Beta-read by Scribbles I
Healed and Hunted
Freak
Chapter Nine
The Kitchen
Kat
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" she whispered, looking at the stairs. The hallway was dark, but she was naturally suspicious. And her niece was too much like her to be trusting.
Sokka followed her eyes. "No. I'm not. She's too little to understand. But, I did my research. This circus is safe. Safe enough."
Kat looked down to the tickets on the table. Cirque de Lune. A Water Inheritor circus. That was, as Sokka said, safe enough. Other circuses, more famous ones that brought in more nonnies than Inheritors, used the full range of bending.
Inheritors willingly put themselves on display. Frightened animals into submission with their abilities. And little Kyoshi would not understand the abuse from the crowd. She didn't know how hostile nonnies were to Inheritors.
Earth Inheritors created horribly deep crevasses for animals to jump over while Water or Fire Inheritors used element-whips to coax the animals over. It would break Kyoshi's heart.
"Listen, sis, about what happened..." Sokka started, trying to keep his voice down.
Kat blinked. "It was stupid. But they can't play games with me. With any of us."
"They can, Katara. They can and will. You should have seen the days following your little stunt. Kat, I've taken fifteen cases since then that were direct results of you."
Kat's face fell; she let her hair cover the shame.
"You aren't an idiot. You're the Ava's sister. Everything we've ever done is going to be scrutinized. They're going to nitpick. You can't be pulling stupid stunts like that." Sokka made sure she listened. He lifted her face until they were staring at each other.
"I had to get off screen. What if Dad saw?" she breathed.
Sokka nodded. "I know; I didn't say I didn't agree with what you did. You just can't keep doing things like this. We're working for peace. I don't want to see what happens if they try to gas you."
His words elicited a gulp from the Inheritor. It was something she had considered but decidedly given little thought to. It was frightening enough thinking about the gas. Thinking about what Sokka meant, what Aang would do, was something else. Every small progress made would undone. The world would push once more for war, and Aang wouldn't be able to stop it. She nodded in agreement with her brother. She had to think more.
"And, Kat?"
Her voice barely left her throat. "What?"
"I'm proud of you."
He pulled her into a hug, and Kat hated how weak she felt. She made a note to tell Aang how much she loved him. She would be a better sister. She would be a better ally. A better example for her niece and Inheritors like her. She was an adult, trying to play adult games with more than herself on the line.
She, like Aang, would be an example. Kat could only imagine what went through her brother's head as he prepared these final years to save the Inheritors.
"Yoshi's so excited," Sokka whispered.
Kat, feeling a little glum, answered, "I hope she's not disappointed."
Cirque de Lune
Toph
Really, she didn't know why she came to these things. There was no point, as places like this were tailored to the seeing. An excited tug on her hand reminded her.
"This way, Aunt Toph!" The way Kyoshi said her name made it sound like one word. An'Toph. The little girl weaved the way through what Toph could only assume was a large crowd.
"I'm going, Yosh. I can't see, remember?" the Earth Inheritor said, trying to feel her way. She could only pick up bits and pieces with these shoes. Thinnest pair she owned, but they were still a problem. Toph was tired of getting stepped on.
"I know, I know. But you walk so slow. Uncle Aang is right up here. There are stairs. Right...here." Toph's hand found a metal bar. She tapped her fingers and found eight people in front of her, all going upward. At least, eight people leaning on the metal.
"C'mon. It's going to start soon!" The little girl was jumping, holding carefully to the pole while doing so. Toph laughed at her excitement. At least someone was enjoying themselves.
"I've got snow cones," Aang said when they reached him. She reached for his arm. He met her halfway, as he always did, and she knew he would be smiling. He always did.
"Better have rainbow," Toph grumbled, trying to reach her normal gruffness.
Aang snorted, "They don't come in any other flavors."
She trusted herself to Aang's leadership. He led her to a row of seats, and she found herself off balance. It was hard enough, but Yoshi shoved past and jumped into one of the seats. Toph landed on a chair and nearly fell through. Aang caught her and they both laughed.
"Cheap seats," the Ava said into her ear.
For a moment, Toph thought she heard him whisper something else under his breath. She didn't catch what he said, though, and figured it wasn't important. If he wanted her to know something, he would be sure she heard.
"And now, if you will all take your seats, the show will begin!" an announcer called. Toph felt the air around her vibrate with the call.
"Yoshi, sit still," Suki said. Toph smiled.
The young child complained, "I just want to see what's going on!"
Toph jumped when Aang whispered, "The floor's dirt."
"Ah," her shoes slipped quickly off, "Excellent."
There was a central ring, one on either side. She couldn't be sure, but there was a raised platform that probably supported the ring master. She had been to circuses before.
"Where's Kat?" Toph asked, realizing the other woman was nowhere near here.
She could feel Aang's body twist, "I don't know. Around, I'm sure. Maybe trying her best to avoid this. She doesn't much like circuses."
Toph nodded. "Still not over the whole incident with those Fire Inheritors up north?"
"Can you blame her? Two people died, Toph," Aang said with a tired tone. Toph agreed with him, but it was a long time ago.
"We were fifteen." Toph sighed.
Aang didn't answer. His hand wrapped around hers, and she knew he was trying not to bring a dark mood to the group. He didn't have to worry, though, since the circus did that for him.
"I've been told we have a very special guest tonight," The ring master continued.
Aang and Toph both groaned.
"We are all very honored to have here with us, the one and only Ava!"
Concessions
Kat
She heard the announcement and nearly dropped her six dollar nachos. Déjà vu washed over her, and she was consumed by a sense of panic. It had started like this last time, too. The stupid ring leader had been one of the ones who didn't make it.
