The Pomegranate
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar:The Last Airbender or The Myth of Persephone: Greek Goddess of the Underworld
It was a beautiful day like all the others in this land, the sun shone brightly in the sky, the hills were lush and green, and flowers blossomed from the earth. The lovely young maiden, Katara, frolicked with her friends upon the hillside while Appa, the flying bison, and Momo, the lemur, watched happily. Laughter could be heard in between the four children's jokes, as they gathered handfuls of colorful berries and rich nuts. Katara thought to bring some to Appa and Momo, but was soon distracted by a vision of the most enchanting berry bush she had ever seen. It was large and full of delicious fruit, the sweetest kind known to man. As she reached down to pluck some from their resting place, her feet began to tremble and the earth was split in two.
From this gaping crevice in the ground emerged the awe-inspiring Prince of the Fire Nation, Zuko, and before Katara could even think to call for help, she was whisked off her feet onto the Prince's iron ship. As the creaking of the ship leaving the shore brought her to her senses, she realized she was about to taken into the evil nation from which he'd come. The thought of this brought terror to her heart, yet any screams of protest were soon lost within the darkness, as they descended quickly into the Fire Nation waters.
While Katara's cries could not be heard where Aang, Sokka, and Toph were, the pain in their hearts quickly alerted them to the fact that something was terribly wrong. Aang searched high and low for his Katara, who had vanished from both the heavens and the earth. Consumed by depression over the loss of his friend, he soon ceased to remember her worldly duties as Avatar. As he watched the soldiers die all around him, he felt his own hopes begin to fade as well.
At the same time, far across the oceans in the Fire Lands, Zuko hoped to explain his actions to the sweet Katara. Professing his love, he told her of the plan his father helped deploy and begged her to stay and be his wife. Yet, Katara longed for something more, the comforts of Appa's fur and a view of the rolling hills and blue sky up above. Even more than anything, Katara wished she could be with her friends once again.
Far across the world, the Avatar continued to wander the forlorn earth. Eventually he found her way to the town of Sha Bei, where he rested by a flowing fountain. Stripped of all his energy, he appeared older and wrinkled, far beyond his years. Soon four young females found the aging Avatar, and agreed to take him home. Their parents were glad to offer the elderly man lodging and a stable position caring for their young daughter. Wishing to reward the family for their kindness, Aang attempted to teach the child the to bend, by sticking him in the fire each night and removing him every morning before dawn. When the child's mother found the young boy in the flames, she was horrified. Her non-bending mind could not comprehend the actions of the Avatar, and she asked him to leave their home at once. This immediately brought back Aang's fighting spirit, who surprised them by exposing his true self. The family begged the Avatar for forgiveness and in return agreed to his demands: "A temple would be built in my honor, and you will teach the world my secret to bending." Within no time, the town built a beautiful temple on the hillside, which the Avatar meditated in before continuing on his journey.
Yet it didn't take long for Aang's happiness to be replaced with rage, as he recalled the disappearance of his love, Katara. He went to the Spirit World and demanded that Katara be found at once. He questioned everyone he could find and eventually uncovered Ozai's plot. In an attempt to appease Aang's growing anger, Avatar Roku dispatched a messenger to retrieve Katara from the Fire Nation.
Upon his entry to the Fire Lands, the messenger was amazed at what he found. Instead of finding a frail and fearful Katara, he found a radiant and striking Princess of the Fire Nation. She had adjusted well to her new position, saying she had even found her calling. The Princess was now in charge of greeting the new arrivals and helping them adapt to their new life. While she wished to see her friends up above, she was torn by her desire to remain Zuko's wife.
Hoping to comfort Katara in her confusion, Zuko came to his wife's side. He gently kissed her forehead and urged her, "Do not fret, eat instead from this fruit. I know you will like it." As she pressed the red pomegranate seeds to her lips, she listened to his words. He told her he would miss her very much, but her duties as a friend mattered too. So, she climbed into the ship and bid her husband farewell, as the messenger sped them off to the Earth Kingdom, the place where her friends currently resided.
The flowers sang joyfully of her return, while Aang, Sokka, and Toph beamed with pride. Yet, the young girl that they knew so well had changed while she was with the Fire Prince. She had grown into a beautiful woman, both powerful and wise and the more that Aang inquired about her experiences in the Fire Lands, the more he came to worry that the life they knew before was gone. He recalled a declaration Avatar Roku had made in the Spirit World: in order for Katara to return to the home and life she had known, the young waterbender must be as pure as the day she left her friend's side. However, the ruby stain upon her lips from the pomegranate spoke of the beauty's fate. Katara had tasted of the fruit of life. It could not be erased.
Even so, the Spirits loved Katara too much to send her back to Zuko without the hope of returning to Aang and Sokka and Toph abode above. So, each spring Katara comes back with the flowers that pave her way, to tell the story of rebirth, hope and harmony. And each fall when she leaves again for the Fire Nation, her friends mourn and winter comes, while they wait for her return. Yet, for Katara, there is no remorse. She looks forward to the time she spends as Zuko's Princess and wife, and to guiding those who have lost their way to the next phase of their life.
Author's Notes: Based on the story of Persephone, the Greek Goddess of the Underworld. The story is sometimes called the Origin of the Seasons. It's probably one of my favorite myths. (this one has absolutely nothing to do with the other mythology-based story I wrote other than that they have the same characters and that they are both myths).
This is only my second fanfic, so please tell me if it's absolutely horrid.
-Cae