DISCLAIMER: All recognizable characters, themes, and dialogue are the property of Nickelodeon, or whoever owns this epic awesomeness.
Previously on Running:
"I can't look at him, Sokka. I'm not ready."
"But he really wanted to see you."
"Wait, you saw him?"
"Yeah. Actually, he tracked me down. He said he was heading to the Fire Nation for an annual meeting with Zuko, and that he was looking forward to seeing you."
"Looking forward to seeing me? Well, he'll be in for a nasty surprise."
"Katara . . ."
"Leave it, Sokka, I'm getting out of here."
"Katara . . ."
"Stop saying my name!" Sokka sighed, and the two had little time to exchange words before the sound of a bell rang through the city.
"He's here," she whispered.
Chapter Two
Katara tried her best to keep her composure as she excused herself and went inside a small bakery.
What am I doing in here? Hiding from Aang? Am I that pathetic?
She knew she was. The thought of confronting her past, of confronting Aang-
No.
Her past and Aang weren't two different things, not ever. Aang was her past. And he could've been her future. Upon thinking of Aang, she could hear the crowds gathering around the building, so she decided to bolt.
"Hey you!" Katara turned around. An old man was hobbling toward her. He was worn, aged, with wispy white hair and a thin white beard, covering only a few of his uncountable wrinkles. He wore a traditional Fire Kingdom garment.
"You're that waterbender! The one that traveled with the Avatar!"
"Um, yes I am," she said, "I would love to chat, but I really have to-"
"Oh, what I would give to be able to travel again. Here, sit and tell me of the Avatar! I am glad he put an end to the war, the fighting got my son killed, you know? He was a Firebender, but not a good one, why he even once . . ."
Katara sat down reluctantly, her fingers tapping against the table quickly, hurriedly, unlike the man's story. She wanted to leave, but she knew she couldn't be rude to the elderly man.
As he talked, she thought about Aang.
She had heard he had grown much. He was sixteen now, she realized. Sixteen! Her little Aang was now a ful-fledged teenager! A small voice in her head battered at her for letting him get away so easily.
Does he have a girlfriend now?
She wouldn't doubt it. Aang was friendly and especially now, probably excruciatingly handome. Her mind drifted to his blue-gray eyes, his amazing and expressive, and, of course, adorable facial expressions . . . his muscles, his power . . . not that they mattered. Powers don't make a person, after all. But in a way, Aang's powers seemed to be part of the core of who he was. She guessed it was because he was the Avatar.
She mentally slapped herself for the feeling of dislike for whoever that girl was.
"Now back in my time, Firebenders didn't need fancy machines to do their work. They could handle things themselves. I even heard that one of them . . ." the old man went on.
The noises of welcome and celebration were getting closer.
How had she driven him away? Was it because he realized his true potential? Had he discovered her inferiority to his amazing powers, his destiny?
Was she like a burden to him?
Sokka said he was "Looking forward to seeing me."
The words . . . they had no depth, so substance. Like he was visiting a sister or a friend. Like he was greeting someone of no emotional importance to him.
Do I really mean nothing to him?
Was every kiss they shared, every battle they fought, every time they sat together under the moon just a hazy memory to him? Did he ever look back to the intermission during the Ember Island Players' performance? Or was it just something he regretted, something embarassing. What about the kiss they shared on that balcony? It had been so romantic, so passionate, she never doubted the love in that small touch of their lips.
Now she was beginning to doubt everything about herself.
She could hear the music outside, now only a few blocks away.
"You see, whenever we had disagreements, we were very able to settle it ourselves. Back when I was a boy, I once . . ."
How could she have thought she was powerful enough, worthy enough to deserve the love and affection of Aang- the Avatar? Aang- the Master of all four Elements?
How could she have been so stupid?
Subconsciously, her hand wandered to her necklace, and her memories drifted back to her early travels with Aang.
He had gotten her necklace back from Zuko when they were still enemies. Even after she and Sokka had deserted him to go visit their father. He had risked life and limb to make her just a little happier.
But that was before everything else. Back when he was just the last Airbender. When he was young, and Sokka was not yet a man, and she was just an untrained waterbender. The memories of them training together were some of the best ones she had, cemented her mind, teasing and tormenting her by saying that all she wanted wasn't hers to take, wasn't hers to love.
Suddenly the music grew very loud. She could almost smell Appa.
As much as she wanted to see her beloved Aang and his fuzzy companion, she knew that all of her defenses would crack before she would be able repair what was already damaged.
She could not see Aang at any cost.
"Ah, here he comes. I wonder if he knows my niece. She is a great Firebender, you know, and-"
"Um, sir?" Katara finally interjected, but it was too late. As the old man stopped, she heard Appa's excited roar.
I have to get out of here.
"May I use your back door?" Katara asked.
"Of course!" the old man replied, "Be sure to visit me again!"
Katara managed a swift nod before darting into the kitchen as Appa's head peeked into the dimly lit bakery. Appa's rider leaped off of him and opened the door and walked in.
The kitchen lights were off, and the room was extremely dark. One small counter that held the over, a sink, and several metal pots was in the middle of the room, and . . .
Bingo!
A small door that led to an alleyway.
Katara heard the door open, and in a panic, as she made a break for that lovely little door, she knocked over a few pots.
"No, no NO!" she hissed in frustration as she bent over to pick them up.
The kitchen door opened slowly. Katara saw Aang's ducked behind the counter and held her breath.
Bad idea, Katara!
As soon as she ran out of air, she would be gasping for it. He would know where she was. And she had no doubt that he would try and talk to her.
Idiot!
"Katara?"
His voice melted her. Her face twisted into a grimace.
His voice hadn't changed a lot. It was slightly deeper, but still had a boyish quality to it.
It was, in a way, sexy.
DON'T EVER THINK THAT AGAIN KATARA YOU MORON!
She was running out of breath. She needed to think of something, fast.
She heard his footsteps walking toward the counter.
Think, think, THINK Katara!
Swiftly, she bent some water from a bucket on the other side of the room. When he turned around and was almost at the bucket, she jumped up, ran back into the bakery, and into the crowd. She heard him start to pursue her, but she wasn't sure if he continued after she was outside.
She just kept running.
She heard when Aang exited the bakery, when screams chorused through the streets. When she had maneuvered through the crowd, she ran to Zuko's palace, hoping that she could just hide in her room until the whole ordeal was over.
When she reached the palace, she ran into her room.
Zuko was there.
"Did you talk to him?" he asked calmly.
"Hell no, buster."
"Why not?" the Firelord replied.
"You know why not Zuko. I can't, I-I-I just can't."
"Katara, please don't be mad or angry, but I have been charged by Mai with telling you this."
"What?"
"Well," he began . . .