Katara
"Cookie," little Raaj smiled while showing Katara a half smashed raisin treat squeezed between parts of his sticky fingers.
Her eyebrows pulled up while she smirked, "Yes Raaj, that's a cookie." She pulled a wet cloth and started to clean the toddler's hands. Volunteering to watch the little prince for the morning had been her idea as an excuse to hang out in the odd ends of the palace today. Though apprehensive at first, she was finding that watching the young child interact with the world around him was fascinating. Only knowing a few words, cookie was by far his favorite.
After he was done, Katara lifted him up and strolled out of the kitchen, smiling at the cooks as she passed.
She enjoyed the feeling of Raaj in her arms; his weight was reassuring to her for some reason and the small fingers running though the end of her braid filed her with content. Entranced by her hair loops as well, the young prince would stare at them and occasionally venture out to poke a styled piece before rocking back with laughter. Katara would proceed to ruffle the small collection of hairs on his head. Raaj, ever perceptive, would reach up and smooth them out.
Stepping out into the garden, Katara found it empty. She followed a short path to a patch of grass surrounding a pond. Raaj's head seemed heavier on her shoulder, so she sought out shade under a nearby tree and sat down. Placing the already sleeping heir next to her, she removed her sandals and laid back on the soft grass. The passing clouds in the sky occupied her interest for a while until she turned on her side to face the sleeping infant.
Peace was written on his face and she closed her eyes, attempting to remember her childhood at the South Pole and if she had ever felt that level of contentment. No answer came to mind as she drifted into her own world.
Aang
Ignoring pressing issues that had been brought to his attention in the brief meeting he attended at sunrise, the young man had climbed the volcano where he found a tranquil slab of rock located in the deserted forest. After sitting motionless for a couple of hours and only hearing the sound of his own breath, the Avatar had decided to return to the palace. Barely feeling the soft dirt as he airbended himself down the steep hill, Aang tried to maintain the fragile serenity he attained from his meditation in the morning.
The events of the previous day had done more than shatter the hopes he carried for this reunion; and the stress provided by the uncertainty of an invasion had caused an imposing gloom to overshadow his every thought.
Hearing the sounds of nature had calmed him to a point where he was able to acknowledge that the need for his presence overshadowed the break in his mental health.
Pushing through the trees from the mountainside behind the palace, he felt cool grass under the pads of his feet and started walking through paths in the garden. Nobles and honored guests strolled by momentarily pausing to slightly lower their heads in respect. Pieces of their conversations about table settings and palanquin placement reached Aang's ears.
Heading further into what seemed like a labyrinth of shrubbery and fire lilies, the airbender came upon a more isolated section of the gardens before taking a turn on the path to find a small oval pond reminding him of the scene at the oasis in the North Pole. There was a toddler, his back towards Aang, squatting over the edge and gazing at the swimming koi; one arm already extended the boy reached for a nearby fish before losing balance.
Acting on instinct, Aang whipped his arms up sending a gush of air buffering the child from falling into the water. Surprised from the rescue, the toddler now flat on his back let out a cry; jogging over and picking him up, Aang recognized him as Raaj, Zuko and Mai's son.
Sensing movement behind him, Aang turned around to see Katara pushing herself up from a lying position. Glancing around with a start, she looked to her left before spotting the airbender standing across from her. Settling her frantic eyes on the now quieted crown prince, her body relaxed and she stood walking towards the pair.
"Is he okay? Why are you holding him?" she said in an almost accusatory tone, running a tan hand through Raaj's head to ensure his safety.
"He was just exploring the pond when he almost fell in, but he's fine now, don't worry." Aang replied in a soothing voice. Chancing a look into Katara's eyes he instead saw a wrinkled brow and anxious mouth appear as she took a more in depth analysis of the boy.
Satisfied with her findings, she dropped her eyes to the ground and looking out into the garden on her left before meeting the gaze of the Avatar and muttering softly, "I only closed my eyes. He had already fallen asleep..."
Against his better judgment, Aang placed his free hand on her shoulder to reassure Katara. Stiffening, she soon regained her bearings and faced him straight in the eyes a hardened exterior replacing her brief moment of weakness. "Well, we were just heading back to Mai for his lunch so we should probably go."
