Nightfall

Eighteen

The was a warm darkness surrounding Katara. She thought she should have been scared, but she wasn't. There was something about this darkness that reminded her of her mom's hugs, how she felt whenever her mother threw her arms around her shoulders. It was comforting and she felt like she could do anything. 

Slowly, Katara moved her arms. There was a pressure stopping her from moving her limbs, but she was able to move her eyes back and forth. Her heart thud against her ribcage when two figures stepped out into the darkness. A light followed them, burning their shapes against Katara's eyes. She let out a soft breath when she recognized who they were. 

The familiar faces of her mom and Gran-Gran stared at her with similar looks of happiness. Her mother took another step forward, stretching her hand out. Katara could feel the sweet caress of her mother's hand against her cheek, and her throat hurt from holding back the tears. "My sweet daughter," Kya whispered, her blue eyes filled with adoration, "you have grown up so much."

Katara tried to speak but nothing could come out. She pushed against the pressure that was holding her back, trying to throw her arms around her mom. Crying out in pain, the pressure was released and she fell into her mother's embrace, letting out a sob. "I've missed you so much!"

"I know, sweetie, I know." Kya ran her fingers through Katara's hair, just like she did when Katara was younger. "I've missed you too."

"Kya, we don't have much longer," Gran-Gran said, her voice closer. Katara lifted her head from her mother's shoulder. Gran-Gran placed a hand on Katara's shoulder, giving her a warm smile. "You are so special, Katara. Do not doubt yourself because you are so much stronger than what you think."

"How am I strong?" Katara cried out. "You two were the sources of my strength and now you're both gone." Somehow, Katara knew that this place she was in wasn't reality. She didn't want to leave her family. "I can't go on without you guys."

"We never left you," Kya whispered, touching her chest, right where her heart was. "Even if we may be gone from life, we're always with you. Our love flows through you, Katara. You carry us wherever you go. So does Sokka."

Pain erupted through Katara's body, but she pushed it away to hold onto her mom and grandmother. "Please don't let me leave."

"It's time, sweetie," Kya said soothingly. "You have to let go of us, but you don't have to forget us."

The darkness crowded around Katara, pushing her away from Gran-Gran and Kya. A scream broke through the silence, and Katara knew it was her that let it out. She didn't want to leave her mom. She was just a little girl who needed her mother to care for her and protect her; didn't the Fates know that? Why were They so cruel to her and Sokka? They deserved none of the pain the Fates put them through, and neither did Kya and Hakoda. 

Soft sunlight trickled through an opening above Katara, blinding her momentarily. There were aches all across her body, but that wasn't the worst of it. Snow pressed down on all sides, creating a cold cocoon around Katara. She figured that the snow would have killed her, but it didn't. She was alive and she was ready to fight. Her mother's words came back to her in a rush, feuling her intense desire to get out of this mess. 

Katara closed her eyes and took a deep breath, allowing the cold air to seep into her lungs and spread through her body. Something was growing in the pit of her stomach, the red tendrils of anger curling through her veins. A yell escaped from her lips as she threw her arms out to the side, hurling the snow away from her. It fell flat all around her, but she was finally free. 

Katara stood in the middle of a snowy landscape, breathing hard. She was angry and tired of the Games, and she was surprised that the snow around her boots weren't melting. A new purpose began to take shape in the depths of Katara's heart, and it was all because of her mother. She knew what she needed to do now. She was going to win, no matter the cost.