Okay, I'm terribly sorry for being away for so long. I've had writer's block for a while, and school work to attend to. Needless to say,...I've been busy. Anyway, I listened to this song one day, and it just SCREAMED Kataang to me. So, as I so love to do, I followed my impulse. And this was born. It's not as Kataang-y as I would like it to be, but, it's supposed to be. Just so this is cleared up, it takes place a little before the Boy in the Iceberg and during it. This was just a take I had on it. Thanks again to my Waterbending beta, and best friend, Katara. She sees the wonderfulness of my writing, when I don't. And then she berates me about it. Anyway, r & r por favor!!! Thanks!!
Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own A:TLA in any shape, way, or form. All rights go to ingenious men, Bryke. The song is not owned by me, it is owned by Skillet.
This is dedicated to LadyBaSingSe. Thanks for pushing me enough to write what I do. XoXo XoXo 3 3 :]
Hero
Katara blearily opened her eyes as sunlight began to stream into her igloo. Slowly, her blue orbs searched the interior of her home. Sometimes, it took her a minute to remember where she was, if she was still safe at home or not, and to confirm that she was still living. Katara took slightly longer than usual to remove herself from her bed. Once on her feet, she stretched to loosen her muscles and gradually awaken.
Then, Katara began her natural daily routine. She got dressed and started to work on her hair; her usual braid and, as Sokka so affectionately called them, "hair loopies". Not shortly after, she began to walk to the door when she stopped at the window. Katara looked out at the terrain that surrounded the Southern Water Tribe. It was an endless sea of white with a blank horizon.
"But for how long?" Katara thought outloud to herself, a sigh following behind the words. She never lost hope. It was one of the things that kept her going, motivated, able to wake up in the morning. However, it got harder each passing day. So much harder. Faith and hope started to get more and more difficult to retain.
I'm just a step away, I'm just a breath away
Losing my faith today(I'm falling off the edge today)
I am just a man, not superhero man(I'm not superhero man)
Someone save me from the hate
The war between the nations had last a hundred years and it was drawing to a close. The Fire Nation was nearing victory; and everyone knew it. Still, many refused to surrender. However, times were tough. Since her and her brother's father had left to aid the Earth Kingdom two years ago, a lot of weight had fallen on their shoulders. Much of the weight, though, was thrust onto Katara. The death of their mother had made a huge impact on the family and it was slowly taking its toll. Katara had to do much of the housework and keep an eye on her brother in the process. Still, in times of need, Katara refused to relinquish the strand of hope that she clung so desperately to.
It's just another war
Just another family torn(We're fallin' from my faith today)
Just a step from the edge
Just another day in the world we live
The air was cold, as usual, and the atmosphere felt slightly heavy as Katara made her way outside. She casually made her way around her small village, deliberately taking her time. She loved her village, and the people in it, but it was getting hard to see them like this. Not everyone retained the faith and hope that Katara still had. Many people had already accepted defeat. Some didn't show it on the outside, but inside, especially through their eyes, it was clearly evident. Katara refused to be one of those people, no matter what happened.
Silently, she made her way to the edge of the ice and watched the water slowly lap at her feet. For a few moments, she looked out at the horizon. It was empty, but yet, never ending. Still, Katara had hope that one day she would wake up and see her father's fleet sailing back. Most, however, feared the opposite; instead of a fleet of Water Tribe boats, it would be those that murdered her mother. The tribe was as defenseless as it could be. Katara silently prayed to the spirits that things for them wouldn't get any worse.
I need a hero
To save me now
I need a hero(save me now)
I need a hero
To save my life
A hero will save me(just in time)
Katara's reverie was soon shattered by a loud, and overly obnoxious, voice behind her.
"Katara! KA-TA-RA!!" she rolled her eyes and turned to see her brother, Sokka, charging towards her. "Katara!" he yelped again, skidding to a halt right in front of her.
"What is it, Sokka?" she asked, clearly aggravated.
"There's a hole in my pants," the boy simply stated, pointing to a small, almost barely noticeable, hole in the knee of his pants.
Rolling her eyes again, she replied, "It's fine, Sokka."
"But, Katara!" he whined in protest.
"Why is this so important?" she inquired.
"I wanna go fishing. And I can't fish with the knowledge that there's a HOLE in my pants!" he continued to whine, emphasizing his point by jabbing a finger towards his knee.
"Sokka. You'll be fine," Katara concluded. Turning back around, she redirected her attention to the horizon.
I've got to fight today, to live another day
Speakin' my mind today(my voice will be heard today)
I've gotta make a stand, but I am just a man(I'm not superhero man)
My voice will be heard today
Sokka quietly joined his sister, and watched her horizon with her.
"Do you think they'll come back soon?" The question wasn't really directed towards Sokka; it was something that Katara constantly thought about, day in and day out. The worry, sometimes, seemed to get the best of her. They heard nothing from her father since he left, and that worried her. Fear constantly ate at her heart and dread nagged at her thoughts. She hated the feeling. Even more so, she hated to think the worst. In fact, she refused to. Periodically, Katara had to set up a barrier in her mind to keep these thoughts from resurfacing. And yet, they did. Somehow, they always managed to creep their way back in.
