After spending the night at the Northern Air Temple, the group of kids said goodbye to the inhabitants before taking off into the morning sky. Aang estimated that the North Pole was about two days of flying away if they didn't make any more pit stops.
After learning from Katara about the urgency in which he must learn waterbending, the group decided to fly two days straight to their destination.
Meili and Katara had informed the two boys about what Monk Gyatso said, leaving out the monk spirit's name. Sokka and Aang just knew that a spirit told the girls of an upcoming battle initiated by Zhao, and Aang must learn waterbending before leaving the Northern Water Tribe.
Katara kept Meili's bending a secret but did hint to Aang that a spiritual interaction was a key factor in the battle's success. Meili was thankful for that.
So, now, they were high in the skies, sitting on Appa's saddle while Aang steered the giant bison. They decided when everyone began to grow weary, they would take turns resting while someone flew Appa.
Meili was sitting by herself, and her body turned sideways to rest one arm on the brim of the saddle. She stared off into the sky, looking at the clouds below the bison.
Even though Katara's reaction to her being a firebender was accepting, Meili was still frightened. Only two other people had ever known of her abilities: Jai… and her very first friend. Even though Jai accepted Meili in the end, he had still been afraid when he first found out. Her first friend… had an even worse reaction.
But Katara accepted her, just like Aang had. Despite not knowing all the parts of her – the parts she hated, feared. They didn't care. And while Meili found that comforting, she also found it odd.
Did they not also associate fire with pain, destruction, and war? Meili did. So why didn't they?
Many thoughts were plaguing her mind as the wind blew into her cowl. Meili didn't want her face to be seen at that moment, basking in the most amount of tranquility she had access to.
Her mind wandered to Sokka.
They hadn't talked all that much after rescuing Aang and Katara from Zhao's trap in the mountainside. While she found it relaxing, part of her was strangely uncomfortable.
The weird feelings he had been eliciting from her had only intensified from the increased distance between them. Now, instead of close contact and hushed conversations making her cheeks feel warm, it was every movement he made.
Like now, how he was sitting aloofly over to the side, sharpening his boomerang with one of her daggers. The fact that he was using her weapons to fix his own sent weird, tingly waves up her body. While these feelings were foreign to her, she found that she kind of liked them. There was a strange rush that Meili got around him like she was falling from the skies. Part of her was afraid, but another part of her didn't want it to stop.
Meili felt like an idiot, watching Sokka's every move. Her lifelong logic to never grow attached to anyone was failing her. First with Aang, then Katara, and now with Sokka.
She looked at his ocean blue eyes, the way they gazed upon the boomerang in his hands. They were captivating, dare she say beautiful, like the ocean when it crashed upon the shoreline. She thought back to Katara's story of their mother. Sokka never seemed upset when he talked about his mom, but were those blue eyes hiding sadness he didn't want anyone else to see?
As if sensing her gaze, the boy flicked his eyes her way.
The tension was almost palpable, filled with a strange sort of allure that locked their eyes with one another. Meili could practically feel her breath leave her body, causing her to turn her head almost instantly. Her heart was, again, ablaze, filled with a mixed set of emotions she couldn't decipher through.
There were more important things to think of, like the impending battle with the Fire Nation or this supposed spiritual connection she shared with Aang. Meili knew she shouldn't focus on this strange development of attachment to Sokka. But she didn't know how to make it stop.
"Hey, Meili, can you help me sew up a few of these blankets?" Katara's voice interrupted, thankfully drawing Meili away from the conversation in her head. "I want to make sure we have enough to keep us warm tonight."
"S-Sure," Meili answered, feeling a little dizzy and out of breath. "Just hand me one."
Katara threw a blue blanket Meili's way, and the hole in the center of the fabric couldn't be missed. Sewing took her mind off the craziness swirling around her head, making her feel slightly saner. But every few minutes, the blue fabric pooling in her fingertips reminded her of the steely eyes of Sokka.
After traveling for about a day, Aang had finally grown tired of handling Appa. Katara was the next one to take over steering, though she was yawning quite a bit herself. Aang snuggled into his cot, positioned to the left of Meili's.
The girl herself had gotten a few hours of sleep already, finding that slumber was the closest thing to tranquility she could get. When she was sleeping, Meili had no qualms about her friendships or weird thoughts of Water Tribe boys.
Aang and Sokka snored peacefully as Meili lay awake, staring up into the sky now peppered with stars. Meili's white cloak laid sprawled out next to her, and the absence of the fabric on her skin reminded Meili that she didn't have to hide anymore. With this knowledge, she turned her gaze to the waterbender handling the reigns.
"Hey, Princess, you doing okay?" Meili questioned.
A small yawn filled the air. "Yeah, I'm just getting a little tired. I can probably stay up for another hour or so."
"I can take over for you if you need," Meili offered.
"Thanks. I can wake you up when it's time to switch."
"Actually…" Meili trailed off, biting the inside of her lip. "I had a question."
"About what? The directions?"
"No. It's um, actually about your brother."
"Sokka?" Katara clarified. "What about him?"
Meili paused. What did she want to ask? The truth was… she knew nothing about him. Aside from the obvious things like his favorite color being blue and his love for meat, Meili didn't know that much about him.
"What was he like, you know, back at your home?"
Katara thought back to the Southern Water Tribe, her mind a little suspicious about the black-haired girl's inquiry.
"Well, after my father and the other men of my tribe left, Sokka was the oldest boy in the South Pole. He let it get to his head a little bit. He used to teach the kids how to be warriors."
Meili snickered lowly to herself. She could almost picture the teenage boy all dolled up to look like a warrior: face paint, animal skins, his warrior wolf tail. But… she wondered. Most of his goals and aspirations revolved around wanting to be a warrior. Besides the apparent reason of being a male, Meili pondered if there was a deeper reason for his actions.
