Well enough we landed at a waterfall. Plenty of water for practice, "Nice puddle,"
Sokka was clearly annoyed, I scrunched my nose and shook my head trying to mock him. He sighed as he walked away. I snickered.
Appa splashed in the water soaking Momo. Aang stripped down to his trunks ready to have fun but Katara brought him back to reality. We were there to practice water bending and not have fun. Though deep down I wished for some fun too. We've been running from danger from the very start after all. Aang with a saddened expression got dressed again.
"So what am I supposed to do?" Sokka asked.
"You can clean the gunk out of Appa's toes," Aang happily said while handing a branch with leaves as if it was a brush to Sokka.
"So while you three are playing in the water? I'm supposed to be hard at work picking mud out of a giant bison's feet? Sokka asked.
"Mud and bugs!" Aang cheered.
"Hey Appa doesn't complain about all the work he does for us," I gave a small smile and crossed my arms. Sokka defeatingly went to Appa with the branch in hand. I laughed slightly in response.
I clicked my tongue earning Aang and Katara's attention, "Okay. Lets start with the very basics," I began to push and pull the tides. Just as I remembered when I first learned them. It had been a while since I had practiced something simple. I felt my arm throb a bit. I ignored it, my burn had healed, these were just after feelings. I was happy that there wasn't going to be a scar added onto the one that preexists there.
"The point to keep your focus on your wrists. Keep them loose but controlled,"
I smiled to myself. It was funny how long ago I tried to do this move but couldn't. I had never stopped to appreciate how much I've learned. I never allowed myself to think about everything I've done in the efforts to help my family. Water bending meant so much to me. It was the first thing to make me happy after my mother died. But I never got to appreciate just how happy. 'Reminds me of-'
"Oh I already know this one!." Katara said snapping me out of my trance. She repeated my movements creating the body of water.
"Perfect," I said with a small cheer.
"Come on, Aang," Katara said.
"Like this?" Aang asked as he followed along
I hummed, Aang was perfect. I had never seen anyone take it up so quickly. The last time Aang water bended he was in the Avatar State. Well it's technically not his first time bending water.
"Katara!" Aang proudly called out," I'm doing it already,"
I clapped softly at Aang and he smiled my way. It felt like the sun was shining at my face so I looked away quickly.
"Wow," Katara gave a very small sigh, "I can't believe you got that so quickly," She added. "It took me two months to learn that move."
"Well you had to learn alone. I've got two great teachers!" Aang said.
Aang is almost as cute as the snow leopard caribou I had while growing up. He's sweet and always trying to say the right things. Especially with Katara.
"It's okay everyone has a different pace. This isn't Aang's first life anyways," I said trying to also not agitate Katara.
"Did it take you as long as I did too?" She asked interrogatively
"As long as we all know the move it doesn't matter. Let's move on shall we," I looked away to Aang signaling for help to move on. I technically didn't learn alone even though there weren't any other benders. But I couldn't tell Katara it took me less time.
"What's next?" He asked quickly to move past the awkward feeling in the air.
"Well its an addition to the first move. We stream the water upwards like this,"
Once I finished the move I held the water infront of me. Katara followed already knowing this move as well. Aang once again got it without any issues. I was impressed but Katara was starting to seem a bit annoyed at Aang getting the moves so easily. I was starting to worry about her lashing out.
Katara then started to explain about creating a big wave but she couldn't execute it. I knew what she meant by a big wave when I saw her movements. I had only made a wave like that once. I never tried again, back then it took a lot out of me to do it.
"So,, like this?" Aang asked
He really did it exactly how I once did. But he splashed Sokka and Appa while doing it. I couldn't help but laugh I remember splashing Sokka the day I got it right too.
I started to try myself. As I said I only did it once and it was a while ago. I took a deep breath and I created the wave in the opposite direction. It was huge and created a powerful splash that bounced off the rocks. It was so strong the water came rushing back wetting my pants.
"Wow I didn't expect it to work again,"
"Kya! That was amazing!" Aang rushed to me, we double highfived and jumped in place for a bit. It felt amazing.
"Katara?" Aang called out
Ah shoot this is why I hated letting my emotions get the best of me. Katara was annoyed.
"That's enough practicing for today," Katara said.
"Katara," Aang repeated. I kept quiet, when Katara is like this its best to just leave her alone. Bending means a lot to her. It must hurt to see not only me but Aang doing better then her.
"I said it's enough for today, we should let Aang rest," She told me, she was both jealous and sad. She needed time to understand Aang was going to catch up to her abilities soon enough. He is the Avatar after all. I had looked back at the water and I had begun to twist the water into spirals. I had begun to null the noises round me. The water froze in ripples as I slowly heard a faint voice in the back of my head. A murmur whispering something I didn't understand.
"Kya!" Sokka yelled at me. I snapped and everything turned back to water as before and I got soaked.
"What the heck Sokka?" He placed his hand on my shoulder. His hand felt like it was burning.
"Sokka, why are you so hot?!" I said, worried placing a hand on his forehead before snapping away thinking me might've gotten sick somehow.
"Me! Your freezing!" He said backing away too.
"Do you smell that?" I asked, it smelled like sea water. But this is a lake. The smell quickly faded, maybe it was just me.
Everyone one looked in confusion. Of course I was cold I was bending with ice, but where did that smell come from? I gave Sokka a weirded out look while Katara shook her head. I think we all collectively decided it was weird but moved on.
"I guess we can call it a day right?" I half smiled trying to shake out the feeling of what happened.
"Yeah! You practiced all our supplies down the river!" Sokka whined.
"Sorry. I'm sure we can find a place to replace all this stuff," Aang apologized.
"My life was hard enough when you were just an air bender," Sokka said while sinking into the river, "Better yet when Kya kept her bending to herself," I sighed at my brothers misery and knelt down to pat his head.
>>>
We ended up in the village near by. Sokka and I split up to buy the supplies that we needed. Aang impulsively bought a bison whistle which seemed to not work. We had agreed that Katara should take Aang's money since he couldn't manage his portion of the finances.
A pirate ended up stopping Aang by offering curios. Aang agreed even though he didn't know what curios were. Not even the pirate did.
"We shouldn't be buying things without knowing what they are," I said concerned, none the less the pirate lead him in. Of course we followed into this weird shop.
"Aang, Kya look at this!" I made my way over to Katara looking over her shoulder,"It's a water bending scroll. Check out these crazy moves."
The pirate had explained that he practically stole the scroll from the Northern Water Tribe. Sokka realizing just then that they were pirates made me pinch my temple. 'Am I the only one who actually pays attention to my surroundings'. I continued to look around everything looked either cheap or weird. I hummed to myself a simple tune while observing all the nic nacks. I couldn't imagine anyone buying this crap. I stopped my humming when Katara and Aang trying to buy the scroll. A little after Katara rushed us to leave. I had no issues with that. There wasn't anything of interest in that place anyways. It was all garbage, even the scroll. I could teach them that easily.
"What was that all about, Katara?" Aang asked
"Yeah? I was just starting to browse around their boomerang collection," Sokka added.
"Nothing is worth the price there. It's all stolen garbage," I said bluntly
"I'll just feel a lot better when we get away from here," Katara hugged herself. She was antsy, anyone could tell. I looked at her suspiciously while I heard running.
"Hey you! Get back here!" Turning around, the pirates were after us.
"Well, well, look who's come to their senses. Told you the haggling would pay off," Aang said with a smile.
Katara slowly started to step back as more pirates emerged running towards us.
"I don't think these pirates are here to trade with us," She said
We started running away. This was the last thing on my mind to do. I was already tired. We could've avoided all this if we didn't listen to some strangers.
I found a bowl with water so I made shards of ice and hurled it their way buying us a little more time since they ran back avoiding the sharp icicles. We clashed with a cart of cabbages with the same man from the entrance to Omashu.
"My cabbages!" The poor vendor cried out.
Being confronted with pirates we found ourselves at a dead end. Aang air bended them away. Aang got us back to where we had left Appa.
"I used to look up to pirates, but those guys are terrible," Aang said.
"Why would you-" I stopped sighed, "Never mind,"
"I know. That's why I took this." Katara pulling out the scroll with a big smile. Of course she stole it. I screamed in my head a bit as I got closer to them.
"No way!" Aang sprung up walking closer as well
"Isn't it great?" Katara asked.
"The almost getting caught and dying part? Yea super fun Katara," I said annoyed, "Let's go do it again,"
"No wonder they were trying to hack us up. You stole their water bending scroll!" Sokka added. Thank you Sokka who knows that was a horrible idea.
Katara convinced Aang to ignore the stealing part and to just practice.
"We're putting ourselves in danger for that," I hissed clenching my fists.
Katara ignored me. Does she think I'm really ok with just waiting until they find us again!
"Why don't we avoid the unnecessary danger and return it," I continued to nag, Katara looked at me as if I was crazy, "Its just the basics it probably only teaches how to make a whip,"
"It does!" Katara brightly smiled
Aang held the scroll open as Katara attempted to do the whip. Instead she whipped her own forehead. Sokka laughed. I on the other hand was not as entertained.
"That was well deserved," Sokka snickered, "You've been duped she's only interested in teaching herself." He told Aang.
"Aang, will get his turn, as soon as I figure out the water whip," Katara growled
This time she hit poor Momo.
"Why can't I get this move?"
"You'll get it." Aang said sweetly, "All you got to do is shift your stances. See, the key to bending is,,,"
"Will you please shut your air hole!?" Katara yelled, "Believe it or not your infamous wisdom gets a little old sometimes! Why don't we just throw the scroll away since you're so naturally gifted!"
"Katara," I sternly spoke. If anything was going to snap her out of it it's me becoming serious rather then calm. It's how I got her and Sokka to stop bickering our whole lives.
"What do you want now?" She glared my way.
I cocked my brow signaling at Aang who was shaking. Poor boy never on the receiving end of my my sisters anger. Katara quickly apologized to both Aang and Momo for her outlash. But she didn't apologize to me, and I didn't expect one from her.