Eight Years - 1 - A Kataang Story

Eight years. Had it really been that long? Today, Katara allowed herself to feel the sadness and loss she normally kept bottled up. Eight years ago today Aang left her here, on this iceberg, promising to return to visit. Eight years of silence, still unbroken by so much as a letter.

At first, after Aang left, Katara dedicated herself to helping Master Paku rebuild the Southern Water Tribe's village. Together, over the course of a year, they created a beautiful city of ice which would herald a new dawn for the Southern Water Tribe.

But, when the year ended and still there was no sign of Aang, Katara began to lose hope. She stayed at home and refused to talk to anyone, not even Sokka. A month passed in which Katara wrestled with feelings of abandonment, anger and then finally depression. No one could console her. Then, one day, much like any other, Katara woke and realized that she didn't have to let her feelings rule her body, she could tuck them away in a dark corner of her mind and keep them out of sight for a time; and so she did. She got up and started living again, allowing herself only one day each year to let the feelings out. That day was today.

It wasn't that hard, really, to forget her troubles in day to day life, to keep her memories of Aang in that small corner; she and Master Paku had opened a waterbending school when some of the Tribe's children began showing some talent. Now she had ten loud, wandering distractions to keep her mind off Aang.

But today… No, today she wouldn't teach. Loneliness engulfed her for a moment so strongly she fell to her knees. Katara had tried dating some of the Water Tribe's young men to try to ease the loneliness, but they never got more than a few kisses before she would find some fault in them and end the relationship. Normally she would never admit it, but today she could acknowledge that although the boys were both kind and handsome, they just weren't Aang.

Aang… Katara laughed out loud, a self-mocking laugh. She was now twenty-two and she still wanted a twelve year old. No, not twelve. Aang would be twenty now. Twenty! She shook her head. She was in love with the child he had been. Now, even if he did return, she wouldn't know him.

She clenched her eyes tight shut against her foolishness and her tears.

"Enough," she said aloud, her resolve forming itself into a cocoon around her. She stood. "Enough."

This would be her last vigil. No more waiting for Aang. He would be a stranger now and dwelling on the past would do her no good. That part of her life was over.

"Katara!"  Sokka's voice carried from the direction of the village. She saw his figure cresting the hill that blocked her view of it. "Katara… you should probably come see this."

He then turned on his heel and sped off the way he had come. Slightly annoyed, but heeding the urgency in Sokka's voice, Katara began jogging toward the village. She was done on the iceberg anyway she wouldn't return again.

The distance was short and Katara reached the village fairly quickly. The wall was quiet so she entered and made her way to the center of the village where she found the entire village gathered around something. She shouldered her way through the wall of bodies and froze.  

In the center of the ring of villagers, were two men and an animal. A specific animal that Katara had thought she would never see again. A sky bison. The two men appeared to be conversing. One was Sokka who was speaking animatedly to the other. She moved her attention to the other and her heart nearly stopped.

He was tall, a good half-head taller than she. He wore yellow and red monk's garb which exposed a lean yet well muscled shoulder and arm. An arm tattooed in blue ink. A shudder ran through her as she raised her eyes to his head. His back was turned, but she saw the tail end of a tattoo that she knew would end in an arrow on his forehead.

A wave of shock swept over her weakening her knees yet freezing her in place. Sokka, seeing her, stopped talking and the other turned to follow his gaze. Their eyes met. Aang smiled.