2
Two months had passed since then. News of the avatar's return reached the North Pole, and everyone became excited. Especially the princess when she noticed the avatar was heading northward "He must be coming here to learn water bending!" She would say. Hoshiko would smile and reply "Perhaps. We won't know until he gets where he's going."
She had met Master Pakku, who she didn't like at all at first, and vice versa. But they eventually built up a tolerance to each other to a point where they would simply nod in the other's direction should they ever cross the other's path. She learned about Yue's upcoming wedding, which was set two weeks after her 16th birthday. She had met Hahn once. She thought he was an arrogant little noble who needed to have his gigantic ego deflated.
She didn't come into contact with a lot of Yue's friends (mostly because she didn't have a whole lot, being a princess and all). Her job was simply to guard the princess, not say hello to every person who says hi back. Yue had asked on multiple occasions about Hoshiko's past, and she told her a few things, but not everything. It was common knowledge for most people in the world that Shinjuns are slaves in the Fire nation, so she told her that.
Hoshiko's room was across from the princess's, for security purposes, and because she and Yue had become good friends. They were happy, having their friend in such close contact when they needed them. Sometimes, when Yue needed to talk to someone, she would walk across the hall and confide different things in Hoshiko, which she didn't tell anyone unless the princess said otherwise. Hoshiko would do the same, but she made sure she was awake before she entered the room, instead of hastily knocking on the door while the other was asleep, like Yue would do if Hoshiko's luck was bad.
She sometimes got letters from Xana occasionally, but the time between getting them was very long, mostly because the birds carrying them had to fly from the Earth Kingdom to the North Pole. But when she did get them, she would learn about Xana's travels and anything interesting that had happened during them. She laughed out loud when she read that Xana had met a man who was crazy, she figured that out when he insulted the tree he had been sitting under.
Today, she was waiting on the princess, who was readying to go on a gondola ride around the city. She tapped her gloved fingers impatiently against the arm of her parka (She had been given proper clothes to wear in the freezing cold) as she leaned against the wall of the hall she was in. The door opened and the princess stepped out.
"Finally!" Hoshiko huffed, "You take forever, you know that?"
Yue giggled, "Hoshiko, you must know by now that I enjoy preparing my appearance for everyone." Hoshiko sighed and scratched at the back of her head.
"I know that, I'm just not used to it." She said, both girls laughed a little, "Alright, c'mon, let's get to that gondola." She stopped, "Oh! And before I forget." Hoshiko rummaged through her pocket and pulled something out. Yue gazed at a bracelet with a small plate that had a drawing of a crescent moon, and inside the crescent was a white star. "Happy birthday, Princess."
"Oh, Hoshiko!" Yue exclaimed, "It's lovely!" Hoshiko hooked the bracelet on her wrist, "Where did you find it?"
"I talked with someone down at the market and got a deal on it." Hoshiko said, "It reminded me of when we first met. Remember? You were the moon, and I was a star." Yue laughed at the memory.
"It seems so long ago…" She said, "Thank you, Hoshiko. It's a wonderful gift." Hoshiko smiled.
"Glad you like it." Hoshiko replied, "Now! Let's get moving!"
Sokka stared out at the blue waves of the arctic sea as Appa flew only a few feet above the water, he huffed out some air before he spoke, "I'm not one to complain, but can't Appa fly any higher?" Appa's foot brushed against some water before he floated back up.
"I have an idea," Aang began, turning around, "Why don't we all get on your back and you can fly us to the North Pole!"
"I'd love to!" Sokka growled back, "Climb on everyone!" He pointed his thumb at his back and began shaking his butt, "Sokka's ready for take-off!" He glared at Momo when he took the invitation.
"Look," Katara started, "We're all just a little tired and cranky because we've been flying for two days straight."
"And for what?" Sokka asked, "We can't even find the Northern Water Tribe! There's nothing up here." As if to agree with him, Appa let out a low grunt. The group heard a splashing sound and was suddenly met with an iceberg that rose up out of the water and froze in front of them. Aang let out a surprised scream and swerved Appa to avoid it, the sudden swing making Katara and Sokka hang onto the saddle for their lives. Another iceberg came up and nicked Appa's foot. They spun out and landed in the water, where ice froze around them to hold them there as multiple gondolas came out of the icebergs surrounding them, all of them carrying men in Water Tribe style clothing.
"They're water benders!" Katara exclaimed, "We found the Water Tribe!"
As the group rode with the water benders, they came upon a giant, icy wall with the symbol of the Water Tribe carved into it. "There it is!" Aang exclaimed, pointing to the wall.
"The Northern Water Tribe…" Katara breathed, looking at the wall.
