Here comes Chapter 3.
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Katara and Aang walked back into the tea room hand in hand. A grin completely filled the lower half of Aang's face as he walked into the room, thoughts only for Katara. Katara caught a glimpse of it and immediately turned pink. Their friends didn't notice them though, they were too busy criticizing Sokka's horrid picture.
"My scar isn't that noticeable, is it?"
"If my hair EVER looks like that, tell me so I can spear myself," Suki laughed.
"If I could see how you drew me, I would probably be yelling at you too!"
"Alright so I failed water tribe art class," Sokka told them. "But at least I look good in the picture."
"Wow. You actually look better than you do in real life!" Suki said.
"That can't be too hard," Katara chimed in. Sokka gave her a menacing glare, but surprisingly enough, no witty comeback.
"Oh hey lovebirds," Toph said.
"How... oh right," Katara blushed.
"Would either of you care for a cup of tea?" Iroh asked as he went to fill their cups.
"Yes please!" Aang said.
"I'm alright," Katara told him as she picked out a table for her and Aang to sit at.
"So what's your plan now, Avatar?" Iroh asked him as he filled his cup.
"Well I personally think it's time for a break, and Katara and Sokka haven't seen their Gran Gran for quite some time, so I was thinking of taking them to her wedding in the North Pole. It's supposed to be in a few weeks so we should be able to make it."
"That sounds like a great idea!" Sokka shouted, "as long as Suki gets to come."
"Of course she can come. Toph, Zuko, you two are invited as well," Aang told them.
"Thanks, but I need to catch up with my folks," Toph said. "They really are in town this time and I feel I have a bit of explaining to do. If you don't mind I'd like to stay with you Uncle Iroh. You don't mind if I call you that do you?"
"Not at all, and I think that's a great idea. I can teach you how to brew the best tea in town. You'll be better than Zuko in no time," Iroh laughed.
"Laugh all you want uncle," Zuko smiled. "Someday I'll be the best brewer in the world!"
The company laughed as Zuko got defensive. "Thanks for the offer Aang, but I'm going to stay in town for a while. I can't let Toph get more tea training than me. Not to mention Uncle and I have a lot to talk about."
"We sure will miss you two, but we shouldn't be gone for more than a month," Aang said.
"It's going to be weird splitting up. I feel like I'm losing a piece of me," Katara sighed.
"You'll be fine, Katara. We all need a break from each other anyways. I can't stand Sokka's snoring for one more night," Toph laughed.
"Why must you insist on being so mean all the time? My snoring is not as bad as your sleep talking. Keep your crazy ideas in your head please!" Sokka attacked back.
"Oh no! What have I been saying?"
"Nothing, well… sort of."
"Tell me now or you will be a very unhappy water tribe member very shortly."
"Look at the time. Aang I think it's probably time we get headed to the North Pole."
"Not yet Sokka, you have to get packed first," Aang snickered as the two gave each other scary glares. He took Katara's hand and led her out of the tea room as Sokka and Toph began to duke it out.
"Sounds like Toph is winning," Katara smiled as she pecked Aang on the cheek.
"Well, what did you expect? Sokka is no match for an angry blind girl."
They walked back to their quarters in silence and sat down underneath a dogwood that was in bloom. Katara laid her head on Aang's shoulder as Aang snuck his arm around her far waist. They both smiled as they sat together in complete bliss with the understanding that they would always have a place where they could feel safe.
"This is what I've always wanted, someone who I could hold on to when everything was in its right place," Katara squeezed Aang tight and he squeezed back. "Someone to talk to about anything and everything and feel that they really care. Someone who will always be there for me, someone who will never leave me and never stop loving me. Aang, I just think I should let you know that you are the best boyfriend in the world. I truly believe that as long as I have you I can be happy. No, better than happy. So at peace and ecstatic at the same time, so perfect that there isn't even a word for it."
"Remember that whole fancy language thing you told me earlier, how I don't have to try to impress you. You don't have to either. I already love you, and I will always love you. No one will ever change that. Not you, not Sokka, not any Lord or Lady. You will always have a place in my heart. And there is a saying for what you're feeling. It's called being in love."
She smiled as he said the last words. "I know. It's just so many times before I've been let down. I'm so used to this tough exterior. I always had to take care of everyone since my father left us. Since my father left me," she paused as she thought about her tough past. "I've endured so much pain, so much turmoil. Will I ever be able to let the past heal? It's the other reason I didn't want to do anything about our relationship earlier. I was beginning to think I wouldn't be able to love you the way you deserve."
"You are perfect for me. You treat me with all the love I need and more. Don't ever think you aren't good enough for me."
