Okay, so I had the inspiration for this story late one night, and I just had to write it! It's an Alternate Universe, which takes place in the present-day, but still in the world of ATLA. The themes are similar to that of LOK, but not quite, and all relationships established in each series aren't relevant. I'm only using the characters, the settings, and the base of the plot for this story. If you have any questions, or if you're confused about what's happening, please let me know. Thank you, and enjoy! P.S. My chapters usually will NOT be this long. :D
The City Of Omashu -September 2015-
Katara quickly shoved her hands in her pants, which, of course, resulted in a rather embarrassing patch of water on her leg. She didn't mean to do it, sometimes she just couldn't help it. She hadn't even noticed she had done it until stupid old Mary Henson had to go and point it out to the teacher.
"Ms. Young, Ms. Young! Katara is doing it again!" she screeched in her high-pitched, annoying as hell voice. Katara flinched, effectively breaking her concentration, and down the water fell, straight onto her lap. She glared daggers at Mary, who smirked back at her, relishing in Katara's embarrassment. Oh, if only Katara could truly show her what she was capable of.
Ms. Young sat down the Biology book with a dull thud, and walked over to where Katara and Mary sat. Katara sat up straighter, determined not to bow down to her teacher. Ms. Young stopped right in front of Katara, hands on hips, looking down at her. "Katara," she explained, tsking her tongue. Katara hated her, she hated Mary, she hated anyone who tried to make her feel stupid for having a unique ability. "You know the rules. No element bending allowed in school, or anywhere for that matter," She raised her hand, pointing toward the door. Katara narrowed her eyes, before standing up abruptly, her face suddenly inches away from Ms. Young's. Katara searched her eyes, trying to find a reason why she would want Katara to suppress her natural gift, and she found nothing. She knew that the only reason there was an anti-bending movement going on was because the leaders of the nations didn't want someone more powerful than them rising up the ranks.
Katara glared at Ms. Young for a second longer, before shoving past her and heading for the door. On the way, Katara heard a snigger coming from a boy she used to have a crush on. Furious, she turned violently to the left, and focused on the beaker full of water in front of the boy. She couldn't help herself, she pulled the water out of the beaker, and shot it straight at her former crush's face. Soaking wet, and looking like a confused puppy, the class howled with laughter at the expense of the boy who had the bright idea to cross Katara.
Before Katara could bask in how easy it was to change a classroom full of sixteen-year-old's minds, she felt a sharp, electrifying pain course through her arms and down her spine. She froze, her face clenching up in a very ugly fashion, and she couldn't make any noise except a sharp, smooth stream of breath out of her nose. The pain was blinding, but brief, and when it was over Katara, fuming, faced her teacher, who was holding the remote control lazily in her hand. She looked at Katara as if she were a small child. "Go, now, Katara, before I turn up the voltage," she said sweetly.
Katara clenched her fists, but she knew that she would be unable to bend any water for a little while. Stupid electric chi blockers, she thought to herself as she stomped down the hall to the detention room. She wasn't angry about having to go to detention, she couldn't care less about getting to spend the rest of the class hour in a classroom full of people like her, she was angry with the fact that she wasn't allowed to use her ability in public.
Waterbending, or bending of any sort, was a beautiful, exceptionally extraordinary phenomenon that deserved to be respected, to be taught, to be encouraged. Katara supposed that there was a time, with the first benders, where they commanded said respect, but that time was long ago, and now, if one was born with the ability to bend an element, they were tainted, they were unwanted, they were different.
Most of the benders left now are orphans, given up by parents who didn't want the burden of hiding their child's power, and they tend to live alone, isolated, afraid to use their gift. Katara herself only had one good friend, another bender, and she didn't even know how they became to be friends. Perhaps it was all the detention spent together.
Katara opened the door with her legs, kicking it in, because her arms were still limp and weak from the chi shock. Inside, she saw the typical array of students. There was Aang the airbender, who was curled up in a ball, his eyes closed, rocking back and forth at random. Katara had never understood the airbender, and maybe she thought that that was because there were fewer of them, and therefore they had to find other ways to cope with oppression, or maybe it was because back when bending was accepted, the airbenders were the nomads, the monks. Katara tried not to focus on it too much, because it just got complicated.