"We're finally here." Sokka said. The water benders bended the ice of the wall down into the water to allow a tunnel for them to go through. They did so and were amazed at the four walls surrounding the entrance, each one was manned by at least four water benders, and they melted the ice around them to make the water level rise so they'd be able to swim through the rivers that went through the city.
"I can't believe how many water benders live up here!" Katara said, waving to the water benders that had let them in.
"We'll find a master to teach us, no problem!" Aang said, directing Appa through the waterways, following the gondola leading them to the palace. They waved at the spectators who were looking down at them, murmuring excitedly about the visit of the avatar. As they passed under a bridge, they went by a white gondola, where a Shinjun girl with black hair, black ears, crystal blue eyes, and a black tail was sitting behind a pretty water tribe girl with long white hair and sapphire blue eyes. Sokka only noticed the white haired girl and stared after her dreamily, running to the end of Appa's tail to keep looking at her.
"This place is beautiful." Katara said, gazing at the buildings and bridges they passed by.
"Yeah, she is…" Sokka murmured back, still staring at the white haired girl.
"What did I tell you?" Yue exclaimed excitedly as she fixed her hair, "Did I not say he was coming here?"
"Okay, okay, I get it." Hoshiko said, laughing a little from her place on the princess's bed, "You were right, you were right." Yue turned her attention back to her vanity, "And on your birthday, nonetheless. Talk about exciting."
"Isn't it?" Yue said, "This is wonderful, father's preparing an entire feast for us." Hoshiko quirked an eyebrow.
"'Us'?" She questioned.
"Yes, me and the avatar." Yue said, "These are times for great celebration!" Hoshiko smiled.
"Yes, they certainly are." She agreed, "Almost finished?"
"Almost…" She pulled one of her braids into its appropriate holder at the end and turned back around to Hoshiko, "Okay, I'm done." Hoshiko got up.
"Then let's get a move on, birthday-girl!" She said, walking beside her as they went to the banquet hall, where Chief Arnook had just begun a speech.
"Tonight, we celebrate the arrival of our brother and sister from the Southern Tribe," He gestured to Katara and Sokka, who smiled at the crowd at the banquet, "And they have brought with them someone very special." He continued, "Someone who many of us believed disappeared from the world until now. The avatar!" He gestured to Aang and the crowd cheered. He smiled sheepishly and waved at them. "We also celebrate my daughter's 16th birthday." He gestured to Yue as she walked up, Hoshiko beside her, "Princess Yue is now of marrying age!" Sokka gaped at her, recognizing her from the gondola ride on the way in.
"Thank you, Father." Yue said, "May the great Ocean and Moon spirits watch over us during these troubled times!" She said, turning to the crowd.
"Now, Master Pakku and his students will perform!" Arnook said, waving his hand towards Pakku and his two students. Music began to play and they lifted the water out of three vases and made the two outer streams swirl around the one in the middle. The crowd applauded. They swirled the water around themselves before turning it into one gigantic stream, circling the three of them. Aang and Katara shared a knowing look, they had found their water bending master.
As Yue went to sit down beside Sokka, Hoshiko noticed the Southern Water Tribe boy was stuffing his face, but stopped once Yue sat next to him. He wiped his hands on his parka before turning to her with a smile. "Hi there." He greeted coolly, "Sokka, Southern Water Tribe." Hoshiko stood back and leaned against a nearby pillar, thinking this oughta be good.
"Very nice to meet you." Yue said, bowing towards him. They looked away from each other, not knowing what to say and sat there awkwardly. Hoshiko almost rolled her eyes at the sight.
"So, uh…" Sokka began, "…You're a princess! Huh." Yue nodded her head, "You know, back in my tribe, I'm kind of like a prince myself."
Katara snorted in laughter, "Prince of what?" She asked.
"A lot of things!" Sokka retorted, turning on her, "Do you mind? I'm trying to have a conversation, here!"
"My apologies, Prince Sokka." Katara said in a mockingly-respectful voice and bowing low. Hoshiko snickered. She was obviously his sister. Sokka gave her a disgruntled look before turning back to the princess.
"So, it looks like I'm gonna be in town for a while." He said, "I'm thinking maybe we could… Do an activity together?" His voice cracked at the last part.
"'Do an activity'?" Yue repeated, trying to contain her giggles. Sokka blushed, embarrassed, before he stuffed two more pieces of food in his mouth, swallowing, and coughing to clear his throat. Trying to recover from what he said.
"Very smooth." Katara said, smirking at him. Hoshiko rolled her eyes and saw the tattooed monk walk over to her. She glanced sideways at him, raising an eyebrow at his tattoos, and he just stared at her, his grey eyes wide in curiosity. Watching him stare at her was a bit unnerving, so she shifted her weight and turned her head towards him.
