Sorry it took so long to post! I had writers block, Hahaha. Btw if you read my other FF's I will be posting soon-ish. School starts in a couple days so I wont be posting as often. But I did reach my goal! LoL anyways enjoy the first real chapter of Aftermath.
Chapter One: Wedding Day Terror
Almost two years later:
Katara rolled over onto her back. She could tell that the others were still sleeping by their slow deep breaths. The sun was rising and soon everyone else would be awake. The young woman rolled up her sleeping mat and started preparing breakfast for the other three teens.
"Mmm. Katara!" Aang shouted out her name.
"Yes, Aang?" She looked up from tending the fire.
"Mmm…ahh!" Aang called out again. Her blue eyes rested on the Avatar, she sighed seeing that he was sound asleep. I'll have to tell him that he talks in his sleep. She thought. Several hours later everyone was up and ready to leave the Earth Kingdom.
"Did you hear that?" Toph looked up, startled.
"Hear what?" Sokka looked up from his third bowl of fruit.
"That."
"And what exactly would be that?"
"Hell, there it is again!" Toph stomped her foot angrily. She could hear it, a bird calling in the distance, but no one else could. Damn their ears are so less sensitive!
"I don't hear anything." Aang chimed in.
"Ugh. Well it sounds like a bird, and its flying this way."
"Maybe it's a messenger hawk from Zuko!"
"I don't know. But whatever it is I can see it now!" Sokka looked to the sky and pointed to a dark speck that was coming closer and closer. Finally the bird landed on the lowest branch near the campsite. Sokka got to the bird first and grabbed the scroll out of the package on the hawks back. He quickly read the scroll and shouted, "He's getting married! Finally!"
"Who?" The others shouted at him.
"Zuko and Mai!" When the Water Tribe warrior told them the news the other three all started talking over each other. Things eventually calmed down enough for Aang to ask, "Are we invited? To the wedding."
"Yes! You and I are going to be Zukos best men. Katara, Toph, Suki and Ty Lee will be Mais bridesmaids."
"Really? That's so friggin cool!" After about another fifteen minutes of rejoicing they finished packing up and loading Appa.
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Four hours later the gang was still in the air, flying over forests and small villages.
"Are we stopping soon? I'm getting airsick." Toph moaned, he head was hanging over the edge of the flying bison's saddle.
"We're landing soon, I hope." Katara looked back at Toph, then to Aang. He looked at her and nodded.
"The sun's going down, as soon as I see a place, we're going to land for the night."
"Finally!" Aang quickly found a place to land Appa for the night, they all set up camp and started making dinner.
"I'm going to go find some firewood, anyone want to come with me?" The Avatar asked, hoping that the water-bender would join him.
"I'll go." Katara volunteered. The two benders walked into the forest then stopped.
"Aang I-"
"Katara-"
"You go first."
"No, you go."
"Okay, Aang I just wanted to let you know that I'm really grateful that you have been with me, through everything. I love you."
"Uh-I. Katara, I care about you, so much."
"But you don't love me."
"I-its just that…I mean." Aang knew that he loved her, but he couldn't get the words to come out.
"Its fine. I understand."
"You do?" He gave her a weak smile.
"Yes." Katara kissed him lightly on the lips. They felt like she was kissing feathery, smooth, clouds. The water-bender pulled away before they could get too intamet, after all, her brother was only a few hundred feet away. Aang leaned in for another kiss, but he pulled back when he heard twigs snapping closeby.
"Sugar Queen? Twinkle Toes? Hurry up with the firewood, already." Toph called out, knowing exactly what they were doing only moments before. Katara blushed as she picked up sticks and twigs around her.
"Right, sorry!" Aang walked a little deeper in the forest and grabbed an armful of firewood.
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Later that night, or earlier the next morning the earth-bender heard two sets of footsteps walking away from the campsite. She smiled to herself and fell back asleep.
The two sets of footsteps belonged to Aang and Katara. As the two young teens walked through the forest holding hands, they talked about everything that had been bothering them, and just anything that popped into their heads. When they had run out of things to talk about, and were finally getting exhausted, the lovers headed back to the campsite. The Southern Water Tribe girl quickly fell asleep. She is so gorgeous; I wish I could spend every moment of my life with her, and then some. I just wish I could tell her I love her. That was the last thing the Air Nomad thought of before he drifted off to sleep.
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The rest of the journey to the Fire Nation went just about the same way. The gang traveled four or five hours throughout the day, stopping to stretch their legs and eat a few times. They reached the Palace five days later. Everyone was bustling around getting ready for the wedding. It was only a day away; The Gang hadn't even been fitted for the robes they were going to be wearing for the wedding ceremony. After everyone had eaten their fill of food (Sokka more than the rest of them put together) the Avatar was requested at a war counsel.
"Why are there still war counsels?" The fourteen year old boy asked.
"While you were gone, people started to rebel against the peace. People want to keep fighting, they want to wipe out all the benders. Several times this rebellion has attacked very important firebenders, including myself." Zuko shook his head, ending the conversation. The war counsel lasted several hours. Finally it ended and Aang went to his chambers. After dinner they all got fitted for the wedding robes. Sokka and Aang's robes were a dark maroon with gold cuffs and a black border on the bottom. Katara, Toph, and Suki were wearing red skirts with gold laced throughout it. Their shirts were black, cut slightly above the navel and had white veil covering the skin. Following the fitting they all went to the town and shopped for a wedding gift for Mai and Zuko.
