"Katara!" Kya shouted and slapped her hand down. The water splashed back into the bucket. Knocking the bucket off center. The blob of water she had willed into the air splashed everywhere. Across Katara's face, chest, her mother, the wall, the floor.
Katara blinked in amazement. She stared at her mom, her eyes began to water and overflow in confusion. Kya gripped Katara firmly by the shoulders and shook her sharply.
"Listen to me! Don't do that! Don't do that ever again! They can't know! They can't find out what you can do! If they know you are…what you are…they WILL take you away! They will take you away from me and we will never see each other again! Do you hear me?" She shook her daughter sharply. Her voice just as sharp. But her eyes were terrified. Terrified not just for herself, but for her daughter. For her safety, for her life.
Katara nodded her head. Kya stared at her daughter, her lips tight. The two pulled each other together. Katara sniffled again. Kya sighed softly as she buried her nose in her daughter's hair.
"We've got to stick together. No matter what. We are going to stick together. We will survive this. I promise you. It will all be okay." Katara nodded, her face buried in her mother's ample bosom.
Hours later the door opened again. This time two fire nation soldiers stood at the door this time. Glowering at the two water tribe members. Kya stood up slowly. She gripped Katara's hand firmly and pushed her daughter slightly behind her. Blocking as much of her daughter as she possibly could. Trying to find a way to give her daughter even just a moment of safety.
"Okay. Come on. You still need to get there. Start walking." The older foul faced man said. He stepped aside. Kya slowly began walking. Katara keeping up with her. The two walked slowly into the corridor. The heat hit the two of them like a brick. Katara squeaked a little. She was still in pain from the bump to her head from a few days ago.
The air was almost shimmering with warmth. Katara felt sweat bead out on her forehead. She had never experienced heat like this before. She had been warm. And she had been cozy. But she had never been this over heated. Not even during the summer months.
They walked down many corridors and through hallways on top of hallways. They finally reached a staircase that lead to the upper decks. Kya and Katara emerged blinking in the sunlight.
Katara let out a surprised gasp. The world around her….it was so…so…so green. So blue. So RED. Everything was different from the world that she had come from. The warship that they were in was dwarfed compared to the many others surrounding them. The cove that they were seated in was surrounded on all sides by high mountains. The mountains were black with fertile earth, and sprung across the earth was countless plants, trees, brush, hedges, blooming flowers. The thick hot stench of flowers in bloom buffeted Katara's face.
"Come on move it. