I've finally found some time to upload some of my newest work, and I think this idea I have in mind is pretty unique. I read a particular comic in "The Lost Adventures", and the one that come to my mind one day was the one that inspired this story. I'll leave it to you to decide which one it was. ;) Well, that is if you've read "The Lost Adventures". XD Anyways, I'll shut up now and let you get to reading. Enjoy and please review! :D

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. The show and its characters belong to Mike and Bryan, the brillant geniuses behind one of the greatest cartoon shows in the history of cartoons. Their work is legendary, and I salute them for it.

Tomboy

Aang, who was dressed in his master Airbender robes, tiredly sighed as he leaned against the wall of the inn he and his female companion were staying at, trying to find a way to occupy himself.

It had been six months since the end of The War, and the world was slowly trying to get used to the idea of peace again. The young Avatar and the new Fire Lord had been working around the clock in all that time trying to rebuild relations between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom, which was no small task to say the least. All the stress had been getting to Aang's head, causing him to become irritable and occasionally bitter. Katara, his best friend and new girlfriend, had become concerned for Aang's wellbeing and decided that something had to be done. After talking it over with Fire Lord Zuko, it was decided that she and Aang would take a brief vacation to the village of Songchi, a Fire Nation village famous for its relaxing atmosphere.

The only problem was that Aang wasn't feeling very relaxed. He and Katara had been in Songchi for almost three days and, despite the affectionate company that she gave him, he just couldn't bring himself to have any sort of fun.

He still remembered the exchange the two of them had just a couple of hours before…

He leaned on the window frame and stared out of his room, watching the citizens of the Fire Nation go about their normal, every-day business. Over half-a-year ago, he wouldn't have been able to get within two miles of a Fire Nation town without fear of being discovered. Now he could walk amongst them, and many of them had come to respect him and his heroic deeds.

He sighed as he looked on at the sight, remembering all the work that his Firebending teacher was doing back in the Capitol without him. "This isn't right," he helplessly said for the umpteenth time. "I should be with Zuko right now, helping him to fix relations between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom, not just sitting on my butt all day doing nothing."

He heard soft footsteps on the wooden floor behind him, and soon two slender, tan arms wrapped around his shoulders. Soft lips caressed his right cheek, planting a loving kiss on his tense skin. "Zuko will be fine," said Katara (who was dressed in her Fire Nation outfit, though she chose to keep her Water Tribe hairstyle and hair loopies) assuredly, resting her head against his head. She sweetly pecked him on the cheek again and softly added, "You just need to relax, Mr. Stressed-Out. All you've done for the past six months is work, work, work." She gave a quiet chuckle and lovingly said, "The world still needs you, but you can't do your job as the Avatar when your arrows are spinning around your head."

He sighed again as he closed his eyes, tilting his head down towards the ground as he said, "I know, but I don't think this is the right thing to do." He half-opened his eyes and added, "The entire world is supposed to be looking to me for answers. How do you think they would feel when they knew that I was vacationing in a resort town with my girlfriend?" He felt her gently cup her hand under his chin, bringing his face around so he could look at her.

She gave him an affectionate smile as she amiably said, "They would think that you're a wonderful boyfriend for spending time with the girl who loves you with all her heart." She intimately rested her forehead against his, never taking her gaze off of him as she stared deeply into his stormy gray eyes. "You deserve this," she warmly said, trying her hardest to get him to smile. "You worked so hard and sacrificed so much in order to save the world."

"I know, but-"

"No buts," she firmly said, planting a finger on his protesting lips to silence him. Her stern look didn't stay long, and soon she was smiling at him again. "You need to stop worrying," she teasingly said as she leaned her head back, running her finger along the arrow on his head. Her comforting touch sent chills of pleasurable affection down his spine, just like everything she did. Even the simplest of physical affections spoke volumes in his heart, forever reminding him of how lucky he was to love someone as special as Katara.

"But I'm the Avatar," he protested, pouting slightly at her. "It's my job to worry about things."

"Including me?" she playfully asked, dropping her finger back down to his shoulder.

A small smile appeared on his lips as he said, "Especially you." Seeing the tell-tale signs in her eyes, he closed his eyes and leaned forward. His lips locked with hers, uniting the two soul mates as one. She gave a small hum of pleasure as he felt her lean into the kiss, intensifying the connection between their young hearts. Soon they separated, staring endlessly into each other's eyes. "I love you," he happily whispered, a phrase he would never get tired of saying to her.

