Flying was the most incredible thing Katara has ever experienced. She loved it more than anything. Years later, it is still the way to clear her mind and escape the troubles of life for the time being.
Soon after Saka and Katara left, they arrived to a mountain and landed. Katara got off and was led to a cave in the mountain where there were many important looking people. Katara felt the nervous feeling in her stomach and felt her muscles tense up. She decided to wear her good-luck necklace that always made her feel better. She took it out of her bag that she had had all this time. The necklace was a locket with two pictures, one on each side.
One side of the locket had a picture of her, as a baby, and a women holding her. Katara has been told that she was her mother. Katara suspects that the picture was not taken on Earth and in fact, on Alkia. The picture was black and white and looked as if it was taken by a very old camera of some sort. In the back was a mountain range and it made Katara wonder, Is this where this picture was taken? Is my mom here? No, of course not. Katara has remembered being told that her mom died a long time ago by a car accident.
The other side of the locket held another picture, this time of her and Richard. I don't think Dick ever saw this.. Katara thought to herself. It was Richard holding Katara around the waist playfully and Katara half-bent over laughing. Happiness sparkled in her eye.
Katara sighed. She has only been away from earth for nearly 6 hours and she missed Dick like she has been away for centuries.
"So this is the famous new Avatar. Hm... she hardly seems like she will be suitable for the job. At any rate, she will come with me. The Counsel is waiting and the Board of the Benders are getting restless," said a man with a robe and long dark hair. Everyone here is starting to look the same.
She reluctantly followed the rude man and was placed in a large-coliseum-looking room. Katara was sitting in the middle with at least 50 men and a few women looking down on her.
"We shall begin. Well, welcome to the meeting of the Counsels and the Board of the Benders to introduce our new Avatar. Well, hello Katara. My name is Soseki. I am an earth bender and it's very nice to finally meet you. I do believe you have spent the last eleven years on our fellow Earth?" said a kind looking man with a long white beard. He looked quite strong and shaped to be at such an old age.
"Yes, I suppose. I am thirteen though," Katara answered.
"I know. You had left us when you were two years of age," replied Soseki kindly, "so, tell us. Are you willing to lead Alkia?"
"Lead? No. I have been known to be a leader in what I believe in but I most certainly do not believe in leading Alkia. The manner in which you brought me here was distasteful and quite frankly, I wish to leave as soon as possible." Soseki just looked at her and shouts were coming from the rest of the people in the meeting. One man said, "Let her go! She is not worthy to rule Alkia!" and another man said, "We should have known this was coming from a mere teenager!" Soseki stopped the shouting with a wave of his hand.
"You are just like your mother brought you up to be. I really do wish you didn't hate us so. I am terribly sorry for the manner in which you arrived here. You shall tell me all about them to me later and I will sort this out. Do you know how to use your powers?"
"The only power I know of is the power of some type of force. It looks like what I might be able to do if Saka showed me how."
"Oh, I do believe you are an air bender. The last Avatar was a fire bender and so thus, you are most experienced with your air bending skills. But still, you are very behind in training and lessons. Still, rather to be late than never, correct? Thus, may I get 3 volunteers? These three volunteers will train Katara in the art of their bending skill. She will train based on season. During the summer, she will train will the fire bender. During the spring, she will train with the water bender. During the fall, she will train with the earth bender and during the winter, she will train with the air bender. I, myself, have taken up the responsibility to be her earth bender teacher. Who is willing to vow to protect, care, and teach Katara her water, air, and fire bending skills?"
Soseki's voice sounded loud and clear. There was little echo. A man stood up and said, "I, Saka, air bender leader, will vow to protect, care, and teach Katara, the next Avatar, her air bending skills." At this, Katara smiled. She is somewhat glad that at least Saka will be there for her. Another man stood up, "I Natsume, water bender leader, will vow to protect, care, and teach Katara her water bending skills." The man looked to be in his middle ages, short brown hair and looked like a kind person. He doesn't look too heartless. I might not mind this at all.
Next, a very young man stood up. He had brown hair and had it in a ponytail. In fact, he wasn't older than seventeen. "I, Prince Suko, fire bender leader, will vow to teach Katara her fire bending skills over the summer." Katara noticed a somewhat evil sense in his voice and saw something mischievous in his eye.
"Well, then. Thank you Bender Leaders. Since Katara is initially an air bender, she will first train with Saka for one year. Then, the cycle will start when the snow melts and the flowers begin to bloom, we begin spring. She will go with Natsume, then to Prince Suko and then to me.
"In this, she shall be taught the ways of an Alkian. She is still, though, our Avatar. Treat her as any Avatar, but guide her a little. Soon enough, she will be fit to rule Alkia with ease and respect. Thank you and a special thanks to our Bender Leaders for taking out new Avatar in their hands. Good bye for now, Katara," Soskei said as he quickly left. Katara didn't even have time to say a more personalized salutation.
"Well, it's a pleasure to finally see out new Avatar. I hope you like it here on Alkia. It will be exactly like living on Earth, without the electronics, of course. All your possibilities are still open and who knows? Maybe you'll find a nice guy here, " the guy called Prince Suko had said. A boy behind Katara came up and said, "Hey, Prince Suko! Get away from her! You don't see her until a year and a half from now, so just say your precious good-byes and leave from here," the boy was taller than Katara and had medium, brown, nice wavy hair. He had a protective tone of voice and he didn't seem much older than Katara.
"Is that how you talk to the leader of the Fire Benders and the Prince of the Fire Nation?" Prince Suko asked, a little taken back.
"It really doesn't matter because I am the co-leader of the Water Benders and frankly, I don't trust you. So, bug off and get away from Miss Katara. NOW!"
"We'll settle this later," he turned to Katara and bent down and took her hand in his and kissed it while saying, "I can't wait until the summer to begin our training. Until then, Katara." With that, he left, along with his uncle, Aoki.