I Need To Find Myself
Song Inspired: Wyclef Jean- 911 Instrumental (Can't stress the 'instrumental' part enough)
*I didn't sketch any pics; there was just too much going on in this chapter for me to find the highlights. This is my longest chapter yet (containing a whopping 21,396 words) and the most important one by far; as you read on you'll see why*
The following morning, Aang struggled to open his tired eyes; rubbing them with balled fists as he tried to make out exactly where he was. As his blurred vision began to improve and his cognition kick started, Aang came to the realization that he spent the entire night asleep on the loveseat in Onji's living room. Aang groaned as he rubbed the tire away from his face. He was so exhausted from the previous day that he just didn't even bother to go up the stairs and meet Onji in her bedroom; after all, he was incredibly high when he returned to the young Fire Nation woman's home and knew that she wouldn't have appreciated it if the young Avatar returned to her doped up to his eyeballs from the Dama that he and Zuko smoked the previous day. Since her previously horrible experience with the elusive plant back in the Fire Nation Event, Onji vowed never to associate herself with it, and wouldn't be proud to find that her lover, THE Avatar, was smoking that very plant behind her back. "No, that would make a mockery of her image as a wholesome woman, heaven forbid that she took a few hits every now and then." thought Aang sarcastically to himself as he sat himself up and rested his elbows on his thighs. And yet, he knew that she was going to be upset either way, because he failed to return home in time to 'please' her.
How Aang secretly wished that Onji at the very least would take the time to find common ground with him and appreciate the things that he enjoyed; how he wished that she would be a just a tad bit more lenient with him and more understanding of his pivotal roll in the world, for it seemed that no matter what he did lately, there was just no pleasing the young Fire Nation Woman.
Aang sighed disappointingly as he closed his eyes and nodded his tilted head, "Onji..." whispered Aang quietly to himself as he continued to rub the exhaustion away from his face.
All in all, Aang had no desire to start another conflict with the woman he was striving to bear a child with, and since the previous day had taken such a toll on the young Avatar's emotional state, he came to the conclusion that perhaps it was best that he spent the rest of the day without her. As he got up to stretch, he took a whiff of his clothes; his face twisted in fear, "Aw man, I can't let her get a whiff of this." thought Aang, for his clothes reeked of the forbidden plant's aroma. He then let out a big sigh as he shot up from the love seat and proceeded to spring towards the door that led to the guestroom, "I better hop in the shower before-"
But before Aang could finish sentence, a voice emanated from the top of the stairs.
"Aang!" yelled the stern voice.
Aang's face squint as his body cringed from the screeching sound of the voice he immediately recognized as his lover's: Onji. He hesitantly turned around to meet the woman who was standing on the top of the staircase, dressed in her usual silky, pink evening gown and traditional Fire Nation slip-ons; her arms crossed as she tapped her foot restlessly in annoyance and an angry expression on her face.
Onji growled, "Where the HECK were you Aang?" asked Onji in a loud tone as she balled her fists by her sides; her lower eyelids heavy from what seemed to be an entire night's worth of weeping.
Aang raised his eyebrow as he looked at the distraught Fire Nation woman strangely; he immediately took notice of her swollen eyelids and knew that she once again spent the night in tears.
"What was she crying about this time? Because I didn't show up in time to do her? No no no, this is getting way out of control." thought Aang to himself as the idea of Onji being so distressed because he didn't comply with her 'demands' sent ripples of annoyance throughout his nerves.
"Onji, were you…crying last night?" asked a bothered yet concerned Aang.
Onji bit her lip as her eyes began to glisten from the very question Aang just finished asking her; she turned her head bashfully as she nodded in disagreement.
But Aang knew she wasn't being truthful; her face said it all as the young Avatar stared at her in disbelief, "What is her problem?" thought Aang to himself; in awe by what he was witnessing as he stood his ground with a dumbfounded expression on his face.
Onji bit her lip as she gripped her arms; tears beginning to cascade from her deep autumn brown as she slowly turned her focus towards the young Avatar, "I don't know Aang…" whispered Onji, "When you leave *sniff* to fulfill your duties, *sniffle*… and then you don't come up to the bedroom…my mind starts going Aang." Sniffled Onji innocently as her eyes glistened with tears, "A-and I start to think that maybe you don't want to have sex with me, and that maybe you're not attracted to me anymore." explained a teary Onji pessimistically as she fidgeted her fingers.
Aang was no fool; he could see that she was distressed, but it was for what he thought was a very silly reason. He scoffed as his eyes darted aimlessly around the room before once again focusing on his lover, "Onji, I don't understand…why you feel the need to cry if I don't come up and make love to you." expressed Aang, 'I mean, being with someone and caring for some is not just about sex." explained Aang as he lightly chuckled at what he thought was a senseless fear.
But without warning, Onji's innocent concerns took a sudden turn; her eyes began to burn with anger as her thoughts took her to another possibility, a possibility that haunts her mercilessly night and day. With a vengeance, she began to profess her deepest concern. "Or you're probably secretly seeing that WHORE of an ex-girlfriend behind my back!" exclaimed Onji cold-heartedly as she began to make her way down the stairs.
Aang's eyes and mouth widened in shock as his caring smiled quickly dissipated; he couldn't believe what he was hearing. She has given him small hints here and there that she was still not over the fact that he and Katara have had a history together, but to accuse him of having an affair? Yes he slipped that one time, and since then he's been working himself like an animal to make things right with her; even if she doesn't know of his infidelity, he still did his best to make his woman the happiest in all of the Fire Nation. After all the effort he has put into their relationship, after making sure that she was well taken care of emotionally, physically and financially, after constantly making sure that she was well pleased in the bedroom, he never expected her to say something so hurtful, and he once again found himself slipping in his own fury.
But Onji could care less as to whether or not Aang was offended or not; all she cared about was voicing out her own selfish opinions and assumptions, and she continued her rant, "Well, is it true Aang, ARE you sleeping around? Maybe not Katara, maybe some loosie goose from the deepest alley in market? Or maybe a random floozy that probably batted her eyes at you after you left the meeting yesterday? Maybe that's why you didn't come to me last night? You ARE the Avatar; I'm sure women practically throw themselves at you when I'm not around, and you probably take advantage of it too, is that it? Huh?" continued Onji as she bitterly pressed her lips in annoyance and slammed her fists onto her hips.
"Want to have your cake and eat it too? Or maybe yo-"
"STOP!" screamed Aang; his voice echoing through the living room as the wooden floor trembled from the sound of his powerful voice.
Onji froze; unable to finish her sentence as Aang's roar overpowered her own and affright by having witnessed a taste of Aang's terrifying power.
" I…have had it up to HERE with your constant jealousy." exclaimed Aang as he did a military salute over his head; a menacing expression in his face as he cringed his teeth, "I knew, KNEW that you had some insecurity issues Onji, but I NEVER thought that you would stoop so low as to accuse me of being continuously unfaithful to you!" yelled Aang as he flailed his arms in the air, "Every day you get upset over something that I did, and you always, ALWAYS try to somehow connect it to Katara or some other non-existent woman, but now you've taken it too far…I'm getting sick of this Onji!" growled Aang as he slammed his hand continuously onto his chest; breathing heavily as he continued to spew all of his feelings to Onji, "I have been GOOD TO YOU!" exclaimed Aang as he pointed towards the young Fire Nation woman, "I have done my best, MY best to make sure that YOU are ALWAYS happy, heck, I even put my OWN happiness on the side for YOU; I ALWAYS made sure that I didn't DO or SAY ANYTHING that you would find offensive. You have my completely and undivided attention, but it always seems that you prefer to see my FLAWS INSTEAD!" said Aang as he swung his hand across his left side; subconsciously air bending towards the wall and causing all of Onji's wall ornaments to fly across the room and shatter onto the floor.
Onji looked on as fear began to emit from her brown eyes; for even with the display that was his doing, Aang has yet to flinch; his furious gaze solely focused on her. She was paralyzed; unable to move from her position for fear that he may lunge at her and force her to continue to listen.
"This obsession that you have with Katara….it's driving me insane! I have yet, hear me, YET to see Katara since the day I rescued her; and for you to accuse me of 'seeing' her behind your back, of even CONSIDERING that I'm having an affair is not just an insult to me, but an insult to our relationship." explained Aang as he began to walk towards the brunette beauty, "Now you listen to me Onji and listen well." continued Aang as he pointed his finger towards his lover's face and began to whisper his words, "This is going to end; you are NEVER, EVER going to fault me for being disloyal to you, you….are going to RESPECT ME AND RESPECT OUR RELATIONSHIP! I don't EVER want to hear you say that I am cheating on you, EVER." hissed Aang as he grabbed Onji's shoulders."Today, my friends are getting married; two friends whose friendship I treasure deeply." continued Aang as he angrily glared at the fear stricken woman, "We have been honorably invited to their sacred ceremony and as you know, Katara is going to be there. Now we are going to this wedding…and when we get there, you-are going-to behave." demanded Aang as he slowly began to pull away from his lover.
Onji looked on with a fright as Aang turned her back to her and proceeded to voice his demand.
"And one more thing; if you even THINK that I'm going to MISS my own friends', my own FAMILY'S matrimony, then you're sadly mistaken, Onji. Because if you get even an inch out of line, I'll make sure that you travel back home…alone." declared Aang; his back still turned to her.
Onji's already swollen eyelids began to once again fill with tears, and remorse began to set in the young Fire Nation woman for even voicing out her suspicions, "Aang…." said a tearful Onji, "Aang I'm so, so sorry…" whispered Onji as tears began to spill from her lower eyelids.
The sound of Onji's sniffles and sounds of sadness stirred the young Avatar as he felt his agitation give way so guilt; his eyes slowly began to shift towards somberness for having blown up at his lover the way he did. Aang took a deep breath as he slowly turned around and caught sight of the grief-stricken Fire Nation Woman, scrunched in her position on top of the stairs as she continuously sobbed over having been told off by her lover.
As he saw her tears roll down her cheeks, he couldn't find himself to apologize; all he did was slowly make his way towards her and grab hold of her; hoping and praying that he somehow got through to her. As he softly embraced her, he solemnly whispered in her ear, "Come on, we have to get ready to go." said Aang as he lightly rubbed Onji's arms; disappointment ridden for having once again let his anger do the talking instead of his rational thought.
Onji sniffed as her tear stricken eyes looked up at Aang, who wasn't about to give her the satisfaction of returning her glance for what she has done.
"Oh and another thing" continued Aang, still unwilling to look at Onji's face, "The reason why I didn't come home last night was because I was smoking Dama with Zuko; just thought you should know." finished Aang.
Onji merely looked down at his chest before pulling away from him in disbelief over what Aang just finished confessing to her, and not an ounce of remorse emitted from his voice when he mentioned it. As she lightly sniffed the surrounding air, her eyes widened; the strong odor of the plant's smoke was now noticeable to the young Fire Nation man as she covered her nose in disgust. Aang however, remained unphased by her displeasure and continued to deny her his recognition.
She now knew that he was telling the truth; she now knew by his bold confession and his insensitivity to her feelings towards his usage of the outlawed plant that he wasn't going to take anymore of her badgering behavior, and this made her exceedingly nervous, "I'm going to get washed up and…then we can head out." said Onji quietly, a hint of sadness still eminent in her voice as her visual attempts at evoking Aang's notice became persistent.
Even when Onji backed away from him and subtly tried to get his attention, Aang still refused to look at the Fire Nation beauty; not even a peripheral glance. Never has he been so infuriated or so hurt by anyone in his entire life. The worldly legislature did a good job getting under skin, but he expected that from them; never did he expect that someone who claims to care so much about him would persecute him in such a way and cause him to have so much pain and resentment.
Onji took the hint; she knew that no matter what she did, he wasn't going to respond to her quiet yet desperate gestures, and she slowly turned around and sluggishly made her way up the stairs and entered the bedroom; defeated.
Aang glanced up as Onji disappeared into her room and shut the door behind her; sighing in annoyance as he made his way towards the guest room door and proceeded to go the stairs.
