Chapter Eight: Itsuwari Osoren Kyoshoku Urei (Pretense, Fear, Vanity, Grief)

Wedding Day, Ember Island:

Katara was one of the first people in the house to wake up. The silent padding of her feet on the cold stone floor was her only company as she walked to the kitchen. Her mind swirled with everything that had happened the day before.

I'm so glad that Aang and I are friends again! But what does this mean for our…relationship-er what used to be a relationship. We can't go back to the way things were before his accident. Things are different now, Kisho and I are together and he's like the third wheel. I don't want to just be friends with Aang anymore…at the same time though I still want to be with Kisho. Unless what Suki said about him is true. I hope it isn't! What if it is? Then what would happen? Would he use me to get to help him destroy the Fire Nation or worse…Aang? I could never do that! Should I break up with him? Just to be safe. What if I just asked him…I don't think he would lie to my face…would he?

Her thoughts were interrupted by someone else entering the kitchen.

"Eh-hem." A male voice cleared his throat.

"Sorry, I'll be out in a second." She said without turning around.

"No, don't leave."

Aang!

Her lips spread into a smile. A matching grin was stretched across the Avatars face. Katara ran into his arms and laid her head on his chest.

When did he get so tall?

"Hey, K." He murmured into her hair. "Save at least one dance for me tonight, okay?"

"Of course."

She is so beautiful. How could I have ever hated her?

When they finally pulled apart her body tingled where his body had touched hers.

He is everything that is right in this world. I think…Could I love two people at one time? No, I can't.

xXxXxXxXx

Several Hours Later:

Kisho paced around his room anxiously. A soft knock on the door startled him.

"Kisho? Are you in there?" It was Katara, her voice was soft and tender.

"Uh yeah. Come in." When she entered the room her wide eyes were glittering with sorrow. Her voice was a whisper as she spoke.

"I'm sorry, Kisho. I can't do this anymore."

What? Is she…no she can't be!

"What do you mean?"

What am I going to say, that I know his secret and I can't love him knowing that he is partly responsible for the almost murder of Aang?

"I just..." Her voice trailed off.

"You just what? You know you can tell me anything. I'm here for you." He pulled her into his arms and held her tight. She pulled away and wiped her eyes.

"Well…um, you know how I said I didn't want you to leave me?"

"Yeah…"

"I want you to."

"Katara. I don't understand. Did I do something? Was it something I did, or said?"

Does she know? Did she tell her? I really don't want to hurt Katara, but if she tells anyone I might have to…

"No, you didn't do anything. It's just that I can't be with you anymore."

She told her! That bitch!

"Oh, okay….I'm so sorry Katara."

He's sorry? What is he sorry for?

"You don't have anything to be sorry for…I'm the one that should be sorry, and I am." She gave his shoulder a quick squeeze before leaving the room.

xXxXxXxXx

Sokka woke up around 2 pm. The sun was shining brightly, not a cloud in the sky.

We lucked out! This is going to be a picture perfect wedding!

He grinned and hummed to himself as he readied himself for the day ahead.

Why Sokka, you look extra sexy today.

He smiled and winked at himself in the mirror.

"Sokka, you in there?" Asked Katara.

"Yeah, come in." He called from the bathroom.

"Hey." The water bender sat on the edge of her older brothers unmade bed, making herself comfortable.

"Hey."

"Sup?"

"Nothing, just woke up a little bit ago. You?"

Please don't be one of her pointless convo's again! I do not want to sit here and listen to her issue…that's what best friends are for…Suki that would be your cue to walk through that door!

To his great dismay Suki didn't walk through the door to save him.

"Well….I was hoping that Suki would be with you, I can't find her anywhere."

"Obviously she's not."

Damn it! Where could she be? I've looked everywhere for her…

Katara sighed and walked out of the room.

That wasn't weird..