Sitting in the farthest desk from the teacher's, arms crossed, eyes narrowed, her feet tapping, was the earthbender Toph. She was blind, and Katara had heard rumors that she got around by using her feet to sense movement, and she had also heard rumors that Toph Beifong was a hell of a bender. But for now, she didn't bend anything. She kept her mouth shut, and stared at nothing.
And then there were the others, scattered around. There was the ever-present group that called themselves the Freedom Riders. Katara wasn't sure if they were actual benders, but she knew that they supported the cause to free the benders of their oppression, and so she tolerated them. But Katara hardly paid attention to these people. She found who she was looking for sitting in the middle of the room, his hands laced in front of him, sitting on the desk. His dark hair covered half of his face, and the half that was revealed was the damaged half, the half that was scarred. Katara made a beeline to Zuko, the firebender, and sat down next to him. He stirred at his presence, and turned his head to face her. Katara gave him half a smile, before stretching out her arms.
"What're you in for?" she asked nonchalantly. Zuko shrugged his shoulders. "Same old, same old. My flame in chemistry was a bit too small, so I gave it a boost, and of course, my lab partner had to go and tattle," he said, his good eye rolling. He sat back, leaning against the back of his seat, resting his head on his hand. Katara tried massaging the muscles in her arms, anything to give her feeling back.
Zuko narrowed his eyes at her, his expression one of concern. "Did they chi block you?" he asked, his voice soft. But not soft enough. At the word 'chi', all the muted chatter came to a stop, and all eyes were looking at Katara and Zuko. It was already unusual enough for a waterbender and a firebender to inhabit the same space, but now, everyone was listening in on their conversation. Katara swallowed, her eyes gazing at the kids in the room. Even Aang, who was slightly paranoid Katara resolved, lifted his head, and listened in.
"Uh, yeah, they chi blocked me," she said quietly. The other kids in the room gasped, and a few opened their mouths to speak, but the room monitor hushed everyone up quickly, and nobody got a chance to ask Katara what exactly 'chi-blocking' felt like. Zuko leaned his head closer to his best friend, trying to be extra quiet. "Isn't this the third time?" he breathed. Katara looked at him, annoyed. Zuko wasn't her father, or her brother, he didn't have a right to talk to her like she was a child.
"It's not like I was asking for it," she hissed. Zuko pulled back a bit, turning to face the front of the room. Katara groaned, a part of her feeling bad for hurting Zuko's feelings, but a larger part of her being irritated at how sensitive he was. She placed a hand on his arm and gave it a small squeeze. "I'm sorry," she said. Zuko sighed, rubbing his eyes. He faced Katara once more, taking her hand in his. "I hate this injustice," he said. Katara exhaled softly, resting her head on Zuko's shoulder. "Yeah, me too. It really sucks," she murmured.
Zuko rested his head on top of Katara's, and gazed at the ceiling. "Maybe we should just run away, start a colony of benders somewhere deep in the mountains, maybe even make it to Ba Sing Se," he mused, his voice trailing off. Katara didn't respond, because Zuko's words had a hint of truth to them. What if she did run away? Just left this Godforsaken city and went to hide in the mountains, where water was plentiful and she didn't have to hide who she really was? Hm, perhaps we should, she thought, before closing her eyes and picturing a world where she could be free.
Katara trudged through the rain, her boots brown with mud, and her hair hanging in strings in front of her face. She wanted badly to just bend the water in a crescent over her head, but she didn't dare bend in public, out in the open, because if anyone had seen her, they could call the police and then she'd be in real trouble. She'd heard rumors of the prisons where rebel benders were kept, and she shuddered at the thought of being shipped off to one of them.
Of course, it may be worth it even for a few seconds of being able to bend freely, using as much power as one could muster. Katara approached the gloomy, decrepit building that passed as a group home, and paused right outside of it, looking up at the rooms. She sighed, hating the fact that she had to stay in the house for a another two years. The kids she was staying with weren't even benders, they were just your average run-of-the-mill orphans, and none of them wanted to be associated with a waterbender, so they kept their distance.