It only took a moment for him to respond, "Right, of course, here." He passed Raaj to the waterbender and watched as her face filled with dedication and meticulous care as she told the child they would soon be able to get something to eat. He tried to ignore the clench in his lower stomach muscles as her smooth skin pressed against his.
Nodding her head, she pivoted and was soon off to the nursery whispering silently words of nonsense to the enthralled child.
A sensation of euphoria spread through his system before it was replaced with the same hopeless longing he had felt for the past couple years. Dropping his gaze, Aang returned to his original search for an entrance into the palace.
Katara
Katara was next to Suki as she walked down the hallway discussing the fast approaching celebration. According to Suki, there were expected to be around 10,000 visitors arriving at the capital city. The young Kyoshi warrior was exceptionally excited.
They were being led by servants to a centrally located destination in the palace to be fitted for their many outfits commissioned for them to wear during the celebration. Soon they were ushered into a door, filing through a hallway to the dressing room. Mirrors were randomly hung about the room with plush red pillows thrown carelessly, all anchored by a circular bench in the middle.
A terse woman in soft pink robes with her hands clasped approached them and bowed, " Hello, you must be Lady Suki and Miss Katara. I am going to be the one fitting you into your clothes for the celebration. My name is Yung. Please follow me, Fire Lady Mai has already arrived and is trying on her first outfit."
She brusquely led them around the corner, where there was a smaller outlet equipped with full-body mirrors circling round a small-step pedestal.
The fitters had them strip down to their wrappings. Katara, Suki, and Mai watched each other as they sampled their various hued robes. When Suki was slipping on her tighter evening gown, they started to encounter trouble.
"Are you sure these are the exact measurements, Lady Suki?" the helper asked skeptically, "Maybe there was a mistake."
Suki let out an exasperated sigh, crumpling her brow and hunching her back in response, "It should fit, this is the correct size for my Kyoshi uniform."
"Perhaps we should try another dress, there might have been some confusion with the makers." Yung scurried away, the rejected garments in her hands.
Suki started studying her body meticulously, twisting and turning as if to find a more appeasing angle.
"Suki, you know it's just the baby," Katara stated soothingly. Getting up and moving towards her, she she turned and looked at the tense girl in the mirror, placing a hand on her shoulder, "a larger dress will be more comfortable anyways."
Suki's eyes flashed on her face and then back to her offending reflection in the mirror. Brows pinched up with worry, she continued to review the fit.
Feeling obligated Mai added, "When I had my son, I went up two dress sizes." Suki glanced at her at this statement, face flooded with anxiety before Mai hastily added, "But don't worry, you lose it eventually."
Slowly the distraught expression framing Suki's face softened as she thought of the reason for her original anguish. An encompassing warmth rushed through her body, and at this realization her hands hovered over her slightly engorged stomach, fingertips tracing small, invisible patterns.
Suki giggled gracefully with her stomach while muttering to herself, "At least I'm larger for a good reason."
Yung came into the room looking a little less flustered than before and was relieved to see that the young lady was happier, "This selection will look wonderful on you Mrs. Suki. A combination of domestic silks and foreign lacework creates the most handsome arrangement."
Everyone agreed the new dress looked much more flattering on the soon-to-be-mother who now sat pensively to the side admiring the girl in a traditional Southern Water Tribe warrior outfit. Changes had to be made since it usually was meant for males to wear, but craftswomen in the Fire Nation were highly skilled and it adorned Katara with an air of regal elegance.
The garment itself was comprised of furs imported for the occasion and dyed and painted with markings that were reminiscent of high ranking officials in the Water Tribes; however the Southern Water Tribe had less of a social hierarchy than its sister, so it was less decorated than others.
Katara had denied the servants the chance to show off a warrior's hairpiece, choosing instead to use her familiar braid. Although she was not as persistent when it came to her formal dinner attire, so she was persuaded into agreeing to try a new style.
Most of the workers on staff had congregated into the fitting room of the three nobles and upon reaching the high stand, donning the silken robe, Katara felt uneasy. Everyone's eyes were on her and she acquired a foreign sense of self consciousness; her once strong confidence melted as she removed her gaze from the mirror to fixate it on the floor, waiting for scathing remarks.
Squeals erupted and she was proven wrong when one of the servants broke the silence, "You look lovely my Lady."