"Paint a portrait, it'll last longer." She growled, the monk jumped at her voice and smiled sheepishly at her, blushing shamefully.
"Sorry." He muttered, he walked closer to her and smiled at her, "I'm Aang."
"Nice to meet you, avatar." Hoshiko said, bowing respectfully and he bowed back, "My name is Hoshiko. I am the private guard to Princess Yue." She leaned against the pillar again.
"Oh, then why aren't you eating?" Aang asked, gesturing to the empty spot beside Yue. "There's a spot right there. Isn't that your spot?"
"No." Hoshiko answered, "I already ate dinner, I don't need to eat it again." She shrugged, "That spot's open to whoever wants it now."
"Oh…" Aang said, he looked away awkwardly, unsure of what to say, "Um… I'm just… Gonna… Go talk to Master Pakku." Hoshiko waved half-heartedly as he walked away.
"Okay, bye." She said. She looked back at Yue, who was enjoying her meal. She kept noticing her eyes wandering to the boy next to her. She smiled slightly at the sight, it seemed the princess just might have a little crush.
After about an hour, the princess excused herself and Hoshiko followed. She quickly met her pace and walked alongside her. "Going to bed?"
"Yes." She answered, "I'm surprised Hahn didn't come."
"I'm not." Hoshiko answered, "Honestly, I'm glad that prick didn't come."
"Hoshiko!" Yue scolded, "Don't say that! Hahn may not be the person you like the most, but that's no reason to call him… That!" Hoshiko looked away.
"You don't like him, either." She said, Yue turned away from her, a pained look on her face. When Hoshiko saw her face, she started apologizing, "Sorry. I forgot about the whole marriage thing for a second." Yue turned to her with a sad smile.
"It's alright, Hoshiko." She said. They had reached their rooms and Yue bowed to Hoshiko, "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Princess." Hoshiko said, bowing in return. The princess walked into her room and shut the door while Hoshiko went to her room and began to prepare for bed. Before she could close the door, however, she saw a servant boy running towards her, asking her to wait. She opened the door a little wider and looked at the servant boy as he stopped in front of her.
"Chief Arnook asked me to give you this." He said, handing her a scroll. She took it and opened it. Groaning at the request written inside.
Aang petted Momo's head affectionately before looking over at Katara with an excited look on his face. They were both going to be trained by Master Pakku, a necessity for Aang, and a dream come true for Katara. They opened the door to the icy guest house they had been given, and found a dark-haired, tired-looking Shinjun girl waiting outside. Aang recognized her right away.
"Hoshiko!" Katara looked at the young air bender.
"You know her?" She asked him. He looked up at his water bending friend.
"I met her last night, she's the private guard to Princess Yue." He said, he turned back to the irritated Shinjun, "What're you doing here?"
"I'm here to escort you to Master Pakku." She said, holding out a scroll with a symbol imprinted on it, "Chief's orders." She looked at the monk, then at the water tribe girl, and saw no one else was there. "I thought you were taking a friend to take lessons with you."
"I am." Aang said, he gestured to Katara, "She's learning, too." Hoshiko's eyebrows rose.
"I didn't know that Pakku…" She trailed shaking her head, "Never mind, I barely understand that old man, anyway. Come on, I'll take you to him." She led them onto a pathway that would lead to the cliff outside the palace where Master Pakku taught water bending. She listened to their conversation as they spoke.
"I've waited for this day my whole life!" The water tribe girl said, "I finally get to learn from a real water bending master!" Hoshiko looked over to the girl, who noticed her stare, "What?"
"Don't they have water bending masters in the Southern Tribe?" She asked, the girl shook her head.
"No, I'm the only water bender there, the rest were taken by the Fire nation." She said sadly, Hoshiko's eyes narrowed and she turned her attention to the pathway again.
"Figures." She muttered, "They can't get enough from destroying one civilization, so they move on to another one." Aang looked at her curiously.
"What do you mean?" He asked, "I know they hurt the water tribe and already took parts of the Earth kingdom, but…"
"She's talking about the Shinjun tribe, Aang." The girl whispered, "The Fire nation took out any Shinjun tribe they could. Turning a lot of them into slaves." She gazed at Hoshiko sadly, "I wouldn't be surprised if she was one."
"You're right." Hoshiko said, startling her, "I was." She turned so she could see her clearly, "And then I escaped." She brought them up the steps and they saw Master Pakku bending a stream of water.
"Good morning, Master Pakku!" Aang shouted, Hoshiko winced at the volume of his voice and Pakku's water splashed to the snow beneath him.
"No, please, march right in. I'm not concentrating or anything." Pakku said sarcastically. He turned and saw Hoshiko with the avatar, "Hoshiko. I didn't expect to see you up before noon." She glared stiffly at him, her ears hooding backwards and her tail swinging viciously, her eyes narrowing into dangerous slits.
