Regret

Welcome To Republic City

Katara, age 21, seven years after the war ended, the present

      Approaching Republic City my eyes widened at what I saw. If I thought the southern water tribe had changed, I just had to wait until I saw Republic City. I had never seen a city quite like it, not even Ba Sing Se. There was real buildings, and so much technology. I leaned over the edge the railing on the fire navy ship. To think Aang's lived in this massive city for so long, alone.. I felt my heart tear for him, the man I loved. Five years ago when I was marrying Zuko, I told myself over and over again he was the man I loved. Maybe it was to convince myself, but it was different with Aang.

When I said that I loved Aang over and over again in my head, I wasn't trying to convince anyone, I was happily declaring it to myself. Every time I said it, it felt like the night in the cave when I finally realized how I felt about Aang. Everything was perfect in that cave, but eventually we had to leave, and things were messy and complicated. But now it wouldn't be anymore. I was no longer the scandalous and mad fire lady having an affair with the avatar, I was Katara, who was in love with Aang. It took me four months to straighten things out, but that was four months too long. I should've fixed things when me and Aang walked out of that cave hand in hand, smiling like two idiots.

The same insecurity has been plaguing the back of my mind since I was fourteen, and that was my fear of losing Aang. Call it abandonment issues stemming from my parents, and not being able to properly deal with grief, whatever. I must say it was well justified, over the past seven years since the war ended, he's run away from me twice, each time ignoring me for about two years. This time I wasn't going to let him. I quickly pulled the cloak, the same one Aang gave me on our first "date" and pulled the hood over my head. Although this wasn't the fire nation, people still hated me. I felt the ship come to a lurch as I stepped off entering the great city. While I was amazed, I was also disappointed.

Aang could be anywhere, and this city was huge. I knew Toph was chief of police, if I could  find Toph she could tell me where Aang was. Finding a police department couldn't be hard, right? I walked down the streets still adjusting to everything. I saw benders of every nation, and smelled the delicious scent of sea prunes. People from the southern water tribe live here? If Aang wanted us to stay here, I wouldn't have any objections, that is assuming Aang still loved me.

He admitted to me he could never stop loving me, but I knew the affair had took a toll on him. It took one on me as well, no one likes lying and sneaking around, just to be happy. As I walked down different streets, I didn't realize the buildings started to look a little run down. The part of Republic City I was in vaguely reminded me of the lower rings in Ba Sing Se. I suddenly felt very aware of eyes on me from three different men. Shit.

"Rumor has it" one of the men said while the others started to circle me.

"You're the fire lady, ain't that right Ms Katara." I immediately bended water out of my pouch, standing ready to strike.

"No, I actually heard she's been fucking the avatar. Bit of a slut have we here." Another man who looked like an earth bender said. Before I could respond, the last man with knives cut in.

"Either way she means something to really powerful people. She'll pay a nice ransom"

     The first man who appeared to be a fire bender sent a strike towards me, which I immediately put out. I sent an icicle towards him in return, which left a gash on his right arm. Immediately the earth bender rose the ground up, holding my feet in place, and I saw the man with knives about to throw them. Using the water, I sent it flying towards the earth around my feet, turning it to mud.