Post by Teяa253 on Mar 31, 2008 2:14:32 GMT 1
here's the next installment.
THE WATER TRIBE CHIEF (I)
Katara led me into an open clearing. However, we were surrounded by huge walls of ice. I knew this wasn’t a trap. This was likely just a secret place used by the Chief of the water tribe. Being the curious child that I was (well, I was 18, but compared to Kai I and Katara, I was a child), I asked her about it.
“What is this place?” I asked her. Katara turned around, her huge, obscenely untidy hair nearly whipping my face; one thing I had noticed about it though was that she still had two “loopy thingies” (as Sanaki had once described them when I was younger). However, they were now much larger.
“This place is simply my sanctuary.” Katara replied, “It’s where I come when the stress of being Chief of the Water Tribe gets to me. No one can come here except me and people that I have given permission to. Well, your mother is welcome any time, and I suppose as a result, you are too.”
“Okay,” I replied, “I was just wondering. So, what’s in this place?”
“Keep this quiet,” said Katara, starting to bend a patch of ice away, “but this is also the source of the spirit water.”
Katara pulled out a vial and reached her hand down into a small hole in the ice she had made. I couldn’t see what was down there, but I knew that there was water down there, for I could see Katara’s arm moving. It seemed that she was making complex movements underneath the ice, for I could sense the water moving in an unusual way. I would have asked her, but I had a feeling that it was a secret exclusive for someone important such as the chief of the water tribes. A few seconds later, Katara pulled her hand up, and with it came a thin stream of water. I looked long and hard at it before Katara slipped it into the vial she had procured. It was the most beautiful looking water I had ever seen.
“Now,” said Katara, “you obviously know about the beautiful art and life that is water, correct?” I nodded.
“Good,” she said, “I knew your mother would teach you well. A great woman Kai Serenes is. Anyways, take this vial with you. It is yours to keep. I do not need payment of any type for it. If you accept it as a gift from me to you, then that will suffice.”
“Are you sure there’s nothing you can do about your hair?” I asked; just to bring in a little extra smile.
It worked. Katara stopped, slapped her forehead and laughed.
“Kai Serenes,” she told me, “you truly are just like your mother. Ever since I stopped doing up my hair 19 years ago, she would always ask me about it. I guess somewhere down the line it became a hopeless case. Nonetheless, Kai Serenes I would always offer to help me with it. It’s futile. Kai, I hope you’re listening.” She directed that last statement at my mother, who was but a few yards away. She actually broke a small, timid chuckle.
“Katara,” she said, “you cannot say that I did not warn you that it would happen. Nonetheless, I suppose there’s no point trying to fix something that is beyond repair. I suppose you are fond of it now, correct?”
“Kai Serenes II,” said Katara, turning back to me, “you better grow up to be like your mother. The world needs more people of your sort. Anyways, I suppose I should get on with my original purposes of taking you here. Do you agree with me?”
“Well,” I said, not wanting to sound hasty, “I suppose...”
“Good,” said Katara, “that’s the spirit. You really are growing up to be just like your mother. So now, we shall continue. Beneath this floor of ice is a huge lake of this sacred water. I do not want you trying to open the ice. I want you to try to control the water. The movements for this are small but very complex.”
I slowly began to bend the ice away. The ice was ordinary water, and I did not want to mix it with the spirit water, so I was careful to keep the ice frozen. Kai was watching me with utmost interest. I continued removing ice until there was a hole about 2 feet around on any side.
“Now,” I said, “I’m not sure why your mother wanted me to teach this, but she did. Stick your hand in the water and get used to it. You look like you should be cold, being dressed the way you are. Why are you always barefoot, anyways?”
“Well,” Kai stammered, “it was a principle my mother taught me. Did she ever tell you what it was?”
“I think it might have come up once or twice.” I replied, “in case you did not notice, when I came here, I adopted that principle.”
Judging from the look on Kai’s face, she had not noticed that I had removed my shoes before coming here.
“You feel that warmth from the ice?” I asked. To anyone but a true master waterbender, asking if there was any warmth from ice had to be one of the stupidest questions imaginable. Kai nodded and said that she felt it too.
“Your mother probably told you this,” I said as Kai began twirling her fingers in the water, “but only a true master waterbender can feel that. Water will welcome a master.” I told her, “It does not dare harm someone who will control it with grace and serenity. You fit the model perfectly, which means your mother taught you very well. There is very little I can teach you as a result.” I paused. I noticed that the way she was lazily stirring her hand in the spirit water was actually part of the bending procedure.
