Hey guys! So sorry for the long delay, I just found it really hard to write this chapter. Dunno why? But I got over it so here it is! I hope you like it and please please please review. I read and love every single one of them and they make me so very happy! Well onto the chapter!
Enjoy!
Morning had arrived just in time for Kyla who groaned unhappily while beginning to sit up. She had slept terribly during the night and had woken up feeling awful. Due to not having a sleeping bag, Kyla had to make do with two blankets, but the hardness of the Air Temple floor was something she was not accustom to and a feeling of soreness seemed to resonate within her arms and shoulders. As she looked around to see if the others were awake, she was surprised to find that even though there were belongings scattered around her, she was pretty much alone.
"I must have slept late." She thought to herself standing up and brushing the morning dust off her clothes. After folding her blankets, she quickly freshened up and went to find the rest of the group. In no time, she found them quietly chatting around a fire while having what she hoped was breakfast (she really didn't want to have slept till lunch). "Hey!" she said taking a seat next to Toph.
"Morning sleepy-head." Toph replied handing Kei and bowl filled with rice and vegetables. Kyla gratefully took it and started eating with gusto. For some reason she found herself increasingly hungry since she had been here. As she looked around the group she saw something that caught her eye.
"Why is Aang doing Fire Squats?" she asked.
"Oh, that's his homework from Zuko. He and Sokka have gone on a fishing trip to get more meat." Toph replied nonchalantly.
"What?" Kyla said worried. What if something happened to them? She thought. What if they get hurt and can't come back. She wouldn't be able to finish her task and so never be born.
"Hey don't worry about it. Sokka does this all the time. He gets a bit cranky when he doesn't eat meat for a while. I'm just surprised that he managed to tag Zuko along." Katara joked.
"Ok... " Kyla replied slightly nervously. Her brother says that she worries too much but in this case she couldn't help it. "So, what's on the agenda for today?"
"Well, after Aang's finished his homework, he going's to train with Toph and Haru for a while then practice with me, you're welcome to join us if you like?" Offered Katara.
"Thanks."
"Yeah, not much going on today, Sokka was really the plan and time-table guy of our group." Toph said lying back while wiggling her toes. Kyla on the other hand finished her breakfast then made her way to the kitchen to wash up the bowl. "It would be nice to practice my waterbending." She thought to herself while mindlessly scrubbing.
Like predicted, the rest of the day went along reasonably uneventfully. Kyla thought how interesting it was how much the group dynamic had changed without Sokka and Zuko there. Eventually, after a long time of doing nothing, Kyla heard Katara calling, telling her that the waterbending practice was going to begin.
"So, where are we going to do it?" Kyla asked walking over to where Katara and Aang were standing. She couldn't see any other members of the group around. They had probably left to give them some space.
"Right here. " Katara said grinning. Aang and Kyla looked at Katara dumfounded. There wasn't much water where they were so how would this practice take place."I doubt that when Aang faces the Firelord, he'll be near a river or large source of water, so this session will deal with making the most out of little amounts of water, mainly, what you can carry."
"Yeah, you're probably right." Aang replied nervously. It was then that Katara and Aang began to run through various waterbending forms while Kyla simply watched. Sometimes she took part and even sparred a little with Aang while Katara instructed the both of them but mostly she sat and observed as much as she could.
"Good. Good Aang. But hold your arms out like this." Katara said coming behind Aang fixing his arm position. Aang stiffened and blushed at the sudden contact. Kyla on the other hand watched intently at the scene in front of her. It seemed as though Aang had a crush on Katara and now that she thought about it, it didn't surprise her. In the small amount of time that she had been there, she realised that Aang had always seemed eager when it came to Katara. From sleeping arrangements to collecting firewood, Aang always appeared to perk up whenever he was paired off with Katara.
"How could I have been so blind?" Kyla thought to herself, internally berating herself. This would make her job a lot harder. She thought back to her own time in the future. The Aang she knew, her Uncle Aang was a great guy, always friendly and even got her and her brother out of trouble on more than one occasion. He always got on well with both her parents and from what she could tell, bore no ill will towards either of them.
"Kei, do you want to try?" Katara asked pulling her out of her thoughts.