Sokka finished getting ready for the day and forgot about the weird conversation he had with his sister.

xXxXxXxX

The rest of the day passed in a blur for Katara. She and Aang spent most of the day walking around the grounds. They talked and laughed, like nothing had changed between them. Aang was laughing at something Katara had said and all of a sudden her lips were covering his, moving in a very familiar way. He broke it sooner than both of them would have liked.

What was that? Why did she kiss me? I thought she was with Kisho…did they break up or something?

"I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have done that. I-I-it just-I mean I didn't. I'm just going to go now…" Her face turned a deep shade of pink as she blushed furiously.

Why did I kiss him? That was dumb of me. I just broke up with Kisho and now I'm trying to make out with Aang? What is wrong with me? It was a really nice kiss though…He's so pure and tender. I missed that when I was Kisho. This feels so right, being with Aang.

"No, don't go." Aang grabbed her hand and then pulled her into another kiss. This time it was her turn to stiffen in surprise. Quickly she recovered and put her hands around his neck, pulling him even closer. Her hands ran through his hair. The Avatar placed his hands on the small of her back. He loved how smooth and tender it was. Katara hesitantly ran her tongue along the outline of his lips. His mouth opened in response. All too soon their kiss was interrupted by someone clearing their voice.

"Ah-hem. Katara? Aang?"

"Oh, uh…Hey Zuko." The deep pink was back in her cheeks.

"Hey Zuko," Aang said coolly. His arm was curled around the water benders waist.

"Both of you need to head back up to the house…The wedding is in two hours and you still gotta get ready."

"Oh, um, right." Katara flustered. She was kind of embarrassed to be caught in Aangs embrace by Zuko; he was, after all, like her second older brother. The trio headed through the gardens, back to the beach house.

"So…You'n Aang are back together?" Zuko asked, trying to break the awkward silence.

"Yep. I broke up with Kisho this morning…"

This is awkward…

"Oh…" Zuko fell silent again.

"Yeah."

"So how are you and Mai doing?" Aang asked. He hadn't seen either of them in a long time.

"Really good. We were going to wait until after the wedding to tell everyone but since its just you and Katara I think she would be okay with me telling you…Mai is pregnant." A grin spread across Zuko's face. He couldn't have been happier about the fact that he was goin to be a father.

"Are you serious?" Kataras jaw dropped and she stopped in her tracks.

Zuko and Mai….are going to be parents! Ohmygod! That is so awesome!

"Congratulations!" Aang smiled and clapped the Fire Lord on the back.

Wow, Suki and Sokka are getting married and Zuko and Mai are pregnant. Everything is changing…

"Thanks." For the rest of the trip back into the palace the three benders talked about names and other baby things. When they reached Aangs room he told Zuko congratulations again and then kissed Katara lightly on the lips before entering his room. Katara and Zuko proceeded to her room. On the way they talked about Aang.

"Why did you break up with Kisho? I thought everything was going great between you two."

"It was…but then Aang came back and we talked and I think it was then that I realized I never stopped loving him."

"Everyone thought that you were in love with Kisho."

"I thought I was…but I don't think I ever did. I still care about him a lot. But I care about him like I care about you or Sokka, like a brother." She explained.

Why is he asking me this stuff…its so weird! Whatever…its Zuko, he's weird.

Finally they reached her door and she slipped inside to get ready for the wedding.

xXxXxXxXx

Thirty Minutes Before the Wedding:

Everyone was on the beach waiting for the wedding to start. Sokka was anxiously pacing up and down at the end of the aisle.

"Nervous much?" Zuko asked with a laugh.

"Yeah," The soon-to-be husband breathed.

"Don't be. It's not as scary as it seems right now. Trust me." The Fire Lord squeezed his friends shoulder.

"Haha okay."

Where is Suki? I haven't seen her all day! Did she get cold feet and run away? No she wouldn't do that to me.

