Dear Readers,

This chapter might be longer that the previous ones, coz it deals with more memory (and the next chapter will too.) Also, I stopped counting how many chapters I'm making coz, I keep adding each time I type xD. I hope you enjoy it though. ^_^

P.S

Since I got lazy thanking you all individually. Thank you for faving this story and for reviewing it as well!


I do not own the Legend of Korra Franchise, but this story and all original characters, I own! ^_^

Chapter 4

Safe within the confines of her bubble, Kya had blocked out any sound that could penetrate from the lake's only opening, and the water's freezing temperature. She needed to concentrate only on the memories she wanted to forget, but this task is easier said than done. She had had patients who had a difficult time channelling their memory causing them to break from their meditative state and be induced to shock. If they wanted to proceed with the treatment again, they had to be sure that the next time Kya would wrap their head in water they can control their memories. Kya only had a few hours to perfectly execute this task and did not want any outside forces to disturb her.

As the white light circled around her head, she started taking deep breaths, calming herself before the actual procedure. Once she placed her hands at the side of her head, the white light slowed down and stopped where her hands laid. She started to put pressure on the area, and felt a sharp pain; like a knife was driven down her spine. With her eyes, still closed, her mind's eye saw a bright light. She had suspended herself from using her senses.

The bright light got closer, and brighter, and even though Kya's eyes were shut, it was as if the sun had graduated in size and planned to blind anyone who would look up in the sky. But the bright light did not stay for too long. After a few seconds of being blinded, the piercing light slowly faded and left what seemed to be the South Pole, but years earlier. Kya had successfully channelled the first memory.


It was in the South Pole, but set thirty years ago. Hundreds of people, mostly men, flocked to a tiny village which was far off from the main city. These people had different reasons for being there. Some wanted to get a glimpse of the woman who revolutionized the medical universe, while most brought expensive gifts and flashy betrothal necklaces hoping to gain the hand of the Avatar's only daughter.

Peering behind the door of her tent, a young Kya scratched the wooden walls of her home and sneered. "I'm getting tired of this!"

Katara, who was at the table pounding some herbs to create a paste, looked at her daughter and started to chuckle. "I find those boys quite sweet, actually. I mean, back in my day it was only the Northerners who used the betrothal necklace for proposing. But I'm guessing times have changed and even the Southerners have found this tradition quite romantic." Katara looked fairly younger in Kya's memory. She had fewer age lines on her face so whenever she smiled her forehead did not cringe up. And even though her hair was filled with gray hair, there were still some brown spots still saved from aging.

"Mother!" Kya exclaimed as she walked towards the table to help her mother. She grabbed a knife and started to chop several nuts and herbs and added the mix into a boiling pot of water. "Why can't they understand that I'm not interested?"

"Because, you have found a way to treat trauma and –"

"I'm the Avatar's only daughter, I know, I know. But I don't want to settle down with someone I do not know."

Being the only daughter of the Avatar was a major factor, but Kya was also a very attractive and smart young woman. Her hair was not as long as she currently has, but it dangled just above her waist whenever she would tie it. It was thick and brown, but smooth from constant brushing. Her face had no lines from aging, and her beauty mark that was on the side of her left eye was very prominent. Even before the medical breakthrough, most of the men from the South would knock on her door bearing gifts, to sway the beautiful young woman to marry him.

"Keep telling them that you're not sure." Katara advised. "I mean, look at all the free stuff we're getting. Expensive herbs, food that would last us for weeks, and just the other day there was a man who gave us a pack of polar bear dogs, remember?"

"Yes, I remember. But mother, I don't want to feel guilty using them just to get free stuff."

"Kya, look at the brighter side of life. You're quite lucky that these men are giving you gifts. Your father didn't give me a single thing when he was courting me." Katara joked.


Kya was about to speak, when they heard a loud crash from the back room. They looked at each other and quickly ran towards the room and saw two men on the floor. Katara went deeper into the room and checked if any of their medicine jars broke from the men's fall. The back room was used as storage for Katara and Kya's medicines and medical supplies. It was filled with bottles which were organized alphabetically and were all neatly placed on a shelf. When Katara saw none of their medicine missing or broken, she walked towards the men and punched them on the head.

"What do you two boys think you are doing?" She growled. "You've almost knocked over the shelves, again!"

The thinner man stood up and bowed in front of Katara to apologize. "We're sorry master Katara, we just wanted to talk to Kya. We couldn't get in because of the crowd, so we decided to go through the back window instead."

"Oi, Luka. Help a man up would yah?" The bigger man raised his left arm in which Luka grabbed and pulled him up.

