Kat: Quick warning, this is kind of a...strange chapter. I'm gonna be frank with y'all: I am a very strong Christian - Southern Baptist to be precise - and I don't agree with a lot of the Buddhist/Hindu/Confucius/whatever teachings are in Avatar even though I absolutely adore the show. So parts of this chapter have scenes from the show that I've changed (like parts w/ meditation & whatnot) so that it isn't quite so...I don't want to say offensive, but I've altered parts that make me uncomfortable. I find the change a little awkward, but I did my best to keep this as clear as possible. I hope I'm not offending anyone and I apologize in advance if I do. Buuut on a brighter note, there's more scenes with Jaalam! Soooo...enjoy! ;)

.

.

.

.

.

After such a traumatic beginning to our time on Air Temple Island, Tenzin's training sessions were delayed for quite some time. But when I had finally recovered from my brush with death – and paranoia – I was ready to join Korra for her first day of Airbending training.

"Come on Korra, wake up! First day!" I sang as I shook her into reality. It was still before dawn. Not even the horizon was tinged with any warmth yet. It was almost as if we were kids again, racing to and from place to place before even the hunters geared up. But that was a long time ago. As teenagers we had morphed into morning-haters. Well, Korra had.

My sister squeezed her eyes shut and pulled the covers tighter around her. "Go away. I'm asleep."

"Get up! You've put this off long enough!"

"To help you!" she protested into her pillow.

"Touche. Now up!"

"Sleep."

I hummed thoughtfully and tapped my chin with my forefinger. "Do I need to use stronger measures?"

"You're not a waterbender," she mumbled sleepily, thinking she understood. "And you don't have a bucket. Good luck dousing me."

"Who said anything about using water?"

Her eyes immediately snapped open. She knew what I meant. Being an earthbender could definitely come in handy from time to time. "You wouldn't."

"Wanna bet?"

She glared at me a moment longer before she muttered a reluctant "fine." Then she slowly got up and inched across the room – slinging a pillow at me on her way – then changed slower than a snail-sloth. When she returned she was wearing a yellow, loose-fitted shirt and matching pants with a pale red shawl. The style and colors matched that of the original airbenders, which Tenzin believed would allow Korra to more easily tap into her natural airbending ability. But being her stubborn self, Korra rolled up the shawl so that it sat on her shoulders, revealing her blue Water Tribe band around her upper arm. Even though she was more than symbolically bonded to all of the nations, she was still emotionally tied to her homeland. Plus she didn't like how the shawl never fully rested on her arm but rather flipped and fidgeted with every movement.

"Took you long enough," I teased, as I took her place in the restroom to change. Even though I wasn't the one who needed training, I wanted to be supportive of Korra – and I wanted to learn the techniques for myself even if I couldn't use them. Since I was joining her airbending session I wore the same thing she did – only I left the shawl down, as it was supposed to be. We both stood at the mirror looking as identical as ever. We have the same face, the same tan skin, same honey-brown hair, and then the same clothes. Only that day Korra's usual blue eyes were now brown with scattered flecks of amber that reflected the firebender side of her person. My eyes were still as green as always, the color of emeralds. Korra began to style her hair in her usual triple ponytail – one in back with two smaller ones framing her face. Typically I would style my hair differently most every day, testing out hundreds of different ponytails, braids, loops, and combinations of those styles, but that day I felt like mimicking Korra's famous do.

"Are you trying to confuse people?" she joked when she saw what I was doing.

"No, I just-"

"Girls, are you ready?"

Without even having to open the door, we knew who it was. "Good morning Tenzin! We'll be right out!" With that, I pulled my last section of hair through its band and together we opened the door and headed out. I was about to follow Korra out, but I stopped. I tugged at the collar of my outfit and pulled it gently over my betrothal necklace. I didn't want to risk the possibility of damaging it while in training.

We both followed Tenzin at a distance. The wind blew his billowing robes at us through the open-aired walkways. "So," he began, addressing Korra. "My mother informs me that you have never been able to airbend."

Korra hesitated in both voice and step. Finally she let loose a frustrated sigh and explained, "Yes, but I don't know why. Fire and water came so easily to me. But every single time I've tried airbending – pfft" -she fluttered her lips- "nothing.

"That's perfectly alright," he said, stopping and turning to face her. "We just need to be patient. Often times the element most difficult for the Avatar to master is the element most opposite to the Avatar's personality. For Aang it was Earthbending," he explained, rolling her shawl back down over her arms.

"Well I'm about as opposite an airbender as you can get. Even so, earthbending should have come as easily to me as the other elements."

"I did say 'often times.' Not everything can be so easily explained. Sometimes things happen that only God could have put into motion – or withheld from motion. But for now, we will focus on your airbending. Let's begin your first lesson." As he finished, he led us out into the courtyard and up some elaborate stone steps. In front of us were two dozen or so wooden panels easily seven feet tall. They were standing vertically on poles stuck in a circular stone slab. The panel's paint was old and chipped and faded, but the swirled Air Nomad symbol was still as striking as ever.

When she saw us coming, Ikki did an exuberant combination of squealing, clapping, and jumping up and down. "Korra's gonna airbend! Korra's gonna airbend!"

We both gave an amused snort at her enthusiasm and Korra, after nodding to the panels, asked curiously, "What is that contraption?"

