Should've been me || Katara x OC

two || the girl by the lake

          Three Years Ago

          'Azula, when is Zu coming home?' Eleven year old Arya asks, looking up at her big sister. Twelve year old Azula stares off into the distance, far away from the small balcony they stand.

          'He's not,' she says firmly. 'He's a traitor and he's never coming home! So get over it already!' Azula's tone was full of spite, but Arya could see a tiny speck of a tear in the corner of her eye. It made Arya want to cry and the tears were soon slipping out.

          'I told you, get over it!' Azula shouts, bringing her hand down on her little sister, hitting her on the face. Arya falls to the ground, more startled than hurt and Azula walks out without another word, leaving only the stars as Arya's company.

          Azula never had hit her like that before.

- - -

          Present

          When I came to, the sun was beaming down on me. I lay in a scratchy sleeping bag. It was a deep blue, unlike any material made in the fire nation. Something inside me became increasingly alert and my memory of the day before came back. Soldiers, falling, my shoulder, the girl. My shoulder! I sat up to get a better look and sure enough it was wrapped tightly in a bandage but some of the pain was coming back.

          'No way...' I said under my breath. That girl, the water bender, she had helped me! Why?

          These people have left me with their supplies: a lamp, food, a few knives, scattered in a pile next to me. Another empty sleeping bag as well. An animal made a loud grunting noise behind me, I spun around. It was probably the biggest animal I'd ever seen! A large cream colour with darker stripes, unlike anything I know.

          'Stay back!' A boy shouts at me, jumping from behind a tree. It startled me but I don't feel like fighting him. 'Fire nation scum!'

          I sigh. 'We could fight if you want? But I'm super tired and my shoulder won't do any good.' He lowers his weapon at this. 'Fire nation scum is a bit harsh, don't you think?' I chuckle.

          'Oh, you think this is funny do you?' He shouts, moving his eyebrows in odd directions. He's wearing the same colour of blue that the water bender girl was wearing.

          'Kind of...' I mutter.

          'Well, it's not! I don't know what my sister was thinking! Bringing a fire nation girl to our camp! How could she put us at such a risk!' He blabbers on and on and on. I don't pay any attention and instead start looking for my supplies. I spot them next to that big animal I saw before and stand up out of the sleeping bag.

          It's no sooner I'm up that I hit the ground again, landing on my shoulder brings tears to my eyes and a cry from my lips. The boy is holding some kind of knife near my throat.

          'Now, you listen here, I-'

          'Sokka!' Someone cries, running through the woods. They appear behind him, pushing him off me. The girl from the lake. That's her brother then? I struggle to see the resemblance in personality at all. Hand still clutched to my shoulder, I rest my head back, biting my lip to stop myself from crying. 'What were you doing?' She shouts.

          'Come on, how can we trust her?' Sokka shouts back, throwing up his arms and dropping the knife. 'I'm trying to protect us!'

          'Try hearing her out instead of pointing knives at her!' She shouts. They seem to have forgotten about me already. I get onto my feet and start walking to my things. 'Wait!' The girl shouts.

          She's walked closer to me, avoiding her brother's look. Stood less than a metre away, I could see her. Really see her. Her bright blue eyes look straight into mine. She's got golden brown skin and deep brown hair that she's placed in a plait, two strands looping near her face.

          'I'm so sorry about my brother,' she says quietly. 'He can be really paranoid.' The look in my eyes is futile. How can I trust this girl? She could just be another one to turn me in for ransom. And what's a water bender doing in the fire nation anyway? They'll imprison her if they find out! My shoulder still aches and the bandage is blood soaked and scarlet red. I fall to my knees again, the pain almost unbearable. I drop the bag on it's side and a bag of gold coins pours out, golden specks flickering in the sun. I stole it from the safe before I left. 'Be careful!' She shouts. 'Don't put too much strain on it! I tried healing it, but I'm not very good... Sokka, we need to get her to a doctor-'

          'No!' I shout. 'Not here, they'll recognise me.'

          'Let's leave then! We'll take you to a different doctor,' a small boy says, his head tattooed with blue arrows. I hadn't noticed him before. Those tattoos... they're air nomad tattoos. There's only one person this could be.

         'You're the Avatar?' I say, my voice quiet and weak.

          'I told you this was a bad idea, Katara!' Sokka shouts.  Katara, that's her name!

          'You're not safe here! It's too close to the palace! You've got to leave,' I shout, almost on cue, many footsteps echo through the forest. 'Get out! Go!'

          Sokka, listening to me for the first time, grabs his sister and practically drags her onto the animal.

          'I'm not going to leave you here!' The avatar says. 'You'll die!'

          'They won't kill me,' I say. 'If I die, it'll be from my sister.' I smile at the boy, he looks younger than me. The innocence in his eyes reminds me of my own from years ago. 'Get out!'

          He follows my orders and runs. He mutters something at the animal and it takes off into the air.

         'I didn't get your name!' I shout at the boy.

          'Aang!' He shouts back. Sokka seams to be holding his sister down, her shouting and kicking. Aang looks solemn, withdrawn. They fly away without another look.

          'Freeze!' A man shouts. They're all dressed in fire nation uniform. No more than foot soldiers. One, two, three... six. Six men. 'Don't move, Princess!'

          I breathe in deeply, I can feel the oxygen travel around my body. The flames pass out of my hands before I've even opened my eyes.