Kya came in with her hand covering her mouth, trying to conceal her laughter. "Let me guess, it was Konan's idea wasn't it?" She said as she looked at Luka.

"Who else would it be?" Konan answered.


Konan and Luka were Kya's childhood friends. Luka was an average sized male with short brown hair, and wore round spectacles. He is a water bender. He is a jumpy kind of person, and prefers reason over action. But whenever he is surrounded with friends and family, he loses his unadventurous attitude and goes along with the flow. Konan, was his complete opposite. He was big, burly, and very hairy. He tied his hair into a short high pony, and his beard was long enough to be tied as well. His arms could easily be mistaken as logs. But even in his towering and frightening form, he had a gentle soul and had the most graceful hands. He can easily carry three dozen eggs and not break them with his huge hands.


"Why are you here?" Kya asked. "You could have used the front door you know?"

"They're here for you." Katara answered.

"Me?" Kya stared at the two men and was surprised. "What for?"

Konan was wiping some dirt off of his robe, when Luka elbowed him on his stomach. Konan wondered why Luka had to hit him to get his attention, but when he looked at his friend's face, Luka was pointing at Kya with his head and started to mumble.

Konan wasn't quite sure what his friend was trying to say, but when he looked at Kya, his whole body stiffened and sweat started to pour from his forehead. Kya's hands were crossed in front of her chest, as she raised a brow, waiting for an answer. Konan tried to shrink himself, by scrunching his shoulders inwards and started twiddling his fingers.

"Uhm, we…" Clearing his throat, he stood up straight and looked at Kya with a serious eye. "We just wanted to show you this new spot we saw for our little photo project. We thought that you'd be interested."

Kya thought for a moment. "Well, I do need a reason to get out of here." She uttered. "And you guys always find the most amazing spots; but I need to know if it's okay to leave my mom. I mean, we are kind of busy."

Katara looked at both of the men. Luka was not comfortable with her long stares, and gave out a soft laughter to loosen up all that anxiety. Konan on the other hand, maintained his military like position and looked straight. Katara got closer and stared at him intently. She noticed that he was on his toes, and was holding his breath which made him sweat continuously.

Seeing that the men were such good sports, Katara let out a smile and laughed. "Yeah, it's fine. I'll just tell the other boys to leave the gifts with me."

Kya was thrilled and gave her mother a well-deserved hug. "Thank you, mother!" She then looked at Konan and held him by the shoulder. "You can breathe now."

Konan let out a huge breath and smiled. "I thought your mother will say no."

"When did I ever say no to you?" Katara asked. "By the way, how are you getting out of here without being seen by the other boys outside?"

Luka looked at the window from where he and Konan came into and smiled. "We'll use the same way we went in."

"I'll be the last one out." Konan suggested. "I mean, if I get stuck, at least the two of you can still make it to the place." He joked.


Getting out of the tent was easier than getting in. It didn't take them very long to get Konan out of the window. Once they were out of the then, they quietly snuck their way out of the village and on to the backs of Arctic Camels, and rode off to their destination. There were four Arctic Camels. One for each person and another for their equipment. They hadn't been riding too long, but Kya started questioning where they were heading. Konan kept reminding her to relax, and told her that the spot is not too far away.

"Don't worry, Luka remembers the way." Konan assured her with a smile.


Leading the group, Luka steered his Arctic Camel up into a wide slope leading to a small mountain. It wasn't very dangerous so the raced their beast to the very top. Once they all got to the top of the mountain, an air of triumph and satisfaction streamed through their bodies.

Kya got off of her beast and walked close to the edge of the mountain she was in awe. "It's beautiful."

The spot Luka and Konan had chosen for their shoot was a panoramic view of an almost frozen lake that was surrounded with thick walls of ice. The lake had cracks that drew abstract patterns on the ice as it reached towards the wall of ice.

Konan walked behind Kya and smiled. Her hair might have been rattling from the chilly wind, but seeing her finally smiling after so long was a good day for him.

"Isn't she?" He suddenly uttered.

Kya heard him and turned around. His expression was soft, and serene. His closed smile had given him a childlike character under all that burly skin. Kya cheeks were suddenly flushed. She quickly looked at the scenery once again, but her eyes were peering to the side, hoping that Konan did not see her blush.

When Konan saw Kya hiding her affections, he widened his smile and from behind, he grabbed her by the waist and twirled around while letting out a loud roar. Kya let out a high pitched laughter while she being twirled around by Konan. The sudden grab had caused her to think that she would fall off the edge of the mounting. She playfully begged him to stop, but Konan did not let her go and brought her to the safer part of the top of the mountain. Seeing both Kya and Konan having a 'moment', Luka pretended not to see it and unpacked the equipment from one of the Artic Camels. One by one he unravelled the ropes that tied their equipment. He grabbed the camera stand and set it down beside him. Next, he carefully took out the camera box from one of the bags. He reached deeper into the same sack, and suddenly froze.

