STONE
I.
Go ahead. Make fun if you want, but I stand by my righteous grunt: 'Nothing's more right than Sokka's instincts'. Well, it's true! Take the whole Jet incident. Yeah, this thug and his pee-wee diaper slingers were going to destroy the homes and lives of a village of innocent people. Luckily for ahemSokka's instincts, the only thing lost were the homes. Okay, so my instincts aren't perfect, but it saved their lives, okay? Yep, sometimes I even amaze myself…
But it's not easy being responsible all the time. I mean, I have to watch out for both my sister and this goofy kid Aang, who's the Avatar. Maybe the Avatar has lousy instincts, who knows? All I'm saying is Aang is way too trusting and one day, it's going to get him killed. Yeesh. Sometimes, I swear, I feel like the world's oldest babysitter. But don't tell Katara I said that; she'd kill me.
You wanna talk about instincts? Lenara has instincts-they're comin' outta her…uh, ears. She's this water chief and is a million steps ahead of the game. She tricked that weenie Zuko into taking her captive and I can't wait to hear what kind of trouble she's giving him. I give her credit-she plans like a warrior and doesn't rely on fancy flash like water bending to get the job done. Don't get me wrong, bending's cool. But if you ask me, nothing beats the solid weight of a good club in your hands. Thwack! You could just see me, right, taking out those Fire benders…uh, never mind.
Anyway, Aang decided we need to find Lenara and rescue her. We've been trailing the Fire Navy ship for about a month now, but things keep getting in the way of our rescue. Oh, don't get me started on what happened. All you need to know is Aang learned earth bending from a big guy wrapped in a diaper, Katara got our mother's necklace back, and I kissed a girl. Seriously, that's it. I'm not telling you anymore, so don't ask.
And that's how we ended up captured by the Fire Nation. Again. Because we love it. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Okay, here's how it started…
II.
I was down by the water's edge at dawn one day. Katara and Aang were still asleep. I had our water skins with me and man, was that a boring way to start a day. As I reached for the last leather pouch, I caught a flash of silver in the water. The sky was lousy with clouds, the sun just barely making a reflection in the waves. I looked harder and found the bright spot in the river was getting bigger-and heading right for me. Stealth being my element, I picked up my club and waited for the shinny menace to come my way. It inched ever closer…just a few feet away…I could almost touch it…
"Aha!" I yelled and almost brought my club right down on it when I noticed the cork in the top. I lowered my arm and poked the object with my club. A glass bottle bobbed in the slippery water. I let out a sigh. Mighty hunter just capture big game- a nice, yummy bottle. I carefully dipped my hand in the river and pulled it out, holding the bottle away at arm's length like a diseased lemur. Looked like it had been floating around for weeks. Smelled funny. And there's paper stuck to the bottom…wait a minute…
I pulled off the cork and tipped the bottle upside-down. A thin scroll slid out of the glass neck. Setting the bottle in the gritty sand, I unrolled the scroll. It was addressed to me!
"Okay, that's a little creepy." I looked around the beech to make sure I was alone. Who the heck knew I would be here, at this exact place, at this exact moment?
I didn't read the letter first. Instincts took over and I used my senses to determine clues about the writer. Since the scroll had been sealed in an airtight bottle, I knew most of the characteristics would still be present.
The paper was light papyrus, which meant it would dissolve in most liquids. That could mean the message had sensitive information and should be destroyed after being read. Which means, if I'm hard up for a snack, I can eat it. Great. I stuck the corner on my tongue (if I have to eat it, I'd better see what it tasted like, right?). I tasted…jasmine tea? The paper smelled like sulfur and smoke, with a hint of something clean and soft…something familiar about that smell. There was a smudged fingerprint on the left side, dark with coal dust. Whoever wrote this was near enough fuel to keep a fire going for weeks. And that faint smell, like soap and apples on a cold autumn day…what the heck's with that? Suddenly, the wind picked up and I clutched the letter. A strand of hair, caught in the paper, rippled in the breeze. The hair was copper red and long. Lenara!
"Woo-hoo!" I stopped, remembering I was the only idiot dancing around on a deserted beech and mumbled to myself, 'She's okay…she's on the ship…calm down, Sokka, just read the letter'. I pushed back the roll at the top:
Sokka,
I know you will be the first one to discover this letter, instincts being your middle name (heh, heh, yeah
First, please let Aang know I am okay. I'm, as you've guessed, on the Fire Navy ship. Please let Katara know that I have not told them where to find the Avatar. It's a knowledge they will never possess. While I am being held captive (and I use the term loosely), I will be working on my mission, which was passed down to me from my father, and my grand-uncle before him: to assist and defend the Avatar. And though I can't do much here on this ship, I know he's in good hands with you both.
However, I do have my own card to play. Legend speaks of an ancient tool the Avatar used to assemble his army, even if his army was scattered across the world. This tool was known as the Hotaru-the Avatar's Bell. If rung by the Avatar, the bell will reverberate a call-to-arms across the earth, in every language imaginable. Aang, you may be powerful, but you will face the Fire Nation's army and we need all the help we can get. The bell will touch those who have suffered, those who have been broken and beaten and will not endure the wrath of the Fire Army any longer.
