Chapter 2: Responsibility

Katara breathed in deeply. Okay, so she was the Avatar. What did that mean? It meant she could bend like Toph.

Katara turned to the water fountain. Did she have to see the water to bend? Or could she bend with the knowledge of its existence? She turned to the fountain. She felt for the water. Wait a—The water would be miles away in a reservoir waiting for the need. She pressed the button. Water rose and she captured it with her free hand. She led the water with her finger and gaped at the miracle.

"Katara!" Toph interrupted.

Katara released the water in shock.

"Toph! How did you find me?" Katara asked and then spied everyone else rounding the corner.

"Well, you aren't exactly light on your feet like Twinkletoes here," Toph replied, jerking a thumb in Aang's direction.

"What did you do back there?" Sokka asked. "It was magic wasn't it? Wasn't it?"

"It's called bending, Sokka," Suki interjected.

"It was magic! My sister is a freak! I always knew she was the black sheep of the family!" Sokka continued, unheeding of the others.

SMACK! Katara bended water into his face.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH! She did it again! She did magic again! What am I gonna do? She did magic!" Sokka ran around in circles screaming.

Toph stuck her foot out.

"OOF!" Sokka tripped over her foot.

Katara grabbed his collar and jerked him to his feet. She slapped his cheek.

"You finished?" Toph asked dryly.

"Yeah, I think so," Sokka breathed.

"Good," Katara said, releasing him. "Because I'm billing you for the hearing aid I need."

"Wow. I'm impressed," Sokka whistled.

"Huh?" the rest of the group asked in unison.

"Well, normally whenever you find out something really bad or important, you hurl, Katara," Sokka pointed out.

"Well, maybe finding out I'm the Avatar is different," smiled Katara. Suddenly, she didn't feel so good. After some gags and a scrambling from her friends, Katara felt her recently eaten lunch come back up. Or maybe becoming the Avatar did not change her nature.

"Eww. What did you have for lunch?" a faintly familiar voice echoed in Katara's ears.

"Uh-oh," she whispered.

"I was gonna capture you. But now I think it would be better if I took you to the nurse's office, Avatar," Zuko said with scorn.

"You know, I hear lots of female Avatars get sick to their stomachs," Sokka snickered.

"And I also heard that many of the Avatar's sarcastic family members disappear with no trace," Toph smiled wickedly. "I heard the Avatar's friends often are benders. Benders who love burying sarcastic, pessimistic, water tribe males…alive."

"Excuse me! Has everyone forgotten that our enemy is standing in our midst, ready to haul the Avatar to her death?!" Aang shrilled.

"I haven't," Suki piped up. "But I'm also busy worrying about my boyfriend's life!"

"ENOUGH!" Katara screamed. The water fountain exploded, showering the occupants of the hallway with water. "I am sick of this stupid argument! I will not listen to you talk about me as if I don't exist! I am a human being!"

Katara bent the mix of puke and water off the floor. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have hurl to clean up." She jogged towards the bathroom.

"How was school?" Katara's adopted mom asked Katara, Sokka, Suki, Toph, and Aang as they entered.

They looked at each other with heavy, laden glances.

"Good, nothing happened," Katara answered quickly with a big smile.

"Yeah, no Avatar stalker attacked us at lunch that's for sure," Sokka blurted out.

Katara, Suki, Toph, and Aang elbowed Sokka.

"What?" Katara's mom replied.

"Nothing! Sokka was just joking," Suki covered it up with a smile.

"These wonderful kids of yours have nothing to do with the Avatar. They're definitely not the Avatar!" Aang chirped. "Yowch!" Aang yelped as Toph ground her heel into his foot.

"Shut up, Twinkletoes!" Toph gritted.

"Who's the new boy?" Katara's mom asked.

"Oh, he's Aang! New seventh grader. His locker's next to mine," Katara explained before some stupid guy said the wrong the thing. "Um, if it's alright, we'll be in the basement."

"See ya!" the teenagers ran down the stairs.

"Okay, Toph, now we bend!" Katara grinned.

"Katara, the Avatar is the savior of the world. It's not to be taken lightly. You have to help the Fire Nation. Civil war has been racking their country for decades. You need to put a stop to it. If you don't, it could lead to the end of the world as we know it. The one side of the Fire Nation plans to take over the war. If that side wins, they will use their superior power to wipe out the rest of the nations. Only you can save the world, Katara," Aang stated. "This isn't play time."

"Man, just had to be a spoilsport, didn't you, Aang?" Katara pouted half-heartedly.

"Katara!"

"I know, Aang. This isn't a game. I have a Fire Nation stalker on my back and probably will have even more in a few weeks. I have a dangerous power. My bending is affected by my emotions. The hallway was proof enough of that. But, you guys, I'm scared," Katara looked up. "I can't do this alone."

"You don't have to," Suki replied, placing an arm around Katara. "You have us. We're here for you, Katara. We'll do the best we can to help you carry the burden of the world."

"You can always count on me, Katara," Sokka looked into his sister's eyes. "We've always been together. We always will. I stood by you in the orphanage, refusing to leave you. I'll stand by you now. It doesn't matter who you are. You'll always be my sister."

"Aww," Toph cooed. "Isn't that sweet? Even though your brother is a sentimental sop, he's right. I've always been here for you, Katara. I always will. I won't abandon you just because you've discovered a new part of yourself."

"Thanks," Katara brushed her hand across her eyes.

"Let's make a promise. We'll protect you, Katara, with our lives," Suki put her hand out. "Because we love you."

Sokka placed his brown hand on top of Suki's slim hand. "To my sister," he said. Toph's white hand joined theirs. "To my best friend," she said softly. A new Caucasian hand with a blue arrow on it joined the other three. "To the Avatar and my friend," he spoke levelly.

"To the world," Katara place her brown hand on top of Aang's.

"Let's call ourselves Team Avatar!" Sokka said in his announcer voice.

"Team Avatar?" Toph asked with cocked eyebrows.

"What? I think it's cool!" Sokka protested. "It's catchy."

"It's stupid, you dork!" shouted Toph.

"Besides, you're not exactly the best warrior," Katara pointed out. "The only thing you're really good for is plans."

"True," Suki spoke up. "You need to learn some self-defense. Even I know a fighting style."

"Hey, I know how to fight!" Sokka yelled. "I can throw a boomerang with great accuracy!"

A pale girl with golden eyes, black hair, and pale skin smiled. Once she captured the Avatar, her side of the Fire Nation would win and conquer the world. The only thing they needed was that little Avatar. That little water bender who was scared to death of her job. Azula smiled. This shouldn't be too hard.