The Avatar's kindred Spirit {Aang x Reader}

Chapter 19: The Waterbender Master

"I'm not one to complain, but can't Appa fly any faster?" Sokka groans.
(Y/N) lifts her eyes from her Cytheria book, "Your not one to complain? Since when?" Sokka rolls his eyes at his sister's words, arms crossed.
"I have an idea." Aang turns around, irritated. "Why don't we all get on your back and you fly us to the North Pole!"
"I'd love to! Climb on everyone Sokka's ready for takeoff." He wiggles his butt and Momo jumps on his back.
"Look, we're all just a little tired and cranky because we've been flying for two days straight." Katara reasons, trying to ease the tension from the saddle.
"For what? We didn't even find the Northern Water tribe. There's nothing up here." Just as Sokka says that, a large ice wave attempts to pierce Appa, followed by erratic reign work from Aang to escape. Another wave strikes, catching Appa on the paw and causing him to go down. He's quickly encased in ice and multiple boats come forward, a multitude of Waterbenders positioned atop it.
"They're Waterbenders! We found the Water Tribe!"
~~
"There it is!" Aang points, Appa swimming alongside the Northern Waterbender's boats.
"The Northern Water Tribe." Katara says, voice filled with the awe that matches the groups faces.
"We're finally here."
Five waterbenders move in unison, opening up the gate. As Appa floats in, more waterbenders raise the water level and bring him level to the city's entrance. "I can't believe how many Waterbenders live up here."
"We'll find a master to teach us in no time." Aang mentions, looking back at (Y/N) who's looking on in awe.
The grandeur of the city is obvious; buildings made of solid ice, a water system used for transportation, immaculate architecture, and a stunning woman that Sokka cannot take his eyes off of. "This place is beautiful." (Y/N) murmurs.
"Yeah, she is." Sokka dreamily sighs, missing the stolen glance between his youngest sister and the Avatar.
~~
A feast was hosted later that night by the King of the Northern Water Tribe. "Tonight, we celebrate the arrival of our brother and sisters from the Soutehrn Tribe. And they have brought with them someone very special, someone whom many of us believed to have disappeared from the world until now. The Avatar." Aang waves as many clap. "We're also celebrating my daughters 16th birthday. Princess Yue is now of marrying age."
Sokka looks on in shock at the girl that comes forward. "Thank you father. May the great ocean and moon spirits watch over us during these troubled times." Her voice is warm and kind, reminding (Y/N) briefly of the sweet treat she had once called honey.
"Now, Master Paku and his students will perform." An older man and two young men move swiftly at the announcement, having obviously spent some time perfecting their form. (Y/N) can only look on in enthusiastic glee as she sees a real Waterbending Master in action for the first time. Their moves are calculated yet swift, graceful yet harsh, and the water reflects that. It moves in circles around the benders, mirroring their movements to perfection. The three jugs worth of water combine into one, and (Y/N) sits entranced, broken only by her sisters loud scoff.
"Prince of what?"
"A lot of things! Do you mind? I'm trying to have a conversation here." Sokka turns back to the Princess, who (Y/N) remembers briefly as being the girl that Sokka was drooled over.
"My apologizes, Prince Sokka." Katara dramatically bows, voice lowered to extenuate her mocking tone.
(Y/N) is pulled away from the conversation when Aang pokes her elbow. "I'm going to go meet Master Paku with the King, do you want to come?"
Debating between meeting a real life Waterbending master and food, the answer is clear. "No thank you, I'm pretty hungry. You go on, though." Food. Food always triumphs.
"Oh, okay. I'll come back after, all right?" At her nod Aang squeezes her elbow gently before letting go, getting up to follow the King.
"Very smooth." Katara says, and (Y/N) can only assume her brother managed to embarrass himself in front of Princess Yue.
~~
The morning is filled with exciting speculation between the two sisters about what they will be learning from Master Paku. As they approach the training grounds, the conversation continues. "I've waited for this day my whole life. I finally get to learn from a real Waterbending Master!" Katara exclaimes, shaking her sisters arm violently.
"We get to learn from a Waterbending master." (Y/N) winces, wondering briefly if it is possible for her sister to rip her arm off.