Making the bell will be no easy task (I turned the letter over) as it requires a little from each element. I will need volcanic ore symbolizing Fire Nation, sacred water from the Falls of Hakü, holy stones from the Earth Kingdom shrine at Kio-Misu, and the Rü-lan banner from the Western Air Temple. The ore is found at Mount Yukito, just tem miles of where you are. I won't have a chance to get the ore. But you can. Here's what we can do…
III.
"Katara! Katara, wake up!" My sister, who looks pretty frightening first thing in the morning, rolled over and yawned. She rubbed he eyes with the side of her hand.
"Sokka? What's going on?"
"Katara, I just found a bottle."
"Good for you, Sokka; you should be very proud," Katara yawned. My sister the comedian.
"With a note inside."
"Uh huh."
"Written by Lenara."
"What?" She snatched the scroll from my hand and scanned the note.
"Wow," she breathed.
"No kidding."
"So, should we wake Aang? This is pretty major." We both glanced at Aang. He was sprawled upside-down in Appa's furry middle, drool hanging from his sleeping mouth. He snorted and poked at an imaginary friend.
"Tag, you're it!" This is the savior of our world, ladies and gentlemen. We're all gonna die.
"Probably. If we have to gather all this stuff for the Hotaru, we better get moving," Katara said, stretching as she walked to Appa. I rolled up our sleeping bags and listened to Katara try to wake up Aang.
"Aang?"
"I'm in the safe zone…you're it!"
"Aang!"
"Wha-is it time for Airball?" Katara grabbed Aang's shoulders and shook him.
"Aang, wake up!" His eyes cracked open slowly and he let out a disappointed groan.
"Aw, Katara! I was winning."
"Aang, get up. Something important has happened and we need to get moving." Aang may be a goofy kid, but he knows when it's time to get down to business. He pushed himself up with a gust of air and helped me disassemble the camp while we loaded our gear onto Appa. I explained Lenara's plan. Aang paused for a minute to read Lenara's letter. He grinned.
"I knew she had another plan! But I've never heard of the Hotaru before."
"Really? I thought you'd know about that, Aang," Katara said, "although so much about the Avatar lore was lost when you were gone."
"Do you know about it, Katara?" I teased.
"Well, sure! It's….a bell that…has water and stones and…well, I've just heard about it in a couple of stories, okay?" Katara huffed.
"Gyatso told me about weapons that were made only for the Avatar, but the weapons weren't swords or clubs. They were more like tools to help get through obstacles and assemble people. They looked so weird. One of them, I swear, looked just like a bison comb."
"A bison comb?" I raised an eyebrow. We're being saved by a bison comb, folks. Next up, my sister's sweaty socks!
"So, where are those other weapons, Aang? They could be helpful."
"I'm not sure. Gyatso never said and I left before the other monks could tell me. I didn't know anyone knew how to actually make one. Where did Lenara find the plans to build the Hotaru?" I shrugged, tucking the scroll back in the bottle.
"Beats me. All I know is it's in pieces and time's running out. C'mon," I climbed up on Appa's back, "yip-yip!"
IV.
Okay, the Yukito mountains are not your average brown, craggy lumps of stone with clouds floating around the tops. They're made of glass. Seriously. THEY'RE MADE OF GLASS. And instead of clouds, there's bees-thousands and thousands of bees. They make this creepy humming noise when you get close enough to the base of the mountain. Like we are now.
"So, where is this 'volcanic ore' Lenara was talking about?" I asked, swatting bees away from me.
"Not sure. Somewhere inside Mount Yukito?" Aang suggested. Katara moved a shrub next to the base of the mountain aside. No caves, no openings. We walked a little ways around the mountain. Nothing but sheer glass far as the eye could see. I tried making an opening with my club, but I only ended up chipping the petrified bone.
"Oh, man! My favorite club!" Katara scratched her head thoughtfully.
"Well, if we had wings like the bees we could fly up the mountain…"
"Yeah, I'll get right on growing those." Katara scowled at me, then her face lit up. I could practically see the light bulb above her head.
"Aang! Try using air bending to get up the mountain!" Aang crouched low, then pushed himself a dozen feet up the mountain. He gripped the sides of the glass face for purchase, but his fingers slipped and he tumbled back down.
"That won't work. I can't hold on long enough to air bend the currents." We all stared at Mount Yukito. There had to be a way up the mountain…
I suddenly felt something warm and gooey on my leg. I reached down and my fingers scooped up some wax-colored goo.
"Ugh! Yuck!" Aang bent down and swiped the amber stuff onto his finger, then stuck his finger in his mouth. I told you he was a goofy kid.
"Mmm….honey!" Aang sighed.
"Honey? Lemme taste!" I popped a dab in my mouth.
"Oh, man, that's heaven!"
"If you two are done tasting Sokka's leg, come over here!" Katara knelt by a large group of rocks, covered in honey.
"Honey rocks!"
"No, Sokka. It's been dripping on the rocks, from up there," Katara pointed above our heads at the trees, where hundreds of overflowing beehives were clustered on the drooping branches. The bees didn't seem too worried about our being so close to their hives.