"Err. No thanks. Errm I think I'm going to lie down, I'm feeling a bit tired." Kyla replied.
"Oh. Ok. Well, see you later then." Katara said waving. Kei seemed a bit off.
"Bye. Good luck with you lesson Aang." Kyla replied leaving the two to continue. She on the other hand had to think things through. How was she going to get her parents together without hurting Aang's feelings? When she got to her and Katara's room she flopped down onto her bed and sighed loudly. With her dad gone and this new predicament of Aang's crush, things were not going too well for her.
"Ok, I need a plan, a real plan not just some vague idea. But how can I do anything when Dad's not here!" She thought to herself frustratedly. "If he were here, I'd try and get them alone so that maybe they could talk more or something but nooooo, Uncle Sokka just had to drag Dad along for some silly meat trip. Ugh!" After mentally scowling her Uncle for making things 10 times harder, Kyla began to brood while trying her hardest to come up with a plan or something productive to do. She came up with all sorts of ideas, but each one either fell flat or seemed to involve a lot of "if's". Before she knew it, the sun had begun to set and the moon was slowly rising from behind the clouds bathing the room in an almost ethereal light.
"Kei. Are you alright? You missed dinner?" Katara asked sitting on the bed opposite Kyla's. Kyla sat up and smiled. It was so like her mother to worry.
"I'm fine thanks Katara. Just thinking about stuff."
"My brother does that. Just goes off to think. Sometimes he comes back and asks me the silliest questions, like 'Which do I think swims fastest a polar bear dog or a penguin?' " Kyla raised her eyebrow and chuckled in confusion. "Yeah, he's weird." Katara sighed. "I hope he's ok though."
"I'm sure he's fine. He's Water Tribe, we're made of strong stuff!" Kyla said trying to cheer Katara up.
"Haha! That's what my dad and Sokka say all the time!"
"Oh snap." Kyla thought to herself. That's where she had heard it from she remembered. Suddenly a though came into her head. "Perhaps talking to Mom about what kind of guy she likes might help get things started." She thought to herself. Yes it would be really embarrassing and totally cringe worthy, but for the greater good. Right?
"So Katara..." Kyla started shakily. "Who is the lucky guy then?" She said pointing to her betrothal necklace. "Yes." She thought to herself. "This would be a good way to break the ice."
"Huh? Oh this." Katara said taking off her necklace and handing it to Kei. "It's not mine. Well it is, but not like that. It was my mother's, before she died."
"It's beautiful." Kyla replied stroking at the carved stone before handing it back. "So, do you have a boyfriend?" Kyla asked trying her hardest to keep it casual. If Katara noticed her discomforted she did not say anything, instead she blushed a deep red and became incredibly flustered.
"No! No. I don't." Katara replied quickly waving her hands to emphasise her point. Kyla chucked at her reaction. Well at least she wasn't the only one feeling embarrassed.
"Well, why not?" Kyla asked.
"Errmmm well, I just haven't had the time. We are in a war here!"
"Oh I see. Well, do you like anyone?" Kyla continued. This was easier than she thought it would be.
"No. No. No! I... I... Well..."
"Well..." Kyla urged on. It looked as though she was getting somewhere.
"Well... I haven't seen anyone that is my type... Yeah... That's it, so no. No. I don't like anyone. Why are you asking this?" Katara asked suspiciously.
"It's just err... Girl Talk. Yeah...Girl Talk."
"Girl Talk?" Katara said raising an eyebrow.
"Yep. Girl Talk." Kyla replied grinning widely. "So... What kind of guy do you like?" Kyla said crossing her legs and resting her head on her hands. Katara on the other hand rolled her eyes. Ok, she would play along.
"Well..." Katara started. "He has to be tall, and handsome. But also kind and caring." Kyle squeed excitedly, that was her dad in a nutshell, but then Aang could be described like that too.
"Go on." She encouraged
"Well, I don't know really. I've never really thought about it before. I guess I'd like him to be honourable and have nice hair." She added a matter of factly. "Though not longer than mine, and nice eyes and a good sense of humour."
"He sounds lovely. Like a real prince." She added, hoping that she wasn't being too obvious. Katara on the other hand just giggled innocently. She hadn't spoken to anyone like this since she saw the fortune-teller. It was nice.
