A/N: Sorry for the wait, this chapter has been the bane of my existence ever since I first wrote it. I actually finished it at like 4 this morning so hopefully it's as cohesive as it sounded then, lol.
Tell Me More
Aang tried his best to be engaging during dinner that night, but a few odd looks from Zuko told him he wasn't doing too well of a job. He listened dutifully in the beginning, but it didn't take long for his mind to wander and take a particular interest in the vacant seat next to his friend.
Someone had dropped in at the beginning of the meal to inform them that his fiancé was not feeling well and had chosen to opt out of dinner altogether. From their demeanor, the news was unwelcomed but oddly not unexpected, and no comment was really made as to her wellbeing after that. That had Aang's eyes wandering to the place where she should've been sat that night, a bit mystified.
He managed to pick up a few sparing details about the woman during the brief exchange between Zuko and his father after the news was brought, but it wasn't nearly enough to articulately form someone in his mind. If he hadn't known better, it almost seemed as if neither wanted to go too far with the topic of her before moving on to a different subject, and only lightly touched upon the details that even concerned her.
But, regardless of what he could conclude in his musings, she still remained this faceless woman who stood beside the prince within Aang's thoughts, and it seems she would stay that way since he figured the chances of seeing her before he left were slim. Though, as much as he was curious about her, he didn't say anything as he listened on at the table.
Having traveled the world, he was not blind to the intricacies of arranged marriages and how touchy of a subject it could be for some. He understood the political aspects to it since it acted as a tangible covenant between two families, but it was never something that appealed to him and he found it rather crass to the couple involved. Having one's spouse picked out for you in order to settle a political agreement or alliance, or even to simply introduce better blood was never the most ideal future, even for the most governing of individuals.
Still, it was for that reason he abstained from questioning his friend much about her. That and because he was aware of Zuko's past with a certain nobleman's daughter that hadn't ended too well. At that thought, Aang glanced over at the firebender in question, a small frown pulling at his lips.
It hadn't even been a year since the nasty break up that ended their relationship and already Aang had to watch his friend commit his life to another woman, one the avatar knew probably wasn't the one Zuko wished he were marrying. To his credit though, the prince always seemed to hold himself remarkably well through it. Maybe the mystery woman was understanding of it all and that made it easier for Zuko to poise himself as well as he did?
Truthfully Aang wanted to ask about her, but he forced the questions to settle in the back of his mind instead. He and Zuko had formed a strong bond in their short time together, and while Zuko wasn't the most open person he'd met, he knew the prince would talk when he wanted to.
Pulling his attention back to the conversation at hand and seeing the way the two men discussed amongst themselves made him feel somewhat guilty about tuning them out. He knew he should be actively contributing to the conversation, but after a slightly embarrassing slip-up earlier in the meal - not to mention the unimpressed look he'd received from the Fire Lord because of it - he reminded himself that it was probably best to just feign some kind of interest until the real discussions picked up in the morning.
That was his excuse to look around the room anyways.
While he was done in his musings for the elusive fiancé, she did spring his train of thought to another person from earlier that day, and it was another young woman he noticed was vacant from the table as well. Thinking back to their conversation, he thought Katara would've been here given whatever business she was conducting with Zuko, but as if to prove him wrong, her presence was nowhere to be found.
He could feel the disappointment settle in at the prospect of not getting to see her again. It was true what he had told Zuko earlier that day, that not much really happened in the way of relationships with any, but that was Aang's own fault in a respect because every girl he took an interest in was compared to the girl he'd met from the Southern Water Tribe. It had been so subtle in the beginning that he never noticed it, but soon enough he began to catch himself in the act. One girl's skin wasn't as tanned as hers, or another girl's eyes weren't as brilliant of a blue as hers were, or even the girl's hair wasn't as soft looking as hers or as rich in color as her dark brown waves were.
He felt wretchedly shallow for it, to only find himself so captivated by her for her looks, but that was part of the reason he'd wanted to talk with her. Back before he left for the Northern tribe with Sokka, there admittedly had been some time to get acquainted with her, but that had never been his highest priority after Chief Hakoda and the elders of the village informed him of the time he'd missed being frozen in the ocean, and of the building tension between the nations.
Aang left only days later to seek out the truth for himself in the Southern Air Temple, but it was weeks before he spoke more than a few words to anybody after that. Once he finally did, he decided to leave and begin his journey in becoming the Avatar, unwittingly attracting the attention of someone else who felt their calling was beyond the snowcaps of his antarctic home. And with Sokka joining him, that meant the occasional trip back to the Southern tribe and – to Aang's eventual anticipation – Katara.
