Okay, THIS is the longest chapter so far! I'll say this right now: a handful of you will be very happy with me :3 because of some stuff (*cough cough* xtenchix!) , the rest of you...I don't know what your take on this will be but you'll just have to read to find out! I wanna thank Fengxian again for the ideas, and also I think you might recognize the first part of the this chapter!...well its not exactly the first part...its more of the middle! :D Everyone else enjoy and Happy Earth Day!
~th3rdhal3~
Step away from my lips
Step away from my throat
If you need me let me know
The events that night had been the craziest thing to happen to us yet in the Fire Nation. None of us had ever seen the man who attacked us before in our lives. It was insane how he could create explosions from his mind, or at least that's what it looked it. The five of us were paranoid by the possibility that the man knew who we were. I mean, who starts a fight with random strangers they happen to come across?
After relocating miles North of the crater to Fire Fountain City, Toph decided to use her earth-bender senses to get us some more money. The harmless scamming soon escalated as Aang, Sokka and I were suckered in. Katara was utterly pissed at our behavior and discouraged what we were doing severely, and rightfully so; the people of the town had begun to piece things together and put out a bounty for my cousin. At that point I agreed with the water-bender, we needed to put a stop to this and lay low.
To help get her point across, I tag-teamed with Katara to pin Toph into submission. Literally. It took a lot of scrapes and cuts but I finally had control of her in a Bokator hold I had learned in my travels. I wouldn't let my cousin up until she said two things.
"Say it, mudslug!" I commanded, tightening my grip on her. "Say it!" Toph wriggled underneath me, growling and cursing.
"Fine! I'll stop with the scams!" I didn't let go of her. "I promise!"
"And?" Toph groaned and sighed dramatically.
"There is no way I'm saying that!" With a swift movement, I pulled her leg upwards, creating uncomfortable leverage. The hell you aren't! "Ow! Ow! Okay! Sokka is a sexy beast, but not as sexy as Karuna-now lemme go!" Satisfied with my work, I released my cousin and stepped back. Katara chuckled and shook her head at me.
"Was that last part really necessary?" I responded with a lopsided grin and shrugged my shoulders. Toph pouted and crossed her arms.
"No one says a word to ponytail about this...especially not you Sugar Queen!"
Katara wanted to prove that she wasn't a total buzz-kill so she and Toph worked out a plan for one last scam. It was a great idea, but the whole thing went terribly wrong. The metal man from the week before had made an arrangement with the town guards. Toph had been thrown into a wooden cell and soon after, Katara and I were thrown in there as well. It was a trap for Aang and we were the bait.
"I'm gonna shoot you in the face, Katara!" I bit back as I sulked in the corner of the cell the three of us now resided in. Technically it was hers and Toph's fault for getting us in this situation. Now, Aang and Sokka would have to come into town because they'd eventually figure out something was wrong and then they'd fall in the clutches of our pursuer. *"Twice! Me. By myself. One Catapult. One projectile. All day! Every day!" The water-bender just stared at me with wide, frightened eyes and began to scoot towards the opposite corner.
"Why can't you ever threaten me with something pleasant?" She complained. Toph hit the wooden bars of the cell with her fists.
"Because it wouldn't be a threat then, sweetness."
Feeling the pressure from me and my cousin, the Water Tribe girl quickly discovered a solution to our problem. Using the sweat from her body, she manipulated the moisture to hack through the wood which contained us. I could have easily burned us out by fire-bending, but I remained true to my vow that I would never fire-bend. I wasn't about to break it anytime real soon.
When we broke out of the jail, the boys had come to the rescue, just how I had predicted. There was just one issue; they were the ones in need to rescue. The two were on the run from the metal man. Sokka had decided to name him Combustion Man because the former 'Sparky Sparky Boom Man' was just too long. Frankly, I thought it was foolish to be having that kind of discussion in the heat of an attack. But that's kind of how our group operated.
There was a decent amount of destruction left behind, but we made it out of there alive...barely. It was then that we knew this man meant business. He knew exactly who we were and would most likely stop at nothing to end us. How could he have known Aang was the avatar? "Ugh." Aang let out a deep sigh once we were safely flying away on Appa. The boy was resting his body from the big fall he had taken just a few minutes earlier. "How many weeks until the invasion?" He inquired.
"Four more." Sokka informed him. Aang groaned and flopped back down. He was exhausted as were we, but there was still so much more that needed to be done; we couldn't throw in the towel just yet.
"I can't believe the girls wanted to stay behind." Sokka expressed for the third time that morning. Aang and I followed him towards the train station which was on the outer part of the town, Gayatri. I munched on some fire flakes I had bought when we passed through the market in town and every once in a while, the avatar would snatch a handful from me.
"Well Katara just wanted to relax today and Toph is being her usual lazy self. It's nice though-Appa's usually lonely when we're all gone for the day." The air-bender scooped up another handful from the pouch I held. I yanked the bag away but not soon enough.
"Geez Aang! You might be as hungry as a gorilla-goat, but you don't have to eat all my snacks!" Momo promptly stuck his face in the pouch after I had just gotten done scolding Aang. "Eh, never mind."
Sokka was the most excited when the train pulled into the station. The boy was very interested in new types of transportation and technology and was anxious to observe the train. Unlike the one in Ba Sing Se, the train was on wheels and ran on coal as a source of fuel. The exterior reminded me of the steel monster which had chased us back in the Earth Kingdom months ago. "As much as I'm loving these little field trips are, Sokka, we've gotta start thinking about the bigger picture. Aang still needs a fire-bending teacher. There's no excuse as to why we haven't started looking-there are plenty of ash-makers here." The warrior boy was hardly listening to me.
"Plenty of whats?" He asked me to repeat myself. The confusion wasn't just because he wasn't paying attention; he simply wasn't familiar with the lingo I used.
"Fire-benders." I clarified. "It's an Earth Kingdom term." Sokka nodded his head at me.
"We've still got some time. We'll find one eventually." The warrior boy didn't seem to concerned or worried with the matter. I guessed he was right though. Summer was just starting. Aang was a fast learner too so even if we didn't find a teacher for a month or two it wouldn't be the end of the world...or would it?
Aang had wandered off over to a small girl who stood in line waiting to board the train. Her brown hair was in two pig-tails and in her hands she clutched a stuffed komodo-rhino. She looked between the ages of five and seven; pretty young to be out and about in these parts alone. "Hi, I'm Aang." He introduced himself. "You look like you could use some company."
