Even though we and the entire village had a near death experience by a false prediction of Aunt Wu, we left the village satisfied and quite relaxed.
I couldn't help but thinking about what Aunt Wu told me. Of course, I had to take it with a grain of salt... But could I face Zuko? Could I fight my own friend? I don't know if I should still consider him my friend, but he is also not my enemy.
I sighed loudly kicked a small rock across the path. I inhaled deeply and smiled. The smell of the sea always makes me happy. Sokka was walking behind me, vividly swinging his boomerang around, lost in his own little world.
I saw Aang in the distance, running towards me. "Look!" He yelled when he was swinging an object around. "A sword made out of a whale's tooth." Aang said when he caught up with me and swung the sword in my face to show me. I grabbed it out of his hand and examined it.
I almost got a heart attack when Sokka jumped behind me and yanked it out of my hand. "This is a water tribe weapon!" He said with extreme exhilaration. "Let's see if we can find anything else."
The three of us searched but could not find anything. I continued to kick more rocks and did a sorrow attempt to juggle. "Istari!" Sokka yelled just as I threw the rocks up. One landed on the top of my head. I cursed and grunted and walked up to him. "What?" I asked irritated while rubbing the bump on my head.
"Come." He said and he grabbed my hand. We walked away from the path and pointed to an arrow next to the nettle bush. I bend over next to it and carefully picked it up to examine it. "Fire Nation." I said when I gave it to Sokka. I stood up and looked at it. "It hasn't been there for long." I said when Aang walked up to us.
"Did someone lose something?" Katara asked curiously. "No, we found something." Aang replied. "The trail of the battle, leads down this hill." Sokka said and he ran away. The rest of us followed him. "What's next?" Aang asked when they arrived at the beach. "Nothing. The trail ends here." Sokka said quietly. "Wait! Look!" Katara yelled and she pointed to a ship that laid against a rock, by the shore. I could not see if it was shipwrecked or simply just parked there so to speak.
"It's one of our boats!" Sokka yelled breathlessly.
Katara and Sokka ran up to it, while Aang and I awkwardly exchanged looks.
When Aang and I caught up with them, we only heard Sokka saying: "Dad was here."
~
That night we set up the camp in front of the ship. Aang and Katara were in a deep sleep while I could not close an eye. I sighed and sat up straight. I stretched and yawned deeply. When I looked to my side I saw Sokka sitting up straight. His arms wrapped around his knees as he stared sea, the waves washing up on the shore.
"Can't sleep either?" I whispered. Shocked Sokka woke up out of his thoughts and looked at me. He nodded. I sighed and stood up to sit down next to him. "Do you miss your parents?" He asked me.
I smiled. "Sometimes." I said quietly. "You always speak so easily about it..." Sokka replied, shaking his head from misunderstanding. "Why?"
"I do think about them a lot. But when I do, I just get angry. Filled with rage about what had happened. I did not only lost them, you know." I said when I looked up, slowly shaking my head, "I lost my home and my friends. My family didn't help me. Then I came tot he Northern Watertribe and my mother's own blood, my blood, turned me away like I was some dog."
I sighed and smiled. "It is not self pity, it is just how it is. So I would rather not have anything to do with family or think about it. I try to forget."
"Makes sense..." Sokka said slowly. I smiled at him and laid my head on his shoulder. "But you are my family now. My new family. And I love you guys very much." Sokka smiled and turned his head towards me. He kissed me on the side of my head and wrapped his arm around me.
The fire was dying out and there was a feeling over me that I was actually not suppose to feel. I felt my cheeks flushing as Sokka suddenly pulled me closer. He touched my face and pulled it towards his. "Istari," he whispered quietly," as he leaned closer towards my face. "The fire is dying out." I whispered slowly before his lips touched mine. Sokka stopped to look at the fire. Just before I leaned over to wake the fire, footsteps approached. "Who's here?!" A voice shouted from the dark.
Shocked and relieved at the same time, I pushed Sokka away from me and stood up, ready to attack. "B-Bato?!" Sokka blurted out confused, getting on his feet.
"Bato?" Katara asked sleepily while rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. The two ran up tot he man to hug him. Aang woke up too and looked sheepishly to the cuddly bunch.
The man looked at me. "You wear our clothes but I do not recognize you." Bato said friendly. I smiled in return. "My name is..."
"-where's dad?" Sokka asked before I could finish my sentence.
