Glad to see some interest in the story so far. Please feel free to offer any constructive criticism or your general thoughts. Apologies for any confusion regarding the time shifts. In the present, 3 years post breakup, the ages are as follows:
Aang – 20
Katara – 22
Sokka – 23
Toph – 20
Zuko – 24
-The following morning, Healing Hut-
Katara paced through the healing hut, a rectangular space lined with cots and victims of Azula's recent attack. With worried eyes she scanned burn victims, encased in bandages like a mummy she would find in the Si Wong Desert. The healers worked tediously through the night and during the day, attempting to heal Southerners as best they could. Other healers prodded Katara to rest and stop her seemingly frantic movements, though in reality, she sought to escape an awkward and perhaps unwanted reunion. Three years had passed since she had last heard from or even seen Aang. She had heard quick updates from the locals or her brother and father, but not once had he visited or written her. This in particular was devastating to Katara, as she had hoped he would at least reach out to make sure she was okay, that she was safe. For this negligence, Katara resented him.
Aang, having learned healing from the Northern Tribe in his travels, managed to help the other healers as best he could, trying to join Katara's effort on a patient here or there. It seemed that whenever he wanted to help, or made a move to do so, she got wrapped up in the treatment of another victim. It was also noticeable that she hadn't met his eyes that day, in reality, the only time their eyes had locked was when he arrived in the night.
-Last night, Katara's home-
"Katara…"
"Aang…"
She met his eyes, silver globes fraught with indescribable worry and sorrow. For a second, she stood there, and his eyes began to glisten in the moonlight. He stormed forward and embraced her in a tight squeeze. He rested his head on her shoulder, letting his tears stain her shirt. Katara stood frozen, stiff as a board. She couldn't find the energy, either physical or emotional, to return the affection. Noticing this, Aang relaxed his vice grip, and retreated backwards a few steps to bask in her appearance. He noted the dark circles under her eyes, the blood stains on her clothing, and the knots in her hair. Underneath it all, he still saw the woman he loved, and she made his heart leap and his stomach sink.
He began, "I got here as fast as I could. I had already left Ba Sing Se when the attack happened…I'm so sorry for not being here sooner. I was informed by a messenger while still in the Earth Kingdom."
Aang regarded Sokka and Hakoda with a strained glance. "I cannot believe I missed Azula. I'm so glad you both made it out…and Katara…thank the spirits you did too."
Katara dropped her gaze to the floor, clasping her hands in front of her waist. "Thanks for coming Aang. If you'll excuse me, I need to rest and clean up." She avoided his stare and turned to her father and brother and whispered "Goodnight." With that, Katara turned and withdrew to her room, silently closing the door.
Aang noted the sorrowed expression that her father and brother made as they watched her retreat. Once out of view, they turned their attention towards Aang. The airbender shifted uncomfortably but gathered his strength and walked firmly towards Sokka and gave him a quick pat on the back, followed by a brief grasp of Hakoda's arm. The men regarded each other silently for a minute before Aang broke the silence.
"Just as I thought things were starting to cool down, Azula escapes and begins to terrorize the entire world. She really did a number down here." Aang took a deep breath, "I saw the infirmary and burial site. Why? What good does attacking young, innocent families do for her? Stripped of their lives by a person living in a distorted fantasy. It's not fair!" His eyes and arrows flickered briefly, before settling down.
Hakoda began to rub his eyes and Sokka began to speak. "I'm not sure Aang. I hate it too. Once I heard about the attacks beginning, I thought they were isolated incidents. I never thought Azula would attempt something so bold like she did in Ba Sing Se. Hopefully we can get support from the Earth King and Zuko to work on a solution. The way we're handling things now won't work out in the long run. You know that. You can't fly from place to place hoping to catch Azula."
Aang lowered his head and nodded solemnly. The years on the road had been transformative for the young Avatar. He was able to help people firsthand and dispel foes at each doorstep, whether it be rebels or angry spirits. During his time alone, he couldn't help but feel as if he had made a huge mistake in not trying to fix what was broken between him and Katara. The first two years after their breakup, Aang chose not to write to her, for reasons he justified at the time, but failed to support now. He had believed that it was his duty to serve the world and not himself, to lose himself in the work. He would not stop until the world could take a collective breath from the last hundred years of turmoil. Once the attacks began, about a year ago, he had started writing to Katara, informing her of his whereabouts and any information he had regarding the mysterious attacks. After receiving no response for the better part of the next year, Aang had come to the conclusion that she simply did not any contact with him. Honestly, he couldn't blame her. He dropped her at a vulnerable moment when he should have realized that they needed each other more than ever. He blamed himself and knew that he deserved her silence.
"I know, Sokka. I've started to come to that realization within the last year. I just…I feel guilt over my absence, and I feel obligated to serve until the fighting has ceased. But I've begun to realize that I can't do it all alone, and I still struggle with that. I've needed you all more than you could know."
Sokka took a thoughtful pause and looked at Aang.
"Aang, why did you never write Katara?"
