The Great Migration
Journey from South to North
I lay on my thick blanket, with pieces of paper scattered all around me. I continued to stare at the ceiling. I heard some voices, and then Katara entered my room, brushing the thick buffalo-yak's skin to one side. "Come on out, Mi Li. We're having lunch now," she called. I looked up to her, "Coming," I called back. She acknowledged, and left. I sat up sluggishly, and ambled out. In the dining room, Hakoda, Katara, Sokka, Aang and Momo, were all sitting at the table. The food was set out and everyone seemed ready to eat.
I briskly took my seat next to Katara, so as to keep them all from waiting. Hakoda gestured for us to begin eating, but my appetite was lost in a swamp of thoughts. Katara must have noticed my uneasiness, because she gave me worried glances. I tried to reassure her with a smile, but she wasn't convinced. Soon, even Hakoda noticed my unrest. An uncomfortable silence filled the room, with the only noise being Sokka's rapid munching.
The only person who didn't seem surprised was Aang – I figured that he already knew about everything I had discovered in the letters. When I gazed at him, he nodded with understanding. But I could tell that everyone else in the room was eager to hear into our silent conversation. I sighed, "I received a bunch of letters from friends. One letter was from the Northern Water Tribe – it was from Chief Arnook," I said quietly. Everyone listened intently, and exchange interested glances. "He needs a new successor, because his daughter died. And apparently, I'm of royal blood," I stated expressionlessly.
I heard Katara gasp; even Sokka stopped gobbling and became silent. "They've checked all the records, and I am the last descendent that is eligible for the throne. He's offered me the chance to succeed his position, as leader of the Northern Water Tribe, and advises me to consider the option carefully. If I choose not to accept his offer, it'll just mean that his eldest nephew-in-law will have to be prepared for the role. But he needs me to inform him of my decision as soon as I can, because he'll need to prepare the future leader, even though he'll be in power for years more to come," I said, expressing my dilemma.
The room was silent. "I don't know what to do. It's surprising enough to learn that I'm royalty, when all these years I've barely even believed myself to be nobility. But now, I have to make a choice, of whether I want to lead a nation. I just don't know if I'm ready for this much responsibility. Yet, I cannot imagine turning down the offer – it seems too important to ignore. I feel it is my duty to take up that leadership. But I don't know how to begin," I said disappointedly.
Another silence engulfed the room. "Mi Li, all of us including you, did not expect that you would be royalty. I know it is hard to believe, but what you've just learned about yourself is true. Chief Arnook has proposed a challenge that can change the course of your life. As he has expressed, he will continue to be Chief for many more years to come, and that the urgency for your decision is only so that he can prepare you or whoever it is that will succeed him. I understand you are not sure of your decision, but I think there is a way to satisfy both parties," Hakoda said encouragingly, with a gentle smile.
I listened hopefully, glad that he was trying to help me resolve the issue. "Since your training for waterbending is complete, I suppose it is fine for you to travel freely again. How about going to the Northern Water Tribe and living the life of a royal for a short while? I'm not suggesting you accept the position as the future leader – I am simply suggesting that you go there and experience what it's like to be a royal. It will give you time to decide because he will get the opportunity to train you, while at the same time, you can experience what it's like in his shoes," he said thoughtfully.
I nodded, "That makes sense," I agreed with his plan. "Thank you, Chief Hakoda. I wouldn't have thought about that as a solution. It's like getting a trial of the royal lifestyle, rather than making a blind decision based on my assumptions. But do you think it will be fine with Chief Arnook?" I asked uncertainly. He nodded, "Arnook is a generous man, even though his position as Chief may make him seem more intimidating than he really is. Go to him; I think he will be pleased that you're interested," he reassured me. I looked to Aang, who smiled supportively, "I'm ready to go whenever you are," he notified me cheerfully.
It was decided – the next day, Aang and I would travel to the Northern Water Tribe. A long journey awaited us, so we had to plan where we would stop for the nights. Aang analysed a map that Hakoda supplied us. He drew out our path, choosing three destinations as our waypoints – Kyoshi Island, Tyro's mining village, and the city of Taku. "Of course we can stop anywhere between those destinations, but these will be the main places where we will resupply," Aang noted to us.
As soon as there was enough light in the sky, we began our journey. It took us three days to reach Kyoshi Island. But once there, we were greeted with open arms. The entire group of Kyoshi Warriors were thrilled of our visit. During the night of our stay, we shared a gossip session. Of course, with Aang being the only boy, he wasn't quite included – but he was content with that. We discussed the news I received – explaining how I discovered that I had royal heritage from my mother's side. "Wow! You're royalty?" The girls chorused in unison.
I nodded my head slightly, as the girls exhibited expressions of awe and respect. Then without any warning, they bowed, getting on their knees. I gasped in shock and instinctively shot upright, trying desperately to get them to stand. "Please, this is ridiculous! You don't need to behave this way – you're my friends. I might be related to the royal family, but that doesn't mean I'm royal. At some point in time, my mother's family migrated from the North to live in the South, and they've lived like every other normal citizen – no additional wealth, rights, or recognition," I spoke loudly, and tried to persuade them with logic.