She left her snacks abandoned and raced to find her family. They were leaving. If Kyoshi hated her, so be it. Kat could not have a repeat of the last circus.
She found her family seated not too far from the stairway. The spotlight was on Aang and, by association, Toph. The bright red bands around their arms stood out in the bright light. Kat was already shaking.
"Let's give him a round of applause, everybody." The ringmaster clapped his gloved hands, and for a moment, Kat thought he was being sarcastic. Something about his voice was wrong. But the crowd didn't catch on, and they clapped with him.
"Let's everybody cheer for the man who's supposed to save us all." His voice was sardonic. Kat had a few doubts about the praise. It was dangerous, baiting praise. They were fighting words with ribbons on.
She moved closer, inching her way to the Ava. Kat placed her hand on his shoulder, using the arm without her identifying band, and he turned to her. She pleaded with him to move, he had to get out. This couldn't go like before.
"Uncle Aang!" Kyoshi squealed. The child was happy that her uncle was getting recognized. Kat looked to the ringmaster, deciding the best course of action. The silence was growing and the crowd was getting anxious. Everyone expected tricks from him.
Aang held up a hand to wave and said nothing. The air grew still in anticipation, and Kat bit her lip. This wasn't their show. They were here because it was hard to say no to an adorable six year old.
"Well, let's make tonight extra special then," the ring leader called out.
Kat sank to her knees in relief the moment the light left their group. Aang was around the chair in a second. His hand rubbed her back.
"It's alright. I was overreacting. It's fine." She tried to push him away. How was it she could go from fierce to submissive so quickly? She needed to find whatever it was she drew her strength from.
"Kat, do you want to g-" Aang started, but Kat interrupted.
"I said I'm fine. We're going to enjoy the circus and we're going to leave and there's not going to be any problems."
She hoped.
Circus Parking Garage
Sokka
Kyoshi kept going over how wonderful the circus was. Her favorite part was when the Inheritors told a story using their bending. Her second favorite part was when the clowns kept tripping on ice. Sokka could scarcely listen. He could see Kat shaking ahead of him.
He told Kyoshi to hold Mommy's hand while he asked Aunt 'Tara something.
Kat heard him coming. "I just want to go home."
"No more circuses," Sokka said, trying to be supportive. Kyoshi would be crushed, of course, but with time she would come to understand.
Kat rubbed her arms as if she were cold. "It's fine. I don't know how they found him, though."
He shrugged, not knowing either. Part of him was glad tonight had gone so well. Another part of him, one bred from a decade of running and hiding, said the night was still young.
And, as if his negative thinking summoned it, trouble met them at the gates. A group of nonnie protestors, with their hate signs and violent voices, was waiting just outside the circus. Sokka suddenly wished they had parked inside.
"Let's take the long way," Sokka suggested. Kat stiffened, seeing what he saw. Sokka turned around and knew his wife and child had yet to see the signs. He ushered them the other way.
"What? What is it?" Suki asked, smart enough to know to ask.
Sokka looked back to his sister. Aang and Toph were standing in a line next to her, blocking his line of sight. He was grateful that Kyoshi could not see.
"Hey, we're going to go this way," Kat said, smiling at him. The nervous twitch of her mouth and arms let him know she wasn't planning on doing something stupid.
"Be safe. Meet us at the car?" Sokka asked, feeling like he'd swallowed something foul. His stomach churned and guilt washed through him. He was letting his baby sister go into a potentially dangerous situation because he was afraid for his daughter. And when he tried to rationalize it like that, it felt... wrong. They were both his flesh and blood.
"If you hurry, you might see them packing up the animals," Kat said, drawing him from his temporary panic. He remembered the difference between these two girls.
Kat could take care of herself.
Outside the Parking Garage
Kat
"Toph, take Kat's arm," her brother said. Kat accepted the burden of Toph and whipped her hands back and forth. There was little water to react with her commands, though, and she ended up with a miniscule whip.
"See anything funny?" Toph asked, realizing what must be happening.
Kat looked at the bright signs, reading each one carefully. There wasn't much besides: You're an Inheritor, do us a favor and go die. In their lifetimes, they had seen much more interesting signs. Kat wasn't impressed by their hate-mongering.
"Nope, just the regular nonsense," Kat whispered to her, making sure to keep Toph in between herself and Aang. They had this unspoken agreement to keep the blind woman out of the main line of fire. It made them both more comfortable.
"Too bad, I guess." Toph said nothing more.
The yelling didn't wait for them to get completely out of the doorway. The three of them did not shrink back or in on themselves. They stood proud and strong. Their strength was met with more hate.
"Go back to where you came from!" someone yelled.
Kat couldn't stop herself. "I came from Alaska!"
For a moment, they were all quiet. Kat wasn't sure why the statement had drawn the spectators up short. But she noticed their eyes were not on her.
"Aunt Tara?" a little voice asked. Kyoshi stared in horror at the signs. For a moment, Kat wished the little girl could not read.
Kat wished she could hide these. Her niece was too little! As she scrambled to do something, the crowd made up her mind for her.
Liquid landed on her head and it washed over her entire body. For a moment she couldn't breathe. When Kat looked down, red coated her blue clothes. The band that identified her as an Inheritor seemed dull in comparison. They had poured paint on her. Bright red paint. Kat looked to Kyoshi, whose little mouth was wide and whose eyes began crying. The little girl didn't understand.
And then the hostile crowd threw a word that broke Kyoshi's composure.
"Freak."
A/N: Alright, as usual, sorry for the delay. Was far, far away from the internet. Y'all my state was on fire for a while. It was sad to watch. But we finally, finally got rain. Thanks for the love, I really hope to hear from you! (Anyone from Alaska? I'm really just trying not to misrepresent the areas I'm referring to. I live in the hot South. I have no idea what Alaska's like.)