"My name is Sho." She replied in a high pitched voice. "I'm going to visit my grandma, but my mom is sick. I have to go by myself now." Poor thing. She seemed intimidated by the crowd and scene.
"Well, how about we ride the train with you?" Aang offered, looking back at Sokka and I to see if it was okay. I thought it was a nice and considerate idea; that way the little girl didn't have to travel alone. Sokka was absolutely thrilled.
"I can check out the inside of the train now!" He was as excited as a Fire Nation boy at the Dragon Boat Festival. But more importantly, it cheered the little girl up.
"I'd like that." She expressed to us.
We boarded the train with Sho a few minutes later. Sokka had a field day. The boy painted to all the odds and ends, exclaiming, "What's this for? Ohh! I wonder what that does! And this!" I dragged the ecstatic boy out of the aisle and over to where Aang and Sho picked out our seats. They were made of wood but the part which was actually sat upon was cushioned and very comfortable. I sat down next to Sho and the boys sat across from us. The inside of the train was a very similar set up to the one in Ba Sing Se. The only real difference was the materials of the interior. Though we were right beside her, Sho glanced around nervously. Aang sensed her anxiety immediately.
"My friend, Gyatso, once taught me a trick to help me feel better whenever I was nervous or scared. First you gotta close your eyes." The little girl did as instructed. "Then you take deep breaths and think about your absolute favorite animal. A komodo-rhino, right?" He asked, taking note of her stuffed animal. She nodded, eyes still squeezed shut. "See? The train isn't so scary now." The little girl opened her eyes and grinned. It was very sweet how kind and patient Aang was being with her. I knew the air-bender was a sensitive guy, but I didn't know he was good with kids. It brought a smile to my face. The avatar had told me much about Monk Gyatso, and just from the stories I could tell he was a wonderful teacher.
Then, the little girl's eyes darted around and she leaned in close to us. "Some of the people still are though." She whispered. "Do you know why someone would have a weird symbol on their head?" Damn it, Aang! The Air Nomad instantly began adjusting his headband.
"Oh, uh this? This is just..." But the cloth had been concealing his arrow the entire time. I soon realized that the young girl wasn't talking about Aang. I followed her gaze up to the entrance of the car we sat in. A hulking figure marched through the threshold, shoving the ticket master aside with a large metal arm. The man's tunic exposed his chest, revealing rock-hard muscles. A vertical trapezoid and red markings were upon his forehead. There was no mistaking it. It was none other than Combustion Man.
"Aang!" I hissed at the boy to get his attention. "C-man is on the train." The volume of my voice was low so it wouldn't draw any unwanted attention to us. The avatar looked dumbfounded. He probably hadn't heard me over the train's whistle just then.
"What?"
"C-man is on the train!" I spoke a bit louder through gritted teeth. Aang's light gray eyes widened and he slowly turned his head to the side. I kicked his leg gently. "Stop it! Don't turn around!" I harshly whispered. But the boy had already caught a glimpse of our stalker. "Everyone just lay low, okay?" We slowly slid down in our seats so we wouldn't be noticed.
"He must have seen us at the station and followed us!" Sokka made the connection.
"We've gotta get out of here before he sees us. Things could get ugly." BOOM! The seats diagonal from us went up in flames. A wooden plank went flying overheard. It was a little too late to split now. Aang bravely separated himself from us. The avatar knew hiding wasn't worth risking the lives of others on the train. "You don't have to hurt all these people. It's me you want!" KABOOM! Sokka and I shielded Sho as Combustion Man took out a chunk of the train's side. All the glass from the windows shattered and littered the car floor. In a minute, what had been perfect and right had been undone. Sokka yelled across the way to the ticket master.
"The train's gonna jump the rails! You need to stop it!" Because of the damage, we were all in severe danger. The ticket master pulled away from the call-pipe.
"I think we're actually going faster! And the engineer isn't responding!" That was not a good sign. Both the train and Combustion Man needed to be stopped and as soon as possible. The boys and I looked at one another.
"I'll go and try to stop the train while you guys take care of Sparky!" Sokka instructed, getting ready to make a mad dash to the engine car.
"I thought we voted that name off." I said, but Sokka was already on the move.
"Sho, stay here with Karuna. I have to take care of this." The avatar ordered. "Remember the breathing exercise I showed you, okay?" The little girl nodded her head and squeezed her komodo-rhino tight. The air-bender then turned to me. "Keep her safe." I nodded at him. You got it.
Aang and Combustion Man battled in the train car while I comforted Sho on the sidelines. I was surprised that there was still a train car after the first few minutes. The small girl hugged me around my waist. "Why is he trying to hurt Aang?" She whimpered into my uniform. She gazed at the fight with wide, bronze colored eyes. I held her close and did my best to console her.
"I don't know, sweetheart. There's just some bad people in the world; some who don't know right from wrong."
Combustion Man drew back his arm and then drive it down towards Aang. The air-bender jumped high into the air as our attacker's metal fist pounded into the floor of the train car. SMASH! The avatar pushed off of Combustion Man's head with his foot and soared through the hole that had been blown through the side of the train. Smart move, Aang! By doing this, the Air Nomad was trying to draw Combustion Man away from the innocent civilians.
Sho was absolutely terrified once this had happened. She gasped and began to cry after Aang flew out of the train. Before I could convince her that he was alright, he popped up right outside the window, riding on his air-scooter. "Deep breaths, Sho. Don't forget the technique!" He encouraged before hovering on ahead. Sho was relieved and amazed.
Upon hearing heavy footsteps, I whirled around. Combustion Man was inhaling deeply and focused entirely on us. Shit! He sucked in his guy and once the beam sprouted from the metal man's forehead, I dived across the car with Sho in my arms. Another set of seats was destroyed and wooden splinters were sent everywhere. One grazed the corner of my eye and I thanked the spirits it didn't penetrate. I landed on my shoulder blade on the floor, but Sho was okay. I quickly picked us up and retreated back a little. The pain in my left could be ignored for now; I had to keep protecting the little girl. We were in a predicament now; Sho and I resided in one of the corners of the car and there was nowhere to run or hide. Combustion Man ran at us. I had little time t think.
"Jump on my back!" I told Sho. The girl didn't need to be told twice. She climbed up and wrapped her arms around my neck tightly while still holding onto her stuffed animal. Combustion Man threw a powerful and deadly punch at my midsection, but I was ready and jumped a split second earlier. I brought my legs up into the horizontal splits. I swore, that man was this close to crotch-socking me. As gravity brought me back down, I grabbed a hold of his metal arm. I then brought my legs in and kicked him in the face Jackelope style. This gave me just enough time to escape. With Sho still hanging for dear life, I slipped out the window, grasped the edge of the roof and swung us up on top.