"What about… after the raid?"
Katara paused. "He grew a great hatred for the Fire Nation, but I did too. We were still kids, so it's easy to become blinded by emotion. He swore that he would always protect me no matter what."
"Hmmm," Meili hummed, taking in the information.
Meili soon took over for Katara after their conversation ended, leaving her alone in her thoughts once again. Her mind was still struggling to understand Monk Gyatso's words about friendships transcending lifetimes. Did that mean that she and Aang were friends in a past life? How would that have caused a spiritual connection? These questions, coupled with her sudden interest in Sokka, were overwhelming.
There was so much Meili didn't understand about the Spirit World or even the spirits inside of it. Monk Gyatso's cryptic words didn't help either. However, the interaction with the older monk made Meili feel even closer to Aang than before. It was weird to realize how much she could relate to the boy. Between the way they were raised with no parents, to both having a burden placed upon them at birth, they were more similar than she thought.
Also, she was like Katara, losing someone she loved because of uncontrollable factors. The only one she was different than was –
"Hey."
Meili jumped in her spot the moment a hand fell upon her shoulder, scaring the spirits out of her. She jerked the reigns in her movements, making the bison falter in his flight.
Sokka tumbled forward because of the shaky movements, falling into a heap of bison fur at the top of Appa's head.
"Are you crazy?" Meili roared in hushed tones. "You just scared the daylights out of me!"
"Blegh!" Sokka grumbled, spitting fur out of his mouth. "Well, good thing it's nighttime."
"Shouldn't you be asleep?" the girl growled, rolling her shoulder back with a sigh to try and calm her heart rate.
"I'm not tired anymore," the boy said, moving to take a seat next to the girl as he continued to pluck out fur from his mouth. To her right, he sat with one leg up, the other outstretched upon the bison's head. His left hand was placed to his side to bear the brunt of his weight while his right arm dangled over his bent knee.
Sokka sat close enough for the side of his pinky to graze against the fabric of her skirt.
Meili blushed, though hidden behind her curly hair. "Who said you could sit next to me?"
"Do you always have to ask so many questions?"
"I do when you keep doing annoying stuff."
"Okay, Clueless."
"H-Hey, I said not to call me that," Meili grumbled, scooting herself away from the boy slightly. With him so close to her, she felt like she was suffocating.
Sokka grinned, the high planes of his cheeks accentuated by the moonlight sky. "Katara says that I'm not a very good listener."
"I can see that," Meili deadpanned.
"It's pretty cold up here, you know," Sokka said, scooting closer to the girl again. "Are you sure you don't want a jacket?"
"I'm fine," Meili mumbled, scooting away from him again.
He followed her movements. "You can wear mine if you want."
"I said I'm fine!" Meili bit out at the boy. "Damn, you're so aggravating!"
"What? It's warmer when you're next to someone or when you're, you know, actually wearing winter clothes," Sokka replied nonchalantly.
"You're intentionally antagonizing me," Meili scowled, dropping the reign with one hand to push him out of the way. "Go back to the other side."
"No."
"No?" Meili repeated.
"Yeah, I said no. You've been avoiding me."
"And you've been ignoring me."
"But I know why you've been avoiding me, Clueless," Sokka stated superiorly. There was a glint in his eyes like he understood something Meili didn't. It infuriated her.
"Can you seriously stop calling me that?" Meili questioned, moving her hand to push the boy again. But instead, he caught the appendage before she had the chance to touch him.
And suddenly, it was like an electric current rushing through her, like a tidal wave of heat surging through her veins. She could see that Sokka felt it too, because his eyes were steady, locked onto hers with an intense sort of passion.
"I like calling you that," he said lowly, and Meili could hear the faintest husk reverberating low in his throat. "You call me Ponytail. What's the difference?"
"The difference is that mine actually makes sense," Meili deadpanned, ripping her hand away from the boy. She didn't want the lithe, cool, tanned fingers wrapped around her anymore. "You have a ponytail. I'm not clueless."
Meili rubbed her hand gently as if she were trying to wipe away the remnants of his touch upon her skin.
Sokka watched her evenly, though he wasn't sure why. He didn't even know why he had sat next to her, or grabbed her hand, or enjoyed the scent of her curly hair wavering in the nighttime wind.
He swallowed roughly because part of him actually did know why. He liked Meili. And not just as a friend, but more.
There was something about her innocence that was alluring to him, probably because she was too dense to notice her own feelings for him. But Sokka found it kind of fun to pick at her, especially since she usually acted like she knew everything.
Meili was usually stoic, but around him, Sokka noticed that she was expressive. She turned into someone different, only around him. He was special to her in ways she didn't even understand herself. And Sokka realized that he liked that feeling. He liked that someone wanted him. He liked the fact that Meili had only ever blushed when looking at him – that only he could turn her red.
Maybe his ego being stroked initiated his behavior toward her, but he knew that wasn't true. It was just … her. Because there, in the moonlight, her hair seemed to shine like black silk, curling and falling wildly around her face. The curls, like a mane, contrasted her slim face, showing hollow cheekbones underneath plump cheeks. Everything was drawing him in.
Her eyes were demure, looking at the hand he had touched. Sokka wanted to touch them again; he wanted to feel the soft, pale skin and grab the hand that was almost swallowed by the size of his own. But he didn't. Instead, he smirked, placing his chin into the palm of his hand to stare dreamily at the girl.
"Can you stop watching me like that?" She said, and Sokka almost rolled his eyes at, yet, another question.
Part of him wanted to keep pushing her buttons; it was weird. Around Suki, once he found her attractive, Sokka found that he could barely speak a coherent sentence to her. After learning the ways of the Kiyoshi Warriors and eating a small lunch with the girl, Sokka would fumble and tumble over his own words, unable to make direct eye contact with the warrior girl.
