CIL Chapter 4
Kimberly T: your prediction is close, but I've got a couple twists to add there. Thanks for reviewing!
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The trip to Ba Sing Se was, in one word, anxious. Aang, despite his seriousness and obvious determination to not only get word to the King of the Earth Kingdom but also to protect his new friends, tried his best to lighten the mood and appease their fear; however that could only do so much. Sokka, ever the protective big brother, quickly got over his initial shock and was sitting next to Katara, one arm slung protectively around her shoulders and his other hand fingering the handle of his precious boomerang, scanning the skies as if he was expecting something to attack them. Katara, meanwhile, was trying her hardest to fight back her fear and not let the little bit that managed to snag her show on her face. She had to be strong. It could just be a coincidence, and this all could just be paranoia. But then again, it could really be related.
But she had to be strong either way, and she drew her strength from the knowledge that she wasn't alone in this… this conflict.
The word seemed strangely inappropriate for something of the calibre they were facing. It made it seem simple, a mere disagreement of sorts when in reality this could change their lives in powerful, permanent ways. But it was the only word that came to mind to describe the situation.
A couple tense hours later, Sokka glanced at his sister; studying her face intently. Unfortunately, she somehow learned how to do an awesome poker face, but she was no pro at it, so he managed to catch a glimpse of a few emotions in her eyes, the true mirrors of the heart. What he saw grieved him, shamed him as a failure.
There was shock; no real surprise there. Anxiety; no surprise either. Apprehension; the same. But what really got to Sokka was the fear. Fear, and the conflicting emotions raging inside of her, as she fought to remain strong despite everything. The battle was pretty even at the moment, but Sokka noticed that she was also hesitant and unsure. Things that could cost her the battle. And he felt like a failure because he couldn't protect her from what she was feeling, from what she was involved in.
"Sokka."
Sokka startled, not expecting to hear her say something, especially after the past hour of silence where nothing but the breeze dared make a sound. He blinked quickly, immediately turning his whole body towards her, giving her his full attention.
"Yeah? What's up, Katara?" he asked attentively.
"Sokka, it's okay," she answered, and she turned her face so their eyes – two pairs of electricity held in sapphires – were looking at each other. "It's not your fault. It's no one's fault."
Sokka blinked, not quite understanding what she meant. "Fault of what?"
She gave him a soft look, and put her hand over his on her shoulder. "Don't blame yourself for what you can't control, Sokka," she said.
Sokka looked at her for a few more seconds before understanding set in. He sighed, and pulled her towards him gently, and she let him until they were leaning against each other. They supported each other; have done so since they were children. "I know it was out of my control, but I can't help feeling…like I failed you, somehow," he murmured. "I'm supposed to protect you, and here you are, right in the middle of a possible arson case, trembling with fear."
She jabbed him lightly in the ribs. "I'm not trembling," she sniffed indignantly.
"Like an owl-cat's feather in the middle of a storm," he confirmed, nodding once sagely.
The tense atmosphere which had followed them since takeoff didn't evaporate, but it gradually started to lose its hold on the three humans from that moment. Aang looked back over his shoulder to see Katara and Sokka arguing about just how scared she was; the former insisting on the most minimal amount possible while the latter rebuked everything she said.
Aang noticed with some relief and newfound respect for the girl that she wasn't denying her fear. She admitted that she possessed some of it, and that was good news because it meant she knew herself, and wasn't in denial which often proved disastrous due to the inability of an individual to deal with reality. Her admittance to her fear wasn't a weakness, but a great strength.
Aang gave the siblings a smile, slowly realizing that they were good companions, and good friends. He took one last look to the sky before them before tying Appa's reigns to his seat and heading towards the Water Tribe members. With the tension starting to evaporate, he felt secure with talking to them like he so wished he could do before.
When he reached the duo, he sat before them, in complete ease, and smiled curiously at them. They looked back at him, a welcoming smile on Katara's face while Sokka adorned a slight half scowl half pout due to Katara's victory over him.
"What's an owl-cat?" Aang asked, and inwardly cheered as he saw the sibling's eyes sparkle at the question.
After several more ours of flying, the little group finally spotted land and decided to rest there. Appa had worked hard in fulfilling his duty, and although the weight of the two new members of his group plus their bags were nothing, he had been flying as fast as he could for as long as he could in order to reach Ba Sing Se as soon as possible at Aang's orders.
Momo, meanwhile, had made himself useful by playing the cute card on the tribal siblings, mainly on Katara who gushed at him and cuddled him like a baby. He was immensely enjoying the attention the human female gave him, and he was instant putty in her hands.
When Sokka looked at the little bat-lemur wondering why he liked his sister more than him, the little creature stuck his tongue out at the boy and cuddled more in Katara's arms. Sokka was left seeing red at being disrespected by no other than a little, suck up animal, but Aang managed to calm him down.