But, unfortunately, he realized rather quick that something had changed. Instead of engaging both of them in hot pursuit of updates and stories, she would whisk Sokka away on his own, showing little to none interest in the Avatar himself. In the beginning Aang assumed it because they weren't well acquainted given their scarce interaction before he and Sokka left, but that thought only held up for so long. And by that time, they'd already added Zuko to the mix. With regular sparring sessions in the snow and the day-to-day chores of the village women that kept Katara busy in her own right, there was little time to talk.
Now, thinking back to earlier that evening to the first time Aang had seen her since she'd left the North Pole, he had to bite back a sigh lest Zuko and his father remove all doubt that he wasn't paying attention to their conversation. It hadn't exactly been his smoothest yet but seeing her again was a reminder of something Sokka had told him shortly after they ran into his sister in the Northern Tribe.
"I'm surprised she didn't bite your head off honestly. To her, you're like a brother snatcher or something."
The offhanded statement had come to rub him the wrong way when he first heard it. It was the missing link Aang had stumbled over, blind to what could've been her perspective of everything, but it had also left him somewhat annoyed hearing that she thought negatively of him over a decision that wasn't even his to make.
Despite his annoyance though, it did nothing to squelch his interest of her, nor the curiosity he held in the letters she sent her brother. Sokka sometimes relayed them aloud and Aang had noticed a common thread throughout the ones he'd heard – a yearning for something more. He often found himself wondering how different things may have been had she come along also.
It frustrated him in a sense because he had no business thinking of her as much as he did, and that may have been what added to his annoyance early on. She wasn't too keen on him it seemed, but yet, she wouldn't leave his thoughts. He didn't even know her for heaven's sake!
Unfortunately, talking to Sokka or Zuko about it was never an option. Aside from the fact that Aang wasn't sure how Sokka would feel knowing the airbender was interested in his sister, their track record deterred any chance since he wasn't fond of the teasing he'd received about his earthbending teacher, Toph Beifong, when he'd begun training with her.
He would admit that to some degree she had managed to distract him from his Katara-induced thoughts given that any time she caught him daydreaming she'd pummel a rock into his ribcage. It scared the daylights out of him in the beginning, but after a while he had come to appreciate their training sessions and her. She was tough and independent, and he liked that. He felt like he could be himself around her, and though he could've done without some of the teasing and ridiculous names she called him, she was a breath of fresh air.
Inevitably though, even as great as Toph was, seeing Katara again brought all those thoughts flooding back to him. She was different too. There was something about her that drew him in, something he knew went deeper than appearances and he had hoped that she would be at dinner tonight so he could find out what that was.
Or, if nothing else, maybe even figure out the business she had with Zuko.
It was none of his business really, and he was being nosy, but it seemed weird that she would've traveled to the Fire Nation instead of a tribe representative. Even more than that, it would have to be something big for her father to agree to it from what he knew of Hakoda, and, at the very least, Aang figured he'd at least heard wind of it from Sokka.
After all, he knew… right?
The airbender figured it wouldn't hurt to try asking the older teen when he got back to the Earth Kingdom, though the more he thought about it, the more he realized he may not get very far. The guy used to talk about his sister all the time, just as Aang mentioned to Katara, but recently it seemed as though Sokka wanted to stay away from the topic of her altogether. It was peculiar, but Aang had never pushed it considering probing him may have eventually led to the curious question of why and.. well, he really didn't have a ready answer for that.
Feeling the smooth surface of the golden petals beneath his fingertips, Aang let out an inaudible sigh as a sliver of the discussion that morning echoed in his mind.
"Sir, Chief Arnook and Hakoda have been notified and the ships were seen off the Eastern docks this morning. General Tu and his crew routed North while Commander Jiao took the Southern route through Fountain City's straight."
"And the troops were instructed on where to stand guard?"
"Yes sir, everything is in order once they arrive. When the Earth Kingdom attacks, we'll be ready."
The last meeting ended nearly an hour ago, but Aang couldn't quite shake the nagging feeling in his gut now as he walked within one of the palace courtyards. He was hoping to talk more about it with Zuko afterwards, but unfortunately the prince was shuffled off shortly after with more coronation details to smooth out so, he was out of touch the rest of the afternoon. Seeing as Aang was leaving that day, the two bid their goodbyes when they parted ways at the council room doors.
It was a bit disappointing for Aang as it seemed time wasn't on their side this visit, but the coronation came first, and it was probably for the best anyways as the meetings had gone on for longer than Aang expected them to which only meant that he would have to leave soon if he wanted to make some headway towards the Earth Kingdom before sundown. The trip back would take nearly a week cautioning any weather over the Western seas.
