Avatar: The Last Descent

Chapter Two: Earliest Memory

Kato's earliest memory was of his mother and Hiro. They were fighting, arguing over something. Kato distinctly remembered his mother's face, it looked visceral, her words piercing and Kato, being only two years old, understood very little of what was going on—his brother Takumi felt inclined to protect his baby brother.

"Shh, don't pay attention to them little dude. Mommy and Hiro fight all the time."

Takumi rocked his little brother back and forth, doing his best to soothe him to sleep. Meanwhile Hiro and Kohana grew ever louder. 

"You take my money, you take my support, and you give me nothing in return. You're a cold-hearted bitch."

"I never asked for it." Kohana responded.

"Don't give me that. You accepted it. You keep accepting it. I am doing so much and you refuse to acknowledge me."

"Then GO! Leave me alone. Leave my kids alone."

"Oh please, I care for them just like I care for you. If I leave, what, are you going to get a job? Gonna be the working woman? You've never worked a day in your life."

"I don't need your money. You bring in barely anything."

The argument continued. Kohana grew continually bolder in her antagonisms of Hiro. This was not the first time she had told him to leave. Each time she tried, he refused. With each new argument, Kohana felt emboldened to push the envelope further and further. She had no bending abilities, whereas Hiro could earthbend. At first, she feared his abilities and what he might do if she insulted him too harshly. But, as time went on, her fear turned into raw contempt and simply didn't care anymore.

"Hiro, I am done with you. You got what you wanted right? I've been yours for two years and you've taken advantage of that every chance you get."

"Kohana, we are in love. Stop this petty bullshit."

He looked her dead in the eyes, only recognizing hatred in her eyes. Then, miraculously, she washed the anger and restored a neutral face. She walked up to Hiro, calm and composed.

"Fuck you Hiro."

Hiro flinched, his lip twitching in anger. How dare she speak to him like this. He was there for her when her husband left. He has helped raise her children. All he wants is for her to see him as an equal, as a partner, and allow him to be a father to her children. Why can't she grant him that? He slammed his fist into the wall, intentionally using his earthbending abilities to shake the entire house.

"I am not leaving. And you'd better get used to it."

He walked off into the living room and sat on the couch, next to two-year old Kato. Takumi tried to keep rocking Kato and sing a nursery rhyme. His heart raced and he wanted to cry, being so close to Hiro after feeling the whole house shook with from his slam. But Takumi, being empathetic, needed to check on his mom, he ventured into the kitchen and saw her filling a pot of water then placing it on the stove.

"Mommy, what are you doing? Is everything okay?"

Kohana stayed silent. Nothing mattered to her right now except showing Hiro she was no pushover. Takumi could only watch as Kohana brought the pot to a boil, picked it up, brought it into the living room, and dumped the water callously on Hiro's head and body. He screamed out in pain, immediately standing up and running to the bathroom. Takumi wanted to cry witnessing his mother do such a thing. Takumi cried out.

"Kato got splashed by the water! Mommy look! He was right next to daddy."

She turned her gaze to Takumi.

"Don't call him that."

Takumi scampered over to Kato. There actually wasn't much damage, most of the water hit his blanket or around him. Kohana walked around the couch and picked Kato up.

"There there. Mommy's got you. Everything is okay."

Hiro scampered back out, his skin seared and raw. His expression held a facade of strength, but underneath he felt completely defeated. 

Kato, young as he was, remembered this moment—his brother's helplessness, his mother's vindictiveness, and Hiro's anger. Somehow this chaos made sense to him. Because once their anger subsidized, his mother went back to caring for him, Hiro asked for forgiveness, and Takumi boasted how cool their mother was for fighting back against Hiro.