"A time-honored tool used to teach the basic fundamentals of airbending. Jinora, would you like to explain this exercise?"

Jinora held a hand up as if to display the tool. "The goal is to weave your way through the gates without touching them,"

"Seems easy enough," Korra said. She nodded her head at the seemingly simplistic task.

Ikki piped up before her sister could continue, "Jinora forgot to mention that you have to make it through while the gates are spinning!"

"Oh boy," thought Korra. "This just got a whole lot harder."

"Oh, I don't know. It looks cool to me."

"Of course you think so."

"What's that supposed to-"

Tenzin stepped forward and lifted his arms. He held his palms out to face the panels and then swooped his arms, bending his wrists so that his hands followed the flow. A huge gust of wind surged forward, sending the gates into a frenzy. A small leaf sailed overhead and Tenzin plucked it out of the air. Then he released it and pushed his palm toward it so that a smaller breeze carried it forward. The leaf floated through the gates with ease as it first blew one way, then flipped and changed directions before suddenly sommersaulting and flying away through the opposite side of the circle. "The key is to be like the leaf. See how its movements flow and move through the gates. Jinora will demonstrate."

The twelve year old stepped into the labyrinth. She allowed her body to bend and shift in any direction, then twirled when she met any resistance. Her quest was completed flawlessly, not having touched a single panel. From the other end she punched the air and sent a blast back through the circle. Again the boards spun wildly. "Korra, your turn."

At the invitation Korra cracked her knuckles and confidently exclaimed, "Let's do this!" She rushed into the maze. The first few panels were no problem and she rushed through them with ease. Suddenly one gate caught her off guard as it spun around and smacked her in the face. We both yelped in pain. Tenzin and his children cringed at Korra's mistake and peered at me strangely, but I tried to ignore them as I watched Korra struggle. She continued to push past the twisting doors, slamming into one, then being thrown into another. After about four or five whacks, she was ousted from the circle and landed flat on her back in the same place she began. Stubborn as she was, she ran back in.

And again.

And again.

And again.

All trials came to the same result.

"Don't force your way through!" Jinora encouraged.

"Dance! Dance like the wind!" Ikki sang.

"Be the leaf!" Meelo reminded her, waving his arms like the waves or the wind or...whatever he was doing.

I said nothing as I rubbed the sore spots on my face and arms. She was trying way too hard.

An hour later Tenzin finally stopped her. She stumbled out of the maze, both of us now numb with pain. "Perhaps you have had enough training for the day."

She nodded mutely.

Before I could understand what I was doing or stop myself from doing it, I heard myself break Tenzin's order. "Actually-"

The others peered at me curiously. "Yes?"

I shifted in place, not sure how to continue. As soon as everyone's attention was on me my confidence plummeted. "Well, if you don't mind the inconvenience...I would like to give it a go."

Along with the rest of the group, Tenzin raised his eyebrows. My request surprised him, but he nodded his consent. "Of course. Even other types of benders can learn the fundamentals of airbending. Knowledge is not exclusive to any one nation and is yours for the taking."

With a small smile and a nodded thanks, I approached the circle, making time for Tenzin to send another gust of air through the contraption. My hair and clothes slapped my face and chest as the breeze whipped past me. I squeezed my eyes and fists closed in excitement. Then I inhaled deeply and let it slowly whistle through my lips. I stepped forward. The first panel slipped by, as did the second and third. The fourth spun in the opposite direction, so I shifted my weight to avoid it. The next was again going another way, so I twisted again. At this point, my balance failed me and I stumbled, bumping into one board, then tripping into another. When I found my footing, my rhythm returned and I wound my way through to the end, only brushing one other gate. On the other side I sighed with relief. That was difficult, but not as difficult as Korra made it seem.

When I looked up to hear Tenzin's evaluation, I was met with five wide-eyed stares and four dropped jaws. Tenzin was especially dumbfounded. "How did you...?"

Just the number and intensity of their astonished faces was enough to make a celebrity contract stage fright. What did I do that was so incredible? It wasn't that difficult...or was it? Was it supposed to be? I held my palms up in an uncomfortable shrug.

"That was your first try...and it was almost perfect," Tenzin protested. "Not even Jinora did that well her first time." Jinora was still too stunned to acknowledge her father's comment. "I doubt that even I did it so, so...so elegantly."

"Well, uh, I-I don't know what to say, except maybe thank you."

Finally the master remembered himself. He smoothed out his robes and stood tall, officially. "Well, girls, I suppose you two are free to rest."

"Thank you." We nodded and walked back to the room as quickly as our aching bodies would allow.

For nearly the rest of the day, Korra and I were asleep in bed. I had, at one point, asked her to slow down and think next time before charging into the labyrinth and bruising us half to death, but she just brushed me off. Later I woke up to find her gone, though Khani wagged her tail and hopped up on the bed. I figured Korra went to go eat or to find something to do, so I opted to wander the grounds of the church again – staying far from the shoreline this time. I wasn't kidding when I told her that I had no intention of returning anytime soon. By that time the sky was dark, but the air was still warm. A soft breeze filtered through the gardens when a loud voice split through the air. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am coming to you live from Republic City's Pro-Bending Arena, where tonight, the best in the world will continue their quest to compete for a spot in the upcoming championship tournament. Graaab your snacks and graaab your kids because this one is gonna be a doozy!"