“Kai,” I exclaimed, making her start, “the way you were moving your hand—do that again. That is part of the method I was about to teach you.” I waited until she began again, and then continued,
“Now,” I said, “the water is going to judge you based on your skills. If it does not follow your orders, then that means you are not yet skilled enough. However, I know better, and I’ll bend some sense into that water if it rejects you. By all means, it should accept you, for like your mother, you are a master.”
I waited, and Kai looked slightly nervous.
“Am I doing it right?” she asked timidly, and I saw that the water was following he every move. I told her to start moving her fingers very slightly. She did, and I noticed that she was.
“It’s just as I figured,” Katara told me, “there is nothing wrong with that water—it recognizes you as a top tier bender. Now, slowly bring your hand upwards, and the water should follow you in a thin, gentle stream, similar to how it did when I got you some.”
I slowly brought my fingers up. I felt like I was going to slow, but Katara nodded that I was doing fine. She told me that she had actually done it faster than she should have, but since she was able to use that all the time, I should have expected that.
“That does not mean I’m better than you,” Katara told me, “it just means I’ve had more practice in that particular department. Kai, I’m not sure how many other people have told you this, but you are an incredible waterbender. You have truly mastered the art. I think it would be enough to rival that of a supernatural. I noticed during your little performance some—unusual—techniques. Kai, I think if Tera came up against you, you’d be able to hold your ground.”
I stopped. I could tell that there was something she wanted to ask me. I wished I could tell her I was the avatar and that I did intend to bring Tera down, but I knew better.
“Kai,” said Katara quietly; she looked like she was about to cry, “Do you think... you—maybe... could... avenge Zuko for me?”
“I guess I could try,” I replied, “If it will make you happy, then I will.”
I suddenly found Katara embracing me.
“You don’t know how much that means—how much he meant before...” she didn’t finish. I shared her sympathy.
The road to Tera would be a long one, but Katara had given me valuable information. I wanted to avenge Zuko for Katara now. I knew that they had been married, even if it were only a few short years. Now, another part of my path had become visible.
~Kai~
THE WATER TRIBE CHIEF (I)
Katara led me into an open clearing. However, we were surrounded by huge walls of ice. I knew this wasn’t a trap. This was likely just a secret place used by the Chief of the water tribe. Being the curious child that I was (well, I was 18, but compared to Kai I and Katara, I was a child), I asked her about it.
“What is this place?” I asked her. Katara turned around, her huge, obscenely untidy hair nearly whipping my face; one thing I had noticed about it though was that she still had two “loopy thingies” (as Sanaki had once described them when I was younger). However, they were now much larger.
“This place is simply my sanctuary.” Katara replied, “It’s where I come when the stress of being Chief of the Water Tribe gets to me. No one can come here except me and people that I have given permission to. Well, your mother is welcome any time, and I suppose as a result, you are too.”
“Okay,” I replied, “I was just wondering. So, what’s in this place?”
“Keep this quiet,” said Katara, starting to bend a patch of ice away, “but this is also the source of the spirit water.”
Katara pulled out a vial and reached her hand down into a small hole in the ice she had made. I couldn’t see what was down there, but I knew that there was water down there, for I could see Katara’s arm moving. It seemed that she was making complex movements underneath the ice, for I could sense the water moving in an unusual way. I would have asked her, but I had a feeling that it was a secret exclusive for someone important such as the chief of the water tribes. A few seconds later, Katara pulled her hand up, and with it came a thin stream of water. I looked long and hard at it before Katara slipped it into the vial she had procured. It was the most beautiful looking water I had ever seen.
“Now,” said Katara, “you obviously know about the beautiful art and life that is water, correct?” I nodded.
“Good,” she said, “I knew your mother would teach you well. A great woman Kai Serenes is. Anyways, take this vial with you. It is yours to keep. I do not need payment of any type for it. If you accept it as a gift from me to you, then that will suffice.”
“Are you sure there’s nothing you can do about your hair?” I asked; just to bring in a little extra smile.
It worked. Katara stopped, slapped her forehead and laughed.
