Chapter 2
The Flying Boy
A/N I hope everyone is happy with this chapter. It came so easily it seemed to write itself. To the point where it decided for me two additional points I hadn't been expecting. Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the previous. I don't know how often I'll be updating, the last two weeks of this month and the first two of August are super busy for me so if there is little update during that time just be patient okay. Thank you.
Princess Kassie Out.
I couldn't help but stare at Appa. The giant bison seemed to think I was nothing important as he bellowed at me. Turning away, I shook my head and berated myself for turning down Katara's offer to go fishing with her and her brother. Not that there was any way I could have known that within a month of coming here I would be dealing with Aang already. The story I knew seemed to have decided not to wait until I was ready but move at its own time. While that was just like life back home I now was unsure of how to progress from here
"Pala you'll never guess what happened!" Katara cried as she ran from the tent where a deeply sleeping Aang lay, Sokka close behind. I grinned, she had already told the entire story to Gran-gran so I allowed myself a moment of fun.
"You found and airbender named Aang and his bison called Appa frozen in an iceberg?" the look on their faces was priceless so I allowed myself a bark of laughter before explaining, "I already heard, you weren't exactly quiet when you told Kanna. Plus," I paused to nod towards Appa, "there's a giant buffalo staring at me" Katara's face fell. I winced.
"Sorry, you can tell me more if you'd like," I regretted that choice rather quickly as I was given a very detailed summery of the story, all from Katara's point of view with Sokka piping up every once in a while.
I was distracted from the story when I noticed out of the corner of my eye a bald head peer out of the tent. I smiled lightly as Aang slipped back inside. Interrupting a brewing argument over whether Appa really could fly I tapped Katara on the shoulder.
"Katara? You're guest's awake," Katara's eyes widened. She spun around and took off. I chuckled as Sokka shook his head at her excitement.
"Someone's happy," I commented lightly. The young warrior snorted, "Yeah that's all I need another bender," I frowned at him, "You should be happy for her, she's finally met someone who can bend as well." Sokka huffed but nodded before storming off to ridicule Aang about his bending. I chuckled under my breath as Aang took his staff back with a concentrated gust of wind. All laughter was forgotten when he took off into the air.
I had watched Katara waterbend before. In real life it amazed me at the sheer beauty of water, floating through air. Moving to the will of one mortal girl. I had forgotten that Katara was little more then a talented beginner, playing at bending. The sight of Aang taking to the air caused me to gasp along with the entity of the tribe.
It really looked as though he was flying. My heart began beating a hundred miles a minute. I couldn't take my eyes off him. There will never be enough words to fully describe the feeling I had when Aang began to glide. It was like a dance. He was the air, free and unrestrained. Just watching him in his natural element I felt free as though my soul was flying with him. I felt a strange yearning build up inside of me. I wanted to fly like that.
Aang's eyes met mine. For a second time froze. Then he smiled, did another loop, flew right over my head before landing behind me. I watched as he approached, my ears suddenly cold. Sometime during his display my hood had fallen off.
"HI!" he held out a hand, "I'm Aang and you are..."
"Maddi," I replied breathlessly, reaching out and grasping his small hand in my own firmly "but most people here call me Pala. That was... the most amazing thing I have ever seen," Aang beamed. He was a cute kid, but my mind was focused on replaying the bending.
"You liked it that much?" he asked, grey eyes bright, "thanks, I've never been complemented like that before." Aang looked at me curiously before asking, "are you water tribe?" in a disbelieving voice. I shook my head.
"No, Earth Kingdom. I ended up here after a boat crash,"
I shift from foot to foot, unable to met his gaze, the lie burning on my lips. Aang looked a little suspicious for a second or two but quickly shrugged it off.
"I was just wondering, you didn't look water tribe." Then he bounced up into the air and took off, stopping beside Katara with a big grin. He said something to Katara who laughed and replied. Sokka looked cross, shooting a glare at Aang before storming off.
I stayed in the background for most of the day, focusing on chores and keeping a eye on Aang and my friends as much as possible. Despite that I was still caught off guard by a high pitched whine. I jumped and turned to look up at the sky. A brilliant red flare shone there. I wasn't the only person who saw it. The woman who had been working beside me, a sweet lady named Sura, let out a panicked wail. Sura and I had often worked together but it had taken her a week before she had actually spoken to me. She had admitted one day that she had trust issues, especially with foreigners. I told her about one of my friends who had issues with anxiety. We had gotten along quite well after that. I dropped the bucket and run over to her, worried by her panicked cries.
