I don't know if anybody here still remembers me, but this is a project that I've been working on for quite a while. I have a similarly themed—okay, exactly the same theme—chapter in my Avatar: After the War collection, but I was never truly happy with it. For well over a year now, I've been tinkering with it. And sure enough, slowly but surely, I got to a place where I can say that I'm satisfied. I still don't think it's as good as a lot of other people's works (like those of KrystalFruit22, Light-Eco-Sage, and Cassidy Alice, to name a few), but I'd like to think that I'm improving. I don't know what the future of AAtW holds—there may not be one anymore—but I do intend to be a bit more of a presence in the community moving forward. Don't expect too much too often, but…I'm here.

Anyway, all the geezers who remember me know the drill. I don't own AtLA, and I probably never will. Now, enough chitchat.

"Firelord Ozai, you and your forefathers have devastated the balance of this world, and now you shall pay the ultimate price!"

Avatar Aang looms viciously over an outdueled Ozai, his eyes and tattoos aglow as he floats in his sphere of air. This is it. Everything that he's been working toward for the last nine months has come down to this one moment. Firelord Ozai, the evilest man on the planet, the third-generation leader of the most devastating war the world has ever seen, lies helplessly in front of him. The devastating massacre Firelord Sozin began one hundred years ago today is finally about to be over. The victorious Avatar swings his arms and channels a concentrated stream of water, earth, fire, and air around himself and straight toward Ozai's heart. Game over. The Firelord has met his demise.

But he can't do it. Aang won't deliver the final blow…he can't. This is not the right way. All life is sacred…at least, that's what the monks taught him before he ran away. Ozai might be a menace, but wouldn't killing him be sinking to his level? Is killing a killer justified?

"No…I'm not gonna end it like this." The boy is ashamed of how close he came to taking the life of another human being as his once-deadly strike hits Ozai as nothing more than a splash of warm, frothy water and pebbles. There may not be any good inside the Firelord like there proved to be in his son, but Aang can't bear the idea of this century-long war claiming another victim—certainly not by his own hand.

"Even with all the power in the world, you are still weak."

Maybe Ozai is right. Maybe Aang is weak for not finishing the job. It is the Avatar's responsibility to restore balance to the world, and maybe with such an irredeemable spirit as Ozai's being allowed to continue its existence, Aang has failed. For the tiniest fraction of a second, the young Avatar is completely unsure of what he should do. He doesn't want to kill the Firelord, but maybe—

His thoughts are rudely interrupted when, even with his back turned, he senses Ozai jerk his body in preparation to attack. The vibration of the Firelord's sudden movement prompted the Avatar to defend himself, trapping Ozai in earthen shackles as he avoids a second attempt at attack.

Suddenly, Aang's mind flashes back to his interaction with the lion turtle that brought him here. The giant spirit had touched the boy's forehead and chest in a transfer of energy, so Aang does the same with his hands to Ozai. Maybe he can use that energy somehow…wait, what was that voice in his head?

"In the era before the Avatar, we bent not the elements, but the energy within ourselves."

That's it! He can bend the energy within Ozai! If bending comes from pure energy inside someone's body, maybe Aang can take Ozai's away, leaving the Firelord powerless!

Suddenly, a great burst of light shines in the sky, visible for miles. Half the sky is a bright, blinding blue, while the other half glows a sinister, burning orange.

"To bend another's energy, your own spirit must be unbendable, or you will be corrupted destroyed."

Wait, what? Aang doesn't even really know what he's doing! How is he supposed to know whether his spirit is unbendable or not? And even if it is, who even has the ability to bend it?

Apparently, Ozai does. The blue light, as quickly as it had appeared, is vanishing, giving way to the evil orange light. Orange completely overtakes blue in the sky, and it even begins to creep up Aang's body. It sweeps up his legs, abdomen, and torso, makes its way up his neck and across his face, and begins to close around his right eye. What…what's happening? Why is Ozai winning? Is this Aang's punishment for not killing him? Did the spirits deem the Avatar too weak?