Her smile grew a little wider as she adoringly said, "I love you too." He saw a playful spark enter her eyes, a certain look of mischief that told him that she was hatching a scheme. "I've got a little surprise for you," she playfully said, giving him a tight squeeze of her arms before she let go.

"What is it?" he eagerly asked as he saw her walk towards the door.

She turned back as she opened the door and wistfully replied, "I'm not telling you." She gave him a teasing wink as she added, "You'll just have to find out when I get back from the spa." He opened his mouth to say something, but she stopped him by saying, "And no, you can't come with me. The spa is for girls only, and you're obviously not a girl."

"That's not fair," he whined, crossing his arms and giving her such a childish pout that it made her giggle with glee. "What am I supposed to do until you get back?"

"Have fun by yourself," she nonchalantly replied as she gestured to him. "Talk to people and do something besides sit in our room all day."

"But-"

"No buts," she reminded him again, making his eyebrows furrow with annoyance. She gave him her signature smile as she said, "I'll be back later. See ya then, Aang."

"Bye, Katara," he glumly replied as he dropped his arms, watching as she closed the door behind her.

Aang looked up at the deluge of people milling on the street in front of him, many of them casting wary glances at him. Even though he was good friends with their new ruler, they all knew of his legendary battle with Fire Lord Ozai. They all knew what he was capable of, and their fear and respect is what kept most of them at bay.

How am I supposed to 'talk to people' if they all give me a wide berth? he thought to himself as he frowned, sadness shining in his stormy eyes.

"What's up with you, kid?" asked a voice from his right. Aang quickly looked to his right to see a boy standing there, staring at him with questioning eyes. The boy looked to be a little older than Aang, about two or so years. He had tan skin and wide blue eyes (which Aang found to be quite odd considering the majority of Fire Nation citizens had fair skin and amber or brown eyes). He also had dark brown hair, which was nestled up on his head and secured by a fire-shaped pendant in his top-knot. His forearms were covered with brown bandages, though not necessarily those of the medical kind, and golden gauntlets on his wrists. He had a red vest-like sleeveless shirt (with a crimson stripe down the middle) on, and slightly baggy, crimson pants that came down to his knees. He had brown sandals on, thus completely the outfit.

"Excuse me?" confusedly asked Aang, surprised by the sudden appearance of the strange Fire Nation boy.

The boy rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I said, what's up with you?" he repeated again as he looked back at Aang. "You look like you're down in the dumps or something."

"I guess I am," Aang admitted with a sigh, his eyes falling to the ground below his feet. "My girlfriend's gone at the spa all day, and I don't how I'm supposed to have any fun without her around."

"I never figured you would be a ladies' man," chuckled the boy, his voice dripping with playfulness. "What's her name?"

"Katara," Aang replied with a smile as he looked up at the boy, whose eyes were wide with shock.

"Whoa," said the boy in amazement. "You don't mean…like the Katara, that Water Tribe girl who traveled around the world with the Avatar?"

"That would be her," Aang affirmed with a cheerful smile. He warmly chuckled as he happily said, "And I'm the Avatar that she traveled with."

"No way!" shouted the boy in disbelief, his jaw dropped open in astonishment. He quickly recovered from his shock as he nervously said, "Um, I mean…uh…" Finally thinking of something, he made the traditional Fire Nation greeting with his hands as he bowed and respectfully said, "It's an honor to be in your presence, O mighty Avatar Aang."

"Please," chuckled Aang as he modestly waved his hand, "just call me Aang. That's what all my friends do."

"I only meant it out of respect," earnestly replied the boy as he came out of his bow, giving the Avatar a timid smile.

"I get enough of that out of politicians," jokingly said Aang. The two boys burst out laughing, not caring who gave them strange looks.

"Well, Aang," said the boy as he stopped laughing, "since you've told me your name, it's only fair that I told you mine." He held out his hand as he cheerily said, "I'm Atarak."

