TONIGHT IS ABOUT EVERYONE, WE CELEBRATE FOR ALL OF US. katara has been coloured in her selfish anger for so long, the pulsing whites and reds that spoke of tempered fire, that she has forgotten how killing azula would help the world ; SHE HAS BEEN A THREAT TO MORE THAN JUST KATARA [ lives divided and horrified beneath her all - encompassing presence, a dictator more pressing and imposing than even her father seemed to be —- her death would dampen the fiery summers that have haunted their graveyard lives, ushering in a softer spring, A REBIRTH ]. “ I’M HONOURED TO BE THE GUEST OF THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS —- thank you, jet. for . . . “ in a sudden flush, all those cherry - ripe words she wishes to fall free from her lips feel childish, strange, too bathed in her youth. FOR EVERYTHING —- that does not encompass it, not truly, for the words are faint and have been spoken before. there is direction in her life again, sliced free from all the burning ice she has trapped herself in over her journey to better places. only jet would understand this —- only the freedom fighters would welcome in the ghost she had become.
FAMILY HAS TURNED TO MEMORIES FOR KATARA ( the fading image of her mother flickering in her mind, the warmth of her outstretched arms that had defined maternal gentleness for katara ; the hard line of her father’s shoulders as he turned away from them, a war looming behind his eyes ; SOKKA —- a memory too brutal to think about for too long ). perhaps the freedom fighters will accept her once blood stains her fingertips, when the war has been won.
“ i’m not easily scared. “ smile that touches at her lips is thin, spread into the fading portrait of forgotten happiness. she remembers childhood again, uncovers it with rough fingertips. she presses her fingertips against his chest, head dipped down so her flush becomes less obvious —- hiding from the brutality of a mismatched crush, NOT FROM HIM. “ let’s get this started. “
" you’re no guest , ” tender words come with a snap , ditch - effort at clarifying she ought to not think such alienating things from this point on. rope slides between his index and thumb as he releases , priorities shifting temporarily from the goodbye that lies below to the responsibility he has to remind her that she’s NOT ALONE. jet takes her hand at his chest , curling his fingers between the spaces of her own , though keeping it where she can still feel his heartbeat. “ you’re one of us , katara. always have been. ” how unfortunate it took the death of the one she loved more than all else in the world to come to terms with it , the same scar that binds the rest of them together , though that alone is not the reason he can include her with such ease : he means what he said. her sad eyes transcended the grief of an avatar unwilling , but those of a child that’d lost it all ––– but they’ve always carried the fire it takes to do something about it , just like the rest of them. jet’s known that from the moment he first saw her.
and with that he offers one last gentle smile , a silent reminder that he’s with her and always will be , before releasing her hand and turning back to face the door and taking the rope in his hands again. “ c’mon , then. ”
there is a strange air down below , the cross sections of curiosity and apprehension in all of his fighters’ faces. all eyes fall to the two as they reach the bottom , now standing before all children frozen in place as they search for some sort of explanation. it’s his laugh that put them at ease , the gesture of looking back to shoot katara one more calming smile before taking her hand and leading her to where smellerbee awaits them at the “ head ” of the gathering.
“ so she didn’t decide kill you , ” smellerbee says , her words serious as they are meant to poke fun.
“ not yet at least , ” he shoots back , releasing katara’s hand again to step toward the center of the circle. “ fighters , ” he starts. his voice has adopted a new tone , one more calculated than usual , somehow of both solemnity and excitement. “ if you would’ve told me just this morning that the avatar was going to be in my treehouse tonight , i would’ve told you that you were full of shit –––– hell , i thought smellerbee was when she said so ten minutes before it even happened. ”
the crowd reacts with indecisive laughter , as if still trying to hold onto the secret that jet had been sad to see her go before.
“ as we all know , life doesn’t always go as we’ve planned , whether for better or for worse –––– but what matters is what we make of that , who we count on to hold us when we need it , what you can do together to fix the evils that’ve been done –––– and so tomorrow , katara and i’ll be leaving on a very important mission! and we won’t be back until every last member of the fire nation and all of those complicit in their crimes are burning in the very flames they unleashed on this world! ”
there is no confusion in how to respond now , the fighters erupting in whoops! and woos! until jet cuts them off with a raise of his hands a moment later. “ –––– tonight we celebrate the victory that awaits us , a smooth send - off , and the avatar . . . the first who’s stumbled upon us , believed in our ways , believed in the sacrifices you gotta make –––– no , she’s not just the avatar , but a fellow FREEDOM FIGHTER. now , enough of this fancy , formal shit. let’s eat! ”
again they cheer as he turns away , regrouping with katara before taking a seat at smellerbee’s side and gesturing she follow suit. “ hope that wasn’t too much for you , ” he murmurs to her , grinning from ear - to - ear. “ gotta give them a little extra motivation so they don’t slack while i’m gone , y’know? ”
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