Meanwhile, Onji locked her door and made her way towards her dresser. When she got there, she held herself up with her arms as her head dangled over her chest; her short, brunette locks cascading over her face before she once again raised her head to face her reflection. As she stared at her grief-stricken eyes in the mirror, her distressed demeanor suddenly shifted and sourness soon took its place; her deep browns darkened, and her eyebrows bent in infuriation.
"I just had to open my big mouth, I just had to open my big, stinkin', mouth!" growled Onji as she gripped the edge of her dresser.
She feels like a complete idiot for having voiced her opinions and fears without even considering how he would react, but now she's paying for it, for he seemed more distant now than ever before. Even when they were just friends he showed more interest in her, but lately, it's been almost a struggle to find common ground with the young Avatar, and the verbal altercation they just had moments ago only added more fuel to the ever growing problem. She was afraid, afraid that she was pushing him away from her; and that the relationship she strived to achieve was crumbling beneath her feet and was helpless to stop it; her paranoia was destroying them and she knew it. As she continued to spiral deeper into her own hysteria, anxiety soon followed as she felt her heart beat so rapidly that it could easily break through her chest as sweat began to trickle down her brow. The way Aang ignored her subtle plea for his attention was now an image that was permanently burned in her psyche; serving as a reminder to her that she was now at risk, at risk of losing Aang.
Tears began to trickle down the dry path of her previous cry, "Aang, I can't afford to lose you." whispered Onji quietly…and longingly; "I love you, Aang."
She loved him; she loved him so much that she risked her life just by attempting to ask the Fire Nation's most deadly fugitive, Azula, to eliminate the one person that she felt had the power to end their relationship. Even though Katara wasn't eliminated as she had hoped, seeing Aang in such pain for having been unfairly accused of stepping out of their relationship was enough for Onji to come to the realization that he genuinely cared about her; regardless as to whether or not Katara was alive. She now knew that Aang was here to stay, and he really wanted to make things work between them, but her deranged suspicions were getting in the way. She realized that she had to step it up; she knew she had to be the woman Aang knew and wanted her to be in order to further their union. She would be the epitome of what the Avatar's mate should exemplify and be the physical manifestation, a symbol of the glory that would soon be the union between Air and Fire. She was going to do that for him, because she truly loved him; but first, she felt compelled to handle some unfinished business with whom she considered to be a troublesome nuisance. She chuckled menacingly as her corruptive plan unfolded in her thoughts.
"Don't worry Aang; I'll behave for you today, or at the very least, I'll try…"
Back in Ba Sing Se, a young Fire Nation man was resting his back on the wall with his arms crossed and a sweet smile on his face as he watched his beloved girlfriend make a spectacle out of finding the perfect apparel to wear for her brother's and closest friend's wedding.
She tried on a green pullover; "Ugh, this won't do." whispered Katara as she took off the long blouse and hysterically invaded her dresser; tossing trousers, tights, blouses and bindings into the air as they cascaded down and decorated the wooden floor.
Lee nodded his head as he let out a light sigh, "No, I guess it won't." chuckled Lee as he narrowly dodged his head from a runaway pair of dark trousers.
Katara rolled her eyes agitatedly as she continued to ransack her drawers; while Lee remained oblivious to her annoyed demeanor.
Lee brushed his fingertips over the right side of his chest as he attempted to carry on a conversation, "You know, I think that was really thoughtful of Sokka to allow Suki to have the wedding take place on Kyoshi Island and all." said Lee admirably, "You know, instead of in his homeland. It must take a lot of guts for someone like him to put his pride on the side like that." pointed out Lee as he lightly chuckled, "Then again, heh, you did say that a wedding was all about the bride; maybe Suki somehow coerced him into having the wedding in her home village?" suggested Lee innocently as he continued to chuckle at the thought of the possibility of his brother in law being mercilessly threatened by his bride-to-be.
Katara chuckled dispassionately, "Well, I guess he figured since she's going to have to spend the rest of her life in constant below zero temperatures, he may as well return the favor and let her spend her last unwed day in her ambiance." said Katara sarcastically; a frigid tone in her voice as she took out a pair of trousers from her dresser.
Lee jerked his head back as he bent his eyebrows in shock for having witnessed Katara say something so insensitive about her own family, but he knew that she hasn't been herself lately, and understood her position. "You know, you've been a bit…off since, you know." mentioned Lee, "I mean, I know you don't wish to talk to anyone about this but I really think you sho-"
Lee halted himself from continuing his sentence as he began to notice the displeasure in Katara's deep ocean blue eyes; her glare piercing through him as she stopped her frantic search. He knew then that she wasn't pleased with his insinuation and decided that it was best not to push the topic further; he waved his hands apologetically, "Just forget it, forget I….said anything…." said Lee, feeling defeated as he began to skim aimlessly throughout the room.
Katara discerned from his gloomy expression that she touched a nerve within her lover, and she couldn't feel guiltier for denying him the peace of mind he so desperately yearned for.
"Lee, I'm so sorry. I've just been really stressed lately; especially with, you know." explained Katara as she took a break from her rummaging; "I'm just trying to keep my mind off of it Lee; it's crucial that I do. You know that." explained Katara as she lovingly gazed into her lover's eyes; a hint of worry barely disguised in her expression as she forced a smile.
Lee nodded his head in disagreement, "No; Katara it's alright. You don't need to explain anything to me." said Lee as he affectionately smiled at the young water bender.
Katara then looked up to her lover; a gleam in her eyes and an expression of appreciation in her face as she agilely commenced to search her drawers once again.
Lee couldn't help but chuckle at the comical sight as he lightly nodded his head, "Katara…" said Lee quietly as he gazed lovingly at the young water bender while she continuously tried on different outfits. "They all look good on you honey; just pick one." mentioned a caring Lee as he patiently waited for his lover to find the outfit she deemed worthy to wear to the important event.
But she couldn't just pick one; no, her attire had to be just right, "Lee, you KNOW that I can't just put on any old shirt on, or pants for that matter." explained Katara as she continued to rummage her drawers. "It's crucial that I find the right clothes." continued a desperate Katara as she proceeded to try on more outfit, "I mean, everyone's going to be there, my family, my friends; they can't notice-" Katara cut herself off as she let out a light gasp her eyes widened in elation. After having spent the entire morning getting dressed for her brother's big day, Katara finally managed to find the perfect outfit that would accentuate her voluptuous figure.
Katara posed continuously in front of her mirror as she observed herself in approval; "Ahhh, perfect..." said a very pleased Katara as she continued to admire the attire she found best hugged her hourglass frame, and best hid her bodily imperfections. She would be sporting the modified version of her traditional Water Tribe outfit; a long, short sleeved kimono blouse with midnight blue tights, and traditional slip-on boots with interior fur.
Lee was busy randomly skimming the room when he was interrupted from his daydream. When Lee's focused turned towards the ebony beauty, he was blown away by the marvelous sight.
"Well, how do I look?" asked Katara.
Lee couldn't help but be in awe at the sight; he has yet to see her in her native clothing and although it had more of a modern Earth Kingdom flare than what most of the Southern Water Tribe would normally wear, he still thought the outfit she decided to wear simply looked exotically stunning on her. To Lee, Katara was already a beautiful woman both inside and out, but man oh man did she look amazing today.
Lee rubbed the back of his head bashfully as he let out a timid chuckle, "Heh heh, you look, great, no FANTASTIC!" exclaimed Lee as a light blush began to emanate from his cheeks from the sight of his visually enchanting woman.
Katara chuckled as she began to tie her hair; happily knowing that her lover found her pleasing to the eye, then again he has always found her pleasing to the eye and he wasn't afraid to show it. Even in her most grungy moments he has always voiced that she looked beautiful; regardless of whether her hair was messy and tangled, or if she had a zit, he didn't care. She was beautiful to him, and this made her very happy, happy that she was comfortable enough to be herself around this man even in her worst moments.
Lee cheesily grinned at the beautiful water bender as she finished tying her hair in her usual style before realizing that they had to leave immediately if they were to get some good seats on deck, "Ready?" asked Lee as he tilted his head towards the ebony beauty.
Katara nodded agreeably, "Ready." said Katara as she lightly smiled at the young Fire Nation man. As she reached to pick up their tickets from atop of her dresser, she took a quick glance at its disembarking time; she gasped at what she just discovered, "Oh no." whispered Katara; an aghast expression in her eyes.
Lee took notice of her worry, "What, what is it?" asked a concerned Lee.
Katara;s eyes stayed glued to the tickets; unable to move her glance, "Our boat leaves in 5 minutes!" exclaimed Katara as she slammed the back of her hand onto the tickets in frustration, "I mean, how could I miss this? Where is my brain for goodness sake!" exclaimed a paranoid Katara as she tightly gripped her head in dismay and confusion.
Lee's eyes widened troublingly as he witnessed his girlfriend submerge into her own panic; quickly walking towards the young water bender as he gently placed his hands on her shoulders, "Katara, Katara relax..." said Lee as he lightly gripped Katara's shoulders. "We'll make it to the wedding." said Lee calmly, "If we leave now we can probably catch our ship before it disembarks." said Lee determinedly as he put his fist in the air, for he was determined to make their deadline on time.
Katara nodded compliantly as she attempted composed herself; taking in a deep breath as she exhaled her stress, "Yeah, your right." said Katara as her voice quivered from the last bit of nerves that escaped her.
A driven grin then escaped from Lee, "Well, what are we doing standing around here for? We have a wedding to attend!" shouted Lee high spiritedly as he jammed his fist into the air and dashed towards the door.
Katara chuckled nervously as she tried to go along with Lee's enthusiasm, "Heh heh, yeah, whoopieeee.." said Katara as she made an effort to imitate Lee's excitement.
Thankfully, Lee didn't happen to pay any notice to her uneasiness as he lunged towards the door with a devilish smirk; turning around as he placed her hand on the doorknob, "Come on, we gotta get a move on." said Lee merrily as he gestured the young water bender to follow his lead.
Katara couldn't resist giggling as she watched her lover fervently wait for her approach; but when Katara tried to run after him, she was immediately stopped by her lover's hand.
"Katara, maybe….we should take it easy; you know, not too fast? For you sake of course." suggested Lee.
Katara blushed as she longingly gazed into Lee's amber colored eyes, "Yeah." said Katara as she nodded agreeably, "Yeah you're probably right." finished Katara as she smiled sweetly at her lover.
Lee then opened the door for the young water bender as he indicated her to exit the room with a bow only worthy for someone of great importance. Katara bowed her head jokingly as she and Lee laughed all the way out of the door.
As they headed past the hall and down the stairs, they rushed Iroh who happened to be putting a 'closed' sign on the doors' outer exterior to the Tea Shop.
As the couple passed the Former Fire Nation general hand in hand and made their way out the Tea Shop, Katara looked back with a hasty expression on her face, "Come on we're going to be late!" yelled Katara cheerfully as she waved frantically to Iroh before disappearing into the usual street crowd.
Iroh looked on dumfoundedly as the couple jet past him, "Whoa, time to go." thought Iroh to himself as he slammed the sign onto the door before locking the doors and ran after the two lovers; "Wait for me!" waved Iroh as he darted towards their direction, huffing and puffing along the way as sweat began to protrude from his brow.
As Katara and Lee continued to run towards the harbor, Lee became concerned that Katara was being over-strenuous began to question the young water bender, "You feelin' alright?" asked Lee loudly, for their dash made it difficult for them to hear one another, even if they were next to each other.
Katara rolled her eyes, "I'm fine." answered Katara annoyingly.
Lee noticed Katara's uncomfortable state, and knew that his question had a lot to do with it, "I just want to make sure Katara." explained Lee, "You mean so much to me, and heaven forbid something happened to-"
"I said I'm fine." answered an irritated Katara, "Could we please just concentrate on getting to the harbor on time?" asked the young water bender as they continued their pace towards their ship.
Lee took a quick glance at his lover before once again focusing on the path ahead of them, "Right..." said Lee nonchalantly.
There was silence between them for a moment as they arrived at the harbor, until Lee decided to quickly break the silence between them, "Hey, do you think that Iroh's going to be able to catch up to us?" asked Lee.
