Author's Note: Very sorry for the prolonged delay! My inspiration came back, THANK GOD, I thought it never would! I was pleased to see there was still an Avatar population out there! Such a good show like this doesn't deserve it's fan base to die out so quickly. So, hopefully, there is still a LOVE IS BLIND POPULATION. This is going to be an "action-y" fiction, trust me! It gets better... hopefully. _ Let me just let you know one thing before we begin, so your not confused:
In this AU that I created, it is kind of like the world we live in but there is one thing different: the elements. There are no benders, but when people reach a certain age, they attach themselves to one of the four elements in a ritual. Usually, families have a certain element that is passed down through generations, but there are some who choose the element best suited to themselves. It is possible to switch elements in another ritual of reattachment (one cannot detach themselves from an element completely. There must be another element to attach to.) however this is a taboo. You will find out more about it throughout this story, but this is the basis. Enjoy your read! ^^
Katara was due out of the hospital on Thursday, June 18, 2009. Today was that day.
The nurses had checked her over one last time before announcing she was as good as she was going to get and sent her on her way. Her father had been there to pick her up, and the whole car was filled with as much of her friends as they could fit in there. Katara was happy to see them all again, but was hesitant to get back into a car again.
"Uh, guys you know that's the reason why I'm now blind."
"Katara, Dad's not going to get in an accident. That's just what you get for driving with a kid who just got his license." Sokka pointed out skeptically through the open window of the front seat.
Katara smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Well for a kid who just got his license, he certainly has a better car than you!"
She laughed. She was glad no one was treating her differently because of the crash. She didn't want them to pity her—it would only be awkward. Right now, she just wanted to pretend things were normal, or as normal as they would get in a world of darkness. Right now, she just wanted to forget.
"Has? Try had. That thing is totaled. Have you seen it? Oh, wait, that's right, you can't!"
Katara narrowed her eyes.
"Well, then, I guess your both even. Sokka, you don't even have a car!"
"Don't rub it in!" Sokka whined.
Katara laughed and searched for the handle to the backseat of the car. Once she found it, she opened it and tried to sit down, almost sitting on The Duke.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" she apologized, "I didn't know you were there!"
The Duke laughed. "It's okay; I guess that's what I get for stealing the window seat."
Katara smiled and sat down. As she closed the door and buckled up her father started to drive away from the hospital.
The car pulled into the driveway and everyone got out.
"Katara, it's really weird to have to help you around," Sokka explained as he and Hakoda grabbed her elbows and helped her up the stairs. She counted them as she went up so she would know next time when to stop climbing. 1…2…3…4…
Katara heard the front door open.
"Sugar Queen, your back!"
Katara was startled. Toph? I didn't even notice she wasn't in the car. I should have known that I didn't hear her voice.
"Toph, it's good to be back! Why are you here? Why didn't you come to pick me up?"
Things got silent.
"Um, well I wanted to wait for you here. I have something to tell you."
"Likewise," Katara responded.
"Hakoda, Sokka, I'll take Katara from here," Toph's scarily-nice voice sounded from right next to her. She felt the hands leave her arms and two calloused, rough ones took their places.
Toph moved too fast. Katara tried to slow her down but Toph kept plowing through the hallways, her arms wrapped around Katara's.
"What, Katara? You don't trust me?"
Katara bit her lip. She guessed this was just like the trust games she used to play when she was a little girl. It wasn't so scary then, though, because everyone always secretly looked and she knew that she could just open her eyes when it was over. No, this was different. More trust was involved than ever.
"Okay, Katara, we're in your room now."
"Really?"
Katara was ashamed to admit she didn't even recognize the homely feel of her own bedroom. She slumped. The whole world was different in the dark.
"Sugar Queen, about our talk at the hospital," Toph started.
Katara straightened up. She remembered her goal, her promise to Aang.
"You're going to teach me, right? Now?" Katara sounded eager.
"Yes Katara, I'll teach you. No, not now. Not until we get a few things straightened out, first."
Katara nodded.
"A lot of sacrifice will need to be made, Katara, in order to see with the mind and not with the eyes."
Katara looked confused. "See with the mind? What kind of sacrifices."
"First of all, your element."
Katara gaped. "Give up my attachment to water? No!"
"Hey, look Sugar Queen, don't do it if you don't want to!" Toph snapped. "Go around happy and blind and whatever, but I know that you have more determination than that. If you truly believe Aang's out there, something like this isn't going to stop you."
Katara averted her eyes. "But… what do I need to reattach myself to?"
"Earth," Toph replied.
"Why earth? Why is this sacrifice necessary?"
"Earth is the element of substance. It is solid, unlike water, and you need to become one with it if you are going to be seeing with it."
"I'll be seeing… with the earth?"
"Yes, Katara! Why do you keep asking so many questions?" Toph sounded exasperated.
"Sorry," Katara offered weakly.
"Okay," Toph said, satisfied. "Now, that itself will take time. Your second sacrifice is… your shoes."
Katara wrinkled her nose. "What? Am I going to offer them up to the god of fashion in return for "mind-seeing"?" She laughed.
"No," Toph replied sullenly. "Are you going to take this seriously? You were so doom-and-gloom at the hospital, and now your Miss Comedian."
"I'm just glad to see my friends again, okay? And I'm thinking a little more optimistically now, since you're going to help me see again!"
Toph laughed. "Good ole' 'glass half-full' Sugar Queen is back. Okay, well shoes just get in the way. They are what keep you from connecting with the earth, so they're a no-go."
Katara nodded. "Got it, anything else?"
"Not for now. But, I'm letting you know now, the type of seeing that I'm offering you is even more powerful than what you have previously known. You can read people… and I mean you can really tell if they're lying, tell their every move, even before they make it, and you can sense their emotions. This kind of power, Sugar Queen, is given to people like us, the people who everyone believes is 'less fortunate'. Believe me, Katara; you'll be better off than them."
Katara felt a rush of excitement surge through her veins.
"Wow, Toph, you're so incredible! How have you kept this a secret all these years?"
"I know, I ampretty incredible!" Toph boasted.
Katara smiled. "So, when will I learn?"
"Tomorrow," Toph decided. "I'll give you a day of rest, first. Then, we'll do the reattachment."
Katara felt herself get nervous. How could she possibly commit such a thing? She wished she had chosen earth instead of water when it had came the time, but how she loved water so! Earth seemed so… rugged. She did not want it to be her element, but it had to be.
"Then," Toph continued. "We'll toughen up your feet." Katara could practically hear her smiling. "Those dainty little things won't stand a chance in the real world unless we do something about them."
Katara gulped. Sacrifices indeed…
"After all that I'll start teaching you the fine art of seeing with the mind… and feet!"
"Feet, too?" Katara asked.
"Yeah, mostly feet, and then you use your mind to interpret what you feel."
"I'm not sure if I can do this," Katara admitted. "It just all seems too… miraculous."
"Well, believe it, Sugar Queen, because it's real."
Author's Note: Okay, so hopefully that wasn't too confusing... or boring. I find it really hard to write in Katara's perspective. I try to put as much emotions into people's sounds as I can, since I can't say when a person is smiling or putting their hands on their hips or raising their eyebrows or narrowing their eyes or anything else I could use to express emotion. And I can't describe thing's appearances, either. It's kind of difficult and can make for an uninteresting read if not handled properly. And, I'm sorry if the ending seems abrupt, but it just seemed like a good place to end it. And, there is a new poll in my profile. Please check it out because it could really affect the quality of my writing. I apologize for any mistakes you may have noticed.
I'm looking forward to reading your comments! ^^ Next chapter will be up as soon as my inspiration calls me!