"Good morning Master Paku!" Aang yells loudly, arm outstretched in a wave.
"Oh please, march right in, I'm not concentrating or anything."
"This is my friend Katara, and my other..." Aang hesitates. "...Friend, (Y/N). The ones I told you about."
Paku looks at the three for a moment, eyebrow raised. "I'm sorry. I think there's been a misunderstanding. You didn't tell me your friends were girls. In our tribe, it is forbidden for women to learn Waterbending."
"What do you mean you won't teach us? I didn't travel across the entire world so you could tell me no!" Katara storms up to him.
"No."
"But there must be other female Waterbenders in your tribe," (Y/N) reasons.
"Here the women learn from Ugoda to use their Waterbending to heal, I'm sure she would be happy to take you as her student."
"I don't want to heal, I want to fight!" Katara argues.
"I can see that, but our tribe has customs, rules."
"That's not fair! What possible reasons could you have other than tradition to keep women from fighting?" (Y/N) questions, anger stirring in her chest and hands curled into fists at her side, Aang nodding his head feverishly in agreement.
"Well your rules stink."
"Yeah, they're not fair. If you won't teach (Y/N) and Katara, then-"
Master Paku stands up. "Then what?"
"Then I won't learn from you!"
"Well, have fun teaching yourself. I'm sure you'll do a great job."
"Now hold on, just a second." (Y/N) runs over to Aang. "You have to learn from him. You need to master Waterbending, and he's the way to do it. Please don't walk away from this."
"But he's mean, sexist, and disrespectful to you."
(Y/N) signs, taking one of Aangs hands into her own. "I know. But you need to learn this, and he's the best here. Please." Aang lowers his eyes to the ground, frustration rolling off him in waves. (Y/N) leans down slightly to catch his eyes. "If not for yourself then for me."
Aang searches her eyes for a moment and nods reluctantly, turning to face Master Paku who smirks. "Let's get started then."
~~
Katara walks dejectedly to the building where the healing lessons take place, (Y/N) trying to cheer her sister up. "Maybe this is a good thing. Sokka always gets into fights with trees, so we should save some bandages if we learn healing. Plus who knows, maybe it'll actually come in handy in the future." She shrugs, walking into the hut before her sister, sending a polite smile to the older woman.
"Hi, are you Ugoda?"
"Are you here for the healing lesson?" She smiles warmly, and briefly reminds (Y/N) of Gran-Gran.
Katara dutifully notes that the only girls in the class are kids. "I guess we are."
"Welcome, welcome!"
After the lesson ends, the sisters go up to Ugoda.
"Thank you for the lesson," (Y/N) says, smile gracing her face.
"Of course. So, who's the lucky boy?" She asks.
"Huh?"
"You're betrothal necklace," she points to their mothers around Katara's neck. "You're getting married, right?
"No, I don't think I'm ready for that yet. My grandmother gave my mother this necklace, and my mother passed it down to me."
Ugoda takes a closer look, gasping. "I recognize this carving! I don't know why I didn't realise sooner. You're the spitting image of Kana."
""How do you know our Gran-Gran's name?"
"When I was about your age, I was friends with Kana. She was born here, in the Northern Tribe."
"She never told me." Katara whispers.
"She never told any of us." (Y/N) furrows her brow.
"Your grandmother had an arranged marriage with a young Waterbender. He carved that necklace for her."
"If Gran-Gran was engaged, why did she leave?"
"I don't know, that's always been a mystery to me. She left without saying goodbye."
~~
After grabbing her book, (Y/N) leaves the quarters where the siblings and Aang are staying. Needing a walk to clear her mind before bed, she goes out to the town. A head of white hair rushes past her, and the words slip out of her lips before she can think. "Princess Yue?" The form stops and turns back to her, wiping her eyes of the tears it previously held. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine. It's (Y/N), right? Sokka's sister?"
"Yeah. Are you sure you're alright? It looks as though you've been crying."
The Princess sighs, turning to (Y/N) fully, clasping her hands in front of her. "I'll be alright." She smiles, "how has your stay been so far? Is there anything I can help with?"
