Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction ❯ Avatar: The Wind on the Waves ❯ Chapter 12

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

Fire Lord Zuko already had enough to worry about in regards to his own wedding preparations when a messenger hawk arrived with word of the Avatar's intentions to marry. Pausing to rub his temples, he sent for Mai to provide a much-needed distraction from the monotonous paperwork.

“Keep stressing like that and you'll look like your uncle in a few years.” said Mai nonchalantly.

Zuko's weary eyes shifted in her direction and he smiled. Despite her mostly emotionless demeanor, in his presence she smiled and laxed the deadpan, upper-class rigidity. It was probably because of his insistence, even his frustration of her earlier hesitations to show emotion, that Mai allowed herself freer expression. But old habits are hard to break, and Mai would revert to them when anyone other than Zuko or close friends was present.

The Fire Lord dismissed his servants and Mai came up behind him, resting her hands on his shoulders. He dropped the brush he was writing with and purred under her touch. The simplicity of that moment put him more at ease than anticipated; it made him realize just how much stress ruling the nation put on him.

“A messenger hawk just came in a few minutes ago.” He uttered. “The Avatar is getting married too.”

“It's the Water Tribe girl I'm guessing?” Mai's fingers kneaded his shoulders, turning the Fire Lord into all but mush.

“Yeah…” Zuko drifted off. “Which means we'll be attending when the time comes.”

“What kind of ceremony do you thing they'll have?” Mai dug in her thumbs, earning a pleasant groan from Zuko.

“They'll probably—“ he suddenly stopped in mid-sentence, realizing he had no idea of the answer. “That's a good question.”

“You don't know?”

“No, I really don't. I mean, it could be in Water Tribe tradition or Air Nomad, but…”

“But…?”

“Would anyone besides Aang even know how an Air Nomad wedding is performed?”

“There have to be records of it somewhere… like in the Air Temples.”

Zuko lay his chin on his crossed arms as Mai's hands did wonders to his weary shoulders. His last conscious thought before sleep claimed him was of an autumn red glider and its rider leaping from the edge of the Western Air Temple into the canyons below.

Teo and his father were overjoyed to have Aang and his friends over for a visit. Since the war, they had returned to the Northern Air Temple, seeing as how despite originally arriving there as refugees, the old place had truly become their home. News of the Avatar's engagement sent everyone into party mode.

Much later that night, Aang led Katara up the long, winding stairways to the library. Like the pantry of the Western Air Temple, the library was just as incredibly vast and breathtaking. There were five huge levels packed to the brim with books but, Katara noticed, no ladders by which to ascend to them.

“The advanced and more complex reading is up on the higher levels.” Aang explained. “And depending on how well you can airbend determines what you were allowed to read. Here.”

He pulled a book at random from the first level shelf they were standing next to. It taught the basics of meditation and breathing techniques required for proper airbending. Replacing the book, Aang turned to Katara and grinned.

“Only an advanced airbender had the skill to get to the higher parts.” He said. Suddenly sweeping her up bridal style in his arms, he leapt easily to the fourth level. “But sometimes, someone would cheat like that!”

“Did you ever `cheat' or help someone else to?” Katara giggled.

“Well…” Aang looked away shyly. “Monk Gyatso did once sneak me up here when no one was looking.”

“Oh really!” she eyed him with mock anger, her expression like that of a mother who catches her child red handed stealing cookies. “And what kind of `forbidden knowledge' did you read about, I wonder!”

“Stuff like…” Aang ran his fingers over several volumes, searching for one in particular. Finding it, he suddenly pulled it from the shelf and presented it to her. “—this!”

She ran her fingers lightly over the book's embossed cover. There was no title, but there was a picture of a beach shoreline. A few boulders stood out where the water met the land, and a great wave, having crashed against the boulders sent spray high into the air. It had definitely been skillfully detailed.

Opening the book, the title page read only The Scented Courtyard. Curious, Katara lifted the book closer and took a sniff. The volume smelled heavily of aged paper, but just noticeable was a touch of jasmine. She gave a small smile.

