Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction ❯ Avatar: The Wind on the Waves ❯ Chapter 10

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

The comet came, and the comet passed. Oh, but what a day it had been! Or had it been a night sky, tinted bloody crimson by the comet?

It had been difficult when word had gotten out that the Fire Lord had been defeated without being killed. Even with Ozai dethroned and stripped of his firebending, there were those who still called for his death. Zuko, now the true Fire Lord, had his father imprisoned both as punishment as well as his safety.

Despite putting on a strong face, the battle had taken a lot out of Avatar Aang. After finally escaping the public eye, with their endless thanks, discussions, and congratulations, Aang managed to retreat to The Jasmine Dragon in liberated Ba Sing Se. The rest of the group was there, each occupied in one form of relaxation or another, their minds able to be peace with the war past them.

Aang moved out to the balcony to admire the rosy sunset. The soft footsteps behind him told him it was Katara who approached. He would never have admitted it out loud, but of all the lovely attire she had ever donned, the Fire Nation silks and Painted Lady garb were his favorites. But that didn't mean she wasn't pretty in anything else! She approached the balcony ledge, glancing at the skies before her, then to the boy beside her.

No.

Young as he was, Aang was no child. Under normal circumstances, the Avatar would not even be revealed until he was sixteen years of age. Only then could mastery of the remaining three elements commence. But as fate would have it, the past one hundred years yielded anything but normal circumstances. Thus it was that he had not only mastered every element at the age of twelve, but also defeated a blazing tyrant intent on setting all the world aflame.

Katara gazed at him, and he returned her look. Her cheeks, tinted scarlet, beamed her love silently. They pulled one another into a tight, warm embrace.

To think… we could have lost this… lost each other… Oh Spirits… thank you for your help and mercy…

Their second glance at the setting sun was much shorter than the first, for the sight of one another was just so much more beautiful. And they kissed. Not the light, fleeting cheek brushings of the past, but a deep one that Katara initiated and Aang reciprocated eagerly. Entranced, they entwined their arms around each other tightly.

The war was over; it was time for a new beginning.

Aang made it clear that he wanted to rest for a few days more before attending to any Avatar related responsibilities. As it happened, Pakku and Hakoda came for a visit. This reminded Aang that he had some personal responsibilities to fulfill, but he needed advice from someone of the Water Tribe. Hakoda and Sokka, he reasoned, were not the individuals he felt would be appropriate to ask, but perhaps Pakku would be kind enough to help. Catching Pakku alone one night going over some waterbending, Aang approached and bowed politely.

“Well, Avatar Aang.” The older man acknowledged the younger one's presence. “What brings you out at this hour? Did you need to speak to me?”

“I do.” Aang replied. “I'm hoping you can help me with a personal matter, and since you've done this recently, I thought it would only be right to ask you.”

“I'm listening.”

Standing in the doorway of Katara's room, Aang sighed as he gazed longingly at her sleeping form. Quietly, he opened the scrap of parchment he had inscribed a note on to review its contents. Satisfied, he re-rolled it. There was no sound to his steps as he placed it on the nightstand. He ghosted a kiss on her cheek, then retreated from the room.

Iroh and the others currently residing at The Jasmine Dragon were very happy the tea shop was not situated near a large body of water. If it had been, it likely would have been crushed or swept away by Katara's flood of anger. She had found the note on her nightstand, and she was NOT pleased.

“How could he just leave in the middle of the night!?” she bellowed incredulously, the last words melting to an anguished wail.

“Whoa! Slow down, Katara!” Sokka put his hands up defensively. “Who left?”

“Aang.” She held the note to Sokka, who took it and read it out loud.

Dear Katara,

There are some very important things that I need to do far from here. I would have told you, but you would have insisted on coming, and I need to do this alone. I promise that I will be back in about a week. Please try not to be too mad at me!

Aang

“What could he possibly have to suddenly do that he couldn't tell or take the rest of us with him?” Katara's fists tightened white.

“Katara, I'm sure that whatever he's doing, it's important and he'll tell us all about it when he gets back.”

“Yeah,” Toph chipped in. “Remember what happened last time he disappeared? He learned to take away the old Fire Lord's bending. For all we know he's probably meditating on top of a mountain or something.”

“The Air Nomad Temples! Of course!” Katara exclaimed, racing towards the courtyard. “I'll just take Appa and—“

She stopped in mid-sentence when she slid the door open to find that neither the sky bison nor the lemur were to be found. Aang had to have taken them with him. Defeated, she slid to her knees, an angry hiss almost sounding like a curse word.