However, he was comfortable around Meili. And maybe he used to find her intimidating at first, but not anymore – not after seeing her tiny hands and her little smile she kept hidden underneath her hood. Knowing that the girl was usually calm and composed, seeing her so out of character towards Sokka increased his cockiness.
"Are you going to keep asking questions?"
She turned her head to him, placing her hands back on the reigns. "Are you going to stop bothering me?"
Sokka pretended to think about it, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Hm, no. I don't think so. We have about twelve hours left to kill, and bothering you is certainly entertaining me."
"Go play with Momo if you need entertaining. I'm not in the mood."
"Oh, you aren't?" He spoke, but part of him internalized the two connotations of her statement. She wasn't in the mood to be bothered, or she wasn't in the mood to – He blushed wildly to himself, cursing his mind for even wandering towards such a vulgar way of thinking anyway.
But he was a teenage boy, and being fifteen surrounded by a beautiful girl twenty-four-seven was starting to do weird things to his brain. Like having a heightened awareness of how plump her lips looked, slightly moistened from her biting them nervously. And her slender neck displayed prominent collarbones that his fingers ached to trace.
"No, I'm not," Meili scowled.
"Hm, that's too bad, I guess," Sokka smirked, rolling his shoulders backward as he let out a sly crack of his neck. He watched the girl's eyes follow his movements. "We could've had some fun playing eye-spy or something."
"Ponytail, nothing is fun with you. In all actuality, everything involving you drives me crazy."
"Good crazy or bad crazy?"
"Mad crazy."
"So what you're saying is that you're crazy for me," he teased lightly, tilting his head to the side with another irritating grin.
"No, but maybe I'm a little crazy in the head for still talking to you."
They shared an even glare at one another, though Meili's was filled with annoyance. Sokka's was calm and collected, which seemed to irk her even more.
"Is there a reason you were asking Katara about me?" Sokka questioned.
Meili paused, unsure of how the boy knew about their conversation.
"I was awake earlier when you guys were talking," he said quietly as if sensing her inquiry, ignoring her awestruck look. He didn't want to embarrass her too much, but he did want to know why she asked about him.
"I was just wondering."
"Just wondering?"
"Yes, is there something wrong with that?"
Sokka paused, his fingers fiddling with the bottom hem of his shirt. He never really talked about his feelings, ever, with anyone. Back home, he had to be strong for Katara and Gran-Gran. He was the man of the village, the tribe's warrior. He didn't really have time to focus on his mother's death because he was too concentrated on being there for everyone else.
Meili could suddenly sense his disposition shift into something different, something more reclusive. She suddenly felt a wave of guilt wash over her, and she sighed quietly before turning her head away from him.
"When Katara and I were in the Spirit World, we talked a little bit about your family. I was just … curious about the dynamic. I never had a father or mother, and Katara is always so distraught about losing your mom," Meili paused, her eyes finding Sokka's clumsily. "I just wanted to know if… you were the same."
Sokka paused, his heart slightly warm. Meili wanted to know how he felt, and that thought alone made him smile to himself.
It was quiet for a moment; Sokka was thinking of what to say. Being vulnerable was not his greatest trait. He wore his heart on his sleeve, sure, but talking about things that made him upset was difficult.
"When our mom died, that was the hardest time in my life," he spoke quietly, pulling his body into a sitting position as he moved his gaze away from hers. His hands fell into his lap, playing with the soft strands of Appa's fur peeking through his crossed legs. "Our family was a mess: Dad was… heartbroken; he barely talked to any of us for a few months. Katara tried to keep herself busy, stepping up and taking on so much responsibility."
He clenched his fists tightly, his gaze growing cold. "And I… I tried to be strong – for Katara, for Dad, for myself. Because men are strong, and I wanted to be a warrior."
"That's why you got so upset about the scroll…" Meili mumbled. "Because part of you wants to be strong now because you couldn't be back then."
Sokka sighed. "Partially, yeah. Even now, I'm just the guy with the boomerang who likes to eat meat. I'm not the Avatar .. I'm not a bender. I'm just plain old me."
"Well," Meili started, shuffling in her spot, rubbing her thumb along the rope of the reins. "I happen to think plain old you is okay. Annoying, but … okay."
He brought his gaze back to her, watching as her eyes stayed transfixed upon the reigns enveloped by her fingers.
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" He asked, grinning slightly.
"Maybe just a little bit," she whispered. Seconds later, she pointed an accusatory finger at him. "But don't let it get to your head!"
Sokka laughed, actually laughed, holding his stomach heartily. "I won't."
And then, their eyes locked again, transfixed in each other's gazes. Meili noticed things about the boy that she didn't want to, like how handsome he looked, his face gentle but eyes intense. Or how his Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed roughly.
And suddenly, she felt hot again. And not because she was a firebender, but because a weird sort of heat was pooling underneath of her tunic, clouding her head of all thoughts. She didn't know what she wanted, but there was a strange sort of tension that she wished to be satiated.
And when Sokka's eyes grew slightly hooded, and when his tongue dashed out quickly to moisten his lips, Meili suddenly felt embarrassed again. Like the night she had plucked splinters from his olive skin.
"You're doing it again," she stated lowly, breaking her gaze.
"Doing what?" Sokka questioned, feigning ignorance. Except unlike last time, he now knew exactly what he was doing. Which was why he moved closer to the girl for the third time, close enough to smell the scent of her hair once again.
"That," she replied, holding her breath. She avoided Sokka's gaze at all costs because his blue orbs appeared to be staring straight through her.
"If I actually wanted to do something, I would," he said calmly, evenly. But Meili thought she heard a small purr of seduction in his statement.
