An Avatar the Last AirBender Fanfiction: Alive

The State of Being Human

This chapter is dedicated to the amazing person above because without them, I would've never thought this story was actually good enough to continue! Thanks so much! :)

Oh, and I know Aang is being a butt to poor Katara but it'll soon be all explained...hehe

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"How could you do this to me?"

Silence.

"Aang? I need you. I want you. Isn't that all you ever wanted? Ever?"

He looked at her, still silent, a stern question in his eyes. She looked...quite frankly, pitiful. He remembered loving her, desiring her, wanting her mind, body, and soul. She was his everything. He would've sacrificed the world for her, and at one point, he did.  But alas, what was she now? No one really, not now, not anymore. She was silly, frivolous, nagging, and vain. He walked away.

"Aang! Aang! Come back. Come back....Aang?"

Tears of frustration streamed from Katara's azure eyes. She sunk to the ground, dropping her head into her lap, and giving way to her emotions. She sobbed, staining her beautiful new dress.

It had been right after dinner. Sokka and Suki had gone out to review suitable male companions for Toph, much to the young Earthbender's humiliation. Zuko and Mai had gone out to the gardens for a glass or two of champagne. They had politely invited Aang and Katara along. Aang declined, as did Katara (once she saw how Mai had been glaring at her). So they had been left alone in the grand dining hall, two tiny figures in the immense hall, with what seemed like miles of chairs and dirty platters separating them....

"So...", Katara had started awkwardly

"I'll be leaving tomorrow", Aang had stated, not awkwardly at all

The young waterbender had looked at him, with a slightly flustered expression," We're leaving? Tomorrow? Already? B-w-huh? Aang! You should have told me earlier! I would've already started packing. Oh my agni, do you think we'll have enough time? Well, I'll start making a list, right now. Let's see, We're going to need water, provisions, food for Appa and Mo-"

"Katara!"

"Huh?"

"I said I'm leaving."

She had looked at him, not yet understanding

"By myself. Without you."

"W-w-what? What do you mean?!?"

He had looked directly at her, his gray eyes a bit cold, 'I mean, I'll be alone. I'm not taking you.You won't be coming with me."
Her heart had started beating quite rapidly, "B-but, I've been with you since the beginning. I uh, I don't, don't understand? Aa-"

His eyes still had held a peculiar expression. There had been something in his eyes Katara had never seen before, and she was frightened. He had pushed his chair back roughly, standing to turn away. As heartbroken and confused as she had been, Katara still had her temper, and she refused to let the boy go so easily.

"Aang, You come back here this instant! You can't just walk away when I'm talking to you! Come on, we need to talk about this! Why don't you want me with you? I've always been with you! Always! I, I lo-"

He had stopped her, mid-sentence, " I. I. I. I. How many times do you use that word Katara? Every sentence, every day. Solely about me, myself, and I"

She had given him the most bewildered expression

"You're human," He had continued, with no expression, no feeling, in his voice, "Too human."

Again, the anger had flared...

"Yeah?! Well, not too long ago you were to. In fact, you still are", she had  screeched, "You're still human Aang, and don't you forget it!"

There had been a time where the venom in her voice would have sent the Avatar cowering away with his twirly thing between his legs, but that time had long passed. Instead, Aang had excused himself and politely exited the room, leaving a distraught Katara to brood alone. He had been on his way to his chambers when Katara had desperately grabbed his arm, surprising him. She had understood what point he was trying to make back there, about the self-absorption implied by the word I. But what did that matter? Her heart had been in the middle of breaking, and still was. She honestly couldn't help but think about her own pain, she was only human.

"How could you do this to me?"

Silence.

"Aang? I need you. I want you. Isn't that all you ever wanted? Ever?"

He looked at her, one glance, before walking away.

"Aang! Aang! Come back. Come back....Aang?"

Tears of frustration streamed from Katara's azure eyes. She sunk to the ground, dropping her head into her lap, and giving way to her emotions. She sobbed, staining her beautiful new dress.