Kya Maiden of the Sea Book 1 ATLA

Chapter 18

When night fell we built a fire, Sokka took out what he and I bought from the market. The others were tired and went to sleep. I being the insomniac I am, was anxious. I worried about the pirates, Zuko, Katara's necklace. We could be in danger. But has Katara really noticed? Why do I feel like I'm the only one like this? My thoughts went back and fourth on what was more important to think about.

Breaking my racing thoughts I heard rustling. I turned around slightly to see who it was, it was Katara. Of course she's going off on her own. I sighed at my sister as I silently followed her. Watching from afar I knelt down. She became frustrated again at not being able to learn the technique. I sighed as I took some water and formed small shards of ice throwing them into the water she held in the air. Katara saw her bubble break as the ice entered the water she whipped her head my way.

She hid the scroll behind her back and looked away from my eyes.

She mouthed something I couldn't understand. But I knew what she probably said.

I've always nagged Katara for losing her cool like this back in the South. I feel bad looking back, it was mostly all she knew about me. I had spent my time hulled trying to manage the village and making sure she and Sokka didn't kill each other we never actually bonded. Maybe thats why she's acting like this. I started to blame myself. Truth be told I never relied on anyone to help me before but someone did come help me.

"Katara, being angry won't fuel how quickly you learn," I smiled softly moving to meet her eyes where she was facing.

"Its just! Aang is so naturally gifted and your already know how to bend!" She shouted frustrated. My eyes softened

"Listen Katara," I stated, "I struggled to learn too. It didn't take me as long but I didn't learn all by myself. And even so, it was hard,"

"What?" She asked.

"Yup" I sat down to play with the water. "I worried about the village, I felt completely useless. A bender who couldn't bend properly with no direction. I would run away to try and calm down at night and practice. Even then Rui taught me a little," I paused. That was the first time I mentioned Rui's name in a long time. He was two years older then me from a camp more inland then ours. We met one night by the ocean. He couldn't bend but he knew some moves. He was my best friend, but he left to help fight the war with the men of the Tribe. He was of age at the time after all.

"Rui? You mean that guy who would visit our village with his dad. I thought he wasn't a bender, "

"He isn't, but he calmed me down. I stopped worrying about I couldn't do and focused and what I could one day be able to do," I motioned at her to try again, "You need someone there to help keep you calm,"

She tried and tried again. It was getting better, I could tell, but she would still get angry when things didn't go her way. I sat down to keep her company. So this is what it looks like to watch a bender trying to learn from the sidelines. I snickered to myself, remembering about the nosy boy who pushed himself into my life all those years ago. Then came a loud noise. I looked past the bushes to see the pirate ship.

"I knew it they were gonna find us," I muttered.

"Lets go now!" I whisper yelled.

As we were going to run a pirate grabbed Katara while I felt someone yank me forcing me to turn around.

"We meet again," I said a bit of annoyance as I turn to look at Katara once more.

"You think we wouldn't have?" Zuko asked rhetorically.

Katara was now being held my one of Zuko's soldiers. Being tied to a tree, so they joined forces. I shouldn't be surprised, their both desperate for something that we had.

"Tell me where he is and I won't hurt you," Zuko ordered

"Bite me," I replied with my cold emotionless expression locking eyes with him.

He smirked, "Try to understand, I need to capture him to restore something I lost. My honor. Perhaps in exchange I can restore something that your sister lost,"  He walked towards Katara holding up the necklace. The last thing I wanted think about in this moment.

"No!" I glared at him. I struggled a bit out of anger. If anything were to make me angry it was Zuko having something so important. I would have preferred the necklace to really had been lost

"H-how did you get that?!" Katara asked. I was angry. She didn't tell anyone and so I didn't. I felt stupid not confronting her about it before. No, I felt pathetic for not asking her. Either way it was lost what use would have me arguing been to her.

"I didn't steal it like how your sister stole the scroll, don't you just hate thieves?" He said walking back around to stand in front of me. He bent down a slight bit to reach my eye level.

"Tell me where he is," We kept our death stares.

"No!" Katara said. Like I would ever tell him.

"Enough of this necklace garbage! You promised the scroll," The pirate spoke.

"I wonder how much money this is worth," Zuko asked, as he lit a fire under the scroll.

They had begun to panic and listened to Zuko's orders to find Aang and to bring him back here. I stood there knowing struggling wouldn't get me anywhere. I kept glaring at Zuko.

"Will you really not struggle like your sister over there?" Zuko asked.

I laughed a bit under my breath. Zuko kept his gaze on me. He really wanted to see me struggle I guess my calmness irked him. Its not like I was actually calm, no on the inside I was antsy and writhing, and screaming. But I had to wait for the right time. I'm useless at the moment, again. I hated myself. I couldn't do anything. I had no water and was tied up.

A smirk crept on Zuko's face as Sokka and Aang were captured by the pirates.

"Aang, this is all my fault." Katara said.

"No Katara, it isn't," Aang replied nicely.

"Yeah. It kind of is," Iroh said. He was right I couldn't help but nod in agreement. Iroh looked at me for a brief moment before looking back at Zuko.

"Give me the boy," Zuko said

"Give us the scroll," The pirate said back.

"Wait you're gonna hand over the Avatar for a piece of parchment?!" Sokka asked.

"Don't listen to him! He's trying to turn us against each other," Zuko said trying to shut Sokka's statement down.

"Wait your friend is the Avatar?"

"Sure is! And I'm sure he'll fetch more on the black market then that fancy scroll,"

"Shut your mouth you Water Tribe peasant!" Zuko shouted.

"Yeah Sokka, you really should shut your mouth," Aang muttered.

Sokka caused a fight to break out as Momo came in to save Katara and I. I grabbed Katara and pulled her towards a boat. We bended the ship back into the water and got away.

"Heres a goodbye gift!" I sent a stream of water his way. The pressure causing him and his men to fall over. I half smiled. It wasn't the payback I wanted but it'll do, for now.

The pirates used Zuko's ship to come after us and had begun to climb on the ship we were on. Aang, Katara and I used water bending to knock them off. One problem after another,, a waterfall and we were headed right to it. Katara and I tried to hold back the water as Aang blew the bison whistle. Nothing. We at least were holding the boat until another boat crashed into us. With the boat tipping over we all jumped. Appa had caught us mid air. I slumped down onto the saddle thanking Appa and giving a sigh of relief. I can finally breathe again.

Katara had begun to apologize to us, me included this time. I could tell that she was actually sorry. While it took us almost dying again for a sincere apology. I took it. It's not like I can be mad at her. It was wrong of her to steal knowing it'll put us all in danger. Either way we kept the scroll so I didn't mind if Katara used it. Those pirates won't bother us anymore.