"You are doing something," she growled, gripping the reigns so tight her knuckles went white. "So, stop. I'm not going to ask you again."
"Or what?" he replied, moving his face closer to hers. He had his left hand positioned behind Meili now, propping himself up so that he was slightly turned on his side. From this view, he could see the delicate features of her face glowing underneath the moonlight.
He liked her eyelashes, which were dark but straight. And he noticed for the first time that her two front teeth were slightly longer than the rest. Her ears, because of his proximity, were bright red once more.
"Or… or I'm going to kick you off of this bison."
"Try me."
Their gazes locked once more, Sokka's mischievous and testing while Meili's was determined.
He wasn't expecting the sudden tackle that crashed him into the white fur of the bison below. Meili had scooped a hand underneath of his armpit, the other on top of his shoulder, before lurching him from his spot. She flipped him over, and the attack was so sudden, so intense, that Sokka hadn't even registered that it had happened.
That was, until he was face to face with her even, seafoam glare as her form hovered over top of his.
Sokka was stunned, partially from having his breath knocked out from him … and from the shock of her following through with her words.
Her hands were hot against his wrists, pinned shamelessly by either side of his head. His warrior's wolf tail had shaken loose, causing the lengths of his hair to cascade against the bison fur below.
All the boy could do was stare up into her eyes, overtaken with anger. Maybe he had overstepped a boundary or struck a nerve, but whatever had happened, Sokka wasn't exactly complaining. Meili's dark, curly locks fell like a canopy, blocking the view of the starry skies around them, causing him to fixate on only her. However, all this did was draw Sokka's eyes to her face, her lips, the pretty scar running down her face.
"Don't think I won't push you off this bison," she spoke lowly, a little bit out of breath from the sudden attack or maybe nervousness. Sokka didn't know. But, the puffs of air from her uneven breathing wafted in currents toward his face, and for some reason, the erratic breaths caused the boy's own breathing to hitch. "I hope you didn't forget that I'm a skilled fighter, Ponytail."
"You know, skilled fighters don't normally proclaim how skilled of a fighter they are," Sokka said sarcastically, his words full of mirth. He could see the cogs turning in her brain as she registered his statement, and anger washed off her in waves.
"Says the one pinned underneath of me."
Sokka clenched his jaw, hearing the challenge in her words. But it brought him back to their current situation: the girl was currently straddling him, her legs positioned on either side of his hips. It was a dangerous position, exacerbated by the closeness of her stomach to his abdomen. She was radiating warmth like she was a giant fire, and the heat from her body was causing him to blush even more aggressively.
While Sokka wasn't as skilled in weaponry as her, Sokka knew that he had an advantage over her: strength. He waited until her grip loosened as she moved to get off his body before making his move.
Sokka lurched his palms forward to grab hold of her wrists, gripping onto them tightly. He used the sudden momentum to jerk himself over to the right, making them roll over in their spots.
Now, the Water Tribe boy's long body hovered over her, pinning her wrists underneath his tanned hands. Almost triumphantly, he smirked at her, not missing the shock in her face.
"That was a lucky move—" Meili muttered, turning her head away from the boy's eyes.
"Lucky? Says the one pinned underneath of me," he grinned, his voice taking on a lower octave. His knees were on the inside of her thighs, effectively stopping her from shifting their positions again. "Admit it. I got you."
She looked out, away from the boy who was draped over her devilishly. That warm fire in her chest felt unbearable like her heart was going to explode from her body. Her heart rate was so erratic, she could feel the pulse reverberating inside her ears.
Sokka didn't seem to care, his face moving forward even closer when the girl didn't answer him.
"C'mon, Clueless. If you admit I got you, then I'll get off."
The problem was, she didn't want to say anything, let alone look at him. Because she knew that something was very, very wrong. Her body didn't feel right. She had a weird sensation bubbling in her lower stomach, like a hoard of butterflies were thrashing about.
Sokka stared at her face, turned to the side with eyes zipped tightly shut. Judging by the color of her nose, and cheeks, and ears, and chest, she felt what he felt too.
The yearning was magnitudinous, overtaking his better sense of judgment as he let go of her wrists. Instead, he rested his weight onto his elbows on either side of her, taking his right hand to gently move her face back to face him. She kept her eyes closed, too afraid of what was happening.
Sokka found the pad of his thumb tracing the bottom of her pursed lips, instantly drawing her back to reality. Meili looked at him, seeing a strange fixation of his sights upon her lips. His eyes darted back upwards, capturing her gaze with his.
Slowly, his hand moved to cup the area between her chin and the crook of her neck, the pad of his thumb tracing the line of her jaw. And then his face was moving toward hers, slow, painfully slow, eyes closed, his lips mere inches from her own.
Meili sucked in a huge intake of air, not prepared for what was happening, slightly unaware of why Sokka was even initiating what was going on in the first place. Her eyes closed once again, feeling the heat from Sokka's breath fan across her face.
"Hey, guys! What's going on?"
Sokka wretched himself up so fast, like he had just been caught by a fishing pole and yanked to his feet. He coughed embarrassingly; his cheeks stained red as he looked up into the big, round eyes of Aang peering from over the top of the saddle's brim.
Meili felt her entire consciousness fly out of her body, ashamed of the actions that had just transpired. She sat herself up just as fast, trying unsuccessfully to calm down the thumping in her chest most likely flushing her face red.
"Meili had a bug on her face," Sokka explained hurriedly, suspiciously.
Meili said nothing, hiding her face from the two boys.
But Aang excitedly accepted the lie told, and he rushed over to Meili.
"Was it a mosquito-leech? Those are the worst!"
"Y-Yeah. That's what it was," she muttered, the words coming out in trembles. "I think I need to rest if you want to take over."