I looked around to see where the noise was coming from. The arena was all the way across the bay; there was no way sound could travel that far. Sure enough, I noticed above me a terrace where three White Lotus members huddled around a large, boxy radio. Curious, I leaned against the wall and listened in.

"This Mako's got moxy. He advances, fires two quick shots. His teammates follow up with a water whip and a rock-a-pow... Yomo is hammered back to Zone Three. The clock is winding down. Can Yomo hold on?! He's teetering on the edge of the ring now. The Fire Ferrets line up to strike aaaaaand-"

From my spot below the terrace I could just see over the railing, and I watched the three men whirl around. Tenzin stood in the doorway to the attendants' quarters holding the unplugged cord from the radio. "Korra, come down here please."

The teenager dropped her head over the edge of the roof, frowning, then flipped down. "You shut it off at the best part!"

"I thought I made myself clear. I don't want you listening to this distracting nonsense."

"But it's their radio!" She pointed to the sentries. The men exchanged confused and stunned glances, then nodded and left the room. "And technically you said I couldn't watch a match. You never said anything about listening to one."

"You-you know what I meant! And shouldn't you-shouldn't you be in bed by now?" With that, he stormed off, sending a frustrated blast of air against her in his dramatic exit.

Korra stood with her arms crossed, staring after him in exasperated disbelief. "Katalana, you can get up here too."

I reached up and grabbed onto the railing of the terrace and with a gymnist-like kick I swung myself over. "How'd you know I was there?"

"It's a twin thing." I gave her a skeptical look. "I saw you mid-flip," she admitted, smiling.

"That's more like it. Now come on, he's right. We should be in bed. If tomorrow will be anything like what we had today, we're going to need all the rest we can get."

.

.

.

The next morning I rose bright and early. Korra was still asleep, but since it was still early I decided not to wake her yet. Even so, I dediced on getting myself ready for the day. Having been on the island for nearly three weeks had given us plenty of time to pick up some new clothes. Quickly I got dressed in a blue, long-sleeved shirt and tights, covered by a long blue-and-white dress, cut with the sides of the skirt open for easy movement. After smoothing down all the wrinkles, I strode over to the mirror to do my hair. As soon as I caught a glimpse of myself, I froze. My hair was still a mess from sleeping on it – which was scary enough – but that wasn't what frightened me. I went over to Korra and shook her vigorously. "Korra!"

"What?" she grumbled, burying her face deeper into the pillow.

"What color are my eyes?" I asked shakily.

"You woke me up for that?"

My voice grew desperate as I shook her again. "Come on Korra, just answer me!"

"Green," she mumbled without looking up. "Now let me sleep."

"Korra this is serious! Get up and look at me! My eyes are not green!"

"What? Of course they are! You're an Earthbender! All earthbenders...have...green...eyes..." Her voice trailed off as she lifted her head and looked at my eyes. My clear, shining, hazel eyes.

.

.

.

"This is rather unusual," Tenzin remarked after we showed my change to him. "I have never known anyone's eyes to change color except for the Avatars'. The color of his or her eyes are the corresponding color for the last element he or she used."

"So how would you explain this?" I asked. "I'm not the Avatar."

Our mentor stroked his beard in thought and answered, choosing his words carefully. "Well...I suppose that since you and Korra – the Avatar – are sisters, and twins no less, you two share similar physical traits and tendencies, therefore, you both have eyes that change colors."

"I guess that makes some sense, in a way. I just don't understand why it hasn't happened until now, or why they are Airbender Hazel instead of Waterbender Blue or Firebender Amber, like Korra's."

"I was practicing an Airbending technique yesterday – as were you," Korra pointed out.

"True... Do you think they'll ever change back?"

"I don't see why not. Mine do. But you know you could test this theory."

Nodding in hesitant agreement I stomped my heel into the ground, raising a disk of earth up from the pavement between us, then I pushed my palms down, forcing the slab down with it. Although I couldn't see my own eyes, I could tell from Tenzin and Korra's expressions that they resumed their natural green hue.

Korra grinned in an "I told you so," kind of way. "See? Everything is fine."

"I guess. This is just going to take some getting used to."

"I understand." She paused. "So now what?"

"Now," Tenzin spoke this time. "We begin your second lesson. Come." From the center of the church he led us toward the west wing and down a long outdoor hallway. At the end there was a sitting area, where the three airbender children were already waiting for their father. They all sat with their backs to us. They were on their knees with their hands lying in their laps. Two vacant pillows sat on either side of the kids while a third was placed in front of them. Korra and I sat on either side of the mini-airbenders and Tenzin took the one ahead. The two of us copied the childrens' position and waited for Tenzin to begin. He did not. He sat up on his knees, his hands clasped together and his head bowed in prayer. That's odd, I mused. What does this have to do with our lesson? I mean, sure, we've prayed some in the past, but it was never anything fancy. No matter how unrelated it seemed, I copied their stance and began to pray silently.

On the other hand, I could feel Korra fidgeting restlessly. Doing nothing was not one of her specialties. She kept squirming, pulling at her clothes, sniffling, and opening her eyes. Once she even leaned over to look at the rest of us. "I think I'm doing this wrong."