Combustion Man was hot on our trail. An angry scowl was upon his bearded face. I was a sure target now that I had agitated him. The attacker aimed for my feet and I barely had enough time to pivot out of the way before a hole was blasted into that part of the roof. Sho was still on my back and I started to panic, but help was on the way.
Aang ran towards us from the top of the engine car to face the metal man. The two duked it out some more and it looked like the avatar didn't need my assistance this time around. I slid across the steel roof covering and flipped down through another window. I landed with Sho back in the damaged train car. "You okay, dear?" I asked her once she slid off my back. She nodded very quickly and I assumed she was still a bit shook up. The next task at hand was to keep the other civilians relaxed and at ease.
"Everyone, please remain calm. We're currently handling the situation." Most of the passengers in that car were either hiding behind seats or huddling together in corners. There was a lot of nervous chatter and commotion. "It would greatly help the dilemma if all could refrain from panicking!" I raised my voice so that I could be heard over the fighting and roar of the train. "I know this is a difficult and terrifying time for all of us, but you must be strong. We're doing everything in our power to ensure your absolute safety. We need to keep a level head as we face this crisis. If we can do that, then I promise you, it will soon be over." One by one, the passengers lent their ears to me. The initial fear seemed to vanish in mere moments.
"You just have to relax." Sho added from at my side. "Take deep breaths and imagine there's a giant komodo-rhino that won't let anything hurt you!" She held out her stuffed animal to show the other passengers.
"Can it be a giant meer-penguin instead?" One man spoke up from the group. "They're really cute!"
I don't know how Sokka did it, but he figured out which lever activated the emergency break. The boy had a knack for tinkering around with advanced technology and advances. However he managed to do it, he saved us all. The train screeched to a halt on a bridge which overlooked a lake. Aang used the water to his advantage and knocked Combustion Man of the roof with an enormous tidal wave. Our stalker was thrown into the lake and didn't come back for round two. We stayed to help evacuate the train and make sure everyone was alright. After that, Aang called Appa with his Sky Bison whistle and the gang and I took Sho to her grandma's house by air.
"Suddenly, they heard something down the hall in the dark. OooooOOo! It came into the torch light...and they knew... the blade of Wing Fun was haunted!" The four of us stared up at the Water Tribe boy who had drew his sword and was wailing for effect. I stiffed a laugh from the other side of the campfire. The gang and I found a large forest to stay in which would be perfect for concealing Appa. Ever since dusk, we had been chatting and telling ghost stories by the light of the fire. So far, they had been more pathetic than spooky.
"I think I liked the sword for a hand better." Aang critiqued.
"Water Tribe slumber parties must suck." Toph bluntly stated. I felt kind of bad ripping on Sokka's stories. He seemed to think they were good. "Karuna knows some good ones." This was true. I had heard many stories and variations of tales in both the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom. Some weren't as scary as others, but I knew mine would beat the pants off of Sokka's.
"I don't know guys." I started to tease them. "You're kind of a bunch of pansies."
"Are not!" Sokka objected. I raised my hands up in mock surrender. Katara spoke up.
"Fine then. I'll tell one. And it's a true Southern Water Tribe story. One winter, when mom was a little girl, a snow storm buried the whole village for weeks..." The water-bender began her tale. It involved her mother encountering a frozen ghost girl. I wasn't scared but the way Katara told the story was very convincing. The others were hooked. "Neenie's house stands empty to this day, but sometimes people see smoke coming up from the chimney...like little Neenie's still trying to get warm." I had to admit the girl was good at story telling. Sokka had hid behind a large tree root and peered over it cautiously. Aang had wrapped Momo's ears around his own and I couldn't help but giggle at the sight of the two. Toph didn't appear to be very frightened; we'd heard enough Earth Kingdom ghost stories to build up an immunity to them.
"That was pretty eerie, Katara." I gave her props. "But have you ever heard Fire Nation horror stories?" I raised an eyebrow. Katara and Sokka shook their heads. This seemed to spark Toph's interest. Aang gasped and turned to me.
"No! Kuzon told me one and that was enough for me!"
"Oh lucky you, you get to hear two now." I replied in a sarcastically perky tone. " I heard this one in passing, and it's supposedly based off of some true events. But you'll have to tell me what you think." In reality, I had heard it at a sleepover party years ago in the Fire Nation. **"There was a girl named Ami who was walking home through the woods- a lot like these actually." The four glanced around quickly and pretended not to be phased. "The only light provided was by the moon, and she soon came across three bags. Bags in the middle of the woods. How strange. They were just laying there next to some logs. Curiosity was burning inside of Ami and she began to untie the knot at the top of one."
"Don't open it!" Sokka whispered to the fictitious character I spoke of.
"Once the mouth of the bag was open, Ami gagged and let the contents drop to the ground. It was the dead, contorted body of a young girl. The sight was indeed horrible; the girl's pale skin was dirty and cold, and her leg was bent in such a way that it was parallel to her face." I thought Katara was going to throw up then. "Ami leaned forward to get a closer look at the corpse..."Don't go home!" The dead girl suddenly turned her head up and came to life!" As I said the line, I twisted my neck in a similar fashion. Aang let out a small, frightened gasp.
"Ami ran as fast as she could to her house on the she made it back to her home, she had a vision of a terrible accident which had happened the year before. A horrible fire in the stable had burned most of the land on that side and taken her mother's life. Her father was going to re-marry. The lucky lady happened to be the mother's old care-taker; before the accident, her health was already declining. This didn't sit well with Ami or her sister, Ino. Neither girl liked their father's bride to be. She was pretentious, phony and gave them a bad vibe. The two were determined to prove it was she who had started the fire. Their father was wealthy and the woman was most likely after his money.
" Desperate for some evidence, the girls snooped around their hometown, trying to see if they could prove their claim to be true. Their father's fiance seemed to be just alright in front of other people, but there was another side to her that only the girl's saw. They learned from some merchants in town that there had been a deranged woman who committed several murders in the past. Her victims had been children and she disposed of them by stuffing their bodies into bags-"
"Eww, this is really gross." Katara interrupted me. Toph shut her up pretty quickly.
"Let her finish, sweetness!" I nodded in approval to my cousin who grinned impishly. Then, I continued the story.
"The girls' father left town for a few days and they stayed at home with their almost step-mother. On one of the nights, they decided it was then that they would alter the town guards and authorities. Ami and Ino tried to sneak of their house but their father's fiance knew of their plan and stopped them. The confrontation grew violent and resulted in Ino getting stabbed with some kind of sedative. The older sister told Ami to leave without her, but the girl blacked out.
