Chapter Eight: Lost and Found
Katara said nothing. She waited for Aang to talk and watched the water passing under the bridge they stood on. The bridge was melting under the harsh, morning sun, but Katara leaned on the side. Aang stood beside her. They had returned from the Spirit World two days ago and had spent yesterday recuperating. Katara occasionally felt lightheaded. She and Aang were supposed to be with Master Pakku and the other benders, but Aang had pulled her aside to talk.
"Katara, do you remember what I told you in the Spirit World?"
"Yeah," Katara replied as she turned her gaze from the water to her friend, "I remember." Even though she only recalled snatches of her journey to the Spirit World, Aang's words were vivid.
"I told you," Aang said, "how awful I feel for not dealing with what happened between us. You died, Katara, and I thought you had died angry with me, not my friend anymore. Like I'd lost you. That we'd never get—get--" Aang choked.
"Aang, I understand--"
"Please. Don't talk. There's some stuff I need to say to you."
Katara nodded and was silent.
Aang continued, "I thought we'd never get the change to hug or talk or be friends again. And I don't want to ever go through that again. I'm not saying we'll never argue or disagree, but we'll deal with it. We'll deal with it." He said the last part as if to himself. "And," Aang began, "It hurts that you think I can't handle my own problems. I was the one who needed a firebending master. I wanted Zuko to be my teacher. I trusted him. If he would have done anything to hurt you or anyone else, it'd be my fault. I'd deal with it."
"What?!" Katara was aghast. "I'd never think that. You may be goofy and immature sometimes and need a little looking after, but I'd never think of you as some incapable child." Katara shook her head in disbelief. "When I first met you, I told Gran-Gran that I sensed great wisdom in you. I could tell you were special. Even before I knew you were the Avatar."
"You really said that?"
"Yeah, but I doubt Gran-Gran believed me. You had you tongue stuck to your staff or were going on about the wonders of the outhouses."
"Drawing on my great stores of wisdom, huh?"
"Of course, Sifu Aang."
Katara and Aang laughed together. This lightened the situation and caused a couple in an ice gondola to look up. Aang and Katara collected themselves, and Aang began talking in a serious tone.
"When you told me this I also felt kinda betrayed. I mean, you went behind my back. I'm pretty trusting and forgiving, but you didn't tell me. And I'm the person it was about."
"I did the right thing at the time, and I'm not sorry," Katara said adamantly.
"I know you're not sorry, and I know you're gonna stand by your decision," Aang replied, "your determination is one of the things I love about you but that doesn't mean being sneaky. Most of the time I support your decisions, but if I don't it doesn't you have to do it behind my back."
Katara thought on this. "I guess you're right," she began slowly, "I can try to be a bit more honest and not so—so— uh, meddling? Overbearing?" She said the last words as if she was trying them out, to see if they applied to her. They were hard to say.
Aang nodded. Those descriptions were close to what he would have used. "I know we should be honest with each other. And I don't know anything about dating, but I think we should still be open with each other. Even more so."
"What makes you think I know anymore about dating than you do? But you're right. We're in this together."
"Together," Aang repeated quietly.
Katara and Aang hugged. All was fine for now. It felt so good to be together again. They kissed. The kiss was awkward but amazing. They were in this together; that was amazing on its own. Katara closed her eyes but quickly opened them when she felt Aang falling through her arms. He was gone. Katara panicked. "Aang!" Her heart slowed when she saw the Aang-sized hole in the bridge. She looked through.
Aang waved. He stood on an ice block he had bent. "I'm okay." He raised himself back to the bridge and climbed back on. He wore a goofy grin. They used their waterbending to repair the hole Aang had melted through and went to meet Master Pakku. They went hand-in-hand.
When the two of them arrived, they saw a group of young men spread out in front of Pakku. It was a class, not the usual work party. None of the young men looked happy. Since arriving, Katara had noticed how unhappy the citizens of the North Pole looked, drained from constant work and war reparations. Aang thought all the class needed was some fun.
Master Pakku turned from his class. "Well, well. It's nice you two are as predictable as ever. I've given up hope of my two female pupils ever arriving on time."
"Sorry," Katara said.
"Yeah, sorry," Aang replied. "Wait, I'm not a girl."
Pakku raised an eyebrow as a few of the boys snickered. "Really? Your ensemble says something quite different." Some of the boys started laughing and one shouted Aang was looking good.