(Y/N) hesitates, pulling out her book from her side to her front. "Honestly, I was hoping for some place quiet to read. Two days on a saddle with three other people doesn't leave much quiet time, if I'm totally honest."
Princess Yue laughs gently. "I can help arrange that." She takes in the title of the book (Y/N)'s holding and stills for a moment- it's her Cytherea book, The Past, Present, and Future of Two Kindred Souls. "Hey, isn't that book about the Avatar and his Cytherea?"
(Y/N) looks up at Yue curiously. "How did you know that?"
Princess Yue smiles slightly and holds out her hand. "I think there is something for you to see."
~~
"What is this place?" (Y/N) questions, fingers tightening around her book. She was led to a shrine nearing the back of town. Inside is a painting of Avatar Yangchen and Masran, Yangchen's Cytherea. Nearby stands a book, and she can briefly see a drawing of another Cytherea within.
"It's an altar of sorts. Every 4 Avatar cycles a Cytherea is a Waterbender. This is a place dedicated to the Cythereas that have come before and the ones to come." Yue answers, hands clasped together behind her as she gazes at the portraits.
"But... why? Don't most places have these for the Avatars, not the Cythereas?"
Yue turns her head towards (Y/N), quirking a brow. "I thought you knew? It's in that book." She taps a finger to the cover.
"I haven't gotten that far yet." (Y/N) defensively replies.
Yue laughs and puts her hands up in surrender. "I'm not judging you! It's a long book." She smiles. "As the Princess of the Northern Water tribe, it is a part of my duty to be prepared to help the Avatar. A part of that duty was reading that book. Inside I learned about the connection between the Cytherea and water."
"Connection?"
"You see, the Cytherea has multiple spirit guides. Amongst them are the water and the moon spirits." Yue explains, "But that's not the interesting part. Originally, there was only the Avatar. There was no equal spirit, no soulmate. The Moon spirit saw the efforts of the original Avatar, and as a gift, created a second spirit to help guide him on his path. The Moon helped to create the spirit of the Cytherea. That's why there is such a great connection between the two. The Moon spirit gave life to the Cytherea cycle." (Y/N) can feel the shocked expression spread across her face, but cannot find it in herself to care. She really should read her book more. Yue laughs at her expression, grinning. "That is why we have this shrine. The Tribes and Waterbenders are drawn to the spirits of the Ocean and the Moon, and thus their creations." Yue traces the face of Masran with her eyes.
"Amazing." (Y/N) mutters, mustering a grin back at the Princess.
Princess Yue snaps her fingers in realisation. "That reminds me! Aang is an Airbender, meaning that his Cytherea is a Waterbender. How big is your tribe?"
"...Small?"
Yue claps her hands together happily. "That means the likelihood is that Aang's Cytherea is from the Northern Water Tribe. I was thinking, since you all are already here, perhaps we should hold a gathering and have Aang meet everyone around his age, so that he can meet his Cytherea. What do you think?" Yue turns to (Y/N), who is scratching the back of their neck awkwardly and flushing red. Yue's eyes take on a glint. "Unless, of course, Aang has already found his Cytherea?"
(Y/N) clears her throat and pulls at her collar. "Is it hot in here or is it just me?"
Yue's brow lifts in amusement. "Just you. Anything you'd like to say?"
(Y/N) taps her fingers together anxiously, blowing hot air out of her cheeks and finally meeting Yue's eyes. "You can't tell anyone, my siblings don't know." (Y/N) stresses, Yue prompting her to continue. "I'm Aang's Cytherea."
Yue shakes with glee, clapping her hands together. "Oh how wonderful! Simply wonderful! You must tell me everything!"
And with eyes of silver looking at her like that, how could she possibly say no?
~~
As (Y/N) walks back to the house where Aang and her siblings are staying, she is struck by just how late it is. They will certainly be worried, but it was definitely worth it- she's made a good friend in Yue, one she is sure will last a lifetime. She's nearing the bridge as she hears a voice.
"... Disrespected me, my teachings, and my entire culture." The voice sounds vaguely familiar.
"I'm sorry, I-" now THAT is a voice she'd recognize anywhere- Aang.
