A/n: I don't know how I feel about this chapter, but I KNEW I needed to update so I went ahead and did so. I'm sorry for the wait, life has gotten so busy and it's really disorienting. I'm hoping to update a few more times before summer ends though, so I hope you'll be seeing a lot more of this story in the coming weeks. Thank you for reading and reviewing and please continue to do so! God bless!
Disclaimer: I don't own "Avatar: The Last Airbender."
As the air became colder, so did Katara's demeanor. The flight to the South Pole wasn't going to take very long, and she couldn't help but resent that.
Though she knew Aang needed to get there, the young airbender wished desperately their journey would last a bit longer despite her discomfort from their choice of travel.
Surprisingly, Katara had never enjoyed flying. Despite being an airbender herself, she couldn't deny that being up at strange heights caused her to be a bit apprehensive. She loved the wind in her face, weaving its way through her thick dark curls, but she couldn't stand the idea of not being grounded. Though Aang had grabbed them some gliders back at The Western Air Temple before they fled, she had neglected to use her's thus far.
Glancing ahead, the girl had to smile. From her position on Appa's saddle, Katara caught glimpses of Aang through the wispy clouds. The young Avatar was still a bit shaky when it came to guiding his animal companion, seeing as he was just about to start training before everything turned into a disaster, so he had made the decision just to fly ahead and direct the great bison himself.
Whenever he was in the air, she could see the relief it brought him. His stormy eyes brightened a bit as the wind kissed his skin and ruffled his robes in the stunning moonlight. Those arrow tattoos, pale blue and striking, were the first thing anyone's eyes were drawn to. Something that obviously marked him of his heritage.
Though she had been jealous of those markings before, she couldn't help but feel relieved that she hadn't received her arrows yet. At least she would have an easier time hiding her identity.
After a few hours of flying, Aang returned back to his bison. The animal was on the correct path in which they needed to go, not needing Aang's assistance to guide him anymore. Though just an animal, Katara couldn't deny the certain amount of awe she held for the great creature. Throughout the whole process, still young and untrained, Appa had been picking up quickly on the urgency of their mission. He had whined when they returned to him after surveying the ruins of The Southern Air Temple, but had quickly quieted once he saw the looks on both of the teenagers' faces. He understood.
"That's a good boy," Aang murmured as he reached over the side of the saddle to pet his bison affectionately, running his tired fingers through the animal's course fur. Appa grumbled in response, kicking his legs to speed up.
Carefully navigating his way around the saddle, Aang reached into one of their travel bags and pulled out the blanket they had been using since the comet. Scooting over to the corner where his companion had seated herself, Aang wrapped the blanket around her trembling shoulders. Though he was a bit cold himself, Aang suspected his inner firebender was helping shield him from the biting wind. Katara,
on the other hand, looked miserable.
When her friend wrapped the scratchy material around her, the girl looked up and graced him with a grateful smile. Though Aang could see that the air wasn't the only thing that was bugging her.
Sitting beside her, the Avatar wrapped a strong arm around her shoulders, hoping that the affectionate gesture would get her to talk.
Though Katara appreciated Aang's tender treatment, she kept her mouth pressed tightly together. Something had been bugging her since they had decided to travel to the South Pole, but she didn't want to plague her companion with her worries. He already had so much he needed to think about.
The sun began to rise over the horizon, signaling the arrival of morning. The warm sunlight did little to warm up the two travellers, but they couldn't deny that the light was a bit more welcoming than the dark of the night.
Momo, who had slept the majority of the journey, perked up as soon as the sunlight hit him. Ears twitching as he excitedly ran to the travel pack and grabbed a moonpeach from its confines. Aang followed soon after him, also grabbing one for Katara.
They sat in silence and ate their breakfast, both thinking of what was going to happen when they reached their destination. Aang was already fretting over the idea of having to learn a different element, and Katara was readying herself for the emotions their visit may bring forth.
Though concerned with what awaited him, Aang's silver eyes returned to Katara's face every few moments. Her dark brows were scrunched together, and there was a certain sadness evident in her features that he hadn't seen in awhile. It was a sadness he had learned long ago connected to her father.
"You still think he's out there?" His question wasn't demeaning or searching, he was just genuinely curious.
The girl sighed, mentally hitting herself in the face for ever thinking he wouldn't catch on to her discomfort, "I don't know. He was taken to prison, but that was so long ago. He could have died in there. I'm just terrified that everything in the South is going to remind me of him."