"Hey, we could take some of this back with us," Aang suggested. He began to scoop a sticky handful up and poured it into a jar. Some of the honey stayed attached to his hand. He shook his hand, but the honey held fast and the jar bounced up and down.
"C'mon, get-in-the-jar," Aang commanded in time to the bouncing. He finally got fed up and used a blast of air to shoot the jar away from him. The jar hit the thick glass of the mountain and hung there, glued to the side.
"Hey," Katara touched the glob of honey," you may be on to something, Aang!"
We all slathered the bottoms of our boots with honey and then lathered our hands in it. Aang jumped onto the mountain first, held fast by the honey, then used air bending to jump again. Katara and I slowly scaled the side of the frosted glass. Aang shouted from above us.
"I found the ore! It's in this opening!"
"Wait for us, Aang!" Katara called, "we'll come and help you!" We reached the only blemish on the otherwise smooth mountain: a narrow crack that ripped a four foot fissure into the glass. Aang stuck his hand inside and extracted a pebble-sized amount.
"That's not going to be enough, is it?" I moved forward, undoing my knife.
"Let me try, Aang." I chiseled a fist-sized portion out of the mountain and handed it to Katara, who dropped it into a sack around her shoulder. After a few more pieces, we were satisfied.
"This should be enough to make the casing of the bell, right?" Katara shook the bag with one hand, the other glued to the mountainside. I nodded.
"Yeah. Now let's get offah here. What's the fastest way down?" Aang pulled his left hand from the glass and licked the honey off. He did the same with the right, then ripped off his shoes and tossed them off the mountain.
"This way Sokka! Yeah!" And the Avatar slid down Mount Yukito on his butt. I raised an eyebrow. Katara shrugged. Aang reached the bottom in time to see two pairs of boots fly off the mountain. Katara and I slid down the glass, Katara laughing all the way as she reached the foothills and I shrieked like a four-year-old as I plowed into the honey covered rocks below.
V.
After we tied the volcanic ore up in a leather sack, we packed up and mounted Appa. I had come up with a plan to get the ore to her: we were to fly past the Fire Navy ship to draw their attention. When they spotted us, we were to head for the forest. The ship would pursue us. We would make a sound every now and again to lure the Fire Nation soldiers deeper into the forest. While Aang and Katara kept them busy, I would find Lenara and give her the ore. Then we could make our get-away on Appa and that would be that. Katara asked if we could float the ore to Lenara in a bottle. I shook my head.
"Won't work."
"Why not?" I tapped my sister's head.
"What, are you crazy? The ore would sink the bottle. It's too heavy!"
"Fine, we'll do it your way. I just don't like the idea of getting too close to Zuko-he's bound to be desperate to capture Aang."
"I know, but I think we'll be okay. It's just one Fire Navy ship." (Famous last words) We soared over the sea, now lined with maples along the dusty shore. Up ahead, black smoke choked the sky.
"There they are. Remember the plan." I unstrapped my boomerang. Aang slid down Appa's back and snapped the reins.
"Yip-yip!" Appa picked up speed, closing in on the worn and battered Fire Navy ship. 'How long has this guy been out here looking for the Avatar?' I wondered.
"All right, Aang. Let's get their attention!" I called. Aang nodded and brought Appa down a hard left. I hurled my boomerang at the lookout tower. The wedge of bone banged off of the hollow metal of the tower and curved smartly back to us. I snatched it out of the air and folded my arms. 'Come and get us, if ya dare'. Aang circled the ship once, then twice. Katara shielded the sunlight from her eyes, squinting for a glimpse of Lenara on the deck. We could see a couple of crewmen had already spotted us and, as we watched, Zuko appeared on deck, snatching a telescope from a crewman's hands. Lenara appeared a moment later, gazing up at us, but making no other sign of recognition.
"There she is," Katara leaned over to Aang, "let's go." Aang pulled the reins to the right and Appa smoothly shifted course for the forest. He landed in a clearing of moss-covered logs and bugs. Aang jumped off of Appa.
"Stay here boy. C'mon, Mo-mo!" The lemur landed on Aang's bald head, chittering nervously. We picked our way through the forest. A few minutes later we heard voices from the coast. Zuko's ship had docked. I turned to Aang and Katara.
"You two keep heading east. I'll circle around and find Lenara."
"Be careful," Katara whispered, then walked off with Aang. I began heading back towards the coast. A loud snap echoed in the forest.
"Good one, Aang," I muttered to myself. I heard the group of fire benders change course, heading east. I couldn't see them yet. I stuck my knife in a nearby tree, listening for vibrations. They were maybe twenty yards away. I yanked my knife out and ran low, crouching down at a large bush for cover. As I spread the branches, I could see Lenara from the gaps in the trees. Another branch snapped.
"C'mon you guys-think of something different." A choked scream was abruptly silenced. It sounded like Katara.
"Okay, that's a little better…wait a minute…" The hairs on the back of my neck tingled. Instinct was telling me the hunter had just become the hunted. I turned in time to see three Fire Nation soldiers throw a net on me.
VI.
