collision → atla, reader insert

chapter nineteen

IN THE MIDST OF THE DESERT sat a town that she might've believed was once beautiful, but was run down and not properly taken care of as a result of the war. When Appa landed near the notorious Misty Palms Oasis, she immediately thought they were going to abandon her there with all the sketchy-looking travelers. 

        And here she was beginning to believe they were warming up to her once again. A week before, a mountainous terrain served as a temporary resting spot for Toph to teach Aang earthbending. With the day up to herself and a need to escape lingering looks with turning gears, she found solace in a pond nearby. 

        Midday hit when she submerged her spare clothes in the water. With the amount they'd been bouncing around, she hadn't gotten the time to clean her robes properly. A quick rinse of her clothes wasn't enough to satisfy her. 

        Another dump was accompanied by footsteps. With one quick look, she saw Katara who seemed surprised to see her there. Her eyes begged the question to share the pond, presumably to practice her waterbending. Only a short amount of time passed until Katara was actually the first to speak, [Y/N]'s name rolling off her tongue in a hesitant way. 

        She stopped bending when [Y/N] looked up from hanging her clothes over a low-hanging branch to dry. "Can I ask you a question?" 

        She fought the urge to say that she did already but opted to shrug instead. "Sure."

        "Why did you leave the Fire Nation?"

        "I . . ." she trailed off, coming to terms that she'd been wondering the same thing. When piecing together her memories, there were a million reasons why she'd want to get away. It  was easier to conclude why she wouldn't go back than why her previous self had no inkling to stay.  

        "My sister disappeared," she attempted to say absentmindedly while draping another robe over the branch, "and my eyes were opened. There was no reason for me to stay."

        "But your friends . . . ?" Katara asked and she knew exactly who she was referring to. 

        "We grew up together, I didn't have much of a choice."

        That was the first and only time someone had asked [Y/N[ about her past that wasn't an interrogation. From the rather short time she'd been travelling with the Avatar and his friends, she'd been able to grasp very quickly their personalities and dynamics with one another. Which is why she knew immediately that Katara's questioning was not born from malice, but curiosity. 

        It also made her realize how, in retrospective, ridiculous it seemed to be. Her—a Seer—with a target on her back travelling with the Avatar—a target just as big as she is—while their shared common enemy is her childhood friends. Could her life get any better than this?

        [Y/N] was the last to climb off Appa, giving him a pat on his head as he seemed to be the only one who fully trusts her again. Though it seemed like Aang, Katara, and Toph had lightened up a little, the only person still on her case is Sokka (but she honestly didn't care that much about his opinion).

        The town became more and more eerie as they walk through it with signs falling off what's left of buildings and a sad excuse for a hot spring sitting in the heart. A small group of people in loose clothing—much of it masks their faces—stared them down as they entered a small bar filled with weary travelers. 

        She toyed with the straw of her fruity drink that she couldn't even remember what she'd gotten. Not even wanting one, but through the insistence of Aang and Toph she just got whatever they had. Though as they talked about strategies or something, she couldn't help but feel like she was being watched—someone there might have known who she is.