Katara chuckled at the thought of Iroh's jiggling frame sprinting down the roads of Ba Sing Se; "Maybe we should slow down just a taaaaad bit." suggested Katara as she made a minuscule size with her thumb and index finger.
Lee caught on to her joke, "Heh, yeah, I think that would be best." answered Lee, for the thought of a jelly bellied Iroh running after them seemed almost cruel, even if it was humorous to him.
But before they even had a chance to slow down, Katara and Lee began to notice that their ship was raising its anchor, which meant only one thing: Their ship was about to make its way to the Southern Water Tribe without them.
Katara gasped as she pointed towards the Earth Kingdom ship, "Lee, it's about to set sail without us!" yelled Katara as sweat began to drip from her temples.
Lee looked on in fright as the ship crew that remained on the harbor began to board the ship: "LAST CALL, I REPEAT, LAST CALL FOR KYOSHI ISLAND!" yelled the ticket master from the ship platform's side.
"Hang on!" yelled a frantic Lee as he swiftly picked up Katara by her legs; desperately sprinting with the ebony beauty safely cradled in his arms towards the ship platform. Just as the ticket master was about to embark the ship, Lee finally made it to the platform by the skin of their teeth; Katara still tucked in his embrace as he tried to subdue his heavy breathing.
The ticket master slowly turned around to tend to the 'last minute slackers', clearly bothered by their tardiness. "Tickets please?" asked the ticket master as he held out his hand; his tired, red eyes glaring at the couple in agitation as he chewed what they assumed to be a tar-like substance.
Lee then gently placed the young water bender down as he began to search his pockets, but to his horror, he realized that his frantic search turned up nothing; his pockets were empty.
The ticket master grew more annoyed with the young couple as he turned his head and spit a small dab of the tar-like substance onto the ground; making a light splat sound before turning his focus once again to the young couple. "Tickets please!"exclaimed the ticket master as he impatiently shook his hand.
Katara acknowledged the ticket master's irritation, and without taking her eyes off of the disgruntled ship employee, she began to nervously shake Lee's shoulder. "Lee, Lee the tickets!" said an alarmed Katara.
Lee restlessly searched his pocket, then the other pocket; hoping that somehow he had forgotten that he tucked the tickets in the wrong pocket, but his tense search turned up nothing. "I had them in my pocket, b-b-but it's not in there. It's not anywhere." said Lee as he defeatedly took his hands out of his pockets, "They're gone." said Lee, a look of worry in his face.
Katara's eyes widened in shock as she placed her hands over her mouth, "Oh no, are you sure you put them in your pocket?" asked Katara anxiously as her eyes widened in dread.
"More than sure." answered Lee solemnly, "They must've fallen out of my pocket when we started running." explained Lee as he guiltily turned his head away from his lover. "I'm so sorry Katara." Apologized Lee; feeling shameful for having potentially cost them their trip to her only brother's wedding.
Katara nodded understandingly as she delicately wrapped her fingers over Lee's shoulder; "It's okay Lee, it was an accident." said Katara reassuringly as she nodded comfortingly to her lover. "I'm sure we'll figure something out; maybe we can catch a later ship?" asked Katara as she attempted to remedy the situation; dismayed for she knew that catching a later ship would mean that they would miss her brother's wedding.
But just as they were about to give up and let the ship set sail without them, a familiar voice echoed from the horizon.
"Heeeeeeyyyy!" yelled Iroh as he waved his hands wildly.
Lee and Katara looked on disappointingly as Iroh sprinted his way towards them; for he doesn't know that the tickets that would take them all to Kyoshi Island were potentially lost anywhere in Ba Sing Se.
When Iroh finally reached them; heavily gasping for air as he held up his hand, "I *sigh* you *sigh* dropped this *sigh* *sigh*" said Iroh as he held up the three small pieces of paper that Lee and Katara thought they had lost forever.
Their faces lit up as they immediately recognized what Iroh was holding between his fingers:The tickets that would take them to Kyoshi Island, and to Sokka and Suki's wedding.
Lee pointed happily to the former Fire Nation General, "Iroh, how, how did you-"
"It's like I said" said a joyful Iroh, "You dropped it." Finished Iroh as he willingly handed the papers to Lee.
Lee took the tickets from Iroh with a thankful expression on his face, "Thank you Iroh." said Lee as he bowed his head gratefully before the Former Fire Nation General.
Iroh chuckled as his belly jiggled in response, "Don't worry about it." answered Iroh as he lightly flung his hand, "If I wasn't so big boned, I would've been able to catch up to you guys; therefore e wouldn't have been able to see the tickets fly out of your pockets, and we wouldn't missed our departure." explained Iroh merrily as he continued to chuckle.
Lee and Katara chuckled at Iroh's self-humor, but were suddenly interrupted by an angry voice.
"TICKETS PLEASE!" yelled the bitter ticket master as he forcefully held his hand out; trembling in edginess as his reddened eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
Lee's expression soon turned stern as he angrily glared at the ticket master before slamming the tickets onto his hand, "Here you go." said Lee with an intent expression as his eyes stayed menacingly fixed on the ticket master until he couldn't keep his gaze on him any longer.
The ticket master looked on in disgust as the three final passengers boarded the ship that was about to set sail to Kioshi Island, "Ugh...I hate my job" said the miserable ticket master as he followed the threesome onto the ship deck.
As they continued to walk on the platform, Iroh placed his hand on Lee's shoulder as he warmly smiled at the young Fire Nation man; "See? Everything happens for a reason." said Iroh as he subtly glanced at Katara, his insinuation obligating her to blush as she solemnly gazed at the Former Fire Nation General.
Night began to settle over the vast horizon; A luminous full moon and the twinkle of the stars elegantly decorating the heavens as a small section of the Island of Kyoshi glistened amidst the rest of its quiet darkness.
Aang was the first one to dismount Appa's back; jumping into the air as he gingerly landed his feet on the smooth, white sand. As he finished brushing himself off, he then walked by the Bison's side and helped Onji slide over his fluffy body. As Onji fixed her outfit, Aang walked towards the gentle giant.
"Here ya go buddy." said Aang with a cheesy smile as he gave his pet sky Bison a whole bag full of assorted fruits to keep him satisfied.
"Alright Appa, we'll be a while so get comfortable, alright?" said Aang warmly as he gently passed his hand over his fur before giving his pet a final pat; Appa groaned compliantly as he watched Aang and Onji walk away from his side and into the island.
Onji gripped Aang's arm affectionately, "Ugh, why do these people have weddings at night anyway?" asked an annoyed Onji as she haughtily skimmed her surroundings.
Aang light chuckled at Onji's naivety, "Well, it's more of a Water Tribe tradition than an Earth Kingdom's." explained Aang as they continued to walk side by side on the dock, "See, like the Fire Nation relies on it's spiritual energy from the sun, the Southern and Northern Water tribes draw their own spiritual strength from the moon. It's tradition that a wedding take place in a time when the energy that vitalizes the Southern and Northern Water Tribe is at it's peak; symbolizing the strong, eternal bond that will form between the bride and groom-to-be." explained Aang as a light smile formed on his mouth.
Onji's mouth lightly gaped; fascinated by Aang's explanation, "Sounds romantic." said a blushful Onji, "And how do you know all of this?" asked Onji as the light of the full moon lit up her autumn brown eyes.
Aang rubbed the back of his head, "Well, I'm the Avatar; things like this are just common knowledge for me, you know that." answered Aang as he raised his eyebrow; knowing well where Onji was trying to get at.
Onji scoffed in relief, "Oh good, for a second I thought-"
As Onji turned her gaze towards her lover, she quickly noticed Aang's corrective gaze as they proceeded to make their way out of the harbor.
"Uhh, s-sorry...Aang. I thought nothing." said Onji with a bitter smile as she turned her focus towards the dense cluster of people that accumulated Suki's native town.
Before they could reach the heavily populous community, Aang felt a hand on his shoulder and a familiarly kind voice emanate from behind him.
"You're late Avatar." said the voice.
Aang jerked his body around to meet the person behind the quaint voice, and relief overtook him when he found that it was only King Kuei.
"King Kuei." said a delightfully surprised Avatar, "What...what are you doing here?" asked Aang suspiciously.
As Aang asked the question, a maniacal grin discretely escaped his lover; heavily shielded by the darkness of the night.
"The whole council is here Aang." answered King Kuei, "Can't have the Avatar arrive at a public event like this without being properly escorted by his fellow council members." chuckled the Earth King.
Aang puzzlingly gazed at the King as he darted his index finger continuously at the Earth King, "I know that Zuko is supposed to be here, but we're both personal friends of the bride and groom." explained Aang, "Who asked all of you to come?" asked a confused Aang as he rubbed his forehead.
The Earth King raised his eyebrow; flabbergasted by his question, "Why, it was your mate, young Avatar; I assumed you both discussed this and came to an agreement that our presence be made alongside you." answered King Kuei as he kindly gestured his hand towards Onji.
Aang slowly turned his gazed towards his lover, an astonished expression on his face as Onji innocently stared into his deep, storm grays; "Onji, is this true?" asked Aang.
Onji tilted her head and nodded in disbelief as she glared at the young Avatar, "Well, of course Aang." answered Onji in a sarcastic tone of voice as she crossed her arms, "Did you really think that I would just let you waltz into a wedding without a proper entrance?" asked Onji as she tapped her foot in annoyance.
Aang nodded his head, "I don't understand." said a befuddled Aang.
Onji sighed in frustration, "I thought it would be a good political move if they accompanied you." explained Onji as she nodded agreeably.
"As did we." answered King Kuei perkily as he pointed his index finger into the air.
Aang squint his face in frustration as he curled his fingers over his head, "What's so 'political' about a wedding?" asked Aang with a harsh tone of voice.
A huge, cheesy grin escaped the young Fire Nation Woman as she squint her eyes and intertwined her fingers behind her back; displaying an innocent demeanor to the young Avatar. "You'll see." said Onji cheerfully as she lunged her arms towards her lover and tightly gripped his waist; that cheesy grin still plastered in her face.
King Kuei immediately interrupted their 'moment' as he placed his hand on Aang's shoulder, "Come now Avatar, the wedding has already commenced and you have yet to make your appearance." said King Kuei as he let go of his grip on his shoulder and walked towards a tumultuous-looking path that led into the woods and away from the dense crowd; turning his head as he gestured the young couple to follow him, "Come, we'll enter the wedding through this path; that way your presence won't make a big hullabaloo." explained the Earth King as he disappeared through the vine-infested pathway.
Aang and Onji glanced at each other before hesitantly following the Earth King into the woods. As they proceeded to walk down the beaten path, a sharp thorn scratched Onji's arm, causing her to whelp in pain as she rubbed the afflicted area, "RRRRUUUUGH! Aang, when are we going to get out of these wretched woods!" yelled Onji as she and Aang continued to walk down what seemed to be a never-ending path.
Aang nearly tripped on a tree's outgrown roots; causing him to regain his balance as he continued to walk down the difficult path, "I don't know." said Aang as he swiped a loose vine from his face.
King Kuei flung a small mosquito-fly from his face with his index finger and thumb as he overheard the young couple's conversation, "Don't worry, it won't be long, see?" said King Kuei as he pointed his index finger towards a small light ahead of them, "We'll be there in just a moment." said King Kuei cheerfully.
And just like the Earth King said, they found themselves at arm's reach with the exit to the unruly path, and when the young couple emerged from the beaten path, their mouths gaped in awed at the wondrous sight.
They found themselves standing before the modestly beautiful scene that would soon join Suki and Sokka's in matrimony. The event was arranged outdoors; white seats properly rowed and aligned by one another atop lush green grass as natives of both the Water Tribe and Kyoshi Island filled each and every one. Its ceremonial altar was decorated to simplistic perfection as flowers of all kinds and colors formed a circle in the middle of the ceremonial platform; drummers surrounded the altar by lit tiki torches as their gigantic instruments lay in wait in between their knees, awaiting the fated sacrament to begin as drapes of deep blue elegantly flowed down behind them. There was a natural/casual feel to the ambiance as fireflies hovered around the trees and altar, and every attendant was dressed in their usual attire with the exception of the holy man; who wore his hair in a formal wolf tail and whose ocean blue silk robes flowed gently to the ground. Aang was familiar with the holy man's role in the wedding; in the Water Tribe culture, he would stand witness as a representative of the Spirit World to Suki and Sokka's union, and alongside him would stand the groom, who in turn will stand by his father. And there was Sokka, gallantly standing alongside Hakoda with his hands balled behind his back; his hair was neatly groomed as he wore his finest warrior outfit, after all, it's tradition that a Southern Water Tribe warrior wear his battle attire proudly on the day of his wedding as a symbol of the physical and emotional strength he will offer to his woman . Aang looked on proudly as his friend stood commandingly on the altar; while the holy man stood by him with his eyes closed and in complete silence as if in a meditative state as he patiently awaited for the bride to approach.