"Oh dear." Luka kept rummaging in the sack.

Konan heard Luka's agitation and saw him rummaging through their other sacks of equipment. He walked towards his friend and tapped him on his shoulder. "Luka, is there a problem?"

Luka raised himself out of a sack and fixed his spectacles before answering Konan. "I think we forgot to pack the flashbulb." He said.

"The flashbulb? But we don't need it. It's still bright out." Konan exclaimed.

Luka disregarded Konan's words and strapped his Arctic Camel. Konan raised a brow as he saw his friend get on his beast, and started to gallop down the mountain.

"Hey, where are you going?" Konan yelled.

"I'm going to retrieve it!" Luka answered back. "Just set up the camera and start taking photos. I'm trusting you to take beautiful shots, you hear?" Luka clicked his heels and zoomed down the slope; and in a few seconds disappeared in Konan's sight.


Even if Konan could not believe that Luka would go all the way back to the village just to retrieve their flashbulb, he was still a good friend. He grabbed all their equipment in one go and set-up the camera nearing the edge of the scenery. While he was setting up the camera, Kya was so eager to learn from him that she kept a close distance. Each time Kya would ask a question, Konan would tense up and his heart would start palpitating. His hands would start to sweat, and he would constantly wipe them on the side of his robe even though he was wearing gloves. Kya thought that he looked cute whenever he tensed up and continued her act.

Once the camera was set, Konan focused the lens at the center of the scenery, and began to take a photo. He stood still for a couple of seconds. When he was done, he was disappointed at his first attempt, and took several more. Displeased with the images he took a step back from the camera, and decided to change his approach. Kya had rarely seen him so serious and desperate in his work, that she held him by the hands and smiled.

"Hey, what's the matter?" She asked. "I've never seen you have such a difficult time with any of your works."

Konan knew that she was concerned about him, and tried to keep a calm. "Nah, it's just that there's something not right with the –" He looked down and saw Kya's soft hands wrapped in his giant palms. "Uhm… I-I'm guessing Luka's right about the flashbulb." He coughed. "What's taking him so long?"

Kya looked at the scenery and was puzzled. There was still enough light that introducing the photo with flash might ruin the photo. "I know what you need to get your spirits up." She quickly placed her hand in her pocket and took out a photograph of her water bending near a lake. "This was your first stolen shot of me." She said as she gave the photo to Konan. Konan took a glimpse of the photo, and with such reverie her beamed out a smile. "I was in constant motion." Kya reminded. "And yet you were able to take this photo of me."

The photo in Konan's hands was his first experiment. Kya's initial task was to collect water from the lake. She thought that it would be great to have a little fun with her bending and grabbed a stream of water from the lake. She controlled the water and started to create shapes around her. What the photo captured was when Kya formed a circle in front of her, and noticed that Konan was taking photos of her for a long time. She was looking straight into the camera, with a soft smile as her expression.

"It is my best photo you know." Konan uttered.

Kya playfully grabbed the photo back, and safely placed it in her pocket. "Well, it is my favorite one." She said.

Konan noticed that Kya wasn't acting like herself either. She was very collective and defensive when she would work, but whenever she was around him, she was very playful and approachable. He shook his head, returning his concentration on his work, and walked towards a sack near one of the remaining Arctic Camels.

"What are you doing? I hope you're not planning to leave me here." Kya joked.

"Of course not!" Konan hollered. He stuck his hand into the sack and started rummaging through. "I just need to reload the camera with –" Konan felt something familiar in the sack and pulled it out. In his hand was the flashbulb Luka had been looking for; but this one had a note wrapped next to it. He opened the note and read to himself. "Konan, if you have found this note please forgive me and don't get mad. Let me explain. You have seen the line of men outside waiting to get their hands on Kya, and let me tell you that they have nothing on you. We both know that you love her, and it's obvious that she likes you too. That's why I took the liberty of leaving you two alone, and packed your 'best work' in this bag. Hope you come down that mountain triumphantly. Luka. P.S if she says no, please don't punch me in the face when you get back."


"Hey, what's taking so long?" Kya asked.

Konan crumpled the letter and stuffed in the bag. "Darn it, Luka!" He accidentally punched a wooden box and hurt his hand. He took out the box, and saw that it was still intact. "Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry I'm almost done." He opened the box and saw the betrothal necklace he made for Kya.

