Welp, here we are, the end of the story! I really had a great time writing this, it was challenging but I love it and I'm sad to see it go. I want to thank everyone for your support and reviews, I really did not expect this fic to have the response it did. For this final chapter, there will be LEMON so you've been warned.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender

Epilogue

"Ahhhh," Katara sighed as she finally settled into her seat on the plane after a tumultuous morning. The waterbender had not thought to examine the plane tickets until a week ago. She was admittedly disappointed to see the flight to Ember Island was departing at 6am. Katara's feelings of disappointment turned to guilt when she realized she was upset about this thoughtful gift from Aang. She told herself that Aang probably didn't even remember that she was, in a gross understatement, not a morning person. This was their first trip together, so she let her despondency go.

Katara took a sip of her ginger ale and wistfully thought about how Aang and her were on their way to getting to know each other better. She underestimated how long it would take her to pack, instead opting to pack in the morning before the trip. Unfortunately for them both, Aang had to physically go into her room and shake her awake since she was sleeping through his phone calls. Their ride to the airport was slightly tense, as Aang was speeding to the airport while Katara was groggy and not exactly in a good mood. Both of their spirits improved when they were able to skip lines to board the plane first. Normally Katara would object to this treatment, and she knew Aang would too, but they were determined to make this plane at all costs.

Katara turned her head on her pillow to glance at Aang, who was wide-eyed and curious as he looked out of the window. "Look, Katara! The sun is rising. Isn't it beautiful?" Aang asked her with a childlike amazement. Katara giggled and smiled at Aang, "It sure is. I'm so happy to be here with you. I want to apologize about earlier...I'm not the best morning person and-"

Aang squeezed Katara's hand and cut her off, "You don't have to apologize, I already knew you didn't like mornings. I figured it was more of a general dislike and not, uh, that you really struggle to wake up." The couple shared a laugh before Aang leaned over his seat and kissed Katara. After a few moments, Aang pulled away and asked, ignoring the pout on Katara's face, "I'm really excited! What do you want to do first?"

Katara was still pouting until she heard Aang's question. Quickly, her face lit up with a wide smile. She hummed thoughtfully before stating, "Well, the beach I think is something we should definitely do. I've never been to one before. And, I think we gotta check out the Ember Island Players, Mai told me they're famous in the Fire Nation."

Aang laughed, "Oh no, you know Zuko hates them right?" Aang changed his voice and demeanor to impersonate Zuko, "They butchered 'Love Amongst the Dragons'!" Katara and Aang both fell over laughing in their seats about their dramatic friend. After the laughter died, Aang cleared his throat, "But seriously, I think we do need to go since they are kind of a big deal. Maybe get Zuko a t-shirt or something." The couple shared another laugh together but the sound of the pilot over the intercom interrupted their fun.

Katara went to grip her arm rest but found Aang's fingers intertwined with hers. "Squeeze as hard as you need to. I'm not scared of flying," he said with a smirk. His girlfriend relaxed and groaned at his terrible joke, making his heart swell. His confidence in his abilities to make her feel safe and calm expanded in this moment. As their plane ascended into the clouds, Aang's worries about how the trip would go diminished. He believed this vacation would be amazing and change the both of them for the better.

Katara and Aang arrived at the Ember Island Hotel and Resort amidst a throng of fanboys and fangirls. The news of Aang's defeat of Ozai, as well as the battle involving his friends, had made global news. Unfortunately for the young couple, they were both unaware of the effect they would have on the world. Swiftly walking across the grand reception area until they reached the front desk, Aang and Katara could finally catch their breath as they began to check in. The airbender smiled and tried to not roll his eyes at the concierge who upgraded his room to the finest suite in the hotel, free of charge.

With a flurry of giggles and playful pokes by Katara, Aang's staunch resistance to the favoritism had begun to melt away. His lopsided grin returned as they approached their room. The sexual tension thickly hung in the air as the young couple breathed heavily, hearts pounding loudly in both of their chests. This was their first time on vacation, in a hotel, ALONE. After fumbling to try to open the door, they finally spilled into the suite, running head first to the big king size bed.