The Avatar set aside his moonpeach and gently reached forward to hold her hand, "I thought you had never met him?"
The girl squeezed his fingers tightly, releasing another sigh, "I haven't. But my mom told me stories about their time together. She described him so vividly, I couldn't even imagine knowing a person so well. They had only been with each other for such a short time, but their love was incredible. He didn't even know she was pregnant when he left. My mom kept all his old coats stuffed in her closet though, letting me go through them sometimes and just touch them. She did such a great job describing him, that sometimes I could even see him in those coats, waiting with open arms for me to jump into."
The boy nodded, scooting closer to her so that their faces were only inches apart, "Why didn't you tell me that going to the South Pole was going to hurt you? We could have traveled north instead."
Katara scoffed at this, rolling her stormy eyes and pointedly staring at the clouds passing them rather than meeting his gaze, "Aang, we don't have time to fool around. Don't worry about me, this whole journey is about you. We need to find you a waterbending master fast, and the easiest way to do so is to travel south. That is what we are doing. I will be fine, I promise."
Aang's eyes never left her face, and though her words were said with great conviction, he still could see the sadness that lingered on her features, "Just because I'm the Avatar, doesn't mean I'm going to throw away your feelings and allow my duties to dictate our decisions. This journey is going to be hard no matter what we do. Don't feel like you have to make all the sacrifices from here on out, Katara. We're a team now."
The young girl smiled at his words, nodding, "I know, Aang. But I want to do this for you. I will be fine, I promise. I'll get used to it. I just have never really seen this part of my heritage before and, to be honest, the idea is a bit frightening. Not just because this place may remind me of my Dad,
but because this place is connected to another half of me. A side of me I have never truly recognized or been proud of."
Aang usually forgot that the Air Nomads weren't the only set of people Katara had, even though she did consider that to be who she was. The girl was also partially Water Tribe. So no matter how much she tried to belong to the Air Nomads, there would always be a part of her that didn't.
"You don't want to be half Water Tribe, do you?"
The girl was a bit taken aback by his question, but she couldn't deny it.
"It's hindered me my whole life, Aang," Her voice was barely above a whisper, the words trembling as she revealed this very vulnerable side of herself,
"I could never fully grasp airbending because there was always this side of me that was working against it. I'm brash, and stubborn, and ill-tempered. Those aren't the traits an airbender should possess. I'm about to go be among these people who, by blood, are going to see me as a sister of them. But in reality, the part of me they think they own, is the part of me I have tried to hide my entire life. I get my love of healing from that side of me, but that's it. Everything else my mixed heritage has given to me, has only been negative. I cannot bring myself to consider these people, my people. I lost my people."
Aang was having a bit of trouble following where Katara was going with her points, but didn't want to break her confession, getting her to open up even further, "So, you fear that you are betraying the Air Nomad part of your heritage by being around this culture, because they will consider you a part of them, when in reality, you don't want anything to do with them?"
Katara shrugged, "I guess so. I really don't know what I'm feeling right now, Aang. I'm just confused. I'm confused about my Dad and this whole journey and I just can't quite get a grasp on my reasoning behind it all. I'm just a mess."
Releasing her hands to pull her against his chest, the Avatar wrapped his friend in a warm embrace, "I think a lot has happened lately and your just trying to sort everything out, which is proving to be impossible."
"I just don't know who I am."
Aang laughed lightly, burying his face in her hair and whispering softly, "Then we are on the same boat. I have no idea who I am either. I just received the biggest news of my life weeks ago and I'm still trying to get a good grasp on it. And, on top of all that, I lost almost everyone who used to be so important to me. I'm navigating unknown waters now."
The girl looked up at him, her arms wrapping around his waist as she guiltily murmured, "I'm just making it harder for you."
The boy shook his head, eyes shining with sincerity, "No, you aren't making it harder on me. With everything in my life as shaky as it is, you are the only thing I'm sure of. Being the Avatar isn't going to be easy, but I know that at least I'll have you around."
Katara smiled at his words and buried her face into his tattered, autumn colored tunic once again, "I'm sorry for being so emotional."
"You don't ever need to apologize for that."
They sat there quietly for a few moments, wrapped in a warm embrace as the sunlight filled their vision and glinted off the waves below them.
"You're a good friend, Aang," Though the words were quiet, the young man heard them and couldn't contain his smile.
"So are you, Katara."