And in this very moment, time seems to screech to a halt as Aang frantically wracks his brain for answers before he meets his untimely demise. There must be something in that mind of his that he can use. Something Guru Pathik said at the Eastern Air Temple a few months back, maybe? If anyone knows anything about spiritual enlightenment, it's Pathik. Now, what can Aang remember…onion and banana juice, accepting the role of Avatar, deciding to Firebend again, letting go of his attachment to—THAT'S IT!

Katara. Aang's spirit is unbendable because of Katara. She is his rock, his guiding light, his best friend. When he doubts himself, she is there to believe in him. When he hurts himself, she is there to help him get back up. When he loses himself, she is there for him to cry on her shoulder. Maybe by himself, Aang's spirit is weak. But with Katara, he has a bond that is unbreakable. Their combined spirit is unbendable.

The orange light that is about to consume Aang entirely is suddenly overtaken by blue, the manifestation of Aang and Katara's combined spirits completely overpowering Ozai's. The Firelord is quickly and entirely consumed by the pure blue light, absolutely defeated.

The light dies down. as does the glow of Aang's eyes and tattoos. The battle is won. The war is over. Balance has been restored to the world.

Ozai, still shackled to the ground, squirms and struggles. But instead of demanding to know just what it was the Avatar had done to him, he is only able to shout one sentence, over and over again. "Aang, wake up! Wake up, Aang!"

"Wake up!"

Aang woke with a gasp and tried to rise to a sitting position. But he was immediately met by a sharp pain in his back that forced him back down to the floor, his head landing with an unceremonious metallic clang and a pained moan.

Wait, metal floor? Where was he?

"Aang, relax. You're safe."

Aang gingerly rolled onto his side to face the source of the voice he heard. "Katara?"

A small smile graced the Water Tribe girl's face. "I'm so glad you're all right." She wrapped her arms around the boy and gently pulled him up against her in a warm embrace. She squeezed him tightly, thanking the spirits for the safe return of her best friend.

The young Avatar hugged her back, but his mind was still a little foggy. "I'm fine…Katara, where are we?" he asked weakly. "I-I remember fighting Ozai, but…I kinda blacked out after."

Katara patted his back with a chuckle. "That's okay, I know you're tired," she replied. "You're on an airship that the others captured while you were fighting. You just landed here in the Fire Nation capital, and I've been healing some of your cuts and burns."

Aang swallowed, taking the information in. "An airship…wait, the Fire Nation capital? What were you doing here?"

"Ozai left Azula behind," she said simply. Zuko and I had to fight her."

"You fought Azula!?" Worry and relief flooded over him at the same time, making the poor boy's heart leap into his throat and his eyes well up with tears. "K-Katara, I could have lost you."

"I know," she replied sadly. "But I had to. Zuko couldn't beat her by himself, and she had to be dealt with. Otherwise, she would have tried to finish what her father started."

Aang sighed shakily. "Oh, gosh, I…I'm so glad you're alright. I don't know what I would have—"

She nuzzled her cheek against the side of his head, her lips just a few centimeters from his ear. "Shh, it's okay," she assured softly. "All that matters right now is that we're both all right."

"You don't understand," he countered, his voice thick with emotion. He took a deep breath before continuing, electing to pour his heart out on the spot. "You know how I feel about you. I've been kicking myself a-about the way I acted at that stupid play on Ember Island."

"Look, if you're trying to—" Katara didn't really want an apology from him. It's not that she was mad at him for trying to apologize, per se; rather, she was afraid that he was going to regret not apologizing if she had died facing Azula. While she would agree that he was wrong to kiss her at that theatre, it wasn't fair that it plagued his mind leading up to the battle of his life.

"Please, let me finish." Aang's tone was urgent, but respectful. He sat up, with some difficulty, and looked straight at her, allowing her to see his face properly for the first time in what felt like forever. His expressive gray orbs were big and filled with tears that hadn't yet fallen, but a single salty droplet escaped and trailed down his right cheek.