"Bite me, old man." She growled, showing her elongated canines. Pakku said nothing as he glared back at her, standing his ground against the irritated Shinjun.
"Uh… This is my friend, Katara." Aang said, trying to ease the tension in the air. "The one I told you about?" Katara bowed respectfully to him, and he looked at the avatar before looking back at Katara, a displeased expression on his permanently sour face.
"I'm sorry, I think there's been a misunderstanding." He said, bending a seat for himself out of ice. "You didn't tell me your friend was a girl. In our tribe, it is forbidden for women to learn water bending."
"Oh, so you're not teaching girls." Hoshiko thought aloud, "For a second, I thought you were going against the traditions you value so much." He sent the Shinjun a dry look, which she stood her ground at.
"What do you mean you won't teach me?" Katara demanded angrily, walking towards the water bending master angrily. Aang reached out to stop her, but decided against it. "I didn't travel across the entire world so you could tell me 'no'!"
"No." Master Pakku said firmly.
"But there must be other female water benders in your tribe!" Katara said.
"Here, the women learn from Yagoda to use their water bending to heal." Pakku said, "I'm sure she would be happy to take you as her student, despite your bad attitude."
"I don't wanna heal, I wanna fight!" Katara declared.
"I can see that." Pakku replied, "But our tribe has customs. Rules."
"Well, your rules stink!" Katara retorted.
"Yeah, they're not fair!" Aang said, standing beside his friend, "If you won't teach Katara, then…"
"Then what?" Pakku asked, standing.
"Then I won't learn from you!" Aang declared as he stalked away. Hoshiko looked after him with wide eyes. Wasn't it kind of essential for the avatar to learn water bending?
"Well, have fun teaching yourself." Pakku said, "I'm sure you'll do a great job!"
"Wait! Aang didn't mean that." Katara said as she rushed over to Aang, "You can't risk your training for me. You have to learn from Master Pakku. Even if he is a big jerk." At this they both sent a glare to the old master before facing each other again. Aang nodded grudgingly and turned back to the master.
"Why don't we get started then?" Pakku said with a victorious grin on his face before he blasted a wave of water at Aang, who was shot back from it. Hoshiko followed after Katara as she stiffly walked down the stairs.
"Hey! Girl!" She called after her, "Wait up!" Katara whirled around and glared at her.
"My name isn't girl!" She said, "It's Katara!" Hoshiko flinched back.
"Okay, okay." She said, holding her hands up in defense, "Sorry." Katara kept walking down the stairs and Hoshiko followed after her, "Jeez, you're supposed to mad at Pakku, not me." Katara took a deep breath and looked back at the Shinjun, slightly calmer.
"Sorry." She said, "It just makes me so mad…!"
"Look, I know it's unfair." Hoshiko said, "But that's just how things work in this place. Everything runs off of tradition, rules, and politics. It's not fair a lot of times, but you learn to live with it." She put a hand on the young water bender's shoulder in comfort, "You have to bear things you don't want to, but that's just how life is sometimes. Believe me, I know, slavery's not fun." Katara looked back at the Shinjun sadly. "Now, may I escort you to Yagoda's healing hut?" Katara nodded her head and removed Hoshiko's hand from her shoulder.
"Yes, thank you." Katara said, Hoshiko smiled warmly at her and lead her to the hut.
Hoshiko led Katara into an ice hut. Inside a woman sat on a platform in front of a wooden dummy. She moved the water through the carved paths in it, the carved paths representing the points of flow for chi. Katara walked in front of Hoshiko, who raised her hand at the old woman on the platform, "Um, hi…" She greeted, "Are you Yagoda?"
"Are you here for the healing lesson?" Yagoda asked. Katara looked around at her students, all of them girls who were just a few years younger than her. She looked down sadly.
"I guess I am." Katara said, walking over and sitting down.
"Welcome!" Yagoda greeted, she looked up and noticed Hoshiko, "Oh, Hoshiko! What brings you by?"
"I was just escorting her here, Miss Yagoda." Hoshiko said, she bowed respectfully, "Nothing more. Good day to you."
"Good day." Yagoda said as Hoshiko left. She went on the pathway back to the palace, hoping that Yue wouldn't mind her being so late.
As she walked by the courtyard, she saw Aang bending a stream of water in front of Master Pakku, who was bending the water in his octopus noodles. The water Aang bent was wiggling and shaking much more than it should have been. Hoshiko's keen ears picked up on the words that were spoken.
"You're moving the water around, but you're not feeling the push and pull." Pakku said.
"I'm… Trying!" Aang grunted as he bent the water into a misshapen circle. Pakku slurped some of his noodles, looking over at the struggling avatar.
