Alright guys, I had this idea stuck in my head after hearing Dark Side by Kelly Clarkson. :) I just had to write it to. P.S. To any of my followers for one of my other stories Devastation, sorry I haven't updated lately...It will be comeing soon and I will explain myself. :)
Anyway back to my new one shot...Please Enjoy. :)
Dislaimer: I've got the spunk to own ATLA, but I still don't...
-Dark Side-
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A muffled sigh comes from across camp. Aang doesn't need to see who it is through the darkness of his closed eyes to know the owner of the stressed breath. The name instantly rings in his mind, Katara. The name as beautiful as its owner. Katara, the beautiful name plays like a melody in Aang's mind.
The rustling of covers being shifted, a long sigh sounding like a held back sob and footsteps walking away suggests the blue eyed beauty has left. Now all that remains in the small campsite blanked by the night's darkness, is the loud snores from Aang's two other good friends. Surprisingly the oldest male in the group was getting beaten in loudness from a twelve year old girl. On the fair side however this twelve year old girl is the loudest, toughest, and biggest Tomboy Aang has ever seen in his travels.
However the only thing on the young boys mind is her-Katara. All night, ever since the full moon came to view she's has been acting…different. She instantly walked away from everyone once the moon first showed itself, hands clenched tightly together. Her usually steady breaths quickened. And to make it even more peculiar, when he went to confront her about how she was acting she ran away like he was a plague.
A deep, groaning breath comes from Aang's lips as he lifts up his heavy eyelids. The silver glow from the full moon sets an eerie sight to the thin fog filling the campsite. He glances around the camp to find a smoldering fire pit off to the side of camp. Aang's eyes glance over to find Appa lying peacefully by the embers of the fire pit, his front legs acting as a giant pillow for his giant head. Momo lies next to him, curled into a tight ball. The Airbender then switches his gaze to find one of his best friends, Sokka, tucked deep into his sleeping bag on the ground. A large earth tent stands a few yards behind him, its owner who is none other than Toph sleeping inside. Then Aang's eyes shift to the discarded sleeping bag, limp from nobody laying there. That's Katara's sleeping bag.
Sighing Aang pushes himself up from his curled up position and off the stiff ground under him. He looks up to the full moon, it urges him to bend. However, the young Avatar somehow easily overcomes the urge. Right now he only cares about one thing, one person.
The Airbender bends himself from his sitting position into a standing. He lands lightly on his feet. Once his feet are planted to the earth his hand flies up to his forehead before continuing. He releases the small breath he holds in unknowingly as the feeling of fabric under his fingertips relives him.
They may be in the middle of a Fire Nation forest, but it's still Fire Nation. And the last thing Aang wants to happen is his identity to be reveled. The Fire Nation is still under the impression he's dead. That's why wearing the itchy headband he does now is necessary.
After his thoughts come to an end, Aang begins to walk through the moist air. Constantly he glances at the moon, thinking back to last time he saw it full. Goosebumps form on his skin and the hairs on the back of his neck stand at end.
Only one name can describe the horrors of that night. Hama.
Aang knows that if he finds as much terror in the event of being bloodbent, he couldn't even imagine Katara's. She's the one who had to stop everything, she had to fight the monster, she had to be stronger than the one who bloodbent her. However, Aang knows that the single thing that has left Katara scarred. She became a bloodbender that night.
Katara hasn't actually said anything though; actually she hasn't even brought up the matter. But Aang can tell its left her scarred.
All of these thoughts run across Aang's mind as he walks in the direction he heard Katara's go. They left his ears quickly, but he knows that she's heading east. Soon the fog begins to thicken as Aang makes his way farther into the forest, and makes it difficult to see distant objects.
Suddenly a sniffle cuts through the silence cast by the forest. Instantly Aang turns his head up from its ducked position. He looks around the foggy forest with squinted eye, trying to get a view the culprit of the noise. Quickly the Airbender snaps his head around when a sob emanates behind him. After the loud sob the sound of crackling ice sounds, then the sound of water smacking into the ground echo's through the fog. Aang narrows his eyes ever more, and strains his eyes to make out an outline of a body.
Already Aang knows who it is, but it would be nice to see where she is. Another sob cutting through the fog makes the position of the one Aang has been searching for obvious.
Out of instinct the Avatar moves his feet lightly on the ground to get to his destination. After only a few seconds he can make out the dark outline of a body curled into a ball. Aang steps closer and breaks through the blanket of fog covering the identity of the one from view. No surprise shows in the Airbender's eyes as he sees Katara.
She sits on a tree stump, her knees curled tightly up to her chest. Tear streaks stain her cheeks. Her back is ridged, and her face is contorted in something that looks to be restraint. With her pearly whites, Katara bites down on her bottom lip, and her eyes are snapped tightly shut. Frost blankets only the stump she sits on and the ankle high grass around it. Both of her hands are curled into tight fists. Cracking ice levitates above her fists.
