NOVEL WEB Chapter 3: Southern Water Tribe (2)
Katara watched the two in silence for a few seconds before asking what had been echoing in her head, "What... are you two doing?"
Ikari and Sokka turned to her at the same time, as if only just now noticing her presence. Ikari gave a soft smile, nodding calmly, while Sokka, still a bit clumsy in the snow, exclaimed, "Katara!" He stood up quickly, brushing snow off his face with a grimace. "What are you doing here?"
"I came… looking for you," Katara replied hesitantly, her eyes narrowing as she tried to make sense of the scene. The image of Sokka charging at Ikari with a spear still echoed in her mind, and now here they were, acting like nothing out of the ordinary had happened. "What are you doing?" she asked again, her tone laced with curiosity and a hint of irritation.
Sokka hesitated, clearing his throat before throwing an arm around Ikari's shoulders, who was slightly taller than him. "W-we were…" He paused, puffing out his chest with an air of importance. "Exchanging combat knowledge, you know? Man stuff."
Ikari tilted his head, amusement gleaming in his eyes. "I thought you asked me to train you."
"Hey!" Sokka dropped his arm from Ikari, pointing an accusing finger at him with an indignant expression. "I said I wanted some tips! Not the same thing!"
Katara crossed her arms, staring at her brother with a look that screamed Seriously? She nearly rolled her eyes but held back. Where had all that suspicion gone — those so-called "danger instincts" he kept going on about? Now he was standing there, all friendly, as if Ikari were some old hunting buddy. Sokka and his mood swings… why do I still take him seriously?
"If you're training…" Katara pointed at the spear in Ikari's hand, frowning. "Shouldn't you be using a stick or something? What if someone gets hurt?"
Sokka blushed, scratching the back of his neck. "No one's gonna get hurt, Katara! It's… impossible to hit this guy!" He gestured toward Ikari, clearly frustrated. "He keeps using those wind magic things and dodges everything!"
"Actually," Ikari cut in, the smile never leaving his face, "I haven't used my bending at all, Sokka. You're just too bad at hitting me."
Sokka's shoulders slumped, and he muttered under his breath, barely audible, "…Why do you have to say that with a smile?"
"But don't worry!" Ikari said cheerfully, giving Sokka a friendly pat on the shoulder. "I'll help you get better. You've got potential—you just need to learn how to move."
"R-right," Sokka mumbled, clearly torn between bruised pride and a reluctant hope to learn how to fight.
'Boys are so weird,' Katara thought, noticing how somehow they were getting along. 'But that's a good thing. If he's willing to help Sokka, maybe he'll be willing to help me too!' The thought rekindled the spark of hope and excitement that had been building in her chest ever since she discovered Ikari was a bender.
Katara took a deep breath, gathering her courage. "I… hum, Ikari," she called, but the moment his eyes met hers, glowing with curiosity, Katara froze. The words she had rehearsed in her mind suddenly tangled on her tongue. "I… I mean… could you…"
Ikari tilted his head, his smile softening. "Go ahead, Katara. What's on your mind?"
She swallowed hard, feeling her face heat up under his gaze. "Could you… help me with waterbending?" she finally asked, the words coming out quickly. "I mean, you're a bender, and I… I'm not very good yet, but I can move the water, sometimes, and I thought maybe you could… you know, teach me something?" She bit her lip, nervous, waiting for an answer.
Sokka scoffed, crossing his arms. "Waterbending? Katara, you can barely lift a drop."
Katara shot a deadly glare at her brother. "Sokka, if you don't shut up, I'm throwing you into the next hole I find!"
Ikari laughed, the light sound echoing across the frozen landscape. "Easy, you two," he said, raising his hands in a calming gesture. Then he looked at Katara, his expression turning serious for the first time since the two of them had met him. "About waterbending… I'd love to help you, Katara, but I'm afraid I'm not the right person for that."
Katara blinked, disappointment tightening in her chest. "What? Why not?"
Ikari gestured to the air around him "The four elements — air, water, fire, earth — they're all different. Each has its own… rules and limits, let's say. I trained and learned to feel the air, to move with it, to let it guide me. It's light, free, always shifting."
He paused, turning his hand to create a small current of air that spiraled upward before fading. "Water is different. It flows, yes, but it has weight, a current to follow. A waterbender needs to understand the tide, feel the pull and the return, like the waves obeying the moon. To teach you, I'd have to grasp that first. But it's impossible for someone who isn't a waterbender to truly understand water. That's why I'm not the right person to teach you."
Katara listened in silence, her eyes wide, taking in every word. There was something poetic about the way Ikari spoke. Even so, the disappointment lingered. "But… you're a bender," she insisted, her voice barely a whisper. "You must know something that could help me, right?"
"I can give you a few tips. That might help you get started. But waterbending? You're going to need to find a waterbending master to teach you" He paused for a second, his gaze drifting toward the horizon. "It's a shame that, as far as I know, you're the only waterbender in the South Pole..."
