Ages:
Aang – 17
Katara – 19
Sokka – 20
Toph – 17
Zuko – 21
-5 years after the end of the war-
The wind rushed against his face, quickly drying the tears that continued to flow. He looked downwards to his companion, Appa, who seemed to commiserate with Aang's freshly broken heart. Appa offered him a consoling grunt, then tilted his head up to the horizon. The sun was setting, with its crimson and orange rays bathing the South Pole in an ethereal light. It was the last light before the long, dark winter.
Aang questioned, "Beautiful, huh buddy?"
Appa let out a reserved roar, kicked his tail and flew to the surface of the water, skimming the rocking waves with his toes. Aang began to push and pull the water around him, as if trying to connect with the one he loved for the very last time. He closed his eyes, and the tears continued to fall.
Pacing across a hide in her icy home, Katara seethed. She rubbed her temples furiously, attempting to control her breathing but had limited success.
Onlookers at the Southern Water Tribe saw the icy home shake, rumble, and crack. The cacophony was in unison with the yelling of a broken waterbender.
"How could he just…go? Leave me here? What does he not understand about commitment…or everything we've been through?" She ranted.
"I'm…not sure sweetheart. I'm so sorry." Hakoda consoled.
Katara turned to her father, with bloodshot, puffy, eyes and retreated to her room. She lay back on her bed, wrapped the furs over, and thought back to the events which had recently transpired.
-Two hours earlier-
On their flight back from the Eastern Earth Kingdom, Aang had been quiet. Conversations between the two had grown short and tense over the past few months. Both Aang and Katara wrote it up to stress, though each had hidden thoughts of a growing rift. They touched down in the South Pole and when they entered Katara's home, Aang stopped abruptly.
"Katara, I…feel like I've been a continuous letdown to you, and to our relationship. I just, I don't know. It's hard for me to convey what I'm feeling." Aang began.
"Well, you better try." Katara replied, folding her arms.
Aang answered, "Truthfully, I thought we'd be able to actually live at the end of the war. I knew that we'd encounter resistance, whether it be Yu Dao, or remnants of Ozai's reign. I just…had assumed that we'd do it togeth-"
Katara interrupted, "Have we not done it all together? Brought some peace back to the world? Have we not fought injustice and sought to return balance?"
"We have…or we're trying to. Come on Katara, be real with me. Does the world really seem any safer? You were almost killed last week when we were in the Earth Kingdom! I just…I can't give energy to this relationship while the world continues to suffer. I find myself not prioritizing you and not thinking about you and your needs. It's…not fair to you." Aang replied, shifting his gaze downwards.
Her eyes began to well with tears. She firmly shoved his chest and looked at him with wide eyes. "Really Aang, this is how you're ending things? Do you not need me as much as I need you?" She argued.
"No Katara, it's not about th-"
"Yes, it is. We talked about our future, having a family." She began to cry, "Was any of it real?"
"Katara, it was as real to me as the wind that flows through my fingers or the water through yours. I fear that because of my wrongdoings, when I ran away, that I'm putting you at constant danger. We've both lost so much, and I can't imagine you losing any more…or me losing you. I'm sorry." Aang croaked, with his throat closing.
"What makes you think you have the ability to choose what I want? I know the risks and I've lived through that. I've accepted it. I won't let you do this."
Aang closed the distance between the two and planted a firm, brief kiss on her forehead. Blue eyes met silver and he could only manage a labored, "I'm so sorry." With that, he slowly walked out and began to run to Appa.
Katara remained frozen in place, accepting that what had been said was simply a dream, or rather, a twisted nightmare. Her trance was broken by Sokka emerging into her home, a worried look on his face. "Katara, what happened? Aang took off without as much of a glance to me."
Katara inhaled sharply, and her tears began to fall once more. She collapsed on the floor, only to be quickly wrapped in a hug by her brother.
-3 years later-
Word of the Avatar's endeavors diffused through the market, from vendor to customer. They chatted regularly about how the world was changing and how he was changing it. Whenever Katara approached one of these conversations, their speaking volume would diminish, accompanied by short, almost pitying glances directed at her. She hated thinking that people believed she was traumatized or was unable to hear about a person she spent much of her formative years with. In truth, she considered herself to have healed from the ordeal. She still thought of him, but she believed it hurt less.
Since the end of the war, Katara had spent time off and on training waterbenders in the South Pole. She was undoubtedly the best in the world, and happily offered her skills and knowledge to eager students. The South Pole had boomed, with pillars of ice and palaces of snow dotting the landscape. Members of the Northern Tribe had come to rebuild, as well as repopulate, and now the South Pole stood as one of the great cities of the world.
She stood at the edge of a glacier, looking down into the icy depths. She thought of him, and how he might've changed. At the time of their breakup, he had grown into a handsome young man, and similarly, Katara was widely considered to be one of the world's great beauties. She noticed a roughly round shaped iceberg drift by in the distance. In an instant, she was teleported back to that fateful day, when she struck Sokka's club against the ice and a mysterious boy emerged. Memories of the war blitzed through her eyes. She saw their first kiss in the darkness. She saw him fall lifeless into her arms. She saw the powerful presence he had on the day of Zuko's coronation.