While they rested, Sokka went to hunt, determined to show off his Water Tribe warrior skills at hunting. He blatantly ignored Katara when she snorted and told Aang that he could barely hunt a tiger-whale, and Aang suppressed a smile so as to not offend the older boy. Sokka decided then, that he really liked Aang; then he set off into the Earth Kingdom's famously thick forests.
It was a few minutes of setting camp before Aang popped his head from Appa's back. "Didn't we have some food in our bags?" he asked Katara.
She smiled slyly at him. "Guess I forgot to mention that."
Aang laughed loudly at that, shaking his head at how ridiculous it was but enjoying the simple tactic of affection, however odd it was. He always wanted a sibling, but he never had one, so he enjoyed meeting families in his travels. Now that the two siblings were with him, he felt like he had known them for a long time due to the fact that the three of them fit so easily with each other, how the chocolate-skinned siblings accepted him so readily.
A loud scream, high pitched and resonating through the canopy of the trees which sent dozens of birds flying, caught their attention.
Aang turned his worried grey eyes towards the forest. "What was that?"
Katara shrugged, rolling her eyes as she filled a little black metal pot with water from a nearby spring. "That's Sokka," she answered. Aang turned back to her, worry on his face.
"Shouldn't we see if we should help him? I mean, that was a pretty loud scream, and it was…high, if you get what I mean."
Katara snorted as she placed the pot over a small unlighted fireplace, and she kneeled beside it as she started working on a fire. "Don't worry about him. That's his normal scream; believe it or not. I know, he sounds like a little girl – you don't have to deny it, everyone in our tribe knows it's true. He screams whenever he's startled by something, so it's nothing to worry about."
Aang didn't look too convinced, but he accepted her words with a nod, casting one last glance towards the woods before turning his attention towards Momo, who was chasing an odd-looking beetle-fly around.
It wasn't long before Sokka ran into the clearing where the rest of his companions were, with a bunch of angry birds screeching at him as they followed his closely behind.
"H-help! Run for your lives! These birds have gone coo-coo!" he yelled at them, running as fast as his legs could carry him.
"Sokka! What did you do?" Katara squealed as she threw herself behind Appa, who seemed more annoyed than worried. Probably due to his huge size and thick fur he would be safe.
"Why are you always blaming me?"
"Because these things only happen to you!"
"It's not my fault I'm unlucky!"
"Guys, get down!" Aang called out, running over to Sokka and tripping him with his staff, leaving himself facing the army of angered birds.
"Aang!" Sokka and Katara cried out simultaneously.
But they didn't need to worry. Because before their very eyes, Aang waved his staff across the oncoming feathered army, and a sudden, powerful gust of wind pushed them all back, squawking in shock and indignation. Some larger, heavier birds were pushed back, but were able to turn back around and head straight for the young bald boy who had dared to ruffle their feathers.
"Aang, above you!" Sokka called out a warning as he saw the biggest, meanest of the birds with a wicked-looking beak dive straight for the boy who was busily pushing all the other birds back into the forest with the breeze.
"Aang, get down!" Katara yelled, jumping out of her hiding spot behind the great horned bison, and waving her arms over her head in fluid motions, her wrists falling and twisting as she did so. Aang didn't have to be told twice, so after sending a burst of wind to the remaining birds, he threw himself onto the floor, protecting his head with his hands just in time for Katara to pull her hands behind her and shoot them forward, making the water of the spring follow her movements and, forming a whip, struck the gigantic bird away before it could hurt Aang.
The impact was such that it sent the bird flying straight into the trees, its hurt and angry screech following it as it disappeared from sight.
Silence took over the camp as everyone, save Appa, caught their breath. After a few seconds of silence passed, Aang looked intently at the forest in front of him, assessing the situation. Although the screech of the birds could still be heard, the sound was fading signifying their retreat. He slowly stood up, never taking his eyes away from the green world. Once he was convinced that the birds wouldn't be coming back, he slowly turned back to Katara, who was looking at him with wide eyes just as he was looking at her.
Sokka immediately appeared at his sister's side, giving Aang a reluctantly wary look. "Katara…" he murmured softly as he once again wrapped one arm around her stiff shoulders.
"You're a waterbender," Aang said. It wasn't a question. He continued to look at her with what can only be described as awe. She nodded, stiffly.
"I'm Katara, daughter of Chief Hakoda from the Southern Water Tribe. I am the last Southern waterbender," she confirmed. "You…" she began, speaking to Aang with a dry throat. She cleared her throat, slightly awkward, before starting again. "Aang, you are…"
He smiled at her, slightly sad but a twinkle of joy evident too in his grey orbs. "I am Aang," he said, "of the Southern Air Temples. I am the last airbender in the world."