Though, as direct as his intentions had been leaving the meeting to go straight to his room, gather his things and get Appa, he found himself taking a slight detour through a sea of gold that caught his eye. Truthfully, it hadn't been his thoughts about that morning that led him here but rather the memory of crystal blue eyes that held the depths of the oceans in them, a bit hopeful to run into her again before leaving.
But, as fate would have it, it wasn't that easy. She wasn't there.
He figured as much and that should've been his cue to continue on to his room, but he lingered, somewhat hopeful he would still catch a glimpse of her. In the meantime, however, his mind had begun to wander to the pressing issue that was the aforementioned meeting.
He had hoped to steer the conversation into a more pacifying end by voicing his reservation about sending soldiers to both of the tribes earlier that morning, but his input wasn't met with a promising response, and a warning look from Zuko to keep it unsuspecting of their suspicions made it that much harder to get his point across. Despite his attempt to shed light on Kuei's true nature, he was shut down rather quickly.
It was an aggravating situation considering keeping peace between the nations was in his job description and providing some insight on the matter was why he had been invited to the palace on Zuko's behalf in the first place, but the only impression he got that entire morning was that his opinion was debatable. Expendable even.
His thoughts manifested themselves into a frustrated sigh as he subconsciously twirled a lily on its stem. He looked at it as if it would provide an answer to this whole dilemma, but its petals only fluttered with the gentle breeze that came by.
"I don't know what to do," he confessed quietly. "They're making brash decisions, but they won't listen to me."
'Why should they? Wasn't it because of your careless decision that an entire race was nearly wiped out?' came a small voice from the back of his mind, filled with such bitterness that it made him frown. He tried to ignore it, but it got its intended reaction, feeling like a sucker punch straight to the stomach.
'I won't let it happen again,' was his steely reply. It came more as a reassurance for himself than anything else as he looked back down at the fire lily nestled between his fingers. It yielded to the breeze without any thought, so free in its movements that it looked as if it had a part in some unspoken dance with the wind. The sight almost made him smile – almost lifted his spirits slightly when that small voice came back, faint like a whisper but its words dripping with intention.
'No,theywon't let it happen again. You've already lost your chance.'
Just as his eyes narrowed at that statement, he suddenly started, his thoughts scattering like parchment in the wind at the sound of giggling nearby. Unwittingly, the quick response caused him to pluck the flower off its stem as he pivoted on his heel, heart racing to what he could only hope wasn't the sight of the three girls that had seen him to his room the other day.
To his relief, they weren't. The two runners didn't even seem to notice him as they conversed between themselves, whispering conspiratorially with what he knew was probably work gossip. Soon enough, they were out of earshot and he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. He gave one last glance around before turning in the opposite direction to head back to his room, knowing at this point he was just wasting his time if he waited around any longer.
Within a few minutes, he'd packed what little he brought and was on his way towards the stables. Normally Appa would be fine to stay outside on the palace grounds, but the hotter climate of the Fire Nation proved to only exasperate the sky bison's many thick layers of fur and he had yet to shed his winter coat this season. As Aang walked down the hallway, a faint chittering noise caught his attention and he turned in time to see Momo flying up towards him.
"There you are. I was hoping I wouldn't have to go looking for you again," He said, giving the lemur an affectionate pat on the head once he'd perched himself on Aang's shoulder. He sounded a response as if retelling a story and Aang chuckled. "Sounds like your day was a lot more fun than mine, buddy."
He continued down, politely avoiding the occasional servant he passed whilst taking notice of nothing in particular of the scarcely decorated corridor when something, or rather someone, caught his eye. Her profile was to him and she was too busy talking to notice him there, but that didn't stop his heart from speeding up once more at the sight of her.
As she moved her hands to emphasize whatever point she was making, his attention was quickly drawn elsewhere and he realized she wasn't wearing the simple robe from before but donned a more embellished one now, one that was red and fit with gold trimmings, and her hair was tied halfway up into a sleek bun. Taking it in, it was a far cry from the native attire he'd always seen her in, and the whole outfit looked rather official by Fire Nation standards.
He found it odd, but his focus didn't stay on her outfit long when she laughed at something that was said and his eyes were drawn back to her face. He was just happy fate had changed its mind in time and his lips curled up into an excited grin as he began walking over to her.
Katara, on the other hand, didn't share the same sentiment entirely when she caught sight of him, and her eyes widened. While her heart seemed to have a mind of its own beating just a little faster at the sight of him, she had been hoping he would've left already. She didn't care for the way his presence made her nerves feel like they were on end the other day. It wasn't the type of nervousness one felt when they were uncomfortable either, really that was the opposite of her problem. The swiftness in which she'd found herself content to count the specks of silver in his eyes is what unnerved her more than she'd care to admit.
