Breaking The Ice
Katara was jealous, and of all the people in the world she was jealous of Azula, Mai, Ty Lee, even Toph . The freedom, the recognition they had. She knew those women didn’t have it all, like understanding parents or happy backstories. Yet she couldn’t help it.
Katara didn’t like it, how in water tribes, women had lived in the shadows, how men were in charge and could do as they pleased while women were put to so much expectation. Yue for one? As princess she was to be married away while Azula was a favourite over Zuko when his father had reigned.
Sure things in the Northern Water Tribe were getting better, some women were allowed to learn water bending beyond healing and people were encouraged to open their eyes to what women could do! But that wasn’t the problem.
Back home, in the southern water tribe, people were expecting Katara to stop playing around. Sure she got here and there some recognition, but it was nothing like the fan worship Sokka was receiving.
She knew her dad was trying to hide it from her, but he was talking to Sokka about taking over tribe chief matters.The tribe though, the elders and even her dad had started hinting to Katara about marriage! That was not cool.
“Hey Katara, how’s it going with Aang? Should I be expecting grand babies?”
“Hey you haven’t been talking to Aang so much…”
Ugh, Katara had enough.
“Dad, Sokka, I am not going to be marrying Aang any time soon. I really did try, to see him as more than a kid I look after, but it didn’t work out, we broke up…and I’m not going to be marrying anyone anytime soon!”
She storms to her room. Ugh, Katara was sick and tired of this. All of this nonsense! Staying home, fiddling, playing in the snow! This wasn’t the life she wanted, not after the fucking war she’d been through . Where was the hunting? Where was the travelling? Where was being respected, recognised as more than just a little water bender companion of Aang.
At least it wasn’t going to continue any longer. Katara glanced at her packed up bag, knives, water, rations and the letters. Zuko’s letters. He’d offered her a way out, to go to the fire nation as a start, to get back to travelling, get back to learning, get back to doing, to breathe life into new places like she had done as the Painted lady, to escape.
An envoy was coming from the fire nation to discuss treaties via ship, which would be leaving a little earlier, without the envoy. And if Katara wanted, she’d be welcome to leave on the ship, as Zuko had promised. And a little part of her would feel guilty at leaving this way, but mostly she was so god darn excited!
She grabbed a piece of parchment and ink, crafting her last goodbye letter, in excitement, waiting, reaching for freedom that was to come.
Katara had done it, when her father was distracted, she’d run, grabbed her stuff and boarded the ship. She didn’t stop running, off to the lower decks where no one would see her and — Ouch!
Katara gazes up having bumped into someone’s chest. Oh, oh…
“What are you doing here?”
“Can’t I be on my own ship? It’s not just me, look…”
Faces come peeking from behind him. Toph, Aang, Mai. Oh. Katara feels happy, truly happy for the first time in quite some time. She feels the tears against her skin and rushes forward, embracing Zuko. She feels his arms gripping her steadily, and for the first time in months, she breathes, freely free to make whatever choices she wanted.
“Guys, we’re back together again, it’s been a long while hasn’t it?”
Katara looks up, still in Zuko’s embrace glancing at everyone else. She’s finally awake and alive and it feels amazing.