The Sea of Ice (Sun and Moon Book 2)

Chapter 21 - What Once Was Sworn

I watch Lia practice her firebending, her movements so different from the flowing motions I once taught her. She and Uncle dance around each other--already she's mastered the basics and moved on to the more difficult forms.

With an ache in my heart, I turn away. I don't want to be reminded of who she belongs to. I frown at the thought, but don't dwell on it. There are only a couple of customers in the Jasmine Dragon--we only just opened. I serve them their tea and make small talk, but my mind is far away.

What am I supposed to do now? I'm losing Lia. I'm losing her to HIM. I see in her eyes how much she loves firebending. How much she loves Uncle. She even asked me about her father! I know Uncle's been telling her about him.

She wants to meet him.

I don't have the heart to tell her what he's really like. How can Uncle do that? Make her want someone who will only hurt her, only betray her? I know I can't stay here much longer. I can't watch them together. It hurts.

But how can I make Lia leave when I know how much she loves it here? How can I make her stop training? As much as I hate what it represents, fire is a part of her. If someone tried to stop me from waterbending, I would be furious. I would hate that person.

If Lia hated me... I... I don't even want to think about it. It's too horrible.

Uncle comes to take over making the tea, and Lia helps him. They don't bother with kettles or pots anymore. Not when Lia can just bend a huge ball of water around the tea leaves and boil it. She's tried to teach me how to boil water, but I can't.

I can't bend with my mind, either.

I feel lost in this place, lost in this world. What once gave me hope now makes me sad, even Lia's presence can't make me smile. I don't remember what a real smile feels like. Who am I? Uncle's questions echo in my head while I sleep, when I'm awake, even when I'm bending.

Who am I? Who do I want to be? This angry, lost person who is a shell of herself?

Is Uncle right?

But... how can I forgive him? How can I do anything but hate him? He is my enemy. He was always my enemy.

He lied to me, he betrayed me, and worst of all, he made me think he loved me.

In the back of my mind, another question is forming, one I don't want to acknowledge or think about or wonder at.

'Did he really?'

**__**

"Who are they?!" Aang's words echoed in the room, and Light closed her eyes.

"Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, Princess of the South Pole and Queen of the Fire Nation." Water spoke, his blue eyes locked on Aang.

"And Zuko of the Fire Nation, Prince of the South Pole and the Firelord." This from Fire; his eyes, too, stayed on the young avatar.

Light looked at Aang with concern. "I know it must be hard, but if they are not reconciled soon, the world will be torn apart. It is the Avatar's duty to keep balance, and-"

But Aang had stopped listening. All he felt was anger, all he saw as harsh red, all he heard was the rushing of blood through his ears.

He had sworn to kill whoever had hurt Katara so badly. And all this time... all this time it had been Zuko. His FRIEND, Zuko.

Katara and Zuko had... Lia was... Zuko and Katara... HIS Katara...

Aang turned and ran, leaving behind the Elders and their stories and the prophecy. They had to be wrong. They HAD to be.

_____

Hmmm. Is Katara coming around? 0.o And what will Aang do?!

Five comments guys, you know the drill.