"Maybe that move is too advanced for you." Pakku mused aloud, "Why don't you try an easier one?" Aang threw the water down into the snow and let out an irritated growl. Hoshiko rolled her eyes at the sight, thinking, Stupid old man.
"You did what?"
"Is it really that bad?" Yue asked, looking up at her with a confused face from her vanity seat. "I only accepted his invitation." Hoshiko groaned and grabbed her hair by the roots, something she only did when she was very frustrated or distraught.
"Yes! Yue, you like the guy, I get it, but think about this for two seconds!" She said, "You are engaged! Engaged! To another man! Yes, this man is a total loser and a complete pri-"
"Hoshiko!"
"Sorry, but you're still engaged to him!" Hoshiko said, "I mean, I'm all for being together out of love, but when you're engaged to another man… Well… It's just… Wrong!" She looked at Yue apologetically, "Plus, if your dad found out I'd let you fall in love with someone who wasn't Hahn, I might just get fired from this job and never see you again." Yue saddened at the thought, "I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to see him."
"Try and stop me!" Yue said, rising from her seat, Hoshiko jumped back in shock, she had never seen Yue get mad before, much less at her. Yue calmed herself at the sight of Hoshiko's expression, before sighing and looking up at her with pleading eyes, "It is only one night, Hoshiko. Please, indulge me just this once." Hoshiko narrowed her eyes at her, but not in a threatening way, more in a contemplating way.
"You get one hour, that's it." Hoshiko said, "After that, I'll come and get you, understand?" Yue nodded.
"Yes, thank you, Hoshiko." Hoshiko bowed before she began to walk out of the room, talking about attending to some business, when the door opened, revealing Hahn to the girls. Hahn was a tall boy, with a strong chin, sharp blue eyes, plenty of muscles for a boy his size, and honestly, very good looking. Any girl would be swooning at the sight, but Hoshiko and Yue knew better. Hahn was self-obsessed and loved himself more than anyone else. He smiled at Hoshiko before he turned to Yue and spoke.
"Princess, you're looking marvelous, as always." He greeted, Yue nodded stiffly.
"Hello, Hahn." She said. Hahn held up a necklace, obviously carved, to her.
"Congratulations on turning sixteen." He said, "This is your present from me: your betrothal necklace." He walked over and placed it around her neck, "I carved it myself. What do you think?"
"It's lovely, Hahn, thank you." Yue said, touching the necklace and looking at herself in her vanity mirror. Hahn turned his eyes to Hoshiko and smirked, Yue didn't catch it, but Hoshiko did, her eyes narrowing dangerously.
"Hoshiko, would you be willing to escort me back to my home?" He asked, his smirk still on his face as he turned to her. Hoshiko glared, wanting to say no, but Yue answered for her.
"Yes, Hoshiko, please be so kind as to escort Hahn back." She said, sounding something like an order. Hoshiko nodded once, bowing to the princess.
"As you wish, princess." She said, she looked back at Hahn, "Come, Lord Hahn, I'll escort you home." Hahn nodded, following the Shinjun out.
They walked down the halls in silence, Hahn waiting for Hoshiko to say something, and Hoshiko wanting to get Hahn home as fast as possible without speaking to him. Hahn eventually broke the silence and spoke. "You know, you look wonderful today."
"Yes, Lord Hahn." Hoshiko said, sounding bored.
"I mean it, you must be one of the most lovely Shinjuns I ever had the pleasure of seeing." Hahn continued, obviously trying to get something out of her.
"Yes, Lord Hahn." Hoshiko repeated.
"It really makes me wonder… Relationships between humans and Shinjuns are possible, right?" Hoshiko snapped her head to Hahn, seeing him smirking at her and being serious at the same time.
"What are you suggesting exactly, Lord Hahn?" She asked, wary of him. He leaned closer to her face.
"I love it when you call me 'Lord.'" He said in a hushed voice. Hoshiko's eyes widened and she took a step back.
"Lord Hahn, you are engaged to the princess!" Hoshiko said, trying to keep her language level in front of such an important political figure. Hahn took a larger step closer to her, so his body was flush against hers. He grabbed hold of her arms so she couldn't back away.
"That doesn't mean we can't have a little fun…" He said, leaning closer to her face. When his lips were about to touch hers, she wrenched her arm free and pushed him away.
"You're sick!" Hoshiko said, storming off from him, "Get home on your own, sleaze-bag!" He looked after the Shinjun as she trudged angrily down the halls. His eyes never leaving her swaying behind as she walked.
