Everything changed the night of Sokka and Suki's wedding. For the first time at the age of sixteen, Aang tried alcohol… and he was handling it quite well. At the end of the night, a couple of the townsmen wanted to go out to the local bar. Against her better judgement, Katara let Aang go. He was finally letting loose and enjoying himself in the Southern Water Tribe.
Katara didn't know what happened that night, but she knew something was wrong with Aang. He began avoiding her at all costs. He didn't want to talk to any of his friends and spend most of his time with Appa and Momo.
After a week, Katara had finally had enough. She cornered him in the stables and demanded to know what was wrong. "Aang, what is wrong with you?"
He avoided eye contact with her out of fear that he might break. "Katara, I have to tell you something. It's not going to be easy, but I've done a lot of thinking, and I know that I'm not even close to being ready to be married."
Katara was stunned. They had talked about getting married a lot lately, and it seemed like both parties were on board. "Aang, what are you talking about?" It wasn't like she expected a proposal tomorrow... He was only sixteen, and she was only eighteen. The world still needed the Avatar, and they both needed to grow up a little more before getting married. But, things would be fine within the next few years.
"I have no idea what I need right now and what I need to most right now is to be single. I think that over the past couple of months I've been feeling distant, and it's nothing you've done," Aang had tears gathering in his grey eyes, but his voice remained strong. He had to do this.
"Are you breaking up with me?"
"Yes, Katara," he sighed. "I'm not going to waste your time because that's not anything you've done. I can't be in a relationship that I don't know if I want to be in. I believe that need to grow up and be on my own. I need to learn to survive on my own.
"Nothing you say can change my mind on this and trust me when I say this. You're my best friend, and this kills me. I'm going to lose a part of myself after all of this. I love the Hell out of you. Please, don't fight me on this."
Katara shook her head at him. This wasn't happening. "I don't understand. Where is all of this coming from?"
"There are better men than me, Katara. I don't deserve you, and you need to move on. I hope we can still be friends."
"Be friends?" Her voice was laced with sarcasm. "How could we be friends when I don't understand why you're breaking up with me after we've been together for five years?"
"Katara, this isn't easy for me. Please don't make it harder."
"Fine," Katara huffed as she stomped her foot and ran away like a child. She immediately ran back to the hut that her and Aang had built and collapsed on the bed.
Everything hurt, and she didn't know how long she laid there. Eventually, her father had come to see her, confused on why he hadn't heard from her in days. If Sokka and Suki hadn't been away on their honeymoon, surely someone would have found her sooner. "Katara, is everything alright?" He asked through her heavy door.
"Go away!"
And he did. Next, Zuko appeared at her door a few hours later. "Katara? I just wanted to say goodbye before Mai and I leave tomorrow."
"Go away!"
The next morning, her door was flung open. The force of it almost made the door fly off its hinges. A couple flakes of snow fell onto Katara's cheek. The next thing she knew, her fur blankets were being ripped off of her.
"Hey!" She shouted in protest. Those blankets were like her lifeline.
"Katara, I will not leave you like this," Mai's deep voice filled her bedroom.
"Mai?" Katara asked as her eyes adjusted to being opened for the first time in hours.
Mai sighed. "Katara, you are the Princess of the Southern Water Tribe, a master waterbender, and you outsmarted Azula. Your life does not revolve around Aang. You were happy before him, and you'll be happy without him. Now, get up and start living again. This is just sad."
Katara thought about the girl's words, and she knew Mai was right. Katara was her own person. She didn't need Aang or any other man to tell her how to be happy. "Does it stop hurting?"
Mai sighed again before answering honestly. "It'll take a while." Mai had experienced her own amount of heartbreak, but she knew things would get better. It would all work out in the end... at least it did for her and Zuko.
Katara released a depressed sigh and pushed herself up into a sitting position. She wiped her eyes before hugging Mai. "Thank you, Mai. Please tell Zuko and Iroh I said goodbye."
"I will, and you are welcome in the palace anytime."
Aang wasn't due to leave the South Pole until the end of the month, but he thought it would be best if he left immediately with Zuko and Mai. When they had safely reached the Fire Nation, Zuko sent a messenger hawk with an update. Tucked beside it was a letter to Katara.
My dearest Katara,
These are the hardest words I have ever had to write. I knew that I wouldn't be able to speak them to you, so I tried to make you hate me instead. I know that I am a coward for sharing this in a letter, but I more ashamed of this than anything.