Being tied up is no fun. I've been spending a lot of the past year that way. So imagine how thrilled I was when I was deposited, yet again, on the ground with my good buddy the rope. I should just keep a coil of it handy to make it easy for the next would-be captors—no rope? No problem! I've got plenty. I'll even tie the knots, here let me get you started….
Aang, Katara, even Mo-mo were likewise bound, sitting on the ground. I wiggled over to them.
"You guys alright?" They nodded.
"Well, well, the Avatar." Some guy, obviously the leader, pushed aside the soldiers in front of us and stared us down.
"You," Aang murmured. Katara and I shared a look. He was the commander who tried to stop Aang from speaking with Avatar Roku at the Fire Nation temple.
"It was only a matter of time before I caught you again, Avatar. And I hear you're not alone. Somewhere in this forest, Prince Zuko is also looking for you. Lieutenant," he motioned to a solider, "apprehend Prince Zuko and his party. We will catch up with you shortly."
"Yes, Admiral Zhao." The soldier and a troop of fire benders left the clearing. Zhao looked over us like we were cattle, thick, juicy cattle (oh man, was I hungry!) He signaled to his remaining soldiers.
"Get them up. I feel like teasing a cat with the mouse I caught. Let's find the banished Prince." We were hauled to our feet.
"Banished?" Aang asked aloud.
"Oh, that's right. You never heard about how Prince Zuko lost the throne of the Fire Nation. In fact," Zhao continued, "that's the whole reason he's looking for you."
"What?" Katara gasped. We marched into the forest.
"Prince Zuko needs to capture the Avatar to reclaim his place in line to the throne. Fool," Zhao snorted, "Fire Lord Ozai does not forgive weakness so readily."
"Why was Zuko banished?" Aang asked. Zhao turned, his smile dark and cold.
"He's a traitor to his father's kingdom. And to the Fire Lord's cause."
"The war," I muttered. Zhao picked up the pace. We arrived at a cluster of aspen trees. The soldiers pushed us forward as Zhao made his rounds, taunting Zuko. The old man Zuko traveled with, Iroh, and Lenara were also restrained. Lenara turned to us. Something was a little off about her…her face seemed lined with anger and…was that a spark in her eye?
"You guys okay?"
"Yeah," Aang hung his head, "sorry we f…" Lenara gave him the look-of-death and he snapped his lips shut. Boy, she was scary. What did they do to her on the ship?
"Well, seems we all have a secret to share," Zhao announced," so I'll go first." He then unraveled his boringly simple plan to take Aang and Weenie Boy back with him while he burned the rest of us alive for 'treason against the Fire Nation'. If he kept monologuing any longer, I would have volunteered to gather the kindling myself.
Those of us to be executed were tied to trees, mine being just right of Lenara and hers next to Iroh. Katara was by my left. Zhao paused in front of Lenara. I'd never seen her so angry. What was her beef with this guy?
"You still seem very familiar to me," Zhao mused, a sinister grin on his face, "are you sure I don't know your father?" Lenara let out a furious shout, straining the rope that tied her to the sturdy tree. Zhao watched her struggle.
"I guess I did. I noticed the scar on you hand. Some fire bender has already touched you. Daddy must be ashamed." Lenara's eyes suddenly grew black. Zuko stepped forward, dragging the two soldiers who held his arms with him.
"Be silent, you fool!" Zhao turned from Lenara and approached the exiled Prince.
"I don't take orders from banished traitors." And with that, Zhao struck Zuko full across the face. I heard the old man Iroh gasp. Something very bright exploded to my right and I turned just in time to see Lenara, engulfed in flames, raise her head. Eyes black, the fire stripping the red from her hair to hot white, she whispered one word:
"Enough."
The tree she was bound to exploded, splints of wood burying themselves into neighboring trees. She clenched her fists and snarled. When she blinked, a ring of flames radiated from her body, burning our ropes. Aang's and Zuko's bonds were caught in the fire and they pulled the ropes away from them.
Lenara approached Zhao, who was slightly caught off guard. He shot a fire blast at Lenara, but the flames that encircled her absorbed the blow. Zhao tried again, but his attacks were useless. Lenara thrust her fist forward, knocking Zhao back with a ball of hot fire. She continued with a string of blows that left Zhao bruised, his lip split and the area above his left brow broken with blood. She worked him backwards until he was up against a tree. He turned to the other soldiers.
"Well, don't just stand there! Get her!" The soldiers raced towards Lenara. She never took her eyes off Zhao. She pushed her arm out to the side and a gust of fire swept several advancing soldiers off their feet and slammed them onto the ground. She waved the other soldiers off with a similar attack.
"Got anything else annoying to throw at me?" Her voice was so hollow, so dark. Aang and Katara raced to my side.
"We should help her," Katara said.
"Uh, Katara? Did you just see her take out an army of fire benders? I don't think she needs our help," Aang muttered.
"I'm inclined to agree," I replied.
"Yes, she does," Zuko removed the last of the old man's ropes, "she'll kill him. She'd never be able to live with that. I t would make her like Zhao-a murderer." I glanced at him suspiciously.
"What do you care?" He frowned.
"That's none of your concern."
"Oh, really?" I stared him down, but Katara stepped in front of me.
