The Spirit Bender

18. Family is love and comfort

"if you don't believe in ghosts, you've never been to a family reunion,"
- Ashleigh Brilliant

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Before traveling to another city in order to find Aang an earthbending teacher, we settled down by the ocean. It was a place surrounded by rocks and the waves hit the erupted hills gracefully, yet roughly. It was the perfect place. We had set up around a campfire and now we all sat around it warming themselves after some dinner.

Katara was the first to break the inevitable silence. "So, Mae. I'd love to know about Northern Tradition," she said and poked to the logs in the fire.

I looked up from my knees where I had been resting my head. "Well, I suppose it's quite different from the south. From what you guys have been saying. The North is much more structured than the South," I chuckled and stared into the fire.

"Yeah. 'Cause that's our faults," Sokka snarled from his spot on the ground.

"I never said that," I said, eyes blinking in fear. Sokka knew exactly what he was stirring. He had his suspicions and wanted them out on the table. For the past few days I had seen him eye me more and more viciously. I knew he would figure it out sooner or later.

He rolled to the side away from us. "I'm just sayin'. You don't know how it was growing up in the south. You've always had people to take care of you. Our mother and sister were killed by the Fire Nation and our father is fighting in the war," he explained.

Katara glared at him. "We lost our mother and sister in raids, our mother was protecting the last waterbender in the south, she was protecting me. Kenna was taken a year before that by the Fire Nation."

I tensed. I didn't know my mother was gone. It made my heart break. Double that with Sokka's mood angered me. I felt the anger in my blood and before I knew it I had snapped. "You know what, Sokka. You have no idea what you're talking about! You know nothing about me, nothing!"

Sokka jumped up. "Are you sure about that? Because I have a suspicion I know you better than anyone else," he paused, "Kenna."

My eyes shot open. Katara dropped the cloth in her hand. Aang's mouth hung open. There were a deafening silence. "Excuse me?" my words trembled.

Sokka stared into my eyes with determination. "Just tell the truth." His look made me want to tell the truth. Tears began forming and my lips trembled.

Katara stood up. "That's enough!" she screeched. "Sokka, accept that she's gone and stop attacking Mae!"

She looked at me, who looked to the ground, the tears started to roll.

"No, Katara. She wasn't your twin," Sokka said. "I know I'm right. I just want to know why, that's all."

I was torn. Should I tell the truth or keep denying it. Continuing to deny it would have the truth come out sooner or later, and by then Sokka would probably never speak to me ever again, not to mention Katara. So maybe telling the truth now was best. But they would hate me for not telling the truth. But maybe that was for the best.

"I put it all behind me," I finally muttered. I didn't want to look up, but I knew I had to, so I did. Katara's eyes were wide and filled with tears. Sokka looked away, tears too forming in his eyes. "I wanted to go home, but I realized I was meant for something bigger. I had felt something my entire life, and it felt right staying. I think I was preparing for this my entire life."

"That doesn't explain how you just put it behind you. We mourned you. Our mother gave herself up, because she couldn't handle loosing another child!" Sokka yelled.

I looked away at this, crying. "I just... I had the choice to erase you for good, but I chose to keep you in my mind. To keep me going whenever times got rough."

No one said anything for awhile. Until I felt arms around me. Katara let out a few sobs and she hugged me tighter. I relaxed in her grip, opening my arms to hug her back.

"Why didn't you say anything," Katara choked.

I hugged her tighter. "I thought you would hate me."

"We would've forgiven you in a heartbeat. We still will," Katara sniffled.

"I don't understand why," I muttered. "You could never trust me."

Sokka finally spoke up once again. "Because you're our sister. And no matter how long you would've kept it from us, we would've forgiven you."

He moved from his spot on the other side of the fire to sit next to me. We stared into each other's eyes for a moment, before hugging each other tightly. I had missed him so much. We were so close as children, he was my other half.

"I don't know what to say," I said silently.

"You don't have to say anything."

Aang wiped away a tear. Watching the scene unfold before him made him think. "You know. I never had a family, it was always just the monks and I. But this has made me realize what a family is. It's love and comfort."

I smiled, tears still rolling down my cheeks. Family was my new favorite word. I reached out for Aang. "Come here, dummie. You're a part of this family too."

Aang smiled and reluctantly entered the group hug. Family, I thought. That was worth everything.

hey guys hope y'all loved this chapter, it wasn't in the series cause duh. but yeah hope you liked it <3 i'd love it if you guys perhaps wrote some comments as it motivates me to write more.

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RE-EDITED: 18/06/19

Wow what a re edit. nothing in this chapter is what it used to be and I've decided to build up the Maang (no) relationship a little more before going all the way.

RE-EDITED: 16/10/19