AN: Okay, I guess this is a little late, sorry about that, but I should have the next chapter up in only a few days. Anyway I don't own Avatar, I tried asking the people to give it to me, but apparently you need like money and lawyers and boring stuff like that, so I'll stick with this thing. So without farther ado what you have been waiting for, chapter four!
After a while of flying on Appa the gang landed in a forest on the outskirts of a city. Everyone quickly unloaded their belongings.
"Okay everyone" Katara said, "We are only buying things we NEED. I don't want anyone wasting our money." She passed out a list and money to everyone, glaring at Sokka as she handed him his. "Got that Sokka?"
"Yes, Katara, gosh you act like I'm gonna spend all our money." Sokka laughed and ran off before Katara could argue. Katara sighed and walked up to Nathan.
"Okay Nathan, this should be enough to get you an outfit, all you need is something simple, nothing fancy. When you finish up, head back here or you can go look around. If you get any change back, buy yourself a little something." She smiled and dropped the coins into his hand. She then pulled out her own list and looked at everything they needed to get. "I'm gonna need to do a lot of haggling." Katara mumbled. "Well, off to the market." She smiled.
"Well then, let's go" Nathan said, and followed Katara down to the market. When they reached the town, the streets were filled with various venders and booths. People were haggling with merchants, children were laughing and playing, a cabbage merchant was trying to keep some kids away from his stand.
"MY CABBAGES!" He yelled as the children knocked his merchandise down. Nathan laughed and took the whole scene in. He had never done something like this and felt a bit overwhelmed.
"You okay Nathan?" Katara asked. "You look really pale" She said; worry beginning to fill her voice.
"Oh no, I'm fine" Nathan assured her, "Just not quite used to shopping like this." He explained.
"Do you need any help finding your clothes?" Katara asked. Nathan shook his head.
"Naw I think I can handle myself." He flashed her a smile, "Besides, I think you have bigger problems." Nathan gestured to Sokka trying to haggle with the meat man. Katara sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Honestly, his obsession with meat is unhealthy." She said as she dragged her brother from the meat stand. Nathan chuckled and began walking, looking at all the stands.
"Gosh, this place is huge" Nathan said as he continued walking down the street. People gave Nathan strange looks, pointing at his clothes and nudging each other. Finally Nathan couldn't take it anymore and walked to the nearest booth, where a middle aged woman was selling various fruits. "Excuse me miss, do you know where the tailor is, or the seamstress, whatever you call it. Do you know where I can buy some clothes?" Nathan asked. The woman gave him a strange look then pointed down the street.
"Keep going straight, then go to the booth with the yellow tarp on your left, can't miss it." She gave him the directions then gave him another look. "Tell the man Maria sent you, he'll give you a nice deal" She smiled at him warmly.
"Thank you so much" Nathan smiled at her, and turned around to walk away.
"Make sure to get some good clothes boy, you stick out here, and they'll eat you up knowing you aren't from around these parts." She advised him. Nathan smiled at the woman.
"Thanks I'll be sure to." He then proceeded to jog away towards the booth in a hurry. The woman chuckled to herself.
"Such a nice young man, I just hope Lee doesn't scare him too much."
"Yellow tarp…yellow tarp." Nathan looked around until he spotted the booth with the bright yellow tarp like the woman told him. Finally he saw it, a booth with a yellow tarp, as he walked up to it; he saw many fabrics and clothes on display. Nathan saw the booth was empty. "Hello?" He called out.
"Can I help you?" A deep voice said from behind Nathan. As he turned around he saw a tall man, well over six feet, with huge muscles, short brown hair, and brown eyes that were sizing up Nathan.
"Uh, I umm need some, uh…clothes." Nathan gulped at the brick wall in front of him. "Oh ya, Maria sent me!" He added in hopes it would lighten up the man. Luckily the second her name was said the man broke into a huge smile.
"Well then sir, let's find you some clothes." He brought Nathan to a rack that held many light green and yellow tunics, brown ones, and all the other earth nation colors that Nathan saw the locals wear.
"Umm do you have anything, that's not in these colors?" Nathan asked. The man looked at Nathan and thought for a moment, taking a look at Nathan's current attire.
"Maybe I have something that could suit your needs better." The man said. He walked into the back and came back with a pile of clothes. He pulled out a deep green undershirt first. Then he pulled out a plain black sleeveless tunic to wear over it. With that he also pulled out black bottoms and simple brown boots. Nathan examined the clothes; he liked them, but didn't understand why the bottom shirt was green.
"They're perfect, but a green shirt under? Why not black or white?" Nathan asked.
"I was originally going to pull out a white shirt, but something stopped me." The man gestured to Nathan's eyes. "You boy, have incredible eyes. I have never seen a green that color before, which is why I pulled out the green shirt. It only makes your eyes more noticeable." The man explained. Nathan couldn't help, but wonder how a man like this was a tailor, or how he knew so much about clothes.
"Well, I think these will work well, thank you sir, and good luck with, uhhh this." Nathan put a few coins on the counter. "Will this do?" He asked. The man smiled and took the money.
"Thank you for your business, I suggest you get those on as quick as possible." Nathan said his thanks and walked away from the man. He wasn't sure if that guy would hug him or break his face, Nathan really didn't want to stick around. As Lee watched the boy walk away he let out a laugh. "My wife sure does send some of the strangest kids." He laughed to himself, the boy had shorted him quite a bit, but he let it slide. "Crazy kid" He mumbled.
Nathan let out a sigh of relief when he had walked far from the booth; he decided to get into his new clothes as soon as possible. He slipped into a nearby tea shop and asked a worker where the restroom was. The worker gave him a strange look.
"Um, if you mean the washroom, it's right back there." The busboy said.
"Thank you sir." Nathan said and walked towards the washroom. He knocked on the door, when no one answered he walked in and quickly changed his clothes. Nathan emerged from the room; he was surprised at how comfortable the clothes were. They were soft and didn't limit his movements, they weren't super tight, but weren't really baggy either. He smiled at how comfortable they were. He put his old clothes under his arm and left the shop. Looking at his money, he saw he still had a generous amount of coins left, and decided to check out some other stalls.
Nathan walked along, seeing various vendors selling food, accessories, teas, and even some weapons. These only mildly interested Nathan, but what caught his eye was a small booth with only an old man sitting at it. The old man was seated on a stool he had grey thinning hair, and wore the same green attire as the other villagers. Nathan walked closer and watched, the man was sitting in front of a canvas, a flower sat upon the table in front of him, and in his hand was a brush with only black paint. What Nathan saw next took his breath away. The man used light delicate strokes, sweeping across the page, his hands were a blur. Nathan saw the picture take shape, the delicate petals of the flower, the way the sunlight shone down upon it, and the way it looked as if he could reach out and touch it. Nathan stood transfixed until the man finished, and he turned around to Nathan.
"Can I help you son?" He asked in a wise wispy voice.
"Your painting…it's beautiful" Nathan whispered. The old man smiled, his eyes gleaming with pride.
"Why thank you son, I see you have an eye for art. Do you paint?" He asked.
"Yes, I do. But I can't paint anything like that." Nathan said.
"Boy I've been painting for forty years, if you could paint as well as me, I'd be pretty impressed." The old man chuckled.
"Can you show me some techniques? Or at least give me some advice?" Nathan asked hopefully. The old man sat back and studied Nathan carefully, as he watched the boy and his eagerness to learn, the man realized something. This kid reminded him of himself, his love for art, his excitement to learn more, and his appreciation for a good painting.
"Okay, let me give you some advice. Painting, like swordsmanship, is an ancient art. Your brush, like the sword, is an extension of yourself and your very being. Each stroke you make cannot be erased, so you must think carefully before you do." The old man watched Nathan and saw he hung on to every word. He smiled and continued. "Now, each stroke made, can be made in a different way, much like fighting, or bending. Each element can strike you, but all in a different way. Like earth, you may be blunt and to the point with your strokes, painting everything you see. Like water, you can let the canvas guide you, and use it to express your thoughts with ease. Like fire you can paint with a burning passion, attacking the canvas with quick fiery strokes. Or, like air, you can take an indirect approach, open up to your surroundings, have an open mind, and paint with light gentle strokes." Nathan nodded his head in understanding and the old man continued. "All of these are great techniques in themselves, but when used together, they create a true work of art." The man finished.
"I think…I think I understand." Said Nathan. The old man smiled.
"I'm glad I could be off assistance, now young man, work hard, and never stop painting." The old man ordered. Nathan nodded and stood up, but the man stopped him. "Wait, before you leave, take these." The old man walked behind a counter and pulled out a box, handing it to Nathan.
"What's this?" Nathan asked.
"Paints, so you can practice." The man smiled and Nathan opened the box. Inside were multiple containers of black paints.
"I can't accept these from you, sir." Nathan said, trying to hand them back, but the man pushed them away.
"Now you take those boy, they're a gift, so you better take them." He said sternly.
"Okay, okay." Nathan said, holding up his hands in defeat.
"Now get out of my shop!" The old man snapped at him.
"Uh, y-yes sir." Nathan dashed out of the shop tripping over his feet as the old man watched with a chuckle.
"Yup, just like me." The old man said with a smile as he sat down and continued to paint.
Nathan walked as far away from the paint shop as possible, the old man seemed nice, but Nathan was pretty sure he was crazy. Nathan looked at the left over coins in his hand, he wasn't sure what the currency was here, but it seemed like a good sum of money. As Nathan walked along and examined the stalls, one in particular caught his eye, it sold wrappings. He walked up to the booth and saw many kinds of wrappings, for arms, body, legs, and head. Nathan looked at the arm wrappings and decided to try a pair on. He wrapped a pair of deep green wrappings to match his undershirt around his arms. Nathan smiled and took a few practice punches; he felt like a karate master, he was living every little boy's dream. As Nathan continued experimenting with the wrappings, the vendor came to him.
"Can I help you boy?" A short angry looking man asked.
"Oh um, ya, can I like buy these?" Nathan pointed at his wrappings.
The man gave him a strange look, like Nathan spoke a different language, "Can you afford them?"
"Will this be enough?" Nathan held out a handful of coins and the man snatched them up greedily.
"Now scram, kid." The vendor ordered. Nathan obliged and left the shop. He figured he should probably head back to the camp site, but at that moment he saw a girl struggling with an armful of foods.
"Here let me help." Nathan said as he ran over and picked up the girl's groceries. When he took them from her he was met with the beautiful blue eyes he still wasn't used to seeing.
"Oh Nathan, thank you so much." Katara said with a smile. "I see you got new clothes, they suit you well, I really like the green it goes well with your…" She looked into his eyes, "…eyes."
Time seemed to freeze around them; Nathan couldn't bear to look away from Katara. With her blue eyes looking into his green ones he felt like he couldn't move. His whole body froze, and something in him seemed to click as he looked at Katara. This girl standing in front of him was a one of a kind, this girl saved his life, this girl did something no one ever did in his life she believed in him. After what felt like an eternity, Nathan looked away, blushing a deep red.
"We should, get…going." He said with a gulp. Katara shook her head and looked at him sheepishly.
"Ya, I think you're right, let's go." She said with a smile on her face as she began to walk back. "So Nathan, did you find everything okay?" She asked from in front of him.
"Shopping, was…interesting, I met some strange people." Nathan said remembering the people he met.
Katara giggled, "Ya I guess a market can be overwhelming to someone who isn't used to this kind of thing."
Nathan smiled, "I guess I'm just not good at much."
"Nonsense, you're good at something, you just have to find it." Katara said.
"If you say so…" Nathan replied. He couldn't help, but smile bigger at her optimism; he wondered how she always was so happy, whatever the case he admired her for it.
As they approached the campsite no one was back yet, Katara sighed as she set down the stuff. "Well, guess I better get started on lunch" She said, and began to unload ingredients.
"Can I help?" Nathan asked. Katara looked at him with a shocked expression on her face.