"Sure thing! You rest up; Sokka and I will take care of Appa!"
Meili nodded her head, risking one last look Sokka's way. His eyes remained intense, steely, and part of Meili knew that whatever had happened was intentional.
She ignored the feeling in her face and chest and stomach as she stumbled over to her cot. She felt slightly embarrassed, crawling into her bed next to Katara, who had been asleep throughout the entirety of what happened. Meili couldn't believe that she had been in such a compromising position with the girl's brother, making her conscience feel slightly icky.
Wrapping herself up, Meili calmed her breathing back down as she listened to Aang and Sokka's conversation.
"Man, that bug was really close to her face. Good thing you were awake, Sokka!" Aang could be heard saying.
"Yeah, good thing…"
She pulled the blankets up to her nose, trying her best to ignore the low rumble of his voice, the nervous laughs bubbling from his lips, the sounds of him adjusting in his spot. The spot where they had just –
Meili shook her head, drowning out the world around her as she attempted to sleep.
When she awoke, the group was already astir, save for Momo, who was still asleep on top of a pile of Water Tribe jackets.
Meili rubbed her eyes as she stifled back a yawn, still tired from her less than stellar slumber. Her dreams had been plagued by an annoying, irritating boy who would not leave her mind.
Said boy was currently hanging lazily over the back of Appa's saddle, yawning quietly himself. Meili assumed that Sokka didn't sleep after what happened, not if he had been awake with the exuberant Aang.
She moved her eyes away from the boy, avoiding a clashing of their gazes once again. Honestly, she wanted to avoid him at all costs. Because whatever was happening between them had to stop – it was messing with her head.
Instead, her line of sight moved to where Aang and Katara were huddled at the front of the bison's head, and it wasn't until Meili finally registered their surroundings that she noticed Appa flying very low.
"Aang, I think Appa is tired," Katara stated, rubbing a hand on the top of the bison's head. "Are you sure we're almost there?"
The airbender held up the map in front of him, turning it to the right, then the left, then upside down before he pursed his lips.
"Well, either we should have made it there five hours ago, or we still have three more to go."
Sokka audibly groaned, rubbing a hand down his face. "I'm not usually one to complain, but if Appa was flying faster, we might be there already."
Meili internally noted that he sure did a lot of complaining the night before but bit her tongue as Aang crumpled the map closed.
"I have an idea! Why don't we all get on your back, and you fly us to the North Pole!" Aang said irritably, his eyebrows pulled downwards in an intense scowl.
Appa suddenly dipped a little lower, letting out a grumbled roar as his feet graced the top of the icy waters. This merely made Sokka roll his eyes.
"See, Aang, your yelling is making him go even slower."
"You're unbelievable!" Aang roared, getting up from Appa's head to speed-air walk right over to Sokka. "Can't you at least be a little grateful that he flew us all this way?"
"Guys!" Katara intervened, holding her hands up to stop the yelling as she ran into the fray of the saddle. "Stop arguing. You guys are just cranky since you were awake all night. Why don't you guys get some sleep while Meili and I take over."
Meili crossed her arms. "Can Appa even make it another hour?"
Katara held up a finger, ready to speak, but hesitantly put it down. "Well, no, I actually don't think so." Her gaze moved to Aang as if waiting for him to come up with a plan.
"Great," Sokka mumbled sarcastically. "We're surrounded by a huge ocean of only water and ice with no sense of direction, and the thing flying us is about to check out."
"Nice optimism," Katara chided.
"Thanks, I try my best," Sokka smiled sardonically.
"Enough!" Aang shouted. "We will find the Northern Water Tribe. I'll carry us all on my glider if I have to!"
"I appreciate the sentiment, Aang, but I don't think we'll fit," Meili spoke, leaning backward in her spot.
However, she was suddenly sent tumbling to the side as Appa abruptly swerved upwards. The inhabitants of the saddle were quickly thrown towards the brim of the saddle, causing them to scream. Momo was even startled from his slumber, taking refuge upon Katara's shoulder.
Aang was on the move, airbending himself back over to the reins, grabbing them tightly in his hands to jerk the bison back down. And that was when he noticed them: spikes, giant spikes made from ice protruding from the water.
There was an onslaught of ice attacks that Aang swerved away from, but the attacks were too fast and Appa was too tired. One of the spikes nicked the bison's foot, and Appa roared in pain as he plummeted towards the water.
Landing with a giant splash, the water around them was suddenly frozen solid, securing them into place. The ridges of water frozen in time enveloped over the group like an umbrella, hiding them from the view of the assailants. That was, until Katara suddenly gasped, running over toward the side of the saddle.
She sent the ice downward with a flick of her wrist, revealing six ships, each filled with men adorned in blue coats.
"They're waterbenders! We found the Northern Water Tribe!"
"And what a warm welcome they gave us," Meili deadpanned.
A few of the waterbenders aboard the ship melted away the rest of the frozen splash but kept Appa frozen in place.
"Halt! State your reasons for traveling into our territory," a large voice boomed, and one of the boats sailed into view. The man was tall, older, adorned in a huge Water Tribe jacket composed of various pelts.
"I am the Avatar," Aang spoke in return. "And I have come to find a waterbending master to teach me!"
The leader seemed to huff. "The Avatar, huh? How do we know that you're not Fire Nation spies?"
"Do we look like members of the Fire Nation?" Sokka retorted. "I'm Sokka, and this is my sister, Katara. We have traveled from the Southern Water Tribe with the Avatar."
"Members of our sister tribe?"
"Southerners are here?"
"This is the Avatar?"
Mumbles of various questions echoed around the waters until the leader cleared his throat loudly.
