ATLA Little Bender

Fire Nation

Dedicated to 

@crimsonvenn- Thanks for the support and follow! I'll be sure to follow back soon after this!

@charmedlover520- I didn't get the chance to respond to your last comment so I wanted to thank you here since it warmed my heart so much to read it. You are a gem and it was absolutely sweet of you to say that!  Lots of love and ON WITH THE STORY- Jokes_onmi

-

Elaria and Katara leaned onto one another anxiously waiting for Aang's confrontation with Hei Bai. The two had unknowingly reverted to the method of comfort they held in Omashu with their proximity, "Have faith," Elaria muttered under her breath to Katara and her friend repeated the words to her. "Have faith,"

The girl could feel the bruises on her shoulder ache where Katara's pressed on it but Elaria needed the comfort of having her friend near after the night's events. Her mind wouldn't accept the thought of never returning to Katara and Aang, but now that she was here the panic set in on what might've happened if she never did.

Don't think about it now, it's not the time... 

Aang looked as though he were about to give up but in that given moment Hei Bai appeared behind him. It was the calm before the storm. Elaria bit her lip at the repeating events. She leaned further onto Katara. The spirit threw an attack of beaming light on him but he raised an air shield to block its attack. The spirit resumed destroying the village when Aang leaped in front of it. He feels its forehead and notices that a panda lurks below it. 

Aang said, "You're the spirit of this forest! Now I understand. You're upset and angry because your home was burned down. When I saw the forest had burned, I was sad and upset, but my friend gave me hope that the forest would grow back," he raised the acorn Elaria had given him and reassured the spirit with Katara's words; Elaria and Katara sighed in relief as the spirit transformed into a panda. It's rage tamed. 

"It's just like you Azula," Elaria thought aloud to the mirage. All Azula needed from Elaria was someone to exist. It was why Azula had fought with her father for Elaria to stay when she heard that her cousin would be leaving. "I'll come back soon," Elaria had promised Azula. 

The two had been at a distance when she left, but her heart grew fonder of her cousin after seeing Hei Bai's redemption. He only sought retribution and stopped when given hope to warm him. Azula is the same. The mirage of her cousin faded. 

Katara became too enveloped with staring at Hei Bai to hear Elaria. Or notice that Elaria's eyes stared at the side of the confrontation rather than at it. 

The panda turned around and went back into the forest. As it left peacefully bamboo gathered from its tracks. Branches grew from the earth where lost Senlin villagers and Sokka walked out. Katara yelled jovially at the sight of her brother. She sprang from Elaria's side, shocking her, to run towards him. Elaria followed behind. With a moment to think she contemplated Aang words. The spirit attacked them because the forest was burned down... at the hands of her troops. 

"I need to do a lot of damage control should I take the throne," Elaria joked as she approaches Aang. He smiled at her. "It's not on you to take the responsibility for them,"

She wearily smiled, the familiar feeling of guilt becoming more known to her, "I'm their Empress, whatever happens in this war, there will still be sore relations that need to resolve their conflicts." She watched as villagers embraced their loved ones, Sokka and Katara chatting before he left claiming that what he feels- is the need to use a bathroom; Elaria snickered. "But this is a start."

The key is to have hope. And with Aang, she would have plenty enough to take that leap of faith in the Northern Water Tribe. 

The Senlin village leader approached her and Aang, the siblings also joining the duo where they conversed. "Thank you, Avatar. If only there were a way to repay you for what you've done."