Aang is about to speak, but Katara cuts him off without even opening her eyes. "Go away." She commands in a stern voice.
Aang's flustered eyes stare at her. "How did you-" he begins to ask, but again is interrupted.
"Go. Away. Please." Katara hisses through gritted teeth.
Aang steps closer to her, she cringes, her eyes still snapped shut. "Why would I do that," Aang questions in a whisper. "Tell me what's wrong." Aang tells her, taking yet another step towards the waterbender before him. Again she cringes, not even seeing his advancing movement through her closed lids.
"Aang," Katara changes her tone from frustrated to pleading. "Please, please go. I don't want to hurt you." She pleads, finally opening her eyes.
The blue pools that fill her irises look at him differently. Usually it's loving and caring. Now it's dark and dangerous.
"Why? Why do you want me to leave? How are you going to hurt me?" Aang questions, his rare quality of stubbornness shining through.
Katara's eyes bare wholes in his head. "Because," she hisses clenching her fists tighter. New cracks in the ice span out over the glossy surface. "I'm not…thinking clearly. Just give me till morning and I'll be fine." She urges in a much softer voice, new tears well in her eyes. She lets the ice drop to the solid earth below her as her arms drop to her sides.
Aang over looks her, confused. "What do you mean you're not thinking clear-" he asks before stopping in his tracks as everything clicks. The full moon, her new ability to bloodbend, why she's been avoiding everyone only after the moon makes its first appearance. "Oh…" Aang whispers.
Katara nods quickly at Aang, tears streaming down her face. "So please, go. I don't want to hurt you."
Aang shakes his head and walks up to her, she stiffens. He kneels in front of her, looking up into her teary blue eyes. "No, you can't hurt me. You won't. It's not in your personal design," Aang whispers. "There is no possible way that you could hurt anyone." He tells her quietly while reaching up to wipe the tears from her cheeks. She abruptly turns away.
"No," she says sternly. "I doubt that," Katara pauses turning her eyes back to Aang's "Because I can feel your heart pumping blood, I can feel it coursing through your veins right now. That's how it was at camp to, I could even feel Momo's," she tells Aang, more tears falling. "I'm a monster." She finally whispers, bowing her head.
Aang's eyes widen and he pops up so he now stands over her sitting body. Her body shakes as she sobs. Instinctively Aang slides next to her on the stump and pulls her into him with both of his arms. She instantly sticks her face into his chest, her hands clutching to his uniform undershirt. "You are anything but a monster." Aang whispers into Katara's silky chocolate brown hair.
The sobbing waterbender shakes her head against his chest and backs. "No, you're wrong, Aang," she begins then stops momentarily as she pulls back from his embrace. "Ever since I bloodbended, I've found a dark side to me that I never knew I had." She states through her hiccupping breath.
Instantly Aang shakes his head and runs a hand over his newly grown hair. "Katara, everyone has a dark side. Some are more apparent than others. And others keep them hidden and only reveal them to the ones they trust the most. You are one who makes it hard for those to find your dark side," Aang tells her, placing both of his hands on Katara's shaking shoulders. "You are the nicest, caring, most loving, helpful, amazing," Aang pauses before speaking in a hushed voice. "Beautiful," He stops again but soon continues in his regular voice "Person I have ever met. You may have a dark side, but I don't think any living soul will actually see it all together. We may occasionally see snippets, but that's what makes you, you. And you shouldn't have to change that. No one is perfect, but you're pretty close." Aang says softly, with a smile before using the pad of his thump to wipe away the tears from the waterbender's eyes.
Katara giggles and leans her head into Aang's hand. Her blue eyes close. "Thank you, Aang." She whispers, opening her eyes yet again. They look bigger to Aang and he can't help but blush under her intense stare.
"No problem." Aang says, pulling her into an embrace.
For the longest time they stay like that, with their arms wrapped around each other. However Katara breaks the blissful silence with a whispering voice. "Aang?"
Aang shifts his head to he can see the tribal girl's eyes looking up at him without breaking the embrace. "Ya." He answers.
"Can you accept my dark side?" she questions with innocence in her eyes.
Without hesitation Aang answers with a smile. "Katara, I accepted everything about you, good and bad, including your dark side, the first time I laid eyes on you…"
Okay guys this is when I turn it over to you. Please please review. This is the second one shot I've done and my last one didn't get as many reviews as I would have liked, so I hope this is better than the last. I understand if it was a little stupid. Currently it's 1:15 AM. It seems my best ideas come when I'm freaken asleep. Then again I probably shoudlent fall asleep with Dark Side on repeat blasting in my ears...
Anyway excuse my weirdness :)... just please review! :)