Though, as the idea of walking away and simply pretending she hadn't seen him flitted through her mind briefly, she couldn't help but feel as though walking away would somehow be admitting that this boy from the iceberg caught her eye more than he should. And at this point, she wasn't sure if she wanted to do that.
'Stop making this a bigger deal than it is,' she reprimanded herself, acknowledging Aang with a small smile. The person she'd since been talking to had conveniently excused themselves already seeing his approach, leaving the two of them more or less alone in the low-trafficked hall.
"You know, if we keep running into each other like this, I may start to think it's fate," he said smoothly, his grin having simmered down to a lopsided smile.
She snorted lightly. "Careful, fate isn't what it seems sometimes." She spied the small sac at his hip. "I'm surprised to see you still here, I figured you would've left by now."
"I was supposed to but the meetings this morning took longer than anyone was expecting so I'm leaving a bit late. I'm actually on my way over to the stables to get Appa."
"Oh? Well, if you're in a hurry then I don't want to keep you."
"You're not," he said quickly seeing her move away slightly. "Honestly, I was hoping to see you before I left."
She looked at him in surprise, ignoring the way that simple statement and his demure smile made her heart skip a beat. "You were?"
He nodded. "I wanted to apologize about the other day, when I freaked out. I just never expected to see you here and it kind of caught me off guard."
"I guess that makes two of us." The irony in his statement made her lips twitch. "It's fine, don't worry about it."
"Well, I know you already have mixed feelings towards me, so I wanted to make sure you knew that I truly didn't mean anything by it."
'Mixed feelings are a pretty good way to describe it right now,' she thought wryly before the words sunk in more. "Wait, what makes you think I have mixed feelings towards you?"
"Sokka may have said something awhile back about it…" he trailed off seeing the frown forming on her lips.
While, to an extent, he wasn't wrong, she didn't always trust her brother's perception skills. "Look, I don't know what Sokka may have said to you about that, but odds are he's wrong." Looking at him a moment, she debated how much to divulge. She felt bad given his apology sounded genuinely contrite, and it wasn't like she hated him or anything.
With a sigh, she figured being honest with him wouldn't hurt. "It wasn't what I wanted, and yeah, it did hurt to see him leave, but at the end of the day it was still his choice to make and it may have just taken me some time to acknowledge that is all." After a thought, she shot him a pointed look. "I don't hate you for what happened if that's what you are implying."
He shook his head vigorously, his hands shooting up in front of him defensively. "No, no, I didn't think you hated me per say—" but with a hand up she halted his quick response.
"Well, I don't and it's not that I dislike you either. You just have to understand it from my side. Sokka has been there for me my entire life and after losing our mother, he was the one who kept me grounded. After he left for the week where he found you, it just hit me hard that I really didn't want to lose him too."
This time it was Aang's turn to sigh, releasing more as a long-held breath as he lowered his gaze. "And it was because of me that you did lose him." It wasn't so much a question than it was a statement, an underwhelming affirmation of some sense.
"You give yourself too much credit." She chuckled lightly, and her voice softened with a sadness that made his heart feel a little constricted. "I didn't lose him because of you. He left by his own accord. No matter how much I wanted him to stay, it was never my decision to make. But also, knowing that doesn't make the resentment I feel go away even if I know you don't deserve it."
"Still, I am sorry about what happened."
"It's fine," she quickly assured him with a small smile. "Honestly it's like you said, we haven't seen each other in a while and besides, I didn't exactly look like someone from my village so it's understandable that you wouldn't have recognized me right away. Don't beat yourself up over something that small."
Only, what she didn't know was that he had recognized her sooner than he let on, and that's partly why he felt so torn. Once he'd caught sight of those crystal blue eyes there was no denying who they belonged to, but yet, he tried to play it off as if they hadn't been the ones that occupied his thoughts ever since he first looked into them, thinking somehow that was the better end of his split decision in that moment.
With an inward sigh, he knew there was no going back and changing what he did no matter how stupid it seemed now. "Yeah," he absently agreed with a bit of a strained smile. He frowned when Momo climbed down towards his sac and tried rustling through it for a snack, reminding him that he needed to leave soon if he didn't want Appa falling asleep midflight, again.
"Well, I guess I should get going," he said with a small sigh, not doing anything to hide the reluctance in his voice. His eyes lowered from hers as he gave her a small bow goodbye, one that was more of his native style than Fire Nation. "It was nice seeing you again, Katara. I hope we run into each other again soon."
Thanks to his bent posture, he didn't catch the way her gaze softened on him, nor the way her smile widened ever so slightly. There was something about his hesitation that made her chest feel a little tighter, and despite herself, she didn't say goodbye to him. She didn't bow either in return. Her words caught him off guard nearly as much as they did to her.
"Where did you say you were heading to?"
He straightened up and looked at her. "The stables. Are you heading that way too?"