It was a simple leather choker with an upside down blue crescent moon lying on the middle, and two small blue stones besides it. He frowned at his creation because it did not look as grand as he thought it would be. He was nervous while carving out the blue ore he used for the moon that he could still see the jagged edges. But he didn't have enough time to overthink. He saw the line of men waiting outside Kya's doorstep, and it kept getting longer as the days go by. He thought that, if now wasn't the perfect time, when will it be? Even his best friend gave him the moment to let him pop the question.

"But will she accept it?" He whispered. He placed the box in his coat pocket and grabbed the flashbulb. "Hey, look what I found!" He raised the flashbulb and gave out a fake triumphant smile to calm his nerves.

"The flashbulb!?" Kya exclaimed. "I thought Luka –"

"Well you know him, he can be very forgetful." Konan equipped the flashbulb on to the camera and knelt before the camera to adjust the stand.

Kya was relieved that Konan had gotten back to taking pictures and looked at the scenery once again. It was getting late now, but the image of home had made her uneasy. She crossed her arms and gave out a sigh. "You know; it was a good idea to get out of the house."

"Oh really? How so?"

Kya scoffed at him. "Haven't you seen the line outside the house lately? At first, I was flattered that doctors from different nations would come and visit me and talk about my discovery. But lately I've been getting more proposals than medical meetings, and it's driving me crazy."

Konan almost dropped the stand when he heard Kya's outburst.

"I don't know any of them, and they think that they could just waltz in my home, giving me gifts and asking my hand because I'm what? The Avatar's daughter? Do they think I'm that low?"

Konan was starting to lose faith in himself. Hearing Kya rage about the eligible men outside her home had lowered his chances with his proposal, but when he remembered the contents of Luka's letter, he took a deep breath and manned up. "Don't you want to get married?"

Kya was shocked and answered him. "Of course I do, it's just that. None of the men who have proposed to me, don't even know me. All they know is that I am some medical genius who happens to be the Avatar's only daughter. I don't want to spend the rest of my life with a stranger, you know?"

Konan hid a smile from her and stood up. "I know what you need." Grabbing Kya by the hand, he brought her to the camera and told her to give it a shot. "Don't worry, I set it up so that even you can't make a mistake." He guided Kya to look into the lens and position the camera box to where she wanted to. He grabbed her by the hips and instructed her. "Now, before you shoot, just steady your breath. The subject's not moving, so there's no need to worry."

Kya felt his hands steadying her waist, and as she kept inhaling her body started to prickle all over. Konan felt her nervousness and held her hand which was on the camera box. He constantly told her not to get nervous, and slowly he let her go.

Kya took in a few deep breaths and took the shot. The sound of the flashbulb startled her, that she fell butt first on the snow covered mountain. Luckily, the camera did not fall off the edge. Konan was right beside her when she fell and started to laugh. At first, she pouted at him for laughing, but after imagining the scene from his perspective she laughed with him.

Konan helped her up. "So, how does it feel taking your first photo?" He asked.

"It's wonderful." Kya answered. "Seeing the scenery in that small box; it's a different experience. I'm beginning to understand why you guys love it so much."

Seeing Kya glowing with joy had made Konan suddenly remember the necklace in his pocket. He patted the side of his coat where his necklace was safely hidden, and lost the mirth in his smile. Kya noticed the sudden change of his expression and wondered about his health.

"Konan, are you feeling alright?"

"Yes, yes I'm fine!" He answered jumpily. He placed his hand in his coat pocket and held the box with his hand. He slowly lifted it out of his coat, but stopped halfway. He saw Kya coming towards him and held his right cheek. She gently caressed it, thinking that he hasn't been feeling well, and gave him a smile.

"You can tell me anything that's bothering you." She said.

Konan took her hand from his cheek and held it firmly. "It's nothing, I swear you don't have to –"

"Hey, what's this?" Kya grabbed a wooden box from the floor and brought it closer to her face

It did not cross Konan's mind that when he reached to grab Kya's hand, he accidentally dropped the box on the floor. "Wait, don't open –"

Kya did not heed Konan's words and opened the box. When she saw the betrothal necklace she was instantly stunned. "What, is this?"

Konan took the box from Kya and held the necklace in his palm before discarding the box to the ground. "It's a betrothal necklace… For you, actually." He said shyly.

Kya maintained her surprised state, but did not utter a single word.


