Disclaimer: Don't own.
Authors Note: :D Meh is on spring break :) so you shall get a few chapters (hopefully if I'm not working) But I might be going out of town this weekend and I get the computer for the week of typing :D
Chapter 9
"I thought I told you to be here at 6 o'clock sharp." Pakku stated as Katara walked up to the arena. Ursa, Zuko, Iroh, Aang, and Sokka all walked behind her to watch her first official lesson. Ursa created a small row of seats so they could all watch from a nice distance.
"You did, but they insisted on coming," Katara said as she waved her hand towards the group of people that came to watch her lesson. Pakku shook his head and muttered under his breath.
"So, what are you able to do?" Pakku questioned as he paced around, the other students staring at him in shock at how he was treating the new student. Katara fiddled with her hair sheepishly.
"Not much really. There are no masters in the South."
"So basically you're at beginner level?" Katara nodded her head and he sighed.
"First try to create a wave." Katara nodded her head. She turned around and walked towards the fountain. She felt the push and pull of the water and slowly imagined a wave forming, and a few moments later a rather large wave was under her control. The other students looked at her skill in amazement, and Pakku just looked at her.
"Ok so you can create a wave. Are you able to create a whirlpool?" Katara shook her head no. Pakku sighed once again, and the lesson continued like this throughout the entire day. Many of the moves were familiar to her since they were just like fire bending, so she caught on very easily. The other students were glaring at her in jealousy because they were not that quick of a learner. Pakku took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"Class dismissed. You stay here." Pakku said as he pointed at Katara. All of the students heaved a sigh and Katara just sighed in content with what she did today.
"How are you able to master everything that I taught you so quickly?" Pakku questioned in amazement. Katara looked at him sheepishly.
"I am a fire bending prodigy after all," Katara said shrugging as if it didn't matter.
"The moves are similar and familiar to me," Katara explained. Pakku nodded his head as he understood what she meant.
"So basically, you're incorporating your fire bending and water bending moves?" Pakku questioned as Katara nodded her head yes with the explanation he gave her.
"That was a really smart thing to do," Pakku praised, giving Katara a small smile. Katara smiled in return. Pakku allowed her to leave. She walked over to where Sokka, Aang, Ursa, Iroh, and Zuko were sitting and grinned widely.
"Hey guys," Katara said grinning. Ursa, Zuko, and Sokka clapped for her amazing performance and Iroh and Aang grinned at her in a nice way. The all got up from their makeshift seats and stood next to her.
"Can we go to my house?" Ursa asked quietly, the mood thickening. Everyone nodded their head slowly as Ursa took the lead. The half-hour walk to Ursa's house was very quiet and solemn, while nobody dared to talk. They appeared near the end of the city and Katara saw Ursa's house come into her view of vision. Ursa sighed longingly as she neared the house. Zuko and Iroh suppressed a grimace as they saw the house.
"This is where I have lived for the past 7 years," Ursa said as the stopped at the front door of the house. Zuko and Iroh looked at the house.
"Wow," Zuko managed to utter in shock. Katara elbowed him in the gut.
"Hey!" Zuko exclaimed, rubbing his stomach. Iroh and Sokka jerked their heads in the two's directions and looked at them. Ursa suppressed a smile from forming on her face as she looked at the two.
"Anyways," Ursa said getting everyone's attention back on her. "This is where I lived for the past seven years. Let's get inside, it's getting late children." Ursa said going back to her motherly nature while Zuko and Katara followed obediently. Aang and Sokka just stared at the two with their mouths agape as they did that.
"Stop staring at them with your mouths wide open like a fish and get in there," Ursa said loudly. Iroh already walked inside behind Katara and Zuko, as Aang and Sokka followed her reluctantly.
"So this is where I've lived the past few years." Ursa stated again as she walked in, closing the front door.
"So what do you children like for dinner?" Ursa said grinning as she walked to the small kitchen. Zuko and Katara's head shot up as she said that.
"Seaweed soup," The two said in unison. Aang grimaced and Sokka was nodding in and out of it. Iroh nodded his head as Ursa looked at him for what he wanted.
"Seaweed soup it is then," Ursa said. Katara sat there quietly for a while and watched as she prepared the dinner. Sokka and Aang had themselves in a game of Pai Sho which Ursa kept in the corner of the house, with Iroh looking on at the game between the two amateurs. Katara got up from her seat silently and walked into the kitchen and started chopping up some of the seaweed.
"It takes a long time. I cooked it at home a lot," Was all Katara said as she chopped the vegetables. Ursa nodded her head silently at the explanation. Ursa walked behind her and with the pot she started to mix the ingredients together. Katara silently handed her the finely chopped seaweed and Ursa nodded her head slightly in thanks. Together, the meal came together rather quickly and was soon ready to eat. Ursa called them to the table for them to eat dinner already.
"Mhm this is good," Sokka exclaimed, as he dug into the soup once again. Zuko, Katara, and Ursa chuckled quietly at Sokka's antics. Aang tried to keep a straight face as he tried not to gag.