"No, but I do know of a shortcut," she said, not even giving a second thought to her words anymore. "I could show you if you'd like. It'll save you some time instead of going through the North quarters."
He grinned. "Yeah, that would be great actually. Thank you."
His smile was so contagious that the corners of her mouth curled up as she gestured for him to follow. He obediently did so until they fell into step with each other, heading outside of the corridor and into a breezeway that ran alongside of the palace.
"So, how did the meetings go this morning anyway?" She asked after they'd been walking a minute in silence, barely resisting the urge to glance over at him every few seconds as he kept pace beside her.
"They were fine," he replied lightly, not wanting to bore her with the tedious details they had gone over earlier that morning, but not able to resist the grimace that came to his face at the memory. "But I could've done without them."
She snorted, having seen the face he made too many times on Zuko's to count. "Trust me, you're not the only one. No one likes being held up in those rooms for hours on end with the Fire Lord and his lackeys." They rounded a corner.
"I don't doubt that, but that's not really why," he said. "It's hard to sit by and listen idly when the plans they are implementing could give off the wrong message and get people hurt. They say it's a defensive strategy, but it almost seems more like a statement of power than anything else."
"Even if it is flashy in its approach, isn't taking a defensive stance liable to protect more people no matter what?" She countered lightly. "Something is going to happen, to deny that would be to trust in an ill-informed reality, but regardless of how it's done, it's better to be safe than to have innocent blood spilled at the hands of a bad decision."
"Well, I agree. I guess it's just that I was taught by the monks that violence is never the answer for any problem." As he spoke his hands went to the top of his bald head and his fingers interlaced, a discontented look coming to his face as the latter part of her statement made his heart churn uncomfortably. "They always said conflicts need to be handled through persuasive conversation, to find a complacent middle ground instead of forcing one side to yield to the other. If you don't, more times than not resentment builds, and more problems come as a result later on."
Katara gave him a sideways glance. "It's a little naïve to assume that all problems can go away without some force involved though; words don't always have the power we think they do." She looked at him for a moment before humming sympathetically and looking away. "Besides, the fire lord likes action more than fancy words thrown around a table so good luck ever getting that notion across to him."
Aang sighed and grabbed at his neck tiredly. "Yeah, I've kind of gotten that message loud and clear."
Katara didn't respond to him, and he kept his gaze forward as they rounded another corner, both lost to thought. He hadn't noticed it since they were conversing, but the side of the palace they ended up on was rather quiet and he vaguely wondered at what point they'd begun walking through the stony arches that now lined their path.
Not one person was in sight save for the two of them, and shifting his gaze to look through the arches, his only clue as to where they were was a breathtaking view of the Fire Nation valley. The pointed tips of the buildings that littered the sunken land were shining like beacons in the hazy setting sun while the sky was painted a myriad of oranges and the beginnings of reds.
It was beautiful sight, but it wasn't hard to tear his eyes away from it as he looked to Katara, a thought coming to mind. "It's funny. Sokka never said anything about your guys' tribe doing business with the Fire Nation, and I've never seen you at any of these meetings either."
With a sideways glance, he tried to gauge her response as he asked, "is the unrest between the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom the reason you're here too?"
At first his question caught her off guard, her mouth opening to supply a quick response without adequately thinking it through, but she caught herself before any words had slipped out.
"Yeah, it is," she said after a calculative moment, nodding her head. Her voice was void of any emotion as she spoke, and she pointedly looked away from him. He waited for her to elaborate, but she didn't, and against his better judgement seeing the way she tensed at the question, he probed further.
"Oh, I don't remember seeing you at any of the meetings this morning though, or even at dinner last night," he ventured carefully, pushing aside the nagging reminder that none of this was his business.
She raised an eyebrow at him briefly and flatly stated, "I wasn't."
He frowned. "I don't mean to pry, it's just that if you're acting as a representative of the Water Tribes then it seems like you should be hearing everything we talk about as well, right? Unless it's a more private matter that you can only discuss with Zuko?"
"I never said I was a representative," came her somewhat curt reply. She chose to ignore his second question and the way it made her feel a little sick to her stomach.
"But I thought you said you were here because—"
She interrupted him, her temper beginning to flare a little. "I know what I said, but that's not what I meant."
"Oh. What did you mean by it then?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?" He stared at her dubiously. "It can't be nothing if you left your fiancé and came all the way from the North Pole to—"
She snapped at him suddenly. "Aang, STOP!"
They both had come to a stop and he just stared at her with wide eyes for a moment, the fierce look in her eyes sending a tidal wave of guilt rushing over him. He hadn't meant to push her this far. She took advantage of his silence to continue, reigning back her voice to a lower volume as she addressed him again.
