A/N: Guys…. I know you're reading, I can see you reading, please, please review. I have to admit, I was really nervous about writing Aang, just because I wanted to get a good balance of who he is in the series, but still have him aged appropriately (something which I always thought Korra struggled with) so it was a bit of a struggle, I tried taking a lot from Gyatso. I Originally this was going to be part of the last chapter, but I realized it was way too long (what was supposed to be like a page of exposition turned into 9 pages) so I split it up (that's why the last chapter was a little shorter than usual) Anyway. Hope you all enjoy.
Chapter Six: The Avatar
The Avatar arrived exactly one week later and the palace staff had organized a humble celebration for his arrival. The Fire Lord, as with most of the royal court, was not particularly pleased to have the snuffy airbender in such close proximity, where he was sure to stick his fat nose in Fire Nation business. But despite his own feelings, Fire Lord Azulon knew the importance of keeping up appearances, and so he expected nothing but the best when it came to welcoming the Avatar to the Fire Nation.
Katara, on the other hand, could hardly contain her excitement. She had heard many stories of Avatar Aang's greatness and the thought that he was coming all this way, to teach her waterbending, was nearly unfathomable. At the very least it made her overwhelmingly nervous.
"I don't know what to wear." Katara complained, looking between her two options. She couldn't decide whether should wear the traditional, lavish Fire Nation dress that she had been acclimating to, or a loose, simple kimono she had brought with her from home. On one hand, she wanted to acknowledge that she was in the presence of the Avatar and wear something formal, but on the other hand, the Avatar was coming to teach her waterbending, and it seemed only appropriate that she wore something signifying of her nationality.
"Does it really matter? It's just the Avatar." Azula was sitting on the edge of Katara's bed, idly playing with bending, as Katara tried to chose an outfit. Katara wondered if the royal family's apathy towards the avatar was a product of knowing him previously, or a general result of the tension between the Avatar and the Fire Nation.
"Well it's a big deal to me, I want to make the right impression." Katara sighed.
"He's an old monk, I doubt he'll give two thoughts to what you're wearing." Katara glared at Azula and her complete lack of help.
"Wear red. It shows that you're someone to be respected." Azula told her. Tired of helping Katara play dress up she lept off her bed and left Katara to dress herself.
While, eventually, Katara did go with the formal red dress, her indecisiveness made her late to the festivities. She found herself running out of her room at the sound of something landing in the front courtyard.
Katara knew what a flying bison was. She had seen drawings and told tales about the animals famous for their place as the airbenders companions. So she shouldn't have been shocked when the Avatar arrived on the humongous buffalo like creature.
But she was.
The Avatar floated down from the animal with the grace that would deceive anyone into thinking he was a young and agile man, rather than the impressive one hundred and thirteen that he was. The Avatar was a tall and thin man, he was wrapped in yellow and orange robes and stood hunched over a long staff. He sported a long thin beard and mustache, but was otherwise bald, with a fading blue arrow running down his forehead.
"General Iroh, it's good to see you again" The Avatar shouted as he was greeted by the General.
"Master Aang, I am glad you made it here safely." The two bowed, then hugged, a deviation from the formal exchange they had just took part in.
"Well the journey was a bit windy, but nothing I couldn't handle." Aang responded and the two began to laugh, although no one else seemed to find the joke quite as funny.
"Avatar Aang, you are looking well." Azulon commented.
"As are you Azulon, I trust things have been running smoothly since we last saw each other?"
"Our Nation has never been more prosperous." To the untrained eye, it would seem as though the two were exchanging polite formalities, but the layers of resentment in both of their words was clear to even Katara.
"You remember my youngest, Ozai, and his children Azula and Zuko?" Katara glanced at the royal family, who all had the same expression on their faces, which were secretly saying "Why am I here?"
"Of course! Last time I was here you two were merely babies." The Avatar commented, and both of Ozai's children scowled.
"Yes well your visits are quite infrequent." Azula responded, in her usual, questionably disrespectful manner.
"Avatar Aang, thank you for coming." Zuko added, trying to recover from Azula's awkward comment.
"I would like to introduce you to Katara of the Southern Water Tribe." Zuko added, placing his hand on Katara's back and saving her from her awkward, silent, gawking.
"Avatar Aang, it is an honor to meet you." She bowed.