"How about you?" Katara asked.
"What?" Kyla replied dumbfounded. She should have expected this, but for some reason, she didn't and now she was being put on the spot.
"Do you have a boyfriend?"
"Errr...Well...I guess... I mean." Kyla stuttered. This was her mom she was talking to. What could she say?
"You DO have a boyfriend Kei!" Katara practically screamed. "Ooo what is like? What does he look like? Is he Water Tribe? Does he have nice hair?"
"Wait wait wait... I don't have a boyfriend. It's just..." Kyla sighed. She might as well tell the truth. It's not as if Katara knew who she would be talking about. "Well, there is this guy who I like. He's my parents' friend's son. He comes over to our house whenever his parents are in town. He's a bit older than me but he is so handsome and sweet and polite and..." Kyla stopped herself. She didn't mean to reveal so much. This girl talk was a powerful thing.
"I'm sure he likes you too."
"What?" Kyla screeched. "How do you know?"
"Well, he's polite to you isn't he. That must mean he feels something for you." Katara added as a matter of fact. Kyla on the other hand just laughed.
"That makes no sense. So if a guy is polite to me that means he like me?"
"Well no...But..."
"Exactly Katara. Though... I wouldn't mind if he did." Kyla added quietly.
"Awwww. That's so sweet. So how many babies are you going to have?" Katara teased.
"Babies! What? How many babies are you going to have with your Prince guy?" Kyla said turning the tables on her.
"Prince. I said nothing about a ..."
"That's what I'm going to call him for you. Katara's prince." Kyla said giggling. This was one of the weirdest conversations she had ever had.
"But I..."
"So how many babies are you going to have Katara?"
"..."
"Oh Katara are you giving me the silent treatment. I'll keep bugging you until you answer."
"..."
"Kataraaaa."
"Ugh! Alright! Three!" Katara said finally giving in. Kei was just as bad as Sokka.
"Two, I thought so. Two is a good num...Wait 3?" Kyla asked confused. Back in her time, there was only her and her brother Kenai. Did this mean that she should expect another sibling? "Three, why three?"
"I don't know... It's the first number that came into my head. That's what happens when you pester people." Katara replied.
"Well, I think that you shall have beautiful babies with your Prince with lovely eyes." Kyla replied grinning widely oh if only her mother knew, she thought to herself. Katara looked at her sternly before she herself burst out laughing. The two of them laughed loudly at their own silliness and continued to talk about silliness before falling asleep with smiles on their faces.
o0o0o
3 days had passed since Sokka and Zuko had gone on their fishing trip and everyone including Kyla was beginning to get more than a little bit worried. Haru had suggested that they send out a search party for the pair, but was reminded of the fact that no one knew where exactly they had gone. Even Aang had gone to the river with Appa to check if they had run into some trouble there, but they were nowhere to be seen.
"Something's not right." Katara said to Toph, Kyla and Aang. "They should be back by now."
"Don't worry Katara. Sokka probably just stuck in tree and Zuko is making sure he learnt his lesson before helping him out." Toph joked.
"You're not helping Toph. They could be in real danger."
"They're fine. I'll bet you a week's worth of chores that they come back safe and sound." Toph suggested cheekily.
"No way! Remember the last time you got the betting itch. Besides, you don't do your chores anyway." Katara replied smirking, her mood slightly better than before.
"Hey." Aang said getting to his feet quickly. "What's that sound?"
"I hear it too." Kyla said standing up. "It sounds like purring?"
"No. I don't think it's an animal." Aang added.
"It sounds like an Air Balloon." Toph said.
"Look!" Kyla said pointing to the sky. In the distance, a black spot seemed to get larger and larger until it shape could be clear made out.
"That's not Zuko's war balloon. It's too big." Katara said worriedly.
"Are we under attack?" Toph asked getting in a fighting stance.