Aang attention then turned to the crowd as he attempted to visually skim through the attendants for someone familiar, and to his luck, he spotted someone within the crowd with a familiar hair bump accompanied by a side ponytail and a blank stare; that someone he immediately recognized to be his old, blind earth bending Sifu, Toph. Aang smiled excitedly; he couldn't wait to take his seat alongside his old friend, but as he tried to walk towards her direction, he bumped into a low gate, causing him to nearly lose his balance as he waved his hands to regain his poise. Aang was so entranced by the breathtaking scenery that he failed to see the wooden gate that encircled the area where he stood, and failed to recognize the members of the council, including Zuko and his wife Mai, sitting by him in their assigned seats within his side of the gated section. He was soon engulfed in disappointment as he realized that he and Onji were standing in a section specifically reserved for high ranking officials, and divided from the common folk.
Then, a whisper; "Avatar, please take your seat; the ceremony's about to begin." suggested King Kuei as he took his seat next to Chief Arnook.
Aang's focus then darted towards the Earth King, breaking his focus on his old friends; "Right." said Aang as he nudged Onji on the shoulder and gestured her to sit, "Wedding's about to begin." said Aang to his lover as he took his seat next to Zuko; while Onji nodded compliantly as she took her seat next to Mai and turned her focus towards the altar.
As Aang got himself comfortable, Zuko nudged the young Avatar on the shoulder, "Hey, what took you so long?" asked Zuko.
Aang simply looked at the Fire Lord with an expression of annoyance as he let out a frustrated sigh, "We would've been here sooner, but we took a wrong turn halfway through the trip, which cost us about two hour's worth of time." explained Aang as he rubbed his temples with his middle and index fingers.
Zuko shrugged his shoulders in response before he took a quick glance of Aang's girlfriend and bent towards the young Avatar's ear; a whisper escaping him as he covered his mouth from the unsuspecting Fire Nation Woman, "Don't worry about it; besides, Katara hasn't shown up either." whispered Zuko.
Aang's heart nearly skipped a beat at the sound of her name as he nodded agreeably, "O-oh...ok then, good...I guess..." said Aang anxiously as he began to bite his nails.
Zuko pat Aang on the shoulder; he understood the true reasoning of the young Avatar's tension and thought it was best not to push the conversation further, so he once again focused on the altar as was everyone else. As the flames that kept the outdoor ceremony lit began to dim, Aang couldn't help but notice that Katara was still nowhere to be found. He saw Kanna, Katara's grandmother alongside her husband, Master Pakku; sitting in the front row, but still saw no sign of Katara anywhere. "Where is she? She's missing her own brother's wedding." thought Aang to himself as his eyes skimmed the crowd for any sign of the young water bender.
Suddenly, as if he had psychokinetically manifested his wonders, he saw the beautiful, chocolate skinned woman with mesmerizing, blue eyes and that dazzling smile that would stir even the most forlorn individual make her way towards the empty seat next to Toph; the beautiful chocolate skinned woman that was Katara, hand in hand with her boyfriend, Lee.
She was just so bewitchingly gorgeous; Aang couldn't deny it if he wanted to, and a surge of jealousy began to rush his veins as he caught sight of Katara's fingers intertwined with Lee's. He raised his eyebrow in discontent as he gulped his throat, for the thought of Katara let alone the sight of her happily hand in hand with Lee was one that made his stomach churn; especially after she made such a powerful declaration to him the morning after they had sex, but Aang stopped his intrusive thoughts in its tracks. "Come on Aang, what's the matter with you?" thought Aang to himself as he struggled to contain his feelings; nonetheless, he was much more concerned about Katara's well-being than his personal quarrels at the moment. After their falling out, he has consistently worried about her since, and because they were at odds with one another, he never got the chance to mend things between them. He missed her, and he missed their friendship; but Aang wasn't so sure is Katara felt the same way. His eyes stayed glued to the young water bender as if in a trance as she took a seat next to Toph; jerking his head back as he squint his face in confusion, for he had taken notice of a change in Katara's physical appearance, "She looks different somehow; the same, yet...different" thought Aang to himself; distinctly watching her as the cool night breeze gently lifted the loose strands of hair from the crown of her forehead. Without warning, a thunderous sound interrupted his gaze.
Drums began to pound as every guest rose to their feet; signaling the entry of the bride. And what a beautiful bride she was; Suki made her glorious appearance wearing a long, short sleeved, cream colored silk gown draped with an intricately decorated lace, a wreath decorated with panda lilies wrapped over her curled hair, and most importantly, the betrothal necklace that her husband-to-be painstakingly took the time to carve wrapped elegantly around her neck . Every attendant awed as Suki's modest beauty as she began to walk down the isle; she truly looked stunning, but when Suki crossed Katara and Aang's visual path, Aang and Katara's gaze locked not on the bride, but on each other. For the first time since they last saw each other that ill fated day back in Ba Sing Se three months ago, Aang and Katara stared deeply into each other's eyes, unable to escape one another's visual ensnare. Even when Suki passed their observable route, they remained lost within one another's fixed stare; incapable of looking anywhere else before the drums once again began to rumble; interrupting their watch on each other as Suki finally reached the altar.
"So much for not seeing him again for the rest of my life..." thought Katara.
As the sacrament began to take place, the multitude of spectators took their seats as both Suki and Sokka knelt in the center of the floral circle and bowed their heads before the holy man; their hands conjoined as the holy man placed his hands over their heads, closed his eyes and began a cryptic chant. Everyone watched on attentively as his hymns echoed throughout the ceremonial area, while the cool night breeze began to lift flower pedals and leaves from the altar's grounds; joined in a rhythmic dance as it gently blew its way towards the audience. Soon after, that breeze made its way towards Katara; dropping a single panda lily on her before disappearing into the island's dark shadow.
Katara gently picked up the flowed that conveniently landed over her womb, and while the holy man continued his ritual, Katara turned her attention towards Toph, "So, Mana couldn't come?" asked Katara, noticing Toph's lover's absence.
Toph nodded disagreeably as she let out a sigh, "No...mom and dad are working her overtime so she had to be there."
Katara nodded understandingly, "Oh, I guess they're still trying to do their best to 'change' you?" asked Katara she lightly chuckled at the thought.
Toph silently cackled, "Yeah, pretty much, 'good luck with that' is what I tell them." said Toph with a devilish grin as she masculinely crossed her legs.
Katara couldn't help but chuckle at the thought; Toph is who she is and there's nothing anyone can do to change her. That's like if someone asked her to change the color of her skin, its just undoable and pointless, and in her opinion they shouldn't even try and just accept her for who she is, as she is.
Toph then leaned towards Katara's ear as a whisper escaped her mouth, "So, how are 'things'? asked Toph as she quoted with her middle and index finger.
Katara swiftly turned her head towards her blind friend; a doleful look in her eye, "Not good." answered Katara solemnly as she twirled her locks around her fingers, "I have to visit the local healer weekly now." answered Katara.
Toph's blank eyes widened in surprise, "Wow, is it really getting that bad?" asked Toph as she raised her eyebrow in concernment.
Katara shut her eyes as she fought back her tears, "*sigh*, yeah..." whispered Katara quietly; her voice aquiver.
Toph let out a light gasp as she placed her hand over her mouth, "Oh no..." said Toph as she placed her hand on her back, "I'm so sorry Katara." said a sincere Toph; feeling a great deal of empathy for the ailing water bender.
As Katara felt herself slowly slip into depression by the mere thought of her distressing condition, a comforting hand found its place on her shoulder.
"Everything's going to be alright Katara, you'll see." said Lee as he smiled sweetly and rubbed his lover's arm in condolence.
Katara slowly opened her glistening deep blues as she willingly returned the gesture; she felt grateful for Toph and Lee's attempt to console her, and she suddenly felt optimistic. "Yeah, you guys are probably right; I just have to be positive." continued Katara, "Thank you." smiled Katara lightly as she took comfort in knowing that she had the support and tender loving care of the most important people in her life.
As Katara continued to be consoled by Toph and Lee, a young Avatar quickly noticed Katara's distress from afar; assuming that his presence probably had something to do with it. He continued to look on; he hoped to obtain her gaze again and somehow hope that he could mentally communicate with her, but instead, his eyes met with the young Fire nation man that affectionately embraced the object of his attention in his arms. Lee repeatedly turned his head wards Aang's direction before realizing that is was indeed the Avatar who sat across from them; facing their direction while everyone else continued to watch the service. He then waved excitedly as he mutely greeted the young Avatar, while Aang couldn't help but discretely return the gesture, and thankfully did so without bringing Onji's attention to himself; for she was so incredibly focused on the ceremony that was currently taking place that she failed to even notice her lover's watchful eye was not on the altar, but in the direction of the woman she loathed so much.
As Lee stopped waving, he turned to Katara and Toph with a befuddled expression, "What's wrong with Aang guys? He looks troubled." pointed Lee out as he pointed his thumb towards the obviously bothered Avatar.
Katara and Toph glanced at each other with a baffled expression as they shrugged their shoulders, while Katara tensely rubbed her thighs, "M-maybe h-he probably um...ATE, yeah, he prrrobably ate something that didn't sit well with him, heh heh, monks can have some really sensitive stomachs you know; especially since all they eat is fruit and nuts?" said an anxious Katara as she continued to rub her thighs. Lee raised his eyebrow as he suspiciously observed Katara's restlessness.
Toph smacked her face as she cringed at Katara's obvious behavior and decided to quickly intervene, "Or maybe he's just miserable that he's stuck with a bunch of old crabby men that have nothing better to do with their lives than force their will onto an unsuspecting public." said Toph bitterly as she crossed her arms.
Katara and Lee looked at the earth bender with a dumbfounded expression on their face.
Toph blushed, "Well it's true." said Toph as she shrugged her arms and lifted her hands.
But before they could further question Aang's sorrowful demeanor, a roaring voice interrupted their attempt.
"Sokka of the Water Tribe; Suki of the Earth Kingdom. In the name of the Moon and Ocean Spirits, in the name of ALL the omnipresent spirits that bear witness to this vital declaration of love and commitment, I pronounce...thee...WED!" yelled the holy man, that final word escaping him with much ferocity as he held his hands out; presenting the newly wed couple before every attendant that took witness to their matrimony.
As his words echoed throughout the congregation, roars, cheers and claps thundered while the dynamic sound of drums erupted from the altar. Katara, Toph, Lee, Aang, Onji, Zuko and Mai along with all the other attendants stood on their feet as they verbally embraced the newly formed union.
Sokka and Suki then rose from their kneel and faced each other in unison; their fingers entwined with each other's as they smiled adoringly at one another. And before everyone's eyes, Sokka and Suki sealed their nuptial with a soft, tender kiss. They were no longer separate entities, but one in the eyes of all in this world and the next.
The crowd erupted as the newly weds made their union official with their public display of affection, and as Aang watched Sokka and Suki fulfill their matrimony, an unsettling feeling nestled in the pit of his stomach as a sigh escaped him; for he was reminded of the announcement that he was to make the following week in the Fire Nation.
It didn't take long for the bride and groom, followed by the groom's father, to make their way down the altar and bow respectfully before every guest; everyone in the room bowed in return, declaring the wedding over. Soon after, everyone made their way towards the newlyweds and personally congratulated Sokka and Suki for their newly formed union, and there was joy in the atmosphere. The newlyweds along with everyone else then made they way towards the reception area that was cleverly designed behind the draped altar. The reception area was enormous; with a simplistic beauty to it. Sokka's native tradition was evident in how the every detail was planned; guests sat down on the soft, green grass with their legs crossed in front of a flat, wooden platform that would serve to hold their meals, while water benders from the Northern Water Tribe entertained the guests with their dexterous abilities.