Tenzin kept his eyes closed and answered, his tone rigid, "That's just it. There is nothing to do." After collecting his thoughts for a time, he continued. "Korra, for most of your life you have focused on the physical aspects of being the Avatar. Now that is not a bad thing when it comes to the physical aspects of bending, particularly earth and fire, but airbending and sometimes even waterbending require you to open yourself to more spiritual matters."

"So...what? Are you gonna preach a sermon now?"

As calm as Tenzin was trying to be I could still see his eyebrow twitching in irritation. "All I am here to do is to help you realize your place as the Avatar. It will be up to you whether or not you want to let me help you."

"Of course I want this. All I've ever wanted to be is the Avatar."

"Good. Then pay attention." He paused as his children, Korra, and I all got situated to listen to him before beginning the lesson. Once he held everyone's attention he went on. "God created man. He also created bending. He created all of the good that is in the world – including the Avatar. No matter how much you want to deny it, avoid it, or resent it, you must first get to know Him before you can fully understand yourself. Now I know you haven't had much experience being in church or carrying out some of the traditions Christians hold dear, but that is why I am here. The Avatar is the link between God and the elements as well as the link between God and the people. You are the one who can provide balance between them. But it will take time for those skills to develop. Today I thought we would start a little smaller. Instead of doing the acting, it is oftentimes better to do the listening. Right now we are coming to Him humbly, so that we may listen to His plan for the world so that we can act on it when the time comes."

"Now as good as that sounds," Korra answered, trying only somewhat to be tactful. "What does this have to do with Airbending?"

"Listening teaches patience, discipline, and obidience, and it allows your mind and spirit to relax – to be free – for Air is the element of freedom."

Korra scoffed sarcastically.

"Is something funny?"

"Um, yeah! You're telling me to embrace freedom, but you won't even let me listen to a radio? And forget about leaving this island!"

"Please, Korra. Look at Meelo," he said. He cracked an eye open. "He is able to sit and listen peacefully."

Still skeptical, Korra leaned over and took a closer look at the young boy. His little chest rose and fell rhythmically. His mouth hung open and snot was dripping from his nose. Korra could actually hear faint snoring. "Actually I think he's asleep."

"What?!" he exclaimed, his voice rising ever so slightly. "Well, at least he has the relaxing part down."

"Whatever. None of this airbending stuff makes any sense to me."

"I know you're frustrated, but these teachings will sink in over time. Then one day, they'll just click."

Korra sat up straight and attempted to listen intently for all of two seconds, then she let out a deep breath she'd been holding and stood up. "Yeah, it's not sinking in yet. I'm gonna go get a glass of leechy juice."

In protest Tenzin raised his voice again, "Korra, the lesson is not over yet!"
Ikki, seeing no problem with Korra walking out, piped up. "Daddy? Can I have some leechy juice too?"

"No."

She frowned, disappointed. Meelo groaned, swayed a time or two, then fell flat on his back. Jinora only opened one eye, annoyed by her siblings' distracting behavior. I said nothing. Those of us left continued the session, sitting up straight, hands clasped together, eyes closed, heads bowed, listening to the soft sounds of the early dawn. I tried to also listen to any Higher Power that might have something to say to me, but I didn't strain myself in doing so. My mind was clear; I ignored any thoughts about Korra or my friends or Republic City. I just sat. It was enjoyable. It actually disappointed me to have to end the session later that morning. Tenzin had a meeting with the City Council and the younger children ran off to play. Jinora and I went into the kitchen to talk. We sat down at one of the low-lying tables and were there in an awkward silence before I said anything.

"So, Jinora, how are you?"

"I'm good, thanks. And you?"

"Good. Still adjusting to island life, but otherwise good."

"Still adjusting?" She gave me a quizzical look and brushed her black bangs away from her eyes. "How come?"

"I don't know. It's so different here. Not anything like the South Pole."

"Well of course!" she exclaimed, lighting up a bit. "The South Pole is a frozen tundra year-round. It snows here, sure, but the temperature rarely drops below freezing."

"It's not just the weather. Actually the weather is the least of my worries."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that everything is so new to me. All my life I read about cities and how they were built and who built them and how they function, but reading about them is completely different from being up close and personal. Our first day in town was such a culture shock! I don't think I'd ever met so many different types of people in my life. The clothes, the colors, the abilities, the bustle of city life. And then there's this island. It's so calm and peaceful and warm. Even back home we had the quiet, but it was a dark, cold kind of quiet, you know? Oh, probably not. You probably don't even care, huh?"

"Of course I care," Jinora argued. "That is a whole lot to take in. But don't worry, you'll get used to it. The great thing about living on an island is that you can escape the outside world."

"I suppose. But with the island comes airbending. I just don't understand it all. When it comes to water or fire, Korra is a genius, but when it comes to air, she's...she lacks concentration and discipline. Sometimes it seems like I'm more of an airbender than she is. But come to think of it, it's also kind of odd that I'm an Earthbender because I'm so easygoing – the complete opposite of earth in every way."

"Maybe that's why you're so good at all of the airbending techniques, because of your personality. That could also be why your eyes change colors."

I thought about it. It was a good theory, but it still seemed a little flimsy. "Maybe."

There was a brief silence as we both thought for a minute.

"Okay, so what do you want to talk about now?"

"Um...I don't know."

A long pause followed.