Aang took the boy's hand and shook it as he eagerly said, "It's very nice to meet you, Atarak." There was something about this boy's skin that made Aang feel uneasy; as if he had touched this person's skin before. Pushing that persistent thought to the back of his mind, the two boys let go of each other's hands as Aang thoughtfully said, "I haven't seen many Fire Nation citizens that have skin and eyes like yours."

"I get that a lot," replied Atarak as he rolled his eyes, leaning against the wall of the inn. "My father was a Firebender in Ozai's army and my mother was from the Northern Water Tribe. During one of the Fire Nation's failed raids on the north, my father was captured by Waterbenders. He got hurt really bad when he was captured, so they sent for a healer after they had made sure he couldn't Firebend anymore."

"How did they manage to do that?" curiously asked Aang. "I would imagine that they wouldn't know how to Energybend, which is how I took Ozai's Firebending away."

"They made frozen cuffs out of the hardest ice in the North Pole," replied Atarak, "which can only be made by strongest of Waterbenders, who just happened to be the ones who captured my father. You see, my father was a Colonel in the Fire Nation's army, so when the Northern Water Tribe found out that he was leading the raid they got ready to capture him. Anyways, the healer they had sent for turned out to be my mother. Both of them didn't get along at first, what with being enemies at all, but after about a week or so they become secret friends."

"Eventually their friendship turned into something deeper, something neither of them expected." Atarak gave Aang a smirk as he said, "They fell in love, and they kept it all a secret for two months." His smirk fell as he sadly added, "That was until everyone found out that my mother was pregnant, and they all figured out it was my father who had impregnated her. They forced her to watch as they executed him for his crime, and that night they banished her from both Water Tribes for the rest of time. She made her way here to the Fire Nation, secretly disguising herself as a citizen and remaining hidden for as long as possible."

A mournful look entered Atarak's eyes as he somberly said, "A few days after I was born, my mother left me in a basket on the steps of a young couple's house. The couple was actually my father's brother and his wife, who was unable to bear children because of a rare condition she had. She told them her story and disappeared into the night, leaving me to be raised by my Fire Nation parents." His voice grew quiet as he softly said, "I never knew my parents at all. The only things I know about them came from my foster parents, who raised me with all the love and support that they could offer me."

"I never knew my parents either," sympathetically said Aang, knowing of the pain that lay in Atarak's heart. "When I was only a baby, they had to hand me over to the monks since I showed signs of being an Airbender. Even to this day, I have no idea of who my real parents were. The only person who was like a father to me was Monk Gyatso, who was killed during the Air Nomad Genocide over a hundred years ago."

"Yikes," said Atarak as he winced. "I've only heard stories about that event. I can't imagine what it would have been like to have actually been there." Aang turned his head and gazed down towards the ground, his eyes laced with sadness and grief. Realizing his mistake, Atarak quickly said, "I'm sorry, Aang. I didn't mean to upset you." He apologetically smiled at the Avatar, hoping that he hadn't offended the young boy.

"It's all right…" Aang softly replied with a heavy sigh, his aching heart laden with the memories of the past. "It's just…even though I've forgiven myself for what's happened to my people…nothing can ever really replace them." He held up his wooden Airbending medallion as he sorrowfully added, "I'm the sole heir of my people. After all…I am the last Airbender."

"I think your people would be proud of what you've done for the world," sincerely said Atarak, placing a comforting hand on Aang's shoulder. The Avatar looked up into his companion's eyes, which were shining with a light that he swore he had seen countless times before, like if he was floating in the sapphire depths of those awe-inspiring eyes. Ignoring the silent nagging thoughts in his mind, he gave Atarak an appreciative smile. A mischievous smile appeared on Atarak's face as he playfully shouted, "Tag! You're 'it'!"

"What?" confusedly asked Aang, though Atarak had already taken off running as he childishly laughed. "Hey!" he called out, an energetic smile spreading itself on his face. "No fair!" he enthusiastically shouted as he ran after Atarak, weaving in and out of startled Fire Nation citizens as he followed about twelve feet behind Atarak.

"You gotta be faster than that!" shouted Atarak over his shoulder, dodging people like an elegant deer-elk.

"You got it!" shot back Aang, looking for an opening. Having found one when Atarak was in the open, he burst forward on a blast of air and closed the distance between them. He slowed himself as he barely nudged Atarak and tapped his shoulder as he triumphantly said, "Now you're 'it'!" Just as Atarak turned around, Aang spun on his heels and took off in another burst of Airbending in the opposite direction.