"Why does she want to kill Zhao?"
"Because," the guy actually looked somber, "Zhao killed her father." Katara took a step back.
"Whoa." Aang sprinted towards Lenara without another word. He knew the pain of murdered family. He reached her just as she delivered another blow to Zhao's burned and bloodied face.
"Lenara, stop! You can't do this!"
"Yeah, Aang, I kinda think I can." Aang stepped beside Lenara and grabbed her wrist.
"If you kill him, you'll be just like him!" She shook him off.
"Why should he be allowed to live when hundreds died by his hand? What kind of justice is that, Avatar? To punish the innocent and let the murderers go free? No, this ends today, starting with him." Her grin was chilling.
"Should we build him a pyre, like they did for my father?" Aang and Katara each grabbed an arm, but Lenara threw them off. Anger made her stronger. Aang launched a gust of wind at Lenara, but she dodged it and grabbed Katara, burning the straps to her water flask. The flask dropped into her hand. She pushed Katara away, used the water to freeze the three of us in place, then used the remainder to freeze Zhao to the tree. He was barely alive.
"Now you'll suffer what my father suffered, you bastard," she whispered. She raised her fist, engulfed in flames. She thrust if forward…THWACK! Something stopped her attack! I watched, shocked, as Prince Zuko blocked the attack and placed himself between Lenara and Zhao.
"Get out of the way, Zuko."
"No."
"Your loss." She released a fireball, but Zuko narrowly dodged it and grabbed her wrists. The flames seared his hands, I could smell burning flesh…well, there goes my appetite.
"What are you gonna do without your hands?" Was he mocking her?
"Let go of me."
"Make me, water-sucker." Man, this guy was an idiot. He deserved to get his butt kicked. So why wasn't she flame-broiling him?
"You can't stop me."
"Maybe not. But killing Zhao won't bring your father back, Lenara. Do you think Taro Hün-dai would want to see his daughter do this?" She faltered, her eyes flickered from black to dark green. Her hands began to tremble.
"He robbed me of him, Zuko. Father never did anything to anyone! Zhao should be the one in the ground, not my father…" A single tear spilled from a green-colored eye. The flame died. It was over. The white streaks scorched in her hair, however, remained.
Zuko released Lenara and she lowered her arms. I watched, puzzled beyond belief, as that weenie of a rotten Prince just stood there while Lenara suffered. What was this guy's deal? Water bender or no, if any girl just had to relive the worst moment of her life in front of me…
Zuko put a hand on her shoulder and she leaned forward, tears continuing to fall, and rested her head on Zuko's shoulder, the tremors quieted. As much as it killed me to watch, Zuko enclosed Lenara in his arms, a concerned look on his face. Ugh, I had to leave or this was going to make me puke.
"Hey, Katara. Get Aang and Mo-mo and head back to Appa. I'm going to give Lenara this." I held up the leather sack of ore. Katara nodded and she and Aang took off through the woods, Mo-mo right behind them. I zipped behind a tree and watched Iroh release their personal soldiers. Zuko and Lenara pulled away from the embrace awkwardly and Zuko went to assist the old man. I snuck over to the next tree.
"Psst! Lenara!" Lenara turned slowly, exhausted. She walked to the tree and joined me behind it.
"You okay?" She touched her right palm. A scar rippled across the smooth skin of her hand. Had she always had that scar?
"I will be."
"No wonder I didn't trust you when we first met! I didn't know you were a fire bender!"
"You and me both."
"How did you…"
"Well," Lenara dipped forward and I caught her, bracing her with my arm tucked under her, "the short version is: mom was a water bender, married father, who was a fire bender, out came little me." She dropped her head under my chin and I caught that sweet scent girls' hair always seem to have, even if they've just been swimming in sweat. Aw jeez, I think I was blushing.
"Please tell Aang and Katara I'm sorry. I didn't mean to attack any of you, Sokka. I just couldn't control my anger. I let everyone down. You must hate me." I shook my head.
"Not a chance."
"Part of me wants another go at him."
"He killed your father. I'd feel the same way. And so you can bend fire? Big deal. You've got an advantage now: two elements for the price of one!" I smiled at her, "it just means you'll have to be twice as strong and twice as responsible." She blinked.
"That was really impressive, Sokka. When did you become so wise?"
"I know. I'm scared, too," I gulped. She grinned, a genuine smile. That made me feel better. I handed the bag to her.
"Hope it's enough."
"It should be. Thank you."
"Just let us know if you need any more help."
"Actually, I do need your help," she glanced around for potential eavesdroppers, "I'll send you a bottle as soon as I'm on the ship." A worried look crossed my face.
"You're going back?"
"Yep. It's decent cover and they have no clue about my father's mission. Also, I can learn to control this…'fire soul' thing I've heard about."
"But they captured you!"
"I let them capture me, Sokka."
"But they won't let you go!"
"They won't be able to stop me when the time comes to leave." I eyed her, frowning.
"Where did you get that scar?" She glanced at her hand.
"From a dishonorable thing I did. Zuko helped close the wound."
"I don't trust him." She smiled.
"You not trust a fire bender, Sokka? Get outta here." I glared. I was actually trying to be serious!