"So...did you enjoy the lesson?"

"Yep. You?"

"Yep."

Another seemingly unending silence succeeded the small talk.

"Okay this is ridiculous," I complained.

"What is?"

"We've been friends for a long time now and yet neither of us can think of anything to talk about."

"I agree, but what is there to discuss? As you said, we've been friends for a long time, but it's not like we were ever very close."

"True. There is a big age difference between us."

"And we only see you a couple times a year."

"Yeah..."

"So...what do we talk about?"

"I don't know, come up with something! Talk about whatever you want to talk about."

Another quiet emptiness filled the room. I could tell she was thinking of ideas but could come up with nothing.

"Okaaay," I said. "How about we talk about you?"

"Alright... What do you want to know?" Jinora asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know... Favorite color?"

As she folded her arms across the table she answered, "That's pretty lame."

"I know," I admitted. "But it's a start. So...?"

"Yellow. My favorite color is yellow."

"Favorite activity?"

"Reading – and airbending of course."

"Oh! What do you like to read?"

"Historical novels, mostly."

"Intersting. Read any good ones lately?

"Not really. I was going to start a new one soon."

"Alriiight. Favorite food?"

"I don't have a favorite. Anything homemade I suppose."

"Favorite...animal?"

"Dragonfly-Rabbit."

"Um...best friend?"

"You and Korra."

I stopped. Did I hear that right? "Really? Us?"

She nodded.

"That's sweet, but...don't you have any friends your own age?"

She shrugged. "No. I've never had the chance to make any. I've never been off the island except to go see you and Korra."

This perturbed me. Why can't or won't she leave? "Never?"

"Nope. With all that's going on in with city with the Equalists, Dad says it's just too dangerous."

I thought about this. Tenzin was known to be strict at times, and a little over-protective, but never letting his daughter go out? That seemed a little extreme, even for him. Maybe I could take her out sometime. Maybe with Ikki and Meelo. Maybe. I started to tell this to Jinora, but then I recalled something else she said. "Wait, who are the Eq-"

The door opened and interrupted me. The acolyte whom I assumed always answered the door stepped in. "Y-your visitor is here...a-again," she mumbled, blushing. Honestly I had been expecting her to have me come to the door relatively soon, but in the back of my mind I wondered how she always knew where to look for me. It wasn't as if I stayed in one place for very long. But it was nice to see her smile at least. That was a rare occurrance.

Jinora, curious, followed me and the attendant to the front door. Ikki joined our group along the way. When we reached the door I stepped outside and descended the short set of stairs. The girls stood at the top of the stairs, giggling quietly to themselves. My visitor, however, was much quieter. He stood tall as he rocked back and forth on his toes happily. His familiar face made me smile. Those bright blue eyes and cute, lop-sided grin made me temporarily forget who was really standing there. My stomach did a front flip in my gut while my fingers twisted my dress anxiously.

"Hi Katalana."

"Hi Matok-uh, Jaalam." My face flushed at my mistake. An apology formed with a simple helpless look.

"No problem," he said. The mistake didn't seem to bother him – he was still smiling. That was one thing I really liked about him: he was almost always smiling. And he was always smiling because of me. My heart fluttered in my chest when he did.

I shoved the feeling aside and groped around for something to say. "How's it going?"

Thoughtfully he nodded. "It's been going pretty well. Seems like I don't ever have a bad day – especially when you're in it." He grinned even wider and wiggled his eyebrows. My blush deepened. "How about you?"

"I've been...okay."

His grin faded. "Just okay?"

I waved the thought away and he relaxed a bit. "So...was there something you wanted?"

"Not particularly. I just wanted to see if you were busy."

"Why?"

"There was something I wanted to show you, if you wanted to come. Do you?"

"Where?"

"There would be no point in going if I told you! It's a surprise! So, will you come?"

I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. Go with a guy I still haven't figured out if I know or not to a place that he won't tell me about...? I don't know...maybe. Would this be weird? Could this be dangerous? What would Matokka think if he was here? He would probably think this was too suspicious. I mean, Jaalam's nice and all, and funny, and not too hard on the eyes either, but...wouldn't that pose as a threat to the relationship that Matokka and I share? It still hasn't been confirmed whether or not he- I stopped myself before I could finish that thought. But again, Jaalam was still waiting for an answer. Matokka... His name echoed through my mind. I couldn't accept this invitation if Jaalam wanted this to be what I thought it was. I had to be sure. "Would you consider this a...date?"

He shrugged. "It doesn't have to be."

I wasn't convinced. "Well..."

"Come on, don't you trust me?"

Before answering there was a definite pause. "I-well, sure, but still-"

Shifting his weight to one foot lazily, he gave me an encouraging eye roll. "Aw, come on. It's not like I'm asking some huge life-changing question. This will just be for fun!"

"I...don't know. I mean, Korra has practice in a little while... I want to be there." I started my way back up the steps, but at the top Ikki and Jinora quickly slammed the doors. I heard the faint click of a lock and soft giggling on the other side. Great, thanks guys. Slowly, very slowly, I turned on my heels and stepped back down. With my head hanging low and hands held out as if in handcuffs, I approached Jaalam again. He smiled in a rather satisfactory manner. "Okay," I said in surrender. "I guess it couldn't hurt to get off the island for a little while – but it's not a date," I added sternly, poking his chest.
Jaalam just grinned again and held his hands up in victory as soon as my back was turned. "That's good enough for me!"