"Is something wrong dear?" Ursa questioned worriedly to Aang.
"I, uh don't like Water Tribe food much." Aang explained hastily.
"Do you have any rice by any chance?" Aang asked, hoping she would. She nodded her head and got up to prepare it for him.
"I've got it," Katara said as she got up and walked into the kitchen. Ursa said down and smiled to herself at the young princess's kindness. Katara found were the rice was kept and got a pan ready for rice she was about to cook. When she leaned over to reach a pot from a lower shelf, she saw something she thought she would never see again. Katara gasped in shock as she looked at the little imprints of her and Zuko's hands from when they were five. Zuko walked in to see why she had gasped and his eyes widened slightly at the sight of the imprints.
"Katara, Is something wrong dear?" Ursa said as she walked into the kitchen. She stopped at the sight of the two shocked teens.
"I thought I would never see that again," Zuko said quietly, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he leaned over Katara's shoulders to see the object.
"I…," Ursa paused for a moment.
"I brought only a few items from past. This is one of the three things I brought with me. I couldn't bear to have Ozai find out about it, or destroy it." Ursa explained sadly, with a small glint in her eyes.
"What else did you bring mother?" Zuko asked quietly. Ursa stood up straight and walked out of the room for a moment and then returned with a small chest. She opened it and revealed a portrait of Katara, Zuko, and Azula from when they were younger, all smiling happily hugging each other, with a tall, proud Lu Ten standing behind his family. Katara's eyes widened at what she saw and, tears formed in her eyes remembering when this happened. She wiped them away quickly before anyone could see them and smiled at the portrait. She turned around and continued to make the rice for Aang silently. She could hear the small chat between Iroh, Sokka, and Aang, and the hugging of the two family members. She walked out of the small kitchen silently and handed Aang his rice silently. Aang nodded his head in appreciation and starting eating it up quickly. Zuko and Ursa walked out of the kitchen, smiles still on their faces.
"What's got you so happy jerk bender?" Sokka questioned as he started stuffing his face more. Zuko and Katara both shot him a look and Katara sent Zuko a look meaning not to do anything to him for saying that.
"What's jerk bender?" Ursa questioned looking at Sokka, cutting her eyes in annoyance.
"A fire bender." Sokka said as if it were obvious. Ursa resisted the urge to laugh at the name of that.
"Did Hakoda come up with that?" Ursa questioned, laughing slightly. Sokka's face hardened at the sound of his father's head as he slowly nodded his head yes.
"Should have known he would have told you to say that to a fire bender." Ursa said chuckling. "Next time I see him he's going to get a good talking to about that."
Later that evening, everyone but Katara and Zuko were asleep. Neither knew the other was awake, so they laid there in silence. Katara walked back into the kitchen and saw the imprint of their hands sitting on the counter. She sighed quietly as she ran her fingers over the small ridges left behind from their hands. She drifted slowly back into the memories of her childhood, not hearing Zuko walk up behind her.
"Why do we have to do this for?" Katara asked as she looked up to Ursa.
"Well little duck, it's something that you can see when you're older."
"It's just a piece of mud though," Katara said, not wanting to get her hands filty. Ursa chuckled at the sight of her.
Katara chuckled at the memory as she held the memorabilia from her childhood.
"What's so funny?" Zuko asked causing Katara to yelp in shock. She glared at him in annoyance.
"Did you have to do that?" Zuko nodded his head silently.
"I was just… remembering what things were like back then, when we were children. We were so care free… but now….." Katara trailed off.
"Katara, Zuko breakfast time," Ursa yelled into the room they were sharing. It had two beds and two night stands. Ursa didn't hear the rustle of the sheets and she found the two snuggled up to each other, exactly the same way they would do when they were children. To wake them up, Ursa gathered some water from outside and walked into the room. In a large commotion, she had the two up instantly; water dripping from their faces, large scowls covering their faces.
"What was that for?" Katara and Zuko growled in unison. Katara bended the water from their bodies and threw it at the ground.
"You didn't get up," Ursa explained simply, leaving the room. Katara and Zuko trudged behind her in annoyance, and went to the kitchen. Before them, was a large bowl of pastries that they both loved dearly, causing their eyes to water in desire. Ursa laughed at the sight of the two's antics.
"Mom, what are you going to do once we leave?" Zuko asked, making the mood thicken. Ursa sighed quietly.
"I don't know. I was going to ask to come with you, but I guess yo-" Ursa was cut off by Zuko.
"Of course you can come. We'll need all the help we can get, right?" Zuko said nudging Katara with his elbow. She nodded her head, agreeing with him.
Ok So here was Ch. 9 cant wait until i get to season 2 stuff its MUCH easier for me to write since im obsessed with season two and three and after war things. Anywho Review please. I need constructive criticism and it helps me become a better writer, also the other chapters that have all the changing PoV is being rewritten so beware if that changes. Au Revoir :)
~Patty Cake Rocks~
