Yin & Yang

Chapter 24.

"Katara, I'm sorry. But please hear me out. I realized I was wrong. I just wanted to be with you and try to get the Air Nomads back and restore balance." Their backs were turned away from Zuko and she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "When the Lion Turtle taught me, he also said that only the truly evil souls would be destroyed inwardly. But you're not evil. I was wrong to assume it would work the same way." Aang looked down to Katara. When they had first met, he was shorter than her. As the years had passed though, Aang grew as he should have back in his day. Appa let out a low growl and steadied himself on the deck as the wind blew around them. "I don't like that I thought of this. It was a stupid move."

"Yes, it was Aang. I know you just want to restore balance, but I'm not sure if you can." She looked away from him. "We've been friends for a long time now, Aang. I know you're just doing your best and what you can. But-" Aang put his fingers on her lips and she stopped. His eyes pleaded with her and she nodded silently, her arms relaxing down to her side.

He produced a rock from his robes. Katara watched his eyes and then heard the rock shifting. Turning her gaze to the earth in his hand, it morphed and twisted from a clump of brown and gray to a star, a fish and then a box. Placing his other hand on top of it, he opened it as though it had a hinge. Katara gasped as the silver half-pendent shone brightly up at her, the symbol of the water tribe on it on one side of the crescent and the air nomad symbol on the other side. "Katara, I want to be with you." He picked it up and placed it against her neck. The open end of the crescent pointing up as the middle was filled with her mothers' necklace. "If that means that the Air Nomads will be no more, then I can deal with that."

Katara's mouth remained ajar as he brought it up to her and then took her hand. He placed the pendent in her palm. "Aang.. why?" Her fingers closed over the cool metal and she looked up to his gray eyes. "Do you really think this will make up for everything?" Katara stomped her foot and angrily shoved the pendent back to him.

"Katara, please. I know it's hard to forgive me. But will you consider it?" She turned around haughtily and he watched her storm away toward Zuko. Did he have a smirk on his face? "Katara?" Aang called after her.

She stopped a moment. "You should have asked earlier.." Aang's heart shattered as he watched a tear run down her cheek. Her steps continued to Zuko and then past him. "I need time to think about this, Aang." He barely heard her as she stepped down the stairs. Hearing Zuko's voice over the winds and the ocean sounds, he quickly bent the rock over the pendent so the Fire Lord couldn't see it. He and Appa departed quickly from the ship. They hovered over the waters as the boat crashed through the waves away from them. "Let's go, Appa. Sokka's waiting for us."