Chapter 8

While it wasn't actually a "date" technically, Rafai and Katara did spend much of the day together. Outside of the Temple, the Air Nomad lands were very beautiful places to see, and Katara enjoyed them a lot. She also enjoyed her new dress, but, not being very good around people, she didn't really know what to say, even to Rafai. Rafai noticed this, and he thought something was wrong, and so he asked her.

"Are you alright?" he asked as they were walking through an open field. There were trees around them, and with the exception of a breeze, possibly from the airbenders somewhere, it was quiet.

"Aye," Katara replied, "I'm fine. I... I guess I just miss my family."

"What happened to them," Rafai asked, having never heard the full story, "surely they didn't die like mine did."

"no," Katara replied, "well, I think my dad is dead... my brother said that he might be alive, but it's been nearly 10 years since I last saw him... he... he meant everything to me..."

Katara closed her eyes, for they were starting to water.

"family is an important thing to have," Rafai remarked, "no 15 year old kid should have to be pulled apart from 'em that easily."

"You're 15," Katara asked,

"Aye," Rafai replied, chuckling slightly, "what, did you think it made me superior to you or something?"

"Umm..." Katara stammered, bushing slightly," no, it's just..."

Rafai put his arm around her and smiled.

"It's just me and you here, Katara," he remarked, "if you still don't feel like saying something, then don't push yourself. I mean, we're just friends, right? It's not like we do already trust each other with our secrets or anything. We're too young."

"It's not that," Katara replied, "I'm just not very good with people, because I hate people—I hate people a lot. I want to be left alone—to be able to learn to control my powers without people trying to take me and use me for their own selfish desires."

"That's wrong," Rafai remarked, "you're way too young to be taken and manipulated like that. You're just a kid—we both are."

"Do you think they care," Katara remarked, "to them, I have power, so I'm useful. Trust me; power is not something you want. Power is a weakness—the fatality of the human race. Power is MY weakness. I hate it—it's the cause of all my troubles."

It was apparent that Katara was getting frustrated, and, like anyone else who knew Katara, they knew that this wasn't a good thing.

"Katara, calm down," Rafai warned, "you're tensing up again. I know I can't really do anything about your situation either, but just keep in mind that even if you don't ever decide to do it again, that you at least have one good day to look back on. I want you to be happy, Katara. I'm probably not your "dream guy" by any means, but I hate it when you're angry. You just seem so... so...

"So dangerous," Katara growled, finishing his sentence for him. She sat down beside a big a rock and sighed.

"Aye," Rafai replied, "and you don't look like the type who was designed to be that way, Katara. Look at yourself."

He pulled out a small mirror. It was just a slab of glass—nothing fancy by any means, but a mirror, fancy or not, served the same purpose. He handed it to Katara, who looked at herself. She looked puzzled, as she did not know what Rafai's intentions were. However, her puzzled expression was exactly what he had hoped for. Underneath the layer of anger that the girl had developed, was a tone of innocence; confusion.

Katara's true nature was one of a curious style. Had she led a normal life, she would have likely been a very cheery little girl. Though because of her physical and mental scars, that was no longer possible, Katara was far from being "past feeling". With a little care, she could easily become a pleasant young woman to be around.

"What am I supposed to be looking at?" she asked,

"The girl in the mirror," Rafai replied, "looks deep into your own eyes, Katara. I've seen it; Azula's seen it, Tenoko has seen it; even the likes of Shai, Kotu, Haru, and Norik have seen it."

Katara was the only teenaged girl in Tenoko's crew. Azula was in her mid-20s, Tenoko was 41, and the other women looked somewhere in between that. The youngest women were in their late teens, but still ousted Katara by 5 or 6 years. There were several teenaged boys though; Shai, Kotu, Haru, and Norik being a few of them, namely some of Rafai's peers. They were friendly towards Katara once she became a little more sociable to Tenoko's crew, but they didn't know her the same way Rafai did, and they didn't find that 'love' interest in her either.

Incidentally, Katara didn't ever really seem like the type who would form a lasting relationship, though she was still young, and therefore had plenty of opportunity, assuming she ever had that desire.

"I see myself," Katara replied bluntly, stating the obvious, "I see the same me that has been there—confused, angry, upset—I hate people."

"Exactly," Rafai replied, "you're confused. Do you know why?"
"No," Katara replied, "If I knew I wouldn't be confused."

"I don't know either," Rafai added, "but I think it's because deep down, you don't want to be angry. You're just upset at what fate has done to you."

Rafai paused, and looked Katara in the eyes. Katara, not being able to look people directly in the eyes, shied away, but Rafai didn't care.

"Of course," he said, "I'm no sage or anything. If you're really curious, why not ask one of the Air Sisters that live here—or one of the old wise sages that occasionally shows up here."

[Possibly because of their near extinction, the culture of the Air Nomads changed only so slightly. One of the main aspects was that none of the air temples were gender-exclusive anymore.]

"Alright," Katara replied, though they kept walking for a while. The only other event that happened was that Katara had another chi attack, and unfortunately, this acted as a signal because of its immensity. This being the reason she was captured [albeit by Azula and Tenoko] last time, Katara knew that this would not be good.

