The Legend of Percy: Book 1 - Finding Purpose

13. Those are Some Rather Large Walls (Why are Drills so Big?)

For one, she was incredibly glad. Glad that Aang had finally broken down one of the barriers that he'd been using to push her and the rest of the group away. He was finally opening up, and she hoped he'd only get more open about it with time. And if- when they got Appa back. We will get him back.

But outside of that joy, there was a whole bunch of other feelings that were bursting through her young mind. First and foremost was Percy.

She was comfortable in saying that she trusted him. On a basic level, she was able to see that he didn't mean the group harm. He'd clearly won Sokka and Suki over. Although when that happened, when they'd been so defensive towards him the previous day, she didn't know.

He'd also gotten Toph on his side. That was blatantly obvious. She didn't know when the earthbender had started looking at Percy like some spirit sent to grace them with his presence, but with the way those two had been joking around, it almost made Katara collapse. Those two seamlessly blended to create a sarcastic quippy duo that was the bane of her existence. At least, that's what it feels like.

Aang too. She hadn't missed how when he'd been giving his whole speech on hope, his grey eyes had been flickering towards Percy. That was something Katara was grateful for about Percy's involvement.

But once she was able to separate her earlier distrust of him from her emotions, she started to get rather... flustered when looking at him.

She wasn't blind, sorry Toph, and it was clear as day that he was supremely attractive. The last person she'd had a crush on was Jet, and that hadn't ended well, but she didn't get that impression from Percy.

Not to mention her prophecy. That thing. That was annoying. She appreciated why the fortune teller was hesitating to give her the full prophecy. It wasn't something she was all that comfortable with. She had thought of Aang, mainly after stopping that volcano, but Percy was something else.

His bending was unnaturally good. He held up a lake! That was enough to put most of the benders in the world to shame. All this was bubbling to the surface and it was becoming difficult to suppress.

It also seemed that Percy was nowhere near as reciprocating to her burgeoning emotions as Jet was. Katara took that as a good sign though. The freedom fighter took those feelings and twisted them for his own purpose. That wasn't something Percy seemed intent on doing.

If so, he was going about it in the most stupid of ways. Although maybe that's his play. No, that just... doesn't seem like him.

She stood outside the tent and watched as Aang came out to greet all the rest of them. Percy had stayed inside the tent to help the family and talk to them a bit. Something that Katara found unendingly appealing about him. She pushed those thoughts out of her head and focused on the airbender in front of her.

"I thought I was trying to be strong. But really, I was just running away from my feelings. Seeing this family together, so full of happiness and love, it's reminded me how I feel about Appa..." Aang turned specifically to her, and Katara already felt some tears welling up in her eyes. "And how I feel about you."

That got her. It had been so long. She hadn't realised how much it had taken out of her. The life and childish good-humour of the group had been stripped away. Ever since the desert, it had been tough going. With the magnetic rock, the sandbenders, Half Moon Bay and the pass. It had all been draining for her, trying to keep the fragile group dynamic from falling to pieces.

Water was streaming hard down her face now. She saw Aang move to hug her, something he hadn't done in ages, and she practically dragged him into her. She felt the other three come closer to them but didn't so much as blink. She needed the hug, after so long.