Katara didn't feel lonely, and she was grateful for the isolation, because without it, she wouldn't be able to sneak off as easily.
Katara clambered up the stairs, passing a few girls who stood in a group, whose chatter fell to a hush the moment Katara walked past. Katara ignored them and their ever-present stares, and continued down the hallway to where her room was. It was a tiny room, but she was able to decorate as she pleased. More as a slap in the face than anything, Katara had painted the room bright blue, with the ancient Water Tribe insignia covering one whole wall. The symbol also adorned the outside of her door, and she had taken to doodling it on any scraps of paper she could find. This was her own version of a silent protest.
Katara silently pulled out her textbooks and did her homework quietly. She cursed Ms. Young for giving her such a huge homework load, and quit halfway through it, slamming the book closed and standing up, groaning, releasing a tiny shred of the pent-up anger she felt.
Clenching her fists and trying to keep from screaming, Katara went downstairs to where dinner was being served, and sat down at the opposite end of the table, the other seven or so girls occupying the other end. While their voices lowered when Katara arrived, they kept speaking in an undertone, glancing at Katara every now and then. Katara did her best to focus on her meal, and eat quickly, because she was planning on meeting Zuko at eight, but she couldn't help but overhear bits of the girls' conversation.
"She looked like a monkey when they did the electric thing on her, did you see her face? All scrunched up and stupid-looking," one girl, Halsey, said. Katara clenched her fingers around her fork, and swallowed roughly, her stomach curling with anger. She pressed her mouth into a tight line, and trained her eyes on the grainy wood, but she couldn't resist. She knew they were all looking for her. She knew they were trying to provoke her into bending.
And so she slid her eyes up and locked them with Halsey's. Halsey stared at Katara, smirking, as if she were better than her. Katara's palms grew sweaty with fury, and her glass of water began to vibrate ever so slightly. "What, did I say something to upset you?" Halsey cooed, tilting her head, treating Katara like a child. Katara exhaled loudly through her nose, and stood up violently, shaking the whole table. The other girls looked up at her lazily, as if they weren't scared of her. They should be.
"What're you going to do? Pour water on us?" another one said, laughing coldly. Katara's eyes narrowed into slits, her fingers spreading out in spasms. She hadn't done it in a long time, and she wasn't sure if she still could, but dammit she had to try. She had to teach these girls a lesson.
She'd have to run away if she did it. There was no turning back once she revealed her other ability. She accepted that consequence, and focused all of her energy and concentration on Halsey in particular. "You think that's all I can do?" she said, her voice smooth and silky, and even a bit evil. Halsey's eyes flickered a bit, but she sat up straighter and crossed her arms. "Do your worst, peasant,"
That was it. Katara's whole being flushed with a rage unlike anything she had ever felt, and she could feel the water running through Halsey's veins, and she smiled masochistically. All of sudden, Halsey's smirk faded from her face, her eyes losing their glee, to be replaced by fear. The other girls backed off too, their stances becoming one of flight, and they watched in a panic as Katara raised her hands, and bended the blood in Halsey's body, forcing her to stand upright completely. She tried to speak, but Katara wouldn't allow her to. Her eyes were wide with terror, and she couldn't do anything.
Katara's smile disappeared as she focused harder, she bent her hand down, causing Halsey to bend at an awkward angle, until she couldn't hold herself anymore, and she collapsed onto the ground. Katara's concentration broke at that moment, and she couldn't bloodbend any longer. Realizing she had control of her own body again, Halsey scrambled away from Katara, tears running down her eyes. "You're a monster!" she sobbed, clinging to the other girls, as they crowded around her, too afraid to even look at Katara. Halsey sobbing, called for the headmistress, and Katara knew she had to run.
