jumped landing a few steps back from where Aang was. Again some seconds of silence appeared, increasing the fear in the Fire Nation soldiers hearts. "Do something!" The scarred man shouted to the warriors. The soldiers by answer gulped dry and, relactly, started approaching slowly the fake spirit to be stopped by a gust of air who came under them sending their helmets to the air. The terrified warriors gave up and runned away leaving only the man with the scar and four soldiers. "READY YOURSELVES!" the man said while Katara walked a few steps forward stopping right above her boyfriend's head. The remaining soldiers went to a firebending combat stance which made Katara smile slightly and bend the water under one of the jet skis, sending it to the skies and then against to a nearby cliff destroying it. After the end of the terrifying performance she lifted her hand lightly pointing to the soldiers telling them in her mind that they would be next. The rest of the soldiers also gave up and runned away to the remaining skis."Well, if you want something well done, you should do it yourself. C'MON JUST YOU AND ME, BITCH!" With that said he sent a fire arc towards her. She didn't move but simply waited to Aang do the work, witch he made, he bended the air under her sending her to the air so that the fire couldn't hit her and sent another gust of air in direction to the Fire Nation man murmuring to himself "NO ONE calls MY ANGEL a BITCH!". The attack managed to hit the man who was sent to the polluted water, but not without destroying a good part of the dock. Katara also went to the water bending it in a swirl.
"You will leave!" She threatened "You will leave and never come back! And remember: this village is being protected by me, and I will not show such mercy next time! NOW LEAVE!" She watched while the now helpless Fire Nation soldier swim to a nearby ski that was left there. She slowly returned back to the village, while Sokka and Toph took a boat and rowed to the village and Aang got out of his spot discretely placing himself in the cheering crowd.
"I knew ya would come!" the little boy shouted.
Dock walked towards her and started thanking her, not noticing in the red paint in her face who was partially washed by the droplets of water. "Thank ya Painted Lady. Me and my brothers really owe ya a lot." Only then noticed who really the fake spirit was." Wait, I know ya. Ya're the colonial girl. "he started to snap his fingers trying to remember "uh ... uh Sapphire. Ya are not the Painted Lady."
"Yeah." the boy speaked again "Ya're the lady who gave me the fishes."
"Ya're no spirit! Ya're a waterbender!" Dock declared what made the cheerful krowd turning angry and starting to walk forward while swearing at her. Aang was ready to intervene but Sokka was faster.
"Owa. What the fuck is wrong with you?! Yes, she is a waterbender! Yes, she lied to you! Yes, she's no fucking spirit! So what?! She just saved your asses, and because of her that factory wont pollute your river anymore, and the army is gone! You should be down on your fucking knees thanking her and ..."
He was interrupted by Katara who placed her hand on his shoulder and calmly, but still in a threatening way, said. "That's enough Sokka, thank you." She was truly thankful, and he noticed that in the eyes, but he already spoke too much. "I'm sorry. "Now to the crowd "I should never do what I did. But the truth is that I felt that I had to do something to help you, and this was my only idea. But one thing is clear, you shouldn't rely on me nor even in the Painted Lady. Your problems are your own and it is not always that you have someone to help you. You should help yourselves."
"Ya're probably right. But, what should we do now?" Dock asked.
Toph, who had placed herself into the crowd shouted. "Maybe we should clean the river!"
"Yeah I'm with her! Let's clean the river!" This time Aang shouted in a different place of the crowd.
"Yeah." Now Dock "They're right. We will clean our river and live by fishing again." The crowd cheers and Aang and Toph hand-to-hand return to the Team."Thank you yong Sapphire. And I have to say, you're very good as a waterbender."
Aang who was crushed by a wave of pride towards his girlfriend kisses her cheek and says "The best." to Dock who smiled widely.
"It's so beautiful to see that young love still exists." This comment made her blush lightly and Sokka sigh in annoyance.
"Yeah, yeah. You're in love with each other. So beautiful ... "He said sarcastically before turning to Dock" Dock, you wouldn't mind keeping this all in secret, would you?"
"No worries. 'Keeping secrets' is my middle name. Now my brother Xu is totally the opposite. Ya can't say anything to him without being known by all the village."
"So, are you helping us Dock?" Katara asked a few seconds later.