"I found this blue ore a few months back, and made this." Konan exclaimed. "I know it's not the most beautiful necklace ever made, but… I made it while thinking of you. This might be the most stupid proposal in the face of the planet, but I really love you Kya. Ever since we were kids, when you kept beating me in our fair snowball fights, I started to have these feelings towards you. You are strong yet kind. And very intelligent. I know you for so very long that I've always seen you as a woman who can stand on her own, you know. When I took that photo of you, you just looked enchanting. I have never taken anything, or anyone as beautiful as you. Whenever I look at you, my heart would start to beat out of my chest. Whenever you talked my body would tingle, and it's the good kind of tingle. And whenever you held my hand I just… Anyway, I think I should just stop before the end of the finish line. There are better, more eligible men out there, who can take care of you. I'm just a measly photographer, even my father thinks that my 'hobby' would lead me to nowhere. You deserve a better man Kya." Konan let out a slight laughter and tightened the grip around the necklace. "Haha, look at me I'm making a fool of myself." He lowered his head in disappointment.

There was a moment of silence after Konan's confession. Konan knew that Kya would not accept his proposal, since he did not do a very good job at it, but when he heard Kya suddenly laughing, he lifted his head and saw her with tears flowing in her eyes.

"What's so funny?" Konan said as he raised a brow.

Kya let herself finish laughing before wiping the tears that rolled down her cheeks. "That was the lamest proposal I have ever heard."

Konan looked at the side in shame.

"But that was very sweet." Kya added.

Hearing this, Konan suddenly lit up.

Kya grabbed the necklace from his hand and observed it. "So you made this, for me?"

Konan nodded. "It took me a while to learn the proper way of carving things, so I ended up with that ugly piece of thing."

"I don't think it's ugly." Kya exclaimed.

"You don't?"

"Everything you make is a beautiful piece of art. Your father doesn't understand what I see in you. Nobody does." She answered. "People always think that you're such a big brute because of the way you look. But you're the complete opposite of that. You're only person I know who can smile through any dilemma and does everything to see it through. In my eyes, you were never a scary or a useless guy. You're quite special Konan and I don't think I deserve a better man than you."

"Does that mean, that," Konan stuttered. "Is that, a yes?"

"No." Kya answered straight forward.

Konan was not prepared with a yes or a no, and froze. His chest suddenly tightened, and he started to breathe deeply. "I understand." He sighed. "Any guy would be lucky to have you –"

"You didn't ask." Kya interrupted with a smile.

"I did. I asked if that was a yes, didn't I?"

Kya suddenly laughed. "Yes, but that's not the proper way, isn't it?" She gave the necklace back to Konan and stood in front of him. "Now; ask me again."

Konan was nervous. He gulped down a lump of saliva down his throat, and he started to shake, but this was his chance to redeem himself from the awful proposal earlier. "Kya!" He uttered before clearing his throat. "I… I present to you this betrothal necklace I made. I forgot which blue ore it was made out of, forgive me."

Kya snickered.

Konan got distracted and paused for a moment. "With this betrothal necklace, I am asking you to spend the rest or our lives together as husband and wife. Will you accept me?"

Konan raised the necklace and showed it in front of Kya. While looking at the necklace, Kya gave him a look of disappointment. Konan waited for Kya's answer. He thought that she was serious when she said no, and closed his eyes to ease the pain of rejection. But instead of a harsh no, he felt Kya's hands wrap around his wrist. When he opened his eyes he saw her place his hands near her chest.

"I love you Konan." Kya uttered. "And nothing would make me happy than living the rest of my life, with you."

Konan quickly hooked the necklace around Kya's neck and admired her. Kya was thrown back from Konan's soft expression that all she can do was flash him a smile. He held her chin with his giant hands, and moved them closer to kiss her on the lips.


A white light suddenly flashed, and the memory vanished. Everything suddenly became white, but sounds of laughter and merriment got louder and louder. Then the white light started to fade, and revealed what came to be, Kya and Konan's wedding day.

Kya wore a traditional Southern tribe wedding dress. It was a modest white long dress made out of the fur of the finest polar bear dogs, and on her head, a circlet of ice crystals rested upon her forehead. She was nervous and paced around the room where she was held. She knew that everyone was waiting for her to come out, but her pre-wedding anxiety got the best of her, and she started to panic. Suddenly, someone entered her room without her permission causing her to jolt.

"Bumi! What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" Bumi questioned. "Didn't you invite me?"

The siblings stared for a moment, before letting out a synchronized laughter and greeted each other with a hug.

"It's good to see that you made it." Kya exclaimed with tears in her eyes.

"Of course, I made it." Bumi wiped off the tears that flowed from his sister's face. "My sister's more important to me than a million lieutenants!"