“Kai Serenes,” she told me, “you truly are just like your mother. Ever since I stopped doing up my hair 19 years ago, she would always ask me about it. I guess somewhere down the line it became a hopeless case. Nonetheless, Kai Serenes I would always offer to help me with it. It’s futile. Kai, I hope you’re listening.” She directed that last statement at my mother, who was but a few yards away. She actually broke a small, timid chuckle.
“Katara,” she said, “you cannot say that I did not warn you that it would happen. Nonetheless, I suppose there’s no point trying to fix something that is beyond repair. I suppose you are fond of it now, correct?”
“Kai Serenes II,” said Katara, turning back to me, “you better grow up to be like your mother. The world needs more people of your sort. Anyways, I suppose I should get on with my original purposes of taking you here. Do you agree with me?”
“Well,” I said, not wanting to sound hasty, “I suppose...”
“Good,” said Katara, “that’s the spirit. You really are growing up to be just like your mother. So now, we shall continue. Beneath this floor of ice is a huge lake of this sacred water. I do not want you trying to open the ice. I want you to try to control the water. The movements for this are small but very complex.”
I slowly began to bend the ice away. The ice was ordinary water, and I did not want to mix it with the spirit water, so I was careful to keep the ice frozen. Kai was watching me with utmost interest. I continued removing ice until there was a hole about 2 feet around on any side.
“Now,” I said, “I’m not sure why your mother wanted me to teach this, but she did. Stick your hand in the water and get used to it. You look like you should be cold, being dressed the way you are. Why are you always barefoot, anyways?”
“Well,” Kai stammered, “it was a principle my mother taught me. Did she ever tell you what it was?”
“I think it might have come up once or twice.” I replied, “in case you did not notice, when I came here, I adopted that principle.”
Judging from the look on Kai’s face, she had not noticed that I had removed my shoes before coming here.
“You feel that warmth from the ice?” I asked. To anyone but a true master waterbender, asking if there was any warmth from ice had to be one of the stupidest questions imaginable. Kai nodded and said that she felt it too.
“Your mother probably told you this,” I said as Kai began twirling her fingers in the water, “but only a true master waterbender can feel that. Water will welcome a master.” I told her, “It does not dare harm someone who will control it with grace and serenity. You fit the model perfectly, which means your mother taught you very well. There is very little I can teach you as a result.” I paused. I noticed that the way she was lazily stirring her hand in the spirit water was actually part of the bending procedure.
“Kai,” I exclaimed, making her start, “the way you were moving your hand—do that again. That is part of the method I was about to teach you.” I waited until she began again, and then continued,
“Now,” I said, “the water is going to judge you based on your skills. If it does not follow your orders, then that means you are not yet skilled enough. However, I know better, and I’ll bend some sense into that water if it rejects you. By all means, it should accept you, for like your mother, you are a master.”
I waited, and Kai looked slightly nervous.
“Am I doing it right?” she asked timidly, and I saw that the water was following he every move. I told her to start moving her fingers very slightly. She did, and I noticed that she was.
“It’s just as I figured,” Katara told me, “there is nothing wrong with that water—it recognizes you as a top tier bender. Now, slowly bring your hand upwards, and the water should follow you in a thin, gentle stream, similar to how it did when I got you some.”
I slowly brought my fingers up. I felt like I was going to slow, but Katara nodded that I was doing fine. She told me that she had actually done it faster than she should have, but since she was able to use that all the time, I should have expected that.
“That does not mean I’m better than you,” Katara told me, “it just means I’ve had more practice in that particular department. Kai, I’m not sure how many other people have told you this, but you are an incredible waterbender. You have truly mastered the art. I think it would be enough to rival that of a supernatural. I noticed during your little performance some—unusual—techniques. Kai, I think if Tera came up against you, you’d be able to hold your ground.”
I stopped. I could tell that there was something she wanted to ask me. I wished I could tell her I was the avatar and that I did intend to bring Tera down, but I knew better.
“Kai,” said Katara quietly; she looked like she was about to cry, “Do you think... you—maybe... could... avenge Zuko for me?”
“I guess I could try,” I replied, “If it will make you happy, then I will.”
I suddenly found Katara embracing me.
“You don’t know how much that means—how much he meant before...” she didn’t finish. I shared her sympathy.
The road to Tera would be a long one, but Katara had given me valuable information. I wanted to avenge Zuko for Katara now. I knew that they had been married, even if it were only a few short years. Now, another part of my path had become visible.
~Kai~