"Sura, what's wrong?" My approach did nothing to calm her. Instead she screamed even louder, backing away. I stepped back as well, widening the space between us. Luckily Kanna wasn't far away. She approached Sura slowly and began speaking a language I had heard often while living here. It was the language of the Water Tribe. The words themselves had no meaning to me but the tone is sweet and that itself seemed to calm Sura down. Kanna gently took my crying friend by the arm and guided her into a tent. I watched, stunned torn between staying away and going to comfort my friend. Another of the women I work with a mother of two named Buniq, places her dark hand on my shoulder.
"I know you mean well Pala," she spoke softly but firmly, "but this is a hurt that Sura has lived with for a long time. Kanna knows how to calm her." I frowned but nodded. Worry filling my heart for my friend.
It was a child who raised the alarm, letting us know of the return of Aang and Katara. The village moved out to met them, I found myself standing behind an irate Sokka, thinking over the events of this scene. Sokka was going to banish Aang from the village. When I had first watched the show I had believed that Sokka was acting rashly because he didn't like Aang. Now, knowing of the rules they followed, he had the right as the oldest male in the village. The only one who had the right to contradict him was Kanna. After the incident with Sura I couldn't disagree with the decision Sokka was going to make. Katara stopped when we made eye contact, then looked around to take in her entire village standing outside, waiting. The children of course, already friends with the playful monk ran out to meet them. Sokka quickly fixed that.
"I knew it! You signalled the Fire Navy!" He pointed an accusatory finger at Aang, blue eyes narrowed in anger. Katara frowned and moved to correct her brother.
"Aang didn't signal the Fire Navy," she tried to reason, "it was an accident." Sokka sent a pointed look at his sister but she met his glare with her own steady gaze.
"Yeah, there was this booby trap," Aang explained innocently, "and we... well, we boobied right into it." Sokka, distracted by Aang's explanation, looked away from Katara. She quickly met my gaze again, worry dragging her eyebrows down. I winced then shook my head in reply. I noticed Kanna moving forward to stand beside her grandson. I quickly backed off, giving her space.
"Katara, you know the dangers of going on that ship." The old woman reminded Katara, disappointment heavy in her words.
"Don't blame Katara," Aang insisted, "it was my fault. Blame me." Sokka scoffed, gloved hands tightening around the bone spear he was holding.
"So! The intruder confesses! Warriors! Away from the enemy, the foreigner is banished from our lands."
I was expecting Katara to argue with Sokka, tell him that he was making a mistake. Instead she looked at me, her blue eyes bright with that ever-present hope, hair loopies blowing into her eyes.
"Maddi?"
My stomach sank. Silently I asked God why she was involving me in this. I didn't know what to do. If I refused would I be able to keep what I knew true or had my mere presence changed events already. Was fate set in stone or flexible and what was worse? I shook my head. I didn't want this responsibility. My eyes began to sting. I looked away. I couldn't met her gaze, afraid to see disappointment or betrayal reflected back at me.
"Fine!" Katara snapped, "Then I'm banished too. Come on Aang, we don't need them anyways." I kept my eyes rooted on the snow.
"Maybe you should go, since obviously I'm not as important as some stupid book!" Her voice rang in my head. I tried to push the memory away. That fight had been so long ago, why was it coming back now of all times?
"Fine I was going to anyways. Who cares about some stupid pictures anyway, it's not as if anyone important drew them." My own voice echoed mockingly in my ears. That particular fight between my sister and I had nearly been the end of our relationship. I had wanted to go to the release of the last Harry Potter book with one of my close friends at the time. We had it all planned out. Then I found out, the same night the book was coming out for the first time my sister's art was going to go on display for the first time. She had made me promise two months earlier that if her picture actually made it as one of top ten or so young artists who entered I would go to see it. I had told her I was going to the Harry Potter night. She had been betrayed and angry. The fight that had broken out between us made things very tense between us for months after even though in the end I had decided to show up for her art and buy the book later. To this day I considered it the greatest mistake of my life. Then again I had told my sister I didn't think she was important. What sort of sister did that?
"Pala?" I jumped, dragged out of my thoughts by Sokka's voice. He was looking at me, and I realized that I hadn't even noticed that everyone else was returning back to the village. His brow furrowed his blue eyes solemn, "You're not mad at me too, are you?" I quickly shook my head, wiping at my eyes which felt like hot needles were poking them.
"No. I'm... not mad,"
Why did I waste so much precious time fighting her when we should have been cherishing our time together? A dry sob escaped my lips. I missed my family, my mom, dad, little sister. I wanted to be with them. I never asked for this. Why should I be the one to lose everything? Why did I have to be left alone? I was suddenly enveloped in a tight hug from Sokka. I stiffened, shocked at the gesture. Sure I had hugged people before. I had even hugged people here in this world but mostly it was Katara and the occasional child. Sokka hugging me was something beyond my understanding. It didn't make any sense whatsoever. Sokka didn't explain, he just took my gloved hand in his and lead me back to the village. In the back of my mind, I realized that Sokka was almost as tall as me.
