Please R&R.
Disclaimer: ATLA is not mine, and I am not owned by it.
Chapter 20
He immediately sat up, clutching his chest, gasping multiple times. He felt a deep feeling of fear, he felt... cold.
"What was that?" he whispered, trying to remember what had caused him to have this feeling of dread. No matter how hard he tried to recollect his thoughts, nothing came to him.
The boy got up and walked downstairs, lost in his train of thought, and pulled up a chair.
"What's up, Aang? You look like you just saw a spirit," Sokka said jokingly, with a tad hint of worry in his voice.
"Spirit..." Aang thought, remembering a similar feeling to the presence of a spirit.
"It's nothing... I'm fine," Aang said quietly.
A few seconds passed before a special waterbender entered the room. "Hey sweetie!"
"Oh, hey Katara!" he said cheerfully, forgetting what he was thinking about. She stood behind Aang's chair and he turned his head to face her. They gave each other a quick peck on the lips and Katara sat next to him.
Aang opened his mouth, about to say something. But Katara swatted him with a bunch of nips and pecks on the cheek.
His mouth hung open in shock, surprised at her eagerness. She giggled, blushed, and looked away. "Sorry, I'm just excited that we'll get to be us again. No more distractions, no more school, just us."
"Me too," he whispered. Their lips engaged for half a second before Sokka interrupted.
"Alright enough, this is getting way too gross! I don't feel like watching you guys swap spit! Save the rest for your date!" Katara rolled her eyes but quickly smiled upon looking at Aang. No one could ever make her happier.
Aang looked upon the distant sky as Katara rested on his shoulder. Appa soared through the clouds and neared the middle of the troposphere.
"Sweetie, where are we going?"
Aang was entranced in his thoughts. "That feeling... why can't I remember it?"
"Sweetie? Aang... Aang?" Katara repeated.
"Yeah, yeah..? What?"
"Where are we going?" Katara asked.
"Oh, I just wanted to have a picnic in the clouds," Aang replied.
"But... you didn't bring food... or anything for that matter," Katara responded with sadness.
"I must've forgot," Aang responded blankly before staring out into the sky once more.
Katara looked back at him with concern written across her face. "He's never acted like this before."
A few minutes of silence passed.
"Aang, are you okay?" she said with worry evident in her voice.
"I'm completely fine," Aang said, trying but also failing in putting on a facade.
"I know you aren't fine," Katara responded with solemness.
"Katara... I'm fine!" he shouted.
Her head looked like it was about to explode, but she instead sighed heavily. "Aang, we can't keep secrets or lie to each other anymore. We're not just best friends anymore, we're lovers."
Aang broke down and let some tears come out, realizing his poor treatment of Katara. She wrapped her arms around him.
"It's going to be okay," Katara whispered.
Another few minutes passed, Katara still holding Aang in an embrace.
"I-I had a dream, or maybe even a vision," Aang whispered. Katara let go, allowing them to face each other.
"What was it about, what do you remember?"
"That's the problem... I don't remember anything! The only thing that I can recall is a presence that made me engulfed me in fear and making me feel cold," Aang choked.
"Let's just call off the date and get you back home," Katara said caringly.
"Are-Are you sure? I know this date means a lot to you."
"Yeah, I'm sure. Your well-being will always be put above these dates. Plus I'd rather be on a date where my boyfriend is focused on me, but we can't do that without you being okay."
"Thanks... thank you Katara," Aang whispered, a smile forming on his face.
"Why don't we take him to one of the festivals going on tonight, that'll keep him distracted!" Sokka suggested.
"I doubt that a festival will keep Twinkletoes distracted. Even Sweetness had a hard time pulling him out of the loop. She is, or at least was, the thing that's constantly on his mind," Toph responded.
"She's right, Sokka. A festival won't beat out Katara," Zuko chimed in.
"It wouldn't hurt to try though!" Sokka defended.
"Yeah, we should just try and see how it goes," Suki piped up.
"Thanks, sweetheart." Sokka pecked her cheek.
"Snoozles, keep the cringy couple nicknaming for Sugar Queen and Twinkletoes."
"Yeah, I don't want to end up like them," Sokka laughed.
"HEY! What's wrong with me and Aang!?" Katara said defensively, crossing her arms.
Sokka yelled back at her and they eventually got into a screaming match. Their words were incoherent and could not be made out.
"Oh boy," Mai said while rolling her eyes, as the siblings continued their bickering.
A few hours passed and the Gaang departed into the streets of Ba Sing Se where they arrived at the festival. They hung out a bit before splitting off. Mai and Zuko wandered into a cafe while Toph, Sokka, and Suki went off to play some games. Katara found a vendor selling limited-stock dresses. She eventually came across a dress that was similar to an Air Nomad robe.
"Oh, I hope Aang likes it," she thought. Katara's eyes wandered over to Aang who was waiting outside the shop. His eyes were wandering around the festival and he was even joking around with some commonfolk.
Katara bought the dress and put on inside of a dressing room, putting her old clothes into a bag before approaching Aang outside the store.
"You like it?" She smiled at him.
"Wow... you look amazing! Orange and yellow look really good on you," he complimented her with a huge grin.
"Sokka was right this actually seems to be working," she turned to him and kissed the side of his mouth.
"What did I do to deserve that?" Aang replied happily.
"Just for you being you," Katara responded, excited that her boyfriend seemed to be normal again.
They turned to each other and their eyes twinkled. They laced their fingers and began walking. Aang looked around and noticed that the lights started to be blinding and the voices and sounds were becoming incoherent and muffled. Soon, everyone disappeared and he was alone on the street.
"Hello? Where'd everybody go?" he called. He looked through the alleys and shops before returning to the main street of the festival.
A couple of minutes passed. He started to hear clinking on the ground and turned behind him. He returned to face forward and everything became pitch-black.
"What's going on?" he said. His reflexes on high alert.
Another few minutes passed, this time walking off into the endless dark void. Another sound of clinking came from behind and he turned instantly. The ground started to bubble before someone, or something, emerged. Aang gulped and looked up at the giant, looming figure.
"Avatar..." the figure whispered.
Same cliffhanger as last time, haha!