End of the Beginning

Chapter 35

Sokka eventually let go of Katara as she and Aang held hands the way back to our lodging. It was a large inn towards the center of the city with beautiful designs of ice created all around its exterior. I tried my best to admire it but the silence was deafening. Katara and I caught glances of each other without a single word, both trying our best to subdue whatever potential bursts of anger we had in that particular moment. There were just too many mixed emotions, and nothing more we could do about it. It was just a disagreement, I had to remind myself of that.

Soon enough, we all went our separate ways. Toph deciding she wanted to sleep, Aang and Katara went to catch up, and Sokka, who had been hoping Katara would say something before she left, jumped to lay on the sofa. I joined him as we both laid practically lifeless, facing each other and sighing deeply.

My mind had been stuck thinking about the festival. It was such a perfect night, or at least it could've been. I had never seen everyone enjoying themselves so much, spending time with one another doing leisurely things, and simply taking the moment to enjoy life. There was no urgency for food, medicine, and older people weren't breaking their backs to provide for the children. Had it not been for Maliq's plans and Gilaks disturbance it would've been a night the tribe would remember fondly.

I simply kept quiet while Sokka began to explain everything that occurred before the festival. That he and Katara encountered Gilak in the caverns underneath the abandoned ship. And how Gilak believed that the other nations were foreigners in search for power, that they wanted to take what was rightfully ours. He wanted to eradicate all foreign presence. It make my head hurt to know that the father of someone I held so close to my heart would act like this.

But in the end, how couldn't he think like that? Gilaks only son was killed by the Fire Nation, an enemy to our tribe for a century. And no other nation had proven to him that they cared about the South.

"They used to be friends," I interrupted just as Sokka was about to finish his reenactment of how he and Katara escaped from the caverns. Slowing down the punch he threw to the air he looked at me right in the eyes.

"People change, Kya," Sokka said plainly," You know that,"

"Yeah but what kind of twisted justice is this!" I blurted out, trying my best not to yell," All it took was to end the war for people to turn around and start hating each other! We all fought so hard for all the fighting to end. What happened to wanting peace and harmony? Erase all foreign presence?" I huffed, calming down a bit," It's practically the same issue that happened in Yu Dao all over again. And to think the North wanted to claim our oil  — "

We'd really just be a colony.

"I just — I just wanted to come home,"

Everything, all my frustrations had just spilled out of my mouth. I couldn't help it, after all I was talking to the person who knew me best out of everyone in this world.

"I did too," Sokka replied, "Times have changed, people are just not used to it. Just let everyone take the time to see it how we do,"

My lips curled into a small smile. I was thankful that if at least one person could agree that the reconstruction project wasn't a crazy idea, that it would be Sokka.

We continued to talk for a short while before we both fell asleep on the couch out of exhaustion.

~~~

The sky couldn't have been clearer that day. Which was much too shocking considering there was a blizzard that lasted three whole days, with no one being able to go in and out of their homes as they pleased without being swept away with the harsh winds.