Chapter 3 Water Benders

For the next year Katara served Azula and her daughters. Sokka and Suki proved to be good friends and their daughter Toph was a joy to behold. Whenever she wasn't waiting on her stepfamily, Katara spent her time with Sokka and his family. It was during this time that she learned about water benders. "Water benders?" she asked.

Suki smiled. "Yes, Before Sokka and I met one of my best friends was a water bender. But she was from the North Pole."

Katara leaned back in her chair. "So there are water benders in the North Pole as well? Hmmm... Well down in the South Pole I didn't know anybody that could control water to their advantage. My father spoke very little of it, saying that the art was dead to our culture."

Sokka took a sip of water and lit his pipe. He took a deep puff and let it out slowly. Several smoke rings floated through the air. "Water bending isn't a normal thing here. If I were you I wouldn't let anybody know about it. Especially your step-evils."

Toph laughed out loud. She loved it when her father spoke about Katara's stepfamily. Suki gave her a look that silenced her laughing, but her smile stayed. "That is really cool about your bending. So does that mean your going to practice in secret?"

Katara shook her head. "No way are you crazy?! If they find out, and they will somehow, they'll lock me up and throw away the key. I can't let that happen."

Toph's smile faded. "You know if you wanted you could call on the moon spirit and ask her to disguise you so you could practice," Toph said offhanded.

"Moon spirit?" Katara asked.

Her attention had been raised again. Suki rolled her eyes. Sokka chuckled. "Don't pay any attention to Toph. There is a rumor that a Northern Water Tribe princess took the place of the moon when the moon spirit died. That is why the moon is often called Yue. And supposedly the only way to ever see her is if a water bender calls on her," he explained.

Toph scoffed. "I think she's real," she argued.

Sokka smiled, "I'm sure you do honey."

Katara forced a laugh. She hated to admit it, but the thought of a spirit that could change her identity raised her hopes of getting away from the Fire Nation. The sun beat down on her. It was getting darker and that meant Azula, Mai, and Tylee would be returning from their visit to town very soon. Katara sighed. She still had to make dinner, clean the kitchen, and make the beds before they arrived home.

Making her way into the kitchen Katara thought about the little bending she could do. Unless she was angry it wasn't that dangerous, but she had to watch her temper around the others or they could figure out her secret. She stripped down to her white underclothes. The Fire Nation was so hot. Katara wished she could move back home. It had been ages since she had seen her father's grave. She just wanted to touch it.

Katara had just finished placing the table when Azula and the others arrived home. The three of them were laughing as they sat down on their pillows. Mai took one look at the meal and wrinkled her nose. "Is this all we are going to be served? It looks like something died on our plates."

Tylee laughed. "Yeah, it looks gross and smells gross too."

She waited for Mai and her mother to praise her insult. When nothing came she lowered her eyes. Mai brushed her black hair from her shoulders. Her grey eyes burned. "I demand you fix me something else."

Azula smiled at her daughter. She was proud of the beauty her daughter had become. The other one was pretty but not the looker she had been before. A year in the Fire Nation had caused her brown hair to fall into a drab wood color and she had gained a little weight. What had really suprised Azula was the fact that no matter how much she tried to make Katara look like the servant she was passersby still prefered her to Mai.

Katara waited for Azula to say something to her. "Very well Katara, we will eat this slop but tomorrow we expect better. Now then I need you to fetch Sokka. Someone will be here for him in a moment."

Katara dropped the plate she was holding. It shattered upon the marble floor. Mai screamed. "Do you mean as a visit?" Katara asked.

Azula shook her head. "No, I'm selling him at tomorrow night's auction. We need the money. And speaking of money I would like to know what happened to the velvet curtains. Hmmm? Does anybody know?"

Mai and Tylee shook their heads. Katara didn't answer. The cutains had come from the South Pole when they had moved. It seemed things still wanted to disappear around them. Azula sighed. "Very well, I guess we will be forced to live as commoners instead of the royalty we are."

Katara let go of her breath. She had finished gathering the last of the broken plate and ran outside. Two large men were forcing Sokka into the back of a carriage. "NO!" she screamed.

Suki was holding onto Toph. The two of them were crying. One of the men pushed Katara back. Sokka screamed again. "Let's go now," the larger of the two said.

Katara held Suki as Sokka was taken away back towards town. Toph pounded on the ground with both fists. Suki picked her up and walked back into her small house. Katara watched with a heavy heart. She went back into the house and began her evening chores. For the rest of the night she was just a body.

After everyone had gone to bed, Katara pulled her small money bag out. The money was supposed to be used for her trip back home, but this just seemed to be more important. She emptied the contents into her lap. Ten gold coins fell into her lap. She sighed and put them back into her bag. There had to be a way to get Sokka back to Suki and Toph. Outside the moon winked at her through the window. Katara felt her heart skip a beat. If there really was a moon spirit then maybe there was a way to save Sokka. She closed her eyes and whispered to what little light there was in the dark room. "Yue, mother of the moon, I need your help."

Katara kept her eyes closed and held her breath. She peaked open one eye and looked around. Nothing. Both of her eyes shot open and she shrugged. She tossed the coin bag into the corner and began crying. She didn't know why but it made her feel better. Her tears puddled onto the dusty floor. After a few minutes she stopped crying. Something was in the dark watching her. "Show yourself," she said with far more confidence than she felt.

A white light gleamed in the corner whrere she'd thrown the coin bag. Two beautiful blue eyes pierced Katara's skull. The white light giggled. "Well I've been wondering when you were going to call me," it laughed.

Katara looked at it strangely. A woman stepped into the light. She wore a long white gown and what appeared to be a veil. It took Katara only a moment to realize that it wasn't a veil she wore, it was her hair. "Are you Yue?" she asked.

The woman in white smiled. "Why of course. Who else would I be?"

Katara felt her breath catch in her chest. "I... I..."

Yue silenced her with a hand. "The only reason I actually appeared was to see if you really wanted to help this family be put back together?"

Katara nodded. Yue's smile grew. "Most of the time when I am summoned," she explained, "People want to ask me to bless them with wealth and beauty. You on the other hand don't want anything but the return of this man?"

Katara nodded again. "He's kind of taken the place of my father. And I know that Suki and Toph need him."

Yue smiled. "Very well. I will help you."

She moved quietly through the downstairs. Katara watched as Yue touched her old smock. It changed into a lovely blue gown fit for a cheif's daughter. "There you go," Yue announced, "Wear this when you go to the auction tomorrow. But be sure to go after everyone has gone to bed. I'll make sure that Sokka is one of the last ones to be sold."

Katara stared at the gown. Yue watched as she stroked the soft fabric. "There is one more thing," Yue whispered.

She ran her fingers through Katara's hair gently. Katara's hair turned from its dark brown into a snowy white. "There, now you look perfect," Yue told her, "Your hair will do this at any time you will it. But be carefull, after so much use the magic will disappear. Use it sparingly."

Katara smiled. "Thankyou so much how can I ever repay you?" she asked.

Yue shrugged. "There is nothing to repay. Just reunite this family with all your might."

"I will," Katara promised.

She made a move to hug Yue but Yue moved. "No, no, you musn't touch me. At least not your skin. Your hair and clothes are alright. But.."

Katara stopped. "Thank you again."

The moon spirit stepped back into the darkness, and disappeared. Katara smiled and picked up her coin bag. For some reason it seamed much heavier than before. She poured its contents onto her lap again. Inside there were fifty gold coins. Katara gasped. She looked outside at the moon again. "Thank you," she whispered, "Thank you."