Dear Katara,
I don't really know how to say this. I can't say it. So I'm going to write it. I know, that's cowardly. But sometimes I get fed up with having to be the bravest and strongest because of who I am- the Avatar. Surely you'll forgive me this one time? I swear, someday, I'll come back and apologize in person, but I can't.
Anyways. I have to go away. There's trouble in the Spirit World. I have to go to the North Pole and meditate in the Spirit Oasis up there. It'll give me strength. If that doesn't work, I'll go visit the swamp benders and the tree. Who knows if I'll come back? But if I don't, at least I can say I love-
Katara threw the letter on the floor, her face pinched with fury. How could Aang do this to her? Hadn't he left without warning enough times already? Why didn't he trust her? Surely they had been through enough stuff together! Then why did he take it upon himself to always protect her? She was a master water bender, for spirit's sake! She could take care of herself.
Then why did Aang leave her behind?
No matter how long she sat and thought, a suitable answer would not come to her. She sighed, rubbing her face in her gloved hands.
"Katara?"
She turned around, blinking as light streamed through the doorway. "Sokka?" she asked.
"Yeah, the one and only." he grinned, and she returned it with a small smile. "What's wrong?"
Katara pointed to the letter. Sokka read it, and then put it down.
"Katara, I'm sorry. But at least he had the decency to leave you a letter..."
"He didn't even leave you anything?" Katara asked.
"Well, I did find some great seal jerky this morning, but I thought it was just a divine gift for being so cool. I guess that must have been Aang." Sokka displayed his hands wide, grinning and waiting for her response. She just shook her head
"If you ever get a gift from anyone because of your coolness, I will cut of my loops and my hair and give them to you," she said.
"What about-"
"And Suki doesn't count," Katara added. She laughed at Sokka's dejected face. "I know you didn't just come in here to chat." she said eventually. Sokka looked up, his face twisted with some emotion: fear? Sadness? Katara knew he brother so well, but that face was one she couldn't read at all.
"...Sokka?" she questioned, nervously.
"It's from the Fire Nation palace-"
"Zuko?" Katara interrupted, puzzled. Sokka nodded. "I'm guessing it's not good news?" Sokka nodded again, this time more hesitantly. "Sokka, what's wrong?"
"Mai has been killed. Ty Li was seriously injured as well, but she can't remember the attacker. Fortunately, Zuko was out on a secret diplomatic mission, so he's unharmed but..." Sokka swallowed nervously. "Azula's missing. Her prison door isn't even there. It's melted."
"Do you mean she tried to assassinate them?" Katara asked numbly. Azula had escaped? She was terrifying enough before the fall of the previous Fire Lord, but now she was insane! Her hands and feet were always bound with the strongest metal known to benders. Toph herself had metal bent it out of the ground.
"Yeah, that's what everyone is assuming. But it's hard to tell, because Azula's blood was found all over her cell wall."
"That could mean she's just crazy enough to injure herself to escape," Katara snapped. Sokka shrugged.
"Katara, it was a lot of blood. I doubt even Azula could survive that." he shook his head. "Anyways, Zuko has requested a gathering. He's invited us and Toph, as well as Aang. But I'm guessing the Avatar isn't going to show up..." Sokka hesitated, looking at the discarded letter. "There'll probably be others there as well, but Zuko's pretty worried about this. And he's always pretty crushed about Mai dying."
Katara nodded. Even though the Fire Lord and Mai had broken up about a year ago, it was still recent enough that it was sure to leave a scar on his heart. Katara could only imagine how she would feel if Aang was murdered, angry and lonely feelings put aside. "Alright," she said finally. "I guess we have to go."
Sokka prepared everything for the journey. He packed his trusty boomerang, his meteorite sword, formal clothes, warm clothes, cold weather clothes, foods of all varieties, scrolls, compasses, maps, pictures...
"Sokka, we don't need all this provision stuff," Katara told him. "Zuko's sending a balloon our way. It'll only take a couple of days, and even then they'll feed us. We're not going on a trip on Appa's back."
Sokka turned around, staring at her defiantly. "You never know what you'll need on a journey!" he told her, poking her in the chest with his be-mittened hand. She just stared back, exasperated.
"Whatever you say, adventure guy." Katara muttered.
Within the hour, they saw the Fire Nation zeppelins over the ice bergs. It was still hard seeing the Fire Nation emblem after what had happened during her child hood. She looked back at her thriving village, which was bigger and more prosperous then it was in any of her memories. She had numerous memories of this village, too... She shuddered, pushing aside that feeling of fear and anger that still lingered now.
