Untitled Kataang Breakup Piece Part 2
Zuko arrived as the sun rose the next morning. He'd left the Fire Nation as soon as he'd gotten the news. Kanna had been special to him. As he landed he thought about the second time they'd met.
Shortly after his coronation, Zuko felt compelled to apologize for the things he had done to hurt people on his quest to capture the Avatar. His first stop was the South Pole.
He had been cruel to them and he vividly remembered snatching Kanna from Katara's arms. He stepped up to the woman and got down on his knees "Lady Kanna. I apologize for the way I came into your tribe last year. I am especially sorry for the way I handled you. It was dishonorable. If there is anything I can do for you or your tribe I and my resources are at your disposal."
The little old woman smiled and grunted a bit as she stooped down to the teenager. She used her fingertips to lift the boys head "Stand young Fire Lord. Your apology is accepted." Zuko looked at her and smiled, but Kanna could see a sadness in his eyes "Come young man, we'll go to my igloo and talk."
The two stood together and Kanna led him through the crown of onlookers to her home. They sat and she studied the boy "You've been through a lot, haven't you my boy?"
"We all have." he answered humbly.
"No. The boy that was here a year ago was angry and broken. That comes from being hurt by someone you love."
His eyes stretched. He hadn't even told his friends how he'd got his scar. He'd never told anyone himself. People either knew or they didn't. As if under a spell his fingertips went to the edge of his scar and he started talking "I spoke out of turn. My uncle told me not to say anything, but what they were going to do was so horrible. My father," he closed his eyes and rubbed his hand across his scar "this was my punishment."
Then the woman did something that completely surprised him. She grabbed him and hugged him tight.
He'd come alone. Suki offered to come with him, but he did not think that would be a very good idea. She stayed to help Lady Ursa keep an eye on things in the Fire Nation.
When the balloon landed, he got off and went to join the crowd gathered outside of Kanna's old igloo. The assemblage parted quietly to let the Fire Lord walk through to his friends who immediately greeted him with hugs.
"Okay guys, it's time to go." Hakoda said quietly as he placed his hands on his children's shoulders.
"Okay Dad." Sokka answered meekly as he reached out and wrapped his hand around his sister's.
Hakoda and Pakku walked side by side towards town followed by Katara and Sokka. Aang and Zuko situated themselves on either side of Toph and the three of them and Bato walked behind their friends followed by the rest of the tribe.
The singing was low and mournful, old songs and chants in a language that the fire bender had never heard. He looked at the water tribe siblings as they held on to each other's hands. He knew that they had done this before when they were younger.
The mourners made their way to the cemetery at the other side of town where an elder and six younger men stood around Kanna's grave. The men had carried her from the morgue and carefully placed her into the shallow grave that had been dug the day before to Bato's specifications. Her body had been wrapped in the hide of the tiger seal Sokka had killed the prior afternoon. The skin was tied around her body with straps of leather, the only part of her showing was her face.
The elder started speaking and the young men moved so that Kanna's family could stand on either side of her. Hakoda and Pakku on her left, Katara and Sokka on her right. Zuko watched his friends. Despite the steady flow of tears rolling down Katara's face she looked strong and dignified. Sokka was unreadable, just a slightly sad look on his face as he focused on not looking at his grandmother.
Katara kneeled down. She reached out and touched Kanna's face gently with her fingertips before she leaned over and dipped three fingers into a small pot of red paint one of the men held down for her. The water bender slowly, reverently covered her grandmother's face in a fine coat of the paint before she used a single finger to draw a line down her own cheek.
She took the small jar of paint from the man and walked one by one to the men of her family and painted streaks on their faces. Then she stood and faced the crowd.
"My Gran Gran didn't have much family. She was an only child and she only had one child," she looked at her friends "but that did not stop her from taking in those who needed her." Katara stepped forward and painted a streak on Bato's face, then she side-stepped to Zuko, followed by Toph, then Aang.
Katara turned and walked back to Sokka's side and handed the paint back to the young man. Four of the tribesman picked up qilauts and started tapping out a slow, steady beat while the elder chanted softly.
Sokka, Hakoda and Pakku kneeled next to Kanna's body. Hakoda reached out and touched the spot where Kanna's hands were folded over her chest. Sokka winced and balled his fist into his pants as Pakku reached up and closed the pelt over her face.
It was now time to start placing the stones. "The men of the family place the first stones." Toph said quietly to Aang and Zuko. She'd been explaining the ceremony to then as Katara had explained it to her the day before "They'll each place two stones, then those guys with the elders will finish the mound."