"GAH," she growled, recovering her stance and turning to Rafai, "I knew I should have gotten rid of it before I came. I've got to leave soon. That was likely seen at least from the Fire Nation. The Order's got spies everywhere. I can't stay here, I need to—"

But Rafai cut her off.

"We'll blend you in if anything," he said, "we're not leaving, because our crew doesn't run. The closer you are to danger, Katara, the farther you are from harm. If a fight does bring itself this way, we'll make it happen."

Regardless, the two of them eventually did return to the temple, around the time the sun began to set in the western sky. It was Rafai who alerted Tenoko about what had happened to Katara.

"Is she alright," Tenoko asked, referring to Katara,

"Aye," Rafai replied, "she just went to change back into her old things. Either way, I don't think she should stay here—not if something like that does happen. I mean—even we aren't exactly safe either."

"We never are," Tenoko chuckled, "but don't worry about it, Rafai. We'll be fine. Remember, we die for the cause. If we have, to do so defending the Western Air Temple of the armies of The Order, then so be it."

"Captain Dragmire," Rafai asked curiously, neither of them noticing Katara come back; she stood behind them to hear what Tenoko and Rafai were about to say, and she did so quietly. "I've got something to ask you—how are you so confident all the time?"

Tenoko did not reply at first. It took her a while for her to devise her answer, but it was well worth the wait.

"Because," Tenoko replied, "I've been through a lot. I've had my share of trials, and although some have nearly devastated me, I never let them control me. Once I made a determination to do something I stuck to it, and am still sticking to it until my objective is complete."

"What is that objective," Rafai asked curiously, "surely you do not seek after money, right?"
"No," Tenoko replied, "I seek something more valuable to me—I seek the knowledge of what happened to my little Kemet and Komae. They were my 2nd set of twins, and they were the ones whose bodies were never found. The only other Dragmire family I know are a couple of kids named Maric and Malak, but they've got folks of their own.

Either way, I refuse to stop until they are found or their deaths confirmed. Never assume anyone is dead unless you actually see them. There is a good chance that if for some reason you were separated, that fate will eventually bring you back together."

Incidentally, these words struck true with Katara, and even Rafai was aware of it. Katara now had to wait to time her appearance just right, for Rafai had started talking about her.

"That would be good advice for Katara," he remarked, "she's always talking about her father, and how she thinks that he might still be alive. You should tell her that, Capt—err, Tenoko."

Tenoko chuckled, having gotten tired of "Captain Dragmire", and now just wanting to be called Tenoko again.

"Aye," Tenoko replied, "she'd do well to know it. She told me once that her father is the reason she keeps on keeping on."

Halfway through that sentence was when Katara stepped in. She didn't say anything, but she did glance at the two of them. She was back in her everyday things, and was fiddling with the braces on her arms. It was these that helped her better channel her energy, which might have explained why Katara's energy went unchecked earlier while she was with Rafai. Regardless, she had put that behind her.

Naturally, they didn't think it was right to be talking about Katara without clueing her in, but after they recapped what they just said, she chuckled, telling them that she had slipped in as Rafai had asked his question. They chuckled.

"You've got a bright mind, Toph," Tenoko replied, using Katara's nickname. Incidentally, though there was nothing wrong with the nickname 'Toph' [in fact, many would call it a compliment, considering that Toph was also the name of the legendary hero who had fought in the 100-Year War]; Katara didn't like it, because Katara didn't like nicknames. She had a fondness for her name which caused her to dislike any alternatives;

"Though that sense of stealth that you displayed back there will serve you well in your later years, especially if the war lasts that long;"

"Call me Katara please," Katara replied, then turning back to Tenoko's subject, "I hope that this war doesn't last that long. Even if I do only have 2 years left to live, I want to live them in peace—by myself."

"You'd leave us again," Tenoko asked curiously, and this was where Katara became slightly torn. Long ago she had resolutely said that she would live alone, and hates people, but Tenoko's group—herself, Tenoko, Azula, Rafai, and the rest of them—had all impacted Katara. She found that they liked her as well as friends. Ultimately, they were her friends, and they cared about her in a way that previously only Sokka had.

Katara took a long time to respond. Eventually though, she did.

"I..." she stammered, "I don't know. I just feel so confused. I... I think I'd want to stay with you all. Other than my brother, you all are my only real friends I have. I—I want to find him again."

"The Blazing Phoenix has no objectives other than those that its crew creates," Tenoko declared proudly, "Katara Altina II, if you wish to find your brother, than we'll take you back to Gaoling."

It was here that Katara remembered that it was actually their fault that she and Sokka had been separated in the first place.

"Sorry about pulling you two apart in the first place," Tenoko replied, "we did it for the same reason why we're looking after you—we didn't want people taking you."

"I understand," Katara replied, having matured slightly during her months with them, "you taught me a lot by doing that. I can't say I thank you, but... either way... it's—it's done me well."

"Glad to hear it," Tenoko smiled. "Remember Katara, we'll be here for you if you ever need us. You're part of us now."

Katara smiled. Though she was still worried about getting found here, she knew now that at least she had friends to help her.