"I don't see how it's any of your business why I am here, and frankly, I have other things to do around here that I wish I could get out of, but I can't. So, do me a favor and quit with the interrogation because it's getting on my nerves."
Though her words had a harsh undertone to them, her expression softened once they were out, and giving him a steady look, she sighed. "I didn't mean to snap at you like that, it's just that I'd rather not be here; it was never my choice so, I would appreciate it if you could lay off the questions, okay?"
"I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to upset you," he said, chiding himself for doing so. They eventually got to walking again though the silence felt like it was strangling him with every passing minute that neither of them spoke. Why couldn't he have just stopped talking when she answered him the first time? What was he supposed to say now?
As they walked, Katara kept glancing over at him, feeling somewhat bad as she could see the remorse written all over his face. She had every right to snap at him, interrogating her the way he did, but then again it wasn't entirely his fault for being suspicious of why she was here. It was a flimsy lie that she'd told him after all just so she could have the satisfaction of knowing there was someone who didn't know about the chains she felt binding her to this steel cage of a palace.
But now, seeing the sullen look on his face, she wasn't entirely sure it was worth it. The more she raked her eyes over his features, the more she hated the fact that she'd even done it. She moved her sight past him, looking out at the expanse of sky that seemed so close yet so far from where she stood.
After what felt like hours to him, though had only been a few long minutes, her voice brought him back to reality. "What was it like?"
He tore his gaze away from the cobbled ground where he had decidedly planted his eyes since he last spoke and blinked realizing she had slowed down and was no longer next to him anymore. She was a few feet behind him, and her stare was directed towards the painted scene across the Fire Nation valley. It was as if nothing had even transpired between them seeing her features so relaxed, the frustration she held before now only a memory in his mind.
Feeling his eyes on her, she shifted to meet them as she clarified her question. "When you were training at the air temples with the monks and the other airbenders. What was it like back then?"
Letting out a silent breath of relief at the change in conversation, he stopped walking as they came upon a clearing where the archways lead away from the palace and thoughtfully stroked his chin, content to let their tense moment melt away without any other mention of it if she was willing to do the same.
"Well, it was pretty boring at first," he said airily. The memories were getting easier to look back on as the years went by, but as sweet as they were, they never failed to leave a bitter trail behind. But, seeing the interest she held, he was willing to look past it as he continued.
"The monk's philosophy was that the mind is at the center of our being, and in order to control something as light and free-spirited as air, it was crucial to first remove all distractions and impurities from it. Anything that could act as a tether between you and the ground beneath your feet. That meant that we had to first master our minds before we could even attempt to airbend, which was the boring part because it meant hours of meditation. "
"Mastering your mind? That seems like a rather daunting task to give anyone let alone someone so young," she remarked as she leaned back against one of the pillars. He shrugged.
"It wasn't so bad. Some of the other kids struggled with it more than I did, but it was pretty easy for me," he said as a familiar feeling settled into his chest, something akin to longing but it still held a small sliver of hope in it. "One of the reasons we're told to remove everything undesirable from our thoughts is because by doing so, you are able to release yourself from the desires of this life, and you are better able to trust in what's unseen rather than this physical world.
"For me, I've never really had much stock in this world to begin with. The Southern Air Temple is the only home I've known after my parents left me there as a baby, and even though I was raised a monk, I've kind of always been a nomad by birth; someone who's destined to wander the skies with only a few things to keep him company because he's never needed much more than that."
"That sounds kind of…"
"Bleak?" He finished her thought with a smile, and she chuckled.
"Actually, I was going to say freeing, but in a way I guess it does sound kind of bleak."
"Well, it wasn't always like that. It was still fun hanging out with the other kids and using my downtime to prank the older monks, ironically I learned that much from my guardian, monk Gyatso." A warmth filled him at the mention of the long since departed monk and dear friend, and it reflected in his smile. "He was the one in charge of my training at the Southern Temple, and he could be pretty strict when he wanted to be, but he also had a devious side that made living there a blast."
As he recounted some of his fonder memories with the senior monk, he got excited and began moving his body around to enact them for the waterbender who looked on at him with an amused smile. He laughed nostalgically and as the scenes were played out in his mind, he wondered how they had ever gotten away with all the pranks they pulled, especially when he remembered the times they'd bent tarts over the balcony at them whilst they meditated.
But his laughter eventually died out as he came to rest against the pillar opposite of Katara, a more wistful smile being left on his face after a few minutes.
"He was one of my best friends," he explained with a glance to her. "He looked out for me and he was the closest thing I'd ever had to a father. The day before I left the temple he told me that 'It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways' and that battles are won or lost in it before they ever make it to the battlefield—" His jaw clenched at the memory of that day "—I think he told me that because he knew how I'd react when they told me I was the avatar..."