The real reason I broke up with you is because I cheated on you the night of Sokka and Suki's wedding. I had never met her before, but the other guys were taking her friends home with them. I was paired with her. Before you assume the worst, I want you to know that I did not have sex with her. I was too drunk. We did kiss and spent the night together.
Katara, I am so sorry. You deserve the world. I hope that we can be civil if we meet again, and I hope that you can move on without me. I love you more than anything.
Love,
Aang
For a few weeks, Katara feel into a dark depression, but she wasn't hiding in her room this time. She remembered what Mai had told her, and she tried her best to move on with her life. It was difficult, but it wasn't impossible. She walked around the South Pole and attended political meetings like a beautiful zombie. She didn't enjoy conversing with people in random conversation or at celebrations. Waterbending couldn't even cheer her up.
Eventually, Hakoda and Sokka had had enough. With many protests from Katara and Suki, they sent her to Ba Sing Se to visit Toph at her academy. They knew there was no way Toph would tolerate her sulking.
She spent almost six months there with Toph and left feeling more like herself than ever. She was smiling again, making horrible jokes, and training alongside Toph's latest batch of metal benders. She had regular appointments at the spa, and she met up with a seamstress to update her wardrobe. She did everything she could to forget about Aang. In fact, she only left when the Avatar had a scheduled visit with King Kuei.
Instead of returning home, Katara set sail for the Fire Nation to visit Zuko and Mai. She enjoyed shopping at the market, dancing at clubs with handsome men, and eating spicy noodles. It was like the final piece of her was back… and it was better and sexier than ever. Mai had even set Katara up with numerous noblemen's sons. While she enjoyed harmless flirting, she never let them go further than a kiss. When she felt like one of them were developing real feelings, she let them down easily.
She had also spent six months there, but her reason for leaving was a sad one. Katara received word from Sokka that her Gran Gran had passed away in her sleep. Katara was heartbroken as she returned home for the funeral. She even worried that her heart might not recover from losing another person she loved.
The funeral was a grand affair that lasted a week. There were celebrations of life in her Gran Gran's honor with large feasts since she was considered the highest member of the Southern Water Tribe's royal family because her son was the Chief. Master Pakku even lead waterbenders in a beautiful retelling of her life with water figures.
Guests included world leaders and people from all over the world came to watch her be laid to rest. Zuko, Mai, Iroh, and Toph had all made the trip to support her, Suki, and Sokka. It was nice to have them all back together again for the first time in a year, even if the occasion was sad. In fact, Katara was sure that they were the only reason she was able to pull herself back together this time.
Their group was missing one important member. Aang had sent his written condolences for the loss of their grandmother, but his excuse was that he was busy finishing the final restoration of the Western Air Temple. That one was particularly hard for him because of the upside-down formations, particularly getting vegetation to grow in the stone-filled dirt. For the last three months, him and Toph had been working endless to get it back to its former glory.
But Toph had been able to make the journey to the South Pole.
Aang hadn't.
Katara stayed in the South Pole for two years after the funeral. She threw herself into politics like a proper princess. She also began helping Pakku teach waterbending and lead healing classes. She still thought about Aang every day, but the pain in her chest didn't hurt so bad anymore.
She thought of him the most every time she was presented with a betrothal necklace.
Like in the Fire Nation, Katara was not opposed to dating and harmless flirting, but the South Pole was very different and more serious. As a princess, master waterbender, and beautiful woman, Katara had men from all over the Four Nations asking for her hand in marriage, but a majority were from the water tribes. At first, turning men down was awkward and made her feel bad. By the thirtieth proposal, she was a pro. "No thank you" was a permanent part of her vocabulary.
Secretly, she longed for the day a certain grey eyed man would ask her for her hand.
Aang, on the other hand, was not as fortunate to move on like Katara. After arriving back Fire Nation, Aang's agenda was filled with boring meetings and formal functions. It wasn't until a formal ball was announced, that a familiar face showed up at the palace. Her name was Ton Te, and she was the girl Aang had cheated on Katara with.
For a month, the two casually hung out. Although, Ton Te always wanted more. Aang figured that he could use come company since all of his friends were angry with him. Zuko and Mai objected her presence so much that they had Aang moved from the palace and into his own home outside of the palace gates.