"But…" I stalled, not really wanting to ask what was bothering me, "what if he attacks you?"
"Then he'll be in for the Agni-kai of his life."
"Does he like you?"
"Who?"
"Scarface over there!" She shrugged, trying to be nonchalant, but I could see she had given this some thought.
"Beats me."
"You sure he's not pretending to be decent just to gain your trust?"
"That's always a possibility; but actually, Sokka, he's just a friend."
"How could you be friends with him? He's trying to capture Aang!" I couldn't believe her. One minute she's protecting the Avatar and the next, she's buddy-buddy with Zuko. Lenara gripped my shoulders and pushed away from me, able to stand on her own without my help.
"I realize that, Sokka. Do you know why?"
"Yeah, his dumb honor and glory. He got kicked out of the Fire Nation."
"Banished by his own father for protecting his people." I blinked.
"That's not the version I heard. I didn't know." She nodded, her arms folded.
"Zuko spoke out against the war in favor of protecting his people. His father branded him for his defiance."
"The scar," I realized, "you mean, his own father did that to him?"
"That's right."
"Oh, man…" Talk about your scarlet letters.
"Aang will bring balance to the nations, but the Fire Nation needs a leader who will continue that balance. Aang and Zuko could end this war."
"Wait a minute-you want the Fire Nation to end its own war?"
"C'mon, Sokka! What soldier doesn't long for the massacre to end? Besides, the Fire Nation is my home, too, and I believe the people of the Fire Nation are weary of Lord Ozai's tyranny." I watched her as she ran a hand through her hair, catching notice of the white streaks. She had a lot of guts betting on the wrong horse. Although, the old man who helped me rescue the villagers from that flood Jet started was Fire Nation. Perhaps they weren't a lost cause after all. Lenara was now a fire bender and there was no way I could harbor any anger against her. But her faith in Zuko was a blind spot.
"I still don't trust Zuko."
"I know. Which is why I'm counting on you to keep your eyes and ears open, Sokka. This mission of my father's is taking all of my attention and I know you'll lead me true if I turn a blind eye at something." She began to walk away.
"You trust him, don't you?" She turned, her green eyes painfully focused on me.
"I believe in him. As did my father." She took one step, then spun back around to me and enclosed me in her arms. I stood frozen for a moment, then returned the hug. Man, she was confusing!
"I envy Katara. I wish I had a brother like you, Sokka." She pulled away quickly and walked back to the fire benders. It was tough watching her go. I just hoped she would be okay. If Zuko did so much as upset a hair on her head, there would be a furious warrior out for blood.
VII.
I caught up with Katara and Aang a few minutes later.
"Is Lenara okay?" Aang asked. I ran up Appa's tail and sat in the wide saddle.
"I guess so. She's going back with them."
"Don't worry, Sokka. She'll be okay." I looked at Aang, a little frustrated by his optimism.
"How do you know, Aang?"
"I don't think he'll do anything to harm her," he said softly. I sat near Aang as Katara took the reins.
"How can you be so sure?" He rested his hands on his knees.
"Because, appearances are deceiving. Lenara told us we all have a part to play. Even Zuko has his." He looked away suddenly. Something was bothering Aang, a secret he wished to keep for a while. Katara let out a 'yip-yip' and we left the forest, and our friend we had spent two months searching for, behind.
Aren't you mad? I am so ticked off by that closure! I couldn't believe Lenara was back on that Fire Navy ship! I don't know why it bothered me so much, it just did. So there.
We found another bottle washed ashore two days after the forest incident. This time it was addressed to us all:
Ang, Sokka, Katara,
I must be brief as I am now under a lot of scrutiny since the release of my fire soul. The shrine of Kio-Misu is located at the border of the Earth Kingdom of Ashitaka, just a dozen or so miles from where this letter arrived. The caretakers at the shrine are friends of my mother's family, so you should have no trouble acquiring the three holy stones. Just send them back in this bottle. Katara, a semi-northwest current should do the trick.
Thank you all for your kindness to me. I couldn't ask for better friends. And Sokka, please forgive my optimism. I can't help it. I would be devastated if I lost your trust. It means the world to me.
Lenara
Aang and Katara glanced at me. I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment. I didn't know my trust meant that much to her. Geez, now I feel like such a jerk.
"Sokka, what'd you say to her?" Katara landed an accusing eye on me.
"Nothing! I just…don't want to see her get hurt, that's all. " Katara smiled.
"You can't protect everyone you meet, Sokka, but it's nice of you to try." I took the letter and folded it up, shoving it in my pocket.
"I'm not protecting everyone! Just you…and Aang…and those villagers and…" Aang chuckled as Katara raised her eyebrow, "fine. Excuse me for being a nice guy." We soared over the clouds, the sun setting behind us. Ahead, the tops of the buildings of Omashu rose into view. Aang waved at the palace as we passed.
"Hey Boomie!" We curved west and headed for the smaller Earth Kingdom village of Ashitaka. I just hope we don't encounter more bees or glass mountains. I've had it with doing all this weird stuff, like scaling mountains covered in honey or sucking on frozen frogs!
VIII.