Dashing up the stairs, she grabbed her backpack, emptied it of her school contents, and threw as many belongings into it as she could, including the necklace her mother had given her, before leaving her on the steps of the group home. She pulled a black jacket on, zipped it up tight, pulled her long, dark hair into a ponytail, and opened up her window. Taking one last glance at the place she called home, she climbed out the window, and fell about three feet onto the awning above the back door. She could hear Halsey tearfully explaining what had happened, and as she slid to the ground, landing hard on her feet, she thought she heard something smash against a wall, but she wasn't sure, because she had broken off into a run, trying to put as much distance between the group home and herself as possible.
After about fifteen minutes of pure running, Katara wound up at Zuko's home. Since he was eighteen, he was able to live on his own, and the small shack the he called a house stood in silence, dark against the others, which were all well-lit and homey. Katara rapped on his door, and waited anxiously for him to open it. She couldn't stay here forever, for it wasn't a secret that she and Zuko were friends. She hoped that Zuko really did want to run away, because now was the time.
Zuko opened the door, rubbing his eyes. "Katara? It's not eight yet," he said matter-of-factly. Katara rolled her eyes, shoving him aside and entering his little studio. Zuko turned to face her, confused. "I know that. I ran away," she said, checking the windows to make sure she didn't see the flashing lights of the police. Zuko sat back down on his bed, brushing the hair out of his eyes. "Katara, you've run away plenty of times before," he said. Katara was angry, why did he have to ask so many questions? "Yeah, but this time was for real," she said, and she locked eyes with him. "I bloodbended, Zuko. Not only did I break the law, but I attempted to harm someone through my bending. You know what the penalty for that is? Death. Which is why I need to run away, far away, somewhere where I won't be persecuted for being who I am. And I want you to come with me," she explained. Zuko stared up at her, unblinking, as he processed her words.
And then he stood up, rubbing his temples, and pacing back and forth. "You bloodbended? I didn't even know that was possible," he murmured, his pacing speeding up. Katara was growing frustrated. She needed to leave. "I didn't know that conjuring lightning was possible until you told me about it," she pointed out. Zuko stared at her, exasperated. "Yeah, but I wouldn't ever dream of doing it!" he cried. Katara groaned, stomping her feet like a little kid.
"I don't have time for this, Zuko! My headmistress has probably already called the police! I'm a fugitive, and I need to run as far away from here as possible! You're the one who is always talking about going somewhere where people like us can be free, and now's your chance! Now either let's go, or I hope that you have a good life, because I probably won't ever see you again!"
Zuko hesitated a moment longer, and Katara was about to walk out, when he grabbed onto her arm, and spun her back around. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked quietly, seriously. Katara swallowed, looking up defiantly at Zuko. "What choice do I have?" Zuko hesitated, before nodding and grabbing his own bag of things.
When he was packed, the two snuck outside quietly, and sprinted off down the streets, trying to blend into the shadows cast by the setting sun. Katara didn't know exactly where she was going, but she trusted her feet to take her somewhere safe. Zuko didn't ask questions, just blindly followed Katara, whether it be through loyalty or not, Katara did not know. She was just glad to have a companion with her as she ran away from the law.
After about an hour of running, including short breaks, Katara and Zuko arrived at an old, abandoned Sun Temple, deep in the forest surrounding their home city of Omashu. Recalling her knowledge of history, Katara knew that the land she lived in used to be ruled by master firebenders, back in the ancient times when benders ruled the world. The Sun Temple was a ruin that was built by the sages, and the firebenders gathered here to worship, or to practice their bending. The monument was largely shunned by the general population of Omashu, and the only people who had visited were juvenile kids whose only motive was to graffiti the old stone.
Katara took off her backpack, and collapsed next to it, wishing she had packed some bottles of water. Zuko sat next to her, and held a flame of fire in his hand. Katara liked watching Zuko firebend, which she didn't get to see very often, and she envied him for having an unlimited source of fire, for not having to rely on it being around him. Katara looked at her surroundings that moment, and sighed with relief when she discovered a small stream a few meters away. At least she could use her bending. In fact, she stood up, her legs weak with fatigue, and walked over to the stream, lifting her hands.