"I don't think so." Aang said peering at the War Balloon. As time went on, it came closer and closer until it hovered just in front of the group. It was too late to run now. If Aang was wrong and those inside the War Balloon wanted to fight they would have to now. Slowly the door opened and everyone held their breath. Slowly and much to everyone's surprise, Sokka walked out in odd looking clothes followed by Zuko in even odder looking clothes. Sokka and Toph began to talk, but Kyla attention was focussed elsewhere. This scene seemed incredibly familiar and she was sure she could see more movement coming from with the War Balloon. All of a sudden, three other figures walked out of the balloon, and Katara shouted,
"Dad!"
"That's it!" Kyla thought to herself. "The Boiling Rock! I knew this felt familiar. I don't know why I didn't work it out earlier. Uncle Sokka told this story hundreds of times"
As Katara reunited with her dad and every welcomed the new members of the group, Kyla stopped to look at her grandfather. It was odd and in a weird way slightly confusing that he looked so much like how she knew her Uncle Sokka. "I'm going to have to make sure not to call him Uncle Sokka or Grandpa while he's here." Just as she had finished going over her thoughts, Zuko came and stood beside Kyla not saying anything, but smiling at the scene.
"It's nice that Katara and Sokka's dad is back." Kyla said keeping her eyes focused on the scene in front of her.
"It is." Zuko replied smiling. After a moment of silence between the two of them, Katara came up to them and stood in front of Zuko. It was obvious that she was extremely happy at the moment, not only because of the wide smile that seemed to be stuck on her face but a she appeared to be lighter and more carefree, as is a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
"I don't know what you and my brother did Zuko, but thank you. Thank for helping to bring my dad back to me and keeping my brother safe." Katara said placing a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "I.. I... Well... Thank you." Kyla looked between the two of them watching. It was as if some unspoken message was passing between them before Zuko simply nodded and smiled back in return. Katara then removed her had from Zuko's shoulder and grabbed Kyla's arm.
"Come on Kei, I'll introduce you to my dad." Katara said happily pulling Kyla along. For the rest of the evening introductions were made and everyone seemed to take joy in the fact that some of their companions were safe again. Sokka retold the story of how they had infiltrated The Boiling Rock emphasising his own bit of flare, a tendency he seemed to have maintained in the future Kyla thought to herself and eventually everyone fell asleep outside.
Morning arrived with the sound of thundering canons causing everyone to wake up abruptly. Azula had arrived with a number of War Balloons and was attacking the Air temple with brute force.
"We're going to have to split up!" Aang shouted above all the noise. "Appa hates tunnels and can't carry all of us." While the group split into two, Zuko had gone off to battle Azula and try and buy them more time. Soon enough, Aang and half of the group had gathered on Appa and were on their way to leaving. They were outnumbered and not in a position to fight so fleeing was the only option.
"Oh no!" Kyla said pointing to one War Balloon in particular. "Zuko... Zuko! He's falling we have to catch him! Turn Appa around!" she screamed frantically. It took all her will power not to call out Dad. Aang quickly pulled at the reigns to turn Appa around. "Katara he's going to be falling on your side, you have to reach out and grab him."
"Right."
It was a second later that the falling Zuko grabbed onto Katara's hand and fell into Appa saddle breathing heavily.
"Are you all right Zuko?" Katara asked. Unable to talk, Zuko nodded shakily. The group flew as quickly as possible from the crumbling temple.
"Where do we go now?" Toph asked. The defeated members of the group looked at each other sadly. Even Momo didn't seem his usual cheerful self. No one could answer.
Zutarafan4ev: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you liked it! Hope you like this chapter too!
Annie1233: Me too! We'll be seeing more of that next chapter I assure you!
Boogum: Thanks! Kyla's getting there, slowly but surely!
Kisho101: Glad you're enjoying it! Hope you liked what happened next.
Maddy the fangirl: Liked it so much you said it twice! I'm joking. Thanks for the review, I'm glad you like the idea and steam babies!
OhTheOdds: Thanks! Me too!
Guest: Thank you for your review. I am so happy that you like my story, I'm trying my hardest to keep everyone in character and not make Kyla too awkward in the whole thing, so for you to say that she fits in well really make me smile. At least I'm doing something right. As for Zuko and Katara arguing, yeah, I see them doing a lot of that at the beginning...But then it gets better...Hence Kyla *wink wink*
loveurstories: Ok ok! Here ya go! Hope you like it!