We set down at the entrance of Ashitaka two days later. We left Appa and Mo-mo behind. The village looked deserted. Doors were left ajar, dust raced through the streets, a child's sandal was left abandoned in the middle of the main road. Katara bent down and picked up the sandal. Aang checked in a couple of houses.
"They're empty. What happened?" I glanced down an alleyway. Not even an empty barrel had been left behind.
"Maybe they're all in Omashu under King Bumi's protection. After all, the Earth Kingdom is the Fire Nation's biggest threat right now," I replied.
"Maybe now, but wait until Aang has the Hotaru," Katara said with a confident grin, "we'll see who's the biggest threat then, right, Aang? Uh, Aang?" My sister walked over to Aang, who was staring at the old stone-built temple of Kio-Misu. The temple of the Earth Kingdom Avatars. He headed for the entrance and we raced to catch up.
"I don't think those caretakers will still be here, Aang." Katara watched Aang's face carefully. He had been to two Avatar temples already and both visits resulted in revelation and disaster. The Southern Air Temple revealed Aang's past lives and, sadly, the bones of his murdered mentor, Gyatso. The Fire Temple of Avatar Roku revealed Aang's quest to master the four elements and stop the comet that will return next summer. The comet will give the Fire Lord all the scruples to blast this planet into the next evolutionary cycle…in other words, we'll all be so much bread crumbs in the toaster of life. Anyways, after he met with Avatar Roku, Aang, embodied with the spirit of Roku, destroyed the Fire temple. So, needless to say, we were a little nervous about entering the temple of Kio-Misu. Who knew what we were getting ourselves into?
The temple was built of sandy colored blocks of stone, opening up to a vaulted ceiling on the inside. A wall to our left was covered in an elaborate mosaic of stones that wrapped around the length of the temple and glowed in the subtle light of the doorway. They represented the images of all the Avatars, right up to Avatar Roku. Aang ran his hand along the wall. His past lives kept resurfacing before his eyes, reminding this kid of the heavy burden he shouldered. Poor Aang, he never asked for this.
"Hey Aang! Sokka!" Katara had stopped in front of the statue of Kio-Misu, the Avatar during the third dynasty, according to the stone tablet on the base of the statue. Kio-Misu was a serious looking woman with frizzy, tight curls that haloed her head and long, sturdy limbs. She had this proud, defiant look on her face, one fist curled and raised bent at the elbow in a symbol of power.
"Wow," Katara breathed.
"'Hear me Roar, Say it Loud: I'm Earth and I'm Proud.' What the heck does that mean?" I gave the statue a wary look.
"Beats me," Aang walked around the statue.
"Where are the stones?" We searched the sparse temple. No holy stones anywhere. Heck, I don't think we would even know what a holy stone was if it hit us in the head. Katara sighed.
"Too bad those friends of Lenara's family aren't here. They could have helped us." Aang stared at the walls of Avatars. One, an Air bender, was using air bending to suspend himself up a half-constructed building. He reached for a massive stone block that an Earth bender Avatar raised from the ground. A Fire bender Avatar baked the earth into huge bricks. A Water bender Avatar helped mix the mortar with water.
"They all helped build this temple, a little at a time," Aang explained, amazed.
"No wonder it's so big," Katara breathed. Aang moved along the wall.
"I wonder if they helped build the temples in every nation." He stopped along the corner. He studied an Avatar, a water bender, with a hand outstretched to bend the river away from a town of earth benders.
"She looks familiar," Aang narrowed his eyes.
"Well, of course. She's you from a past life," I replied.
"No, Sokka, I mean, she looks like someone I met after the iceberg." Katara and I shared a look. We bent closer to the wall. Katara scraped a cloud of dust away with the palm of her hand. The Avatar had rich auburn hair and a small, round nose.
"Looks like Lenara," I murmured. Not like I had her on the brain or anything…
"It is Lenara!" Katara gasped. Aang pointed to the face.
"Can't be. This Avatar's eyes are blue." Katara crossed her arms, lost in thought.
"Perhaps a relative? A grandmother?" she suggested. Aang suddenly grinned.
"Yeah, her great-grandmother! I remember an Avatar Lita from the water tribe in the North. I knew Lenara felt familiar to me!"
"Wait, let me get this straight…you're Lenara's great-grandmother, Aang? That's kinda creepy."
"Knock if off, Sokka," my sister thumped me on the head, "so that must be why you were eager to introduce yourself to her, Aang. You must have felt the Avatar spirit lingering in Lenara." Aang nodded. I sighed. Great, now she's got Avatar connections, too! This world can't stop finding ways to make the differences between her and me huge and obvious. She's a water bender and a fire bender, she's a descendant of the Avatar, she's hot…uh, I mean, she's the chief of her tribe. And what the heck am I? Some scrawny backwater kid with knobby elbows and a squeaky voice. No wonder she likes a Prince of the Fire Nation-at least he's a prince. I'm nobody. I caught Katara looking at me.
"You okay?"
"Just peachy. "
"Your face is all red."
"It's…nothing." She stepped close to me so Aang couldn't hear.
"Tell me later, okay?" I nodded. Aang leaned against the wall.
"Wonder if she knows one of her ancestors was the Avatar."