She nodded, cupping the now tearstained cheek with her hand before he went on.

"I was an idiot," he continued, not even caring that he had indeed begun to cry. I-I thought I'd lost my best friend." He screwed his eyes shut, and his lips quivered as he choked back a sob.

"Aang, I…" But she trailed off, her hand leaving his face. She had no idea what to say now. He had indeed made her angry that night, but…it sounded like she had completely shattered his heart. What could she say? She had heard from the women in her village that while girls have a hard time recovering from heartbreak, boys tended to have an easier go of things. They could bounce back. But Aang…wasn't like most other boys his age. He was very sensitive and wore his heart on his sleeve; he didn't hide under some veneer of indifference to make himself appear strong. Katara was terrified that he was going to close himself off to her now, that he wouldn't want anything to do with her anymore. That he had given up on her.

"I-it got worse." He had bitten back the violent sobs that had been threatening to escape, but his eyes still leaked. "We fought the next day about whether I should kill Ozai, and I-I hadn't learned anything, Katara…I exploded on you. But that wasn't the worst part…I d-disappeared. I just vanished, before I could say that I—"

She shook her head. "Don't apologize," she said simply, cutting him off. She cupped the young Avatar's face in her hands and wiped at his tears with the pads of her thumbs. "I've already forgiven you. And after everything we just went through today…I don't think it's fair for either of us to be mad at each other." She sighed. "I wasn't fair to you. You just wanted answers, and I was too afraid to give them to you. So if anyone should be apologizing, it's me."

"You?" Aang was confused. "B-but I—"

"Aang, I want you to listen to me," Katara requested gently. When he gave a small nod, she took a deep breath before finally giving him the answers that he deserved. "You were an innocent child thrust into a terrible war. You've had to work harder than you've ever worked before, see things no child should ever have to see, and bear the weight of the entire world on your shoulders. You've had to fight for your life and the lives of others more times than I can count, not even counting today. And you've had to grow up so fast."

The boy sniffled. "I-it's been hard."

"I know." Her heart swelled with empathy for her friend. "But you overcame all of that, and I couldn't be more proud of you. I admire your strength and your determination, and through it all, you haven't forgotten who you are…that's what I'm most proud of."

"H-how can you say all those things about me when…when I've treated you so wr-wrong?" he asked through his tears, his blurred gaze shifting away as he turned his head, not wanting to face her in such a state.

But that was exactly how Katara wanted to see him, his crying denoting him as a person—not just the all-powerful Avatar who just saved the world. She gently turned his face back so they were looking at each other again, and his face was the most hauntingly beautiful thing she had ever seen. The most powerful presence in the entire world, the beacon of hope and savior of billions of people…was a young boy who felt, who bled, who cried…who had endured much strife in his short lifetime. He was her hero…he was her best friend.

"Because," the Waterbender replied without hesitation, "you're you. You're the Avatar, but…you're also just a kid. You were going through a lot of stress training for this day, and back at the theatre, all you wanted was some clarity. You had worked so hard for months, preparing for the fight of your life, and all you wanted to know before you had to meet your destiny was how I felt about you." She closed her eyes, almost wanting to cry herself when he let out a weak sob. "And I am so sorry I hurt you. I think…I think I forgot about you as a person, Aang. I was focused on our mission, and you were so lost in your own emotions that you couldn't focus on the mission. I wasn't fair to you."

"But—"

The girl pressed a finger to his lips. "No, listen. You're a normal boy, with normal feelings, put in a position where you weren't allowed to be yourself. Because I didn't want you to be yourself. A twelve-year-old boy is supposed to think about girls, that's just the way it is. You were just being normal, Aang, and I punched you in the gut. If you hadn't come back, I would have never forgiven myself. I lied to you when I said I was confused." She gave the weeping Avatar a soft kiss on his right cheek, just below his eye.

