Coco (ATLA) (Book 1)- Major Editing Coming SOON

The Painted Lady: Just the Beginning

word count: 2,414

I can't believe it.

...

Let's rewind, shall we? Katara and Aang had just saved the village by destroying the factory that was polluting their river. Katara dressed up as their 'The Painted Lady,' and healed all of their sick while I helped their injured and cared for their wounds and supplied them with food and medicine I stole from the factory... Details, details.

Sokka caught us and we almost left the village entirely, but Fire Nation soldiers blamed our act on the villagers, and they were planning to burn down the village. I've seen it happen before. I couldn't leave another place behind and just let the Fire Nation destroy more lives. Katara, with the help of myself and the others, dressed up as the Painted Lady and scared them away. The villagers were grateful until they realized it was Katara. They were pretty darn rude about it until big brother Sokka spoke up for her and told them off. It was really sweet- not the villagers being ungrateful, I mean Sokka taking up for Katara.

Everything seemed to go back to normal after we helped the villagers clean the river. It felt so nice to be able to save this one. Before I started traveling with uncle and Zuko, I stayed in a similar town until it was conquered by the Fire Nation. It was a community created by a small group of people who were also fleeing because of the war. They made the best out of a situation and created a home for themselves. I loved it there, and for once, I felt like I finally found a place I could settle down... they destroyed it. After it was taken over, I had to start over yet again. I had no friends, no parents, no nothing. The fact that I stopped that from happening here, it feels amazing.

Before we began our travels again, Katara and I decided to get some water from the river while everyone else was getting ready for bed. Not only was the river now clean and the wildlife started coming back, it also became misty and ghostly quiet. Not even the sound of the bull frogs croaking could be heard. The gentle flow of the river seemed to cease as well, everything seemed so still. As quiet as it was, I just didn't feel scared.

Katara and I didnt utter a word, we didn't want to disturb the silence. After moments of enjoying the peace, we noticed another presence. They glided flawlessly across the water, and their tall figure appeared in front of us. Our gaze met the spirit of beautiful women hovering before us.

This is just like when I met Moirai...

You wouldn't believe it, her spirit was radiant, and it hurt your eyes to look at, but you were in too much of an awe to look away. Her bamboo hat covered her eyes, but her other features were prominent. When she spoke, it was weird... but her voice was like honey, just so soothing, and in a moment like this, you would think I'd be scared, but her presence actually gave me a feeling of comfort. Her voice sounded like home, and as she lifted her head to reveal her face, I saw them- A pair of very familiar eyes. They look like my eyes... I knew those eyes.

I can't believe it.

...

"Mom," I say barely above a whisper.

"Hi, Kimi," she says.

She smiles and opens her arms. I run into her embrace and wrap my arms around her neck. She caresses my hair, just like she use to do with my brother and I when we were little and we couldn't fall asleep.

"Mom, where have been? Why'd you leave me? I don't understand anything."

I feel like a child again. I cry in the crook of her neck. I don't feel embarrassed like you'd think, I don't care how pathetic I look in this moment. It's been three years! I haven't seen my mother, talked to my mother, hugged my mother in three years. I don't know if it's from excitement or the amount of anxiety I've built up from the last 3 years, but I can't seem to catch my breath. I get flashbacks of uncle finding me on that iceberg. I was so lost, I was losing, and I was so desperate. Finally, my moment is here.