Kya offered Bumi to sit next to her on the bed, and had a moment to catch up with each other's stories. Bumi started to brag about his recent promotion of being a General and Kya couldn't be happier for him, but this day was Kya's day. And Bumi changed the topic from his promotion to Kya's wedding.

"So, Konan huh? What a lucky guy he is! I've always told him that he couldn't get any woman to love him, but my sister did!" He patted his sister's shoulder as a sign of approval. "I remembered the time I used to play around with him when we were kids. Crazy, and wild, yet a brave lad he was."

"Remember the time all three of us went to see the glaciers, and you Konan and Luka had a race to see who would make to the site first?"

"Yeah, I remembered." Bumi stroked his hairy chin as he recalled the memory. "We were very stupid then, we had no idea that the glaciers were about to fall! Good thing you and Luka were there to save our behind!"

The siblings joked and laughed at their tales when they were younger. But as the time of matrimony was approaching, Kya couldn't help but become more nervous. She held her brother's hand and gave it a tight squeeze.

"Hey, hey, there's no need to worry." Bumi assured. "You look beautiful Kya, I'm sure everyone out there will think so too."

"Has dad arrived?" Kya suddenly blurted.

Bumi's smile faded and held both of Kya's hands. He looked at his sister and shook his head. "Even Tenzin won't able to make it."

When Kya knew that her father will not be able to make to her wedding, she bit her upper lip and bottled up her disappointment. "He was the first person I invited. I wanted him to at least meet Konan, after a long time. I told him that mom would be overjoyed to see him on this day. Why couldn't he make time from his busy schedule, just for me?"

Tears started rolling down her eyes. Bumi wrapped his arms around his sister and let her cry on his shoulder. He caressed his sister's back in hopes to make her stop crying.

"If I keep telling you that it's his job, then what kind of brother am I?" Bumi uttered. "I know it's hard that dad hasn't made any time for us. So what? Today is about you, not about him! Konan's waiting for you outside, and he's anxiously waiting for you because he knows that you will make him the happiest man alive! Forget about dad and Tenzin. They're missing this great opportunity which I will bathe in, I mean, you will bathe in!"

Bumi's words might be unconventional, but it had always made Kya feel better. She wiped the remaining tears from her eyes and kissed her brother on the cheek. "Thank you Bumi." She uttered.

"Anything for my little sis!"

"How come you know so much about relationships, but you're not even married?"

"How rude! Don't you know that I've courted thousands of women in the military?" He jokingly said.

All that crying had ruined Kya's makeup, and she needed a quick retouch. While she was in the middle of fixing herself, Katara went in the room to remind Kya about the time. But when she saw her daughter dishevelled, she quickly grabbed a brush and helped her daughter.

"What happened to you?" Katara asked in agitation. "No matter, Bumi, wait outside for a moment."

Bumi quickly stood up and gave his mother a salute before leaving the room. Katara grabbed Kya and helped her reapply her make-up on. "What's the matter Kya? You seem upset."

Kya stopped Katara from applying make-up and held her hands. "Mom, I'm sorry dad won't be able to make it. It's just that I thought that it would be perfect for the two of you to have some time together on my wedding day."

Katara gave her daughter a smile, and continued to apply make-up. "It's alright, darling. I understand that your father is a very busy man. Besides, why would we steal the spotlight on your special day? Cheer up, okay? Your father and I still have plenty of time to see each other."

"Alright…"

"Hey, can you hurry it up a bit?" Bumi suddenly interrupted from outside. "But I think the guests are getting bored."

Katara quickly finished applying make-up and readjusted Kya's circlet.

"There. You look beautiful!"

"Thanks, mom."

The white light flashed, and the memory disappeared. Filling Kya's memory, the white light suddenly dissolved and brought her to two years after their wedding.


During this time, Konan had settled in Republic City with one of his friends while Kya stayed in the South Pole caring for both the people of the south, and the baby she carried in her womb. The first few months without her husband was difficult. He left when she was only two months pregnant, and it worried her that he only knew one person and at the same time, he was living in one of the most dangerous parts of the city. Konan, however, told her that she need not worry. He promised that he will send her numerous letters per week and in return, she must write him a reply either one for each letter, or a long one that answered all his letters for the week. Kya had thought that she would not have a lot of time writing him letters, but after the first few weeks she had dedicated almost most of her free time just writing to Konan.

On this particular memory, Kya was not particularly busy but she was sitting at her desk and anxiously waited for someone to arrive at her doorstep. It was the weekend and weekends are usually slow. For today, she only treated two patients but people coming in were the least of her concerns.

She heard a knock from the wooden pillar of her door and looked up. There was a man standing outside her tent, carrying a bag full of envelopes. Before he can even reach through the bag, Kya stood up from her seat and scrambled to the door.