Hoshiko looked at the message she was given by the chief, her eyebrow twitching in irritation. "Bringing the avatar his dinner?" She mumbled to herself. "Seems I'm getting demoted every day…" She shook her head and went down to the kitchen, taking the tray of food from a servant and walking down to the guest hut where the avatar and his friends were staying. She stopped in front of the door and cleared her throat, "Avatar, I've brought you your dinner." The door opened and she saw Aang open it, she nodded at him and walked in, seeing Katara was there as well.
"Hi Hoshiko." Katara greeted sadly, Hoshiko nodded at her and smiled.
"Hello." Hoshiko greeted, she walked over to a small table near where the beds had been set up, "How did the healing lesson go, Katara?"
"It went fine." She replied. Hoshiko nodded, setting the tray down on the table. The door to the hut opened and the Water Tribe boy called Sokka came in, looking upset.
"Hey Sokka." Katara greeted, "How's warrior training going?" Sokka kicked a bag on the floor and fell to his knees before lying on his stomach, his arms and head resting on the bag he had kicked.
"That bad?" Aang asked.
"No, it's Princess Yue." Sokka said, Hoshiko froze, "I don't get it. One minute, she wants to go out with me, and the next, she's telling me to get lost." Hoshiko looked over at the group as they continued to speak, "So how's water bending training?" Katara did the same thing Sokka did, falling on her knees and lying on her stomach on top of her sleeping bag, burying her head in her arms under the hood of her parka.
"Master Poop-head won't teach her because she's a girl." Aang said. Hoshiko smirked at the name he came up with for him.
"Why don't you just teach her, Aang?" Sokka suggested.
"Why didn't I think of that?" Katara exclaimed, a smile on her face as she stood, "At night, you can teach me whatever moves you learn from Master Pakku. That way, you have someone to practice with, and I get to learn water bending! Everyone's happy!"
"I'm not happy." Sokka said.
"But you're never happy." Katara retorted, "Come on, Aang." Hoshiko tried to call out after them.
"Uh, Katara, that's not such a-" She was cut off when the door shut, "…Good idea…" She sighed, rubbing her face with her hand. She pulled her hand down and looked to see Sokka staring at her, "What?"
"Who are you, exactly?" He asked, Hoshiko stood.
"I'm Hoshiko, private guard to Princess Yue, and the person who brought your dinner." She gestured to the tray behind her, "Enjoy."
"Not hungry." Sokka grunted, Hoshiko shrugged as she walked to the door.
"Fine, whatever, I don't care." She said, before she opened the door, she hesitated, turning around to see Sokka glaring at the wall. Did Yue dump him because of what I said? Whether or not this was true, she still felt guilty for it. "You know, Sokka," He looked over at her, "Yue does like you. She's just… in a complicated position right now." He raised an eyebrow at her before she turned and left the hut.
Hoshiko walked past the princess's room and hesitated before knocking on her door. "Yue? Are you in there?" She heard only silence, "I'm coming in." She slowly opened the door and found the princess sulking in her vanity chair, staring listlessly at the floor beneath her. Her hair was out of its holder and unbraided, it traveled all the way down to her hip when it was down. Hoshiko looked at the princess warily, "Princess Yue?"
She looked up at her, Yue's sapphire eyes filled with unshed tears. Hoshiko suddenly felt sympathy wash over her, "Oh, Yue…" She pulled the princess into a hug, which she readily welcomed, sobbing into her shoulder. Hoshiko rubbed the princess's back soothingly as she cried, murmuring comforting words. She finally calmed down to a point where she was able to speak calmly, though her tears still ran down her face, "Yue, what is it? What happened?"
"I thought about what you said." Yue said, wiping away some tears which were quickly replaced, "You were right. I shouldn't be with him if I'm engaged to another. So I told him it was a mistake to ask him to come here, and I came back." She kept wiping some more tears, "I don't know why, but I'm so upset…" Hoshiko pulled the princess back into another hug.
"Oh, Yue…" She murmured, "You really love this boy, don't you?" Yue nodded silently, "You poor thing. I feel your pain, I really do." Yue looked up at the Shinjun with a questioning gaze, "A few years ago, there was a new family that came to my tribe. A Polaris family, just a pair of parents and their son. I became friends with him, and it eventually became something more," Hoshiko put her hand over her heart, "It wasn't like we were in love, but we had a strong bond. To make it so we never lost one another, we pledged ourselves to each other. Our parents agreed to the pledge, and we had the tribe chief perform the ceremony to make it so. He is my 半分魂 hanbun tamashi and his soul shall remain forever intertwined with mine, and that is how he shall remain until I die."
"Where is he now?" Yue asked, Hoshiko shook her head sadly.
"I don't know." She said, "The last time I saw him was two years ago, when I was being sold at the slave market in the Fire nation. I haven't seen him since." Yue pulled her friend into a hug much like she had done for her. "I don't even know if he's alive anymore. But if he is, he has left with half of my soul, and I shall forever keep his." A lone tear slid down her cheek.
