Katara walked down the street with her head low, and her good arm cradling her bad one as she quickened her pace. Maybe I should go to the beach to practice Water Bending one-handed. But there's no way I'm going alone. "Yip, yip!" Katara lifted her head and called Appa who came and landed in front of her. Everyone was staring but she ignored them as he lifted into the air and towards the outer part of the island.
What was that about…One minute she's having tea peacefully and the next storming out the door in a rage. Aang wandered confused back to the tea room where Sokka was leaving.
"She has some stuff to do." Sokka said walking towards the doors Katara and went through minutes before.
"Let's go back to Nancy's. I'm tired." Aang faked a yawn to improve his pitiful act. In truth, he wasn't tired at all, but he wanted time to think about what had just happened and he knew if Sokka saw him just laying around, he would question why or become suspicious, or more suspicious than he already was.
"Alright." Sokka eyed Aang as though trying to detect a lie but turned down the road toward Nancy's nonetheless.
Katara arrived at the water's edge after a few moments of intense battling with herself. Why would he do that? He doesn't even know her! Or does he?Wait, he couldn't! She's only eleven or twelve and he's one-hundred twelve. And we've been with him since he's been out of the iceburg…This doesn't make sense. He should know by now not to mess with people he doesn't know well. As impossible as it seemed, Katara was losing a one-person argument. Oh, Aang. She bit her lip and closed her eyes as a single tear rolled down her cheek.
Aang rolled over so he was facing the back of the couch. What happened? He thought back to the tearoom. Isn't it important to make friends? I mean, she must know something about the Fire Nation that we don't…
The next morning Katara had still not returned with Appa. Aang walked outside around noon after eating breakfast only to find Sokka outside with a knife and a stick. He was carving something into it. Aang walked up and stared at it.
"What is it?" Aang stared at it confused. It looked like an alien with no legs and four fat antenna.
"It's a fish." Sokka mumbled still carving.
"It doesn't look like a fish." Aang stared at it. It couldn't be a fish…unless it was an alien fish with no fins and four antenna.
"That's because it's abstract! Okay?" Sokka glared at him and Aang smiled playfully.
"Oh yeah. I see it. You kinda' have to do this." He squinted his eyes to tiny slits and tilted his head to the right.
"Haha. You're hilarious." Sokka said sarcastically. "Why don't you go find your girlfriend?"
Aang turned and walked down the road. I'm not talking to Katara until she comes to me. He turned the corner and toward the palace. When he knocked a guard glared at him before he opened the door to find Marie standing there in front of him. She was smiling and grabbed his hand to take him off to the tearoom again.
"Where's Katara?" Marie poured tea into a small blue teacup and handed it to Aang. He took it and sipped it lightly. He sighed before setting the cup on a little blue china saucer.
"I dunno." He stared at a corner of the room, feeling as though it was an uncomfortable conversation.
"You know, you shouldn't worry about when she storms off like that. She's going to be doing that for a long time. I mean, she's the only girl in your group and she's a young woman in her opinian. She needs her space. Trust me." She smiled again and took a sip of her tea. Aang smiled back. He was feeling a little better. It's as though her smile could warm him better than the tea could.
"I guess your right. But it so confusing. Right now I kind of wish I had your gift, and maybe be a psycic too." Aang wished so badly he knew where one was. He needed to know a lot of things about his future.
"Oh, well, I have a psycic! Her name's Madam Laori. She's really good! Do you wanna see her?" Marie jumped up and Aang sat there alarmed at how well Marie came in handy. He got up too and she led him up some spiral stairs near the third dining room.
Upstairs there were purple and dark blue drapes with stars and rymestones on them. There was a heavy perfumed scent in the air and it was dark, the only light sources being the flickering light from behind some drapes and and candles, some on an alter and some on a small circular table in the middle of the room with a long dark blue tablecloth and shimmering rhymstones on the cloth, and on top of the table was a crystal ball, filled with white fog. Aang walked up to the table and heard a click from behind him. He turned to find that Marie had stepped out and shut the door behind her. What now? Aang walked over one of the two chintz armchairs around the table. He sat down and started fiddling with his thumbs wondering what to do next.
"Who dare disturbes the vibrations of my inspiration?" Abruptly a woman walked out of some drapes from the far left corner. She was a white woman dressed in overly large robes to match her room. Her silky light brown hair hung loosely at her shoulders and she held herself tall, as though thinking she was supirior to everyone else. She stared down at Aang who suddenly felt very small and intimidated, and guessed this was Madam Laori.
"Um, my name's Aang. Could you, um…" Aang nearly whispered.
"Predict your future? Tell you what lies in the distant future with the outcome of your heavenly body's fate? Come child, come, come now. Let us see." She sat down and gazed into the crystal ball. Aang sat on the edge of his seat now very curious at what she had to say and handing on her every word. "Oh my, oh my." Madam Laori gasped as she looked into the crystal ball. Aang sat forward but all he could see was fog. Unchanged from when he walked into the room. "I see. Young child, you have danger in your presence. Yes, I see great bravery. Of course, sacrifice as well…ah, and love. She, is a bender. She's not far away…not at all. But also, a great battle draws nearer young one. A great sacrifice will be made. I'd hang on to all of those you hold dear to you. And, lastly, be careful, for soon you will hurt someone very important." Madam Laori got back up leaving Aang confused. She walked back through the drapes and Aang left through the door to find Marie on the other side waiting.
"Did that help?" She glanced at him hopefully.
"Sort of. Thanks Marie, but I'd better be getting back. I'll see you later." Aang walked down the stairs and toward the door leaving Marie bewildered and looking hurt. She hurried after him and Aang suddenly felt a sharp jab on his arm and turned to see Marie holding onto rocks, in mid-air.