As Aang rounded the corner of a building, he could Atarak yell, "No fair, Aang!" The Avatar just laughed to himself as he ran on, and he looked over his shoulder to see if Atarak had caught up. Suddenly, he crashed into someone and they both fell to the ground in a messy heap.

Aang quickly Airbent himself off of the ground as he quickly said, "I'm sorry! Are you okay?" The man he had knocked over, who looked to be a man in his mid-thirties, looked up and snarled at Aang, causing him to jump back slightly.

"Well, if isn't the Avatar," growled the man as he stood up on his feet, glaring at Aang with sharp amber eyes. He pointed an accusing finger at Aang as he angrily said, "You think you can just do whatever you want to us since you defeated Fire Lord Ozai, don't you?"

"What's going on?" asked Atarak as he rushed up to Aang's side, giving the angry man a nervous sideways glance.

Flames shot out of the man's nose as he seethingly said, "This…child" - he spat out the word with vicious disgust – "is nothing but a coward who refused to take Ozai's life." He dropped into a fighting stance as he firmly said, "I won't make the same mistake." A crowd began gathering around them, wondering what was going on. "I challenge the Avatar to an Agni Kai!" defiantly proclaimed the man, eliciting a few hesitant cheers from the crowd.

"No!" protested Aang, eliciting a nasty scowl from the Firebender. "The world has already had enough violence and bloodshed to last us all a lifetime! Can't we all just live in peace?"

"There will be no peace as long as we're being ruled by that coward Zuko," snapped the man, setting his hands on fire. "A new age will arise, an age where the Fire Nation will be the rightful rulers of the world!"

"The War has been over for six months!" insisted Aang, desperately seeking a way to peacefully end this stand-off. "You don't need to do this!"

"Since you are too much of a dishonorable coward," snarled the Firebender, "it's apparent that I do have to do this." He shouted as he kicked at Aang, sending a blazing fireball at the Avatar.

"Look out!" shouted Atarak as he tackled Aang, sending them both to the ground as the fireball rushed over their heads and in between the gathered crowd. "Are you alright?" he worriedly asked, looking at the Avatar beneath him. Aang nodded to indicate that he was fine, and Atarak gave him a quick smile. Atarak grew serious as he jumped to his feet and turned to the angry Firebender, shouting, "This has to stop! The world doesn't need another war!"

"Stay out of this, whelp!" bellowed the Firebender, brandishing fire daggers in his curled fists. "You have no right to interfere in this Agni Kai!"

"Have you forgotten the new law that Fire Lord Zuko passed just a few months ago?" boldly asked Atarak, placing himself between the Firebender and Aang. "The Fire Lord decreed that all Agni Kais cannot be declared out of hatred or anger and that they can only be declared in the case of the loss of personal honor." Gesturing to Aang, he added, "Aang has done nothing to dishonor you, good sir."

"Yes he has!" exclaimed the Firebender, narrowing his amber eyes at Atarak. "He has dishonored the world by being born as the Avatar! He has dishonored our great nation by defeating its rightful ruler, placing that pathetic and shameful Prince on the throne! He has dishonored us all, and he must die for his crime!"

Atarak took a fighting stance, loosening his arms as he held them out to his sides. He primed his legs, bending his knees in preparation for a fight. "If you want to get to Aang," firmly said Atarak as he glared at the Firebender, "you'll have to go through me." The prickling sensation in the back of Aang's mind kicked into gear once more, as if he recognized that firm tone in Atarak's voice.

A sadistic smile crept across the Firebender's face as he evilly said, "With pleasure, you blue-eyed freak."

"HALT!" shouted a commanding voice from behind Aang. The Avatar looked behind him to see Fire Nation troops and Firebenders push past him, surrounding the rampant Firebender as he put out his fire daggers. The soldiers brought out their swords and spears while the Firebenders dropped into fighting stances, ensuring that the raging Firebender couldn't use his bending. A Captain stepped up behind his men as he angrily demanded, "What is going on here?"

"That man's out of control!" quickly reported Atarak as he pointed at the out-of-control Firebender. The Captain followed his finger as he added, "He was trying to kill the Avatar in an Agni Kai."