"Silence!" his voice boomed, ricocheting off the icebergs littering the ocean. "It seems we have visitors from our sister tribe, and they have brought with them the Avatar! We shall escort them safely back home. Treat them like honored guests!"
"Yes, General Tahnuk!
With the Northern Water Tribe members leading the way, the group was escorted through the icy waters towards the northern state. When the city finally came into view, Katara was in awe. A magnificent wall of the city surrounded her sights, and the icy barricade stretched out for miles.
"Wow, there it is!" Aang said excitingly.
"We're finally here," Katara muttered, excitement bubbling inside of her stomach. She was finally going to find a master.
The army of warriors occupying the boats suddenly crouched into a bending position, moving all at once to lower the middle section of the wall, creating a long corridor through which to enter.
Appa continued to trail behind the warriors as they were led through a series of canals controlled by waterbenders, and the skilled manipulators pushed and pulled the waters to send the group inland.
"I can't believe how many waterbenders there are," Meili stated, leaning over the saddle to gaze up at the benders leading the way.
"It's incredible," Katara agreed.
"We'll find a master in no time," Aang grinned, sending a light-hearted smile Katara's way, which she returned just as softly.
The team continued to travel through the channels of the city, catching the attention of several civilians. Meili assumed it was because they were on a large bison, or perhaps it was because both Aang and her clothing stood out against their blue hues.
Being the Avatar, Aang waved happily at the people, and the city folk cheered in return.
As they continued to weave through the canals, the bison passed a small boat sailing the opposite way of them, but Meili didn't pay much attention to it. Instead, she looked at the tall buildings carved from ice, the towers and staircases looming over the water channel.
"This place is so much different than home. It's beautiful," Katara stated in amazement.
"Yeah, she is…" Meili heard Sokka mutter, and this time, she did turn her head to look at the passing boat, which was now far out on the other side of the canal. The only thing she could make out was long white hair, something she had never seen before on anyone.
She shrugged it off, not wanting to think about anything to do with Sokka at all. If Meili just ignored it, all of the weirdness would go away. Besides, she had more important things to worry about – like how she would impact the Northern Water Tribe's success in the upcoming battle and how she was apparently supposed to be Aang's firebending teacher.
Growing more anxious as time went on, Meili focused on the passing buildings and intricate canals. The group was finally led to a building, and the tribesman leading the way ushered the children to get out. Appa was to stay in a neighboring house large enough to sleep in, so the group grabbed their belongings from the bison's saddle before following the general.
"This will be your quarters while you are here," the general stated, gesturing towards the front door. "Our tribe's leader will be here shortly to officially greet you. If there is anything you need, Avatar, please let us know."
The large man bowed gracefully, a gesture in which Aang returned. The general and the tribesman then left, leaving the group to explore their new living quarters.
When they entered, the group was surprised at the size of the home. Upon entry, a large living room was connected to the kitchen area. The room was decorated with large pelts of arctic animals, but imported furs from platypus bears were used as liners on the furniture.
The home was like a crystal palace decorated in tribal décor. Despite the cool temperatures outside the house, the place was surprisingly warm for being made entirely out of ice.
Meili left to go explore, attempting to find where she would sleep. To her surprise, a long, icy hallway led to two bedrooms that shared a bathroom, which meant that she and Katara would be staying together.
Meili let out a small sigh, relief evident in the release of breath. She slugged the bag she was carrying off of her shoulder as she entered the room. She dropped it off into the corner of the room, slumping down on the large cot in the middle of the room.
Her fingers rubbed along the fur covering the soft sleeping pad underneath. Meili knew she was stalling, trying to take her mind off of things any way she could. She had people depending on her now. And it was different from when Jai needed her. Her actions back then didn't determine the fate of the world.
Katara joined Meii inside the room a few moments later, dropping down one of the bags holding their belongings.
"Hey, are you okay?" Katara questioned.
"I don't know," Meili replied back honestly. She didn't have much experience with anxiety, but recently she was feeling overwhelmed with everything.
"You're worried about the battle, aren't you?" Katara asked compassionately.
Meili nodded. "How am I supposed to know what to do?"
Katara sat down on the cot next to her. "It's obvious that something ties your lives together. I talked to Aang when you were asleep this morning, and he said that he has felt the spiritual pull before. Whatever it is, I'm sure it will come naturally to you."
"But what if it doesn't?" Meili questioned, her chest tight. "And what if it's my fault that we lose this war?"
"I'm in the same boat," Katara sighed. "I'm supposed to master waterbending and be Aang's teacher. I've never had any formal training before – how am I supposed to lead the Avatar?"
"I'm in that same boat, too," Meili smiled softly, repeating Katara's words. Both girls laughed softly with each other.
"Aw, look at the two girls getting along!" A voice interrupted, and they moved their gazes toward the door where Sokka was now standing.
"Ha ha," Katara laughed sarcastically, "don't be mad that she likes me better."
"Whatever you say," Sokka spoke, holding his hands up defensively, though he sent a slight smirk Meili's way.
Aang suddenly zipped into view, clinging onto Sokka's arms comically to stop his movements. "Guys, you won't believe the beds that this place has!"
His playful smile suddenly deflated as he noticed Katara and Meili sitting atop the cot already.
"Oh, never mind," he said sheepishly.
"While we're all in here, we need to talk about the upcoming battle," Katara interrupted the playful atmosphere. "I hate to be the downer here, but a fight is going to break out, and lives will be lost. We need to figure out how to let the Northern Water Tribe warriors know in advance."
"We do have the advantage," Sokka added. "We know they're coming, and they don't know that we know that."
"General Tahnuk will know what to do," Aang said. "He's managed to keep the entire tribe out of harm's way for most of the war."
"And there's a lot of skilled waterbenders here," Meili added.