Like dominoes falling one after the other, Aang plopped onto the soft bed quickly after Katara. In the tussle of them rolling around on the bed, Katara had rolled on top of Aang, straddling his waist. Aang's grin faded to a serious smile and seductive gaze. He slowly ran his fingers up the sides of Katara's waist. His fingers trailed across her ribcage until they landed on her face, cupping her cheeks softly. Katara leaned down and kissed him passionately on the lips. When the air had become too great, she pulled away, looking deeply into his eyes. Those stormy grey eyes made a heat grow between her legs, pulling her thoughts away from the present. The sound of Aang's voice brought her back to where they were.

Aang spoke in a hushed tone, eyes locked with Katara, "I want you to know that you're the one for me, Katara. The only one. I can barely remember what life looked like before I met you. It seems duller, somehow, almost like a black and white movie. But now, everything has changed. It's all in color."

Katara was in shock. The words spoken by Aang seemed almost too great, too much. "How can I respond to that?" she wondered. Katara felt an enormous amount of pressure to answer or to respond with something with something equally eloquent. Sitting up and nervously twirling her hair, she opened her mouth in hopes that some beautiful, moving words would come out. "Aang…" was all she could speak in a breathless whisper.

Aang grinned at his blushing girlfriend. "Katara, you don't have to say anything back. I just wanted to express how I felt. I don't think I've gotten enough chances to tell you what you meant to me, as most of our relationship has been very hectic. I could never know everything you went through when I was in a coma, but from your account plus everyone else's, you need not say anything. I know how you feel from what you did." Aang held onto Katara's waist and turned them around so he was laying on top. She instinctively opened her legs to wrap around his lower back. He leaned down and kissed her roughly, igniting the flame in both of them.

The urgency in their kisses didn't stop except for articles of clothing being removed. Aang sat up as Katara pulled his shirt over his head, exposing his toned chest to her. He leaned down, gliding her shirt over her head. Continuing to kiss her soft lips, Aang reached behind her back to unhook her bra, smiling triumphantly at removing the bra quickly. Katara smirked before feeling Aang's mouth trail hot kisses down her neck. She writhed underneath him as he kissed the dark nipples on her breasts. Alternating between flicking his tongue and lightly sucking, Katara felt the rolling heat return to between her legs.

"Aang, please," she uttered firmly. Without missing a beat, Aang continued to kiss down her stomach until reaching her lacy, blue panties. After taking them off in one swift motion, he opened her legs, adoring her jewel. The hunger inside of him unleashed as he ran his tongue in between her soft folds. Licking purposefully near the sensitive nub, he felt his member growing with every moan elicited by Katara. Her taste and her softness, he wanted to consume all of her. She wiggled and tensied against his mouth, making his member so hard it nearly hurt. In the throws of the loud moans, Katara stopped to breathlessly speak, "I'm about to-"

Katara was interrupted by a surge of pleasure washing over her. Feeling every muscle in her body tense at once and then relax suddenly, she let out a loud sigh of contentment. "Mmmm," she groaned as she rubbed her fingers through Aang's hair. He was softly kissing her inner thighs before kissing his way up to her mouth. She didn't mind the taste of herself on Aang's lips at that moment, it turned her on even more.

After a few moments of kissing, Aang held his throbbing member and brusquely entered Katara between her legs. With hands at either side of her, he drove deep inside her as she moaned in his ear. "Faster," was the only word he needed to hear from her. Quickly thrusting inside of her, he felt her walls beginning to tighten around him. The dizzying feeling of pleasure mixed with her warmth was making it difficult for Aang to stay in control. The sound and feel of Katara climaxing overwhelmed his senses and he was unable to hold back any longer. Releasing his seed into her with a grunt, his sweaty limbs crashed onto the bed next to her. Aang and Katara painted almost in tandem as he stroked her hair. Looking flushed and a little tired, she turned her head to face her boyfriend, "I love you, and I love cuddling too, but I haven't eaten for hours." Aang chuckled with a smile and nodded, "I love you, too. Let's get something to eat."

After they washed up and changed clothes, they were driven from the hotel in a town car included in the cost of their stay. At the restaurant, Aang and Katara sat down at a private table near the kitchen to maintain a semblance of privacy. Their loving whispers and shy smiles to each other were interrupted by the server, who recognized them both instantly.

"Aang! Katara! Wow, I can't believe I got you in my section," the server exclaimed loudly with a smile.