Sokka gently nudged his sister and said, "Come on. Let's go fishing. I'll get the canoe." Katara nodded with the smallest bit of sorrow and silently trudged after her older brother. She needed something to do; a distraction, maybe? Still, the war would always be there. And there was no constant distraction to push away that fact.
It's just another war
Just another family torn(my voice will be heard today)
It's just another kill
The countdown begins to destroy us now
I need a hero
To save me now
I need a hero(save me now)
I need a hero
To save my life
A hero will save me(just in time)
I need a hero
To save my life
I need a hero
Just in time
Katara wanted her distraction, and, sure enough, she got it. She was always forgetting how difficult it was to go fishing with her brother. Katara was more than capable of fishing, but her brother thought differently. He was a sexist, she thought, in every sense of the word. He believed women should stick to cooking, cleaning, housework, etc. She remembered him telling her one day that all humans of the female origin should be barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen. Katara narrowed her eyes. One of these days, he would meet a girl who would put him in his place. And, she hoped, it would be as HARD as possible.
Sokka slowly rose from the canoe, and poised his spear, a fish in his sights. He said something to Katara, but she wasn't really paying attention. Bored, she leaned over the side of the canoe and spotted a fish darting back and forth. Katara removed a glove and bent a globe of water from under them, containing the fish.
"Sokka, look!" she exclaimed, triumphantly. Katara was a Waterbender, a trait she had inherited from her mother's side of the family. Sokka blew her off with a comment of his own. However, she was having difficulty controlling the minute bubble of water. Suddenly, her brother cocked his arm back and the ball exploded, drenching him in liquid.
"Hey!" Katara shouted, annoyed.
"Ugh! Why is it that every time you play with magic water I get soaked?" he questioned.
"It's not magic. It's Waterbending, and it's-" but Katara got cut off before she could finish. They had both heard this spiel before, and Sokka made sure to let her know it.
Save me just in time; save me just in time
Who's gonna fight for what's right?
Who's gonna help us survive?
We're in the fight of our lives(And we're not ready to die)
Who's gonna fight for the weak?
Who's gonna make 'em believe?
I've got a hero(I've got a hero)
Livin' in me
I've gotta fight for what's right
Today I'm speakin' my mind
And if it kills me tonight(I will be ready to die)
A hero's not afraid to give his life
A hero's gonna save me just in time
Lately, Katara had enough to deal with, and she was at her wit's end. Sokka's constant snippy and snide remarks finally made her snap. Katara stood up and started to yell at her brother, ranting about this and that. However, she was unaware of the torrents she was creating; with Waterbending no doubt. Sokka tried in vain to get his sister's attention, but she didn't want to listen to him at the moment.
Finally, she looked up to see that they had entered an area packed with ice. The sibling frantically tried and maneuver the canoe between the oncoming icebergs. Each time they avoided one, another seemed to replace it. Their situation was grim and getting worse by the second. Suddenly, three icebergs came and collided at once, crushing the canoe, and Katara and Sokka jumped out, narrowly escaping. The pair found themselves stranded on a slow-moving iceberg.
"You call that left?" Katara inquired sarcastically, catching her breath.
"You don't like my steering? Well, maybe you should have 'waterbended' us out of the ice" Sokka shot back. Katara just lost it again.
"So it's MY fault?" she hissed.
"I knew I should have left you home. Leave it to a girl to screw things up," he quipped; unaware of the dangerous territory he was already treading through. Katara snapped and started to rant once again. Suddenly, their iceberg began to heave and it cracked behind her. It split open entirely and disintegrated, major pieces falling into the water and pushing their iceberg away. Just then, the water in front of them began to glow an incandescent blue. Moving backward, another iceberg surfaced in front of them.
Katara walked up to it and saw a boy inside, seated in a meditation pose. Suddenly, his eyes and arrows started to glow, giving off an eerie, yet comforting, light. Seeing the boy alive, Katara grabbed her brother's club and ran over to the iceberg. Immediately, she began to beat on the ice. Finally, it cracked open and air was released. The iceberg exploded, and bluish-white light shot straight into the sky.
Sokka bolted forward and shielded his sister form the blast. They both looked up to see blue light still swirling around the remains at the top of the iceberg.
I need a hero
To save me now
I need a hero(save me now)
I need a hero
To save my life
A hero will save me(just in time)
I need a hero(who's gonna fight for what's right, who's gonna help us survive?)
I need a hero(who's gonna fight for the weak, who's gonna make 'em believe?)
I need a hero
I need a hero!
The boy from within appeared, his eyes and arrows still aglow, and stood up. The glow slowly faded and he slid down the side, almost as if unconscious. Katara lunged forward and caught him as he fell, before he impacted with the icy cold ground. Sokka poked him in the head, but Katara swatted his hand away. Gently, she turned him over onto his back. She looked at the boy in wonder, a million questions running through her head.
Finally, the boy began to stir, and she saw him slowly open his eyes. He looked up as her ice-blue orbs met his soft grey ones. A caring smile graced her lips as she gazed down at him. Staring at him still, she felt something stir within her heart, but wasn't exactly sure what it could be, and wouldn't for quite some time. However, Katara knew things were going to be different from then on. Much different.
A hero's gonna save me just in time.
I've got to say. This has got to be the LONGEST oneshot I've EVER written. Which is funny, cuz I usually write Tokka. Oh well.