A smile sneaked its way on Katara's face and Yung continued to fuss over her appearance making sure that she was absolutely perfect. Striking conversation as the observing dressmakers returned to their work, the worker said, "Adjusting all the garments for the ceremony has been too exciting, and I've learned so much about other culture's fabrics. Why just this morning the Fire Lord sent the Avatar to have his robes washed and resized and I couldn't believe the style, very striking. I assume you know of the traditional Air Nomad clothing? I hear you were once close to the Avatar, Miss Katara."
Attempting to only display minimal discomfort she answered, "Um, yes we used to be good friends. The Air Nation style was meant to be free so as to not limit their bending. It was original indeed."
At that moment the stylist had found a fault in the stitching and was focused on remedying the situation. Thankful for the drop in subject, she turned her attention to the mirror and examined herself, all the while feeling Suki's constant glances in her direction.
Foregoing the traditional palanquin in favor of more basic means of transportation, Sokka, Katara, Suki and Toph ventured out into the city on foot with a setting sun behind them. There was an odd sort of transition occurring in the capital; kiosks which had been appearing since the beginning of the week selling items for the festival and more permanent shops were cleaning up and locking their doors to any potential customers while other less reputable businesses were just starting to open and fill with people who were apart of an exclusive list.
Toph led the group to a favorite local tavern which, despite the relatively early hour, was already host to about 50 people, most middle aged men eying much more worldly women who were in a vastly different age group than themselves.
"Hey, Ting!" Toph hollered across the room. A bartender refilling empty glasses of slumped figures at the bar, glanced up eyebrows raised and motioned to the right with his head.
"Come on," she strode confidently across the room and passed into swinging doors leaving the group behind.
Allowing a smirk to play on her lips, Katara followed the earthbender into the darker back area towing the couple; Sokka placing a protective hand on the small of his wife's back, guiding her.
A musky incense filled the room and was visible from the thick cloud of stagnant air which remained pervasive throughout the limited space; Katara headed to the corner booth Toph had already claimed as their own by marking it with several large mugs filled with sake. The inhabitants of this room appeared to be higher ranking citizens and took little notice of the well dressed young warriors being seated next to them.
"Been here before?" Sokka smiled slyly while hesitantly picking up his jug and scoping the room.
Toph took her comfortable feet of the chair next to her and placed them on the floor before responding, but not without first sending a small sneer across the table, "Look boomerang boy, anyone who isn't a rookie knows that in the Fire Nation you need good connections with the local taverns to get some of the good stuff. Otherwise we'd be out front with all the other colorful citizens; they are the real people of this city, not the fluffy, formal stiffs up at the palace or selling souvenirs in the streets."
Sokka shrugged and raised his glass, "To the colorful citizens." Not waiting for the others to respond, he threw back his drink, quickly followed by the hardy earthbender.
Rounds later, everyone at the table had relaxed to a comfortable point. Katara slumped against the smooth wood of the booth and relished the warm heat sliding through her body; she was not completely intoxicated, like Toph and Sokka, however she could sense some of her normal self limitations slipping though she thought that mostly had to do with the stimulating atmosphere.
Toph soon reacquainted with old friends and was involved in a high stakes betting pool across the room and Suki had momentarily excused herself to the washroom, her absence allowing more freedom to flow among the pair.
"You know I don't really like the Fire Nation all that much," Katara slurred too loudly considering the company they were in at the present. Catching her blunder she hastily added focusing on the surrounding politicians who had been bothered enough to turn their heads, "Not because of the people or anything, and I mean yeah you guys tried to kill us on multiple occasions but you were under orders from Ozai and you're good and all now. It's not because it takes forever to get here on boat or airship or flying bison, and it's not the food that burns your insides when you take a taste."
She demonstrated sampling one of the many crispy fireflakes strewn in various baskets across the table, "No," she said finishing, "it's the heat. There is no place you could ever go on this island where you would get cold. It's probably even hot in the ground."
"You know I bet no one has ever frozen to death here," Sokka declared straightening and supporting his weight by splaying his hands on the table, eyes widening as he considered his revelation. "They are just so greedy. They even stole all the heat for themselves. How do you think I feel when I practically sit on a fire during the winter to unfreeze myself!"
Katara sported an unfeminine laugh before scooting up and sharing with her brother a new piece of information, "It all evens out though Sokka because you see because of their paradise weather, they get hooked into hosting these big events bringing in dignitaries who are annoying, not personable, withdrawn, cheating, lying, arrogant, and heartless and pretend like they are just fine having them without some sort of explanation as to why they are there."