"Oh no young one." He explained with a chuckle. "I have no skill in such a thing. I'm calling my third brother, Bushi. He is the river cleaner around here. "He went to the crowd and called a man looking the same as Dock only changing, again, the hat.
"Hello colonials. I'm Bushi and I'm ready to clean the river." Everyone but Toph dropped their mouths when they saw the man.
"Wait. " Aang started "You're actually not the same person."
The older siblings looked to each other and said at the same time "No." Even the voice was identical.
Katara and Aang shook their heads to take out the thought away but Sokka couldn't and passed out just for a few seconds later, being woken up on the ground by his friends.
...
Two days passed of heavy work cleaning the river. Meantime Aang had revealed himself as the Avatar to the villagers and Katara was seen, against her will, as a kind of guardian angel who protected the village. "This is so wrong." Aang said to Katara with a chuckle. They were on the shore of the now clean river at night.
"What?" she asked with a puzzled face while she took the head of his chest looking him in the eyes.
He chuckled again "Now, you're not only My Angel but also the Angel of an entire village."
She got the joke and chuckled too. "Why? Jealous?".
"Oh ... you don't know how much." He jokingly said "I don't want you to see that village anymore, do I make myself clear?"
She, dramatically, placed the back of her hand in the forehead while her head faced in the opposite way to him. "No please. I love it."
"Oh yeah? Then maybe we should separate now."
"No. Don't do that." She said, grabbing the collar of his shirt. "I also love you."
"You have to choose one."
"I can't make such a choice." She pretended to stab herself in the heart and with exaggerated grunts of pain died. She was struggling not to burst laughing as well as Aang.
"Nooooo. I can't live without you. If your life ends, so does mine." He also 'stabs' himself doing even more exaggerated grunts. A few seconds passed and they both started laughing until they're breath told them to stop. "Well. "Aang started while clearing some tears of joy. "I'm a bit tired. I'm going to bed. Do you want to come?"
"No. I will stay here for a little. I'm not over with my 'second lover'." They giggle a bit while he gots up and kisses her before starting to walk to the camp.
Katara stayed there for a bit feeling the cool water in her bared feet and gazing at the village with hope. That went until an unexpected yawn escaped her mouth. She started to get up and walk away but she was stopped by a weird fog that started to form around a big female figure that she knew too well ... The Painted Lady, the real one. "Katara of the Southern water tribe," She called with a sweet but strong voice. That made Katara's jaw drop ... the spirit was beautiful. Black ebony, long hair, golden eyes as gold itself and a sweet smile on her peach color lips. "You saved an entire village only by the kindness of your heart, such act is noticed by all the spirits. And such act shouldn't be left without a reward."
That made Katara wake up from her transe "What? No. My Lady, I never did this to gain anything. I don't want you to give anything."
Her smile grew even wider. "We know. And that's why we want to give you this." She showed Katara her hand that had a very beautiful small bottle. "I believe that you already know what it is and I won't need to explain."
Katara was hitted by a wave of painful memories. "Spirit water."
"Exactly. I know that this brings you bad memories. But I want you to have it." She placed the bottle in Katara's already open hand. "Goodbye Katara. And thank you." Katara stayed there for a few more minutes processing the new information until another yawn escaped her mouth. She gave another glance towards the village and, with a smile on her face, returned to the camp to tell the weird event to her friends.
(A:N "FINALLY! I'm sorry for all this time without an update but ... My freaking god this was HARD to make. You can believe me I had a lot of ideas for this chapter but I hope you liked it how it stayed. I made some mysteries to Katara's backstory AND future. Who is this Sol guy? And why can she understand so well Appa (and yes this is also a thing). You'll learn soon enough, I already have His story made but you have to wait. I also made Dock/Xu/Mushi not being the same person because I wanted to make a little, funny plot twist in the end and here it is. Well It's 8 A:M and I didn't fucking slept to update today and I have a birthday party today ... YAY! Happiness! so I'm just gonna say my goodbyes. I hope you liked it, please review blah blah blah and ... LONG LIVE TO KATAANGERS.
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Oh yeah, I wanted to thank you for all the sweet reviews I had and answer to Ashley Barbosa: "I'm glad that you found it funny, thanks for your faith in me. (In reality I have to thank all of you who reviewed: Thank you all. You're awesome.) I will only make him swear when he thinks that is extremely necessary or unintentionally for example if someone scares him or something like that, not like Toph who will be swearing for everything." I think this all so ... goodbye.)