Heat emanated from the boy's face. He gasped at the sudden display of affection, terribly confused. "K-Katara?"

Katara frowned as she pulled away. "I'm not confused about how I feel about you, Aang, and I'm sorry for telling you I was. The truth is, I knew exactly how I felt…and I was scared. Scared that I would become a distraction to you. I thought that if we were together, that…that you wouldn't be able to focus on our mission. And in reality, I probably made it harder for you."

Silence ensued, with the duo simply embracing while Aang took in everything that she had said. He closed his eyes, taking deep breaths to calm the onslaught of tears. Katara's apology floored him—how could she be the one apologizing? He had been the one to demand answers, he had been the one to kiss her against her will, he had been the one to disappear without making things right.

"Katara," he said, after much deliberation in his mind, "I deserved that. It wasn't right for me to pressure you into something you weren't ready to focus on yet. I-I should consider myself lucky that you forgive me for what I've done, and that we both came back to have this conversation."

"I guess we both did things that we might regret," she decided. "I've already forgiven you, so can you forgive me?"

He nodded. "Of course…I was never angry with you."

She smiled, glad to have patched things up with the person she cared about more than anyone. Everything was finally okay now. She was all right, Aang was all right, and all the tension between them was gone. "So now you know, I guess," she said after a brief, comfortable silence. She pulled back from their hug to get a better look at him. The tears had slowed but were still there, though now he was smiling, thank the spirits. "You know how I feel about you now, and…I hope it makes you feel better about things," she stated.

The boy's eyes widened. Did…did this mean what he thought it meant? "I guess I do. I just…" He bit his lip in hesitation for a second, trying not to get his hopes up. Another day, maybe. "Never mind."

"No, tell me." Katara found it cute that Aang was restraining himself, but she was ready for him now. She had inadvertently tortured him long enough by making him wait. If ever there were a perfect time for them to be together, it was now. He was her whole world, and she was his. There was no urgent mission that required all their attention anymore, so…enough waiting.

"I-I mean…" He shook his head with a shy smile. "I didn't want to be so, I don't know…forward. I mean, we—"

She nodded, squeezing his shoulders. "It's all right. You want a definitive answer now, don't you?" she inferred.

A blush crept to his face. "Guilty as charged. What exactly are we, Katara?"

"Well…what do you want us to be?" she asked. "How do you feel?"

Aang was quick to answer. He had rehearsed this speech so many times when no one was around, he had it memorized by now. "Katara, you're my best friend, my whole world, my everything. We bonded from the second I woke up in your arms when you found me in that iceberg. You've helped me become a better Waterbender, a better Avatar, and a better person, because you always stood by me and believed in me. I can't even begin to tell you how grateful I am to have you by my side. I've never felt this way about anyone before, so I'm pretty inexperienced when it comes to stuff like this, but…I-I want so badly to be more than just your friend. I want to be yours. I love you, Katara."

Now it was Katara's turn to cry. Her face was burning, though Aang probably couldn't see it because of her tan skin and the red light of the airship. She didn't deserve this…she didn't deserve him. What did this boy, this amazing, incredible boy, see in her? She was just Katara, just a normal girl who had no possessions and had never traveled beyond the outskirts of the village she was born in until she met him. "Aang, is…is all that true?"

"Absolutely," he declared, pressing his forehead to hers. "I just wish I'd mustered up the courage to tell you sooner, before things got all…deadly and stuff."

"Better late than never," she replied tearily, closing the short distance between their lips in a gentle kiss.

From his perch in the doorway to the cockpit, Sokka watched in mild disgust as his baby sister and his best buddy locked lips. He was going to inform Aang that Suki and Toph had successfully locked Ozai away in a prison tower—and maybe he could get Katara to take another look at his injured left leg—but for now, he decided to hobble away quietly. Part of him kind of wanted to murder his friend, but the remaining, larger, part of him decided that if his sister was happy, then so was he. Even if the idea did give him the oogies.