"I think after the party tonight, we need to tell our new master about the battle," Katara said, getting up from the cot to move next to Aang. "He can teach us offensive moves that can help."
"Good idea, Katara!" Aang said. "And we can teach them what we know too. That way, the other waterbenders can be prepared for attacks from Fire Nation soldiers."
Sokka nodded. "Sounds like we have a plan in place."
A knock sounded at the front door, interrupting the conversation within the icy home.
The group left the girls' bedroom to approach the front door. Aang opened the door, which revealed a tall man wearing a grand combination of robes and fur pelts. His hair was half-tied up firmly, with the rest of his hair dangling elegantly in tight, dreaded braids.
"Hello. I am the formal chief of the Northern Water Tribe, Chief Arnook. We are glad to have you here as esteemed guests."
"We are honored to be here, Chief Arnook," Aang smiled softly, and the both of them bowed in respect.
"We will be having a celebration tonight in honor of your arrival here, Avatar, in conjunction with the celebration of my daughter's coming-of-age. I will have one of my people deliver our customary dresswear for the occasion."
"That is very thoughtful," Katara thanked. "We appreciate you all very much."
"No problem," Chief Arnook smiled sincerely, and there was a warm and honest sort of glow from his actions. "I will be introducing you tonight, Avatar, to our finest waterbender to be your master."
After the man left, the group continued talking, mainly consisting of Katara and Aang conversing of waterbending mastery. Sokka was making subtle digs at both of them, sarcastically joking their exuberance. The energy in the room was exhausting to Meili, who had much on her mind, so she left quietly to take refuge in her room.
She was slowly unpacking her bags when Katara arrived, closing the door behind her softly. She had the customary clothing in one hand and a bucket of water in the other.
"Hey, I have our tunics," Katara smiled softly. When Meili didn't say anything, Katara took her place next to the girl's seated figure.
"Look, I know this might all be a lot for you to handle, especially since you've always been on your own," Katara whispered, putting a hand on Meili's shoulder. "But it's all going to be okay. You have us now, even if you aren't sure how to manage it."
Meili paused as she took out a blanket, grabbing the fabric tightly. "Thanks, Princess. I'm just… afraid. I don't want to mess anything up."
"What could you mess up?" Katara questioned. And all Meili's mind could do was flash images of them leaving. Of Sokka leaving.
"Everything."
Katara grabbed the blanket from the girl, tossing it into the corner of the room. "Well, don't worry about that tonight. We're having a celebration! And honestly, a party might do you some good."
Meili deadpanned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," Katara waved off. "Just that your crankiness might go away if you have some fun."
Meili rolled her eyes but smiled softly. "Ha ha, okay, Princess."
"Here's your clothes," Katara said, throwing the tunic and furs at the girl. It almost comically fell on top of her, dragging her down to the ground. Both girls shared a laugh as Meili dug herself out of the clothing.
"Hey, so I wanted to bathe before I got changed," Katara spoke, but there was a slight unevenness in her voice. "I wasn't sure if it was possible but…"
She grabbed the bucket of water from earlier, dropping it in between their seated figures.
"Do you know how to heat it up?"
Meili looked at the water sloshing around the wooden bucket, Katara's face rippling within the reflection. The firebender held up her hand hesitantly, looking at the palm of her hand. No one had ever asked her to use her abilities before, especially in a kind and curious way. It made Meili happy.
Taking a deep breath, Meili dipped her hands into the water.
It was cold, icy, almost numbing to the touch. But Meili closed her eyes, focusing on the chi rising from her stomach. Her hands began to glow a faint orange, similarly to metal burning in an oven, pushing currents of thermal energy into the water.
Katara let out a faint gasp as the water began to bubble underneath of Meili's touch.
"You're doing it!" Katara said with glee.
Meili pulled her hands out once she dubbed the water a good temperature, and Katara dipped a finger in to feel the water's warmth.
"Meili, this is amazing," Katara smiled. She threw her hands around the girl, an action that Meili didn't expect. "I can't even remember the last time I bathed with warm water. Thank you so much."
"It's not that hard for me to do, so it's really not a big deal," Meili waved off, feeling slightly embarrassed.
Meili always knew that fire was different from the other elements. It wasn't something already present in nature but rather an ongoing chemical reaction controlled by chi. Energy manipulation was the easy part because it tied Meili to her ability to produce fire. So it wasn't anything special.
"It's a big deal to me," Katara said earnestly.
"Well, hurry up and go wash up so I can, too," Meili mumbled bashfully.
Katara happily obliged, moving out of her room towards the bathroom. It was silent for a while until Katara returned, and when she did, the waterbender looked fresh and clean, her hair pulled up tightly in an intricate braid that wrapped around into a bun.
The tunic and robes fell beautifully on her body, accentuating the girl's tall physique. The light blue of the fabric brought out her sapphire blue eyes. Meili realized that both Katara and Sokka were classically beautiful, even compared to others in their tribe.
Katara gave Meili a fresh bucket of water for her to heat up in the bathroom along with a cleaning sponge. The privacy of being alone was relaxing, and Meili enjoyed being able to wash herself clean from the journey that led her there.
The warm water was tantalizing, and it played upon her skin in the most heavenly of ways. Meili could feel the layers of dirt and sweat being washed away, along with the memories of where they came from. She felt clean. New. She didn't feel dragged down with the grime that once littered her skin, and she felt light and airy.
As she was drying off, Meili finally glanced up to notice an ice-sheet mirror hanging on the wall.
Her hair had grown longer than it used to be in the Freedom Fighters, now reaching the middle of her torso. Instead of it being kinky and knotted, however, it was now glossy and smooth — courtesy of the shampoo and conditioner provided by the Water Tribe. The curls were now defined instead of twisting wildly in every which way.