"Slow down, Kya. You shouldn't be moving a lot." The man said as he took out a fat envelop out of his bag. "I mean, you're about to give birth soon, am I right?"

Kya grabbed the envelope from the man's hand. "Stop joking around, Poh. You have to wait for three more months just like the rest of us." She gently rubbed her protruding stomach with a smile.

"Still, that's not too far away." Poh exclaimed. "You think Konan will be back by then?"

"Earlier, actually." Kya answered. "He told me in his last letters that he'll be back before the baby's born."

"That's great! I'm pretty happy for you guys. Anyway, I gotta go deliver the rest." Poh said his goodbyes to Kya and left. "Have a good day, Kya!"


Kya retreated into her bedroom and sat on her bed. She hugged the fat envelope and smelled the brown paper. It was like she was a young girl again, receiving letters from friends or secret admirers. She then made a clean tear at the side of the envelope and found a few photos of Konan and his adventures and the long letter. She unfurled the pages and started reading them. Her smile broadened as she read through every sentence. She would occasionally laugh, and return in silence. All the energy while reading the letters had made her heart race a little and the baby in her womb felt her excitement and gave a soft kick.

Kya felt her baby move and gave her stomach a soft pat. "You want to know what daddy's up to, don't you?" She said while laughing softly. "Alright, just give me a moment."

Kya sorted through the pages and found a few pages that she thought was the highlight of Konan's letter.

"Today, Atka told me that the magazine editors wanted to see me in person this week." She read. "Truthfully, I was both grateful and nervous. Well, you know me. But lately, I was thinking about moving out of Atka's apartment, and getting me a proper studio near the city. A lot of editors love my work, Kya. You should have been there during my first few interviews. Whenever I tell 'em that I'm from the South, they all looked at me, puzzled. But when they opened my portfolio and examined my photos, they were all speechless. They keep telling me that they have never seen anyone produce images like I do. I was flattered."

Kya skipped to the next page, and read out lout. "I found out I was allergic to Lychee nuts. Atka and a group of his buddies invited me to eat out one night. The restaurant was called Lao's Kitchen. I placed a photograph of his restaurant in the envelope so you can see how popular his restaurant is. It was known for cooking traditional Earth Kingdom cuisines. I rarely ate out, and I haven't tasted Earth Kingdom cuisine, so I was very excited. Atka has eaten here countless times, so I decided that he'd order for me. He ordered a couple of pao buns, a roasted duck, and a round of lychee juice, which was his favorite drink in the menu. I took a sip of my drink but after a few seconds, my tongue started to itch. When I told Atka, he told me to stick out my tongue which I did. It was bloated and covered in bumps. He told me I was allergic to the fruit, and that I wasn't going to die. I just had to eat through the meal with a bloated tongue, and a weird accent. I miss your cooking"

Kya let out a guffaw. "Maybe this time he'll learn to pace himself when he's on the table." The last page Kya read was the end of Konan's letter. She read silently for a while to learn its contents, but halfway through the page she knew that it was good news and decided to read it to her unborn child. "You mentioned in your last letter that you haven't thought of a name for the baby, and gave me the task instead. When I read that in your letter, you know I did not believe you. You know that I'm bad with names. However, I took a little time and did think of two. One for a boy, and one for a girl. If we had a boy, I'd name him after the great warrior, Yokane. He will be brave, strong and wise. He will respect the land of his forefathers, and those who inhabit it, just like the brave warrior. If we had a girl, I came up with the name, Anana. It was the name of my late grandmother. She was gentle, and forgiving, yet she had a fiery spirit. She always told me that life may not always go the way you want it to, but it will be worthwhile if you saw the light in every dark corner. I always admired the way my grandmother looked at life, and I want our daughter to have that same outlook. If we had twins or more then… We'll think of more names when I get back."

Suddenly Kya was filled with excitement and read on. "I have bought a ticket for the earliest departure to the South and I am expected to be home three weeks from now. I decided that once the baby's born we'll move to Republic City and continue living there. I have missed you so much and I can't wait to see you both!"

Kya quickly looked behind the page and saw nothing. She had thought that Konan had added more to his letter, but seeing that the ink he used in the last page was fading she understood that Konan didn't have enough ink to finish his letter. She returned the letter into the envelope and sank deeper into her bed. While looking at the open envelope, she placed her hands on her stomach and rubbed it gently.

"Daddy's coming home." She whispered to her unborn child. "He hasn't been here for a long time and he's excited to see you. So be good for a while, and don't make mommy worry about you, alright?"