(Y/N) gets on the bridge and notices Master Paku standing with one leg up on the ledge, accompanied by multiple icicles threateningly standing out on the ledge as he looks down from above. "You are no longer welcome as my student." Master Paku stands, walking away from Aang's voice. He notices (Y/N) and tightens his stare into a targeted glare.
(Y/N) rushes forward to the ledge, looking down to see Aang and Katara. "What is going on here?"
The three get back to their room, trying to explain to (Y/N) what happened. "Sokka suggested that Aang teach me Waterbending at night, so we went down to the river bank and he taught me a move. I don't know why Master Paku got all twisted about it." Katara explains, arms crossed.
(Y/N) furrows her brows at her sister's statement. "Three of us need to learn Waterbending, why didn't you guys just wait for me? We could've figured something else out, like waiting to learn from Aang until after we've left the Northern Water Tribe."
Aang interjects. "I wanted to wait for you, but Katara really wanted to learn and she said that I could just teach you tomorrow... though now I doubt there will be a tomorrow, since Master Paku won't teach me anymore." He scratches the back of his neck awkwardly, making eye contact with (Y/N). "I'm sorry."
"You don't have to apologise, Aang. You just wanted to help us out." (Y/N) smiles. "Maybe we can convince Master Paku to take you back as a student tomorrow."
~~~
"What do you want me to do? Force Master Paku to take Aang back as his student?"
"Yes! Please."
"I suspect he might change his mind if you swallow your pride and apologize to him."
Katara looks back at Aang, "Fine."
"I'm waiting little girl."
Katara balls her hand up into a fist. "No. No way am I apologising to a sour old man like you!" As Katara speaks the ice cracks, leading to a large vase of water breaking a part. "I'll be outside if you're an enough to fight me."
As Katara storms outside, Aang tries to repair the damage. "I'm sure she didn't mean that."
"Yeah... I think she did." Sokka states.
Following Katara outside, Sokka tries to reason with her. "Are you crazy, Katara? You're not going to win this fight."
"He's a master, Katara." (Y/N) speaks.
"I know. I don't care."
"You don't have to do this for me, I can find another teacher."
"I'm not doing it for you. Someone needs to slap some sense into that guy." Katara turns, seeing Master Paku walking down the stairs. "So, you decided to show up?" He walks past. "Aren't you going to fight?"
"Go back to the healing huts with the other women where you belong." At those words Katara Waterbends a whip out of the snow, hitting Master Paku in the back of the head.
"Fine, you want to learn how to fight so bad? Study closely." Master Paku bends out all the water from two grand jugs, forming them into a circle around his body. Katara charges, hit by his great wave of water, and thrown back a few feet. He circles the water to make a ring around the two, slowly closing her in. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you." Master Paku smirks.
Katara breaks the circle of ice, directing it towards the crowd where it smacks Sokka in the face. Paku creates a large wave of ice to deter Katara, but she jumps off it and onto a spire. Paku turns his ice wave into water, sent to Katara, which she throws off and strengthens her feet to her position by crawling ice up from the ground to her ankles.  "You can't knock me down!"
The crowd cheers, clapping for her as (Y/N) shouts encouragement to her sister. Katara charges, turning Paku's ice wall into water and throws the first punch. She throws four more, all dodged by Paku, who sends her off in a swirl of water into the fountain. Katara defiantly stands, shaking the water from her face, and bends a slab of ice. She slices thin shards to Paku sharp as knives, he destroys them, narrowly missing one. Katara summons a large wave which Paku bends, slamming it into her as she charges. She's only down for a moment, but it catches (Y/N)'s breath, and she can feel her palms get clammy as her sister jumps up, bending the four towers of snow to collapse. Paku turns it to a fine powder, and it falls as though its sole purpose was not to trap him.
"Well, I'm impressed. You are an excellent Waterbender."
"But you still won't teach me, will you?"
"No."
Katara sends an attack, he deflects, sliding over on a wave of ice. Paku grabs Katara, her mothers necklace falling off in the process. Katara tumbles to the ground, hair undone, trapped by sharp ice.
"This fight is over." Paku begins to walk away.