Iroh approached her slowly, a single cup of tea on the tray he offered to her. Katara just looked up at him, hoping for an answer.

“I would not worry myself so much.” Iroh said with a small smile. “He promised that he would come back in a week, and I'm sure he will. Your brother is right; he will likely tell you all about it when he returns.”

Katara looked at the offered tea and calmly took it. Sipping it, she did not see the glance that Iroh shot to Pakku. The Waterbender conveniently had his mouth full of delicious soba noodles.

Aang scoured the snow-covered beach of the South Pole, searching critically for just one little thing. The site of something else where the waves met the land interrupted his search. Scowling, he made quick work to rectify it.

It was only after that that Aang found just was he had been looking for. Pocketing it, the Avatar hopped onto Appa and away they flew, off to the mountain tops of the Southern Air Temple. Momo came to rest on his shoulder.

Three, four, five days passed before Appa finally appeared on the horizon with Aang and Momo in tow. Katara all but tackled him when he slid off the bison, her joy at his return showing first before her irritation.

“Where have you been?” she struggled not to yell. “We've been worried sick about you! What could've been so important to just leave like that with no forewarning?”

Aang sheepishly removed her hands from his shoulders just in case she decided to choke him.

“I'll explain everything tonight.” Aang said with a boyish smile. “But I'm kinda hungry right now. Did you guys have lunch yet?”

Sokka, Suki and Toph snickered behind them.

“Not yet, but I'll let Iroh know you're back so you're not left out.”

“Thanks, Katara.”

Lunch proved to be a joyful and chatty occasion, but mysterious as well. No matter what anyone asked Aang in regards to his sudden trip, he dodged each question as easily as the Airbender he was. Defeated, the conversation moved onto other subjects, such as Toph's improved sand bending and Sokka's decision to forge a replacement sword once his leg healed.

Only Pakku and Iroh refrained from asking any questions. The two White Lotus members knew where Aang had gone and why, but they certainly weren't letting that on to the younger people among them. Pakku had promised Aang that only Iroh would know besides himself, and he intended to keep things that way until Aang said otherwise.

After lunch, Aang excused himself to his quarters to prepare for the challenge ahead. He knew this moment was coming and had dreaded it, but there was no turning back now. If he did not do this now, he might not get the nerve again for some time, and Aang was tired of waiting.

Slowly, almost tiptoeing, Aang walked down the hallway to the room where Chief Hakoda was staying. He had to take a deep breath before rapping lightly on the door.

“Yes?” came the other man's voice.

“It's Aang, Chief Hakoda. Can I come in?”

The door opened and Aang went in. From the light décor of the room, it was obvious that the Water Tribe leader had brought some things from the South Pole with him to create a more at home feel in his temporary lodging. Two masks hung from the walls, one resembling a wolf and the other was a face, painted blue and white to resemble a crescent moon. A tiger-seal coverlet lay spread out on the bed, and a saber-toothed polar bear pelt rug contrasted well against the wooden floor.

“Is there something you needed to see me about, Aang? Hakoda gestured that the boy could sit on the bed if he liked.

“There is.” Aang replied shakily. “Chief Hakoda, I've come to ask you… if I could… marry Katara. She means more to me than all the bending power in the world. I've… done everything in my power to protect her and show her I care. She's saved my life, and I'll always be in debt to her for that…”

Hakoda looked mildly surprised, but his eyes were warm and friendly.

“But before you answer, please… don't judge me because I'm the Avatar or because of the things I've done for this world. Judge me for who I really am,… as just plain Aang…”

There was a very tense moment of silence, and for a few, numbing seconds, Aang was certain that Hakoda was going to say no.

Please… I don't know what I'd do without her…

“I accept, Aang.” The older man finally responded. “I could not have anyone better ask to marry her. I suspected as much for a while, but thought you might have waited until at least a year or two from now. And she loves you very much. I see it in her eyes whenever she looks at you or hears your name. Yes, Aang, you have my blessing.

As though Appa had landed on him, then swiftly lifted off, a great burden was lifted from the boy's shoulders, and he couldn't contain his excitement!

“Yeah!” Aang leapt in the air, heedless of the serious atmosphere that pervaded the room only seconds ago. With a loud whoop, he sped out of the room. Then, suddenly remembering his manners, returned just as rapidly and bowed “Thank you” to his future father in law before zooming down the hall again.

Aang's joyful cry was heard even downstairs in the private tea room, where Sokka was attempting to paint again.

“What's he so happy about?” he quirked an eyebrow, shrugged, then resumed his artwork.