Freedom [ATLA Katara x Male Reader]

Chapter 38: [The Painted Lady]

You and your friends, minus Aang, sat on Appa's saddle as he slogged his way down the course of a sludge-infested river. The Avatar and Momo frolicked in the putrescent water. 

"Momo! Oh, Momo!" Aang called as he dived into the water. "Hahahahaha! You found me, buddy!"

Aang looked down at the water in distaste and airbent up to Appa's saddle, where he stood dripping in sludge. 

"Hey guys, I think this river's polluted." He airbent the mud off himself, splattering the rest of you with mud, which caused you all to cry out in disgust. 

"What gave you that idea?" you asked dryly, wiping the sludge off your face. Aang airbent again, blowing the rest of the mud into the river and messing up everyone's hair. 

"Well that explains why I can't catch a fish around here, because normally my fishing skills are off the hook!" Sokka held up a fishing hook and grinned. You all looked at him, unamused. "Get it? Like a fishing hook?"

"Too bad your skills aren't on the hook," Toph countered, making everyone laugh as Sokka made a disgruntled face. 

"It looks like we'll need to go somewhere else to get food," Katara said, unrolling a long scroll in front of her. "Assuming that'll fit into Sokka's master schedule."

"Hmmm... It's doable," Sokka replied. "But that means only two potty breaks today."

"Hey, maybe we can get food there!" Aang pointed to a village in the middle of the river. 

You frowned. "Wait a minute, you want to go deeper into the nasty water? We should be trying to get out of here!"

"And we will, as soon as we find something to eat," Sokka said, rubbing his hands together and licking his lips. You crossed your arms and slumped back against the saddle, but didn't try to argue any further. 

Just outside of the village, Aang covered Appa with a mat of grass. "Now you look just like a little hill with horns! Bye, buddy!"

Appa groaned as Momo briefly revealed himself under more grass nearby. The rest of you approached the Jang Hui river. 

"I don't feel anything. Where is the village?" Toph asked. 

"It's in the middle of the river!" Sokka answered, pointing to it. 

"Why are you pointing?" you demanded. "Toph can't see it."

Sokka lowered his arm, embarrassed. "Oh. Yeah. Right."

"That's our village, all right!" a man standing on a boat exclaimed. "My name's Dock. Mind if I ask who you are?"

"We're, um... from the Earth Kingdom colonies," Katara lied. 

"Wow... Colonials. Hop on, I'll give you a ride into town."

You got in the boat, offering Katara a hand to keep her steady as she stepped on. Dock began to paddle you all across. 

"Why do you guys live on the river?" Katara asked curiously, looking at the floating village. 

"Because we're a fishing town. At least that's how it was before the factory moved in. Army makes their metal there. Moved in a few years ago and started gunking up our river." You looked at the water sadly. "Now our little village is struggling to survive."

You got off the ferry boat, looking around at the small village and its people who were stricken with poverty and starvation. Many looked sick and horribly thin. You felt a twinge in your chest as you remembered your people, who used to be in the exact same conditions. You used to be in the exact same conditions.