"The Avatar is a threat to us all!" screamed the deranged Firebender, whipping his head back and forth as he looked around at the crowd. He punched his fist into the air as he shouted, "Free yourselves from the oppression of Fire Lord Zuko and his pet Avatar! Who's with me?" He looked around at the crowd, who began uneasily backing away from him. "Cowards! You're all cowards!" he shrieked, whipping his frenzied gaze back at Aang as he stood back up. "I'll finish you myself, you bald demon!" he roared, his eyes shining with insanity. He made a motion to punch, but was cut short when he found the tip of sword held at his throat.

"This Agni Kai is over," declared the Captain, stepping closer to the mad-man. "You are under arrest for your attempted murder of the Avatar, which is a capital offense by decree of Fire Lord Zuko." He motioned to his men to take him in, and a Firebender cuffed the man's hands together with iron links.

The crowd parted as the soldiers dragged the man off, who was shouting, "You will fall one day, Avatar! May evil Spirits condemn your accursed soul to everlasting torment!" His taunts and jeers grew quieter and quieter until he and the soldiers were out of the sight, and the crowd began to dissolve once the situation was resolved.

The Captain turned to Aang and bowed in the traditional gesture as he respectfully said, "A thousand apologies, Avatar. We've had countless cases of civil unrest ever since Fire Lord Zuko took the throne. Forgive us for not providing adequate protection."

"It's fine," calmly said Aang as the Captain came out of his bow. He sighed as he tiredly added, "Even after six months of peace, people still have bitterness in their hearts."

The Captain gravely nodded as he solemnly said, "It's to be expected, Avatar. Wars take a long time to recover from, and our century-long conflict is certainly no exception." He gave Aang a confident smile as he proudly said, "But I have faith in you and our new Fire Lord. The world needs your wisdom and guidance in order to get it back to the way it once was. When peace finally does reign supreme, the true beauty of our world will finally return."

Aang appreciatively smiled at the Captain. "Thank you for your kind words, Captain." He made traditional hand gesture and bowed as he said, "It warms my heart knowing that someone here in the Fire Nation has faith in me."

The Captain returned the gesture as he said, "Many of my people have great admiration and respect for you, Avatar. As a Firebender, you are as much a part of our nation as we are." The two came out of their bows and smiled at each other, admiration and mutual respect passing between them. The Captain inclined his head as he kindly said, "Enjoy your stay here in Songchi, Avatar. Good day." Aang gratefully nodded as the Captain walked off, heading in the direction he men had taken.

"He's right, you know," said Atarak thoughtfully as Aang looked back at his companion. He smiled at Aang as he added, "Almost everyone in each nation knows that you're trying your hardest, and they're all proud of what you're doing."

"Thanks, Atarak," earnestly replied Aang with a smile, and soon the two friends continued to make their way through the town.

Aang and Atarak spent the rest of the day roaming the town, playing games and chasing each other around like little children. They went to Firebending shows, animal zoos, countless merchant stands, and so many other things that Aang couldn't remember it all by the time the sun was beginning to set.

As the sun began to set over the horizon, Aang found himself and Atarak sitting on a hill overlooking Songchi. Aang was leaning forward, resting his arms on his legs. Atarak was sitting right next to him, leaning back and placing his hands against the ground to support himself.

Atarak contentedly sighed as he dreamily said, "What a day, huh Aang?"

"Yeah," softly agreed Aang, feeling his inner fire being coaxed by the waning sun. A sad look came over his face, causing his gaze to drop the grass beneath his feet.

Atarak looked over and, upon noticing the Avatar's crest-fallen expression, worriedly asked, "What's wrong, buddy?"

Aang uncertainly shrugged as he guiltily said, "I've been having so much fun today that I've completely forgotten about Katara. She's probably back at the inn waiting for me…I hope she's not mad at me."

Atarak chuckled and playfully said, "I highly doubt she would be mad at you."

"What makes you say that?" asked Aang as he looked back at Atarak, who had edged a little closer to him until their shoulders were touching. He could see something shining in Atarak's eyes, an emotion he had seen countless times but couldn't quite place where he had seen it.

"This," softly said Atarak as he slowly closed his eyes, leaning towards Aang's face until their lips met. Aang's eyes went wide with shock as he immediately broke the contact, scooting at least five feet away from him as he frantically gasped for air. Atarak opened his eyes as he confusedly looked at Aang, one eyebrow raised in curiosity. "What's wrong?"

Aang nervously gulped and hesitantly said, "Umm, Atarak…guys don't do that." Gesturing between them, he timidly added, "I'm a guy, you're a guy…w-we're not supposed to kiss at all." Atarak's confusion quickly melted away as he began to laugh out loud, obviously amused with Aang's reaction to the kiss. "Why are you laughing?"

"You are so clueless, Aang" mirthfully chuckled Atarak as he looked back at Aang. He reached up to his top-knot and removed the fire pendant, allowing his dark brown hair to fall down his shoulders. He shook his head until all of his hair had fallen, and he looked back to see the befuddled look on Aang's face.

Aang's perplexed look quickly turned to shock as he realized who was sitting in front of him. "Katara?" he said in complete astonishment and disbelief, eliciting a pleasant chuckle from the Waterbender.

"Surprised?" she asked with a twinkle in her eyes, devilishly smiling at her dumb-founded boyfriend.

Aang, unable to grasp the reality of the situation, began to incoherently stutter. "Wha…how…but…you…a guy…huh?" Unable to say anything else, he helplessly said, "I don't get what's going on."

"Obviously," she sarcastically said as she rolled her eyes, an amused smile tugging at her lips. Looking back at Aang, she added, "I thought you could use a day mingling with people of the town, so I decided to dress up like a boy so I could spend time with you without you knowing. I came up with a name and a backstory for my disguise so that you wouldn't think something was up."

"You mean you planned all of this?" asked Aang, scooting back to his spot by Katara.

She twirled a strand of hair in her fingers as she glanced off to the side, slowly saying, "Well...everything except for that one crazy Firebender who tried to kill you." Looking back at Aang with a timid smile, she added, "That I didn't plan on at all."

"That's a relief," jokingly said Aang, brightly smiling at his companion. "I'd be scared if you actually planned to almost get me killed by some vengeful Firebender."

Katara frowned slightly as she sincerely said, "I'd never willingly put you in that kind of danger. You know that."

"I know," said Aang as he put an arm around her shoulder and drew her close to him. He lovingly kissed her head as he softly said, "I'm not mad at you for that."

"Good," she gratefully said with a small smile. "Did you at least have some fun with 'Atarak' today?"

"I did," happily affirmed Aang. He paused and thoughtfully added, "I think I know what your plan was."

"Enlighten me, O wise and mighty Avatar," dramatically said Katara, eliciting a chuckle from both of them.

"Well," Aang began, "you knew that I had been stressed out with the whole rebuilding of the world, and you wanted to show me that there are people within the Fire Nation who appreciate all the hard work I've done. In order to do that, you disguised yourself as a citizen and showed me things that helped me to know that I can still have fun without you. You showed me that many people in the Fire Nation do sympathize and even respect me, and that's helped to take all the stress off."

"Aren't you an insightful young man?" cheerily asked Katara, loving pride thick in her voice. Aang modestly shrugged, causing her to let out a merry chuckle. Thinking of something, she added, "I'm surprised you didn't recognize me. This is the same outfit I had when Toph and I disguised ourselves as boys in order to get into a bar."

"Oh yeah," realized Aang. "I remember that." He affectionately pecked her forehead as he cheerfully said, "You really do come up with the best ideas, Forever Girl."

"I know what my best idea of all was," dreamily said Katara as Aang leaned back, allowing their eyes to make contact.

"What's that?" curiously asked Aang, smiling at her pleasurably half-lidded eyes. The setting sun made her skin glow with a heavenly sheen, and her sapphire eyes sparkled in the orange rays of light that hit them.

She tenderly cupped her hand under Aang's cheek, and he felt all of her gentle affection and pure love pass through that simple touch. She lovingly smiled at him as she amorously whispered, "Falling in love with you." She pulled him closer and soon their lips met, allowing their hearts to connect once more. He leaned into the kiss, allowing all of his passion and adoration for Katara to pass through his body and into his lips.

Aang then realized that, no matter how one is dressed or what one looks like, love transcends all.

And his love for Katara transcended the stars and even the very fabric of time itself.