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The Wedding:
Mai walked down the long aisle on the beach, her hair was completely down, with a small golden crown with a gold and white veil covering her face. Her dress was white with red, gold, and black swirls on it. Zuko was wearing a robe was one very similar to Sokka and Aangs, the only difference was that his had the Fire Nation symbol emblazoned on it. He smiled at his soon-to-be-wife and took her hand as she came up to him. The ceremony was very short, but still traditional and romantic. After they kissed, making the marriage official, everyone headed to the reception. It was held at Zukos family's old beach house. During the reception Sokka tried to make a toast, but he ended up embarrassing Zuko and himself. Everyone ate inside the house, and then went outside to talk and dance.
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The Attack
"Katara, do you want to go on a walk with me?" Aang slid up behind her and whispered in her ear.
"Of course." She smiled as she slid her hand into his. They walked along the beach hand in hand. The waves splashed over their toes as the fell along the horizon.
"You look very beautiful." The Avatar took his free hand and brushed a flyaway hair off the beautiful face of his Water Tribe girlfriend. She blushed under the moonlight, making her already dark skin darker.
"Thank you" She kissed him on the cheek. They walked for another five minutes and then stopped. The Water Tribe girl sat laid down on a rock and put her head in the Avatars lap. She looked up into the soft gray eyes that belonged to the love of her life and sighed.
"What's the matter?" His grey eyes clouded with worry.
"Its nothing. I'm just so happy."
"About what?"
"Everything."
"Well that clears things up." He smiled and laughed his little boy laugh.
"Yeah, I know. Aang?"
"Mmm?"
"Do you love me?"
"Why would you ask that?" He kept stroking her hair, but his voice sounded concerned.
"Because you never said that you did." Katara sat up.
"Katara I-Watch out! Someone's behind us!" Aang shot up, pulling Katara behind him. Suddenly arrows shot out from the bushes right in front of the couple. Aang blocked them with a wall of stone, then he sent a block of earth where the arrows came from. A loud grunt was emitted from the leafy lump.
"Hiiiyaa!" Katara blasted a water whip through the bush. Five figures shot out and sent ten more arrows seven of them barley missed the water-bender.
"Katara! Watch out." Aang cried, he shattered the rest of the arrows. Both of the benders fought rigorously against their attackers. Four arrows struck down Katara, she wasn't fatally injured but she was in pain.
"AH!" She cried out clutching her left arm.
"Noo!" Aang turned on the five attackers, his arrows started to glow and his eyes and mouth turned bright blue. He had went into the Avatar State for the first time since he defeated the ex-firelord. Three of the assailants ran in fear of the Avatar. That evened the odds a little bit. Aang quickly overtook the weaker of the two. There was only one left, he ran behind the monk and shot several arrows in a row at his back, the same spot where Azula hit him with lighting. Most of them were blocked by a shield of wind around him, but one got through. It was slowed down by the wind, it still hit right in the center of the scar. A piercing shot of pain went up Aangs back, his tattoos stopped glowing and his eyes faded back to the gray, and then went almost black.
"Aang!" Katara howled. She sprinted over to him. The blue-eyes glinted with anger as she attacked the last archer. She slashed and kicked and water-bended until she finally had the archer cornered.
"Who are you? What are you doing here? Who sent you?" She growled. Her hand was around the aggressor's neck.
"I-I-" he stuttered trying to get the words out.
"You what?" She clenched harder.
"Rebellion…Anti-Bender…War…Azula…Avatar…" His head lolled to one side as blood flowed out of his back.
"NO! Damn it! HELP! PLEASE! AANG IS HURT!" The bender dropped him and ran back to Aang. She used ocean water to heal his minor burns and cuts. When she looked up from healing him she saw Toph, Sokka, Suki, Zuko and Mai standing there.
"Don't just stand there! Help me move him back to the house! He's seriously injured!" Tears streamed down from Kataras face as she neared hysteria. They all rushed over and helped the sixteen year old Water-Tribe girl lift up Aang.
"Careful, careful. Don't hurt him!" Sokka directed. His voice sounded calm, but he was really worried. Someone just attacked his best friend and little sister on a supposedly private beach.
"Hurry up! He's lost a lot of blood already."
"Be careful." After about ten minutes they finally got Aang into his room and laid him, back up, on the bed.
"Everyone leave. I need to heal him, in private." Katara ordered. She closed the door behind them and started healing Aang. Two hours later and she barely made any progress, he was still unconscious. "Aang, please, come back." Her voice quavered threatening tears. Aangs eyes fluttered open, but only for a second before he dropped back into unconciousness. She held onto his hand and cried herself to sleep.
Well, what did you think? I tried to add more Kataang in this one. I will try to post again by next week but I have a lot of stuff going on, with the start of school and stuff. Please R&R, if you want me to post again please leave a comment or suggestion on what I should write in the next chapter! x3
