Status: Well... I'm back. It's been a few years, and my grammar has inproved. Now, it will just take me some time to edit from the beginning. *sigh* -_- Still, I expect to finish book 1 in a month, or two.
You're Not the Only One?
Chapter 3: Game plans and Trust
“How did you do that with the water? It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen!” Katara exclaimed looking at Aang.
“I don’t know, I just sort of did it,” he shrugged and looked away.
“Why didn’t you tell us you where the avatar?”
“Because I never wanted to be…” he sighed.
“Wait, wait, wait,” Sokka interrupted. “If you’re the avatar then what are you?” he looked at me. “I mean, we saw you bending water and fire. And you glowed like Aang did. Can there be two avatars?”
“She did?” Aang looked surprised.
“I-well,” I paused unsure. Even I didn’t know what happened. “I know I’m not the avatar.”
“but how?” Katara and Sokka questioned.
“My dad was a water bender from the southern water tribe, and my mom… my mom was a fire nation Nobel.”
“Whoa, what?” Sokka was taken aback, and actually seemed to scoot father from me.
“I guess that explains why you can bend water and fire… Still I’ve never heard of anyone having two types of bending, except the avatar,” Katara reasoned.
“And she was glowing!” Sokka reminded.
“I’ve never done anything like that before. My bending has always been very weak … But when I saw Aang fall in the water I just… I don’t know…” I paused deep in though.
“I remember the monks telling me something like this once,” Aang broke the silence. “I wasn’t really paying attention,” he smiled wide and rubbed the back of his neck. “Buuut, they were saying something about Links.”
“Links?” we all asked looking at him.
“I know it doesn’t happen often but at some points in history six people get born with two types of bending. They come in times of great unbalance and are less powerful than the avatar. There was something about a final union but I don’t remember anything else.”
“You know what?” Sokka asked looking at me. “I think I remember you saying something like the links are soul bound when you were all glowy.”
“I did?”
“I remember her saying that too,” Katara added.
“So I’m a link?” I sat back and sighed. “A link to what?” I looked around, and no one knew.
“I guess it does make sense. The avatar disappeared for 100 years, and the fire nation is taking over. I mean this can be defined as extreme unbalance, right?” Katara smiled brightly.
“Yeah, but now that the avatar is back, what does that mean for me?”
“The monks never said the avatar had to be gone, just that things had to be unbalanced,” Aang reminded.
“That’s right,” I smiled feeling a little better. “So… I’m like an avatar helper?”
“Yeah,” Aang smiled.
“This is great!” Katara smiled. “The world has been waiting for balance to return and for someone to finally put an end to this war!”
“How are we going to do that?” Aang questioned uneasily.
“According to legend you need to master first air, water, earth, and then fire right?” Katara listed.
“That’s what the monks told me.”
“Well if we go to the North Pole you can master water bending,” she smiled. “And Jewel, maybe you can too!”
“We can all learn it together,” Aang smiled feeling excited.
“Sokka, I’m sure you’ll get to knock some fire bender heads on the way,” she turned to her brother.
“I’d like that, I’d really like that,” Sokka smiled contently at the thought.
“Then we’re in this together,” everyone nodded in agreement.
“Alright, but before I learn water bending we have some serious business to attend to,” Aang smiled unfolding a map. “Here, here, and here.”
“What’s there?” Katara pointed.
“That’s where we ride the hopping llamas. Then, way over here we’ll surf on the backs of giant quoi fish. Then, back over here we’ll ride the wild hog-monkeys they don’t like people riding them, but that’s what makes it fun.” Katara, Sokka and I all exchanged what the heck looks, as Appa continued flying through the dusk painted clouds.
**
Eventually things died down, and a comfortable silence fell over us all. I was only supposed to be gone for the day. What am I even doing here? I sighed, as I examined my heirloom.
“Hey wait a minute,” everyone turned to Sokka. “This means you’re from the fire Nation!” he pointed at me.
“Sort of I guess?” I looked at him confused. I thought we already established this?
“That means you came with that fire nation ship that attacked us!”
“Sokka, where are you going with this?” Katara sighed.
“I’m just saying, how can we trust her?”
“Well, she helped save me so I trust her,” Aang spoke.
“Yeah Sokka. Why would she help save Aang, if everyone else was trying to capture him?”
“Whatever,” Sokka crossed his arms defeated.
“To be completely honest,” I spoke up. “I was banished from the Fire Nation two years ago.”
“Banished?” everyone questioned wide eyed.