The second we were in the village. Sokka sent me to the tent I shared with Katara to wash up before he went into warrior mode. He shouted at the kids he had been training then tore off into his own tent to prepare. Once inside my tent, I washed and dried my face. Dipping the cloth into the warm water and rubbing it roughly over my face, wiping away imaginary tears. Calming myself down and shaking myself out of the selfish trail of thought I had been stuck in I looked it over mentally. How could I really think I was the only one to lose everything. Katara and Sokka had lost their mother and their father had left them afterwards while Aang had lost his entire race. Who was I to whine and snivel and cry? I shook my head, you're seventeen, not ten grow up girl, I told myself quietly.
The sound of screams and cracking ice broke me from my thoughts. Zuko was here already, that was a lot faster then I had expected. Then again, I had no real way of determining just how long it was between each scene in an episode. I quickly pulled my hood up and hurried out of the tent. I was the last one out of the tents. Women and children cowered, nervously eyeing the gigantic red and black metal boat sitting halfway through the wall of snow. I looked for Sokka and let out a breath of relief to see him stuck knee deep in snow. He may not have been happy but at least he was okay. I noticed with interest he was wearing the full make up to go with his warrior's outfit. I had always felt rather disappointed that this was the only time we really got to see it.
I watched from the entrance of my tent as the metal plank slowly lowered, sharing its protests with the world in the form of a slow groan. There was silence for a moment before the first man in red began walking down the plank. They all wore the same uniform only Zuko wore no white mask. Instead he left his face open to be seen by all, making it very clear who the leader of this group was. As he approached the majority of the tribe he payed no attention to Sokka who was struggling to break out of the snow. As he came closer I got a good look at his face. Without the hair softening it he looked fierce, harsh, cold. His yellow/gold eyes shone down on us, reminding me of a wolf. His scar was what I found myself paying the most attention to. The skin was melted, brown around the outside, a brilliant pink closer to the eye. He had no eyebrow above and his eyelid was all but sealed shut, leaving only a thin line of gold. It made him terrifying. Cautiously I slid my way to join the rest of the Water Tribe, hoping I wasn't noticed.
"I'm looking for the Avatar," Zuko snapped, his eyes cold as they looked over the entire population of the small village. He strode forwards, grabbed Kanna and dragged her out, ignoring Katara's shocked cry, "he'd be about this age," he called, "master of all elements." I looked around. All the water tribe people looked at each other, completely confused. No one knew that Aang was the Avatar yet. The six soldiers behind him did nothing, just standing there, watching. Waiting for one of us to do something so they could say they burned us to a crisp for a good reason. I was distracted by my thoughts when Zuko's fist caught fire. I felt my heart lurch when a loud wail rang out. For a split second I thought Sura had panicked again. Instead Sokka lurched out of the snow, bone club raised. Zuko, given plenty of warning by the 'war cry', knocked Sokka to the ground and tossed the club away. Zuko's hand once again caught fire. Sokka threw his boomerang in retaliation. Zuko barely noticed, just turning a little to the right as he advanced on Sokka.
The snowball hit him in the face.
He turned, eyes promising a slow death. I pulled away, face brilliant red in embarrassment, knees shaking in fear. Internally I was screaming at myself for being an idiot. I just threw a snowball at a guy who could fry me. Another part of my brain, a little less rational then the other was repeating over and over that he would become a good guy. He wouldn't kill me. Zuko took one step forward.
Sokka's boomerang caught him in the back of the head, sending his helmet flying and sending him toppling forwards. I jumped out of the way, breath hitching. The snow around him sizzled and vaporized. Zuko stood, anger radiating from his form. This time both his hands caught fire.
"You'll pay for that peasant."
I stammered something, fear causing me to choke. Forget good guy, he was going to murder me right here and now. I wished I was brave enough to actually argue, mock him, even the ability to say something besides a squeak would be useful. Sokka grabbed a spear from one of the children. To my shock Zuko snarled, "stop wasting my time. Just tell me where the Avatar is and I'll leave." I took a deep breath to calm myself down. Aang should be coming anytime now I needed to keep Zuko distracted so he doesn't burn or kill anyone. I opened my mouth but I didn't get any farther. A penguin slid past us, once again knocking Zuko into the snow and covering everyone else in a good sized blanket. The penguin stopped and pulled itself to a stand, flapping its four wings before waddling off. In its wake was a familiar boy, looking a little confused at his abrupt dismount.
"Hi... Aang," Sokka grumbled at the twelve year old. Zuko pulled himself back to his feet this time, clearly sick of the games. Luckily Aang didn't fool around. He stood, his staff upright at his side.
"Looking for me?"
"You're the airbender?" Zuko asked incredulous, "You're the Avatar?"