Had she bothered to glance at Aang, Katara would have noticed the faintest of color rising to his pale cheeks. But she did not and turned a few chapters into the tome:

In kissing her

I have drunk from her mouth

Like a camelaphant that drinks from the oasis

Her embrace and the freshness of her mouth

Give me a languor that goes to my marrow

Katara drew in a startled breath, realizing the nature of what she was reading. Her eyes darted up to Aang, who pretended to be staring intently at the high ceiling and barely suppressing a smirk. He chanced a look at her, and crimsoned deeper.

“This is the last kind of book I would expect to find in an Air Temple!” she finally said.

“Why?” he said simply, though a knowing grin was present. “Is it because of the whole `meditate and detach' stuff?”

“Well…”

“It's ok. You're not the first to think that. Even a hundred years ago, a lot of the world thought that's what airbenders did in the temples all the time. But we did a lot of traveling too. We picked up all kinds of books and knowledge, then recorded them for later reference.”

Aang took the book from her, flipped through some pages, then suddenly shut it.

“And besides…” he added, tracing the cover pattern idly with a finger. “If air nomads didn't… do these things, well… then how would there be new airbenders?”

“You're right.” Katara said seductively. Her fingers rested on Aang's shoulders, and enticingly trailing up his neck to his jawline. Aang's surprised eyes followed her fingers, but made no objection. “How would there be more…?”

Her warm lips met his, conjuring a soft moan from him. Aang's arms circled her waist, pulling her closer and relishing her warmth. The book fell to the ground, forgotten, with little clatter.

Their hands wandered all over, mapping one another's bodies by touch. By her own boldness, Katara nudged Aang back against the books. He did not dare protest, as her body was pressed quite nicely against his.

Aang's back slid downwards against the shelves until he was seated on the floor, and Katara sank with him. Her hands slipped into his robe to touch his shoulders. But as the heavy fabric started falling away, he caught it, holding it on as he shot Katara a curious look.

“Here? In the library?” he asked.

“Why not?” she smirked. “You had no objections to the great outdoors.”

“You know I won't… waste life, Katara.”

“I understand… and you won't have to.”

Aang's eyes widened as Katara shed her heavy coat from her shoulders. As she reached for her over shirt, he caught her wrists and pulled her against him. His eyes were still wide with surprise, but delighted.

“I have a better idea, if you're willing.” He said. “Are you sure?”

“Of course!”

He pulled her into a sudden, deep kiss that left both of them flushed and gasping for air. Then he stood up and opened his glider.

“I'll be right back!”

“Aang! Wait! What about—“

But the airbender was out of hearing range by that point. So now here she was, stuck high up in an Air Temple library with no means to get down of her own accord.

“Always taking off on me!” She growled in frustration.

Idly, her hand brushed against the forgotten book. Curious and not knowing when Aang would come back for her, she picked it up and thumbed casually through the pages. Even in solitude, she blushed at the contents.

Sprinting as only an airbender can, Aang raced to the back bay of the temple. If The Mechanist hadn't touched it yet, there might be a chance he could surprise Katara phenomenally.

A wall and the statue that had been part of it had been toppled over, but unlike the renovations the temple had suffered, this appeared to have been done centuries ago. Aang frowned, supposing that this damage had been from the ancient Fire Nation attack. Thankfully, part of what he'd been seeking was still intact: a very large air nomad glider.

“This will be perfect!” he said aloud. Hastily, he rushed to find The Mechanist.

“Aang! What's this all about?” Katara blinked, confused.

Having retrieved her from the library, Aang had brought her out to the launching bay at the front of the temple. One of The Mechanist-designed gliders had been given to her, and now she stood side by side with Aang at the very edge of the bay. The strong winds from the chasm below threatened to blow the glider from her grasp, and so she clung to it with a vice-like grip.

Katara peered over at Aang, and was surprised to see his cloudy eyes staring back, warm and intense. One of the milder breezes brushed past them, but it was Aang's gaze that caused her to shiver.

“I know you don't understand the custom,…” he said, peering deeply into her eyes. “But…I need to ask you: Do you trust me?”

Another shiver ran through her. An airbender custom? Oh, she dared not object, but still Katara was nervous.

“I trust you, Aang. Completely.”

Katara barely felt the sudden gust that sent her with the glider diving into the chasm. There was no time to scream as she recalled how to work the device as quickly as she could. It wasn't difficult, and when she steadied herself, she saw that Aang was right there beside her, watching and protecting her.