"When she woke, Ami was laying on the floor in her room and her father's fiance rummaged through drawers furiously. Ami glanced to her right and saw a kitchen knife underneath her nightstand. All of her joints ached, but she reached out and tried to grasp the weapon. She glanced back to see if the woman had noticed her consciousness. Their father's fiance finally pulled something out of the drawer; a white nightgown. In the door,way, she could see her sister creep up stealthily. Ino, put a finger to her lips and that was the last thing Ami saw before she faded again.
"The girl opened her eyes to find that she was still in her room, only she lay on her bed. Her father's bride to be was nowhere in sight. Neither was her sister. She glanced down and saw that the knife was missing from underneath the nightstand. Ami stood up frantically and exited her room. There was a trail of...blood that began on the beige carpet. Only one of two things could have occurred. Bracing herself for the worst, Ami followed the stains all the way down the stairs and out of her house. The red trail led out on the grass to a bag similar to the ones she found in the woods a while back."
Sokka chewed away at his nails violently, and Momo's ears now covered Aang's eyes. Katara stared at me wide eyed, waiting in anticipation for what would happen next. My cousin was enjoying every minute of the story and anxiously listened to the climactic moment.
"Ami was afraid to open it, but she had to see for herself who the victim had been. The girl shrieked once she saw the mangled and distorted body of her father's fiance. The woman's eyes were still wide open in fear. She backed away in terror. She preferred this outcome to the other, but the reality of it was still ghastly. "It was the only way, Ami." Her sister Ino stood behind her, red stains ran down the front of her white nightgown and the kitchen knife was in her hand. "We had to."
"The girls' father returned home shortly after and saw his daughters distraught and alone outside in the middle of the night. After observing their dirtied and stained attire he asked what in the world had happened. "It was Miwa, father!" Ami accused the fiance. "She was trying to get rid of us, so we..." She trailed off and looked to her older sister for help. "Tell him, Ino!" Her father glanced at her in confusion. He didn't seem to comprehend the situation. "Tell him!" "He's not going to listen, Ami. He never listens." Was all Ino said in response. Ami was at a loss for words. She didn't know what to do then. Her father's face soon became very grim.
"You remember what happened to your sister..." The father began as calmly as he could. "She died in the fire, one year ago." Ami gasped and shook her head in disbelief. Surely this wasn't so. He had to have been lying. "Ino is dead!" He shouted at her. It was then that Ami realized she was alone. Her sister was not beside her anymore. She glanced up at her father with scared, lost eyes. "What have you done?" He demanded. Feelings of denial and horror overcame Ami. She ran from her father and down to the waterside. Her mind kept replaying the night of the stable fire over and over. In the lake, she could see her reflection; her white nightgown was soiled with blotches of blood and grime and in her hand she clutched the kitchen knife..."**
"Whoa...mind-fuck!" Toph gasped in both awe and glee. I was a little shocked to hear such language from a 12 year old, but she did have a foul mouth so it kind of was expected. Sokka and Aang were shaking in their roots and Katara looked pretty disturbed.
"It is said that Ami went insane from the trauma. She walks the woods at night; blade and burlap sack in hand- becoming the very monster she accused her father's fiance of being."
Toph suddenly sat up quickly and placed her palm to the ground. "Oh my gosh, guys! Did you hear that?" Instantly, the other three clung to one another in a jittery mess. "I hear people under the mountain, and they're screaming!" Sokka was the first to calm down.
"Pff, nice try! You two plan this out ahead of time?" The warrior boy glanced from me to my cousin.
"No, I'm serious." Toph replied, which worried me. "I hear something." Her other senses were usually quite accurate and atoned for her lack of vision. I couldn't imagine she was pulling a prank on us because she really sounded spooked.
"Alright, now I'm really scared." Aang's teeth chattered. Katara whirled around and stared at the trees behind her.
"I hear something back that way!" She pointed within seconds. Aang and Sokka both hid behind the root the Water Tribe boy had taken refuge behind earlier and were both trembling. It was obvious that neither one would partake in an investigation if asked. Such heroic lads, I sarcastically remarked in my head. "Karuna, will you go with me to check?" I'll admit I was a tad nervous but I certainly wasn't a pansy like the boys. I stood up and walked over to the water-bender.
"Well, they sure as heck aren't up to it. You three stay together." I ordered before disappearing through the trees with Katara. As we left, I could hear Toph muttering.
"Baldy and snoozles are the first to go...dun dun dun."
There was almost no light now that we were about ten yards away from the campfire. The forest felt kind of creepy after hearing all the ghost stories. My sword was drawn, just in case we ran into any unfriendly creatures. Katara clutched my arm tightly as we continued to advance further into the woods. I tried my best to console her and myself.
"Everything's fine. I bet Toph's just screwin' around with us like usual. I mean, how can people be under a mountain?" Katara stopped and let go of me. On her face was an impish smirk.
"You really thought I was scared?" My jaw dropped a little. The girl had gone from looking terrified to calm and collected in mere moments. What in Agni?
"But you were shaking! You glued yourself to your brother and Aang two minute ago! You were the one freaking out because you heard something!" Katara made sure we were well away from the camp before responding.
"I made that up." I did a double take. She had done what now? This baffled me.
"You what?"
"I didn't hear anything at all." She admitted. What is she thinking? She's nuts-that's it! Absolutely bonkers!
"Katara, are you insane?" I actually wanted her to answer my question. "Why would you pretend to hear something?"
"Relax, we're benders. We can protect ourselves if need be. I just wanted to talk a walk with you without them." The bending part might have been true but the water-bender was missing the point. I also didn't understand why she felt the need to take a stroll at this particular time.
"You obviously don't know the rules of survival in these settings." I remembered being taught the "essential" guidelines for horror story-like situations by neighbor kids when I was younger. Katara chuckled and crossed her arms.
"Enlighten me."
***" Rule #1: Never go off on alone. Rule #2: If you do go off alone, never go in the woods.
Rule #3: If you do go in the woods, never ever ever, make out in the woods. Or you will die in the woods!"
Katara blinked.
"Technically we're only breaking rule #2." She pointed out, enunciating certain syllables more so than others.
"Yes..." I agreed, realizing she was correct in this observation.
"So far."
"Wait what?" Dust my ears deceive me? My inside stirred.
"Oh nothing, nothing at all." The Water Tribe girl coolly played it off.