"Don't worry, it won't happen again," she sighed. "I'm better now. I've got the best friend anyone could ever have. You taught me how to live again. Better yet how to love again. If I lose you there is no way I will be able to go on, so you're not allowed to go dying on me or anything."
"Katara, all the threats are gone now, and the ones that persist are minimal. We are in the clear, my dear."
"Goofball."
"I'll walk you to your room," Aang laughed as he got up. He held his hand out to her and pulled her in close. "Tomorrow we fly."
"It will be just like old times."
"Yeah except this time we won't be running from anything. I wonder if Appa remembers how to fly."
Osia stumbled in through the gates as he rushed back into the city after Ehla. He searched the entrance looking desperately for the girl, but couldn't see her anywhere.
"Why are girls so difficult!?" he accidently yelled out loud to the guard.
"I know, right? One second they love you the next second they are running away. It makes no sense to me," the guard consoled Osia.
"Uh… yeah," Osia said embarrassed. He bolted for the city center hoping to catch her on her way home. He didn't know what he would do when he found her, but that didn't matter now. While he was lost in his thoughts he didn't realize how much ground he'd made and slammed right into a fruit stand.
"Ouch, I'm so sorry, Jen Chi!" he quickly helped pick up the fruit that had fallen into the snow. "I'm just in a hurry to find someone, you haven't happened to see Ehla run past here have you?"
"I haven't, sorry son," Jen Chi answered as he took the fruit from Osia. He placed the fruit back in the stand.
"Isn't that a bit unsanitary?"
"Five second rule, kid."
Osia rolled his eyes and waved goodbye as he headed towards Ehla's house, walking now so he didn't hurt anyone else or any innocent fruit for that matter. He came to her door and knocked.
No answer.
He knocked again. "Come on."
The door opened, but it wasn't Ehla. "Hello Osia," her mother said cheerfully. "Come inside."
"Actually, I'm just checking to see if Ehla's here," he said avoiding an awkward moment with her parents. "She hasn't been home lately has she?"
"No she's been at the library studying since early this morning. Not sure when she plans on coming home."
"Ok, thank you!"
"You're welcome. Come again soon!"
He walked back to the city center and back towards the library. It was a monstrous building, one of the biggest in the city. He raced up the stairs leading to the doors.
Ok, Now to plan out my speech. He thought. Hey Ehla, I was thinking about that kiss earlier and wondering if that meant that, maybe we could finally take our relationship to, uh, the next level?
Wow, I'm a dork. He slowly entered the building totally unprepared. Too many times he had been kicked out of the library for his rough behavior. He couldn't help it. He liked to be loud and have fun, two things that were strictly banned in the library.
He looked down the aisles searching for the girl of his dreams. So long he had wanted a relationship and now he could finally feel it budding.
After the thirteenth row out of fifty eight he spotted her. She was seated at a round table with a stack of books about 3 books high. His "adventures" through the library had never found him a book. Never had he found one that he could enjoy, well except for the water bending scrolls, but even those got boring with time. He eased up behind her.
"What are you, um, reading?" he asked awkwardly. He could feel his insides slowly melting into mush. His brain was shutting down. Why does this always happen with girls?
Ehla turned around and saw Osia. A smile crept across her lips. "A book."
He watched as her deep blue eyes scanned the pages. The blue complimented her tan skin. "Well, duh." She wasn't talking. He sat down next to her and waited for a more specific answer.
Still silent.
"What book?"
"It's a book on strange happenings," she finally answered. "Supernatural coincidences."
He then remembered what had happened before the kiss. How he had saved her from the freezing water. It was coming back to him now. How he had done it was a blur to him before, but he was now remembering the movements he made. How the muscles strained and his conscience suddenly took over. He remembered feeling the air. How he felt the spirit of it flow through him like another limb and then grabbed hold of it and harnessed it, safely bringing Ehla to his arms. He now realized why she must have been so scared. Something must have come over him allowing him to do something no water bender should have been able to do.
"What did I do?" he asked himself finally taking a good look at what had happened.
"You saved me," she answered his rhetorical question and then her look became confused, "using a power that a normal person shouldn't have."
Her long hair had fallen out of its hair tie, most likely while she was running and her bangs now covered the right side of her face. He started to daze off as he began thinking about her again. No! Stay focused. Supernatural happenings!
"Since you don't seem to have any theories I have a few," Ehla began. She took a deep breath as she began her story. "I've been doing quite a bit of reading over the past hour. It took you way too long to find me."
Osia blushed as Ehla continued.
"As you can see from my selection of books," she pointed to the 3 books of the millions in the library, "there isn't much information on this. It's never happened to anyone before. None of this matches your specifications, well nothing except for one explanation, but it doesn't make sense."
Silence took over again. Osia watched her as she started reading again. "Well…?"