Trailing off distantly, he never realized just how much his actions that day would affect the monks at the temple let alone the whole world. Katara narrowed her gaze on him curiously as she studied his face.
After a silent moment she spoke up in the midst of his thoughts with a soft voice. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories for you," she said, her eyes glazing over him a moment more. "I've never met an airbender before you since they all vanished some time ago… I guess my curiosity got the better of me."
He felt his heart give an excited thump in his chest under her gaze, and he shook his head as a smile pulled at his lips. "Please don't be sorry. It means a lot to me when people take an interest in my culture." And it made him feel a bit lighter knowing that she was one of them, even considering her initial hesitation about him.
She didn't seem convinced despite his reassurance, so he pushed off the pillar and shot her a grin. "I'm serious. Look, I'm an open book so ask me anything you want to know! After all the things I asked earlier, it would honestly make me feel a bit better if you interrogated me too." His grin turned a bit sheepish as he shrugged one shoulder slightly.
Slowly, but surely, he watched as the hesitation faded away with the breath that she let out and a half-smile came to her face. "Only if you're sure you don't mind," she said. "I'm probably only the millionth girl wanting to know more about the Avatar." She smirked, teasingly.
A light laugh trickled from his lips. "I'm not sure if it's in the millions just yet, but I really don't mind talking with you," he said, his eyelids drooping into a half-lidded gaze as he looked at her. "You're not like the other girls I've met. Usually by now I'd either be running or pinned to the ground trying to stay alive long enough to find more air."
"Well, don't worry, that's not going to happen." She shook her head, snorting at the mental picture of it. No doubt those three girls from last night would've done so by now as they'd nearly done it to her simply by association. Though she can't really blame them for it given he did seem really sweet, and now that she'd gotten a better look at him standing so casually across from her, the definition in his lean physique wasn't hard to spot, nor his rather crisp jawline and—
Quickly realizing the digression in her thoughts, Katara shooed them away. 'Of course he's fit, he's the Avatar.' She reminded herself, not willing to even address anything after that.
Aang quickly caught her attention again though as he gave a dramatic wince in response to her statement. "Ouch." He put a hand to his chest. "Is this what it feels like to be rejected?"
Seeing right through it though, she rolled her eyes as she laughed. "Oh please."
He smiled wide hearing her laugh. It reminded him of the little bells him and the other airbenders used to tie onto their bison's horns that despite their tiny structure, when enough of them were jingled together, their tune could echo against the neighboring mountain peaks. And, with the whistle of the wind wheedling its way through their brass slits, they created a sound like no other.
Her laughter seemed to attract the attention of someone else who had flown off on his own a while ago as he came swooping in to perch himself on her shoulder. The swift action caught her by surprise with a high-pitched squeak on her part, and Aang couldn't help chuckling. Katara blushed, frowning as she looked over at Momo. He looked back at her innocently and she found her annoyance at the scare quickly slipping away.
As much as she'd disliked the animal upon first glance, she couldn't deny that he was oddly adorable the way he had two dark patches encircling his eyes like he hadn't slept in years, and a tiny nose that twitched with every sniff. Despite herself, she reached up and stroked beneath his chin, the smooth motion eliciting something close to a purr as he leaned further into her hand, his eyes closing with pleasure.
Aang smiled. "Momo seems to like you."
"I can't imagine why," she said, giggling when the lemur nuzzled up against her cheek affectionately.
'I could think of a few reasons,' he thought. Clearing his throat lest he say something even more awkward than his sort of compliment the other day, he changed the topic. "You still haven't asked me anything."
She tapped her chin thoughtfully as Momo flew off her shoulder, humming all the while looking him over to figure out what she wanted to ask him. The scrutiny brought a faint heat to his cheeks, but it didn't have the chance to blossom.
Just as she'd opened her mouth to say something…
"Oh, there you are your highness!"
So much for that.
Aang's eyes flashed over to the woman briefly as he straightened himself up. He'd sensed her footsteps a bit ago, so her sudden appearance didn't startle him so much as it annoyed him of her timing. His glance however only lasted a moment on her as Katara didn't have the same luxury. She was a little more than startled and let out a squeak similar to before, nearly running into him after pushing away from the pillar she was leaning against. Seeing her movement though, he was quicker and was able to catch her by the arms to make sure she didn't trip and fall.
While it did give him a thrill knowing she'd taken his offer so seriously that she managed to be so caught off guard by something else besides him making a sound, he had a hard time stifling his chuckle seeing her reaction. Katara, on the other hand, wasn't so pleased with it as she forced herself to back away from him once she'd gotten her footing. She was sure her cheeks would melt off her face by how hot they felt.