By the time the ball came, Aang was starting to have "feelings" for Ton Te. These feelings weren't as strong as his love for Katara, but he did enjoy her presence. She took his mind off of the tan goddess. The night of the ball, Ton Te had slipped outside to get some air. After a while, Aang went looking for her and caught her kissing a palace guard. In a fit of anger, Aang kicked her out and fired the guard.
After the Ton Te incident, Aang was more depressed than ever. He was getting lazy with his training and wasn't paying attention during meetings. It wasn't until six months into their breakup that Aang decided now would be the best time to finish restoring the air temples since the Avatar was not needed for any political or peace making reasons. Before he could do so, he had to meet with King Keui one final time.
This was perfect in Aang's eyes. While he was in Ba Sing Se, he could meet up with Toph to see if she had any tips for construction. He could also ask her if she wanted to join him. It would be good for him to have someone motivating him again. Someone to push him when he got lazy.
When he arrived in Ba Sing Se, the first place he went to was Toph's house near her academy. Despite sending a letter in advance, Toph seemed frazzled by him standing in her doorway. Only later did he learn from a guard that he had missed Master Katara by a few minutes.
Oh, what Aang would have done to see Katara, even if it was as she was leaving. He even briefly considered taking Appa out for ride to look for her, but he knew that Toph would catch him in any lie he told her… and he couldn't tell her the truth.
From what he had gathered, none of their friends knew what really happened between himself and Katara. A few years later, he visited the palace and received a less than warm welcome from Mai… well, less warm than usual.
Toph had agreed to meet with Aang in three months at whichever temple he was at then. She needed to train someone to take over her academy while she was gone and figured that three months should be enough to do so. So, after his meeting with King Kuei, Aang took off for the Southern Air Temple.
He stayed there for three months. The restoration took a lot longer than expected because it was Aang's home. He took extra care of all the details from waterfalls to the flowers that grew in each garden. He knew that he couldn't leave until it was perfect.
As he traveled to his second destination, Toph had sent him a letter to tell him that she would meet him. A week later, she showed up at the Western Air Temple. In Aang's eyes, this was fate. He had no idea what to do about the upside-down formations. Luckily, Toph took care of a lot of the construction aspects while Aang focused on the greenery and fountains.
They were there when they both received letter from the South Pole.
It is with a heavy heart that I write this letter to you. My mother, Kanna, has peacefully passed away in her sleep. While her death was unexpected, she was loved and surrounded by family up until her final moments. Preparations are underway for her celebration of life, and your presence would be greatly appreciated during this difficult time.
Celebrations and funeral rituals will begin on the upcoming Winter Solstice. I apologize for the inconvenience of short travel time and planning, but I sincerely hope you will join us.
From the desk of Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe.
As Aang read the letter aloud to Toph, he felt his stomach drop and his heart break. Kanna was always so nice and welcoming to him... well, expect for their initial meeting. His heart also broke for Katara, Sokka, Suki, Pakku, and Hakoda as they lost their family's monarch. She was their glue.
Toph immediately packed her bags and commanded that Aang do the same, but he couldn't. He hadn't talked to Sokka, Suki, or Katara in almost a year. He was embarrassed at how he left things and didn't feel like a funeral would be the best place to try to make amends. Toph called him a coward, and he knew that he was.
After the Western Air Temple was restored, Aang set flight to the Eastern Air Temple, saving the northern one for last. He knew that he wanted to repair the Northern Air Temple last because it was inhabited. Teo and the Mechanist regularly updated him on their own repairs as well as new inventions, but the war had caused some damages that could only be fixed by an earthbender.
In total, the Western Air Temple took three and a half months, the Eastern Air Temple took another three months, and the Northern Air Temple only two months. Between flying to important meetings and events, Aang spent the last ten months at the Northern Air Temple on and off.
The Northern Air Temple was now home to more people, and Aang enjoyed teaching them the ways of his people. It felt good to be surrounded by people in the air and in culture, with some minor modifications. Although they practiced the Air Nomad ways, Aang didn't feel comfortable calling them Air Nomads. Instead, they were known as the Air Acolytes.
All the time and distractions and time in the world couldn't take his mind off of Katara. He knew that she was the life of his eyes since he first laid eyes on her. He couldn't believe what he had done to her and couldn't live with not telling her. So, he left. Like all the times before, Aang ran when things got tough. The airbender inside of him made him flee, and he regretted it every day.
