There was no such thing as bending. That's what the teachers at school said when Katara mentioned it, anyway. They said that it was a myth, just like all the other legends about spirits and gods and all that nonsense.
At home, Gran-Gran would tell stories about ancient times, when their tribe had lived at the south pole and they had a huge city all of ice, made by waterbenders.
“Back then, there were four nations,” Gran-Gran says. “Water, Earth, Fire, and Air. But then the fire nation attacked...”
Katara likes listening to the stories. Sokka just laughs, and leaves the room. He's too old for stories, these days. He thinks he's smarter than that. He's been moved ahead two grades now, and he'll be going off to middle school soon.
Katara is still in grade school. Sometimes at night she stares out her window at the moon. She can feel something pulling at her, or maybe it's pushing, and when she gets angry near water, weird things happen.
Bending is a legend, everyone tells her. But everyone says that no one lives at the North Pole, too, and she knows that's a lie. She's dreamed of them, of a huge city of ice and of two fish in a tiny pond, circling each other forever except when they don't, and even though she doesn't understand any of what it means, she knows it's true.
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branchandroot
Katara believes in legends
Date: 2010-01-03 01:24 am (UTC)At home, Gran-Gran would tell stories about ancient times, when their tribe had lived at the south pole and they had a huge city all of ice, made by waterbenders.
“Back then, there were four nations,” Gran-Gran says. “Water, Earth, Fire, and Air. But then the fire nation attacked...”
Katara likes listening to the stories. Sokka just laughs, and leaves the room. He's too old for stories, these days. He thinks he's smarter than that. He's been moved ahead two grades now, and he'll be going off to middle school soon.
Katara is still in grade school. Sometimes at night she stares out her window at the moon. She can feel something pulling at her, or maybe it's pushing, and when she gets angry near water, weird things happen.
Bending is a legend, everyone tells her. But everyone says that no one lives at the North Pole, too, and she knows that's a lie. She's dreamed of them, of a huge city of ice and of two fish in a tiny pond, circling each other forever except when they don't, and even though she doesn't understand any of what it means, she knows it's true.