"Huh?" I reacted stupidly. Katara put her hand to her face.
"My stars, you are so oblivious!"
"'My stars?'" I repeated her. I had never heard if before and the phrase intrigued me. Katara only groaned in aggravation.
"You don't get it, do you?" The frustrated water questioned me. What in the world is she yappin' about? I didn't know there was anything to get. I shook my head.
"Katara, what are we even talking about here?"
"Why do you think I do the things I do?" I was baffled as to what direction this conversation was going in. I still was quite confused on the reason she dragged me out here in the first place.
"You mean why you act like an overbearing mother to Sokka and Toph? I think it's because-" The Water Tribe girl shot me a look which silenced me. Though Katara was a sweet girl, she was not a force to be reckoned with when pissed.
"Why do you think I spend so much time with you? Why I'm always near you? Why I took you out here?" That was a no brainer. I wondered why she asked me questions like these.
"Because I'm your friend." I answered her. In the back of my head, I was slowly beginning to understand but another part of me prohibited me from coming to an epiphany; I think it was the rational part of me that tried to overlook this moment and emotion. Butterflies started forming in my stomach.
"Yes, but..." The darker skinned girl muttered under her breath and stared down at the forest floor. She looked around wildly and it seemed as if she was contemplating. One would have thought she was making an extremely tough decision. "I just...ugh, screw it!"
She placed her hand on the back of my neck and pulled my head into hers. It caught me off guard once her lips collided with mine. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it. I had kissed only a few others in such a way and each moment was different and distinguishable in some way. Womens' lips were much softer than mens' and I had figured this out a couple of times, but Katara was different. When she kissed me, I felt like a broken part of me had found its way back. Each second I stayed lip-locked with the water-bender, the more she seemed to be piecing me back together. The tenderness and spontaneity of the kiss caused a tingling sensation in my body. Katara then pulled back and even though it had only been just a sliver of a moment, it felt like forever.
"Now do you get it?" Her beautiful blue eyes stared into me, waiting to see how I would react. There were a hundred different things I wanted to say but I couldn't seem to get the words out of my mouth.
"I-"
"Girls! Are you okay?" Aang's voice rang out through the trees in the direction of the camp. Katara looked a little peaved off but her expression soon softened.
"Everything's fine! We're heading back now!" She called out to him to let him know it was all just dandy. I knew we had to regroup with the others but I wanted to stay there and figure out what was going on between the Water Tribe girl and I. I didn't know she felt that way about me, and I'll admit that I had thought about her in a similar way before. Where would we go from there? The water-bender started to turn away.
"Katara, wait. We need-"
"We can't about this now. We have to go back." It irked me that I would have to rejoin the others and pretend that everything was normal-that nothing had happened at all between Katara and I. I put on my best poker face once we approached the campfire.
"Oh good!" Sokka sounded very relieved. "You two are alive!" He sat close to Toph and Aang by the fire.
"You would have avenged our deaths, right Sokka?" Katara teased the pansy warrior. The darker skinned boy thought about the question for a short while.
"Well depending on the circumstances...quite possibly, maybe."
"Ouch. I'll remember that, boomerang." I vowed.
"So did you guys find anything?" Aang inquired, glancing at both the water-bender and myself.
"Nope. Nothing. Turns out Katara's hearing is just as bad as her jokes." The girl rolled her eyes at me and pretended to laugh. I had to keep up with the banter otherwise the others would know something was off. "What did one wall say to the other wall?" I tried mimicking her voice.
"I'll meet ya at the corner!" Toph beat everyone to the punch. It was a riddle she had loved ever since she was a little child.
"Hey, that one was pretty good." Sokka admitted. Pretty soon, we all started laughing. Not because it was particularly funny, but because of the sheer simplicity of the riddle. It was as if we'd never been scared at all.
"Hello children." An unknown voice sliced through the barrage of giggles. Toph shrieked and grabbed onto Sokka for protection. Aang grabbed hold of the warrior boy and my cousin, and Katara jumped into my arms. Out of the darkness, an elderly woman emerged with long white hair. "Sorry to frighten you." She apologized. "My name is Hama. You children shouldn't be out in the forest by yourselves at night. I have an inn nearby. Why don't you come back there for some spiced tea and warm beds?"
I was personally spooked by her sudden appearance, but the offer was friendly and inviting. After sleeping the hard ground for so many nights in a row, it was hard to turn down a sweet deal like this. "Yes please." Sokka squeaked.
The five of us followed the old woman to where her inn was located at the base of the mountain. It felt great to be staying indoors again. We sat with Hama in the kitchen and she poured us all a cup of hot tea. "Thank you for letting us stay here tonight. You have a lovely inn." Katara showed her gratitude.
"Aren't you sweet." Hama smiled warmly and her and the water-bender beamed. Not when she's angry! I laughed internally. "You know, you should be careful." The old woman stared down at her cup of tea. "People have been disappearing in those woods you were camping in. I saw the smoke from your campfire and thought I should warn whoever was there." No. No way. She couldn't be serious. Was she for real? Oh boy. If so, it meant we were practically living in a horror story. I gulped down my tea a bit too quickly. For a second it felt like I had burned my throat.
"What do you mean, 'disappearing?'" I asked.
"When the moon is full, people walk in and they don't come out...who wants more tea?" She suddenly changed her grim tone and stood up with the kettle in hand. We stared back at her with wide eyes. "Don't worry, you'll all be completely safe here." The old woman reassured us. "Now why don't I show you to your rooms and you can get a good nights rest?"
The rooms upstairs were very spacious and accommodating. We'd all have our own bed to sleep in, and hopefully I wouldn't have to hear Sokka's snoring/drooling. The boys each got their own room on the left of the hallway and the girls and I took the ones on the right. "Sleep tight, kids." Hama bid us goodnight and retreated back down to the first floor. Everyone said goodnight to each other and I waited until the guys and Toph had disappeared into their rooms before snatching Katara.
"You! Get in here, now!" I pulled the water-bender into my room with stellar speed and shut the door. I didn't know how thick or thin the walls were in the inn but I wanted to make sure this conversation stayed as private as possible. What's going on?"
"With what?" She asked innocently, after gathering her bearings. It was definitely not the time to play coy, I wished the girl understood that.
"With you and me-the woods!"
"I'm pretty sure you can put two and two together." The darker skinned girl retorted. "I thought we had gotten past that."
"Yes, but it's just..." I paused to think. "Why me? I mean, why not somebody else? Like, uh...that Haru guy Sokka mentioned before, or...Suki! Yeah, her! She's smart, witty, attractive, kick-ass-"
"You got a thing for Suki now?" Katara gave me a weird look. That wasn't what I meant at all.