The older woman blinked in slight confusion of how quickly the scene had played out before her and looked over at Aang before glancing between the two of them. To Aang it seemed as if she hadn't even known he was there before that.
"My apologies if I interrupted something between you and the Avatar," she finally said. Her voice was lacking the sincerity for the apology, but her gaze lingered a bit longer on him as though intrigued by his presence before moving back to Katara. "It's nearly time for your fitting and I decided not to wait until you made your appearance over an hour late like last time."
"You were not interrupting anything. I'll be there soon."
'Fitting?' Aang looked to Katara and she pointedly avoided his gaze.
"Actually, I'd prefer it if you would follow me back seeing as how I've already made the effort to find you." The woman gave Aang a sideways glance. "And I'm sure the avatar understands that the prince's fi—"
Katara's eyes widened and she panicked. "Okay, okay, I'm coming!"
His eyebrows shot up at her quick and somewhat loud interjection, and the woman looked rather surprised by it too. Katara paid no mind to her as she sighed, cursing beneath her breath that she'd chickened out of the truth. She would tell him, she decided, but somehow this felt too soon.
Aang watched as she stepped towards him, her expression seeming to reflect some of his own feelings about her being pulled away so suddenly. She pulled out a rolled-up parchment paper from the layers in her robe, tied closed with a crimson ribbon, and handed it to him.
"It's a letter for my brother," she said. "I forgot about it earlier, but I was hoping you could take it back with you."
Aang nodded and took it, but he kept his gaze on her while doing it. She smiled at him.
"Thank you for telling me about the temples," she said softly, glancing at the older woman still waiting on her before looking at him a bit nervously. "Maybe next time you can tell me more." Her smile widened slightly before she gave him a small bow and turned to follow the older woman away.
"Goodbye Katara," he said loud enough for her to hear and she looked back at him over her shoulder, giving him a small wave before the two women disappeared around the corner he had come around with her. He realized he liked the way her name rolled off his tongue just then.
He let himself fall back against the pillar still situated behind him as the hand that held her scroll fell limply to his side before he remembered it and placed it securely in his sash. He felt similar to the previous day when she brushed off his offer to stay and talk, like there was some part of himself that was leaving with her, but somehow it was worse now that he had actually talked with her.
He didn't contemplate it when a sound from behind him caused him to finally look around at where exactly they had stopped to converse, having not paid much attention to it with his focus on her, and he saw the stables were only a little further down the pathway. He continued down it, easily finding his sky bison who was more than happy to see him.
Aang laughed as Appa pushed him to the ground with his nose, nuzzling the boy with gentle force as if to say he'd been waiting far too long to see him. "I get it boy, I missed you too. Are you ready to go back?"
He tossed his sac into Appa's wooden saddle and airbent himself up to sit on his head. He glanced one last time in the direction he'd seen Katara last, a smile spreading across his lips. They'd actually been having fun before that woman showed up.
The more he thought about it, the more the conversation bothered him. He already felt like there was a missing link of sorts surrounding Katara being in the Fire Nation, but now he was even more confused. Feeling as though he should simply take the good for what it was, he forced his thoughts to the back of his mind.
"Appa, yip-yip!"
Coming Next... A... Date?
A/N: So, now that I'm focusing more heavily on this story again, I feel as though I should mention something. When I first started this, I wanted it to be about the romance and nearly nothing else. Looking back through it these last couple of months, I've realized that I would be doing something of a disservice to you as a reader, and to myself as a writer, by doing that and keeping what really could've added to the overall plot in a gray space. So, I'm changing that. That being said, I apologize if there are any awkward disconnects in this chapter or the next as I rewrite to fit the new vision I have for this story.
Anyways, I hope you guys still continue to enjoy this as I've had the pleasure to re-read everything with fresh eyes and see the ways in which I can better it! I'm sorry it took so long, but I'm hoping with this new outlining and planning I've done, the chapters will begin to flow a bit easier and quicker. Also, be sure to leave a review! I plan on responding to them at the end of chapters now so that I can respond to guest reviews also.
Review Responses:
DIO39: Me too, lol. It's been a long time coming..
Guest 1: Thank you!
zgod584: Awe, I'm glad you liked it!
Aangbanger: That username looks familiar, lol. I'm thrilled to hear you really like it! Your story is one of my favorites that I've been following so I'm honored to hear you like something of mine. As for the Zutara, there will be some but of the amount that there is, there is a purpose to it. I'm thinking of putting warnings in the notes of when there will be Zutara in it so, if I decide to do that, then you'll know in advance.
Guest 2: Here ya go.
kingcityboy7: I appreciate your patience! This one has been a thorn in my side ever since I started rewriting it and I'm so happy to finally get it out.