The balloons landed, the metal gateway crashing open. Katara picked up her bags and walked smoothly up the walkway. When she turned back, Sokka was trying to balance all his parcels, bag, packages and cases. He was a big teetering pile of stuff. She laughed. Then she abandoned him, running inside.
"Hey, there, Katara." came a very familiar voice.
"Toph!" Katara cried. She dropped her bags lightly, running over to her blind friend. "Wow, Toph! You've grown so much!"
"Yeah, well, it has been four years since the war ended!" Toph exclaimed. She was now as tall as Katara, but Katara wouldn't have been surprised if Toph would surpass her soon. Her thick black hair had grown much longer, but she still word a head piece. This one was of beautiful gold inlaid with precious jade, and her long, straigh hair swept down in silken, black sheets. Her face had thinned out, but her body was still strong and wiry. Toph still preferred her boyish clothes, though, no matter how long her hair seemed to have gotten. "Gosh, Toph, you've gotten really pretty."
"I would say the same thing, but I'm blind." Toph said, and they both laughed. They had heard that line multiple times before, and it was refreshing.
Sokka arrived eventually, puffing. "Hey there, meat-head." Toph said. "Let me help you with your bags." she stamped her feet, and then used a strong motion with her hands, pulling towards herself. There was a shriek of metal as the bags slid next to the rest of the cargo. She stamped her feet again, pushing down towards the ground, and the metal straightened itself out. Sokka panted, his face amazed.
"Wha-? Why couldn't you have just done that before?" he yelled. Toph smiled innocently as Katara hid her smiling mouth with her hand.
"I was catching up on girl stuff with Katara," Toph replied. Sokka stared at them, his lower lip sticking out. He hasn't changed very much, Katara thought. Not on the inside. "No, really," Toph assured him. "By the way, it's good to see you again. Well, not really see you. But you know what I mean."
"Whatever," Sokka said eventually, putting his hands up in the air as a gesture of defeat. "I should be used to this sort of stuff by now." and he stalked off, muttering something about food.
"Wow, he's gotten taller." Toph whispered to Katara. "And his voice is deeper, too." Katara shrugged.
"I guess so. I didn't really notice," Katara said. But she looked at Toph, who was running her fingers through her straight hair self-consciously.
"Maybe I should keep my hair up," she said absentmindedly. Katara smiled.
"I think it looks really good that way." Katara replied as she started moving towards the stairs. The walkway behind them started moving with a small purr from the engines. Katara had to admit, the machinery of the Fire Nation was sophisticated and efficient. But it made her think longingly of her igloo with the cold, clean air and the exhilaration of being one with nature.
"Who else is on the ship?" Katara asked Toph. Toph thought.
"I dunno. Um, you and Sokka. Me. The crew. Suki is already at the Fire Nation palace," Sokka will be happy, Katara thought. "King Bumi will arrive soon, too. They said Twinkle Toes was going to board with-"
"Aang's not coming," Katara said shortly. Toph raised an eyebrow, looking straight ahead. They continued walking as Toph waited for Katara to finish. "He's gone to the North Pole to meditate and fix something that's wrong with the Spirit World," Katara said eventually. Toph sighed loudly, blowing her long bangs out of they way.
"He always has to be the hero," Toph pronounced. Katara grinned.
"I missed you," she said. Toph shrugged.
"Eh, I'm not surprised."
"No, really. I really missed you, Toph," said Katara, who was beginning to get over her happy feelings.
"Yeah, I know." Toph replied breezily. Katara felt her eyebrow crease with irritation. Ok, well, she hadn't missed this part of Toph.
They soon reached their rooms. Katara had a room all by herself, and she nervously sat down. The cabin was lit by the same harsh red light as everything in these Fire Nation machines seemed to be lit by. The Fire Nation emblem was proudly displayed on a tapestry on the wall, and she stared at it. It seemed to swim before her eyes. Too distract herself, she took out her jug of water, exercising her skill. The silvery liquid swam around and around, glittering in the red light.
A knock startled Katara out of her reveries. When she opened the door up, she saw a girl her age- around 17, perhaps?- staring evenly at her. She was extremely tall, though, with little to show she was a girl besides the softness of her face. She was dressed in traditional casual Fire Nation clothing – black, loose pants that were tucked into a golden band. She wore a red wrap around trimmed with black silk and held together with a golden waistband, and a black silk shirt, tucked into her metal armlets, that matched her soft, supple black shoes. The effect came over as casual, but expensive. But the clothes were not the things that attracted Katara's attention; the girl's hair was a startling yellow color, glimmering pinkish in the light. Katara opened her mouth, gaping at the shade.