Aang, Katara, and Kisho were also nowhere to be seen. Considering that all four of them were vital to the wedding everyone was very calm, except Sokka.

xXxXxXxX

At the beach house Katara was running around calling out Suki's name, trying to find her.

"Suki! Suuukkkiiiii! SUKI! WHERE ARE YOU?" She called, her voice echoed through the empty halls.

Oh shit! Where is she? The wedding is in ten minutes and she is nowhere to be found! Where the hell can she be?

Aang was outside searching the grounds. Even with his Avatar powers and connections to nature he couldn't find her.

After another five minutes of searching the couple met up at the path to the beach. It cut right through the heart of the forest.

"Well…we better go tell Sokka and the rest of the guests the bad news." Aang sighed.

Where can she be? It's not like her to be missing. Maybe she went down to the beach and they forgot to tell us…?

"Yeah," They started towards the beach. A thought hit Katara like a bolt of lightning.

Shit! Shit shit shit! Kisho! What have I done? Suki was right! And if Kisho found out…oh my god. He did something to her! I gotta tell Aang!

"Aang listen Suki told me something that I think has something to do with what happened to her."

"What? Is she having an affair or something?" Aang looked at Katara with worry; he didn't want his best friend getting hurt.

"No, nothing like that….it's about-" Her voice was cut off by a mouth covering her hand with a cloth.

"Katara!" Aang spun out his leg and kicked her attacker. They got in a fight, bender vs non-bender.

"Kisho…resistance…attack…Suki," Katara managed to get those words out before whatever was on the cloth knocked her out. Another figure slipped out of the trees and grabbed her before Aang could pick her up. The first attacker ran off into the forest, hot on the trail of the second one.

"Katara! NOOO!" Aang followed the two non-benders into the forest, but quickly lost their trail. "Damn it. I could have done something to save her!" He flew up and out of the forest and to the beach. When he got to where the ceremony took place his robes were ripped and bloodstained, he had a thin layer of sweat and grime on his face.

"Aang! What happened? Where's Katara, Suki and Kisho?" Sokka rushed forward to his friend.

"Gone. Kisho is part of the resistance. He took Suki sometime last night I'm guessing. Katara and I were walking here when he grabbed her. I tried to stop them…I'm so sorry." Aang panted. Sokka and the rest of the people stood in a shock induced silence.

The Southern Water Tribe Warrior broke the silence, "They aren't gone. You're just joking right? I'm not laughing."

"No, I swear I'm not lying! I wouldn't joke about something like that." Aang looked at him in disbelief. Slowly the reality crashed down onto Sokka, tears flooded his eyes and overflowed onto his face.

"No, no, NO! NO!" He screamed. The Gang, or what was left of it huddled around him and brought him back to the house. They comforted him and tried to calm him down. Several hours later he looked at them and said, "We are going to find those bastards and kill them, all of them…agreed?" The grief and anger in his voice sliced the air in two, everyone nodded their head in agreement.

Wow, this is was one of my fave chapters to write, even though it probably isn't one of the best. Sorry for my grammar and spelling…I didn't really pay attention to that because I just wanted to get this up…I will review and fix any mistakes that I have found at a later time. :)

Ok, so just a quick thing about the title: it is part of the original closing to my 2nd fave anime, Death Note. I wrote it in Japanese because it just looked and sounded cooler that way, but in parentheses I put the actual meaning. I thought it fit pretty damn well with this chapter, don't you think? Haha.

Also again sorry about the delay, I hurt my shoulder (the rotator cuff to be exact) playing volleyball on 9/20/10, so it was a little hard to type for a couple days… But now I'm mostly healed. Because of my injury the pace of this chapter switches a few times…sorry about that. Towards the end I got bored writing it so everything speeds up. But I think it's okay.

As always thanks a ton to the people who read and review

To the silent people who read and then slip away into the darkness….thanks so much for reading.

Please R&R

Thanks for reading and being patient with me

2;D x3 :)