Past, Present, and Future

Chapter 9

Chia-jung's POV

"Jung. I thought I recognized you. But I thought it was these old eyes playing tricks on me." Katara bended some tea from the tea pot and refilled her cup. "I was told you don't remember your past, so you might not remember me."

"I don't remember much but looking in your eyes. I feel trapped in them. But I don't know if being trapped is good or bad." I wasn't sure why I was speaking so freely. "But then I feel as though that feeling isn't my own and I manage to break free from them."

"Well I guess, you don't remember why you feel that way." She seemed emotionless as she drank her tea, but guilt seemed to dance in the corner of her eyes.

"I think there is a reason I don't remember. But I do remember a couple things. My name and how I came to forget. I was running from something that was painful and I was tricked to enter that place and when I went to turn back I was dragged underground by a bunch of dead vines before I was surrounded in darkness."

"When we found you back then you didn't know who you were either. It took us a while to help you figure out your name. So you're doing better this time around."

I looked down at the table and saw the napkin under my cup of tea. I carefully slipped the napkin out from under the cup.

"It hurts not knowing anything but I'm not sure if knowing would hurt more." I saw a thin line on the napkin and for some reason I folded it. After I made one fold another line would appear so I would repeat the process, as I continued talking. "When ever I try to remember anything all I can see is darkness and I get really bad head aches."

"That sounds very unfortunate."

"I keep getting all these questions and it sucks because I cant give them the answers. Not yet at least." I looked back up to her and placed the folded napkin back onto the table before I started to drink my tea. "What really bothers me is I have to figure myself out and learn everything again."

"Well other than your memory. How has everything been treating you?" Katara asked as she slowly passed her napkin my way and I quickly began folding it.

"I am thankful your daughter found me and took me in. I'm also thankful she is trying to help me find my identity but I feel as though I'm different from everyone else." I went on to explain how my day was and the new friends I had made.

"Well that's because you are. You are different from anyone you could ever meet." She seemed to be very genuine about what she had said.

"I guess I'll have to figure out how." I finished off my tea and set the cup back down. "Say you were married to the last Avatar right?"

"Yes. I was married to Avatar Aang." She smiled but I could see the pain in her eyes, or was that something more?

"Is that statue outside of him?" I asked as I folded my hands.

"Well yea that was a what he looked like when he was younger. Well when Fire Lord Zuko and him made Republic City." She smiled as she spoke. "He looked more mature after he got older. I have a picture around here somewhere. I'll show it to you once I remember where." She looked around as if she was trying to remember where it was.

"I would love to see it some time." I stood up and bowed to her. "For now I should head to bed. Kya is taking me back to look at the records later."

"I told her not to unless you want to go out tomorrow.  There won't be any record of you in those records."

"Why wouldn't there be any record of me?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Where we found you when we were kids. They knew you but you were an orphan, and not many villages kept records of orphans or the lower classes." Katara bended more tea into her cup. "Only the friends you made knew you were gone. No one tried to find you when we said you were missing, because a lot of people went missing so there were a lot of people to find." She had a tear slide down her cheek. "We didn't give up trying to find you, but we searched every inch of the world and Aang constantly searched the spirit world, but every time with no prevail. It was like you never existed in the first place."

"Oh..."

"But even when we met you, you had no idea about your past or your name. People just called you girl and they couldn't tell us where you came from." She yawned softly. "Perhaps you are right about heading to bed."

She cautiously got up and began to clean up.

"Here I got it. Why don't you go a head," I said as I took the cups from her.

"Thank you dear." She smiled at me.

"Good night Katara." I softly lowered my head to her.

Suddenly I had a memory through my mind.

*flashback*

"Are you sure you want to clean up?" A young woman that looked like a younger Katara asked me. "I don't mind helping you." She was so kind and considerate. She also looked really pretty in that water tribe blue she almost always wears.

"A master water bender shouldn't be cleaning up after a no one like me." I said as I quickly put everything on a tray.

"You're not a no one." Katara took the tray from me and we walked over to the sink. "You're a member of our team now."

"Yea. I don't see why still. Its not like I have any skills. Even Sokka knows how to fight." Katara placed the dishes in the sink and turned to face me as I spoke.

"You don't have to know how to fight to be a valuable member of our team." Katara laid her hand on my shoulder. "You just have to be you. And do your best to do the right thing."

"Thank you." I smiled as I turned to start cleaning the dishes. "You always know how to cheer people up."

"Do you want to talk more tomorrow night at tea again?"

"Always. I enjoy our tea time talks." I said to her before she left the room.

*end flashback*

I finished washing the cups and teapot and I put them out to dry.

"So Katara and I use to have a lot of tea time talks." I said quietly.

I walked out of the kitchen and back to the room where we had tea. One of the napkins were still there but I didn't see the other. I had made one flower and the other was a small bird out of the folded napkins and the bird was gone.

"I guess the little birdy flew away." I laughed softly. I actually assumed Katara had taken it with her.

I picked up the flower and walked to my room where I saw Korra and Naga were still sleeping. Naga seemed to stir a bit when the door creaked as I closed it. 

I went over to my bed and placed the napkin flower on the end table.