Nightfall

Eight

The moon had risen high in the sky, yet Katara could not go to sleep. The bed wasn't like hers from home; there were multiple lumps throughout. Even if this was the Capital, things here were terrible. The noises that came through the windows were different than those in District 4. Screams of joy somehow traveled up through the windows. People were out partying while she was almost having a meltdown.

Her heart hadn't stopped racing since she got there. She had to stay strong during dinner and fake a smile while talking to Sokka and Malina and Hama, but now that she was alone, she could let it out. Her anxiety got worse when the sun fell beneath the earth; it felt like the darkness had settled in on her, pulling her deeper into despair. 

Sticking her head out of the window, Katara sucked in a few deep breaths. The crisp air flowed through her lungs, slightly calming her heart down. Her hair whipped around her head when a harsh wind suddenly picked up. Twisting her head up, Katara saw the bald boy from before standing on a balcony about four floors up. It looked like he was practicing his element with a look of ease on his face. Even though he was pretty far up, Katara recognized him easily. 

She was transfixed. The bald boy had a happy smile on his face as he airbended. She couldn't tear her eyes away from him because he seemed so . . . at peace with himself. Katara wondered how he could be like that when their lives were on the line. What did he have that she didn't? 

He seemed to have noticed her looking at him, and he gave her a short wave. The smile hadn't left his face at all. That was about all that she could see because he was so far away, but it burned itself in her mind. It was one of the first real smiles she had seen in a long time; it was the happiest smile she had seen in her life. 

Katara pulled herself back into her room and slammed the window shut. She didn't want to get distracted by anything. She didn't want to give herself false hope that that boy seemed to have. 

She glanced at the bed in the center of the room and sighed. All of the light covers were shoved to the side while the comforter was thrown on the ground. It had gotten too hot in her room earlier, and she couldn't stand it. 

Instead of going back to bed, Katara crossed over the comforter and pulled the door open softly. Her feet made no noise as she tiptoed to the kitchen. Maybe a drink of water could help her go to sleep. It usually did back home when her arms were aching from work. Well, when she still had a job. She was still bitter that Pakku fired her for being late for one single day; it was so unfair, but there was nothing she could do to change it.

"Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?"

Katara whirled around, lifting her arms at the ready. Unfortunately, she didn't have any water handy, so she couldn't attack the person with that.

"That's good form," Hama said, walking into the faint moonlight. Her eyes zeroed in on Katara's closed fists. "Since you're a waterbender, you might want to keep your hands open. That will give you better reach."

"It won't work if I have no water near me," Katara answered, dropping her arms to her sides. "I can't bend unless I have a flask of water or a river is right next to me."

Hama clucked her tongue at Katara before flinging her hands forward. A small stream of water rushed in front of Katara's eyes. "That's not true," Hama said. She pulled the stream back to her and let it fall into the potted plant that sat in the corner. "You can find water anywhere. There is water in the air. There is water in the earth. If you look hard enough, you will be able to find it."

Katara watched as the old woman crossed the carpet, shaking her head. "How did you figure that out?" Katara asked once Hama turned back toward her. "Who taught you that?"

Hama let out a harsh laugh. "No one taught me, little girl. They said that a girl like me shouldn't fight, but I proved them wrong." A grim smile formed on her face. "I proved them wrong when I won."

Katara didn't say anything as Hama stalked out of the dining room. Her limbs suddenly grew stiff and cold. Hama had seemed like a sweet old lady, but Katara was realizing that there were things that she didn't know. And that scared her.

---

When it felt like Katara had just gone to sleep, someone had the audacity to wake her up. She rolled onto her side and said, "Let me sleep for five more minutes."

"Today's the day!" Malina said, her voice ringing in Katara's ears. She eagerly pulled on Katara's arms. "Come on, Katara! You should be more excited!"

Katara opened her eyes for a second before they widened. There were at least four other people in her room, staring at her. They all had matching big eyes, but that was where the similarities ended. Two of them were men, while the other two were women. Each person had an outrageous color in their hair and an even more outrageous color in their eyes. 

"What is going on?" Katara asked, her voice rising a notch. She did not expect to see these people in her room.

"These lovely people are going to design your gown for the ball," Malina said with an eager smile. "They have an idea on what to do for you and your brother, and they just need to get your measurements."

"Then why do they have the fabric on them?"

"They're going to make the dress right here."

Katara sighed and sat up. Her hair was probably a mess, especially by the looks that the two women gave each other. Placing her bare feet on the floor, she stood up and asked, "May I be able to get some food before they start working on the dress?"

Malina whirled around and produced a plate full of fruits. "Is this good enough? Your father mentioned that you liked fruits."

Katara gingerly picked up a piece of fruit, biting into the strawberry. She didn't expect her father to talk about her to Malina, but apparently he did. Why hadn't he told her about Malina, though? She seemed to know so much about Katara and Sokka, but the only thing Katara knew was her name. 

"Yes, this is fine," she said softly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome!" She stepped toward the door and gave one last look to Katara. "I'm going to check on your brother before running a few errands. I will probably be back by the time the ball starts."

"Wait. The ball is today?" Katara asked with a frown.

"Yes!" Malina said excitedly. "This is where we introduce each Tribute to the rest of the country before a week of training." She grinned. "The President will even be there!"

"Oh, fun," Katara said hollowly. "Thanks."

Malina nodded and exited Katara's room, shutting the door softly behind her. Katara stood there for a second, her eyes trained on the door. She shook her head and faced the four people in her room. They still hadn't spoken a single word to her yet.

"Hello," she said to them. "Are you ready to begin?"

"Yes!" one lady said enthusiastically. She grabbed the fabric and rushed toward Katara. "Oh, I'm so excited!" she said. Her voice was high pitched and tinkling like a bell. "This is my first job here in the Capital!"

"This is actually all of our first jobs here in the Capital!" the other woman said, and Katara could hear the excitement in her voice. She didn't allow the excitement to wash over her, though. There was no reason to be excited about going to her death. These people seemed to enjoy watching innocent kids die, but Katara didn't. She wished there was a way for her to escape. 

Katara couldn't lose hope now. Her mother always taught her that hope was her greatest weapon. People didn't expect you to be hopeful in trying times, so that's what she was going to be. She thought back to the boy last night who looked so hopeful. She wanted to be like him, to find the hope in this darkness.