"Sokka's got a thing for Suki!" I clarified. The water-bender looked at me as if I was mentally insane and/or disturbed.
"I know...that's why they're dating..." Stupid brain! I sighed and put my head in my hands. It had been a very long day and it was going to be an even longer night if I didn't get this straightened out.
"I don't even know what I'm trying to say anymore." Katara came closer and put her hands on my shoulders.
"This is exactly why," she began to answer my initial question. "Because you're so incredibly cute. When you have moments like these, I can't stop laughing or smiling-it's the same every time I'm near you. And you have this personality that brings people together; I can't even begin to describe it. You're exactly everything you said about Suki and more. I like that, and I like you." I felt myself begin to blush. She really felt that way? She really thought all that about me? It made my insides soar. "I don't know if the feeling is mutual, but I just felt like you should know." I took the water-bender's hands and held them in mine. I'd secretly been hoping for this to occur between us regardless of what I thought my priorities were. Since we had first reached Ba Sing Se, in fact. But there were still some issues and that would hinder us.
"It's not that I don't share the same feelings for you Katara, I really do. Altogether you're this amazing and beautiful person. Forget the avatar, you're the one who's gonna save the world." I laughed. A shade of pink colored the darker skinned girl's cheeks. "But the timing isn't exactly convenient. There's a huge war going on and we're caught in the middle of it. Do you honestly think now is a good time to start a relationship?" Katara glared at me skeptically with narrowed eyes.
"Sokka and Suki."
"This is true."
"Smellerbee and Longshot."
"Point taken."
"I can keep going."
"Alright, alright! I get it!" I surrendered. "I'm just wondering whether it's a good idea to be so open about this. What about Aang?" The Air Nomad had had a crush on Katara for a long time. I first noticed it once Toph and I joined the team but it probably traced back farther than that. Katara didn't seem phased by my question.
"What about him?" She made a face of confusion. Oh. She was obviously still oblivious to the fact that Aang secretly admired her. This could very well bring up problems later on. I quickly started talking again so that she wouldn't' wonder what I meant.
"And Sokka and Toph? How is everyone else going to feel?" Certain groups and cultures were more accepting of women/women and men/men romantic relationships than others. This included the West Coast of the Earth Kingdom and a few other locations I couldn't remember at the moment.
"They don't necessarily have to know about it, though I doubt they'd freak out much. It doesn't even have to be a traditional relationship-we can just be friends and stuff."
I rubbed my temples. "Katara, the Fire Nation term for that is 'friends with benefits,' and quite frankly the idea is asinine. If I'm going to date someone or just be with someone, it's not going to be for just the physical aspect." The water-bender pouted and gave me a pleading look because she was all out of ideas. I honestly didn't know what to tell her. "Look, my last relationship ended badly with both of us burned. I don't want that to happen again." I cared for Katara too much to risk hurting her in any way, shape or form. She placed a warm hand on my arm.
"I promise, nothing like that is going to happen to you this time." The girl vowed. I stared at the floor. I can't promise the same to you. I didn't have the guts to actually say it to her. The darker skinned girl held the sides of my face in her gentle hands. "I promise, Karuna." It was that moment that I gave in to the water-bender. The confidence in her voice and sincerity in her eyes won me over. I nodded without saying a word. Katara closed the space between us by bringing her lips into mine. The feelings of cleanliness and godliness returned and I wanted more.
Katara's arms were wrapped around my neck. My forearms were against her back, pulling her closer into me. Butterflies erupted in my stomach as we kept kissing. I had never felt more alive. Then, Jet's face appeared in my mind, grinning deviously. I soon began to reflect on my feelings for him which had been laid to rest along with the Freedom Fighter. The image of his dead body was what I saw next, and it caused me to cringe. The boy had never known the truth about me until he was on his deathbed. And I would never forgive myself for lying to him. I had kissed him before just like I was kissing Katara then, and I suddenly felt bothered. Then, golden eye clouded my vision. Golden eyes which showed fear, sorrow and agony. Azula. I had forgotten the way she looked at me when I announced my secession from the Fire Nation; it was utterly heartbreaking. My eyes began to water up. By being with Katara, I was betraying the princess- the girl who told me she loved me. Tears started streaming down from my closed eyes. But what effected me the most was the realization that I had lied to all three of them and nothing good came of it, yet I still continued to hide the truth.
"What's wrong?" Katara gushed as she pulled back. The girl had felt the tears and knew something wasn't right. I shook my head and tried to wipe away the the evidence with my sleeve. "Come here." She opened up her arms to me. I let the water-bender hold me and console me. She kissed the top of my head a few times while telling me it was okay repeatedly. I knew things were far from okay, but with her maybe they'd be bearable. I never would have guessed this would happen at the beginning of my journey, but my heart now belonged to Katara.
I began to stir once sunlight shinned in through the window. I still rose with the sun. I felt a warm and shapely figure beside me. I turned over to the right and Katara kissed me on my forehead. She had stayed with me the whole night after all. "Good morning sleepyhead." She teased. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and sat up. The water-bender was already dressed and her hair was perfect as usual.
"Geez, Katara, it's only sunrise." I hopped out of bed and grabbed my uniform which was lying on the floor. "How long have you been up for?" I pulled the pants the pants over my undershorts and the top half over my tank. I had thought ash-makers woke during the rising of the sun; the reason I did was because I was still a fire-bender, but for the past 7 months I had solely bent earth.
"Oh, just the past half hour." The girl responded nonchalantly as she stood up and headed for the door. "C'mon. Let's go wake everyone up."
After everyone was up, whether they wanted to be or not, we went into town to help Hama with her shopping. Sokka didn't seem to appreciate being dragged out of bed bright and early to run errands in the market. Aang, Toph and I carried around baskets of fruits and vegetables because we didn't mind...well at least Aang and I didn't. Katara seemed to really be bonding with Hama. "That Mr. Yao seems to have a thing for you," the water-bender told the innkeeper as we continued to walk through town. "Maybe we should go back and see if he'll give us some free komodo sausages." The old woman pretended to be appalled.
"You would have me use my feminine charms to take advantage of that poor man? I think you and I are going to get along swimmingly." Hama grinned at Katara. I took a look at the different goods being sold in the town. I then noticed a merchant's stand with weapons. I gravitated toward them and dragged Sokka with me. Hanging up on a rack were swords, daggers and bows.
"You ever shoot before?" I asked the Water Tribe boy. He studied the bows and shook his head.
