The Beauty of Broken Pieces

The Beauty of Broken Pieces

It was annoying. Incredibly so. With all of the wrong I had done in my life, there were still people out there who cared for me. People, who by all rights, should have hated my very existence. First, there was my mother. I spent my entire life thinking she viewed me as a monster, but when we once again met years later, her feelings for me were quite the opposite. She said she loved me with all of her heart, and that the only regret she had was not showing enough of it when I was a child. When I look back on it now, I don't think the word 'monster' had ever left her lips. Perhaps I had convinced myself otherwise because I needed to hate her. Perhaps I had given the name to myself because I was afraid to let my mother love me. I was afraid to look weak. Father would have never approved of a weak daughter, so I had to shut my mother out. I had to blame her for everything. At the time, father was the only one I wanted to please.

There was also Zuko. I did care for him growing up, but the monster I had created inside myself found tormenting him to be much more pleasurable. I didn't make it easier on him as we got older either. That's why the unexpected request for me to join him in the journey of looking for our mother took me by surprise. I didn't think he wanted me around. What surprised me even more was when he said that he loved me as well. Despite our strained relationship, he wanted me to know that I was his sister, and that no matter what, he cared.

Then there was her. The waterbender who showcased pristine skills in the art of fighting, and yet had the capability of softening even the toughest of hearts. There was an elegance in the way she passionately defended those she loved, an elegance I could never possess. That was something I liked about her from the very start, but because we were enemies, I never told her. Every time we fought, I could feel that passion. It was almost suffocating. I thought I could destroy it, but in the end, it was her who defeated me. It was her who put out my raging fire.

If someone back then had told me that Katara and I would eventually become friends, I would have hit them. Plain and simple. However, she and the avatar joined Zuko and I on the search for mother, and it was during that trip did our friendship begin to bloom. It's been a year since then. After the journey, she decided to stay in the capitol to help Aang and Zuko, and since I was also helping, I began seeing her every day, too. I showed my excitement by constantly showering her with what I thought were compliments, but since I was only well versed in praising just myself, my words mostly came out as insults. She didn't seem to mind though. Sometimes she'd get mad. Sometimes she'd just laugh. Other times she would ignore them all together. Yes, Katara had cut her way into my life with the ruthlessness and gracefulness of a well-oiled blade. It was frightening to be honest. Mai and Ty Lee were the only females who had willingly stayed in my life. Now Katara was by my side, as natural as my other half.

** /\ **

"Would you like some tea?"

For some reason, Katara thought a picnic in the palace garden was a nice way to spend the summer afternoon. Though I had originally objected to it, I was silently thankful to be spending a little time with her now. I was stressed, so the distraction was welcoming.

"You can have tea at picnic?"

Katara looked at me questioningly.

"Of course you can. You can have anything you want really."

I could feel a blush rising on my cheeks when she looked at me like that.

"Well how was I supposed to know! It's not like I ever went on any as a kid!"

"You mean you've never gone on a picnic before?" There was a hint of surprise in the waterbender's voice.

"Take a look at my family," I replied. "What makes you think we had time for picnics growing up?"