After The Ending

CHAPTER TWELVE

   I slowly stopped bending the water and the older woman apologized and told us their names since the man didn't actually do any talking. Misu invited us to a meal and we had agreed. The lady made us the food and we sat around eating.

   "I apologize for attacking you earlier. My brother and I just aren't used to seeing other humans around here." Misu explained. "When we heard the commotion, we thought a forest animal was disturbing the pool. It must remain undisturbed."

   "That's what I told them!" Aang told her with a mouthful. "This is a very spiritual place."

   "Aang, don't speak with a mouth full of food." I said and turned to Misu.

   "There are actually three other pools just like this in the Forgetful Valley." She told us. "They must all remain undisturbed."

   "So how did two people from the Northern Water Tribe end up in a Fire Nation forest?" Katara asked.

   "Misu, this stew is delicious!" Sokka complimented. "It reminds me of..."

   "..The seaweed stew of the Northern Water Tribe?" She asked him and it really did taste like that.

   "That's it!" Sokka replied.

   She chuckled. "Rafa and I make do with what we can find here."

   Misu began to tell us about herself and her brother, she told us that growing up they were complete opposite. She was quiet and studious while her brother was loud and rash, she always followed rules while he had lived to break them. Misu told us how her brother would steal from their tribe's most powerful people, he only did it to prove that he could and he would never get any serious punishments because the people were too embarrassed.
   She told us how he continued to do that until one day she found him with his face disfigured and even their most experienced healers couldn't help him. Misu spent her time in the library trying to figure out a way to help him and eventually found a scroll. She had learned about a spirit that could give new faces and it could heal her brother.
   She made it her life mission to bring her brother here, knowing it would be dangerous for two Water Tribe folk in Fire Nation she taught herself to fight using her own bending. She told us how back then females were only allowed to use their bending for healing but Katara and I told her that things were now different.
   Misu told us that they have been here for many years hoping that they might encounter the spirit.

   "How come Rafa hasn't eaten anything?" Sokka asked.

   "Ever since his injury, Rafa's been caught between life and death." Misu began. "He doesn't eat anymore. He doesn't do much of anything."

   "It's astonishing that you've spent almost your whole life trying to help your brother." I spoke.

   "Of course. I'm his sister." She replied.

   Katara and I looked at Sokka with smiles. "Of course." The two of us said then I caught a glimpse of Zuko and Azula who didn't even glance at each other.

   "Sorry to interrupt your sob story—" Azula cut in.

   "Azula! Don't be rude." Zuko hissed.

   "But we're here on a mission of our own." Azula continued. "We're here looking for a woman named Ursa."

   "I'm sorry but we haven't seen her." Misu replied. "The forest was pretty quiet until you all arrived."

Aang asked Misu what the spirit looked like and she told us that the spirit was a girl and that she didn't know but the forest would tell us. She told us that there would be faces in things around the forest.
Sokka told her that, that's what we saw so it must be near. Misu told us about the wolf and Sokka brought up the fact that it threw up moth wasps at us and I did too. I nudged him for that irrelevant fact.