Aang looked down at the purple parka Katara had given him. What was wrong with it? The ends were gray from age, and the pattern on the chest was faded, but it was still very warm.
"Oh sorry," Katara said, "I should've mentioned your coat is a woman's coat." At Aang's puzzled look, Katara went on. "You know the kind of parkas women wear?"
Aang looked around. He could see what she was talking about. Pakku and the other boys wore dark blue coats. Katara's light purple parka, with its intricate triangle design, was twin to his own. "I'd never noticed," Aang said. Some of the boys were calling out.
"Nice coat!"
"If only I weren't married!" This caused much laughter. One whistled.
"Ignore them," Katara said, "I think the purple brings out your eyes."
"You really think so?" Aang clasped his hands together and batted his eyelashes. He loved how his antics were cheering the group up. "I do try."
This caused more laughter that only stopped when Pakku quieted the class. He assigned Katara and Aang extra warm-ups for tardiness. Katara enjoyed the warm-ups, but Aang grimaced the entire time. Even though Aang was glad his silliness had eased some of the tension. When they were done, Pakku had everyone split up into pairs for friendly fights. The opponents were harder than last time, and Katara did not seem to know the meaning of 'friendly fight.' Katara did not consider the fight over until both boys were buried in snow. Aang defended. He hated unnecessary fighting, even in practice, and casually defended the waterbenders' attacks. After a victory, Aang was the one who pulled the men out of the snow, told them they did well, and where they could use improvement.
Aang also learned a lesson that had nothing to do with waterbending. He learned not to bother Katara in a waterbending class. Shortly before noon, Aang had flirtatiously flicked water at Katara, but she had seen this as a challenge. She had formed a tsunami and sent it after her boyfriend. Class was going well until Sokka brought the bad news.
Sokka, Suki, Hakoda, and a small group of warriors interrupted the class. They asked Master Pakku if he knew anything about a young waterbender who had gone missing. The missing man was the waterbender who had sat across the table from Katara and Aang on the First Night. Pakku had not seen the man and looked uncharacteristically alarmed at the news. No one in the class had seen him either. This made everyone worried and search groups were formed. Aang, Katara, Sokka, Suki, and three others were grouped together. As the seven searched, calling out for the young man, talked turned to Aang's parka.
"Actually, I'm not surprised," Suki said, "everything here is so—so separate. It's interesting."
Katara replied, "'Interesting'?"
"I talked to a healer yesterday, a sweet girl, who told me about the Seven Nights," Suki began, "and about the gifts. Very interesting. It's been three days since there's been a ceremony, so Gran-Gran's going to get four gifts tonight. And each gift has a meaning."
"You mean the fairytale about the Moon and Ocean being some lovey-dovey couple?" Sokka shook his head. "They're nice, but really."
"What's wrong with them?" Katara asked.
"Those stories aren't true. I mean they talk about the Moon and Ocean like people."
"They're fish," Aang said. "Close enough, right?"
"You've always believed that stuff, Katara," Sokka replied. Katara said nothing. Her brother was never interested in spirituality, but it was obvious Katara and Aang's excursion to the Spirit World had terrified him. Sokka ignored any explanation, saying all that mattered was they had returned.
"Anyway," Suki continued, "on the second night a new parka is given. This represents the annual snowfall which naturally rebuilds the pole after the summer. The third, or was it fourth or fifth, is a new house. The house symbolizes the Spirit Oasis, the final home for the Moon and Ocean. And I don't remember the rest." Suki frowned and asked the men if they knew. None had celebrated the Seven Nights.
"It's still interesting," Aang added encouragingly as Suki agreed and another conversation began. The group combed the area, looking for any sign of the lost waterbender.
Morale was low at lunch. The young waterbender had not been found. The men's heads were low as they ate. The women, who had brought the food, looked forlorn also. Aang and Katara filled their bowls. Aang sighed.
"Everyone is so down," Aang said, "they need a little bit of fun, something to cheer them up, encourage them."
"That's one idea I'd have to agree with," came Gran-Gran's voice from behind Katara.
"Gran-Gran," Katara gasped. She had not seen her grandmother there.
"Who else?" The older woman replied. She stood between Aang and Katara. "The people of the North Pole have always been too serious. I should know."
"Wait," Katara said, "are you encouraging-- having fun?" The idea was shocking.
"Of course."
"What can we do?" Aang looked at the sad teenagers who comprised his and Katara's class.