They watched as Hakoda and Pakku placed their stones, but Sokka just sat there, gripping tighter to his pants, his eyes closed tightly and his face drawn. His posture sunk and his feet slid out almost flat under him, then it happened. The toe of his boot touched the grave behind him, his mother's grave, and the floodgates opened.
For the first time since he'd gotten the news the warrior cried. He planted his face into his hands and sobbed outright. Katara knelt down and put one arm across her brother's back and the other on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and held on tight "I know Sokka," she whispered to him in a sad but comforting voice "but you have to place your two before they can finish. We have to let her go."
Then they heard a rock being placed, then another. Katara looked up and saw Zuko and Aang beside her brother. They had placed two in front of Sokka and were in the process of laying their own.
Hakoda and Pakku looked at the two young men with surprise, then smiled lightly. As they stood, the older man said "Those are some good brothers Sokka's got there."
"They are that." Hakoda said as he watched the Avatar and the Fire Lord help his children to their feet.
As the men finished building the mound, those who had come to witness Kanna's burial dispersed. Only Hakoda, his children and their friends stayed until the last stone was placed and the elder and his men left.
They'd stood in silence until the men finished. When they stood to leave, Aang stepped over and whispered something to Hakoda. The chief smiled softly at the air bender and said "Yes. It would be an honor."
Aang pulled his mitts off and handed them to Katara "Could you hold these please?"
She took them and held them to her chest. His lips curled a bit, then a slightly serious look crossed his face as her turned and walked toward the graves.
He stood there, between Kya and Kanna, his back to his friends, then got on one knee. Aang stretched his arms out to his sides and placed one hand on each mound. The young man bowed his head, closed his eyes and began to chant the mantra.
The water bender hugged the gloves tighter to her as she listened to him. First he started out speaking the words, then he sped up, speaking faster and faster until the words were unrecognizable.
After a couple of minutes, she noticed he'd slowed down and began to rock the top half of his body. He was in a meditative trance much like the one he'd been in when she exited the morgue. The chanting had slowed into the melodic tune Katara hand heard before, the mounds began changing.
The rock smoothed over becoming polished like marble. Symbols began to sketch around the bottoms. They stood in awe for various reasons; the sound of Aang's voice, the fact that he'd done this for Kanna and Kya, the ease with which he had done it. Although they were used to Aang doing amazing things, they were all impressed with this.
Hakoda, Zuko, Toph and Sokka started back toward the village. Katara said that she'd stay and wait for Aang to come out of his meditation so that he wouldn't have to walk back alone, but her father knew better.
The Fire Lord and the Southern Water Tribe Chief walked ahead, Hakoda regaling Zuko with the tale of Sokka and the tiger seal. Toph and Sokka walked a few feet behind them, the little earth bender holding on to the sullen warriors arm. She wanted to tell him it would be okay, that she was there to take care of him, that she would make him feel better, but she just couldn't. "Lilly liver." she mumbled in self-disgust.
"Huh?" Sokka said slightly dazed.
"Oh. Nothing." she answered, holding her head down to cover the blush across her cheek. Then she realized he was finally saying something for the first time since they left the village. "Are you…okay?"
"Yeah." he said quietly "I kind of lost it back there, didn't I?"
"Just a little."
"I cried like a little girl."
"Naw," she answered "you cried like a man who missed his grandmother."
He looked down at her "Like a man?"
She smiled a little "Like the manliest man who ever cried."
He looked back ahead of him "Damn real."
When Aang stood and turned around, Katara was the only one standing there. He smiled and looked over her shoulder to see the shadowed forms of the others starting to shrink in the background. He looked back at her "You didn't have to wait for me."
"You needed your gloves. Besides, after you did such a nice thing for Mom and GranGran…well, somebody needed to stay and walk back with you."
He stepped forward and took the gloves she handed to him "Thank you." he said, placing the gloves on his hands.
They started walking a bit, opting to go around the town rather than through it. Katara was tired of being asked How are you holding up? It would take them twice the time to get back to the village, but it was worth it.
"You know," she ventured quietly "you really do have a nice singing voice."
"You think so?" Aang asked "I never really thought about it like that."
"Yes. It's very nice." they walked on a bit, then she said "I've missed …" she paused. She wanted to say you, I've missed you, but her stubborn pride wouldn't let her. "talking to you. We haven't had a polite conversation in a really long time. These past few days have been nice."
