Chapter 6 fear and comfort

Prompt: nightmares

It's been a week since Aang has defeated the fire lord and the world seemed to calm down. Unfortunately the same couldn't be said for Katara. She has trouble sleeping at night. She has bad dreams about losing Aang to the fire lord or about Aang leaving her so he could be with Toph. She knew he would never do that but during the dream it seemed real as real can be. Several times Aang tried to get her talk about it after waking her up from her nightmares but she was too afraid to talk about it. We rejoin our heroes during another summer evening as everyone was lying in their sleeping bags fast asleep. Everyone except for Katara. She laid there on her back staring at the star lit sky above her waiting for sleep to take her away and yet fearing it at the same time…

Before long she was out and the next thing she knew she found herself looking at Aang's dead body, covered in blood as the fire lord stood above him and laughed with cruelty. Katara couldn't believe her eyes. He promised her he would be careful. Now the love of her life who was also the only one who could end the war was gone forever… how would she go on with her life without the boy she loves? Her goofy boyfriend who could always make her laugh and could always make her feel better when she was sad?... she found herself crying over his body as the fire lord continued to laugh until he stopped and Katara looked up at him with fear. He pointed his hand at her and used firebending on her. The next thing she knew everything turned black and she now found herself standing in front of Aang who was alive now and was crying her eyes out in front of him, pleading him to change his mind

"Please Aang… I love you… don't leave me…"

"I'm sorry Katara but it's just not gonna work. I realized that I'm in love with Toph and I just want to be with her. You really are a great girl Katara but I think Toph is the one for me…" Aang said as Katara broke down in tears as Aang walked away

"No… no…" she whimpered both in her dream and in the real world

"Katara?" she heard Aang voice from afar as she felt something touch her shoulder

"Katara?" he called out again but Katara didn't respond yet. She kept mumbling to herself in misery

"Katara it's me…" Aang reassured her and she finally opened her eyes. When she did she felt they were wet and realized she cried in her sleep. She looked up to see her arrowheaded boyfriend looking at with eyes full of worry and concern

"Oh Aang…" she sobbed and brought him into a big hug. She cried on his shoulder as Aang hugged tightly and lovingly in an attempt to sooth her. He stroked the back of her head as he kissed her cheek

"Please don't leave me Aang…" she managed to say between sobs

Aang was a little taken aback by this request

"Why would I leave you Katara? I love you. I'm crazy about you…"

Katara was crying so hard it was difficult for her to talk

"E…every night I…I dream T…that you either die in battle O…or that you leave me so you Y…you could be with T…Toph…" she said between mumbles as her voice shook with crying and grief.

Aang was a little taken aback and shocked by this. After a few second he found his voice again and spoke up

"Katara, why would I do such a thing? I don't love Toph. I would never leave you for someone else no matter who it is… I love you Katara and you are my only one. You are the girl I want to live with for the rest of my life. Besides the war is over and everything is fine now… you don't have to worry anymore…" he told her soothingly as he continued to stroke her hair as he held her in his arms.

Katara gulped and her mouth trembled a little before she spoke

"I know but during the dream it feels so painful and so real. How can I cope with something like that?"

Aang thought for a moment and said

"Whenever you have one of those dreams just remind yourself that you love you beyond words and that I'll never leave you no matter what and that there's nothing to worry about anymore…" he told her warmly and smiled as she smiled too

"Thanks Aang… thanks for always being there for me. You're the best…" she said as she pecked him on the cheek while still hugging him

"It's my pleasure Katara. You know I'm always happy to help…" he said to her as he smiled at her warmly

"Yeah…" Katara said softly

"You know I love you? Right Katara?" he asked her as she smiled widely at his question

"I love you too Aang only a million times more…" she said happily as they separated from the hug and gazed at each other's eyes. Aang extended a finger to wipe the tears off her cheek and extended another finger to wipe them off the other one as their faces grew closer and closer until their lips met into a wonderful, loving passionate kiss. It was a kiss full of relief and comfort of love and happiness; the same love, happiness and compassion they shared for one another and always will for the rest of their lives… they wrapped their arms around each other's neck as their tongues danced in other's mouths. Once they desperately had to breathe, their lips detached but remained mere centimeters away from each other and they looked at each other's eyes… they then embraced each other in a big, warm, loving hug

"I love you Aang…" Katara said to him happily as another tear made its way down her cheek. Only now it was a tear of happiness

"I love you too Katara… I love you too… I always will…" he said as they both smiled. He kissed her on the cheek and then on the lips again as they lay down cuddled in each other's arms as sleep took them away but not before they saw a shooting star zip across the sky… it was very romantic and they couldn't be happier about it…

To be concluded…

Well? What do you think? Pretty cute and touching huh? Did you like it? Did you dislike it? Did you like it even more? Please tell me what you think on your reviews on your way out…

Thank you…