"That's terrible, Hoshiko." Yue said, "I don't know if I could live with myself, knowing someone I love was dead." Hoshiko gently pulled away from her.
"There is always the hope he's still alive." Hoshiko said, "And that's what keeps me going. I'm sorry about what I said about you and Sokka. If you want to be with him, I won't stop you. Just promise you'll take the blame for it." Yue laughed lightly at her small joke.
"I promise." She said, she took Hoshiko's hands and helped her up. "We should probably get to bed, huh?"
"Yeah, we probably should." Hoshiko said, smiling. She took her hands back and bowed to the princess, "Goodnight, Princess." Yue did the same bow.
"Goodnight, Hoshiko." She said.
Hoshiko walked toward the door, stopping before she exited, "…Princess?" Yue turned to Hoshiko, "Could you… Not tell anyone about this? It's kind of a private thing." Yue gave her a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." Yue promised. Hoshiko nodded gratefully and left to her room.
Hoshiko gazed at the avatar and his friends as Katara was explaining the situation to Chief Arnook and the tribe elders after she had been caught water bending by Pakku when he went out on one of his moonlight walks. Hoshiko leaned against a pillar as Katara spoke.
"What do you want me to do?" Arnook asked, "Force Master Pakku to take Aang back as his student?"
"Yes!… Please." Katara said.
"I suspect he might change his mind, if you swallow your pride and apologize to him." Arnook growled out, obviously insulted by her going against their cultures. Katara looked back at Aang before turning to Pakku.
"Fine." She grumbled. Pakku smirked victoriously.
"I'm waiting, little girl." He taunted. Katara's fists clenched and she glared at the old man.
"No." She said firmly, "No way am I apologizing to a sour old man like you!" In her rage, Katara's water bending caused cracks in the icy floor, and caused the vases near them to burst from the water's movement.
"Uh, Katara?" Aang questioned, trying to get her to calm down.
"I'll be outside if you're man enough to fight me!" Katara challenged. Yue gasped and covered her mouth in shock. Hoshiko's eyes widened and her ears pricked up as high as they could go. Was she serious? Katara stalked out of the throne room, everyone's gaze following her.
"I'm sure she didn't mean that." Aang said, trying to assuage their fears about her statement.
"Yeah, I think she did." Sokka said, confirming their fears. Hoshiko stood from her place against the pillar and followed Aang and Sokka outside as Katara stalked down the stairs. She heard Yue following her, but she didn't respond to her. She listened as Sokka and Aang tried to convince Katara out of this fight.
"Are you crazy, Katara?" Sokka asked, "You're not gonna win this fight!"
"I know!" Katara said, taking off her parka and throwing it at him. "I don't care!"
"You don't have to do this for me." Aang said, "I can find another teacher."
"I'm not doing it for you!" Katara said, "Someone needs to slap some sense into that guy." They all looked up as Pakku came down the stairs outside the palace, "So, you decided to show up?" Pakku said nothing as he walked right past her. "Aren't you gonna fight?"
"Go back to the healing huts with the other women where you belong." Pakku said. Katara gritted her teeth in anger, using her bending, she made a small stream of icy water come from the snow and turned it into a whip, which she used to hit Master Pakku in the back of the head. Hoshiko couldn't help the smirk across her face when she saw the angered face of Pakku. "Fine, you want to learn to fight so bad?" Pakku asked, a dangerous smirk coming on his face, "Study closely!"
He brought up the water from two nearby wells, making them form a watery circle. Katara ran at him from the side, but Pakku knocked her back with the water. He surrounded them both in a vortex of water, threatening to swat Katara like a fly.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you." Pakku said, this obviously came as an insult to Katara, as she knocked the water away with her own bending, sending it straight at Sokka by accident, knocking him back by six feet. When Katara began to run at him again, he made a wall of ice in the shape of a high wave. She slid over it and landed on the post at the end of a snowy staircase, she stumbled a bit on her landing, but she didn't fall. Pakku used the water from his ice wall to try and push her off, but Katara bent the ice on the end of the post she stood on around her feet, making so she wouldn't fall off as she deflected the water.
She looked at him defiantly as she declared, "You can't knock me down!" There was a sound of cheers as she said this, Aang yelling, "Go Katara!" She ran at him again, but she was faster this time, making Pakku have less time to make a sturdier wall of ice, which she quickly melted away. She punched at him a few times, each one being blocked before Pakku sent a stream of water at her, knocking her into one of the wells. He smirked victoriously, thinking she would give up, but as she came up from the water, she made a small pillar of ice. She sent a paper thin, razor sharp circle of ice at him from the pillar again and again, Pakku breaking a few and dodging one that went right by him.
