Hiya! I'm so glad everyone is reviewing! Well, I won't say much up here! Enjoy the story and PLEASE do review! I want 5 before I do the next chapter! I don't think that's too much to ask.
Disclaimer: Are these really necessary? I don't own Avatar and I'm sure no one else here on FF does.
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the Wind Master
Ch. 9
the Northern Air Temple
"She's asleep," Yang said softly coming down to Appa's head to sit next to Katara.
"Thank you so, so much, Yang," Katara said.
"No problem," Yang said casually. After all he had put Konari to bed dozens of times.
"No, not just putting my daughter to sleep for me. For… well… for everything…" Yang gave Katara a confused look. Noticing this, Katara continued. "I mean… for taking Konari away when she was being hurt by Yi. I can't believe that I didn't trust my own daughter…. but you did what was best for her and escaped." Yang sat staring ahead intently. After a while Katara spoke again. "You love her… don't you?" she asked.
"I wouldn't want her to get hurt. I want what is best for her," Yang said simply.
"But you love her?" Katara asked again. Yang nodded in silence. They sat in an awkward quiet for some time after that, alone in their own thoughts.
"I once had a daughter," Yang said, breaking the silence. It was Katara's turn to be confused. Yang didn't look much older than 18. Yang laughed quietly. "You don't know how old I am. I must say, I do look a bit young for my age. But perhaps that just has to do with imprisonment."
"Well… how old are you?" Katara asked.
"I will be 23 in a couple of months." After that they sat in another silence for a few moments.
"What happened? … I mean to your daughter," Katara asked.
"I don't know. The rebels captured me three years ago, when my daughter was a toddler. I don't know what happened to my daughter or my wife though. But, I guess Konari just reminds me of my own daughter… Perhaps that's why I grew to love her so much…" Katara nodded. "She's a great kid…" Yang said quietly.
"I know…" Katara whispered blushing.
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The moment the three left Ba Sing Se, the Tigress looked up with her large yellow eyes and roared. They had escaped. Dropping the victim she had held in her large hands she ran back to the wall. With the same agility as before, she made her way over the wall and followed the bison in the form of a large tiger. Each leap seemed to take her soaring through the air. When she landed from her bounds, the earth trembled. She wouldn't fail the mission.
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"Katara, wake up," Yang whispered, shaking the sleeping waterbender slowly.
"What is it?" Katara said sleepily.
"I think we should land. A storm is coming up from the North. We won't be able to fly in conditions like what is coming. Besides, I think we put enough distance between us and the Tigress to keep her at bay long enough," Yang said. Katara nodded and took the reins while Yang went up on Appa's saddle to wake Konari.
Soon the storm was upon them. The heavy drops that began to fall were a promise that a great storm was to follow. Sure enough, they had just gotten sight of a cave when the torrent came.
Bending themselves dry, the adults kept themselves busy starting up a fire and making the shelter usable while Konari sat wide eyed staring out of the cave entrance. Soon they were sitting around the warm fire eating breakfast. But Konari remained staring out of the cave at the rain.
"Things are getting really nasty out there. We probably won't be able to travel at all today," Yang commented. He looked at the form of Konari and frowned. "Is something wrong?" he asked walking over to her.
"It's the lightening," she said quietly. Yang nodded and scooped her up in his arms. Going to lay back on Appa's tail, Konari snuggled closer into his chest whimpering.
"Shh, shh. It's alright…" he cooed. Seeing that she wasn't calming down he began to hum a soft tune. Katara watched and listened in interest. The tune he was humming seemed so familiar, but she couldn't put a finger on where she heard it before. Soon, the little girl fell asleep. But before she did, she said something that moved Katara's heart.
"That's my papa's old lullaby…" she whispered before nodding off. Indeed, that was where Katara had heard the lullaby before. Aang had used it long ago when Konari was first born to put her to sleep. But how Konari knew that was a complete mystery for she should have been too young to remember. And how Yang knew it was another mystery. After he had laid her gently back down, Katara asked him about it.
"The song was just an old folk tale from my home. Just something I thought she would like. I had no idea that the Avatar knew the story too though. Perhaps the legend came from the Air Nomads. I never did know where exactly it came from," he answered. Katara nodded. Now if only she knew how her daughter knew of the song…
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They storm finally passed over late at night. Seeing that the Tigress wouldn't be far on their trail, Yang and Katara decided that it was best if they continued on. On the third morning after the events in Ba Sing Se, they finally saw the Northern Air Temple.
"There it is!" Konari exclaimed happily. She laughed at the sight of the little people flying around on their own gliders and happily waved to them when they came nearer.
"It's been a long time since I was last at the Northern Air Temple," Katara said in awe. They had really set about to restore the place rather than modernize it after Aang had left the temple the first time ten years ago. "We could find my old friends Teo and his father now!"
"Now we can find help…" Yang said under his breath.
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Well I'm done with this chapter! I found it quite boring though, actually. Just a chapter about Konari and Yang's father/daughter like bond. Well…
If you want the next chap click "Review"! If you want the next chap click "Review"! If you like this bit of prose, go ahead, use your nose! If you want the next chap click "Review"!