"I haven't even accepted his offer to be his successor! I'm still no more than the daughter of a Fire Nation General – a nobleman's daughter. Please get up. Besides, you're my friends – friends don't need to behave this way towards each other," I concluded strongly. They all gazed at me, smiling sheepishly, and giggled as they rose. I rolled my eyes at their silliness, and their tendency for being so formal, but I was glad to have such supportive friends.
We shared a tight group hug, before the imbalance of weight caused all of us to tumble onto the ground. Squeals broke out in the room, as our clumped mass plodded heavily onto the floor. The impact shook all of our bodies, and we lied scattered on the straw mats. A fit of laughs overcame each and every single one of us in the room, including Aang who had been watching the entire scenario as it evolved. We helped each other to stand, as we calmed ourselves and sat on the couches. We shared more gossip before going outside for demonstrations.
In the large rectangular courtyard, I showed them some of the techniques I mastered in water-bending. I hadn't really worked with fire-bending for some time, but I tried to make it as elaborate as possible, combining both my water and firebending skills once more. I heard gasps and shouts of encouragement from the girls – they were fully absorbed into my display. I ended my short routine with a blast of water in one direction, and a trail of fire in the other. I concluded with a quick curtsy, and strolled back towards the band of excited girls. They applauded and gave me words of encouragement. I thanked them and took a seat on a nearby bench.
The girls prepared to perform, assembling in the centre of the courtyard. I waited patiently on the stone bench with Aang standing idly by my side. I watched as the girls moved into position, but couldn't help feeling a bit light-headed. I took slow deep breaths, as I felt my eyes becoming unfocused. "Are you okay, Mi Li?" Aang asked quietly. I nodded, "I'm fine. I just need to rest a bit," I replied just as quietly. Aang became silent, and we watched the Kyoshi Warriors perform.
They moved as a single force; their actions were synchronised and fluent. They flung their fans out with deadly grace, and stepped with sure feet. I admired how much physically stronger they were, compared to me, and felt disappointed by my weakness. Soon they came to their climatic conclusion – it was the new move they had wanted to show me. I continued to observe intently. A few of the girls dashed to the other end of the courtyard, and lifted a wooden dummy to the centre. Suki readied herself, facing the dummy, and held her fan so that it was closed. Then she put her fan in something that looked like a sheath. I was slightly confused.
The other girls stood back at the sides of the courtyard, waiting. Then in a blur, Suki flicked her covered fan out at the dummy. The fan rotated in the air, like a flying disk of gold, and sliced straight through the dummy's neck. The wooden head fell off, landing loudly onto the pavement. But the fan continued to fly, curving back towards Suki. Skilfully, she caught the fan without injuring herself, and all the Kyoshi Warriors assembled in a line, facing Aang and I. They bowed, and I applauded them, extremely impressed.
"How did you get the fan to do that?" I asked curiously. "Well, the idea came from Sokka. His boomerang was inspirational. We knew that after we had flung our fans at an enemy, we had to retrieve it ourselves. But by allowing it to behave like a boomerang, it meant that we could quickly use it again," Suki answered. I nodded approvingly, "So how do you make it spin back? It doesn't look much like a boomerang," I asked curiously.
The girls giggled and looked towards Suki for the answer. "Well, first and foremost, it has to be closed like this," she said demonstrating to me. "A good thing about this is that it tricks the enemy into thinking that we are not fighting. But we've made some slight changes to the fans, so that they fit into these new attachments we've made. These covers are made of metal, and they slide onto the fan like a sheath. But these are not sheaths; they are special casings that have bladed edges, and are shaped like boomerangs," she said, sliding the attachment onto her fan.
"These are the upgrades that are giving our fans the ability to act like boomerangs, and still work as lethally as our fans would without them," she concluded intelligently. I smiled, impressed. "Wow, you are all so smart to design something like that. Great work!" I complimented them. They laughed and thanked me for the praise, looking rather shy. That night, before I went to sleep, I stood outside on the porch to gaze at the moon. The cool night breeze wafted through my hair, which had now grown longer, so that it passed my shoulders.
"What are you thinking about?" Aang's voice sounded behind me. I turned sharply at his sudden approach. "Nothing much – I'm just enjoying the night air and the moon," I replied, returning my gaze to the sky. I heard his light steps as they walked on the wooden boards. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him stand next to me by the railing. We remained silent, both staring out into the wilderness. Soon, I sensed his unrest, even as peaceful as he was out of practice.
"Mi Li, you shouldn't just do things like that. You know what effect bending has on you – you shouldn't tire yourself needlessly, Avatar Roku warned you. And why didn't you tell them about it?" he asked with genuine concern. I sighed, "Aang, I won't let myself be weak anymore. Look at those girls – they can't bend at all, but they can do stuff that is just as incredible as what I can do. If ordinary people can be that strong, then why can't I?" I argued calmly, looking him in the eye. He only gave me a sad expression. I returned to gazing at the moon.