"Your father is with the others in the Eastern Earth kingdom." Bato said and shivered when a cold wind passed by.
"Let's get inside." Bato said and he walked away with Sokka and Katara. Bato signed at Aang and I to come as well, as the three were catching up. He led us to an abbey, where they made perfume. It wasn't very far from the beach. It was nice, cozy and the nun's were most kind. "Wow! It looks just like home!" Katara said when she sat down in the room full of pelts.
"Yeah, nothing's cozier than dead animal skins." Aang mumbled awkwardly when he sat down on the floor next to a polar bear pelt. I reassured him by patting him on his shoulder.
The three watertribers sat down and started to talk about the past. I yawned and stood up. "I'm going for a walk." I said. The three watertribers didn't respond, so I shrugged and walked out. Aang stood up as well and followed me. "I'll tell your father." Was the last thing I heard before I walked out.
"They'll leave us, won't they?" Aang asked sadly. Before I could reply anything, a man of the earth kingdom came by. "I am looking for Bato of the water-tribe." He said.
"Uh.. I know Bato." Aang replied sheepishly.
"Make sure he'll get this." The messenger replied and he gave Aang a piece of paper and disappeared again. I peeked towards the paper but before I could take a look. Aang grunted and angrily put it away in his pocket.
I decided not to even bother.
~
In the morning I decided to walk to the beach. I was sitting in the sand, thinking about what had happened. I did not talk to Sokka since as he was, understandably, occupied bringing up memories from his past and talking about his father.
I warmed up a cup of tea I brought with me and watched the sunrise. I was feeling a lot better when I felt the sun on my face. I smiled and took a sip of my tea.
I heard some footsteps and looked towards the direction. Bato walked up to me. "I'm taking Sokka, Katara and Aang for ice dodging. They told me you didn't do that yet." He asked me. "No, I didn't. I am used to other traditions." I said with a faint smile.
Bato stared at me and I started to feel uncomfortable. "Your eyes are blue, but with golden sparks. They are beautiful. You remind me of someone. Someone I used to love..."
"I bet." I replied softly, still thinking about the fact the Watertribe first turned their back to me.
"Istari," Bato said and he grabbed my hand, "I have to tell you something." I looked at his face and saw that he was serious. I held in my breath and looked at him, waiting.
"Your mother... she might be still alive... She's been sighted." Bato said. I felt the ground disappearing under me. I dropped the cup and stared at him. I could not breath or say anything. "Some of our men crossed her... she listened to her name but ran away." I shook my head and stood up. I walked away from Bato, who shouted my name after me. I started to run away from the beach, into the forest. I ran as far away as I could, without looking back or looking in front of me.
When I couldn't go any further, I sank through my knees into the cold dirt. I had so many questions. So much I want to ask, so much I don't understand. Why? WHY?
I screamed loudly and sank my fists into the dirt, melting it until it was muddy and wet. I started to cry loudly. I didn't know if I should be happy or how to feel.
Why didn't she try and find me? How did she escape? How long has she been free? Why didn't Ozai kill her? Does Zuko know? Does Iroh know? Where is she? How?!
I was sitting for a while, staring in front of me, thinking. I was thinking about whether I should go and find her. But I do not know where she is. Or if she even want to be found. I sighed and shook my head. "No Istari," I mumbled, "I promised him. I need to help Aang. We need to win this war. I promised him..."
I shook my head again and stood up. I wiped the tears of my face and started to walk back to the abbey. At least, I tried. I climbed in a tree to oversee where the abbey is. I saw it in the distance to the right, the sun behind it, going down already.
I climbed down again and walked towards that direction. When I arrived at the abbey I saw Katara yelling at Aang in the courtyard. "Istari!" Katara exclaimed. I looked at Aang, who was on the verge of tears and Sokka grabbing his back.
"We are leaving!" She said angrily and Sokka laid his hand on her shoulder. "Is this about that paper?" I asked Aang. "Oh, so you knew?" Katara scoffed. "I didn't know anything!" Give me a break, will you Katara?" I shouted angrily and upset.
"What happened?" I asked irritated. Aang handed me over the piece of paper. I looked at it and saw a map of Chameleon Bay.
"So?" I asked when I waved it around. "It's a map that leads to dad. He is there, at Chameleon Bay. Aang hid it from us! That is so selfish!" Katara said, grabbing the map out of my hand. I looked at Aang, who was crying softly.
I looked at Sokka who walked up to me. "Bato told us about your mom. She might be there as well, Istari. You should come with us." He said hopeful.
