After Ozai: Book Two (Kataang FanFic)

Chapter Thirty-One: Biggest Regret

"What's your one biggest regret? You know, besides freezing yourself." Aang turned and looked towards her with a raised eyebrow as he continued to fiddle with his fingers.

"Katara, I don't really know if-."

"-No, seriously! I feel by now, you know every single intricacy about me and my life. All my beliefs and goals, all my fears and ticks, and for me, I feel like you're still a mystery. Outside of the fact that you're the last Airbender, I feel as if I never was able to really know you. We were always too busy fighting some lunatic chasing us or configuring plans together to get ahead of those lunatics. So, tell me, what's your biggest regret?" Aang sighed gently as he sat down next to her, placing his hands softly into his lap. Instantly, he knew the answer to Katara's question, but the amount of pain that revolved around the regret began to grow unbearable. Urgently, Aang shut his eyes tightly and grasped onto the blanket beneath them. Immediately, Katara placed a hand on his shoulder and scrunched it lightly.

"Aang, it's not something to get upset over. If you don't want to tell me then-."
"-No, I need to face this regret head-on. Slowly, Aang stood up and turned towards Katara, extending his hand out for her to take.

"Take my hand." Silently, Katara nodded and tenderly grasped onto his hand, allowing him to pull her up to her feet. Curiously, Katara watched Aang as he led them out of his room and back towards the outside world. As they walked, Katara began to stare over towards the sunrise that was still just barely starting.

"You never get used to the beauty of this place," she whispered to herself, causing a small smile to grace Aang's lips.

"You say that now, you wouldn't have liked it if you lived with the monks. Sleeping on the hard bed every day, getting up before the sun, and remaining in a single position for hours. Fasting so much that the feeling of hunger was constant and unending, bathing in cold water even in the dead of winter. The monks always told us that comfort was a luxury and this we shouldn't indulge it lest my spiritual being becomes lethargic and passive. Sure, the scenery was beautiful, but our life from adolescence onward was that of being uncomfortable."

"Do you regret living with the monks? Like, after experiencing the rest of the nation's way of life, do you feel that you were given the short end of the stick?" Hesitantly, Aang stopped in his tracks and looked back out towards the sunset that Katara had been staring at previously.

"Never. Even if I knew the outcome of everything back then, I would still prefer to be a part of the Air Nomads. All of my friends, people I considered my family, they were all Air Nomads before I met you guys. That kinda hints at what my biggest regret is, besides running away of course."

"Aang, you shouldn't be too hard on yourself when it comes to that. The Fire Nation would've been too strong for you all to overpower them. If anything, I'm sure Gyatso was happy to know that you at least escaped imminent death from the firebenders."

"Escaped? I'm sure Gyatso thought I died when he never heard from me again after that fateful night. Ever since then, I've always had trouble sleeping during storms." Wanting to change the subject, Katara diverted their conversation back to the regret instead of the day he fled the Southern Air Temple.

"So, this regret, what exactly does it entail?" Katara looked at him questioningly as Aang continued to lead her through the airball courts and back towards a familiar-looking tapestry. As they approached the tent-like structure, Katara delicately wrapped her hand around the tapestry and ran it through her fingers. Suddenly, it hit her, causing her head to jerk towards Aang's direction.

"Aang," she said cautiously, studying his visibly pale face. Sadly, he looked towards her as a small tear escaped his eye.

"My biggest regret, since waking up in your arms, was the fact that I never buried my mentor. My biggest regret is not giving Gyatso a proper burial." Reluctantly, Aang swallowed thickly and closed his eyes before finally entering through the torn tapestry. Slowly, Katara followed behind and instantly winced as the old image of fallen firebenders surrounds the one fallen Air Nomad. Instantly, Katara grabbed Aang's hand in support as he took in the scene in front of him.