As every guest took their seat, Aang, Onji, Zuko, Mai and all the members of the council made their way towards the main stage parallel to the commoners; because of their great importance, tradition called for them all to sit alongside the bride, groom, and the groom's father. Meanwhile, Katara, Lee, Toph, Kanna, and Pakku sat in the section by the stage where the council sat.
After everyone took their seats, Chief Arnook was the first to get up from his seat and make a toast, "Ladies and Gentlemen!" yelled the Northern Water Tribe Chief, "We are gathered here tonight, before the presence of the Spirits, to celebrate...Sokka and Suki's eternal, and unbreakable, bond." continued the Chief, "Their love and endurance is a testament to all, that no matter who you are, no matter where you may come from, no matter where your life may take you, love, always prevails. To Sokka and Suki, and may their lives be filled with much blessings and happiness." declared Chief Arnook hoarsely as he held his goblet to the air. The crowd quickly followed as everyone held their glasses in unison and shouted, "To Sokka and Suki!"as the crowd clapped favorably.
"And because tonight we harbor very high ranking people, I feel compelled to make...a couple of announcements." continued Chief Arnook as he pointed his index finger into the air.
Aang listened on as his eyebrows bent in suspicion, "What's he doing?" thought Aang to himself as he along with everyone else on the main stage were served their meals.
"First and foremost, Prince Zuko has given me the honor to announce on his behalf that he, and his wife, are expecting their first child, an heir to the Fire Nation throne WILL be born by the end of the year!" yelled Chief Arnook as the crowd erupted in cheer and whistles.
Aang took a sip of his drink as he continued to listen attentively to Chief Arnook's speech.
"And finally, the most...important announcement." said Chief Arnook as he darted his eyes towards the young Avatar.
Aang noticed Arnook's brief glance as he slammed his cup down as worry began to settle in, "What is he up to?" thought Aang puzzlingly to himself.
"Ladies and gentlemen, BEHOLD! For the Avatar WILL take the next step towards rebuilding the once strong and proud Air Nomad Nation and preserve the incarnate cycle of the Spirit of the Avatar." continued Chief Arnook as he once again briefly glanced at the young Avatar.
Aang eyes widened in horror as he returned his gaze; he knew what the Chief was about to announce.
"The Avatar and his mate, Onji,...will WED, BY THE END OF THE MONTH!" bellowed Chief Arnook.
Aang felt like he was going to be sick; he couldn't believe this was happening to him. "This wasn't, I..." thought Aang to himself as he fiercely turned his focus towards the person he knew what responsible for all of this, "We weren't supposed to announce this until next WEEK!" hissed Aang quietly as he clenched his teeth; a dismal look in his eye.
Onji couldn't contain her humor, for she felt that Aang was overreacting; "Oh Aang; everyone was bound to know either way." said Onji as she placed her hand on his shoulder, "I figured, 'why not make the announcement more official?' I mean, everyone included in your inner circle would know eventually, why not all at once? Good plan huh?" said Onji innocently with a smug smile.
Aang nodded in sheer disbelief over Onji's actions, and he didn't blame her; after all, she's been excited since the day he proposed and has expressed how much she wanted everyone, including those closest to him, to know of their engagement already. But what he did blame her for was her inability to succumb to Aang's wishes in having the announcement made away from everyone he knew so that they could both harbor the pleasure of personally tell them one by one. This infuriated him; he couldn't even find the right words to say, and just decided to let it go for fear that he would lose his mind if he tried to fight her sense of perspective.
But the crowd remained oblivious to Aang's displeasure as everyone's voice roared like a herd of tiger-dillos. The reception was incredibly positive from all those who attended the wedding, "THE AVATAR IS TO WED! THE AVATAR IS TO WED!" was the chant that echoed throughout the crowd as thunderous claps stung even the young Avatar's ear. Joy was overflowing from all who stood in the presence of this historical announcement; that is, except those closest to Aang. An expression of pure shock emanated from Aang's friends and family, but no one was more shocked than Katara; so shocked because she couldn't make sense as to how Aang, who made love to her while still committed to Onji, was able to take such a big step and ask that same woman to be his bride in such a short amount of time. Katara could only nod in disbelief as she bit her bottom lip and looked away, unwilling to even look at Aang in the face for having made his mockery of the night they spent together official.
As Chief Arnook wrapped up his speech and the crowd's excitement died down, Aang got up from his seat and angrily glared at his lover before making his way towards the newlywed couple.
"Come on guys; we need to talk." said Aang sternly as he gestured them to get up from their seats.
Sokka and Suki nodded compliantly as they rose from their seats, while Aang glanced at Zuko. They both nodded to each other as if there were a telepathically mutual agreement they just adhered to before Aang, Suki and Sokka departed from the main stage and made their way towards the section that harbored the rest of the gang.
Toph was already nearby serving herself a drink of synthesized cactus juice when she was tapped on the shoulder by someone she immediately recognized as Aang.
"I know it's you twinkletoes." said Toph without even turning to face him and the others. Aang couldn't help but smile, "Come on." chuckled Aang as he anxiously continued to lead the way towards the final missing member of their gang: Katara.
Katara was busy conversing with her grandmother Kanna and step-grandfather Pakku when she noticed Aang make his way towards her direction along with her brother and sister-in-law; knowing that they were all coming towards them, and towards her.
Katara's grandmother noticed her uneasiness, "Katara, are you alright?" asked Kanna as she placed her hand over her granddaughter's.
"Yes, Katara; you seem a bit...off." said Pakku in his usually suspicious tone of voice.
Katara's focus then turned towards her grandmother and step-grandfather, "Gran-Gran, Pakku," said Katara quietly as she noticed the gang getting closer, "I-I'm going to talk to dad for a while." said Katara; a nervousness in her voice as her focus continued to dart from her grandmother's withered eyes, Master Pakku's stern gaze and the approaching gang. "I'll be back ok?" said Katara as she cracked a quick smile and hastily got up from her seat; dashing towards her father who was still sitting on the main stage along with the rest of the council.
As a matter of fact, she dashed so quickly that she failed to even excuse herself from the rest of the table, including a discombobulated Lee who raised his eyebrow as he saw his water bending lover take off without saying a word, "Where's she going?" asked Lee as he pointed his thumb towards Katara's direction.
"She just wants to have a talk with her father, son." answered Kanna, "She'll be back in a little bit." said Kanna as she nodded positively and a wrinkled smile formed on her mouth.
"O-oh, ok." said Lee as he scratched his head, still feeling a bit befuddled by Katara's out-of-character behavior as he rested his head on his hand and succumbed to daydream.
Master Pakku then focused on his wife,"She's been very different lately, Katara I mean." expressed Pakku as he took a sip of his beverage,
Kanna raised her eyebrow, "What do you mean?" asked Kanna.
Pakku finished gulping his drink before putting his glass down, "Four years ago, I knew a young girl that hailed from the Southern Water Tribe; she was sweet and kind, a typical 14 year old girl. After the war ended, for some strange reason, she began to change;a looming blaze began to burn within her; a fire to prove herself so to speak. Her boldness became apparent, almost unnoticeable, but it was there nonetheless." continued Pakku, "I just assumed that bratty teenage hormones were the culprit to her sudden 180 as most young people go through, and as time went on, I was proven right." chuckled Pakku perkily as he raised his hands, "Her arrogance became more evident as every sparring session I had with her grew more intense than the last as if she were...visualizing the object of her hatred in me. And as the years went by and she became a full blown teenager, I saw her fire begin to seep through to her relationships, including a particular relationship with someone-whose-name-I-will-not-mention." whispered Pakku as he used his peripherals to gesture towards Lee, who was still lost in his daydream. "By that time she had become selfish and unable to balance her desires with everyone else's needs including you-know-who's. Eventually the time came when that fire ended up crumbling the foundation of their relationship below her feet; and their romance soon dwindled afterwards as a result." continued Pakku as he crossed his arms and squint his eyes towards the young water bender, "But now, as I see her today, and after observing how she is with her new lover; its clear that fire has reduced to ashes, and from its ashes rose a beautiful flower, a fresh start. " pointed out Pakku.
Kanna bent her eyebrows; for she was confused by Pakku's wisdom, "What are you saying?" asked Kanna.
A light smile escaped him; a rarity for the master water bender, "She's matured." finished Pakku as he gently placed his hand over his lover's, "She has grown to realize her mistakes and has learned from them. As a result, she has become a whole new person; but most importantly, she did it all on her own." said Master Pakku; his delighted expression soon turning against itself as he sternly gazed into his woman's eyes, "But...I still feel there's something else that's lingering within her, a problem; I just can't figure out what that 'something' is" said Pakku in a serious tone of voice.
Kanna nodded in agreement, "I see it too." said Kanna as she gripped her husband's hand; for she too was truly concerned for her only granddaughter, and could see there was an underlying issue that she was trying desperately to hide from everyone else.
Just then, the gang that comprised of Aang, Sokka and Suki finally approached the couple's section; Aang, followed by everyone else bowed and gestured their salutation in respect to the elders that sat before them as Kanna and Pakku bowed their heads in return.
"Its good to see you Aang." said Pakku as he took a sip of his beverage; a straight face in his expression as he raised his eyebrow to the Avatar and put down his glass. "My felicitations to you and your bride-to-be." said Pakku.
Aang nodded in agreement, "Thank you." said Aang as he forced a smile.
Soon after, Lee snapped out of his daydream at the sound of Aang's voice; shooting up from his seat as he smiled widely towards the young Avatar, "Aang!" said Lee excitedly as he gripped Aang by the neck with his arm; noogying his head with a sly gin as Aang's face twisted in discomfort, "Congratulations my man!" congratulated Lee as he let go of his grip on the young Avatar; forcing Aang to catch his breath as he placed his hand on his chest.
"You know, with the engagement and all." said Lee with a big grin on his face.
As Aang continued to recover himself, he couldn't avoid the guilt that slowly crawled into his heart at the sight of Lee; his face now only served as a painful reminder of the heated night he shared with his girlfriend. He forced a smile, "Thank you." answered Aang as he smiled weakly to the young Fire Nation man.
Lee then clapped his hands; rubbing them together as he let out a relaxed sigh, "You guys looking for Katara?" asked a cheerful Lee.
Aang's heart did a somersault at the sound of the water bender's name, "Yeah..." said Aang as he skimmed the section to find that Katara was nowhere in sight, "Where is she?" asked Aang as his fingers fidgeted from the tension that was building up inside him.
Lee readily pointed his thumb towards Hakoda, and sure enough, Aang saw the ebony beauty standing next to her father by the main stage; seemingly in deep conversation with one another.
Bravery overtook the young Avatar's expression as he turned to his friends and held his hands up, "Wait here guys; I need to talk to her first...alone." said Aang with stone-cold eyes.
Although neither of them knew what happened between him and Katara in Ba Sing Se, everyone understood the sensitivity of their situation; even Sokka nodded in agreement as the rest of the gang followed.
Except for Lee, "Uhh, sure I guess..." said a baffled Lee as he rubbed his face with the palm of his hand.
Aang managed to break a smile to the entire group before he departed from their side and proceeded to walk towards the Southern Water Tribe woman.
As Aang continued to walk towards Katara's direction, Lee took his seat next to Pakku; the rest of the gang then followed along as they sat alongside the young Fire Nation man, waiting for Aang and Katara to return.
Pakku made a cowardly gesture as he lunged his body away from the group and held his arm up with an expression of detest, "Gyaaagh, MORE young people." said Pakku grumpily as he leaned towards his wife's ear and whispered, "Come now honey, let's get out of here; it's getting a little too crowded for us." said Pakku quietly as he gently nudged his wife's arm with his elbow.
Pakku then got up from his seat and held his hand out to his woman. Kanna giggled, nodding agreeably as she placed the palm of her hand over his; before she knew it, she was lifted swiftly from her seat as Pakku wrapped his arm around her shoulder before they both made their way out of their section, hand in hand and away from what Pakku called 'hooligans'.