Katara and Aang attempted to cover their faces with their hands in embarrassment. Katara forced a smile at the girl, "Oh, hi, On Ji. Good to see you here, but we're trying to keep a low profile. Apparently, we're a cause for commotion here."

On Ji looked at the worried look on her classmates' faces. Her own face fell with guilt, "Oh, no, I'm sorry! I didn't know, I was just surprised to see you here. I'll give you an order of spring rolls free of charge. I hope I didn't ruin your dinner too much."

Aang smiled at On Ji genuinely, "It's okay, you didn't know. And I have to say, I'm surprised to see you here, too!" On Ji's face returned to her normal cheerful expression. She explained happily, "Oh, that's good news! My aunt and uncle have a beach house here, so I've been coming the Ember Island the past few years to work. You make a lot more here than in Republic City. I was able to buy a car and save up for college. Well, I'll be back with spring rolls and water, then I'll take your order." On Ji waved and turned around, leaving Aang and Katara at the table feeling awkward.

Katara cleared her throat as she looked seriously at Aang, "So, yeah, I guess I kind of forgot how good we have it. And I kind of yelled at her. We have to leave a good tip." Aang nodded in agreement as he became lost in thought. He was reminded of how lucky he was to not have to work with the stipend and car provided from the council. Even his friends didn't really need to work because their parents were all either rich or were high ranking government officials. He was snapped out of his thoughts when On Ji returned to take their order. The rest of the meal was quiet and pensive, but the couple managed to make a few jokes and lighten the mood as they left the restaurant.

The next day, Aang and Katara had spent the day making love and cuddling in bed, only leaving to eat brunch at the famous buffet in the resort. That afternoon, two tickets to an Ember Island Players production had been dropped off at their hotel room. Aang tipped the delivery person and eagerly opened the envelope. "The Cave of The Two Lovers: The Story of Oma and Shu?" Aang asked as he read the title of the play aloud. He turned to look at Katara, who was just as confused as he was.

"So, I'm guessing you don't know who Oma and Shu are either?" Katara asked with a relieved look on her face. Aang shook his head as he took his phone out and started to furiously google. Katara walked over to his side and leaned over his shoulder to look at his screen. "Ohhh, they were some of the first human earth benders? AND IT'S A LOVE STORY! Aang, can we go? Please?" she pleaded with big, puppy dog eyes.

Aang exhaled, feeling defeated but smiled at Katara, "Sure, maybe it will actually be interesting. I like that it's based on real events." Suddenly, he was almost bowled over by his girlfriend, who shrieked in joy as she hugged him tight. Her lips sweetly kissed his, making a shiver go up his spine. Katara broke away from the kiss to say, "Well, we should get ready. The play starts in an hour."

The hotel arranged for a black, town car to drive Aang and Katara to the theatre. As soon as the young couple stepped out on the sidewalk, about a dozen young girls rapidly approached Aang. The airbender blushed, feelings the heat emanating from his girlfriend as the swarm encroached on them. The girls were all talking over each other in their excitement.

"Is this your girlfriend?"

"Are you living in Republic City?"

"Do you hate firebenders?
"Did you really beat Ozai in under 10 minutes?"

"Can airbenders get married?"

Aang chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck, "Uh, yes, yes, no, yes, yes. Thank you for the questions, but we're trying to have a quiet evening. Excuse us." Aang intertwined his hands with Katara's and pulled her away from the group. They managed to escape quickly and make their way to their balcony seats. As they sat down, Aang became sad as he looked upon Katara, who was frowning and avoiding eye contact. After a few moments, he cleared his throat, "Katara.." He was cut off by the dimming of the lights and the curtain rising. He tried again in a whisper, "Katara, I-"

Katara cut him off in a harsh whisper, "Shhh, I'm trying to watch."

Aang slumped against his chair as the orchestra played dramatic and beautiful music. He felt uneasy, wanting to feel anything except how he felt at that moment. They almost never got in fights, mostly because he avoided conflict constantly, so he was not used to this feeling. Aang could tell that Katara was mad, but what made him anxious was that none of this was his fault. He didn't understand how she could be mad at him when he didn't do anything wrong. All he wanted was to explain so things could go back to normal. But unfortunately, she was very engrossed in the play and made no sign of wanting to talk to him.