Gran-Gran answered as Katara got herself some fish. "When I was younger the elders always made us work hard. No one was allowed to be idle. Yet," she went on, "that didn't always mean we listened to them. Sometimes I'd get a few of my friends together, like Pakku and Yugoda, to go dancing or play games or go sledding."
"Gran-Gran, you rebel," Katara said. Had her grandmother really been like that? Gran-Gran smiled.
Aang's face lit up like he had an idea. He excused himself and went over to the waterbenders. Katara wondered what he was up to.
"Gran-Gran?"
"Yes?"
"Were the adults really that strict?" Katara finished filling her bowl and looked at Gran-Gran. Gran-Gran nodded.
"Why wouldn't they be? There was a war on. The elders said a tribesman died every minute we idled, like most of the young men my age. That if we didn't do what we were told and uphold the customs our culture would die, like the Air Nomads." Gran-Gran added, as an afterthought, "It's why I ran away."
Katara said, "I thought you ran away so you wouldn't have to marry Pakku."
"That was only one of the many things I hated about life at the North Pole."
Katara said nothing as she spotted Sokka and Suki and sat beside them. Katara, Sokka, and Suki talked and watched Aang. Aang was organizing a group of young men to build small snow mounds.
"What is he doing?" Sokka asked when he pulled his face out of his bowl, bits of food stuck to his face.
"Whatever it is," Suki replied, "those guys look excited about something."
Katara had a hunch Aang was building a sledding course. She was right. Those who had finished eating gathered around. Aang was seated on a slab of ice and slid down the first hill. He slid up the second and steered around both of them, finishing with a crash landing. Others began sledding. The younger men made their own sleds and some started taking their wives with them. There were excited screams and laughter from the sledders. Aang called Katara over. She got up and went over to him.
"Come on," Aang said. He was sitting on the front end of his ice sled and patted the back.
Katara got on. Aang settled himself between her legs and she put her arms around him. Together they pushed off. Katara found this more enjoyable than penguin sledding. Penguin sledding was faster and more exciting, but Katara liked sledding with Aang so close. Katara and Aang were still sledding when lunch ended. The search groups reunited and set out again. Katara noticed the sledders seemed more upbeat and eager to work.
Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Suki's group walked the eastern edge of the North Pole. Between calls for the lost waterbender, Suki told of how the sledding reminded her of winters on Kyoshi Island. She said the girls always went sledding after morning chores and exercises, except the one who had to clean the statue. No one liked cleaning the snow and bird droppings off the gigantic statue. Sokka complained the eight bowls of food had gone through him. The three men said little. When it got dark, Aang lit a fire in his hand.
They continued walking the shoreline until one of the young men pointed and shouted, "Look! It's coming out of the water!"
Everyone looked and ran over to the shape that crawled onto the ice. It was the lost waterbender. In the light from Aang's fire, it could be seen he was almost frozen. He wore no coat and his clothes were shreds. The man stammered, "P-P-Pi--" and collapsed.
Katara bent over him. She ran her hands along his body to see if he needed healing. He was fine but unconscious. Sokka and the men hoisted the body between them. Aang clasped the unconscious waterbender's hands and warmed them with firebending. Aang's hands glowed. Nothing happened.
The seven of them moved as fast as they could to the healing igloo. Inside, the waterbender was laid on a table and women worked over him. People came to the igloo when it became known the man had been found. Katara saw Pakku. The old man looked concerned. Everyone waited while the healers worked. After an hour, the handsome, young waterbender came to. He spit up water and called for a blanket. Aang and Katara's group listened as he began to talk.
"I--I--It was awful," he shivered as Yugoda handed him a hot drink. He took a sip. "Earth Kingdom pirates. Here."
"Earth Kingdom," Katara began.
"Pirates?" Aang finished.
"What?!" Sokka exclaimed, "Are you sure?"
The man nodded and explained. He had been checking the ice for Master Pakku, seeing if any repairs needed to be made, when he had seen the Earth Kingdom ships docked on the ice. The boats had looked friendly and he had gone to greet them. They had been pirate ships. The pirates had kidnapped him and set sail. He had escaped by waterbending his ties off, leaving his heavy coat and gloves behind, and swimming back. Sokka asked if he remembered anything about the pirates. The young man did not.
This news worried everyone. What would pirates be doing here? Had they docked undetected? How had no one else noticed? None of this made sense. Aang and Katara looked at each other. Both were worried.
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