I sleep through the morning and wake to Pakku's face far too close for comfort. Urgh. "It's time to say goodbye."
I nod and follow him to where everyone's assembled to bid Team Avatar farewell. They line up in front of Pakku like ducklings.
"Katara," Pakku says, and pulls out a vial that I remember her using to heal Aang after Azula got him with lightning, "I want you to have this. This amulet contains water from the Spirit Oasis. The water has unique properties, don't lose it."
She hugs him, I note with alarm, and thanks him. Even more alarming, he lets her. But I wonder if she will later think to ask what those unique properties are. I don't know, so I certainly will.
"Aang, these scrolls will help you master waterbending," he hands over a box, "But remember, they are no substitute for a real Master."
Funny things happen. Instead of looking at Katara, like I expected, he glances at me. To which I tilt my head. What…?
As the next in line, Sokka steps up eagerly.
"Sokka," Pakku pats his shoulder, "Take care, son."
Sokka's face is hilarious. I snicker and step up. I pull Hahn's dagger from my satchel. It's been a heavy weight there, all this time. "This belonged to Hahn. Yue gave it to him when she accepted his betrothal necklace. It would've been returned to her upon the termination of the engagement and given to the next suitor she accepted. You'll have better use for it than me, I imagine."
Sokka's eyes grow suspiciously misty. Oh crap. I pat his shoulder, like Pakku did and give him a wink. He straightens up and stows the dagger away. "Thanks," he mumbles and climbs onto the flying bison suspiciously quickly.
"Fly straight to the Earth Kingdom based east of here. General Fong will provide you with an escort to Omashu. There you'll be safe to begin your earthbending training with King Bumi," Pakku instructs.
"Appa, yip yip!"
"Say hi to Gran-Gran for me!" Katara shouts. And soon they're only a dot on the horizon.
I sigh. I figure most things will turn out alright for them. Aang will figure out how to be himself while also being the Avatar.
Pakku steps to the railing next to me. "I expected you to go with them."
Ah, so that was what the waterbending master comment was about. "Nah. Too much excitement for me."
He snorts. "Now that's not true, Kaito. I remember the days where you would delight in causing mayhem across the entire city."
I pass a hand through my hair, "You know that's long past."
"Is it? You would do well with them, I think. With someone to take care of."
I'm surprised he'd say that. I don't behave like much of a caretaker.
"I heard you with Aang last night," he says in lieu of waiting for my answer. That sly old man.
I turn my head to look at him. "Then you know why it wouldn't be good for me to join them. Katara would feel threatened in her position as the waterbender in the group. Sokka might tolerate me so far, but I'm a living reminder of Yue. Aang, well, he doesn't need someone who won't flat out refuse to kill someone if the situation demands it."
"Are you sure about that?" he asks and looks up at the sky. Something in is tone makes me follow his line of sight.
Apparently, I'm more popular than I thought.
The flying bison does one of those groaning grunt-like noises and then Aang jumps off and onto the deck. "Kaito," he says, big eyes round, "We can't leave without you. You're one of us, no matter what Katara says."
Er… "Well, I'll just throw all my plans out of the window on the fly then, shall I?"
Aang, bless his heart, does not seem to understand sarcasm when it hits him in the face. So what he does, is whoop and yank me into the air by my collar. I just about catch my satchel with a sleeping bag tied to it that Pakku throws me. Once I've been deposited in the saddle, Aang takes the reins again.
Katara looks at me like she swallowed something unpleasant, Sokka just shrugs and offers to tie my pack to the saddle. "Thanks, Sokka."
He shrugs and we lounge back into the soft fur of Appa, the flying bison.
"Sooo…" Aang says over his shoulder after a while of more or less comfortable silence.
"Let's get along?" I suggest, a laugh in my voice.
"Yes!" Sokka points at me, "It'll be great! We'll get to see earthbenders in action! And maybe some of their strategies against the Fire Nation…"
He trails off, looking naïve, concentrated and hopeful all at once. It seems he's understood the price that war against the Fire Nation raises. The cost of living freely.
"They don't seem to be effective for more than slowing the Fire Nation down, though," I comment, watching the clouds pass us by. I lift a hand and try to get a feel for them. They're not too different from steam, or mist, but keeping them from turning into properly condensed water particles is a bit of a challenge. "The war's been going on for a hundred years now. There have been no successful counterattacks so far, nothing that actually regained territory from the Fire Nation. But yes, we'll learn something from meeting this General Fong."
"If you don't think the Earthkingdom's strategies have been effective, why come with us?" Katara's tone is that of barely hidden petulance. I'm not entirely sure where this intense dislike stems from, but I suspect it has something to do with Pakku.
"Katara," Sokka says, reproachful, "Remember how he actually helped us a lot? And how just half an hour ago, we decided to bring him with us, if he wanted to come?"
She jerks her head away, arms already crossed, intent on ignoring us.
Ah, puberty.
"I'm here," I drawl slowly, "Because I have nothing better to do, and I do enjoy your company for the most part."
Sokka seems pleased by the admission, Katara's face scrunches up even more and I can feel Aang's smile grow without seeing it. Urgh.
"But the General seems like a person to meet," I add, to get away from the topic. "I read some of his and Pakku's correspondence. He seems very determined to help Aang."
"Why's that sound like a bad thing when you say it?" Sokka asks, not really expecting an answer.
"Because no matter whose side he's on, when someone can get their hands on someone as young and powerful as Aang, their motives are to be scrutinised very, very closely," I can feel the frown draw my brows together, "Besides, he thinks there's a bunch of children on their way to his base to learn… the art of war."
A glance to Appa's head shows that Aang's shoulders have drawn up in discomfort. Sokka seems drained of some of his hope. Ah. I suppose I have that effect on people when I open my mouth with serious intent.
"Are you always this suspicious?" Sokka seems more resigned to it than curious.
I cast him a sardonic smile. "Suspicion is always warranted when it comes to the intentions people have towards princesses and avatars."
"But who would ever have wanted to harm Yue? Or Aang?"
"You can never be sure, Sokka. People lie, cheat and steal their way to scraps of power for reasons that you or I could never understand because we're not them. I will never understand Fire Lord Sozin's decision to start a war with the rest of the world and murder… well, I suppose I can now understand what it means to kill."
There is silence after that, and I concentrate on the clouds once more.
"I… I guess it can be justified. Sometimes, you have to do what you did to defend your home," Sokka offers.
"Did you have to kill someone before?" I ask, half-thinking I shouldn't.
He hugs his knees to his chest. "No. But I was ready to. For a long time, after dad left the tribe with the other warriors to fight the Fire Nation, I was the only one who knew how to fight."
Katara snorts.
"It's true! You only just learned to keep the water under control when we found Aang."
"Hrmpf."
"Were there no other adults around?" I can't help but ask.
Sokka shakes his head. "A few women and gran-gran, but no one actually knew how to fight any better than me."
"That had to be hard," Aang offers.
I nod. Sokka shrugs and Katara refuses to acknowledge any of us.
"What happens to them all while you're gone?" I can't help but ask. He face twists guiltily. "Well, it'll be better when Pakku arrives."
He nods.
"Hey, Sokka," I say after a few minutes of silence, "Explain to me how your boomerang works. You said you made it yourself."
And he does.
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Don't forget to throw some power stones :)
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