"I made Aang a promise Sokka, and so did you and Katara. I understand you want to see your father. And if you want to you should. No one is stopping you. But I cannot leave Aang alone. Not for a 'maybe'. Even if it's my own mother." I said slowly.
"I want you to come with me." Sokka said again. "Istari, how I feel about you. I should have said it earlier..." I walked over to him and hugged him. I held him tight and felt the tears swelling up again.
I let go of him and gave him a quick kiss. "Only this time." I said and gave him a short nod. I looked at Katara, who looked like a mixture of sad, angry and embarrassed. And shocked because I just kissed her brother out of nowhere. I climbed into the saddle of Appa with Aang as Bato, Katara and Sokka put their backpacks on.
"Goodluck." Katara said sadly. "Thanks, you too." Aang said. "You too." I echoed. I watched the three of them leaving, not looking back. I could not exactly place what had happened and sort of went into a numb state. I grabbed Aang's shoulder. "We should move on, Aang." I said.
"I am happy you stayed with me, Istari," Aang said when we landed on the beach to chill a bit, "But don't you want to see your mother?" He asked. "Of course I do... But I don't know if she is there. If she is truly alive. But you are alive and you are my family." Aang smiled. "Thank you, Istari." He said. He hesitated at first but did decide to ask me: "Wouldn't you want to stay with Sokka then?" Aang asked carefully.
I smiled and shrugged. "I don't know." I replied with a sigh. "This came a bit out of nowhere from his side. I never had the feeling he liked me that way."
When we were talking more about everything, we suddenly hear a woman shouting.
"Girl! Avatar! Leave!" She yelled.
"YEEEEESSSS" I replied irritated. "A group of people are searching for you!" She replied. I looked over the railing, the woman looked mortified. "Who?" Aang asked.
"A fierce looking woman with a terrible monster, and a young man with a scar." She replied breathlessly.
I looked at Aang and we sighed at the same time. Here we go again...
Appa circled above the abbey and we saw the beast approaching, with the girl with Zuko, Iroh and Sokka and Katara on his back. When Appa was just hovering above the ground, I jumped off him and landed on the ground. I started to firebend a leash and attacked the shirshu. The beast fell down, and they rolled off his back. "Istari!" Sokka yelled. Katara and Sokka didn't get up, they seemed paralyzed.
Aang jumped off Appa as well. The shirshu stood up and was approaching Aang. Appa stood down in between them and smashed beast against the wall. I was suddenly face to face with Zuko, while Aang was trying to get the shirshu away from the rest.
Zuko shot the first ball of fire. I jumped away and started to out run him. "I'm still faster than you!" I yelled. While we were running over the rooftops, I saw the shirshu paralyzing Appa. It caught me of guard and I almost ran into a wall. I was trapped.
I turned around as I saw Zuko running towards me. "I'm sorry!" I yelled panicky. "I'm sorry for what I said."
Zuko narrowed his eyes and frowned. Before he could do or say anything, he already got attacked by Aang. I managed to run away from them and stopped on the rooftop to look down.
Shirshu.. .Tracking... smell, smell.... PERFUME!
I jumped down from the rooftop and made my way towards Katara who was stretching out, getting her feeling in her limbs back.
"Katara," I panted, "waterbend that perfume over the Shirshu, it will get crazy and lose our track."
Katara nodded and started to gather the perfume out of the barrels. The Shirshu didn't know where to look, and what to do. He threw the woman off, paralyzed Zuko and ran away, into the forest.
I saw Iroh standing in the distance. I wanted to walk to him, but before I could do that, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked behind me and saw Sokka and Katara. "It's not me you should apologize to." I said to him with a faint smile.
Katara hugged me and Sokka followed. "I'm sorry I, also of the uh.. you know..." He said quietly. "Its alright. I feel honored to give you your first kiss." I replied.
"Hey! You're not my first kiss!" Sokka said irritated when his cheeks flushed. We all got back into the saddle after Appa regained his strength again.
When we were flying away, Aang asked the question: "Don't you want to see your father?"
"Of course we do Aang, but you need us more. You are our family too, as is Istari..." Katara said when she grabbed my hand and squeezed it .
"And if Istari decides to stay, so should we." Sokka replied determined. Katara laid her head on my shoulder and sighed. "I'm sorry." She said quietly.
"Don't worry Katara, I'm sure you'll see your father soon." I replied, thinking about my mother.