.

.

.

"So...? What do you think...?" asked Jaalam.

It had taken a while to get where Jaalam wanted to take me. Downtown, near the heart of the city, was where whatever this surprise was located. Once a month the town held a Full Moon Festival, and apparently that night was the "once a month" opportunity. The celebration came into existence about seventy years before, when a young girl, a princess named Yue, had sacrificed herself to save a nation of waterbenders. In another language her name means "moon," and it was on the night of a full moon that she saved them. So came about this festival.

That holiday was sometimes celebrated at home, in the village, but Korra and I were always forbidden to leave the compound every time it came around. The two of us were always stuck in our rooms – or so the sentries thought. Those nights we always sneaked out and sat on the outer wall of the compound to watch the festivities from a distance.

But for once I was getting to see it up close and in person.

"It's...amazing."

And it was. The quaint little shops were lined up side-by-side, streamers of blue and white hung from windows and the rooftops, stretching from one side of the street to the other. Buildings also displayed marvelous paintings of Yue, the moon, water, Water Tribe-like symbols and anything of the sort. Street vendors served authentic Water Tribe foods and desserts and there were booths set up for carnival-like games.

Suddenly I felt nostalgic, and I'm sure Korra did too – even if she didn't know why. "This is really...incredible," I said in awe, letting the sights and sounds of home envelope me.

People with ancestors from all nations gathered together for the festivities. Adults talked and viewed the merchandise while the children ran up and down the streets or played with stuffed Otter-Penguins.

We hadn't been in town for more than a few minutes when I noticed three young girls – no older than five or six – talking quietly to each other and glancing my way. One girl looked like she wanted to come talk to me but was afraid, since her friends starting poking and prodding her forward. The girl in front squirmed and tried to retreat, especially when she saw that I had noticed them. "Hi!" I said gently as I gave them a small wave. "You can come talk to me. I don't bite!" The girls shuffled closer. "Was there something you wanted to ask me?"

"Uh, hi, um... Are you a waterbender?"

To get down to their level I knelt down on my knees. "No, I'm not, but I am from the Southern Water Tribe."

When the girls saw that I was open to their curiosity, all three grinned and squealed with delight. "Oooh! What's it like?!"

"It's cold, very cold, but we use lots of blankets to keep us warm and cozy," I said, taking one girl by the shoulders and rubbing my hands across them quickly to create friction and heat. "It snows a lot, and there are lots of mountains to explore, and Otter-Penguins to ride, and tasty sea prunes to eat!"

Another girl squeezed her stuffed animal lovingly. The other two scrunched up their noses at the sea prunes comment.

"So what are your names?" I asked them.

"I'm Keliah," said one, "and this is my sister Leilana," she pointed to the girl with the stuffed animal, "and our friend Jazhara," she pointed to the other girl.

"Nice to meet you all. I'm Katalana."

"I like your name. It's really pretty," said Leilana [lay-LAH-nuh].

"Thank you! You all have pretty names too! Do you want to know what they mean?"

All three girls' eyes lit up. "Do you know? Really?"

"Yes. Actually, all three of your names mean the same thing. They mean 'princess.' Very appropriate for this festival, no?"

A collective gasp followed by giggles escaped from their mouths, which were hanging wide open. Then Keliah [keh-LEE-uh] asked, "Do you know how to braid hair? Like Yue or Katara?"

"I do, actually. Would you like me to show you how?"

"Oh yes please!" They said in unison, bouncing on their toes in excitement.

Quickly, I stood up and turned to Jaalam, who had been standing off to the side, watching our little conversation. I gave him an apologetic look. "You don't mind, do you? It will just take a minute."

"Of course not," he smiled in understanding. "This is your night. Take all the time you need."

I flashed him an appreciative smile and knelt down beside the friends again. "Come on, let's find a place to sit."

So we did. We seated ourselves on the edge of a large fountain. Keliah sat in front of me, Leilana and Jazhara [jaz-HAR-uh] standing at my side. I parted the girl's hair and twisted the sections, crossing them this way and that. Her hair felt soft and cool, like silk, as I ran my fingers through it gently.

Unbeknownst to me, Jaalam was still watching me. He was leaned up against a tea shop nearby, his arms crossed over his chest. A soft smile spread across his lips and he chuckled at the sweet scene taking place before him, but his mind was stirring uncomfortably. She became my friend quickly enough, he thought, and she can make friends with anyone by the looks of it. But how can I make her believe she wants to be more than a friend? If she doesn't, it'll cost me. I need to be smart about this. This festival seemed to escalate things, if ever so slightly. If I keep this up, maybe there will be no need to worry. But he knew deep down that there would always be something to worry about. He was in a dangerous business. One that he couldn't get out of, even if things seemed to get as deep for him as they would for me.

.

.

.

When I finished, Keliah jumped up and ran over to a shop window and admired my handiwork. Jazhara then sat down behind Leilana and started braiding her hair, showing Keliah how I did hers. Only a short time later all three girls had matching hairstyles. Their faces shined as bright as the moon as they all three gathered around and hugged me saying, "Thank you!"

"You are very welcome. You three make very good Water Tribe girls, and maybe even better princesses."