"Yeah, it has been nice." he said, then he thought I love you. I miss you. I want you to come back home.
"I guess tragedy has a way of making people be civil."
"Yeah." he stuffed his hands into his pockets.
She looked at him. Katara had to say something that had been resting on her mind ever since he got off of Appa "You haven't been eating enough. You look thin."
"Haven't really been hungry lately." he shrugged.
She felt a pang of guilt "I'm sorry." she said as she turned her head back.
He looked at her "It's not your fault. It was a good thing you left."
She stopped in her tracks and her mind started racing. It's a good thing I left? What's that supposed to mean? Has he found someone else? I bet one of those fake acolyte whores got to him.
Aang noticed Katara wasn't beside him anymore and stopped. He turned to see her standing a few feet back, wide eyed with her brows knitted together upward. "Oh. No. Katara. I didn't mean it like that." He went back and stood in front of her. He held his head down "I didn't want you to go. I would of done anything to get you to stay and I've missed you so much." he looked at her "But when the letter came all I could think was that it was a good thing you got to spend these last few months with your GranGran." she smiled a little and his heart melted "I miss you so much and I know you're probably done with me, but I want nothing more than for you to come back to Ba Sing Se with us."
She looked up at him, eyes shimmering and wet "I've missed you too Aang." she finally admitted. He reached out and pulled her to him "but-"
He held her back and looked at her, confused "But?"
The young woman ducked her head "I can't leave Dad and Pakku right now." she smoothed her hand across the bronze fabric of his parka "And we haven't solved anything yet. We said some really nasty things to each other."
The Avatar dropped his hands to his side and stepped back "I've been trying," he said frustrated "but you won't even write me back. Have you even read the letters I sent you or have you been throwing them away?"
"I've read every one twice, some of them three times." she said "And I've been trying to write you back, but I just couldn't get my words together. I didn't know what to say to you."
"You could have just written what was in your heart."
"That's just it. My heart was so confused. It still is kind of. Sometimes I'm angry at you, but then I miss you so much and I wonder what's really going on with you, or if you even really wanted me to come back, and I know what your letters say, but I just up and left, and if you went to someone else I would be so hurt, but did I really have the right to be mad? I mean, I did leave and not answer your letters. And I-"
He reached out and pulled her into his arms "I told you before, all I've ever wanted, all I'll ever want is you. That will never change.'
"But-"
"No. There are no buts about it. I know we have things we need to work on and we will. As long as you want to be with me like I want to be with you everything will be alright. I love you Katara. The last five months have been like five years without you. I want you back."
"I can't answer you now." she said sadly.
"Katara-"
She pulled away from him "Aang, I just…I can't."
She tried to run past him, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him "No. You are not running away from me again. I don't care if you're confused, I'm not letting you go so easily this time."
Katara looked at him. Part of her wanted to punch him in the face for grabbing her like he did, but the rest of her was thrilled by his forcefulness. He had a particularly ardent look in his eyes that sent a warm sensation all over her body. In that moment all she could do was react according to how she was feeling.
Aang looked at Katara fiercely. He knew that she would probably freeze him in place, or at least water whip him for the way he'd grabbed her, but he didn't care. She'd been ignoring him for months and he wasn't about to let her go without a fight. When she reached up and grabbed his collar he braced himself for what was sure to come.
The water bender grabbed two handfuls of his coat and snatched him down so that they were nose to nose and stared into his eyes for a moment. He didn't flinch in his fierce expression and she returned it. She tilted her head a bit and kissed him.
The air bender's eyes stretched at first. She was actually kissing him. He lowered his lids and put his hands on her waist.
When they pulled apart, Katara looked up at Aang. He had a dreamy look on his face and a small goofy smile on his lips. She couldn't help but smile back at him "I love you Aang," she said in a breathy tone. "but I don't know if I'm ready to come back yet. I just need some time."
"I can't wait." he said in a husky voice that sent a chill down her spine.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
Ok first of all I want to say I know I said there was going to be two parts, but to be quite honest It's been a very busy week at work and I didn't feel like typing the whole thing. Here's part 2. Part three will be up soon.
Ok, as for the funeral, I took bits and pieces I've read about different Native American funeral rituals and added to them a bit...okay, maybe a lot. I didn't find much. I need to do more research cause now I'm curious. I hope I made it sound like something the Water Tribe would do.
Any way, if I made you cry, I'm sorry...Okay, I lied, no I'm not. If I did this right, then that's the reaction I want.
I am but a wandering minstrel in Bryke's world.