"No Katara, I believe the honor is mine. It's about time the Southern Water Tribe regained their bending. I hope I can do your people justice." He bowed back. Out of all the times people had bowed to her, out of respect of her supposed political position, none of those times had she ever felt like they were bowing to her. They were bowing to her nation, or they were bowing out of duty, or fear. But as the Avatar lifted his head, she knew that he was the most powerful man in the world, who had no obligation to show her or anyone else gratitude, and yet, he did. And for once, Katara felt as though someone actually meant it.
"Now, onto more important matters! Appa has been flying for nearly three days straight! We're going to need to find him some food. And lots of it!"
It took the servants a good twenty minutes to round up all the grass and hay that had been lying around for the ostrich horses, but they finally gathered a pile that took four men to carry out to the courtyard. Katara watched in awe and horror as the beast devoured it all in one large inhale. Avatar Aang laughed at the look of shock on Katara and the Fire Nation royal's faces.
"I told you he was hungry. Now, I think it's time for us people to eat too."
"Of course, we told the kitchen you were coming, I think you'll be quite pleased with the meal they've prepared for you." Azulon commented, and Katara wondered if that was the nicest thing he had ever said in his entire life.
Katara knew she was no Avatar, but she felt a pang of jealousy at the meal they had prepared for Aang. They had put together an array of traditional Air Nation dishes, they were all vegetarian of course, and included a great deal of baked treats, and most importantly, were not in the slightest bit spicy.
"...and then he says, leaf me alone, I'm bushed!" General Iroh and the Avatar both burst into spontaneous laughter. Katara wasn't sure why, she had missed the beginning of the joke.
"That joke gets better every time Iroh!" Avatar Aang snorted. Katara looked to Zuko in desperation, hoping maybe he could clue her in, but he just gave her a helpless shrug, apparently just as lost as she was.
"Zuko that's quite an impressive job you did, I didn't realize that the Water Tribes were still following that tradition." Zuko froze when he realized that the Avatar was talking to him. He glanced at Katara, hoping she had a clue what he was talking about, and after a few seconds, her hands flew to her neck.
"Oh! My necklace!" Katara exclaimed.
"Yes, it's quite magnificent, I remember trying to make one myself many years ago, it's not as easy as it seems, good job Prince Zuko."
"Actually, this was my mother's necklace, she gave it to me before I left for the North Pole." Zuko slumped into his seat, suddenly feeling embarrassed by the misguided praise he had just received.
"Wait did you say you made one before? Were you engaged to a Waterbender?" Katara asked.
"No no," Aang laughed, "My best friend, Atto was a bender from the Southern Tribe. He was an incredible bender, not so much incredible at crafting." Aang chuckled some more as he scarfed down another bite of what looked like some sort of jelly hand pie.
"Although I suppose that tradition is very old by now. I'm sure no one does that anymore."
"Actually it's still practiced in the North, but I've never been keen on Northern Traditions." Katara tried to restrict the bitterness from seeping into her words, but she sorely failed. One didn't need to know about Katara's struggle with the North and their 'traditions' to understand that she had no good feelings towards them.
"A Southern girl through and through eh? Well not to pick sides, being the Avatar and all, but between you and me the South was always my favorite of the Water Tribes." Aang laughed.
"So, not to be to forward, but when can we begin my training?"
"All in good time Katara. I will need a few days to rest after all that traveling, I'm not as spry as I once was you know."
It turned out, that 'All in good time' meant two days later, at the crack of dawn. Katara wanted to complain about the early hour, but she had been waiting nearly sixteen years for this day, so if the Avatar wanted to teach her at ridiculous hours, she would agree happily.
When she arrived to the courtyard Aang was spinning around the arena, sitting on a giant ball of air and dust.
"Wow that's so cool." Katara interrupted and Aang jumped to his feet.
"It's an old trick I made when I was a boy. And if you like the skooter, watch this." Aang pulled his hands close together and between them emerged a swirling disk of air. The old man's face lit up with the trick and Katara was surprised how such a small trick could bring the Avatar so much joy.
"I've never seen airbending before. You seem really good at it."
"Well, I have had almost a hundred and fourteen years to practice, so I'd sure hope so. Now, I think you were hoping to learn some waterbending from me?" Katara nodded her head in anticipation.
"I still can't believe you came all this way just to teach me waterbending."
"Well, I had always hoped the Southern Water Tribe would get a chance to restore there bending, and I know how uptight those snuffs in the North can be about their tradition." He smirked, nodding to her comment on Northern traditions, days earlier.
