Yin & Yang

Chapter 6.

Katara had run off away from the stage as Zuko revealed to everyone the extent of Aang's plans. She was going to tell him she couldn't spend her life with him, but this.. this hurt her inside. She found a rock hidden well within the woods away from the celebration and climbed on top of it to cry. Even Toph's feet would have a hard time detecting her on this. It would be better if she climbed into one of the nearby trees. She didn't care right now. Sobbing into her arms, she wondered why Aang hadn't chased her. Muffled cheers came from the crowds of people congregating at the cleared site. Slowly, she turned around to look at the scene. Flashes of blue lightning and red fire balls lit the sky. Gasping, Katara realised that Aang and Zuko were fighting once again.

Over her?

No.. it couldn't be. Descending off the rock, she made her way over to the lake that was nearby. It was small and secluded. Far enough away from everything that she could have the privacy she wanted to sort things out. In the faint distance, she heard a terrifying scream of agony. She stopped abruptly and turned around to look the way she had come. Trailing back toward the scream, she started to run. Recognizing it as Zuko, her mind raced with her feet. What had happened? Breaking through the trees, Katara saw the stage being lowered. Aang's orange and yellow robed form stood over Zuko who writhed on the ground. Her gutt churned as a small breeze kicked up and brought to her nose the scent of burning flesh. Katara felt sick. Why would Aang do this?! He stood up and she saw him leap away from everything. Running away again. She paled. In search of her? If he did that to Zuko, what's to stop him from doing more to her?

Turning to run back to the lake, trying to drown out Zuko's screams of pain, Katara fled once more. Slipping on rocks, falling to her feet and her normal blue dress and pants tearing from carelessly running by bushes, she realised she was afraid of Aang now. She heard her name being called out by four different people. Aang amoung them. And Toph! She had to get away. Even if just for a moment. Breaking through the trees, she saw the lake just ahead of her. Aang landed in front of her and she skidded to a hault. Breathing heavily, she looked to his soft eyes fearfully. He smiled at her and held out his hand to her. "Katara.." his voice broke slightly. She staggered back a little, her chest heaving from her run. He looked hurt by her not coming to him. "Please, Katara. I want to be with you." He lifted his other hand and blew a gust of wind to his right, his arms now crossed. Katara looked that way just in time to see Sokka's boomerang falling to the ground.

"No! Aang don't do it!" Sokka yelled as he ran in their direction. Aang's eyes didn't divert from Katara. That same smile on his face. The ground beneath her encased her legs and she screamed to grab the ground encasing her up to her knees. Aang suddenly started to move away from her as the ground rumbled beneath her. Toph stepped in front of her and then released her legs halfway. She was struggling to set her free. Katara looked up to see Aang angry with Toph and fought earth bending with her. Katara could feel herself being yanked in one direction and then another. She fought hard to keep her balance and ended up on the ground. Sokka once again threw his boomerang at Aang's head to distract him. It took both hands to earth bend and Toph would have an advantage if just for a moment if Aang could be distracted. "Leave her alone!" Sokka yelled out.

The distraction worked, though not as intended. Aang turned toward Sokka and used his hands to send the boomerang back to Sokka, slapping him directly in the forehead. In this time, Toph set Katara free and the earth bent strongly under her to send her back in the direction of Suki. "You guys don't know how to let us be, do you?" Aang demanded. Taking up her stance, Toph said nothing. She would give him a harder time than Zuko could ever hope to because of the way she saw with the ground. He didn't let his guard down.

Katara looked up at Suki as the woman bent down to pick her up. "What the hell is going on?!" She demanded as she dusted herself off.

Suki looked into her eyes. "Katara, Aang wants to take your bending away. You can't let him do this!" Katara paled.

"How do you know that?" She stood her ground instead of running as Suki tried to pull her away from Aang more.

Suki stopped. "Zuko told us. Aang challenged him to an Agni Kai as you ran away and when it was over, Aang almost scared Zuko again. It missed him... mostly." The last word was like a knife in her heart.

"Aang.. did what?" Her voice was a harsh whisper. Katara was trying to comprehend what Suki just told her. "So I wasn't just hearing things when I heard the scream? Zuko really is hurt?" Her friend nodded gravely. That was all Katara needed to hear. She turned back to Aang and stalked his way, furiously mad.

Suki was dragged along, trying to get her to go the other way. "No! Katara.. Please!" Sokka from the ground scampered out of his little sisters' way as she stormed up to Aang. Her hand in the air, she brought it down hard on Aang's cheek leaving a large red mark. Toph lowered her stance and Aang stared right at her. No longer smiling.

He reached for her and she jerked away, making him flinch. "Don't touch me!" She declaired to him. Suki gasped. "You hurt Zuko just because of some tantrum?! He has enough problems right now! Then you go and think it's in your right to scar him again?!!" Aang's hand traveled to his cheek as it began to swell slightly. Tears filled his eyes.

"Katara.. I'm sorry.. I just.. I just wanted to be happy. I thought that you would be happy with me and-" he stopped and flinched when Katara huffed in agrivation turning away from him. She stormed off back to the clearing. He sadly hung his head in defeat. It was then that Aang realised that he had, indeed, caused much pain to Zuko. Toph, Suki and Sokka started to walk away from the area. A breeze made the night chill and Aang stood there by the small lake alone, a tear dripping off his cheek to leave him just as the others had by escaping to the ground. The night was now silent around him. He slowly reached into his shirt and pulled out the small whistle shaped like Appa and blew into it. The trio caught up to the huffing angry Katara just as the trees shook violently. They all looked up to see Appa soaring over them in the opposite direction, a sleepy rumbling bellowing from his throat.