In the meantime, Sokka watched Aang make his way towards Katara, and when he caught glimpse of his little sister as she conversed with her father, he noticed that she looked a little 'different'.
Sokka squint his eyes as he raised his eyebrow; analyzing Katara's figure, "Hey guys, does Katara seem a little 'round' to you?" asked Sokka as he wrapped his thumb and index finger around his jawline; rubbing it as if in deep thought.
Everyone's eyes widened in shock; Lee glanced at Suki with a frightful look in his eye, while Suki returned the gesture with a similar look of her own. She did look round; yes she did, and they knew exactly why, but Sokka didn't.
Suki wrapped her arm around Sokka's neck, "W-w-what do you mean, honey?" asked Suki as she chuckled apprehensively,
Sokka jerked his head back as he lunged his hands towards Katara's direction, "Come on, look at her! you're telling me that's not noticeable?" acknowledged an ignorant Sokka as he pointed towards Katara's stomach. "She has a little pudge on her stomach; which is kind of weird since Katara's always had a flat stomach." said Sokka as he began to twirl his index finger around his small beard.
Suki became desperate; she didn't know how to respond to her husband's suspicion, but thankfully Toph did. Toph let out a frustrated sigh as she folded her arms over her chest; "Look, she probably just gained a little weight, that's all." said Toph as she held open her hand and shrugged her shoulders.
Sokka's suspicions soon melted away, and a cackle escaped him, "Heh, yeah, you're probably right. That's what happens in a relationship; once you get comfortable it's all downhill for your figure." speculated Sokka ignorantly as he folded his arms around one another; a clever grin formed on his mouth.
Suki immediately took advantage of the topic glared as she glared at her lover with a devilish smile, "Heh, yeah it's true; you seemed to have gained a few pounds around here, honey." said Suki wittingly as she pointed to Sokka's thighs; deciding to avert from the subject of Katara at the expense of her husband's physical appearance.
Sokka returned her bright remark with one of his own, "Huh huh, yeah; and you're no exception; it's written all over HEEEERRRE." exclaimed Sokka slyly as he continuously darted his index fingers over Suki's breasts.
Suki blushed in embarrassment as Sokka moronically pointed at her sexual parts. While Toph's inability rendered her unable to catch on to Sokka's gesture, Lee wasn't so fortunate; his face was overtaken by a strong flush as he placed his hand over his face.
Sokka raised his hands in confusion, "What? She did!" exclaimed Sokka as he flapped his arms to his sides.
Suki nodded her head,"I swear Sokka, you can be so thick sometimes." said Suki as she tip toed and gave Sokka a kiss on his forehead, "But I love you anyway." said Suki seductively as she gave her lover a deep kiss.
As Lee witnessed Suki and Sokka's kiss become more intense, he began to dart his eyes around aimlessly so as to avoid having to watch them; while it took a moment for Toph to distinguish the light smacking sounds that were emitting from Sokka and Suki's vibrations. Suddenly, she stuck out her tongue in revulsion, "UUUUGH!, get a room, please!" exclaimed Toph.
Meanwhile, Aang slowly approached the father and daughter; a million thoughts running through his head as every step took him closer and closer to the encounter he has dreaded for the past 3 months. He felt as though his heart was about to pop out of his chest as he continued to move forward towards the fated encounter; butterflies aflutter in his abdomen as he finally came within arm's distance from the water bender.
Katara was in such a deep conversation that she didn't notice Aang's sudden presence. It was when her father's focus floated away from her that she realize they were no longer alone. She followed the object of Hakoda's gaze, and sure enough it was no object, but the young Avatar; standing by them as his storm grays darted at both individuals. It took her a couple of moments to process that this was really happening; and that Aang was really there in front of them, itching to get a moment of her time.
Aang's eyes then became fixed Hakoda; he bowed his head in respect before the Water Tribe warrior as he did a traditional salute with his hands, while Hakoda returned the gesture.
As Hakoda rose his head from his bow, he placed his hand on the young Avatar's shoulder, "Hello Aang." said Hakoda as he warmly smiled at the young Avatar.
Aang soon followed suit as he arose, "Hello Hakoda." said Aang as he returned the heartwarming smile; still unable to look at the water bender who stood awkwardly next to him.
Hakoda then let go of his grip on the Avatar's shoulder, "First and Foremost, I want to congratulate you on your engagement Aang. It's a big step, but truly rewarding." said Hakoda as he nodded his head in agreement.
Aang nodded his head in agreement as he looked away from Hakoda's sharp, blue eyes, "Thank you." said Aang quietly.
Hakoda then stood proudly as he continued his conversation, "And I want to thank you for saving my daughter's life." said a very grateful Hakoda, "If you didn't show up just in time, Katara wouldn't be here." said Hakoda solemnly as he gestured his hand to his daughter, "Has Azula talked yet?" asked Hakoda.
It was then that Aang had no choice but to look at the uncomfortable water bender, who stood with her arms crossed, unwilling to look at him in the face as her father brought her into their conversation. He hadn't seen her this close up in 3 months, a quarter of a year; yet it seemed as though it were an eternity since he has laid eyes on her this close.
Aang nodded disappointingly, "No; she refuses to say the name of the person that led her to Katara." said Aang as he rolled his heavy lidded eyes, "She finds it amusing that I don't know, so she's pretty much leaving me in the dark about it." explained Aang as he took a deep breath.
Hakoda shook his head in dismay, "I see." said Hakoda as he then placed both of his hands on Aang's shoulders; capturing his focus, "I know I'm changing the subject a bit here Aang, but I'm going to be honest with you about something." said Hakoda in a serious tone, "When you and Katara ended, I was quite upset; I thought there was promise in a future for the both of you." said Hakoda sorrowfully.
A quiet fright began to settle in the young Avatar's chest as he continued to listen to Hakoda speak.
"But I want you to know, Aang, that although you and my daughter no longer have a union; I still consider you to be like a son to me." declared Hakoda as he smiled sincerely to the young Avatar, "Avatar or no Avatar, you are still...a part of my family." finished Hakoda courteously as he lightly squeezed Aang's shoulders.
Aang was humbled by Hakoda's meekness; even after having broken his daughter's heart, even after having declared that he was to wed another woman not even a year after his relationship with Katara has ended, he held no ill will towards him. Aang felt he didn't deserve his kindness, but accepted it out of respect, and no other reason. "It's truly an honor to hold that kind of position in your eyes, Hakoda, sir." said Aang earnestly as Hakoda let go of his grip on his shoulders.
Katara, however, was not moved; humphing softly under her breath as she crossed her arms in frustration.
The young water bender's reaction remained unnoticed to the Water Tribe Warrior; as he let go of his grip on Aang's shoulders, he turned his focus to his daughter and smiled affectionately, "Katara, don't you have anything to say?" asked Hakoda as he gestured his hand towards Aang.
Katara looked up to her father with innocent eyes, only to focus her attention on the soft, lush grass below her feet as thought he said nothing. She has yet to even look at the young Avatar since he began conversing with her father, and wasn't about to do so now; "Yeah, thanks." said Katara coldly as she rudely walked away from them and towards the outer skirts of the reception without giving either one of them a passing glance.
Aang and Hakoda watched as the distraught ebony beauty walked away from them; Hakoda promptly tried to apologize on her behalf, "I-I'm sorry Aang; I don't know what's gotten into her." explained Hakoda as he turned to see his daughter standing away from the vast crowd, alone with a look of rage in her eyes.
Aang shut his eyes for a moment; he knew well the reason to Katara's discourteous behavior, "I'm going to go talk to her." said Aang as he proceeded to jog towards the irked water bender.
Hakoda watched on with a serious expression as his daughter's former boyfriend made his way towards her; for he understood that somehow Aang had something to do with his daughter's peculiar behavior. But although he has no idea what the direct cause for his daughter's irk is, he decided that it was best left between them to solve the problem. Soon after, he turned his back on them and proceeded to walk towards Kanna and Master Pakku.
When Aang finally reached Katara, he stopped a few feet away; standing and waiting for her to at the very least acknowledge his presence. But as expected, she refused to give him the satisfaction; which only added to Aang's stress even more. He wasn't going to let her avoid him any longer; he was going to say his peace and hopefully give her, and himself, the closure they so desperately need.
"Katara," whispered Aang as he began to inch closer to the ebony beauty, "I know...you said you never wanted to see me again...and I understand your reasoning." continued Aang as he shut his eyes; engulfed in his own shame and anguish as fireflies flew around the two friends, "I was an idiot, a fool, a jerk, whatever you want to call me; I deserve to be called every vile name that's known in our language for what I did to you." continued Aang as he turned his head away from the young water bender, "What I'm trying to say to you Katara is...I'm sorry." said Aang as he turned his head towards Katara and divided his eyelids to reveal his glistening storm grays.
But to his fear, he failed to stir the young water bender; she didn't even spare a glance.
Aang squint his eyes in defeat as he felt his guard slowly slipping, "Katara, please listen to me..." said Aang as he fought his tears and placed his hand over his chest, "I know that confronting this isn't easy for you; it isn't easy for me either, but I need you to respond, I need to you to talk to me so that we can resolve this!" exclaimed Aang dramatically.
But she still didn't utter a single word.
Aang's eyes widened in desperation, "Please Kat-"
"Don't, Aang..." said Katara as she interrupted the young Avatar and turned towards the young Avatar; face to face with him for the first time since their falling out.
Aang shivered at the sight of her heavy lidded, ocean blue eyes; they were truly enchanting to him, but he didn't dwell on them long, for he wanted to use this rare moment and attempt to clear things out with the young water bender, "Katara...that night..."
"Never happened." said Katara as she tilted her head to the side, "We did some things that we didn't mean to happen, and we said some things..." Katara hesitated to finish her sentence for a moment; an earnest look in her deep ocean blues as Aang continued to listen attentively to what she had to say, "But you were right; we have separate lives now; you're engaged, and I'm..."
Katara hesitated to finish her sentence as Aang continued to pierce through her gaze.
"...with Lee." continued Katara with a tone of reassurance, "We're both guilty Aang; you didn't force me to...you know..." said Katara as a light blush tinted her cheeks; tilting her head down so the young Avatar won't see her timidity.
Little did she know that Aang's cheeks were also consumed with a blush as he recollected their erotic encounter, "You're right..." whispered Aang, "But I should've stopped it; I should've stopped us." said Aang remorsefully.
Katara nodded her head in disagreement, "But you didn't, either way it doesn't matter Aang; what's done is done and there's nothing you or I or anyone can do to change it." said Katara as she brought her head back up again to face Aang, "Lee and I are together now, and you're taking your relationship with Onji to the next level; we've made it evident that we're both...very happy." finished Katara dully as she nodded her head in agreement.
"Happy"
That word rapidly triggered memories within the depths of the young Avatar's mind as he gave a questionable look to the young water bender; memories of the day he ended his relationship with her, a day he had long forgotten...
"...What we had was a beautiful thing Katara and I will always cherish the good times we had together, but it's time to move on before we cause each other more unhappiness..."
"...Well it seems you've found your happiness Aang, I wish you the best of luck in this life..."
But Aang knew that couldn't be farther from the truth. From the very beginning of his relationship with Onji, he enjoyed spending time with her; they had good times and he enjoyed their friendship. He cared about her, but that same care he held for her was equivalent to the care he felt for Sokka or Toph or any of his friends. Even when he made their romantic relationship official, his feelings for her didn't change. Even when he took their physical relationship to the next level and made love to her on a continuously daily basis, he still harbored an emptiness in his heart, and he would find his mind drifting elsewhere as his body finished its natural course of action; drifting to the thought of only one person.
"Katara" thought Aang as he delved deeper into his thoughts.
He felt himself treading through dangerous territory"No, no, this is ludicrous; I'm engaged for pete's sake!" thought Aang to himself as his heart and mind waged a final, colossal war within the young Avatar.
Katara looked on frightfully as Aang gripped his head; his face twisting in discomfort as sweat began to trickle down his chin.