"Greetings, Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe," said the girl formally, bowing with her left hand in a fist, thumb to the palm of her open right hand. Katara bowed back, trying to get over the strange color of the girl's hair. "My name is Leeya of the Fire Nation." the girl straightened, her fierce icy, blue eyes staring into Katara's own deep sapphire ones. Katara nodded mutely. Even Leeya's name was strange... "Come with me. We're going to the dining hall."
Leeya clomped along the metal halls, her hands held stiffly behind her back. Looking at her from behind, she looked like a commander. One would also think she was a man, if it weren't for her hair... Katara added in her mind, watching the thick, straight hair sway in its golden braid. It's difficult to tell what she's like, Katara thought. She seems nice enough, but she's so... Formal.
They met Sokka and Toph in the dining hall. Sokka's mouth dropped when he saw Leeya's hair and fierce attitude. She smiled, though, either unaware or used to people's reactions. When Katara glanced around, she noticed wary glances at the girl. These seasoned warriors are afraid of her? She thought. No, it wasn't that. They were suspicious, but it was almost a superstitious suspicion.
"Tell me," Katara heard Sokka say. "Did you happen to meet a certain, um, Moon Spirit?"
"No," said Leeya. "But I've met the Sun spirit."
"Whoa! Is she pretty?"
"Yeah, he's gorgeous. I dunno, I was joking." Leeya replied, swallowing her food. Sokka deflated. "Why?"
Sokka shook his head as Toph said, "Long story."
Katara turned back to the conversation, slurping up a noodle. She noticed Leeya picking at her food.
"Do you not like it?" Katara asked. The girl shrugged.
"The food where I'm from is much different," she said. "It's not that I don't like it. It's good. But I miss my food."
"I understand," Katara said kindly. Leeya smiled, her icy blue eyes crinkling. Her hair was so pale, it seemed almost white. But she had dark eyelashes. Odd, thought Katara.
"So I hear you've been experimenting with water bending, Katara," Toph said eventually. She was the only person who wasn't sneaking glances at Leeya's strange hair. Katara swallowed a vegetable, and nodded.
"Yeah. I started looking around and noticing that everything is made of some liquid, or has some sort of water. I was trying to see if I could take the water out of the air, that way I don't have to kill anything living."
"Is it working?" Leeya asked.
"Well... Not really. I've only tried it on the full moon. But I'm also trying to build my strength, so that way I can do stuff with out the moon."
Leeya's smile was haunting.
"You'll be grateful for the limits the moon puts on you," she said. Sokka and Toph slurped noisily at their noodles, but Katara watched the girl's face, feeling a chill race up her spine.
"What do you mean?" she asked, but Leeya merely shrugged, and the seriousness of the moment was soon over.
They retired to their rooms. Katara flopped onto her bed, staring at the ceiling.
"You bearpig," she muttered to the ceiling. "You annoying, ungrateful slugfish! I can't believe you, leaving me like that!"
She sat up, unscrewing the lid to her water flask. She flicked it outwards, watching it smash into the metal walls. "You... You annoy me so much! You are so carefree about everything! And when you become serious, you don't to include me!" Smack! Went the water against the metal. "I care so much for you! Why do you do it?" Smack! "Is it because I'm too weak?" Smack! "Or are you trying to protect me? Because I certainly don't need protecting!" Smack!
Crash- THUNK. Katara stopped suddenly, the water falling to the floor in a splash. She had ripped a hole in the metal wall, and she gaped at the opening.
"Oh, gosh!" she whispered. "I should find Toph-"
She stopped. In the next room, she saw weapons. Fire Nation weapons. Why would a peaceful air ship have weapons? She slipped into the room, looking around. Then she sighed in relief. They were just protection, in case the air ship was attacked. This certainly wasn't enough to hurt anyone except a few meager amount of people.
The light shut off as someone slammed the metal over the opening and sealed it was a gust of hot fire, melting the sheet to the wall. Katara turned around, shouting in surprise. She only saw the glow of the heated iron wall, slowly diminishing until it was a scorched black.
"Just great," Katara said.
A/N: Oh, hai. This is my first A:TLA fan fiction. Hopefully, there will be lots more action then my other romance fan fictions. Less fluff. I love fluff, don't get me wrong, but. Yeah.
Leeya is an OC of mine... I always wondered why there were no red-haired or blonde-haired people in the show. I was originally going to give her orange or red hair, because that would be more startling. But I like the idea of pale blonde. And if no one's ever seen blonde hair before, then how would they know the word? :P Tell me if you like her... I like her. And it's not like... Well. I feel like I should introduce other characters because of the small cast. I'll draw a picture of her soon... When I get my tablet back durr hurr I forgot my pen at home D:... But you'll find out more about her laaater~ Thanks for reading the first part!