"Well, yeah, she must have. Her letter said the caregivers of the temple were friends of her mother's family. Friends of an Avatar…" I trailed off, the gears turning in my head. The Avatars in the mosaic were working together with other Avatars, building temples and stopping natural disasters.
"Were the caregivers Avatars, too?" I asked. Aang and Katara turned to me.
"What do you mean, Sokka?"
"Well," I pointed to the mural, "these Avatars put a lot of work into building and taking care of the temples. They could be the caregivers Lenara was talking about."
"But Sokka, how are they going to tell us where to find the stones for the Hotaru?" That was a darn good question. Time to use Sokka's Instincts!
I leaned in, scrutinizing the mosaic. The stones were all highly polished, but vastly different, millions of colors and shapes squeezed together. I scratched the mortar; it was a silt compound. The smell was an earthy scent of wet clay, even after all these years, and eucalyptus. That was weird. I tapped the stones in front of me. Solid. I moved along the wall, Aang and Katara following. As I walked halfway around the temple, knocking on stones, I caught a strong whiff of eucalyptus. I backed up to a mural of a group of Avatars. The Water bender held a eucalyptus branch, trickling water. The Air bender held a banner. The Fire bender held a crescent-shaped bell. The Earth bender held a stone. Lenara had described the Hotaru, a waxing quarter moon of a bell. I knocked on the stones. They were hollow. I turned to Katara and Aang; we all shared a knowing smile.
Aang used his Earth bending to carefully move the stones. Katara mixed a mortar with the water from our flask and I collected the loose polished stones as they fell. Behind the mosaic, wedged in a tiny alcove, were three small plain brown stones, each inscribed with runes.
"Alright, Sokka's Instincts!" Aang shouted. He reached in and extracted the stones. We dropped them in a leather sack and then went about repairing the damage. Aang set the blocks back into place, Katara and I patched the mosaic up as best we could. Exhausted and dirty, we stood back and surveyed our handiwork.
"Let's get these stones on their way," Katara jingled the bag. Aang lingered in the doorway, relieved, I'm sure, that the darn temple was left standing. He trotted away down the path to catch up with us. Two down, two to go.
IX.
Katara corked the bottle tight and hurled it into the sea. She shifted her weight and forced the tide carrying the bottle northwest. The holy stones of Kio-Misu drifted out of sight.
"Good luck, little stones!" Aang shouted. I shook my head. What a goon.
"Wonder how she's doing," Katara dropped to the ground, wrapping her arms around her knees and resting her head on top. I looked away at Aang, down by the shore with Mo-mo, trying to catch fish. It was painful to watch.
"Sokka? What was on your mind back at the temple?" I glanced at my sister.
"I was…just worried about Lenara."
"She'll be okay. You've been thinking about her an awful lot, Sokka. Are you sure that's the only thing bothering you?" And this is what I call 'Katara's Instincts'. Most girls have this: it's the ability to sense there is always something wrong especially when a guy doesn't want to talk about it.
"She said Zuko's just a friend of hers." Katara raised her head.
"Oh."
"And he helped her heal the scar on her hand."
"Uh, huh."
"And she's…falling for that bozo, Katara!" I whispered fiercely, "she's going to get hurt, and then I'll have to kick his butt…you see the situation I'm in?" She smiled.
"You have a crush on her, don't you, Sokka?"
"What? No. No!" I hissed as she gave me a smirk, "I just think she's making a mistake. She's pretty clever, for a girl. Don't you think she'd rather, I don't know…"
"Fall in love with someone like you?"
"Yeah. No! Katara, stop doing that!"
"Sokka, I know how you like her. It's pretty obvious. But we can't control who we love. She may be making a mistake in our eyes, but to her, it's the right choice. And Sokka, you may know you will never be more than a friend to her, but you might still choose to feel how you do regardless."
"Sounds pretty one-sided."
"Would you rather it be no-sided." I scowled.
"No."
"Okay, then."
"Why am I doing this to myself?"
"Because," she said, shuffling over to me and putting her arm around me, "you're a dope who needs to kiss a girl."
"I have kissed a girl! You…just…didn't see her…" Aang raced over to us, a wiggling fish in his hands.
"Look at the whiskers on this one!" The fish slipped and flopped side to side until it bounced back into the river. Aang sighed.
"That one took forever to catch."
"I thought you were a vegetarian, Aang."
"I am. I just think they're neat!" I rolled my eyes and scraped a thumb along the curve of my boomerang. The sun was setting and by morning we would be on our way to the waterfalls of Hakü, a land far beyond the Earth Kingdom. The trees were bare, winter was ready to take its course. We would be stuck in Hakü if a blizzard hit. Hope they have some penguin jerky.
Aang and Katara fell right to sleep that night, but I lay awake, my arms folded behind my head. A million thoughts scrambled across my brain, but the only thing I could feel was one girl's warmth that still lingered on my shoulder. I was really starting to get distracted. I tried to focus on using my instincts to solve this problem, but that was wasted time. Instincts couldn't help me now. I was a lost cause. Girls always seemed to have this affect on me. She actually said she valued my trust…yeah, we're all gonna die.