"So, show me what you got." He crossed his arms at her, Katara's mind suddenly went blank. She hadn't expected an audition. Aang raised an eyebrow at her, prompting her to do something, anything. And so she quickly drew her water, creating a long snake, she pulled it apart and put it back together, twisting it in every which way before she flung it at one of the large red and black targets behind them.
"That's it?" Katara's heart fell.
"I'm sorry, did I do something wrong, I admit my footing could use some perfecting." She bowed her head.
"Your technique is impeccable, but I had assumed you knew more than just some ornamental bending. I guess I underestimated just how restricted your instruction had been."
"No wait! I do know more." Katara realized if she wanted to impress the airbender she would have to take a risk, show him the bending she had learned with Zuko. It may not be traditional, but it was something.
"That's what I thought. Now, one last chance, show me what you got." Katara set her sights on three dummies standing off to the side. She gathered her water in a large globe above her head, with one swift move she shot the water at the first dummy, breaking it into a thousand of tiny ice shards as they punctured the doll. She wasted no time, pooling water onto her arms, creating two large water whips. She struck high and then low and as a final strike, she pulled the water close to her body. Remembering how she had learned to distribute her energy she pushed the water forward, slow until it was inches from the dummy, then she pulled back again and slammed it forward onto the dummy, ripping it from the post. For the last dummy, she froze the water around her hands, her left hand covered in a large disk like shield,and the right covered in a long pointed icicle. She somersaulted forward, launched herself up and struck the ice dagger deep into the dummy's neck.
Disheveled and out of breath, she let the ice around her melt to the ground. She turned back to the Avatar and bowed her head, waiting for his second judgement.
"That's interesting."
"What is?" Katara asked, she was already anxious enough, she didn't know what he would think of her bending, she knew she was no master, but the fear that she was beyond teaching rang in the back of her head.
"You bend like a Firebender." Katara mentally swore at herself, she knew it was risky to use her new bending techniques.
"I-I do? I'm sorry." Aang suddenly began laughing, which turned to a weeze.
"This is wonderful! I always tell my students how important it is to incorporate methods from the other elements and you're already doing that?"
"You mean? You're not mad?" Katara sighed with relief.
"Of course not, of course, we're going to have to majorly adjust your technique, if you keep trying to do all your bending in that fast paced firebending style you're going to burn out!" Aang laughed at his own joke, which seemed to be a reoccurring theme for the Avatar.
He started her training by having her repeat her attack on the dummies again, step for step, but each time he corrected her form, showing her how to strike with more power and stability, showing her where to step to protect herself from backlash, until she could execute all three attacks in a matter of seconds.
Katara soon realized that Aang's unconventional teaching style was not exclusive to their first lesson. Katara often learned that she did not even know what the lesson was until it was complete, he had a way of teaching without instructing. He was completely unlike Arnook, who would simply demonstrate and wait for Katara to reproduce. Nor were their lessons like her sparring with Zuko, completely directionless and lacking resolution. Of course, there were aspects of both in their lessons, but they were more whole.
One day, his lesson consisted solely of playing a game. He started with one bucket of water and pulled it all out into a giant orb. The goal of the game, he told her, was to not let the water fall to the ground. At first, the game seemed incredibly simple and easy, but as the minutes rolled on and Aang passed the water quicker and in more complex ways, Katara felt herself struggle to stay afloat. She only lasted a few minutes the first time. But they went again and again, until Katara could go almost an hour without becoming overwhelmed.
"So is it true that you were friends with a Southern Waterbender?" Katara asked as she followed through with the stance, they were going on almost half an hour without breaking the game.
"Well I wouldn't lie now would I? Atto wasn't just my friend, he taught me everything I know about waterbending. So in a way, everything I teach you, is like him teaching you." Aang chirped, passing the water back to her in eight separate orbs shot at her, which she caught and pooled together.
"I just wish we had reached out to you earlier." It had been considered. Katara had asked her father about it once during his visits. But with tension quickly growing between the Water Tribes and the Fire Nation, bring the Avatar to train benders was too risky, especially if the Fire Nation saw it as a sign of aggression.