"It's not important anyway; so long as I don't enter the Spiritual State, I'll be fine. The fact is; I need to train myself to be stronger. I can't let my limitations limit me any further than they already have," I said with determination. Aang remain silent for a long moment. "Just don't overdo it, okay? Otherwise, I'm going to be in just as much trouble as you," he said weakly. I nodded reassuringly to him, before he turned and made his way inside. I stayed on the balcony a bit longer, but soon felt drowsy, and decided to return to my room to sleep.
The next morning, I felt much more revived, and prepared to leave. Aang and I said our farewells, and took to the sky once more. In another three days we arrived at Tyro's mining village. We traced our steps back to their previous house, but found it to be sold. Disappointed, we made our way to the Inn. Of course, Nina was no longer working there, but the staff immediately recognised us and offered accommodation. The staff told us that the Inn had been sold to a new owner as well. At hearing the information, I instantly felt hostile to the village. We briskly left the next day, making our way towards the city of Taku.
In another three days, we arrived in the city. "This place is full of ruins; it doesn't look much like a city," I said with slight confusion. "This place was once a great city, but it was destroyed in the war due to its importance. But now that the war is over, people have returned to help rebuild it. But there is one part of the city that managed to survive the attacks, and I want to show it to you," Aang said cheerfully.
We continued to fly over buildings and people, until we came to a building perched on the top of a mountain, heavily camouflaged by vegetation. Appa landed in the yard at the front of the building, before Aang and I climbed down. "This is the Herbalist Institute; it managed to survive through the war. It was an incredibly successful establishment, and it has been around for more than a hundred years. It specializes in growing plants that have medicinal properties. The medicines they produced were sent all around the world. This is the perfect place for us to stop, because we can gather some of these medicines. I also think you'll find it very interesting," Aang said with a positive smile.
We walked inside the huge building, and found ourselves in a lobby. Half of the room was occupied by shelves of jars, and a long counter separated the two halves of the room. A small elderly woman waited behind the counter, and waved at us when she saw us entering. "Welcome, Avatar Aang," she greeted with cheerfulness. Both of us approached the counter and smiled pleasantly at her. "Greetings, Madam Hua!" Aang called enthusiastically. "Pleasure to meet you, Madam," I greeted politely. At hearing my voice, the lady turned her attention to me, smiling in a friendly way.
"What is your name?" she asked me gently. "Mi Li," I replied courteously. She smiled wider, "That is a beautiful name," she stated serenely. Then she turned to look at Aang. "Is there anything you need, or anything I can do to help?" she asked, in business-like tone. "We just came to collect the usual medicines," Aang said casually. She nodded her head and began to pick jars from the shelves behind her. She set the jars onto the counter and Aang paid her the required amount. "Thank you," Aang said to her, as he began loading the jars into a wooden crate.
I helped him. "Madam Hua, I hope it's fine if Mi Li looks around. Do you mind?" he asked respectfully. A pleased smile appeared on her face, and she nodded in agreement. "I don't mind at all. Mi Li seems like the type who's interested in plants and medicine," she said in an impressed tone. I smiled as sweetly as I could, but felt somewhat sheepish. She gave us a tour, showing us inside her greenhouse, whilst giving us a lecture of some of the plants and herbs she grew. I had never seen such a large and diverse collection of plants.
We spent hours inspecting a range of specimens, before we had to leave to seek accommodation in the main part of the ruined city. "You seem like a very keen young lady. Would it interest you to stay here and be my pupil?" Madam Hua asked hopefully. I hesitated, not sure how to respond. "Well, I do find this study very interesting, but I already have other commitments. I will consider this opportunity though," I promised. She sighed, "I understand, but I'm not sure how long this opportunity will remain. I am old and experienced, but if I shall leave this world without passing down my years of knowledge, then it would be a waste," she spoke solemnly.
"Don't you have other students?" I asked, concerned. She smiled weakly, "I did, but they all left during the war. Of course, some of them have returned now, but they are few. Also, students who show both potential and interest are hard to come by. I saw how you observed and listened while I explained, and your curiosity in the subject caught my attention. Although you are young, compared to my current pupils, I think you will progress farther than most of them," she said proudly. I nodded, understanding her perspective.
"I will try to arrange something if it is possible – I would be incredibly honoured and grateful to be your student," I promised, with genuine hope. She smiled thankfully, "It would be my pleasure to teach you. I hope to see you soon," she said, before waving goodbye. I waved back, and headed outside where Aang was waiting for me. We spent the night at a new inn, built as part of the peoples' efforts to repair the damage of the war, and return the city to its former glory. That night, the burden of responsibility weighed me down, and kept my thoughts from resting. Now I knew – one choice can change almost everything.
I woke the next morning, tired and weary, but we began the final leg of our journey towards the Northern Water Tribe. Once there, I knew I would be greeted ardently, and the life of royalty would dominate my very being. I would be treated like a princess, I'd have to learn their customs and traditions, and I'd have to learn how to be a leader. I sighed at the tasks awaiting me, but decided that I would conquer them as they arose. In another three days, our journey ended, and we arrived on the shores of the Northern Water Tribe.