Katara was removed from her vision with the sound of shrill screams. She turned her head and saw flames erupt from the town square. In an instant, she summoned the water around her and skated towards the epicenter. When she arrived, her breath hitched in her throat. Two dozen men in fire nation fatigues were blasting fire at people within the square. They cackled as Southerners were struck, and as their clothes began to singe. At the center of the square, she recognized the leader of the Rough Rhinos, Colonel Mongke, with flames occupying his hands.
Katara immediately gathered water into her octopus stance as the other firebenders began to launch volleys of flame at her. She absorbed each blast, though with each shot, her footing began to slide. "What are you doing here?" She yelled.
"What does it look like girl? We're eradicating your kind, once more. In the name of the Phoenix Queen Azula, it is time the Fire Nation become dominant and fulfill the dream of Fire Lord Sozin. We've already ended the Air Nomads, and now…it's your turn."
Katara was immediately confused. "Azula…she's locked up and has no power. What could we possibly fear from her, or you?"
"I wouldn't be so confident." With that, Mongke turned slightly, and a blast of blue flame zipped through the polar air, catching Katara off guard. She barely managed to deflect the flame before a familiar face landed gracefully on the ice in front of her.
"Azula." Katara growled.
"Peasant." Azula venomously replied. "Fancy seeing you here. A shame, really, that you must bear witness to this suffering. Nothing brings me greater joy than seeing you helpless and surrounded…like you once left me." Azula shifted her stare to the firebenders, and back to Katara. "I believe our message has been received. Look around you, filth."
Katara, not taking her eyes off of Azula, saw the carnage in her periphery. Her eyes began to fill with hot tears as she saw families scattered on the ice, some moaning in pain with others deathly silent.
Azula returned her glance to the firebenders. "Let's get out of here boys. We're onto our next target." She returned her piercing gaze to Katara. "Let your friends know I'm back. Let them know who did this…let them know it was me."
With that, Azula and the firebenders were engulfed in a spiraling globe of blue and red flame, and subsequently vanished. Shellshocked, Katara fell to her knees. Tears escaped her eyes before the calling of her name brought her glance upward. Sokka and Hakoda had just emerged into the town square and began to move the injured to the healing huts.
"Katara! Look at me, it's Sokka." She tilted her gaze upward and saw burn marks on Sokka's face and neck. She snapped out of her daze and immediately took water into her hands and let the glow overtake Sokka's skin. He sighed in relief and Katara left to tend to the other wounded. Her work was arduous and exhausting. Azula and the firebenders had wounded many and killed several. After working herself to the point of exhaustion, Katara retreated to her home, left unscathed from the attack. Sitting in her living room was her father and brother, offering her a sad smile.
Katara's eyes began to well, and her sobs ripped through her chest. Sokka and Hakoda rushed to her side, and she noticed their tears falling in tandem. "I can't believe you're here. I'm so glad you're both okay." She mumbled.
Sokka squeezed tighter and began running his arm down his shaking sister's back. "The same thing happened in Ba Sing Se during the Council of the Four Nations. Azula told us her next target, and with that, she left." He regarded her with a pained glance, "We came as soon as we could."
They began to huddle around the glowing fire in the small hearth, recounting events of the day and sharing what they had done in recent weeks. Hakoda served as a representative of the Southern Water Tribe. Sokka had begun to serve as his father's assistant representative in the Council, training for a role he would likely adopt upon their father's retirement. As a result, Sokka was invested in the welfare and prosperity of the Southern Tribe, as well as the rest of the world. Sokka began to explain the recent Fire Nation Uprisings across the Four Nations. Zuko had been trying his best to stamp out rebellion on his shores, though was unwilling to commit troops to other nations. As a result, the effort to fight the rebels was unorganized and often had conflicting strategies. It wasn't until the attack in Ba Sing Se did Azula reveal herself as the leader of this new group, naming herself the Phoenix Queen.
"I'm not sure if Aang is coming. He left before the attack began." Sokka breathed. Katara froze, her breath hitched, and she regarded Sokka with a quick glance. With his mentioning, Katara began to panic.
"Why am I responding this way? Haven't I healed? I have, haven't I?" She quickly thought to herself.
After regaining her composure, she responded coldly, "Thanks for letting me know Sokka. I hope the Avatar is able to commit to the world in this matter." Katara realized her slip the moment the words left her mouth. She stood up, walked towards her room. As she was about to pass the front door, it slowly opened. Katara froze as she stared into his eyes.
"Katara…"
"Aang…"
Ladies, gentleman, and non-binary friends, I hope you enjoyed. This is sort of a test run for my first time writing creatively. I'm a STEM major currently in my senior year of college and writing this story is honestly my first time writing like this since high school. Apologies for any stiffness or whatever. If enough of y'all are interested, I'll continue, though I can't commit to any consistent schedule.
Stay safe and mask up!