Sokka mumbled in response and slowly rested his forehead on the cool surface in front of him.
Katara let out a sigh and turned in time to see the cobalt blue of a tattoo on the arm of a man; she felt lifted until she realized it was not accompanied with similar markings on his other arm or legs. Plummeting her heart took a dive and thought that not even under intoxication could she escape.
Feeling better later that night, Katara walked behind the palace grounds and looked into the sky of pitch.
The moon wasn't visible. The giant white orb in the sky was supposed to be full tonight, Tui was supposed to be the closest to the Earth; instead, the light was covered by the shield of the clouds. All that Katara could see was the fuzzy outline of a bright circle.
A soft breeze caressed her face and her bottom lip started to tremor. A strong depression was on the brink of crushing her heart, the pressure was too strenuous to handle. She had come out here to draw the strength that waterbenders could pull from the full moon, next to the ocean, feeling it's repeating splashes against her rhythmic march along the shoreline. Though she could feel the power provided by the ancient spirits, their abilities seemed infantile when compared to her current emotional state.
Breathing deeply, refilling her lungs with the salty air, she gazed at the scene around her; attempting to distract herself.
This section of the beach was specifically designated for use of the royal palace, and she was thankful for its privacy for she was afraid of intrusion. To her right were the crashing swells comprising the ocean landscape, fine grains of tan colored sand providing the barrier between sea and the garden on her left, filled with scattered shrubs, groupings of flowers, and cherry trees. All the scenery was dimly lit through the midnight light of the moon.
Abruptly, she heard a snapping sound and spun her head around; off in the distance near the trees was a dark silhouette. Katara squinted, her eyes desperate to get a better view. The shadow stepped out and wearily swayed towards her. Soon, she too curiously walked closer to the stranger. When they were about 100 feet away from each other, she could start to make out an orange tint to their clothes, and a perfectly shaped round head...
She stopped dead in her tracks, feeling her heart react yet again. She couldn't handle this, not now and preferably not ever, she wasn't ready yet.
She saw him pause for a moment too until his face lit up with comprehension which he then proceeded to start heading for her at a faster pace.
Not now, she wasn't ready.
Feet stumbling backwards at first, eventually gaining speed, she turned heading into the trees.
"Katara, wait. Come back!" Aang yelled holding his arm up, racing after her.
Following dirt laden paths she pumped her arms urging her forward, hearing the rustling of branches and leaves as she rushed past until she came to a split in the road.
Nervous panting filled the air as she halted. Which way went back to the palace? The sounds of light landing footfalls weren't too far off. All she had was a split second to decide, but that's all that was needed.
Her feet suddenly were immovable, a heavy weight pressing down on them. A glance revealed her shoes and lower calves were completely encased in rock. Dread coursed through her as she could feel him coming closer. Pathetically, she crouched and pulled on her leg, desperate for it to be released, but it would not budge. Closing her eyes she slowly stood up and awaited Aang's arrival.
"Katara," he said, breathing lightly coming up to her side. A rush of wind tickled her skin, blowing strands of hair into her face , "just wait for a minute okay? I need to talk to you."
"What, so you can tell me you don't want to share the same beach now?" she could tell how ridiculous the words spilling out of her mouth sounded echoing through the night air, but she didn't care enough to stop them. All she wanted was for him to feel the same pain as she had the other night.
"Come on, you know that's not true," Aang answered patiently, slowly shaking his head.
She tilted her head slightly up to glare at him, nails pressing into her palms as her fists tightened at her side, "I obviously can't trust you, just look at what you had to do to get me to listen to you?" She scoffed hands gesturing to address her trapped feet.
The tumult in his eyes softened to despair. Stepping forward to face her closely, his arms bent, tracing the lengths of her sides. "Katara, you have to understand. I didn't leave to hurt you, being the Avatar means I'd have to travel constantly especially with the state of the nations after the war. You had been away from your family for so long and needed to be with them; you had already left your home for me once, I couldn't ask you to give that up again. You needed stability and I couldn't give it to you."
"No," whispering frustratingly her hands laid flat on his chest and, applying pressure, she untangled herself from his embrace forcing him back. "No, you left me and that hurt me more than any of your instability could have," she stated, eyebrows pulling up while pleating together; she was starting to lose her composure.