“Yeah… The memory is sort of emotional for me,” I looked out at the sea as we landed to make camp.
“You don’t have to-“ Katara began.
“No. I want to,” I sighed and gathered my thoughts.
“I don’t know, I just sort of did it,” he shrugged and looked away.
“Why didn’t you tell us you where the avatar?”
“Because I never wanted to be…” he sighed.
“Wait, wait, wait,” Sokka interrupted. “If you’re the avatar then what are you?” he looked at me. “I mean, we saw you bending water and fire. And you glowed like Aang did. Can there be two avatars?”
“She did?” Aang looked surprised.
“I-well,” I paused unsure. Even I didn’t know what happened. “I know I’m not the avatar.”
“but how?” Katara and Sokka questioned.
“My dad was a water bender from the southern water tribe, and my mom… my mom was a fire nation Nobel.”
“Whoa, what?” Sokka was taken aback, and actually seemed to scoot father from me.
“I guess that explains why you can bend water and fire… Still I’ve never heard of anyone having two types of bending, except the avatar,” Katara reasoned.
“And she was glowing!” Sokka reminded.
“I’ve never done anything like that before. My bending has always been very weak … But when I saw Aang fall in the water I just… I don’t know…” I paused deep in though.
“I remember the monks telling me something like this once,” Aang broke the silence. “I wasn’t really paying attention,” he smiled wide and rubbed the back of his neck. “Buuut, they were saying something about Links.”
“Links?” we all asked looking at him.
“I know it doesn’t happen often but at some points in history six people get born with two types of bending. They come in times of great unbalance and are less powerful than the avatar. There was something about a final union but I don’t remember anything else.”
“You know what?” Sokka asked looking at me. “I think I remember you saying something like the links are soul bound when you were all glowy.”
“I did?”
“I remember her saying that too,” Katara added.
“So I’m a link?” I sat back and sighed. “A link to what?” I looked around, and no one knew.
“I guess it does make sense. The avatar disappeared for 100 years, and the fire nation is taking over. I mean this can be defined as extreme unbalance, right?” Katara smiled brightly.
“Yeah, but now that the avatar is back, what does that mean for me?”
“The monks never said the avatar had to be gone, just that things had to be unbalanced,” Aang reminded.
“That’s right,” I smiled feeling a little better. “So… I’m like an avatar helper?”
“Yeah,” Aang smiled.
“This is great!” Katara smiled. “The world has been waiting for balance to return and for someone to finally put an end to this war!”
“How are we going to do that?” Aang questioned uneasily.
“According to legend you need to master first air, water, earth, and then fire right?” Katara listed.
“That’s what the monks told me.”
“Well if we go to the North Pole you can master water bending,” she smiled. “And Jewel, maybe you can too!”
“We can all learn it together,” Aang smiled feeling excited.
“Sokka, I’m sure you’ll get to knock some fire bender heads on the way,” she turned to her brother.
“I’d like that, I’d really like that,” Sokka smiled contently at the thought.
“Then we’re in this together,” everyone nodded in agreement.
“Alright, but before I learn water bending we have some serious business to attend to,” Aang smiled unfolding a map. “Here, here, and here.”
“What’s there?” Katara pointed.
“That’s where we ride the hopping llamas. Then, way over here we’ll surf on the backs of giant quoi fish. Then, back over here we’ll ride the wild hog-monkeys they don’t like people riding them, but that’s what makes it fun.” Katara, Sokka and I all exchanged what the heck looks, as Appa continued flying through the dusk painted clouds.
**
Eventually things died down, and a comfortable silence fell over us all. I was only supposed to be gone for the day. What am I even doing here? I sighed, as I examined my heirloom.
“Hey wait a minute,” everyone turned to Sokka. “This means you’re from the fire Nation!” he pointed at me.
“Sort of I guess?” I looked at him confused. I thought we already established this?
“That means you came with that fire nation ship that attacked us!”
“Sokka, where are you going with this?” Katara sighed.
“I’m just saying, how can we trust her?”
“Well, she helped save me so I trust her,” Aang spoke.
“Yeah Sokka. Why would she help save Aang, if everyone else was trying to capture him?”
“Whatever,” Sokka crossed his arms defeated.
“To be completely honest,” I spoke up. “I was banished from the Fire Nation two years ago.”
“Banished?” everyone questioned wide eyed.
“Yeah… The memory is sort of emotional for me,” I looked out at the sea as we landed to make camp.
“You don’t have to-“ Katara began.
“No. I want to,” I sighed and gathered my thoughts.