They beamed, thanked me again, and darted away to find their parents.

I sighed as I watched after them, making sure they were safe before I turned around to find Jaalam. Before I sat down I could have sworn I had seen him by that tea shop, but he wasn't there after I finished. Even after scanning the crowd several times over, there was still no sign as to where he could have gone. There were all kinds of people there: tall, short, skinny, wide, waterbenders, firebenders, and so on, but no Jaalam.

A tap on my shoulder caused me to jump. I spun on my heels, and there he stood. He smiled his lopsided smile and held out a single lavender rose. The color in and of itself was gorgeous and resembled the national colors of the Water Tribes, but I could read the symbolism underneath. I wondered if he really knew what his gift meant, or if he just wanted to impress me. He probably just wants to impress me, I told myself sternly, just because he gives me a rose, that doesn't mean he knows what he's really saying with it.

"I thought this was supposed to be just for fun," I chided as I accepted the rose.

He shrugged, still grinning like a fool, clearly unbothered by my words. I had said that in a teasing tone, though, and I had accepted the present. I hope I'm not giving him the wrong idea. I was just trying to keep him happy, as I do with most people. Or is that really it? I smiled as I twirled the stem in my hand. Maybe I should just give this up. I don't want to go on pretending forever...

As I shook my my head to clear it, Jaalam caught my eye. His arm was extended to me in an open gesture, and I rolled my eyes and gave in, sliding my arm through his so that they linked at the elbow. We stayed like this throughout a good portion of the festival, strolling down the cobblestone road. Along the way, we were about to pass a small stage. It wasn't anything extraordinary, but the people upon it were truly impressive. They were two waterbenders, and each one had a large basin of water on either side of him. The performers bended large blobs of it above their heads, passing it back and forth, making it change shape and state. The blobs swirled above them, forming various wavy shapes, animals, and famous people. An audience that had gathered oohed and awed at the marvels that appeared before them. The performers' technique was impeccable, much too perfect to be amateurs. They must have practiced for years.

Before I knew it, the sky was beginning to dim, and a few faint stars flickered in the evening air. The performance had begun to wind down, and crew members began to disassemble the stage. Even with the full moon, the ensuing darkness would make it too dark to see much of the show, especially for the older citizens of the area. Jaalam and I were about to move on when there was a loud explosion, followed by an ear-splitting shriek and another, even louder explosion. The intensity and suddenness of it evoked a scream from me as well as other unsuspecting bystanders. My hands flew up to my ears to block out the horrible sounds, but my eyes were wide open, gazing around the neighborhood for signs of trouble. Nothing seemed to be wrong; everyone nearby seemed to be unaffected or even...excited about the sounds. I turned to Jaalam to see his reaction. It was something between excitement and...something else. My reaction seemed to amuse him, but he was trying very hard to keep the grin off his face. The effort was nice but my temper flared nonetheless. He knew something that I didn't, and he found it funny that whatever-it-was frightened me.

My hands were still over my ears, so all sound was muffled, but I tried screaming over the sounds of crying babies, cheering children, and clapping adults. "What's so-"

The explosions and squeals erupted again, and this time, I identified what made the racket. Far above my head, there was a small oval-ish object zooming across the darkened sky. It seemed as if it would continue on forever, or maybe crash into the mountains way outside of town, but before the arc could make it that far, it exploded into a mass of brilliant, purple sparks.

I pressed my hands tighter against the sides of my head. Are these explosions dangerous? My head whipped around again, scrutinizing the crowd. Only the very young or very old seemed scared or at the very least, displeased. Everyone else stared up, wide-eyed and amazed.

Jaalam took one of my hands and pulled it away from my ear just as another set of detonations sounded. This time the sparks were green. I shook him off and pressed my hands close again, convinced that the sounds would burst my eardrums and the vibrations would rattle my brain out of my skull. I wasn't sure which would have been more painful. Being already sensitive to vibrations, I decided that the latter was worse. Even though I resisted, Jaalam insisted. He waited for a break in the eruptions and then pulled my hand away again. Leaning in close to hear over the crowd, he shouted, "You've -er seen- -ir-ks?"

"What?" I shouted back.

"You've nev- seen fire- before?"

"Fire what?" Of course I've seen fire before! I've lived in the coldest place on earth and he doesn't think I've seen fire?

"Fireworks!" he yelled simply. "They're supposed -o be en-taining!"

Nothing he said made any sense to me. I gave him a quizzical look and took a brief moment to remove my other hand and point at the sky questioningly. He nodded yes, then nodded again to direct my attention upwards. Still looking up he said, "Just watch for - -ile."

I was still uncertain, but I obeyed. With both hands over my ears again I stared up at the sky. More blasts, more vibrations, more shrieks. That part was awful. But I had to admit, the effect was beautiful. The way the bursts sprayed in a wide circle, then the embers slowly fading to black. And the colors, what made those colors? There were all kinds: first purple, then green, then red and white and yellow-orange, and sometimes there were combinations of them. And there were different types of fireworks. Some were broad circles, others were more oval, and some made a few extra pops and sparks after the inital blow.