"Not much, not." I reached into my pocket and pulled out a block pouch. I still had a decent amount of money left from the scams we had pulled with Toph in Fire Fountain City. "Well you're going to now." I told him. "Hi, I'd like to buy the bows please." I said to the seller. The merchant took both weapons down and set them both on the counter in front of me so that I could get a better look at them. One was a recurve and the other a long bow.
" The draw weights are 35," The man pointed to the recurve. "And 55." Next he held the long bow. The weights were good. Since Sokka would be new to this, I figured he should start off with the recurve because of the lighter draw weight. "This one's also a lefty just so you know." He kept the long bow in hand. This posed as no problem to me.
"That's perfect. I'm a left handed archer." I grinned from ear to ear. The merchant smiled at this.
"That's pretty rare, most people aren't. Tell you what, if you buy two quivers I'll throw in some arrows for a reduced price." It was a deal. Arrows were very expensive because of how they were made. I wasn't going to pass up on this offer. I paid the man, thanked him and then we went on our merry way. Two-thirds of my money was gone now, but I didn't think I would have spent it anywhere else. Sokka attatched the quiver to his waistband and held the recurve bow in his free hand. I slung my quiver over my shoulder.
"Thanks," Sokka marveled at the design of his bow. "I didn't know you were into archery." He commented.
"My pleasure, ponytail. I use to do it more often a few years back." In fact, it had been Mai who had taught me how to shoot. "I wanted to get back into practice. And since you made me learn the sword with you, you're going to take up archery with me!"
Later that day, we discovered that Hama was from the Southern Water Tribe. Sokka had been snooping around the inn because he had a hunch the old woman was hiding something. We came across a small chest in the attic which contained a blue and white comb. Hama told us it was her greatest treasure and where it had come from. Katara was ecstatic once she had learned that Hama was a water-bender. After telling us her sad and painful story of her capture, Hama offered to teach Katara traditional Southern water-bending. We were all excited for her and enjoyed the rest of Southern Water Tribe meal Hama had whipped up for us. The evening ended with much laughter, story telling, full bellies and cuddling. Well, not everyone was cuddling. Only Katara and I did after hours.
The next day, Katara went off to learn with Hama while Aang and Toph watched me teach Sokka how to shoot effectively. "Not bad, ponytail. But don't be in such a rush." The warrior boy had gotten the gist of loading his bow but his form still needed a lot of work. I had him shoot at targets about 20 yards away because he was still beginning. Sokka had hit the tree below the actual target.
"How am I supposed to take anyone out if I don't move in a more timely manner?" He complained. I shook my head at his frustration.
"Sokka, Sokka, Sokka. You're getting ahead of yourself. In order to do this well with speed, you have to start slow and work your way up. You won't get anywhere if you ignore the basics and try to rush everything." I held the long bow with my right and drew an arrow from the quiver on my back. I shifted my body sideways, hip facing the target, and pulled back the string with my left. I pulled back so that my finger tips almost touched my mouth. I inhaled, then released. The arrow zipped through the air and planted itself on the edges of the bullseye. If I were Mai, it would've struck dead center. The girl was amazing at targeting instinctively. "Alright, first we need to fix your stance, next you've gotta pull back farther on the string." Sokka did as I instructed and didn't object when I helped reposition his arms.
"Why do I need to learn archery?" He whined. "I can already swing a sword."
"It'll come in handy during the invasion." I remembered the ideas of the attack he had come up with me. " If you're going to be flying on Appa, your sword isn't going to do you much good in the air." The warrior boy shot another arrow after patiently taking aim. It hit the second ring of the target. "That was better. It's all about practice, Sokka. It really is."
Aang and Toph sat on the edge of the cliff overlooking rivers and a valley. They let their feet dangle as they took in the breathtaking view. "This has got to be the nicest natural setting in the Fire Nation." The avatar observed. "I don't see anything that would make a spirit mad around here." He and my cousin were brainstorming reasons as to why people were supposedly disappearing on nights of the full moon. Toph picked her nose and shrugged.
"I don't know. Maybe the moon spirit just turned mean." Upon hearing this, Sokka stopped his shooting and whirled around to face the blind girl.
"The moon spirit is a gentle and loving lady! She rules the sky with compassion! And...lunar goodness!" My cousin and Aang stared at the Water Tribe boy as if he was off his rocker. That part was true and all, but somehow he appeared stranger to them in those short moments. I would have done the same if I hadn't found he was romantically involved with the moon spirit, Yue, when she was a mortal girl. I had figured that one out when he was babbling like a mad man in the desert because of the cactus juice.
Aang retreated from Sokka and his weirdness to speak with a man who happened to be passing through the trail. The air-bender asked him if we knew anything about spirits stealing people. The man told us that the only one who saw it and lived was Old Man Ding. The other three wanted to find Old Man Ding to get some more answers. Sokka made me bring the bows and accessories back to the inn because he was too lazy to stop off there first. I told them not to wait up for me because I'd probably just stay with Katara and Hama once they got back.
I opened the panel cupboard on the second floor that Sokka had discovered the previous day. The marionettes were expertly made, but creepy to gaze upon. I wasn't even sure why I had reopened the cabinet; it had gave us all a fright the first time it was opened. I guess I was just curious to know why Hama was into collecting puppets. I soon heard the door open from downstairs and I shut the cupboard quickly to go greet them. Katara was walking through the kitchen as I entered. I went over to hug the water-bender and kissed her in the side of her head subtly.
"How are your lessons going?" I asked. The girl was all smiles.
"They're great! Hama's taught me so much more about water-bending that I haven't even thought of before! It's given me a new perspective!" The old woman then entered the room.
"Katara is quite the water-bender." She praised her pupil. The darker skinned girl glowed with pride and accomplishment.
"I know she is." I grinned at Katara who returned the expression.
"Hama's going to teach me some very advanced water-bending techniques tonight because there's going to be a full moon." Of course. Water-benders drew their power from the moon just as fire-benders did with the sun.
"That sounds exciting!" I shared her enthusiasm. "Is it alright if I tag along?" I asked them both. I didn't want to intrude on the teaching, but I had nothing else to do.
"Of course dear," Hama put a withered hand on my shoulder. "Did your friends leave you behind?" I laughed and nodded.
"Yes. They actually did. They're in town doing, spirits knows what." Katara rolled her eyes and shook her head. I knew exactly what they were doing; they were searching out Old Man Ding to get to the bottom of the mystery. For some reason, I felt liked I needed to be vague when I described their whereabouts. Hama seemed to be very happy that I asked to come with.
