Written for the Prompt "Blue" for the Avatar 500 LJ challenge community. Follows "Touch the Sky"
"When one sense perceives the hidden, the invisible world becomes apparent to the whole." - Rumi
Far out on the icy water was a raft on which a girl in green lay, still as stone. Katara bent up a wave that carried it to her brother who hauled it out of the ice. Closer inspection revealed pale cheeks under streaks of dirt, blue lips, and bare, death-white fingers and toes. Beside her was a long but unremarkable staff.
"Is she alive?" Sokka asked.
"Yes, but we have to get her back to the village."
Sokka scooped up the girl and her staff and carried her to the sled. Katara hopped on the back, lifted her arms, and away they sped over the ice.
"Gran Gran! Sifu Hama!"
The two women looked up as Kanna's grandchildren burst in, a small human-shaped bundle in Sokka's arms, a staff in Katara's hand.
"We found her floating on the ocean!" Katara said, panting slightly.
"Without shoes!" Sokka added.
He laid her down in front of Hama, who bent water around the child's frostbitten digits. The liquid began to shimmer with blue light.
"Will she be okay?"
Kanna patted her grandson's arm. "She'll be fine. Let's go find your mother and let Hama and Katara work in peace."
"She's awake." Katara beckoned to Sokka, who put down the boomerang he was painting and followed.
Inside the healing hut, Hama sat on her pallet grinding something with a mortar and pestle. Near her was the girl, still wrapped in the fur and wearing boots, a deep frown on her face. Her eyes were a peculiar milky green.
"This is Toph," Katara announced. "Toph, this is my brother Sokka."
"You're blind," he said.
She grimaced. "Brilliant observation, genius."
"Where are your manners, boy?" Hama shook a finger at him.
"Sorry." He took a seat beside Toph. "So why'd you go out on the ocean in the middle of winter with no coat or shoes? Pleasure cruise?"
"Oh yeah, I thought to myself, 'Is that a storm? Let me float in it!' Wasn't trying to get back to the Earth Kingdom at all."
"Trying to get back?"
Toph heaved a sigh. "I was going to learn waterbending from the Foggy Swamp tribe, but since I'm here, I guess I'll learn from you guys."
"Wait, you're a waterbender?"
"Not exactly. I'm an earthbender. And a firebender, and an airbender, sort of."
Hama went very still. Sokka just rubbed his chin. "Okay, now I'm really confused."
"Sokka!" Katara threw her hands up. "She's the Avatar!"
He smacked his forehead. "Of course! Hey, you should ask Master Hama about the last Avatar, Quy. They were really good friends..."
He trailed off as Hama got to her feet and strode out of the igloo. Katara gave him a questioning look, and he shrugged.
"Why is everyone quiet all of a sudden?" Toph asked.
"Hama left," he answered.
"Why?"
"We don't know."