Katara was an impeccable student. She arrived twice a day to her lessons an hour early and stayed up at night practicing what she had learned the day before. Aang often scolded her on working too hard. But with the years that she had been withheld her bending, it was no surprise that she wanted to spend all her waking moments practicing. Which left little time for anything else. In the few weeks that Aang had been there her lessons with Ursa had dwindled to once or twice a week and she hardly saw her future husband outside of meals, on the days she even managed to find time to attend the formal dinners, rather than raiding the kitchen after her training.
Zuko found himself in an unusual and rather embarrassing situation. You see, he somehow found himself missing Katara's company. Maybe he was just bored. At least that's what he tried to tell himself. But then he would try to distract himself with various activities and find he just missed her more. In a palace full of liars and fakes she had become his oasis from the political landmine that was his family.
He had even tried making Katara a betrothal necklace as means to preoccupy himself. He had tried subtly investigating the subject first, which mostly meant asking his Uncle if they had any archives on the Water Tribe customs, which of course they didn't, because the Fire Nation could care less about the Water Tribes. Luckily, the Avatar seemed quite well versed in the subject matter.
"Avatar Aang" Zuko shouted from across the hall one afternoon.
"Avatar Aang!" He waved and ran after him, the Avatar stopped and turned towards the prince.
"Prince Zuko, is everything alright?"
"Yes, well, sort of, I had a question for you. If you're not busy." Aang just stared at the boy with smiling eyes.
"Well… you have something to ask me, go on."
"Right." Zuko was suddenly feeling very childish. "Well I remembered what you said the other night, about the Water Tribe betrothal necklaces, and I was wondering if you could tell me about them."
"Oh! I see, you want to make one for Katara." Aang's eyes lit up like a sly child realizing his friend had a crush.
"No! Well, yes! Er.. maybe?" Zuko stammered.
"I'm not sure if I should? Or where I would even get one. I don't even know if she wants one" Zuko trailed off.
"Ahh, young love. Well generally, a betrothal is given as an ultimate gesture of love and loyalty. Of course, usually it is given before the engagement, but I suppose it's never too late for love. As to where you would get one, it must be crafted by hand, usually it signifies the bond the two people share, but the design is really up to you, Prince Zuko." Zuko wanted to point out that he was not in love with Katara, but he felt like that might confuse the old man and he might as well let him believe his simplistic thoughts about love.
"I am no fool Prince Zuko, I realize you and Katara did not enter into this arrangement out of love. But one day you may find that you do love her very much. And while you may already be married by then, a betrothal necklace might be a way for you to show Katara that your bond is real, and not purely for political gain. So make her a necklace, or don't. But don't give it to her until you really mean it Prince Zuko."
Zuko wasn't sure what to do with the Avatar's advice, if anything, he saw it as a sign that he wasn't ready to give Katara a necklace. Besides, he wasn't exactly thrilled about the idea of jewelry making. So he let the idea rest, for the time being, leaving him back at square one. Bored and trying to find some excuse to spend time with Katara.
Which is why he was mulling around outside the servants quarters by the kitchen at night. He was waiting for Katara to finish her evening lesson. He knew that she usually went to the kitchen, to steal fruit and leftover baked goods after a long training session. He had made it his business to know what she was doing most of the time. Which, the more he thought about it, was incredibly creepy and strange. He mentally scolded himself for being so weird, and made a note to stop it.
When he heard her footsteps he scrambled to make himself look as natural as possible. Leaning against the wall in effort to act natural.
"Oh, hey Katara." He said as she turned the corner, disappointed on how utterly unnatural it came off.
"Zuko? What are you doing down here?" Shit, he thought to himself, he hadn't thought of an excuse for exactly what he was doing stalking around the servant quarters at night.
"I -uh, well."
"Were you waiting for me?" Katara questioned.
"Yeah." He answered sheepishly.
"Well I'm glad you're here, I could use your help. Come on." He was surprised, she didn't seem phased by his creepish behavior.
Zuko followed Katara into the kitchen. She grabbed a handful of random items off the shelves, some spices, a few root vegetables and a boar's leg, set them down on the counter, next to a large pot. She then stepped back and stared at the pot.
"Are you hoping if you stare at it hard enough it will cook itself?" Zuko asked.
"I've been wanting to make stew, but there's nothing to light the stoves here. No ignition anywhere. I was thinking maybe they were gas lit, but I just can't figure it out." She worried for a moment, that Zuko was the wrong person to ask, when he just stared at her with a quizzed look, after all, it wasn't as if he did a lot of cooking as a prince.