"Well you're more than welcome to come join us. The more the merrier. I've been meaning to ask you, are you from the Southern Water Tribe as well?" It wasn't the first time I had been asked this. Because of my tan complexion, many thought I had hailed from one of the Water Tribes. My eyes also had hints of blue in it, which seemed to be a norm for many Water Tribe people.
"I'm actually from the Earth Kingdom." I answered her. "I'm an earth-bender." The old woman seemed very surprised and delighted.
"Oh! An earth-bender! Now how about that? Two water-benders and an earth-bender living incognito in the Fire Nation." Katara and I laughed with Hama who seemed to really get a kick out of the funny coincidence. I had to admit, it was a pretty rare occurrence.
I stood beside Katara in the woods as Hama appeared to be absorbing the power of the full moon. The forest was just as eerie as the when we had camped there and I wondered why the old woman had picked this spot for a lesson. "What I'm about to show you, I discovered in that wretched Fire Nation prison." Hama spoke gravely to Katara. She told us the account of her days in the Fire Nation prison and what it took for her to eventually escape. "Blood-bending." The words rolled off her tongue and caused me to shiver. "Once you perfect this technique, you can control anything...or anyone." I could tell that Katara was becoming uncomfortable. I didn't like the way this lesson was going either.
"But to reach inside someone and control them? I-I don't think I want that kind of power." The darker skinned girl resisted the temptation.
"The choice is not yours," The old woman went on. "The power exists and it's your duty to use the gifts you have been given to win this war! Katara, they tried to wipe us out, our entire culture, your mother!" The younger water-bender stared at the ground in contemplation. Hama had hit a sore spot. I reached out and grasped Katara's hand firmly.
"The Fire Nation has wronged your people, Hama, as well as mine. But we must be the bigger and better individuals. This is a conflict of morality. We can fight them another way!" I tried reasoning with the innkeeper. Surely, she would see my side of the argument. "The Fire Nation destroyed my home too."
"Then you and Katara should understand what I'm talking about, Karuna. But it is not the same for you. She and I are the last water-benders of the Southern Tribe. We have to fight these people whenever we can wherever they are by any means necessary!" It was then that something clicked inside my brain. The hatred this woman felt toward the Fire Nation tipped me off and soon I knew who the culprit was behind the vanishing civilians.
"It's you!" Katara accused, sharing the same epiphany as me. "You're the one who's making people disappear on the full moons!"
"They threw me in prison to rot! Along with my brothers and sisters! They deserve the same!" The old crone justified her actions. "You must carry on my work!"
"I won't!" Katara stood her ground. " I won't use blood-bending and I won't allow you to keep terrorizing this town!" Hama started moving her arms swiftly in unknown art forms. Oh no! I jumped in front of Katara to protect her and stamped my foot against the ground which sent a surface wave at Hama that knocked her down. The attack wasn't as strong as I would have normally made it; I didn't want to severely harm an elderly person, but Hama had to be stopped. I spread my arms apart to open up the ground and trap her in between, but before I could complete my action, my left arm suddenly dropped. Then my right began to twist in several uncomfortable ways. It was if I was possessed.
"You should have learned the technique before turning against me!" Hama cackled as I struggled. "It's impossible for her to fight her way out of my grasp!" The witch told Katara. "I control every muscle, every vein in her body!" Hama continued to move her arms in swift and tight formations. My possessed body zipped right and left across the grass. I didn't stop trying to resist, but it truly was impossibly to break from the hold. I felt my spine tighten and crack. I yelped as the force sent me to the ground. I hollered and shouted in pain as the cruel old woman continued to control and contort my body every which way. I had not felt this kind of pain before in my life.
Katara trembled and cried out, "Stop it!" She screamed at Hama. "You're hurting her! Please! Stop it!" The tears ran down her cheeks as she fell to her knees crying. Hama only laughed cruelly at her cries of pain and mine of agony. Then, the darker skinned girl rose to her feet and stared our attacker down. "You're not the only one who draws power from the moon!" She took the water from the grass and hurled it at Hama. The old witch broke her focus on me to retaliate, and I regained control of my own body. There was still a sense of numbness in my limbs, but at least I could use them to my will, not anyone else's.
Katara sidestepped and blocked Hama's attacks by reversing the direction of the water. The girl hit the on coming water with her open palm and it exploded like a watery firework back in the other direction. It was absolutely incredible. With fast movements, Katara conjured up more water from nearby plants and knocked Hama clear off her feet. After short moments, the woman began to rise again but Katara's cold, blue eyes forced her to freeze. "NEVER. Touch. My girlfriend. Again." She commanded in the most threatening voice I had heard yet. All of a sudden, Hama started to twitch and gasp as she lost control of her body. She shook and her entire body was forced back to the ground. The old woman tried desperately to fight it, but she just wasn't as strong as she once was. Soon, Hama was on her hands and knees just like Katara had been only moments ago. Katara flexed her arms, tightening the control she had on the twisted innkeeper. I had never seen the younger water-bender in such a dark state before.
Off in the distance, many people came running towards us. As they drew closer, I could make out Toph in the lead followed by Aang, Sokka and villagers. I soon discovered that they were the ones who Hama had kidnapped and threw in a prison inside the mountain. The townspeople took the old woman away in shackles, but she was determine to have the final word. "My work here is done. Congratulations, Katara. You're a blood-bender."
More tears ran down my girlfriend's cheeks. Though the gang tried, Katara only let me comfort her. The water-bender sobbed into my shoulder and I held her tight all the while she cried. She had been so brave and strong tonight and that only made me desire her all the more. She was an amazing water-bender, and had saved bother our lives back there. "I love you, Katara." I mumbled into her ear.
"I love you too." She whispered back.
~Reference List~
* Is a Kevin Hardy reference. The line is really : "I'm gonna shoot him in the face... TWICE... me. ..by myself...one gun...one bullet...all day...every day!"
** The story Karuna tells the gang is based off of the movie The Uninvited which was actually based off the book The Tale of Two Sisters
*** Karuna's rules of survival come from Gwen's rules in Total Drama Island! :D love that show
Also, the quote in the beginning is from the song "La De Da" by Evaline
Another interesting thing: I decided to add in the part about Karuna teaching Sokka about archery because I'm an archer- a left handed one as well :3 just fyi
Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, hopefully I'll have time to continue writing this week but I have the ACT on tuesday :O and PSAE testing Wednesday and they won't let you bring anything to read or work on afterwords because they're afraid of cheating...which I totally understand...sort of. But oh well xD have a good week everyone!