The young water bender skimmed her eyes around to see if anyone has noticed Aang's unusual behavior, "Aang?" said Katara as she reached her hand out to the seemingly ailing Avatar.
But Aang was unable to respond; for he was caught in a mental whirlwind of flashbacks that suddenly flooded his consciousness. Aang fought for control, but ultimately was unable to do so as began to succumb deeply into the dark obscurity of his own thoughts; he was then plunged into the depths of his memories. The very first memory that manifested before him was of the very first moment he laid eyes on Katara when she freed him from the iceberg, he watched on as the 12 year old version of himself awoke in the arms of a 14 year old version of Katara, how he remembered her innocent smile and her engaging gaze. Then, his thoughts evaporated as the day of black sun materialized before his eyes; he observed as the younger version of himself laid his hand on the shoulder of a younger version of Katara and landed his lips onto hers. As soon as he witnessed their lips press together, Aang's thoughts then abruptly took him to Ba Sing Se, the day he and Katara began their romantic relationship; he watched on as he saw the younger version of himself wrap his arms around the younger version of Katara's waist as they shared a fond kiss. His memories soon began to take quick pace, as flashbacks and memories flooded the young Avatar's mind all at once; forcing him to relive every good and bad memory he had with Katara since they began their relationship. He relived their happy moments; moments they traveled, moments they shared with friends, moment they enjoyed just being together. All of a sudden, he was then zipped out of his mental haven and forced to experience the bad moments he shared with the young water bender; moments they disagreed, moments they argued, moments where they just couldn't stand each other.
"Even though we had our tough moments, we seemed happy with each other. What happened to us?" asked Aang to himself as he painfully watched the continuous flood of intense memories.
Without warning, his thoughts personally took him to the fateful day he ended his relationship with Katara. He stood on the balcony as he watched himself end his relationship with the water bender, but unlike the previous memories he was taken to, he heard a garbled sentence come out of his mouth.
"...She's a nice girl and keeps me company, we never kissed or...anything else...but we talk and we laugh, we get along great; she's a great friend..."
As soon as he heard that one sentence emanate from his mouth, memories of recent events began to come at him all at once; a giant mess of recollections that have occurred within the time span of his break-up with Katara until this very moment. He saw the memory of himself when he and Onji made their relationship official; watching on as he saw his lips lock on the young Fire nation woman's as they sat on the bench of her front porch. Then, another memory of the days he spent with her laughing, joking, just having a good time. But then, his memories pulled him elsewhere, and he found himself watching on as he walked into Iroh's Tea Shop to deliver Zuko's message of the Fire Nation Event; he observed himself gaze uncomfortably at Katara, who was lip locked with her new boyfriend Lee. Suddenly, another recollection manifested before him, this time the memory of the moment Katara first met Onji in the boutique. Aang cringed as he watched Katara and Onji form a false friendship, but as soon as their hands let go, the scenery dissolved in front of him; taking him directly to the Fire Nation Event. Aang watched on as this memory divided into two; one memory of Onji storming off from the Event, the other of himself and Katara sharing that very intimate and sensual dance in the middle of the dance floor. Aang was only able to take a quick glance at the simultaneous memories before he was shot to another recollection, a recollection that he wished he didn't have to see; he saw Azula about to shoot her lightning towards a beaten and helpless Katara before he finally made it to the scene with only a few seconds to spare. Before he could see himself grab Azula's hand, he was plunged towards one, final memory.
Aang watched on as he sat on the stool, staring and waiting for Katara to awaken; the memory then fogs as the scenery changes before his eyes to reveal an awoken Katara, sitting on the edge of the bed, watching him attentively. His memory then zips towards Katara's healing session on the gash Azula's blade left on his abdomen; and as soon as Katara's healing glow began to dim, the memory immediately fogs as well as the scenery; changing before his eyes once again. Aang then watches on attentively as his memory then takes him to a moment that will forever remain etched in his psyche; the moment he and Katara gave themselves to one another in an act of sexual intimacy. Aang watched on as he thrust himself into Katara; moaning in unison as their bodies became engulfed in pure ecstasy. Aang couldn't keep his eyes off of this recollection; watching himself about to reach his climax as Katara moaned louder and louder with every powerful thrust he made into her depths. Soon after, she opened her mouth wide and called his name in adoration.
"AANG!..."
As soon as he heard her passionate yell, he was zipped back into the dark void that divided his consciousness and subconsciousness; left with only one garbled sentence that echoed throughout the vast emptiness.
"She's a great friend..."
"She was a great friend, but that's all it was..." thought Aang as he shot his eyes wide open and gasped under his breath, for he has now come face to face with a powerful revelation. He now comprehended that what he confused with potentially romantic feelings was nothing more than a friendly attachment. It was this moment in which Aang has finally grasped why he was so unhappy in his relationship with Onji; it was this moment that Aang realized not only did he bear no loving affection towards Onji, but that he never will; for his love and happiness truly lied with the woman whom he ended his relationship with a year before under the assumption that they were no longer happy with one another, the woman he broke his celibacy to and performed the ultimate act of love with for the very first time, the woman standing in front of him.
Aang slowly rose from his hunched stance as he gazed into Katara's bewitching eyes; It's all become clear to him now. For the first time since he and Katara separated, his mind and his heart have finally come together in unison; for he has figured out what it is that he truly wanted, and needed. He couldn't fight it anymore, he didn't want to; whatever the outcome may be, he was compelled to confess to the ebony beauty just how unhappy and lost he truly was.
He was compelled to confess his love for her.
Aang gradually made his way towards Katara, their eyes locked as the scenery around them began to cease to exist. He no longer feared the repercussions that was sure to follow, he no longer cared; he was ready to face them head on. Katara watched Aang slowly approach her, her body quivering at sight of his fond, heavy lidded gaze on her as her heart began to beat rapidly; all the while it was the only woman that held his heart who stood in front of him; no reception, no people, nothing and no one but Katara.
But before Aang could get any closer, he found his moment interrupted by a loud, screeching voice.
"AAAAANG!"
In an instant, Aang snapped out of his trance as the environment soon returned to normal; his eyes widened as he recognized at once the voice that yelled his name.
When the person who yelled his name finally reached them, she wrapped herself around Aang's arm as she snootily looked Katara up and down; "Hey Aang." said Onji seductively as she then turned her focus the the young Avatar.
"H-hey Onji." said Aang nervously as he attempted to subtly get free from her grasp.
But Onji wouldn't let go, "Why'd you leave me all alone over there Aang? It's not nice to leave your FIAAAAANCE all in her lonesome like that." cooed Onji as she rubbed Aang's chest.
Katara raised her eyebrow and stuck her tongue out; disgusted by the desperate sight.
Aang noticed Katara's revolt; forcing him to get in Onji's face, "Onji, what are you doing?" hissed Aang as agitation began to crawl up the young Avatar's skin.
But Onji paid no attention to Aang's displeasure as she once again stared daggers at the water tribe woman, "Aang, the members of the council are waiting for you to get back; you don't have to hang around people like...this." said Onji as she scrutinized Katara; darting her eyes wildly over her body.
Aang couldn't believe that Onji would stoop so low as to place Katara, someone who's been nothing but kind to her from the very beginning, in such a low stature; he felt impelled to correct her, but it was Katara who snapped first.
"Ok, YOU listen to me and you listen GOOD!" yelled Katara as she pointed her finger towards Onji's face; while Aang gawked at the scene.
"Aang and I are FRIENDS! Nothing more, nothing less; so PLEASE! Quit the childish games, stop being so immature and GET OVER the fact that Aang and I will CONTINUE to be friends whether you LIKE IT OR NOT!" yelled Katara furiously as she pressed her finger towards Onji's face.
Onji was frozen; unable to say or do anything to the young water bender; only capable of an overwhelmed expression plastered on her face as Katara loosened the pressure her index finger had on Onji's nose. Katara simply glared maniacally into Onji's fearful autumn browns before she turned her back to the young Fire Nation woman and began to walk away.
Aang grabbed Onji by the arm and pulled her towards him, "What is your problem!" hissed Aang as he struggled to make sense out of Onji's actions.
But Onji failed to acknowledge him, for she has succumbed to complete rage as Katara's voice echoed repetitively in her mind. She forcefully pulled her arm away from Aang's grip; her blood boiling as her body temperature increased with every step Katara took away from her. She refused to let her win this battle, no; she was going to let her have it.
"Bitch."
Katara's eyes widened in astonishment as she heard that one, vulgar word come out of Onji's mouth; balling her fists as she began to see red.
Aang was flabbergasted by what he just heard escape from Onji's lips; he expected the likes of Azula to utter such foul language, but never in a million years did he imagine the sweet, faultless Onji he knew to be as capable as to call someone by such an atrocious name. But before he could correct her, Katara turned around and decided to 'correct' Onji all on her own.
Onji didn't know what hit her; Katara turned from her stillness and lunged her fist towards Onji's face; causing her entire upper torso to twist by the sheer force of Katara's blow.
Aang looked on in horror as he helplessly watched his future wife get punched in the jaw; reaching his hand out to her as his eyes and mouth widened in dismay over what he was witnessing. Katara didn't hesitate; after she landed the punch, she swiftly grabbed a chunk of Onji's hair and began to throw knuckle punches onto her cranium as Onji feebly tried to fight back. Aang knew the kind of damage Katara was capable of inflicting and knew he had to act fast; and without a moment to spare, he dove towards Onji's side and grabbed her waist as he forcefully attempted to pull her away from Katara furious jabs. Katara was no longer coherent; all she could see was rage as she continuously pummeled Onji's head with her fist while gripping a handful of Onji's locks in order to keep her rampant hold on her. Aang's face cringed as he tried to separate them, but Katara's grip on her hair was so strong that not even the Avatar himself was able to pry the Fire Nation away from Katara's wrath; he even had a few of Katara's jabs land on his face as he continued to pull his fiance out of his ex lover's line of fire.
Meanwhile, the gang talked lightheartedly amongst themselves, everyone has yet to even acknowledge the spat that was taking place; that is, everyone except Toph, who's blank eyes nearly bulged out of her sockets and jerked her head up as she processed her vibrations, "Oh no..." thought Toph to herself as she subtly nudged Katara's lover on the shoulder.
"Lee." whispered Toph hoarsely.
Toph quickly got the young Fire Nation man's attention; he broke from his conversation with Sokka and Suki as he turned to the blind earth bender, "yeah?" whispered Lee.
Toph then pointed towards the direction of the brawl; Lee's eyes were forced to drift towards the direction where Toph's index finger was pointing, and he finally caught notice of the action that was taking place by the very edge of the reception area. He squint his eyes to get a better look at the commotion, and was baffled as to why no one else has yet to notice it. He leaned his head towards that direction to get a closer look of the fight, and to his horror, he recognized that his lover was the aggressor in the altercation; Lee gasped as he dropped his glass onto the ground and rushed to his lover's side, while the others looked at him with a questionable stare as he took off without mentioning a word. Lee's ultimate fear was unfolding before him; fueling his adrenaline as he ran towards Katara so fast that it rivaled even Aang's agile speed, and without a second to spare, he made it to Katara's side, wrapped his arms below her breasts, and began to pull her away from her hold on the young Avatar's fiance. Aang looked on gratefully as Lee's presence began to make a difference in his futile effort to separate the two women, but Lee failed to even acknowledge Aang on the other side of this whole mess; his concentration was fully on getting Katara free from this physical entanglement.
In the midst of the chaos, the rest of the gang finally caught sight of the battle as they watched Lee grab Katara and attempt to break it up; while little by little more and more people began to notice the spectacle taking place on the borderline of the vicinity. Suki gasped at the sight of their friend throwing blows at her ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend as Toph balled her fists and clenched her teeth; both women were extremely alarmed as they watched Aang and Lee try to break the two women up. Meanwhile, Zuko got up from his seat and slammed his hands on the platform in front of him as he took heed of the feud; his eyes filled with worry as he rapidly ran to Aang's aid. Hakoda was busy talking to Kanna and Pakku before his mother let out a soft gasp; placing her hands over her mouth as her eyes darted towards the brawl's direction. Katara's father gave a questionable look to his mother; wondering what could possibly be the reason for her obvious distress, and it took Pakku's bluntness to make him do so.