"This book is called Surface. It talks about people's adrenaline and how when they are put in tight positions it can get them out. That would explain half of your actions. You saw me in danger and you couldn't do it with normal strength. Adrenaline kicked in and the rest gets foggy."
But that didn't answer the whole question, and Osia could feel the tough part coming.
"This book is called Tales of Ba Sing Se and it's a great non-fiction work by my favorite author," she smiled as she started reading it.
"What does it have to do with me?" Osia was confused. The librarian looked towards Osia. Her head dropped as she realized who had entered her holy space.
"Nothing, all the research got boring so I started reading this one again."
Osia picked up the last book because Ehla obviously was intent on finishing her book. Its cover read Balance. His finger scrolled down the front till it stopped at the author. Osia pushed the book away as soon as he realized what it was. This can't be right. The author was Avatar Roku.
"I know," Ehla said. "It's surprising, but it's the only explanation, if what I think happened was actually what happened. There's only one way to find out." She slipped an airbending scroll from under her sleeve. Once Osia saw it she slipped it back in and headed towards the door.
They both walked out of the library smiles on their faces as they headed towards adventure. Both didn't know what to expect, both were scared, and both were excited. The sun hung high in the sky at about three in the afternoon. Snow clung to their feet as they trudged father away from the city. Hiding this event was the only safe way to find out what had happened.
When the city behind them was a safe distance away Ehla slipped the scroll out of her coat. She unraveled the scroll and stared at its markings. The strange positions of the people looked so beautiful and flowed like the wind.
"Let's see if this works," Ehla handed the scroll to Osia. "I'd try to simplest one first. We don't really know what you might be able to do."
The movements seemed simple enough. Osia steadied his breathing. He looked over the scroll one more time and flowed through the stages.
It was a sad day at Uncle Iroh's tea shop. The constant goodbyes were putting everyone in a melancholy mood. The company was excited to be starting a new adventure, but they were all sad that they wouldn't be seeing each other for a while.
"Never thought it would be this hard to say goodbye to you, Toph," Katara said as she hugged Toph.
"You'll get over it," Toph giggled as she hugged back. "You need to work on your hugging muscles, Katara. I feel like I could crush you."
"Thank you, Zuko," Sokka started. "I never really thanked you for saving my sister, so I figure now would be a good time, just in case we never see each other again."
"Don't say that," Zuko laughed. "Even if you never come back to visit me I'll be sure to hunt you down. However, please don't settle down in the North Pole its way to cold."
"I'll stay wherever I want!" Sokka let him know that he was in charge.
"Nuh uh, mister! We go where I want to go and that's final!" Suki laughed breaking Sokka's tough moment.
Sokka pulled Suki in close for a kiss. "I can live with that."
"Appa is getting anxious everyone, so it's time for the final goodbyes," Aang shouted from the doorway. "I will see you all when we get back. It shouldn't be too long."
The North Pole crew slipped from the shop and hopped up onto Appa. Momo was already waiting in his spot. Suki and Sokka took the back of the saddle while Katara had the front. Aang was in his spot on Appa's neck as usual. They all waved their goodbyes as Appa began to take flight. He bent the air around his body and was soon soaring over the sky of Ba Sing Se.
"I forgot how much I dislike flying," Sokka gripped the edges.
"I like it. It's exciting, and romantic," Suki stressed the last word and grabbed Sokka's hand.
"Have I reminded you how much I love flying, Aang?" Sokka grabbed Suki's hand and smiled.
"You've mentioned it once or twice," Aang laughed.
Katara began feeling left out with all the lovey dovey moments Sokka and Suki were sharing and hopped up to Aang. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held on tight.
"You have no idea how excited I am to be headed towards my region of the world. It's not quite home, but it still feels like it," she told him.
"I bet it felt like when I finally got to see the Southern Air Temple," Aang sighed remembering the beginning of their adventure, the beginning of a bond that would never break.
"Yeah, it's amazing how good home can make you feel," Katara smiled. "Sometimes you can't wait to get away from it, but it feels so good to be able to relax in your own space with your own family."
"Maybe if we have time we can take you back to your place," Aang decided to lift her spirits even more.
"My place is right here," Katara started to fall asleep, "chasing after adventure with you."
Aang looked back at the rest of the crew. The cool breeze had lolled them to sleep as well. Even Appa seemed to want to take a nap.
"No naps right now, boy," Aang patted him on the head. "We've got a wedding to catch."
A/N
Sorry it took me a while to get this one done. Didn't have much time on my hands as of late. Thank you so much for the reviews. It's what is propelleing me forward with writting this.
I personally have a problem when the characters in stories don't match the charaters from the show so if I am doing that please let me know.
I hope you all are enjoying this. :)