"I think you're forgetting something about the Fire Nation Katara." He laughed, and it was her turn to look in confusion. After a moment, a small flame sparked out from his hand, and in one quick maneuver he turned it to the stove, lighting it up in a large roar.
Katara began to snicker, of course there wasn't any fire starter, the kitchen was full of firebenders, they didn't need it. Katara filled the pot with water and began to chop her ingredients, throwing them into the pot and using her bending to mix it all together.
"You're going to get in trouble if you keep sneaking into the kitchen like this." Zuko commented.
"By who? The chefs? I can't help it, the food is too spicy for me, and no one's made much of an effort to accommodate me." Zuko snickered.
"Maybe you should learn to adapt, you are going to be here for a while afterall. Besides, once you get over that ridiculous intolerance I think you'll realize how pleasurable our spices can be." Katara glared at him.
"Uh, so how's training with the Avatar going?" Zuko quickly asked, changing the subject.
"It's hard. I'm exhausted, but Aang's a great teacher. For the first time I feel like someone else actually wants me to be a waterbender, and be good at it."
"That's not true, I did." Katara laughed, sure, Zuko believed in her, but he couldn't believe her into a Waterbending Master.
"You weren't my teacher, you were just someone who threw fireballs at me and forced me to teach myself." Katara hated to admit it to herself, but she kind of missed their mid- night sparring sessions, especially now that she knew a thing or two about her bending, and she might actually have a chance at winning.
"Well sorry we can't all be the Avatar, us mere mortals have to live with only being able to bend one element." He half joked, half wondered if he was starting to become jealous of an old man. But quickly decided that was absolutely ludicrous and pushed the thought out of his head.
"You know, if you wanted, I'm sure Aang would give you some firebending lessons, I'm sure he could teach you a thing or two that Azula doesn't know." He knew she didn't mean it as an insult, but he couldn't help but take it as a blow to his bending abilities. It was no secret that Azula was by far the better bender with her blue fire, but that didn't mean he needed to be reminded of it.
"It's the least I can do after all. I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you for doing this for me. Thank you." She added.
"Yeah… well that's what friends are for isn't it?" He was still getting used to the idea of the two of them being friends.
Katara finished cooking stew, pouring the contents into a large bowl when it was finished. She hopped up on the counter to eat. It was no sea prune stew, and it was definitely lacking some essential ingredients, but Katara had to admit, it wasn't bad.
Zuko's curiosity had gotten the best of him and he poured himself his own bowl. He wanted to know just what it was that Katara liked about her native, spiceless cuisine. Zuko took a spoonful and winced. It wasn't bad per se, rather, it didn't taste like much of anything at all.
"How can you eat this Katara? It's completely bland." He shuffled around the kitchen until he found a small jar, opened it and poured half its contents, a fine red powder, into his bowl.'
"You're ruining it!" Katara yelled. Zuko stirred his soup and then began to gulp it down. It wasn't the best, but it was an improvement from the fat broth it was before.
"You just have a weak mouth, it's okay, I'm sure you'll grow out of it in a few years." Katara glowered at him.
"You know, for someone who was stalking around waiting for me you're not being very nice to me."
"I wasn't stalking you. It's just that, well you're with the Avatar all the time now, and I wanted to check up on you, make sure you were doing okay." He half truthed.
"Oh is that so? You just wanted to make sure I was okay? You know Zuko, if I didn't know better I'd think that you missed me." Katara teased.
"What! No! Where would you get that idea?" He exclaimed.
"Oh so you didn't miss me?" Zuko was stiff as a stone, trying to think of a way to dig himself out of the hole he was in.
"Well, you're not the worst person in this palace to spend time with. But that doesn't mean I missed you. I was just bored, there's not much to do without you around." Which wasn't true, there was plenty to do, plenty of things he should be doing instead of wasting time with Katara, but that didn't mean he wanted to do them.
Katara hopped off the counter and quickly rinsed her bowl and the pot, putting them back where she found him.
"If you say so Zuko, but for the record. I missed you to." She left him alone in the kitchen. Once she was gone, Zuko dumped out the rest of his soup. Maybe pouring half a jar of straight chili powder wasn't the best idea for improving taste.
AN: Stay tuned because the next chapter is all Katara's POV. Also... Avatar takes place post apocalypse. All the mutant animals? That screams nuclear war…. Just saying. Also review.