The water swirled up in little spirals, and she curled them into floating orbs, relishing in her element. She never felt more at peace than when she was bending, and the years of being oppressed made it feel only more special. She carried the orbs of water back to Zuko, and held it as he sucked the water from the air, and sighed with contention as the cool water hit his throat. Katara drank hers, and smiled a bit. She would be okay, she had Zuko, and she was a waterbender.
Just as she was about to ask Zuko where they should head the next morning, she heard a shift in the leaves. She jumped up at the same time as Zuko, and held up her hands, ready to pull more water from the stream to defend herself. Zuko held a defensive stance as well, but Katara worried that it would be inadequate if they came face-to-face with a bender, which was unlikely, but she made a mental note to practice her forms more whenever she had time.
"Who's there!" she called warily, trying to see through the darkness. Without Zuko's flame, everything was black. A voice that Katara recognized answered her. "What're you two doing here?" it said. Katara glanced at Zuko, scrunching her eyebrows together in confusion. Before Katara could figure out who it was, Toph Beifong appeared from the shadows, Katara only just able to make out her silhouette in the moonlight. "Toph?" she said, squinting her eyes to try and get a better look. It was Toph. Her black hair was piled on top of her head, and Katara could see the green and brown colors that Toph wore out of respect to the Earth Kingdom of long ago.
"Katara? I knew it was you," she said, lowering her arms. Katara lowered hers too, and Zuko lit a flame, illuminating the scene. Toph stood a few feet away, her feet bare and her eyes hazy. "What're you doing out here?" Zuko asked, his voice raspy. Toph crossed her arms. "I could ask you the same thing," she said, tapping her foot. Katara gulped, she did not want to confide in the blind earthbender her situation. But then again, she's sure that Toph would understand just as well as Zuko. "I ran away from my group home," she said slowly, simply. Toph's face turned towards hers, and she relaxed her stance a bit.
"Did you bend in front of them?" she asked. Katara shrugged her shoulders. "You could say that," she said, careful not to reveal anything. Toph's eyes narrowed, and Katara had a funny feeling that Toph knew that she wasn't telling her everything, but she did her best to ignore it. She jerked her head in Zuko's direction. "Why is he with you?" she interrogated. Katara glanced at Zuko, who, confused, cleared his throat. "We're running away together. We're trying to get to Ba Sing Se, where I've heard that there are plenty of benders, and no oppression," he declared.
Toph's eyes widened and she ran forward a few paces. "You're going to Ba Sing Se?! Oh, you have to let me come!" she begged. Katara backed a way, shocked that Toph Beifong would want to join her and Zuko. It's not like they were ever friends. The only thing they had in common was that they were cursed with the unfortunate ability to bend certain elements.
"Um," Katara said, once again looking at Zuko, who shrugged his shoulders. Katara looked back at Toph, and the look of desperation on her face showed Katara that Toph understood Katara's own internal struggles, and how could Katara deny a fellow bender the same future that she herself desired? The answer was she couldn't, and so she sighed, running her hand through her hair. "I guess you can come along," she finally said.
Toph's face broke into a smile, and she stood up straighter. "This is going to be a great adventure," she said, and then she faltered. "Um, but before we head out, actually, there's something else," she said, clasping her hands together. Katara groaned.
Toph continued on. "We can't leave without bringing Aang, the airbender," she said. Katara stepped back, shocked. Zuko's flame flickered a bit, as his eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to argue. No way were they going to let the crazy, psychotic airbender join them on their quest to find freedom. No. Fucking. Way. Katara wasn't even sure she could handle a blind earthbender, let alone a schizophrenic monk. But before she could protest, Toph spoke.
"Oh calm down, he's not crazy like everyone believes him to be. He's a bender just like us, an airbender, but he's much, much more than that," Toph leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a low hush. Suddenly, her demeanor became one of intense seriousness, and Katara felt the air around her grow cold. She didn't know why, but she had a feeling she was about to find out.
Toph took a deep breath before continuing. "He's the Avatar,"
Katara couldn't help it, she felt her eyes roll back in her head, and before she realized what had happened, she had collapsed on top of Zuko, fainting from the amount of pure shock and adrenaline coursing through her body.