A wall of ice rises from the ground, and Paku can see the girl's sister walking down the steps, taking off her winter coverings, leaving her in a simple blue dress. "Is it? I do believe that there are two of us, remember?"
Paku sighs, irritated. "Make it quick. I have a class to teach."
"Oh, I intend to." Her hand is steady as it raises swiftly, melting the wall of ice into a wave that curls around Paku's feet, freezing him to the ground. (Y/N) raises her left hand, levelling it as she melts the shards trapping her sister, who drops to the ground, rubbing at her wrists.
It's enthralling, really. She can feel the motion of the water under her control as though it is in her own body, shifting, freezing, acting upon her orders. Paku unfreezes himself, sending a tidal wave to her. Shifting stances, left foot pivoted to the wave, hands coming together and separating, water following her movements. It's cold, but the cold is good, set deep in her bones as though born there. As though integral to her entire being. She can feel her blood pump, the warmth setting steady thrum to her body, juxtaposing the deep set cold. She jumps up on a wave, racing to the ground near Paku. He waterbends a ring around the them, slowly condensing it inch by inch, bringing her closer. They circle each other, fists raised and ready. She throws the first punch, misses, jumping up to avoid his own. It's then that she feels the wind whipping her face softly, warm, lifting her as she needs. She lowers, ducking his next punch and landing one on his side, shoved away by his Waterbending, breaking the ring. Roughly rolling, she feels herself heave. She can feel subtle exhaustion rolling into her body, having done more Waterbending in the last five minutes than in the last few days.
But it doesn't matter, because this is bigger than her. There are so many girls who can waterbend, constricted by their society to a traditional role. Not even given the option to fight, as though their gender makes it incapable for them to be strong, to keep up a fight. She can feel the eyes on her, can hear the cheers of the little girls at the front of the stairs, and feels herself clambering to get up, a fire set in her heart. She can feel the water bending through her veins, the air around her swirling, eyes set in a look of complete and utter strength.
"Do you think," (Y/N) speaks, moving her body with her waves of water, blocking an attack from Paku. "That because of my gender," she sets up an ice block, exploding from the impact of Paku's attack, jumping up from the mist of the destruction, a tidal wave following behind her. "I am weak?" The wave pushes past (Y/N) her arms outstretched so as to bend it, encasing Paku in her ice. With the majority of his body encased, (Y/N) lets go of her bending, leaving Paku in a puddle. She approaches, kneeling down to his level. "Do I look weak to you?"
(Y/N) stands, walking over to her sister, helping her get up. She turns back to face Paku. "True strength is being able to admit when you are wrong," He releases himself from the ice, turning it back to water. (Y/N) approaches, giving him too a helping hand. "I hope you take that into consideration."
(Y/N) is walking back up the steps with Katara to Aang and Sokka when Paku picks up their mother's fallen necklace. "This is my necklace," Paku states, voice soft with shock.
Katara looks back, tripping over herself to rush down the stairs. "No it's not! It's mine, give it back!"
"I made this sixty years ago for the love of my life, Kana."
"Our Gran-gran was supposed to marry you?"
"I carved this necklace for your grandmother when we got engaged. I thought we would have a long, happy life together. I loved her."
"But she didn't love you, did she? It was an arranged marriage." At those words Princess Yue's eyes start to water. "Gran-Gran wouldn't let her tribes stupid customs ruin her life. That's why she left. It must have taken a lot of courage." Katara says, voice soft with empathy.
"She forged her own life, the one she wanted to live. Not the one that was expected of her." (Y/N) speaks, a lilt of pride behind her words. Princess Yue sobs, running off.
"Go get her." Aang encourages, nodding to Sokka who runs after Yue.
~~
It's morning now, and Aang stands in front of Master Paku, performing a Waterbending move. "Not bad, not bad." Paku chuckles. "Keep practicing and maybe you'll get it by the time you're my age."
Aang's face falls at that, lifts as he notices the two sisters running up the stairs. "(Y/N)!" Aang yells, hand outstretched in a wave.
"What do you think you're doing?" Master Paku aggressively questions. "It's past sunrise. You're late." The girls smile, getting into position with the rest of the class.
"It's good to see you here," Aang grins.
(Y/N) smiles, "You too."