Avatar Fan Fiction

The Girl Of Ice

By Kraven Ergeist

xxxxx

Chapter Two

Aang's training continued. Days became weeks, and slowly but surely, his powers grew. Soon, he could bend water as well as Katara could. His greatest triumph, however, was when he discovered that he could seize control of elements from the one wielding them much sooner than any other bender.

It happened when he and Katara were sparring as they did every day on the ice. She sent an icicle hurdling his way, and it had traveled no farther than three inches from her hands before it turned around, melted and splashed her in the face.

"Hey!"

Aang just laughed and posed, waving his hand, gesturing for more.

"Don't get too cocky, Aang!" Katara smirked, as she brought the ice up from under his feet. She suddenly felt the ice yanked from her control, and the pillar of ice became a wave that rushed her. She brushed it away, and Aang landed squarely in front of her.

"Classic Jujutsu," Aang grinned. "Turning your opponent's attack back on you."

Before Katara could reply, Aang sent a plume of water hurdling at her. Katara caught it easily, redirecting it back at him. But it traveled less than a foot before it turned tail and splashed her again, sending her toppling at his feet.

"You're still my superior when it comes to creating water based attacks and using them," Aang explained, crouching down next to her, offering a hand. "But I outclass you in terms of sheer control over the element."

Katara pouted. "Well, at least there's still one thing I can outdo you in…"

Aang let out a shout as Katara knocked his legs out from under him.

"You still have a lot to learn about hand to hand combat," Katara smirked, pinning his wrists to the ice.

Aang hid a blush as Katara's weight pressed down on him uncomfortably. "Nice try…"

The ice around them suddenly came up and engulfed them in a pile of snow, their heads sticking out end, Katara's above Aang's.

"Now you're stuck," Aang snickered.

"Don't forget," Katara smirked back. "You're stuck in here with me."

Aang smiled. "I'm willing to wait as long as it takes for you to admit that you lost."

Katara leered, not one to give up easily. "You think I've lost?"

Aang shrugged; a difficult thing to do when you're buried under a pile of snow. "How are you gonna get out? I have completely control over the ice."

Katara smiled sweetly. "Maybe I don't mind it so much…" She rubbed her nose against his. "It's kind of cozy in here anyway."

Aang yelped, releasing the ice immediately, bursting out in a panic.

Katara couldn't contain her laughter. "Gosh, Aang, it doesn't take much to get under your skin, does it?"

Aang pouted, getting indignantly to his feet. "Don't mess with me like that, Katara!" he shouted, throwing her a glare.

Katara blinked as the boy ran off into the city. "Aang?"

Before she knew it, he had disappeared.

xxxxx

"Aang?"

Katara found Aang eventually, secluded on one of the many tresses connecting the town to the wall, which offered a perfect view of the sea.

Aang didn't reply. Momo, seated by him, eyed Katara curiously.

"Aang, what's wrong?" Katara asked, standing behind him.

"Nothing," the Air Bender snuffed, turning away.

"Aang, I'm sorry," Katara said, sitting down next to him. "If what I did back there made you uncomfortable, then I won't do it again, okay?"

Aang hopped up off his seat. "Ugh…you just don't get it, do you Katara?"

Katara blinked. "Get what?"

Aang pouted. "Nothing, never mind."

"Aang…" Katara pleaded.

Aang said nothing. Instead, he flipped open his glider and sailed off.

"Aang!"

Katara, again, watched him sail off.

"I guess he just wants to be alone, huh Mom?"

The lemur just scratched his ear.

xxxxx

Katara found Sokka moping by the pond in the oasis. He had spent much of his time there. Katara knew that he had felt strongly for Yue, but she also knew her brother enough to know that he would recover eventually. He just needed time.

She, however, needed answers.

"Sokka," Katara greeted, sitting next to him.

His stare was blank and sagely. When he'd first arrived there, he hadn't taken his eyes off the white koi fish that circled the pond, but now they were pale and unfocused.

"Katara," he replied, not moving.

Katara sat down next to him. "How've you been?"

Sokka nodded. "Better."

Katara smiled. "That's good."

There was a silence that passed between them.

Sokka drew in his breath. "So, what is it?"

Katara blinked. "Huh?"

"Look," Sokka sighed. "We both know something's bothering you. Just tell me and get it over with."

Katara resigned the point. "Well…it's Aang. He's upset about something, but he won't tell me what it is. He won't even talk to me, and I'm worried that I've done something wrong."

Sokka nodded. "Yep, that sounds about right."

Katara glanced his way. "What do you mean?"

Sokka shrugged. "Aang's had a crush on you for weeks now, Katara."

Katara blinked. "What? Get serious, Sokka. Not every guy is like you, you know."

Sokka shook his head. "Believe that you think, I'm just telling it how I see it. Aang looks at you the same way I looked at Yue."

Katara harrumphed, getting to her feet. "You're just imagining things, Sokka. Aang's not like that."

Sokka waved her off. "It's true, Katara, I'm telling you."

Katara marched out of the oasis without saying goodbye, a stubborn pout on her lips. As soon as she was out of sight, however, her eyes softened.

Could it be true? Did Aang…really have those kinds of feelings for her?

It would mess up everything! His training, her training, his role as the Avatar…he was a monk, for crying out loud! There was already enough at stake without worrying about being in a romantic relationship with one of his companions.

Besides, Sokka was being his usual dense self. So what if he thought that Aang had a crush on her? And even if he was, it was just a crush. It didn't mean he was in love with her or anything…

Katara brought a hand to her face. Why the hell was she blushing?

The man you're going to marry…I can see that he's a very powerful bender…

Unbidden, the fortuneteller's words came to her mind. Was Aang not destined to be the most powerful bender on the planet?

But that was just a fortuneteller's word! It had been proven false before! What could she rely on to let her know if Aang truly felt that way about her?

Katara paced off. She could simply as him in person.

She shook her head. "No, no, no way am I doing that!"

But what could she do? How could she know for sure?

Katara balled her hand into a fist. She had to find out!

xxxxx

A/N: Well, that's my second chapter. Like it, hate it, print it out and urinate on it, whatever your opinion is, read and review.