Chapter 4: A Distraction and a Bet
Aang steered Appa through the clouds, listening to Katara and Sokka's fight. Toph was gripping Appa's saddle with frustration, annoyed with their fighting; she usually had Sokka to hold onto. Aang was upset because they were talking about he-who-must-not-be-named again. A.K.A, Scarhead.
"Katara, how could you go out with Zuko?! He's fire nation, and you ARE NOT suppose to trust fire nation!!! Have you forgotten about mom?!?" Sokka yelled with anger.
"OF COURSE I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN MOM! Zuko tricked me, Sokka! He-said-he-was-sorry-about-my-MOM!!!!!!!!" Katara shouted.
"OUR mom! Seriously, Katara, you are so gullible!" Katara immediately glared at him.
"I LEARNED MY LESSON-" Aang groaned angrily.
"Both of you! Sokka, Im just as mad about Z-z...Zuuu...Zu-" Aang closed his eyes. His tongue refused to say the bastard's name. "Zuko," He muttered. As if it would scorch his tongue.
"But YOU accepted her apology. Which you shouldn't of," Sokka added. Katara shoved her face into her hands. Toph sighed.
"Sugar Queen said she was sorry, what else does she have to do? Kill Zuko?" Toph spat. Sokka glared at his sister.
"It's a start," he muttered. Aang sighed. Katara when red, and stood up. She whipped Sokka once in the stomach, twice on his arm, and then on his forehead.
"Sorry, Katara! Geez, touchy. Aang, where are we going?"
"To find a place for me to train. I need to work on earthbending, and I've almost mastered water...then we can find a village or something," he explained.
"So you can check out Katara in a bathing suit again, or to train?" Toph joked. Sokka jumped up in disgust.
"Hey, Tophytoes, watch it! That's my sister you're-"
"Tophytoes?" Katara, Aang, and Toph questioned in unison. Toph snorted, crawling over and grabbing his arm, fearing the height.
"Damn I hate flying," she added. Katara sighed and went over to Aang. Aang steered in silence. He couldn't exactly just go back to before, when Zuko's spirit still seemed to taunt him. Katara noticed his silence.
"Aang, I truly am sorry. Look, there's something I wanted to say-" Katara swallowed. "I-"
"Katara, please don't... You don't need to say anything. I understand it was a mistake, but...You- you don't...and didn't...love me the way you loved Zuko."
"Wait- Aang-!" Katara froze when he cut her off.
"That's why you kissed him, and forgot about me. Look, it's done and over. I think I have some feelings I need to work out...Like last night. But I'll be fine." Katara glared at her hands. I love you Aang, but I thought you didn't feel the same! I gave up...I let Zuko make me forget. The words echoes through her head. I love you! The voice screamed in her head. Katara looked at Aang, just to see him watching her.
"I-" Katara started to say, but this time Sokka cut her off.
"Cloud!" he yelled. Appa flew straight through a puffy white cloud, soaking them all. Aang dried himself off in seconds, while everyone complained. Katara shook her sleeves feebly, failing to dry herself.
"Here, let me," Aang soothed, he stuck his hand up, letting a gust of wind dry her off. As the wind blew, Aang saw it in slow motion. Katara's braid fell out, letting a long mane of wild chocolate brown hair fall around her face. Aang slowly turned red.
"AANG! WE'RE GOING DOWN!" Sokka shouted. Aang turned away from a beautiful sight to see a heart-stopping sight; they were falling.
"APPA! YIP YIP!" Aang pulled at the ropes, sending them back up.
"Hey, Aang, let's train there!" Katara pointed at a small lake and waterfall below. Close by a large rock pile sat, much to Toph's content.
"Great!" Aang steered Appa down, this time on purpose. He landed them smoothly, airbending himself off. The area was perfect. Toph and Katara smiled at each other excitedly as Sokka rolled his eyes and picked at something green in his teeth with his boomerang.
"Great, let's go," Aang said happily. "What first?" Katara helped Toph down and walked over.
"You can start earthbending, I want to work on a few moves that I wanted to teach you," Katara responded. Toph grinned wickedly, bended a large amount of earth under her.
"ALRIGHT TWINKLE TOES! LET'S GET TO WORK! FIRST TASK, LIFT THIS LARGE BOULDER UP! NO AIRBENDING!" Toph hopped down and sat back to watch Aang struggle. Katara, mean while, was stripping down to her bathing suit.
"Deep breaths," she whispered, placing her clothes on a tree branch. She finally dived into the water, hair still loose.
The water was fresh and cool against Katara's tan skin. Not much wildlife under, but still wonderful. Katara swam to the surface, exhaling.
"Ahh," she whispered. Aang was having trouble concentrating.
"GO TWINKLE TOES, NOW! DON'T YOU DARE DROP THAT BOULDER OR I'LL HAVE YOUR HEAD!" Aang stared at Katara's tan body, her slim figure bending a stream of water around, laughing as she did so.
Aang stood up straighter, lifting the boulder like he'd been doing it his whole life.
"Nice," Toph mumbled in surprise. Aang paid her no attention. Sweat poured down his face, and dirt clumped under his nails. Toph laughed when she realized what he was staring at.
"Go ahead, loverboy," Toph laughed as Aang ran over to Katara, airbending his feet to move faster. Toph wiped her brow and sat down next to Sokka, who'd been watching Aang's training.
"Why are you so hard on him?" Sokka observed.
"To make him angry, and anger is good energy that he will put into his work. It's quite humorous, actually."
"Oh."
Toph smiled at him, pointing at Katara and Aang. She giggled. Aang was in the water, watching Katara swim. Like a graceful maiden, he thought. Sokka laughed along.
"He doesn't stand a chance, Katara is into bad boys," Sokka remarked. Toph closed her eyes, concentrating on Katara until her emotions were as easy to read as reading was to normal people.
"I'll make you a bet," Toph offered. Sokka arched his eyebrows with amusement.
"Shoot."
"I bet Aang and Katara start going out in at least a week," she said, toying with Sokka's poor, simple mind.
"Not a chance. And, if I win-" Sokka scratched his chin.
"If I win, you have to lift a boulder of my choice."
"AND, IF I WIN," Sokka added, smiling. "You'll have to give me a kiss." Toph gave a disgusted face, but agreed. They continued watching Katara and Aang.
"Katara, I'm sorry how I was being earlier," Aang was saying.
"It's OK, Aang. I'd be mad too if you were secretly dating someone." Aang blushed.
"Earlier, you were going to tell me something...what was it?" Now it was her turn to blush.
"Oh...I don't remember," she lied quickly. Aang looked disappointedly at the ground. Katara smiled to herself. He can be so cute, sometimes, she thought, smiling strangely at Aang. Aang stopped bending.
"What? Do I have dirt on my nose?" Aang went cross eyed in attempt to see his nose. Katara giggled.
"No, it's clean," she laughed. Aang's blush went from cherry to cranberry. They continued their practice in almost silence, neither able to say what they were thinking. Toph and Sokka, however, were both thinking of their bet. I guess I'd win either way, Toph thought happily, looking at Sokka's biceps with glee.
Author's REALLY AWESOME AND TEMPTING Note
Hey! How do you like the Tokka? It was just too tempting...I'm going to bring Suki in for other chapters. Ha! Catfight!
I love you readers, and for those who read my other story (Tears of Fire and Love) I'm writing a sequel. After this story is finished.
With the Love of Writing,
-Poisonedmoonshine474