Aang sighed and decided he might as well watch the play. The actors and the writing weren't horrible, which almost made up for him feeling anxious about Katara. As the play went on, Aang started to forget about their fight. He was actually interested in the war plot, and the hardships these lovers had faced because of an unnecessary war. Aang became tearful at seeing how Oma and Shu were forbidden to love each other. He couldn't imagine not being with Katara. Almost as if she was reading his mind, her hand squeezed his. He turned to face her, noticing the well of tears in her eyes. No longer anger on her face, but instead, there was only remorse and love.

The narrator spoke as the music swelled and the curtains began to close, "Love is brightest in the dark."

Aang and Katara didn't immediately clap like the rest of the audience, instead they shared a look of understanding after the end of the play. Katara wiped her tears with the back of her hand and looked into Aang's eyes. She spoke softly, "I'm sorry about getting mad earlier, Aang. I keep forgetting how lucky we are to still have each other, especially after everything that threatened to keep us apart. I know you had no control of those girls, I guess...I just...got scared because I realized that will happen to you a lot and I won't always be around. Especially the next couple years when I'm in the South Pole, you'll have fangirls throwing themselves at you. I just worry, you know."

Aang furrowed his brow, not particularly fond of what Katara was insinuating, "No, I don't really know, Katara. I've only ever had eyes for you. I know you'll probably be getting hit on by guys at your school, and while I won't like it, I trust you. I hope that you can trust me."

Katara frowned at the realization of what she had implied, and was surprised that she was feeling jealous, "Wow, Aang, you're right. I'm sorry, I do trust you. I don't know why I let them get to me like that. I hope you do know that I trust you and I'll try to not let your fanclub make me jealous."

Aang smirked as he held Katara's hand to stand up from their seats, "That's good to hear. Honestly, I'm not excited about having a fanclub, either. I just want to be treated like everyone else." Katara interlaced her fingers with Aang's while they walked out of the theatre, "I know you do. Maybe you can start asking people to just call you "Aang" instead of "The Avatar"?"

Aang's smile widened as they sat side by side in the town car, "I love that idea, Katara! I'm going to do that for now on." He leaned over to kiss the waterbender softly, happy to have resolved their argument earlier. He felt that their relationship was now stronger than ever.

On the final day of the vacation, Aang and Katara sunbathed and waterbended on Ember Island beach. The couple carried their beach chairs, umbrellas, and cooler filled with snacks and water onto the grey beach. After setting up close to the water, Aang and Katara took turns applying suntan lotion on each other. The airbender chuckled lightly to himself after finishing up rubbing lotion on to his girlfriend's back. Katara opened a side eye to Aang, "What's so funny?" Aang grinned and laid back on his chair, "Just thinking about how almost two years ago I would've given my left foot to rub lotion on your back. It's funny, I'm more comfortable with you now than ever, but I'm still in awe of you. I don't think that will ever change"

Katara smiled as she stretched out on her beach chair, "Aang, you really need to stop being so charming. I'm going to miss hearing your romantic statements every day." Aang smiled weakly, pondering the bittersweet words spoken to him by Katara. While he was hopeful for the future, he knew it would be work. He was prepared to work, and he was confident she was too, but it still filled him with sadness. It almost felt like they couldn't catch a break.

"Well, I'm never going to stop, not even when we're thousands of miles away. I'll either send you texts or videos or voicemails saying how I feel about you every day. Avatar's Promise," he said with a serious tone. Katara couldn't help feeling tearful, but the tears were coming from a place of joy. She was so lucky to have a boyfriend who was not afraid of obstacles or fighting for their relationship. Her heart fluttered as she thought, "If he asked me to marry him today, I would say 'yes'". She shook this thought away and laid back down on the chair, soaking up the sun, knowing there would be more times for these thoughts as they got older.

The rest of the beach trip was joyous and focused on the present. Aang and Katara took turns building castles in the embers and practicing waterbending in the water. They didn't mention college or Avatar duties for the rest of the day. They knew what was waiting for them at the end of August, but just for today, they did not worry.