"Turn around, boy." said Pakku sternly as he pointed his index finger opposite direction to Hakoda's focus.
And when Hakoda did turn around, a stupefied expression invaded his face, "Katara" whispered Hakoda as he parted from his parents and dashed towards his daughter's side.
Sokka, however, wasn't so displeased; "YEAHHHH WOOOOOOOOOO! GO KATARA! THAT'S RIGHT, SHOW HER WHO'S BOSS! PUNCH HER IN THE HEAD! UPPERCUT! UPPERCUT!" cheered Sokka as he hysterically flailed his arms.
Suki continued to watch on uneasily, "Oh no! someone has to stop Katara now!" said a very troubled Suki as she gripped her arms and bit her bottom lip in anxiety.
Sokka quickly intervened, "Are you kidding? This is entertainment! YEEEEEEEEAAAAH!" bellowed Sokka as he punched his fist continuously into the air.
As it turned out, not everyone shared Sokka's sentiment; 'gasps' and "oh my's" were the only words that emanated from the crowd; making it very clear that everyone wasn't as entertained by the rumble as Sokka was.
Lee ignored the whispers and jitters as he continued to vigorously try and pry Katara's hands away from Onji; as a matter of fact, he was so desperate to get his girlfriend's grip away from the Avatar's fiance's hair that without thinking, he screamed something that no one expected to hear.
"KATARA, STOP! YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T USE EXCESSIVE FORCE IN YOUR CONDITION!" screamed Lee.
His words echoed throughout the entire reception area as everyone froze in their positions; including Lee and the water bender he held in his arm. Katara suddenly felt her grip on Onji's brown locks loosen as despair began to settle in her expression; provoking the law of inertia to play its role as Onji fell on top of Aang and both fell onto the luscious, green grass.
Aang tried to catch his breath as he swung Onji to the side and bent his eyebrows; perplexed by what he just heard escape from Lee's mouth. "W-wait." said Aang as he pointed to Katara, "What 'condition'? asked Aang.
Meanwhile, a badly beaten, bruised and scarred Onji glared at Katara with excruciating fury, "How dare you! Don't you know who I am! I'm the Avatar's woman!" cried Onji like a banshee as she lunged towards Katara's direction; blood beginning to trickle down from the young Fire Nation woman's nostril as she attempted to fight the water bender once again.
But Aang immediately blocked her as he held his hand up over her chest and turned his focus to his stubborn fiance; a chilling expression in his eyes as he clenched his teeth, "BE QUIET!" yelled Aang as he continued to hold Onji from jumping once again into the lion's den and turned his focus towards Lee.
Onji growled defeatedly as she tried to fix hair and clothing; staring daggers at the young water bender who's physical appearance was also a tangled mess from their confrontation.
Lee loosened his grip on Katara's body as an expression of sadness overcame him; while tears began to seep through Katara's already widened deep blues, trickling down her cheeks with a lifeless expression on her face as her hands began to tremble.
His glance darted back and forth between the young Avatar and his girlfriend's father, who was standing but a few feet away from them; "We didn't want anyone to know this way..." said a fearful Lee as his eyes began to glisten.
Aang's heart began to race as a million thoughts sped through his mind at once, "Know what!" asked the Avatar frantically as he gripped his fingers onto the ground; his nerves beginning to accumulate in his chest.
Lee's amber colored eyes met with Aang's storm grays as if trying to find consolation in each other's sight, but unable to do so; he then took a deep breath and exhaled all of his tension as he pumped his chest with pride.
"Katara and I...are expecting." said Lee proudly as he forced a light smile to the young Avatar.
The entire room gasped at the revelation, floor by the scandalous news that unraveled before them; Sokka, Zuko, Mai, Hakoda, Kanna, Pakku, they've all been left in the dark about Katara's delicate condition, and with good reason.
Sokka's face twisted in anger as he turned to his lover; pointing his finger demandingly towards her chest as he bent his eyebrows, "You knew about this?" asked Sokka as he squint his nostrils in agitation.
Suki waved her hands defensively as she nodded in disagreement, "N-n-no, I-I didn't; I'm just as shocked as you are." answered Suki as she attempted to put on a facade.
Sokka humphed suspiciously as he then turned to question Toph, but the blind earth bender didn't hesitate to stop him in his tracks as soon as she felt his vibrations coming towards her.
"DON'T even think about it, waterboy." said Toph as lunged her index finger towards Sokka's nose; forcing Sokka to cowardly retreat back to his girlfriend's side.
But no one was more blown away, more utterly shocked than Aang. He felt his heart sink as the news of Katara and Lee's conception pierced through him like a rusty dagger jabbing him continuously through the chest. He loosened his hold onto the ground as his pupils contracted; a menacing expression forming in his face as his gaze became transfixed on the water bender. There were no words he could say; he was rendered utterly speechless.
Hakoda tried desperately to contain his outrage, "Katara, is this true?" whispered Hakoda as he tilted his head and glared at his only daughter.
Katara didn't say anything, she couldn't; for her eyes were solely focused on Aang, whose disheartening gaze was focused solely on her and only her. Everyone was gossiping, everyone was chattering, but all she could see were those stone cold, gray eyes staring callously back at her as if piercing into the very fathoms of her heart. Katara couldn't take his stare anymore; she squint her tear filled ocean blues as she slowly backed away from the her lover's side.
Lee double-checked his side as he saw Katara slowly back away from all the stares, "Katara, honey-"
But before Lee could finish his sentence and reach the afflicted water bender, Katara took off as if running from her worst fear; tears falling from her chin as she pushed past the crowd and disappeared into a nearby resting tent.
Aang's gaze followed Katara until she was no longer visible to the naked eye as Lee began to explain their situation.
"I felt obligated to say something; I just couldn't hold back. You see, she's high risk, and she can't use excessive force on anything. She can't even water bend without putting herself and our unborn child at risk." explained Lee, unable to even look at her potential father in law in the face. "She's been so stressed out about her condition from the moment she found out about it that now her prognosis has gotten worse. She's still very early on but already we have to visit healers every week from now on just so they can monitor her and the baby." said Lee achingly; for the thought of Katara and their unborn child being in the midst of peril while he stood on the sidelines helplessly was purely torturous to him.
Hakoda crossed his arms as he shut his eyes in disappointment, "Oh, Katara." said Hakoda quietly as his face cringed in response to the news. His only daughter was not only with child out of the sanctity of marriage, but was bearing a dangerous pregnancy. Hakoda tried very hard not to dwell on the inner heartache he felt over the realization of his daughter's position and continued to answer questions, "How far along is she?" asked Hakoda quietly.
Lee's voice began to quiver, "W-w-one month, sir." said an edgy Lee.
Sokka then intervened into the conversation from afar, "A MONTH? BUT SHE'S HUUUGE!" yelled Sokka as he stretched his arms wide open, trying to get his voice recognized from great distance that divided him and Lee; while Suki glared at her lover and gave him a shove in the gut, "OOOOOOOWWWA!" yelled Sokka as his voice echoed throughout the vicinity.
Unexpectedly; an older woman, seemingly in her 40's with traditional Earth Kingdom attire, emerald green eyes and a long, flowing brunette braid stepped in to answer Sokka's question.
"It happens." said the woman with a soft, comforting voice. Everyone's attention then turned to the woman bold enough to intercede into such a difficult affair as she continued to explain Katara's condition.
"Some women tend to show earlier than others; it has nothing to do with the growth of the child really, but more so the rapid gain in fatty deposits that supplement the fetus in the womb. Some women just gain more than others; it depends on the woman's body chemistry." explained the young woman as she darted her eyes left and right before shyly making her way back into the crowd.
Everyone looked on in astoundment as they absorbed this crucial information, including Lee; who raised his eyebrow at the Earth Kingdom woman's astuteness, "R-r-right, thank you..." said Lee as he then turned his focus towards Hakoda, "And to top it all off, she didn't want to say anything because...well...-"
"Because in our culture it's considered disgraceful to be with child out of wedlock." said Hakoda; not reluctant to finish Lee's sentence as he tilted his head down; his focus still on the man who impregnated his daughter.
Lee's eyes shot up as he gazed into his girlfriend's father's sharp, blue eyes, "Yes." said Lee as he raised his chin high.
In the middle of Hakoda and Lee's discussion, Mai took advantage of the opportunity to sneak back to the tent Katara has hid while everyone continue to listen to Hakoda and Lee speak.
"I don't care, she is still my daughter" said Hakoda warmly, "She has my support along with the rest of our family's if she wishes to have it." said Hakoda as he attempted to walk towards Katara's direction, but he was abruptly stopped by Lee's hand.
"No, please don't Hakoda, sir." said Lee. "I mean no disrespect, but your presence as well as mine will only add more stress to her. We have to let her calm down on her own; for the child's sake." explained Lee; while Hakoda nodded in agreement, even though it pained him to do so.
Aang couldn't believe what he was hearing, he was still in a state of shock; his expression blank and unable to show any sign of emotion as he processed every word that came out of the young water bender's lover's mouth. Katara was pregnant with Lee's child; she has performed the ultimate act of love with Lee and is carrying within her womb the ultimate symbol of her devotion to him. And to make matters worse, she was carrying a high risk pregnancy. His hands began to tremble as he fought back his tears, while Onji simply crossed her arms as she rolled her eyes over what she assumed was pointless news. But Aang paid no mind to the woman whom he was engaged with, for his mind was swimming with only the thought of how he could've prevented all of this melancholy that he held within his heart. How Aang wanted to intervene, how he wanted to just shout in protest of their companionship, and how he wanted to proclaim his love; but was unable to. He couldn't intervene, for Katara has made it very clear that Lee was the person that truly held her heart; the person she truly loved and wanted to be with. Aang's heart ached as he realized that it was now far too late for the two of them to have any chance; he had to accept it, he knew he did, but that pill was just too bitter for him to swallow. Aang wanted to run away, he wanted to escape from this nightmare, but he couldn't for the sake of those who depended on him; including a young Fire Nation Woman who was more than willing to assist him in his duty to repopulate the Air Nomad race. He had his chance, but that chance was long gone; gone since the day he left Katara in Ba Sing Se. "This is is...there's no going back now..." thought Aang solemnly as he shut his eyes; engulfed in his own heartbreak and misfortune.
Meanwhile, Mai managed to slither her way into the tent Katara withheld herself in; unprepared for what she was about to see.
When the Fire Lady entered the tent, she saw Katara laying on her side as she forcefully regurgitated into a bucket; her eyelids swollen with a tint of pink as dry tear trails decorated her cheeks.
Mai gasped as she slowly approached the water bender, who happened to notice her presence as she hastily sat up and tried to gather her composure.
When Mai was finally within touching distance of Katara, she reached into her robes and pulled out a handkerchief heavily decorated with the Fire Nation insignia; she then knelt down next to Katara as she offered her the piece of cloth, and her condolence. Katara looked up to Mai as she extended her handkerchief towards her; Katara took it as she wiped her mouth clean from the remnants of her regurgitation. When Katara finished cleaning herself up, the Fire Lady then opened her arms to her with a dull smile Katara was so well familiar with. Katara couldn't resist the gesture, she needed the comfort of someone who truly knows what she's going through physically and emotionally; she dove into Mai's arms as they both shared an emotional embrace.
As soon as Katara and Mai separated from their hug, Mai placed her hands Katara's shoulders and looked deeply into her eyes, "Katara, the Fire Nation has no restrictions as to whether an expectant mother wishes to discontinue her pregnancy by a certain amount of time." explained Mai as she gently gripped Katara by the shoulder, "You could have terminated; you know that." said Mai sternly as she lightly shook the ebony beauty.
Katara smiled as tears continued to roll down her cheeks, "I know, but this child deserves to live." said Katara as fresh tears began to moisten her deep blue eyes. "I love this child." said a sincere Katara to the Fire Lady as she lightly gripped her lower abdomen and shut her eyes; knowing well that although she was harboring a risky pregnancy, she was at peace with her decision, for it was what she truly wanted.
Stay Tuned...
P.S.: I tweaked some sentences here and added where I thought needed some fixing. Just throwing it out there :)