"Um, I guess, if you really want to." She said, still in shock that someone was actually offering to help her cook. Nathan nodded and began to help unload. As they cooked he listened to all of Katara's directions, never questioning her, only helping. Nathan also took this as an opportunity to get to know Katara better, he learned a bit about her past and that she lived in the South Pole with her grandmother and Sokka. He learned that the necklace around her neck belonged to her mother; Katara didn't seem comfortable with the subject, so Nathan left it alone. He also learned her favorite color, her favorite hobbies, and that she secretly liked Sokka's jokes.
Katara smiled at Nathan, as they finished making the stew. "You know," She said "You are one of the nicest cooking partners I've ever had."
"Glad I could be of assistance" He grinned at her. Nathan turned from her and reached to the pot, wanting to adjust it so it sat over the fire better. As he did so, Katara yelled out a warning, but it was too late, he had touched the pot, and the second he did his hand felt like it was on fire. "OW! FREAKING OW! THAT DANG POT IS HOT!" Nathan yelled as he held his burned hand.
"Here, let me see" Katara said gently, taking his hand gingerly. As her hand touched his he winced, but Katara held on, and from her water pouch bent a small amount of water which slid over her hands like gloves. She then pressed his hand between both of hers and a flash of blue light shined. Nathan instantly felt relief rush over his hands.
"Better?" Katara asked, still holding his hand.
"Much" He said "Thank you"
"No problem, it's the least I can do" She smiled and they stood there, his hand and both of hers, looking at each other.
"Is my hand all healed now?" Nathan asked quietly.
Katara released him instantly, "Sorry, just making sure you were completely safe." She said sheepishly, turned away so he couldn't see how much she was blushing. Nathan chuckled, but his hand felt empty now without Katara's around his. He sighed and wished he didn't say anything. As Nathan reminisced and mentally beat himself up, voices began approaching the camp site.
"Well, looks like everyone's back, I guess it's time for lunch." Nathan said, looking at Katara.
She smiled, "Let's eat; I'm so hungry I could eat a sabertooth moose lion." She stated with a grin. Nathan smiled at her and chuckled, but couldn't help, but wonder, A sabertooth what?
Lunch went fairly normal and well, no one overspent at the market and they all got what was needed on Katara's list. Everything was going fine until Katara looked at Nathan with a worried expression.
"Nathan are you okay, you look kind of pale." She asked.
"I feel fine." Nathan said, but his hands were beginning to shake and he had a killer headache pounding his head.
"Are you sure, maybe you should lie down?" She said gently.
"Yah Nathan, you don't look good buddy." Sokka added.
"You should rest…" Aang suggested.
"Your heart rate has spiked quite a bit." Toph informed him.
"I said I'M FINE!" Nathan snapped. He stood up suddenly and threw his bowl to the ground. "I'm not even hungry anymore, I'm going to go be alone, so let me be that way!" Nathan stormed off, not even looking back at the shocked expressions of his friends.
No one was quite sure what had just happened, so no one said a word. Nathan was perfectly fine, and then he just snapped, it seemed like he hit a major mood swing. Katara was seriously worried about him, she wasn't sure what Nathan was going to do, and she could only hope he wouldn't do anything reckless.
As Nathan passed by Appa, he tore his duffle bag from the saddle and walked deeper into the woods. Once a safe distance away, he opened his duffle and pulled out escape. The one thing that would save him, that could give him sweet relief and make him feel a thousand times better, Alcohol. Nathan opened the glass bottle and let the sweet relief was over his whole body. The second that drink hit his tongue he already felt better. Nathan drank and drank until he had half of the bottle down. His mind was already going hazy, he wasn't really sure where he was or what was going on, but he was happy with that. In Nathan's eyes, feeling nothing at all was better than feeling anything else. These were his last thoughts before he passed out.
AN: So review and tell me what you think of the story, or the chapter, either one depending on what you want to do.
Oh yes, and I would like to blame my brothers for you not getting this chapter sooner, they sucked me into playing mario party last night, and you HAVE to play Mario Party, duh. Anyway that is all, have fun.