Children cheered at the sight, while a few nobles watched in shock. Katara bent a stream of water at Pakku, hoping it would knock him down, but he caught it and maneuvered it so it made a small wave that knocked Katara over as she tried to run at him again. Katara got up after a deep breath, her hair was slightly disheveled and sticking out of her braid. She used her water bending to make the two pillars of snow near him topple down, but Pakku used his bending to turn them into snowflakes before they hit him, making a small cloud of white over his head as the snowflakes fell.
"Well, I'm impressed." He said to her, "You are an excellent water bender."
"But you still won't teach me, will you?" Katara asked.
"No." Pakku replied. Katara brought up a small wave of water at him and turned it into ice. Pakku avoided it by making a wide pillar of ice to jump over it, which he used as something of a way to slide to her using his bending. Katara bent another stream at him, which he deflected and froze to the side of her, he slid on it and knocked her aside hard enough to make her necklace fall off. Pakku jumped onto the edge of a well and looked at Katara, her hair now completely undone and let down from the fight. She tried to catch her breath before she stood, but Pakku was faster, making the water in the well he stood on fly up and freeze into icicles that imprisoned her.
Katara tried to wriggle her way out of the ice, but to no avail. "This fight is over!" Pakku declared as he walked away.
"Come back here!" Katara shouted, "I'm not finished yet!"
"Yes, you are." Pakku said, stopping when he almost stepped on Katara's necklace. His eyes widened as he picked it up. "This is my necklace…" He breathed.
"No it's not, it's mine!" Katara yelled, "Give it back!"
"I made this sixty years ago…" Pakku said, gazing at the jewelry, "For the love of my life…" He looked up sadly as the icicles around Katara were turned into water again and splashed against the ground, "For Kana…"
"My Gran Gran was supposed to marry you?" Katara asked softly.
"I carved this necklace for your grandmother when we got engaged." Pakku said, "I thought we would have a long, happy life together…" He gazed back down at the necklace, "…I loved her."
"But she didn't love you, did she?" Katara asked, Pakku looked over at her, his eyes the saddest Hoshiko had ever seen, "It was an arranged marriage." Hoshiko saw the princess tear up. "Gran Gran wouldn't let your tribe's stupid customs run her life." Katara walked over to Pakku, "That's why she left." Pakku held the necklace to his heart, "It must've taken a lot of courage." That comment was what did it. Yue couldn't help herself as she started to sob, running away from them. Sokka, Aang, Hoshiko, and Arnook looked after her as she ran. Hoshiko turned to Sokka, who noticed her staring and smiled at him.
"Go get her." She told him. He didn't need to be told twice as he ran after Yue. Hoshiko looked over at Aang with a knowing look, and he sent it right back, "Think they'll be okay?"
"Yeah, Sokka's a good guy, they'll be fine." Aang replied. Hoshiko looked back to Pakku and Katara, who were speaking.
"Perhaps she did the right thing." Pakku said, "And maybe I have been a bit… strict on our tribe's customs. You are a fantastic water bender, and with my teachings, you will become an excellent one."
"Are… you saying that you'll teach me?" Katara asked.
"I am." Pakku said, "I will see you at sunrise." He handed the necklace back to Katara and walked away. Hoshiko crossed her arms and smirked.
"Well, Pakku's icy heart seems to have finally melted." Hoshiko mused humorously. "Good thing, too. I was really starting to contemplate sticking an even bigger stick up his ass." Aang let out a startled snort in laughter, Hoshiko laughing with him a moment later.
Hoshiko awoke with a start, breathing heavily and covered in a thin sheet of sweat. She had the nightmare again. She pressed her palms against her eyes, trying to rid herself of the last remnants bit of her nightmare. She hadn't had it since she arrived at the Northern Water Tribe, she had forgotten how terrible it was. She looked outside her window to see it was past sunrise. She got up and looked out the window to see Master Pakku training his students, having Aang do a water bending move. When he finished, he looked to Master Pakku for approval.
"Not bad, not bad." Pakku chuckled, "Keep practicing and maybe you'll get it by the time you're my age!" Aang scowled and looked away. They heard the footsteps of someone arriving and Hoshiko saw Katara running up the stairs to where they were training.
"Hey Katara!" Aang greeted cheerily.
"What do you think you're doing?" Pakku asked sternly, Katara looked up at him, "It's past sunrise," He smiled, "You're late." He made a stance for his students to copy and Katara and Aang did so.
"Good to see you here." Aang said.
"You too." Katara replied. Pakku went on to teach his students and Hoshiko ignored them as she tried to go back to sleep. For some reason, she couldn't help this sinking feeling in her gut that something big was going to happen, but she wasn't sure what.