Open Your Mind

Chapter Forty-Two

"She what?!"

Katara winced and shifted uncomfortably under her brother's shocked and horrified gaze, her eyes flickering over to Xiaodan who was standing beside her with a blank expression. The group had met up with hers and Sokka's father at Chameleon Bay before the group managed to steal one of the Fire Nation ships, which they were currently using to travel across the Earth Kingdom undetected. In that time, Xiaodan had only said a handful of words and appeared to be in an almost catatonic state, even after Katara had repeatedly assured her that Aang was going to be okay since they'd placed him in one of the cabins in the command tower. After that, Katara had decided it would be a good idea to tell Sokka and Toph about Xiaodan sudden ability to Firebend, something her brother was not taking very well. Toph had yet to say anything on the matter, though her head was turned slightly towards Xiaodan's motionless form.

Katara glanced at the white-haired girl unsurely again then answered her brother, "Xia, kinda, uh, Firebended back in the Catacombs..."

Sokka whirled around and pointed accusingly at Xiaodan, "You what!?"

"Firebended."

"What H-How?" The Water Tribe boy stuttered after the white-haired girl's flat reply, his expression conveying just how hard it was for him to wrap his mind around the fact that Xiaodan, a Master Airbender, had Firebended.

Xiaodan's expression remained blank, her usually bright orange eyes blank as she stared unseeingly at her hands. Though her eyes and face was blank, her mind was rife with turmoil. Her thoughts raged and ravaged her mind and her ears suddenly began to ring, drowning out Sokka's voice as he ranted loudly.

"Katara..." The white-haired girl rasped as she lifted her hand to her forehead, her eyes blurring abruptly, "I don't-"

"Catch her!" Toph suddenly shouted just before Xiaodan eyes rolled into the back of her head and she pitched forward.

"Whoa!" Sokka gasped as he lunged forward, instinctively catching the female Airbender when she slumped towards the ground.

Her dead weight caused Sokka to sink to the metal floor of the upper deck and he looked up at his sister with a panicked expression.

"What's wrong with her?" Sokka demanded as Katara kneeled beside him, her hands already covered with water.

"She's exhausted." Katara said quietly as she bended the water back into her canteen after using her healing to examine the unconscious white-haired girl, "With everything that's happened, it's not surprising. She needs rest, we can put her in one of the cabins."

Sokka hesitated a moment then nodded, struggling to stand for a moment before Toph and Katara helped him to his feet. Katara slipped one of Xiaodan's arms over her shoulder while Sokka did the same with the other and together the two carefully carried the limp white-haired girl towards the command tower, Toph hurrying forward to open the metal door.

Xiaodan tossed and turned on the sleeping mat in the cabin Katara and Sokka had placed her in to rest, her brow furrowing deeply as she dreamt.

'"Monk Gyatso, I did it! I did it!" A six year old Xiaodan shouted gleefully as she ran towards her teacher and father-figure, a laughing two year old Aang toddling after her eagerly.

Monk Gyatso smiled as he turned away from the young man he was talking to, his gray eyes crinkling at the corners as he regarded his two charges as they came to a stop in front of him and the young man.

"Manners, young one." The gray-bearded monk chided good-naturedly, his gray eyes twinkling, "What do you say, Xiaodan?"

The little girl gave him a confused look then realization dawned on her when she saw the man standing beside her teacher.