He looked upward and guided himself likewise. Taking this as a cue, Katara followed. They seemed to rise forever, cutting through clouds to reach the clear skies beyond them. Higher and higher, Katara wondered if they'd reach the stars if they soared much higher.

A movement from Aang caught her attention. As he clung to the glider with one hand, the other was extended out to her. His eyes wordlessly repeated his question from before.

“Do you trust me?”

Against her instincts to cling to the glider for dear life, she reached out a hand to him, and he took it into his own. Suddenly, he turned them around, and both gliders plummeted downward in a free fall. Katara wondered if Aang had lost his senses, but his eyes betrayed little. He seemed perfectly calm, albeit the slightest hint of mischief gleamed back.

Faster and faster, they plunged earthward. Aang shifted his glider a little, and their joined descent went into a spiral, so that they circled one another at arm's length. The chasm lay just below them, but Aang showed no sign of stopping.

Onlookers by the temple entrance screamed in awe and terror at the sight, but their cries went unheard by Aang or Katara. Together, they zipped past the ledge and continued their nose-dive into the chasm. Despite it's depth, the ground was coming up fast on them.

Katara felt Aang squeeze her hand.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“Y-Yeah!” she replied, unsure of what she'd consented to.

Aang drew in a deep breath and let go of her hand. Blowing out a great gust of wind, the gliders suddenly turned upwards sharply, saving both of them from the jagged rocks below. Shooting out of the chasm side by side, they glanced at one another. The airbender's smile was mirthful and loving. Katara beamed back in spite of having the life nearly scared from her.

“A leap of faith…” she realized. “This is what Aang's people must have done long ago…”

They sailed toward the temple, where the terrified screams had turned to uproarious cheers of excitement. Aang made sure to land first, as Katara was still unaccustomed to a proper landing. As she veered in for a crash, Aang bent the air before her, so that it slowed her glider to a safer speed. Aang caught hold of her, but he had miscalculated how much he had slowed her down, and Katara crash landed onto him.

Ah, but he didn't mind. He helped her out of the harness, but didn't bother to get up. Neither did she.

“Aang, that was completely insane!” Katara said when she finally found her voice again.

“I know.” Aang laughed, pulling her close. “But did you have fun?”

“I was… absolutely terrified… but… I… yeah! That…that was fun!”

He planted a kiss on her cheek and rolled to knees. Shakily, she took the hand he offered as they rose to their feet. Soon, the onlookers were crowding around them with all manner of clamor.

“That was amazing!”

“You guys could've been killed!”

“Can you teach me to do that?”

“Do it again!”

Aang took a moment to try calming the crowd down. Once some semblance of peace had been established, he excused Katara and himself indoors. No sooner were they out of sight than a mischievous grin erupted on his face.

“Oh no,” Katara shook her head, but she was smiling. “What are you up to now?”

“What am I up to?” Aang suddenly swept her up into his arms like he had earlier in the library. Using airbending, he sprinted up one of the long, winding staircases as she clung to him tightly. “You'll see.”

Reaching the highest and final room of the temple in no time flat, he set Katara down and cracked open the door. The room was dark as they peeked in, but the scent of old incense hung in the air. There was little light leaking in from the doorway as they entered, but Aang knew what was where from memory, from the sparse furniture to the placement of the candles and oil lamps.

“Close your eyes.” He said softly.

Katara did as she was asked. Recalling his training under Zuko's supervision, Aang skillfully lit the candles and lamps, illuminating the room.

“You can open your eyes now.”

The scene that lay before them, at first, seemed plain in terms of furniture, but the soft, flickering candlelight accented the vibrant colors there within. The medium sized bed bore an autumn red blanket with golden yellow trim and accents. One corner of it had been pulled back to show the white sheet and blanket beneath. It appeared to have been made of fur, but Katara reasoned that that could not have been the case, as airbenders like Aang would have been completely opposed taking life for food or other goods. Still, she touched the fabric delicately; to her surprise, it was fur!

“The monks never let anything go to waste.” Aang spoke up when he saw the questions in her eyes. “The air bison shed so much in the summertime that we made blankets from the fur instead of throwing it away.”

“It's so beautiful!” Katara whispered aloud, sitting on the bed.

“Beautiful…” Aang repeated the word, but was not referring to the room. He seated himself beside her and tilted her cheek into a kiss. She hummed sweetly into it, enjoying the taste.