Katara nodded her head, begging her mildly stinging eyes to remain dry. Her body in its current state surely looked like a mess, hair plastered to her salty cheeks, her throat burned as it swelled but it was nothing compared to the ache in her chest. A hiccup rippled through her body and to her embarrassment, she let out a soft cry. Burying her face in her palms her back shook with subdued sobs.
Suddenly, she was wrapped in a pair of strong arms. Blood surged through her at the contact, leaving a tingling sensation; she collapsed into his figure, grasping at his robes, her head fitting into the crook of his neck. Feeling his embrace and the set hold he had, her demeanor lightened and she reveled in his presence. The scent radiating off of him was causing her head to whirl, the large hands on her back acting as anchors.
Aang pulled back to make eye contact with Katara and she struggled to hold in the protest beckoning in her throat. After effects of rejection once again entered her system though she couldn't bear to bother him with her insignificant insecurities. It was wrong of Katara for making Aang feel obligated to comfort her; she had already caused enough problems as it was.
However after glancing up and seeing the placement of his mouth and fiery determination in his gray eyes, her heart stuttered as a breath hitched in her throat. His eyebrows moved together to frame the orbs. Hot air splayed across her face, coinciding with the rise and fall of his chest; his breathing had increased too.
The expression in his face changed abruptly, as if to alter objectives, jaw muscles clenching. His arms moved to reposition themselves, one running up her back and resting on her shoulder before finishing it's journey to her neck; his arms were staggered now, one placed in the small of her back, the other grasped the outline of her head, fingers twisting in her hair. His thumb grazed her cheek, wiping away the remnant traces of her tears.
Katara closed her eyes and attempted to level her breathing. It took all over her control to keep herself from desperately clutching his hands to prevent their escape.
She could feel the presence of something moving towards her but didn't acknowledge it until she felt a light pressure on her lips. A blush swept over her entire body and her stomach burned, threatening to explode. Closing the little space between them, Aang pulled her into his body, tangling his fingers into her locks; heat emanated from him and she no longer felt the chill from the night air. Where her legs were earlier covered with earth she felt their release and the rush of blood to the lower half of her body; subtly, she stood taller to allow for better leverage. The airbender pressed his lips to hers and robbed her from all the oxygen in her body. Around them, the wind's pace quickened.
Katara felt herself getting out of control and was forced to take a breath; Aang moved to her neck and placed caring, light kisses along her jawbone causing her to let out a soft moan. With lidded eyes, she moved her hands to the sides of his face and recaptured his mouth. Gaining more confidence, she slyly slid her tongue to caress his bottom lip. Jolting away, Aang tore himself from Katara as she felt a shard of glass lance through her heart.
Letting the tears fall this time she gazed up and the man she had trusted with her feelings. Aang's eyes were fixed down and he was focused on taking deliberate breaths; he clenched his fists, a slight smoke arising from both. After a moment, he looked up and what Katara saw sent her off the cliff into deep thread sadness. His cool demeanor was swept over his whole body and she perceived the decided calmness in his stance.
His eyes were glazed into a hardened unreadable look. "I'm sorry Katara. I should go," he turned halfway and paused before adding lowly, "This was probably a mistake." Stalking off without warning, Katara tested her newly freed feet by stumbling a few feet forward in a stupor hands barely outreached, trying to follow.
Watching his retreating figure she thought of how easily he left her. He must not have felt a fraction of what she felt for him, and any chances of her winning him back were now eliminated because of her recklessly forward actions. But hadn't he been the one to initiate the involvement? Or maybe he was just saying goodbye and she pushed too hard once again.
Her head pounded with these questions but mostly it was the result of crying at frequent periods of the day. Turning the other way, she blindly marched to her bedroom to escape from her reality.
A/N: Woah, that was a long time coming. AH! I feel so free. I had about 2/3 of this story finished when I came home today and I just sat down and thought 'I am going to finish this today'. Willpower, I'll tell ya. Okay, for those who are going to review/want to review but don't know what to say(cause that's so many of you ;)) here are some stimulating questions that I was wondering about when I was finishing writing this:
-Are Sokka and Toph in character?
-Are the transitions too random and inconsistent to a point where it interferes with the story?
Food for thought. Have a wonderful start of summer. Reviews appreciated.
-gretlcascade