Aang shifted his glance to Sokka and met him with a confused expression. "Sokka, I don't know what Katara has told you, but I've been writing her for the better part of a year. I must have written at least two dozen letters within the last year. There's no way my messenger hawk missed all of those times."
Sokka, somewhat coldly, replied, "I don't know man. That's just what she told me, and I haven't seen any of your mail when I've been here."
"I started writing to her once the attacks started, about a year ago. That doesn't make any sense." Aang trailed off.
Sokka and Hakoda offered him a brief shrug and stood up, patting Aang on the shoulder. Sokka took one last look at him. "Aang, if that's true, you need to tell Katara. It hasn't been easy for her, especially believing that you didn't care. Make it right." Sokka walked to the door and paused as if he was going to speak more. He quickly shook his head and left Katara's home.
Aang watched Sokka's exit and then sat alone, next to the glowing embers, thinking of the waterbender in the room over.
-1 year ago, Ba Sing Se-
A cloaked figure stood on the ledge of a towering spire in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se. She watched the Avatar attach a message to a hawk, and let it take off, heading towards the South Pole. The Avatar returned inside, closing the door behind him. With a harsh whistle, the hawk diverted its direction and flew towards the spire, landing obediently on the arm of the watcher. The figure took the letter from the capsule on the hawk, and moved it into their free hand, igniting it in blue flame, until the ashes dispersed into the wind.
"Good. Let's keep them separated, that's how we'll take them down. I'm sure you miss your little waterbender, don't you Avatar? She's responsible for this. She's responsible for it all." With that, the figure lifted her hood, revealing Azula's amber eyes and red lips turned into a wicked smile.
"Colonel Mongke! Mobilize our followers at once. The council meeting is exactly a year from today. Start our preparations to crush these insects, begin with the attack at the village south of here. No prisoners."
"Yes, Phoenix Queen Azula, it would be my pleasure." Mongke offered with a deep bow and a sneer of his lips into a malicious, predatory grin.
-Present time, healing hut-
Aang had just started healing a burn on a young girl. He regarded her with warm eyes, forming a silly grin as he used discreet airbending to orbit a marble around his face, making a goofy expression with each rotation. The young girl squealed with delight at his shenanigans, wholly distracting her from Aang continuing to expose burned, raw skin from the attack. He healed her quickly, making sure to never let her lose focus on him. In an instant, she was better, and grasped Aang's finger with her small hand. Aang gave her a quick wink and told her how brave she was, earning a blush from the child. He smiled, ran his hand through her hair, and bid farewell. As Aang stood up and turned around, he noticed Katara regarding the scene with a small smile, before briefly meeting his eyes and then looking away.
After a short while, Katara paced out of the healing hut, while Aang continued to heal his last patient. He noted this, finished up the last of what he could do, and took after her.
"Katara, wait up!" He yelled, forming an air scooter beneath his feet.
Katara paused and turned around to see Aang zipping across the snow after her. She adopted a frown as her drew closer, allowing him to catch up and match her stride.
Aang started, "I'm still so impressed with you and what you're able to do for these people. You really are the best in the world, huh?"
Katara didn't reply, and instead chose to focus on her feet trudging through the snow, focusing on them with a seemingly intense fascination. She really didn't want to have this conversation.
Aang took the hint and decided to kill the small talk. "Sokka told me last night that you didn't receive a single one of my letters. Is that true?"
Katara paused and met him with a burning glare. "You're really going to show up here, three years too late, and claim that in those three years, you sent me letters that I magically didn't receive? Give me a break, Aang, I don't want to hear it."
Aang regarded her with wide eyes, and began to trip over his words, "Katara, I swear! Okay…I didn't write you in the first two years but-"
She cut him off with a shove, "I told you that I didn't want to hear it! You messed up, Aang. Your first mistake was leaving me. What good did that do for you? Did you fix the world away from me? Did you really? Maybe you made a little progress, I don't know. Whatever you fixed out there, you broke here."
Absorbing the hurt in her words and countenance, Aang took a step back, hanging his head low. "Katara, I just did what I thought was right for the world. It pained me to see my friends, especially you, getting hurt because of me. I never wanted it to end up like this…and I promise, I promise that I wrote you. I started in the last year, once the attacks started. Maybe they're connected, I don't know! But please! -" He dropped to his knees, "I need you to believe me. My intentions were to better the world, and I hoped that you would understand."
Katara stared down at him, feeling just the slightest bit of remorse, and eventually steeled herself. "Aang, I don't know what happened with you trying to communicate with me. Honestly, it's irrelevant. You should have been here with me. You should have tried to work it out, but it's clear to me that you didn't care to."
"But Katara, I still love y-"
"Enough! I don't want to hear it. You don't get to come back here and tell me you love me after leaving me like that. Figure yourself out Aang, reflect on it, and come back once you realize what you did."
Katara turned on her heels, trudging back to her home, leaving a broken Avatar in the snow. He wondered if this was what she felt all those years ago.
I hope you all enjoyed. Please don't forget to leave a review if you feel inclined to do so.
