Chapter One
All though it can kill you, waterbending usually calms me down. Just the steadiness of it all. The water will not turn around and stab me. It is just me, and the water. Just me, bending the water, making shapes. Not lethal. Just beautiful. And right now, that is all I need. Just something that will calm down this feeling inside me. Ever since Aang beat Fire Lord Ozai, and he kissed me, I have not been myself. For two months now I have been angrier. Annoyed. A feeling attacks my stomach whenever I see Aang. And what scares me, is that it isn’t a good feeling. It is painful. But I can’t tell Aang that. He’ll think I’m mad at him. That he is the problem. But thats not true. At least I’m pretty sure it isn’t.
I feel the water move in front of me, the only sounds my breathing and the slosh of the water as I move it back and forth. We currently live in what will be Republic City. Firelord Zuko has let us stay in his palace for a while, while he and Aang sort things out. They hope to be able to construct a peaceful land. A place where people will live in harmony. But that annoys me so much. How can they be so naïve? Do they not see that the hatred and hurt is still in all these people? How will they be able to let go of a hundred years of blood, of hatred, of suffering. How stupid are they?
In my moment of anger, I didn’t notice me bending the water into a giant wave of ice. That is when I heard the crunching of leaves. My instincts from when we were on the run kick in. I whirl around and bend the icicle at the person. Just before he gets squashed with the giant slice of ice I notice that he is Zuko. Quickly I bend the ice away, back into the stream.
“What is it with you and me dieing?” Zuko asks.
“Funny. You surprised me.” I answer, fumbling around for a valid excuse of almost killing the firelord.
“Oh well. At least I am still in one piece.” Zuko replies.
“What are you doing here?” I ask while continuing my waterbending.
“You know, its rude to bend while talking to a firelord.” Zuko says.
“Yah, well lets see you beat me at night with a river by my side.” I answer him smugly.
“Want me to try? Lets see if I can win in a matter of seconds.”
“Your head is made of helium.” I answer, shaking my head. “But oh well. Bring it on.”
Zuko came at an unlucky time. I manage to channel my anger to be of use to me, and lift the whole creek up in a swirling water devil, sending it straight at Zuko. Zuko sputters and coughs up water, but just smiles and sends a few firebending punches. The fire sputters out as quickly as he bends it. “Shit” he mutters.
“Told you.” I say with a smile, noticing his weakness. I send ice towards him, but he melts them with his fire. Finally, he gets ready for a giant fireball and shoots it at me, which I manage to dodge, but barely. I look up. Its a full moon. I look at Zuko, and quickly bloodbend him to kneel on the ground. Then I stop. I hate bloodbending. Controlling another being? It is disgusting. And wrong. But I can’t let Zuko win.
“Well. That was an experience I never want to be caught in again.” Zuko mutters. It must feel horrible to have your blood turned around my another person, your own limbs used against you.
“Oops.” I answer. “I guess I won.”
“Yah, whatever.” Zuko grumbles. I stick my tongue out at him as I walk away, back to his palace to go to sleep.
“Wait up.” Zuko yells after me.
“Slowpoke.” I taunt.
“That wasn’t fair.”
“Life isn’t fair.”
“How bout when the sun is out?”
“Sorry Zuko. I have other things to do than whip your ass.”
Zuko balls his fists , flame licking up, out of his palm. “Or you are scared.”
“Me? Against you? Never.”
“You were scared when I was after you.”
“Course, your uncle is quite the powerful man.”
“Ugh, you are so annoying. Bye.”
“Bye Zuko.”
Zuko rolls his eyes and walks in the other direction as I continue my way to the palace. I am getting quite tired.
“Wait.” Zuko calls after me.
I sigh. “What do you want now.”
“Just look up at the stars.” He answers me, pointing to a constellation I have never seen before. It is a group of stars, shimmering brighter than any other against the ink black sky. It is a girl. And she is waterbending. “Its you, Katara.”
“Wow. Thats amazing.”
“Glad you like it. I guess the spirits were proud of your work.” Zuko answers, shrugging. “Speaking of spirits, why are you with Aang? You seem really miserable.”
“Excuse me? Its my relationship, there is no need for you to but in. I am not miserable.”
“Sure you aren’t.”
“What do you mean? How would I be miserable?”
“Any fool could see the annoyance in your eyes whenever you have to talk to him and the disgust on your face. Don’t lie to me, you don’t want to be with him.”
“Even if I didn’t, why would you care? It isn’t for you to judge. We are perfectly happy together. Now if you would excuse me, I best me going back to bed. Tomorrow I must wake up early to train.”
“Whatever Katara. You know its true. You should tell him before he does anything... Irrational.”
“We have only been together for two months.”
“You discovered him. He must feel a special connection to you.”
I sigh. “You are impossibly annoying. Hows Mai by the way.”
“You know she left me.”
“Oops. Just making sure. Looks like you’re relationship has more problems than mine.”
“You!” Zuko yelled, firing a wave of fire at me, which I doused calmly.
“Tsk tsk Zuko. Are we still enemies? You should really learn to control your anger.” And with that I walk away, into the palace, through hallways, until I reach my room. Its painted red, and on the bed beside me lies Aang. I lay down and start thinking about what Zuko said.
As I wake up the next morning, a tear in my eyes, I realise that what he said was true.