After a few strokes on her stomach, the white light flashed and the memory disappeared. Then the white flash quickly dissolved revealing a memory which Kya wished never happened.


Kya did not receive another letter after a week. She thought that Konan might have been busy looking for a new apartment, or packing his stuff that he had no time to write her a letter and accepted those theories with ease. But when she heard that a ship had docked near their village two days later, she became very hopeful that Konan had arrived earlier than expected.

Katara and Luka took it upon themselves to fetch Konan at the dock, given her condition. Kya agreed and stayed at home. While she waited, she rearranged the house from top to bottom, and cooked all of Konan's favorite meals. The dock was not very far, but as day turned to night, Kya's hopes started to decline.

When she heard two snowmobiles park outside her tent, she quickly ran to the door and saw her mother, Luka and Tenzin. But Konan was nowhere to be found. When she looked at their faces, she was expecting an explanation. But Katara and Luka couldn't even look her in the eye.


"Tenzin!" She gave her little brother a hug. "I wasn't expecting you." She said. "Mother and I thought that Konan came home early, but this is also a surprise. Please, come in I'll warm up the food."

"Kya…" Tenzin uttered. "I… I can't…"

"You can't?" Kya raised a brow. "That's funny, I thought you'd be hungry after being on the water for so long."

Katara suddenly held her by the hands. Kya was wondering what her mother was up to, but when she saw Katara tearing up, she felt her heart beating faster. Looking at Tenzin and Luka, she saw that they had the same look as her mother's. Their heads low, and forlorn. Luka wrapped his right hand into a fist and withheld the tears from his eyes.

Kya felt uncomfortable, and looked at Tenzin for an answer. "Tenzin, what is going on?"

Tenzin did not give her an answer. Kya was standing there in silence, feeling stupid because she had no idea what they were being sad about. She then stepped out of the house, but was quickly blocked by Luka.

"Please, Kya. Stay in the house." Luka pleaded.

"Why?"

"It's for the best, dear." Katara uttered. "It's better if we tell you inside."

"Tell me what?" Kya was starting to get frustrated from all her unanswered questions. "Are you guys hiding something from me?"

"Please, Kya! Listen to us and stay in the house." Tenzin grabbed her by the wrist and guided her back in the house.

But Kya had no intention of going back in the house without an explanation. She pulled herself away from Tenzin's hold and forced herself out of the house. Luka held her by the shoulder in hopes of stopping her, but Kya was irritated. All she wanted was a simple explanation as to why they came to her with a miserable air. She argued with Luka, and demanded that she be let out of the house, but Luka kept her from taking one step further.

"What is wrong with you?" She said angrily. "I don't understand, why you came here with those snowmobiles –"

When Kya pointed at the vehicles, she saw that there was something odd with one of them. She noticed that one of the snowmobiles had a huge bag secured on to a sled. Using a rope, the sled was tied securely behind the snowmobile. She stopped arguing with Luka and walked towards the crate. The bag had some sort of unseen source that dragged her to it. As she got closer, the more frightened she became.

"What's this?" She uttered.

Tenzin and Luka looked at each other and accepted their defeat. Tenzin walked beside his sister and hugged her. Even though Kya has not seen the contents of the bag, she knew that something was not right.

"Answer me! What is this!?" She cried as tears started to form in her eyes.

"I'm sorry Kya." Tenzin whispered. "But Konan, won't be coming back."

"What… What do you mean?"

Tenzin asked Luka to help him with the bag. Luka hesitated for a second, but it was better to confront Kya with the truth than forcing her to wait.

Luka knelt next to the sled, unzipped a portion of the bag, and revealed Konan's face. "I'm sorry, Kya. Your mother and I, we. We did not know how to tell you."

When Kya looked at her husband's face, a mixture of shock and grief filled her. Half of his face looked peaceful, while the other was charred and unrecognizable.

"How –"

"It was not an accident." Tenzin blurted. "A group of Equalists planted a bomb in the restaurant we were supposed to meet. He was in the building when it exploded. It was too late for me to do anything… I'm sorry Kya, if I was there earlier, I would have…"

Kya took a long hard stare at her dead husband's face. She knelt beside the body and caressed Konan by the cheek. It was cold.

"You promised me." Her voice trembled. "You promised me that you will be here when the baby's born. You promised me that we'll move to Republic City and raise our family there. You also said that you'll teach our child to penguin sled, remember? You can't be dead! You still have unfinished business with us. Konan, you just can't…" Kya fell on her husband's body and let out a painful cry.


The white light slowly arrived, disintegrating the painful memory. But Kya's cries can still be heard as the light transitioned to another memory.


To be Continued…