The following day, after a bumpy but mostly uneventful flight home, Aang drove Katara to her house from the airport. The car ride was quiet as they both were deep in thought. Aang was certain that they could go the distance in their relationship, as evidenced by the two of them spending 5 days straight together with only one little argument. He loathed having to live in separate homes for the rest of the summer. Katara had insisted on living at her home to spend as much time with her family as possible before moving away. Aang would not stand in the way of Katara and her family, but he had hoped they could see each other at least once a day.

As Aang pulled into Katara's driveway, they both lingered in the car in silence. Katara broke the tension first, "So, when's your anointment ceremony?" Aang's face brightened a bit at the question, "Oh yeah! It's August 1st. I figured I'd give myself some time to recover so I could see you off at the airport in top form." Katara giggled, giving Aang a reassuring smile and quick peck on the lips before exiting the car.

Aang met Katara at the front door as her luggage stood next to her. They embraced for several minutes, letting the unspoken words fill the between them. "This is more of a beginning than an end, you know this right?" Aang asked. Katara nodded in agreement. She knew their summer would be happy, and while moving away was painful, she was sure everything in the next chapters of their life would work out great. Katara kissed Aang and waved goodbye as he backed out of their driveway, anxious for the next phase of their story to continue.

The Anointment Ceremony

Soreness radiated through Aang's body, from his forehead to his feet. Since the monks and nuns started tattooing him, he had continued using his deep breathing techniques. As he began to put his official Master Airbender robe on, he breathed deeply in and out, trying desperately to not think of the pain he was in. Looking at the bright blue arrows on his hands and his feet momentarily stopped him from noticing the throbbing of his body. The blue arrows led to twisting blue lines that corresponded with the five chi paths. He absentmindedly motioned to run his fingers across his hair, laughing at himself as he realized there was no hair on his head. Instead, he ran his hand across his smooth scalp, noticing how much more attune he was to the air around him without hair. It made sense now why airbenders shaved their heads.

Aang put his hood up, hiding his newly shaved head, and opened the door of his chamber. Monk Gyatso was standing there with a smile, holding a picture of Aang's parents. "If you're ready, Aang, we can get started." Aang shook away the beginning of tears in his eyes and followed Gyatso down the hallway of the Temple. It looked like hundreds of candles were set up in the hallway and the anointing room. Aang and Gyatso walked in peaceful silence until they had reached the altar. Looking around the room, the young airbender became delighted as he saw the smiling faces of Katara, Sokka, Toph, Suki, Zuko, Hakoda, Pakku, Kanna, Iroh, and Ursa. With a quick nod at his loved ones, Aang turned back to the altar. He smiled at the picture of his parents, closing his eyes to visualize them here, sitting next to Katara. Their faces smiling at him assured him that he was not alone and that he would never be.

Gyatso began to speak, "Thank you all for joining us today at the Southern Air Temple. We're here to officially welcome Master Aang to our community as a leader who will impart knowledge and compassion to all airbenders, both young and old. For those of us unaware, Master Airbenders were required to partake in the anointing ceremony for centuries. But in the past few decades, this ceremony was no longer required. Master Aang's decision to receive his tattoos shows tremendous courage, a testament to following his own path. Aang, will you please kneel?"

Aang knelt in front of Gyatso with his head bowed. Gyatso leaned over and placed a thumb dipped in frankincense oil on Aang's forehead. "Everyone, let us welcome a new beacon of hope in the world and leader of this community. I present to you, Avatar Aang. Master Airbender and successor to Avatar Yangchen. May you bring balance to the world." This was Aang's cue to raise his hands to his hood and pull the cloth down to his shoulders, revealing his shaved head and tattoos. His heart raced in anticipation of the reaction from everyone, but especially Katara. He hesitantly looked out into the crowd, but was relieved to see everyone smiling. Katara in particular was beaming with tears in her eyes. She looked so happy and this made him feel overjoyed, capturing the love between them in this moment.

All of the hardships, pain, and loss of these past two years led him to who he was today. He had accepted the challenges and grew from it. Aang had finally learned to relax and enjoy the unfolding of his destiny. He was capable and strong, ready to navigate this newly forged path that lay ahead of him. Aang knew it was possible to not only save the world, but to save himself.

The End

FYI, I am planning a sequel but I have two other fics to start before that happens. Follow me for new fics and when the sequel comes out if you so choose. Stay blessed.