After drying off, Meili moved to go put on her outfit. That was until she noticed something terrible.
"Princess, we have a problem," Meili said with distaste once she entered back into the room.
Katara looked up from unpacking to see Meili standing awkwardly. She was wearing the underlayer of the customary clothing, which was a dress. Katara thought Meili looked beautiful with the fabric's intense blue-purple hue bringing out the green in her eyes.
"What's wrong? You look great!" Katara said.
"What's wrong?" Meili repeated. "What's wrong is this dress! I do not wear dresses. I also can't wear the second layer of robes because it's way too hot."
Katara bit her lip, forgetting that firebenders regulate heat differently than others.
"I guess it won't be too bad if you just wear the underlayer. Except it is a little…"
Meili tugged at the fabric hugging her firmly. "Tight?"
"Yeah…" Katara coughed quickly. "Let me go ahead and do your hair, though!"
Meili sighed and Katara beckoned her over. She sat down patiently as Katara used her waterbending to pull out any remaining water in her hair. Afterward, Katara twisted and turned the girl's hair out of her face.
Meili was left with the top layer of her hair pulled into a tight ponytail, pulling her bangs away from her face. Two braids fell on either side of her neck, fastened at the end with Water Tribe beads.
"Perfect!" Katara grinned. "I'm going to go check on Aang and see if he's ready yet."
Meili watched the girl leave in quick haste, leaving her alone in the bedroom once again. She played with the braid falling over her torso, her fingers tracing over the intricate weaves of hair. It was weird not having her bangs falling over her face, making her forehead feel slightly empty.
Meili got up, part of her intrigued by her new appearance. Katara said she looked great, so did that mean she looked… pretty?
No, no, no. Meili wasn't like Katara with wide eyes and dark lashes and long legs and silky hair. She was short and gruff with unmanageable hair and angry eyes.
But moving back into the bathroom, Meili stared into the icy mirror, surprised to see that she didn't look too bad.
Her hair was tamed and slicked back, characteristic of the Water Tribe style. The dress also fit snugly to her form, clinging at her developing body in a way that made her appear womanlier. If Meili had the other robes on, her body would've been covered, but the fabrics and furs were way too dense and insulating to be comfortable.
Meili was plucking at the fabric on her stomach, attempting to stretch it out a little, when a new face joined in the reflection of the glass.
Meili was startled by the sudden appearance of Sokka, causing her to fumble in her spot when turning to face him. His arms moved immediately to catch her, his strong hands grabbing her hips to stabilize her.
"S-Sorry, I was looking for Katara," Sokka said embarrassingly, his eyes noticing where he was holding her.
"Well, she's not in here, so you can leave," Meili grumbled, pushing the boy's grip off her. And when she did, Sokka's eyes took in her entire appearance.
Her hair pulled up in his tribe's customary beads coupled with the blue clothing of his people caused Sokka's heart to skip a beat. With her bangs out of the way, Meili's defined arch of her brows was accentuated, typically hidden behind her hair.
And then he noticed that she was only wearing the underlayer of her tunic dress, a thin and tight fabric pulling at the swell of her body. Sokka tried not to blush because although Meili was short, she was proportionate, with a lean muscular build. And her slim stomach contrasted her larger chest, which she suddenly covered up in quick haste.
"Are you even listening to me?"
"I, uh, yes. Sorry," he said bashfully.
He was dressed in his robes and furs, falling over him perfectly because he looked broad and strong. He looked tall, possibly due to the new boots he was wearing. And then Meili noticed that his hair wasn't up in its usual wolf tail and was instead falling down around his face.
His proximity, once again, was suffocating her, draining all the air out from her lungs. These weird feelings were starting to make her angry because more pressing matters needed to be tended to – like connecting spiritually with Aang to stop the upcoming battle at the North Pole.
"Look, Ponytail, this needs to stop," Meili scowled, leaning against the mirror behind her. "I don't know what's going on, but I don't like it, and I never will."
Sokka glanced at her evenly but found that she couldn't meet his eyes despite her commanding words.
"If this is about last night—"
"—It's about all of it," Meili corrected. "This is a distraction that I don't need."
Sokka felt his breath hitch in his chest as if he had been punched in the gut. He moved to grab her hand, because maybe, just maybe, he could make her blush once again, and she wouldn't be defensively pushing him away.
"Meili…"
She caught his wrist before he could reach her.
"Just leave me alone. I don't want this."
Sokka clenched his jaw hard, his eyes burning slightly at her statement. His gaze stared at her hand gripping his wrist, and she gripped harder in anger
Suddenly, his hand felt as if it was being burned, like an overwhelming surge of heat exploded from her hand. With Sokka jerking himself away from the unexpected pain, Meili seemed to compose her rage, drawing her hand away.
She stared at the palm of her hand with a distant expression before quickly leaving the bathroom with a soft 'sorry.' Meili's shoulder collided with Sokka's torso on her way out, and Sokka held his wrist where the burning sensation had occurred.
He watched her walk away, and being a hunter, he knew a defensive retreat when he saw one. But if she didn't want him, then that was okay. He always had Suki and that beautiful, white-haired girl he saw earlier that day.
"Good thing none of it mattered to me, Clueless," he muttered, though he knew it wasn't true.
Because all of it had mattered to him.
AN: This chapter was a little spicy hehehe, but I think it really leads us into the reasonings behind why Sokka acts the way he does. Also, we can see the pressures that the war is having on Meili now that people care about her and she cares bout them. I think it's interesting how different people can bring out sides in others we may not be able to see otherwise. The next chapter will start introducing us into battle preparation, so stay tuned for future updates!
Thank you for reading and following my story! I love and appreciate you all.
Also:
Vosck : thank you for the feedback! I will definitely keep it in mind as I continue this story :)