After watching the show for several minutes I relaxed some – just some. For a while, I couldn't bring myself to peel my eyes away from the mysterious flares, but I had a strange feeling that something wasn't right. Though my perception of vibrations was skewed due to the show, I thought I sensed Jaalam stop breathing. His heartbeat quickened as well. At first I was worried. My gaze flickered over to him for a second, to make sure he wasn't hurt, but in that one second I saw all I needed to see. His head was facing skyward, but his eyes were directed solely on me. My heart pounded too, and I prayed that he wasn't an earthbender and that he couldn't tell.

Something brushed against my hand. I tilted my head down to glance at what it was, just in time to see Jaalam's fingers curling up into a tight fist. His heart beat even faster now, thinking he was caught. Looking back up again was all I could do. A few seconds later, I felt it again. Skin to skin contact, his fingers just barely touching mine. My gaze shifted down again. He froze. I stared at our hands for a long time, trying to decide whether or not to let him take my hand. After a brief moment of hesitation, I finally gave in and clasped his hand, letting our fingers slide through each others' like pieces to a puzzle. Surprised, Jaalam turned his whole head to look me square in the face. I felt my cheeks grow warm. Instinctively I ignored him and kept my gaze focused on the sky but again I could feel my cheeks burning fiercely. He turned his whole body to face me and slowly he lifted his free hand and cupped it around my chin. Then he gently turned my head so he could look into my eyes. He moved that same hand across my cheek, pulling back a loose strand of my hair. Then, slowly, he leaned in close, too close, I thought at the time. But it was too late. He pressed his lips upon mine, and we kissed.

.

.

.

.

.

Kat: Told you it was a weird chapter. I feel like there are some things I need to explain...

First off: 1st Airbending lesson, everyone got Katalana's part in that right? If not it's okay. Again, it'll be SO much more obvious in time.

2nd: This Mako's got moxy! So one of the bending brother's names was mentioned! Yay! (Sorry, huge Makorra fan here.)

3rd: Eye color change. Again, HINT HINT! (As if you guys still didn't get it, though!) ;)

4th: 2nd airbending lesson...this was the weird part. It didn't strike me as perfect either, I know, but it had to be done. I don't mean to offend anyone by changing this, but I take my beliefs very seriously and I won't compromise them in order to get more followers 'cause honestly, as much fun as popularity is, that's not what matters in the long run.

5th: The kitchen scene. It struck me as more of a filler chapter, but it actually did have a point to it. I wanted to better the friendship between Katalana & Jinora since she'll be an important character later on - aka Book 2.

6th: The festival. You guys prob coulda guessed that I'd have something in K&K for Yue! Love her! But this scene also played with my strange obsession with hidden meanings - names, phrases, colors, flowers, etc.

...Names: So in the chapter I already explained Yue & the three lil princesses, but fun fact: Suki also means "moon!" So Sokka liked/kissed/dated/whatever two girls named "moon!" Also... I prooooobably shoulda mentioned this earlier, but I may have forgotten to mention that Jaalam [JAY-lum] = hidden! Ack!

...Floriology (the study of flowers)/Floriography (the language of flowers) has become an odd interest of mine in the past year or two and I thought it'd be cool to include some here. In the story I made it so that Katalana actually had studied it extensively when she was schooled in the compound - they weren't only taught combat skills! Anyway, the single lavender rose had 3 hidden meanings in it. Roses obviously are a symbol for love/romance, but the color & number of flowers can be just as significant as the type of flower. The color of rose that I had in mind for Jaalam to give Katalana was actually more of a blue-ish lavender color, but for creativity's sake, I didn't phrase it like that, but not only is that color GORGEOUS, it combines the meanings of the two colors. "Blue flowers can represent an open mind, youth, an overall feeling of peacefulness, truth and serenity. Lavender flowers are a representation of adult or grown-up femininity. They are a symbol of grace, elegance, refinement, preciousness and delicateness," (from a website called The Secret Language of Flowers) which is how I try to portray Katalana as best I can. Depending on the color, a single rose can say a lot as well. Lav = "I am enchanted by you" & blue = "You seem like an unattainable dream." So...yeah. I feel really super girly when I talk about stuff like this ('cause I am not girly AT ALL) but when it comes to fiction I am a hopeless romantic. Honestly idk what Jaalam intended for his gift to mean, but I think he originally chose this rose because 1) roses=romance, 2) lav=close to Water Tribe colors=making Katalana feel at home, 3) he's not exactly rich & couldn't afford a whole bouquet of flowers. But I also think he secretly knew that his gift meant more than what met the eye! ;)

7th: Fireworks! Okay, I know that fireworks were invented LONG before the 1920's, but Katalana's ignorance & discomfort made for a good scene!

8th: AAACK! They kissed! I'm so torn w/ this part. My BFF read this part back in 2014 & felt the same way - she STILL freaks out about it. She now calls this ship "Katamatokam" [kat-uh-muh-TOW-kum] b/c she wants Katalana to be with both Matokka & Jaalam even though there are complications with both ships. This is a freaky love triangle, & it gets even crazier later on, but I hope this is part of what keeps y'all reading!

9th: SORRY this is such a long author's note, but if you're curious to learn more about hidden meanings or floriology or anything, feel free to message me! I'm here!

10th: FIIIIINAAAAALLYYYYY I can post this. Took me 4 tries just to get the author's note to save 'cause my laptop kept glitching on me. *sigh* Anyway, hope y'all enjoyed this chapter & the many to come! Thanks for reading! :D