"Yeah…" Katara murmured, lowering her eyes to her feet. She should be grateful and happy, right? Ikari was willing to help her, even if it was just with a few tips. That was something, wasn't it? So why did she feel so discouraged?
Suddenly, a hand rested on her shoulder. Katara looked up and found herself face to face with Ikari, who had approached without her noticing, his eyes glowing with something warmly intense. "Don't get discouraged, Katara. Everything in this world has a path. Some are long, others filled with stones, but all of them lead somewhere. If you stop at the first difficulty, the first obstacle, you'll never find out where that path could take you. And I know, just by looking at you, that you're not the kind of person who gives up."
He tilted his head, his smile returning—this time with a hint of challenge. "You're going to find your path. And when you walk it, you'll have become such a powerful waterbender that even the Fire Lord will tremble."
Katara felt her heart quicken, Ikari's words reigniting the flicker of determination that had been wavering in her chest. 'He believes in me. Even without really knowing me.' She straightened her shoulders, chin lifting with newfound resolve, her eyes shining with a mix of gratitude and fire. "Thank you, Ikari," she said, her voice steady now. "You're right. I won't give up. I will become a great waterbender someday."
Sokka, who had been watching the exchange with crossed arms, snorted. "Wow, what an inspiring speech, Mister Wind. Gonna write a poetry book next?"
Ikari laughed, removing his hand from Katara's shoulder and turning to Sokka. "Maybe. But for now, I think I'll settle for teaching you how not to fall in the snow every time you try to hit me."
"Tsk."
Katara smiled, looking at the two of them. She certainly hadn't expected any of this when she woke up that morning, but that day had, without a doubt, been one of the happiest in years.
********
Night had fallen over the village, the sky now a dark blanket speckled with shining stars. The central bonfire crackled loudly, casting dancing shadows across the faces of the villagers gathered around it. The entire village sat in a circle, their eyes fixed on Ikari, who gestured animatedly as he told one of his adventures—something about escaping a Fire Nation blockade. He had cut out the heavier parts for the children's sake and embellished a few moments to make it more entertaining for everyone.
Meanwhile, Katara, along with two other women, moved through the crowd, serving steaming bowls of seaweed and fish soup. The salty, comforting aroma of the food mingled with the smoky scent of the fire, creating a sense of warmth amidst the cold.
Katara carried the tray carefully, handing out the bowls while trying to catch pieces of Ikari's story. Each word he spoke seemed to ignite something inside her — curiosity, fascination, the sense that there was a much bigger world out there, full of possibilities and adventures waiting to be discovered.
When it came time for Ikari, Katara stepped closer, holding out a bowl with both hands. "Here," she said, offering the soup with a shy smile. "Don't worry, I took the fish out. I hope it's good."
Ikari took the bowl but raised an eyebrow, his expression puzzled. "Why?"
Katara blinked, surprised by the question. "Well... I thought... Air Nomads didn't eat meat? At least, that's what Gran-Gran said."
Ikari laughed. "Oh, I see. And Gran-Gran isn't wrong. The Air Nomads were vegetarians. But I'm not an Air Nomad."
Katara furrowed her brow, confused. Everyone around them seemed just as puzzled. "What do you mean?"
Ikari took a sip of the soup, seeming to consider his answer. "You see, I spent a long time alone at the Southern Air Temple. Learning all about airbending and the customs of the Air Nomads through tomes and scrolls."
He paused, his gaze drifting toward the campfire, as if he were seeing something beyond the flames. "They were peaceful, believed that all life was sacred. Violence, to them, was a last resort — and even then, never to kill, only to defend. They didn't eat meat because they saw animals as part of the same cycle as themselves. In everything, the Air Nomads sought balance with the world and with life."
"But me?" Ikari continued. "I could never live with that worldview. Pacifism, dialogue, always trying to see the best in people… those are beautiful ideas, but not in a world torn by nearly a century of war. Besides, it was exactly that way of seeing the world that led the Air Nomads to ruin—"
!
Ikari stopped talking, and at the same time, everyone's gaze dropped to his neck, where two large, white, furry, pointed ears had emerged from beneath the collar of his tunic. Then, a small head appeared, its big, bright eyes scanning the crowd with curiosity.
Sokka, his mouth full of soup, pointed and shouted, nearly choking, "What is that thing?!"
Ikari laughed as he gently stroked the animal's head. "So you finally decided to wake up, huh?" he said in an affectionate tone. The creature, feeling the touch, closed its eyes, purring softly. "Come on out and say hello to our new friends."
With a quick motion, the animal fully emerged from Ikari's tunic, revealing itself as a flying lemur — small and beautiful, with a slender body covered in white and brown fur. Its large, rounded ears moved constantly, catching every sound, while its big green eyes gleamed with an almost human intelligence. A long, fluffy tail swayed behind it, and it let out a small chirp, as if greeting the village.
"Everyone, this is my friend Momo," Ikari announced, gesturing toward the lemur with his free hand.
*******
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Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, images or songs featured in this fic. Additionally, I do not claim ownership of any products or properties mentioned in this novel. This work is entirely fanfic.