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𖤓𖤓𖤓
"The day we have feared for so long has arrived."
Kaia reaches over to grasp both Sokka and Katara's hands as they listen to Chief Arnook's speech. Fear drilled deep inside her as the soot of the Fire Nation ships clouded the white ice of the Northern Water Tribe.
"The Fire Nation is on our doorstep. It is with great sadness I call my family here before me, knowing well that some of these faces are about to vanish from our tribe. But they will never vanish from our hearts. Now, as we approach the battle for our existence, I call upon the great spirits! Spirit of the Ocean! Spirit of the Moon! Be with us! I'm going to need volunteers for a dangerous mission."
Sokka pulls his hand from Kaia's grasp and stands, making both her and Katara's eyes widen. "Count me in."
"Sokka!" Katara gasps, begging with their eyes for him to sit back down as many other men stand up in the crowd with him.
"No, Sokka. Please don't go." Kaia begs her cousin, but his eyes do not waver from the dais.
"Be warned. Many of you will not return. Come forward to receive my mark if you accept the task." The men form a line in front of the Chief to receive the mark, three red lines on the forehead, made from the paint that he holds in a bowl in front of him.
As Sokka leaves, he turns and makes eye contact with Yue before he turns again and walks away. Kaia curses him internally for risking his safety because of this girl.
She finds Aang sitting on the top of the fence of ice, looking off at the nearing ships. When she approaches, the firebender lowers herself next to him and puts an arm around his shoulders.
"It's going to be okay." She promises to him. The young boy turns to her, a blank expression in his eyes.
"What was it like?"
"What was what like?"
"When your home got raided." Kaia takes a deep breath as she prepares her response.
"Well, it was as terrible as it sounds. Black snow fell from the sky as Sokka and I played near the river. Somehow the Fire Nation had discovered that there was one more waterbender in our tribe, Katara of course. I went to find Gran Gran and Katara went to find Kya. Her mother."
Kaia's eyes lower to the ground at the memory of the woman who raised her. A part of her felt like she didn't deserve to grieve her, not the way Katara or Sokka did. After Kya had died, the firebender couldn't help but distance herself from everything.
While Katara and Sokka grieved, Kaia raged.
Cursed the Fire Nation who had taken her mother and the woman who raised her. Cursed the world for making her a firebender, a destroyer. Cursed herself.
She couldn't protect her family from the Fire Nation, so the next best thing was to protect them from herself.
"She was like a mother to me," Kaia admits after a long silence. "Unfortunately the man who found her didn't feel generous that day and they killed her on the spot." She turns to Aang who wears an expression full of pity. "I can remember the anger I felt. When they left I went to the edge of the ice pocket we were on a blasted puffs of smoke at them, daring them to come back. Katara and Sokka were broken. I was angry."
"I wasn't there," Aang starts, falling into the same guilt Kaia feels. "When the temple was attacked. I couldn't do anything. Just like how you couldn't."
"It's not your fault Aang. The Fire Nation would have done what they did no matter the circumstance. If you were they would have killed you too. And when you were born to the Water Tribe they would have killed every person there and so on. They would have scorched the earth to kill you."
"It still feels wrong," he says, looking down at his feet. "I should have been there."
He looks back up at the approaching ships with a determined look.
"This time I'm going to make a difference."
𖤓𖤓𖤓
"They've stopped firing," Yue notes as she, Katara, and Kaia watch from the palace. The firebender looks up as Aang swoops in upon Appa, landing at the base of the Citadel steps. The three race down to greet him as the sky bison lands on his belly, his feet too tired to keep him up. Aang looks small and dejected in the saddle, sliding down and coming to rest next to Appa's left forepaw.
"I can't do it," He mutters, putting his head in his hands. "I can't do it." Kaia rushes to his side, kneeling beside him and putting a hand on his shoulder.
"What happened?" Katara asks as Aang looks up at her, his eyes dark.
"I must have taken out a dozen Fire Navy ships, but there's just too many of them. I can't fight them all."
"But, you have to! You're the Avatar!" Kaia rolls her eyes at the Princess' comment.
"I'm just one kid." He buries his head in his hands in despair and Kaia wraps her arms around him, wishing she could relieve him from the weight of the world upon his shoulders.
𖤓𖤓𖤓
"The legends say the moon was the first waterbender." They all stare, looking at the moon over the city as Aang's holds his head low. "Our ancestors saw how it pushed and pulled the tides and learned how to do it themselves."
"I've always noticed my waterbending is stronger at night. And Kaia's in the day. That's why I always beat her when we spare at night." She teased, elbowing her cousin. Kaia laughed a little but kept her head low, she could feel Aang's disappointment in himself and couldn't do anything to help her friend.
"Our strength comes from the Spirit of the Moon, our life comes from the Spirit of the Ocean. They work together to keep balance."
Aang's eyes open wide as he gets an idea. "The Spirits! Maybe I can find them and get their help!"
"How can you do that?" The Princess asks with raised eyebrows.
"The Avatar is the bridge between our world and the Spirit World. Aang can talk to them!" Katara says excitedly, making Yue smile hopefully.
"Maybe they'll give you the wisdom to win this battle!" She suggests before Aang spreads his arms wide.
"Or, maybe they'll unleash a crazy amazing spirit attack on the Fire Nation!" They regard Aang steadily and he puts his arms behind his back, smiling. "Or wisdom. That's good too."
"The only problem is, last time you got to the Spirit World by accident. How are you going to get there this time?"
"I have an idea, follow me." The group follows her through a courtyard behind the citadel, stopping in front of a wooden half-height door.
"So is this the way to the Spirit World?" Yue laughs and shakes her head.
"No, you'll have to get there on your own." She says, opening the door. "But I can take you to the most spiritual place in the entire North Pole."
Aang enters as Momo jumps off his shoulder and onto Kaia's. Inside there is a long pool of water and at the back of the chamber is a waterfall coming from the glaciers way above. On the sides of the pool are two ledges by which one can access the landing at the back of the chamber.
The landing is filled with green foliage, another smaller pool that looks almost tropical, and a small t shaped gate. The landing is connected to the ledges on the side of the chamber by two wooden footbridges.
It's a beautiful sight that caused Kaia to smile, patting Momo's head gently.
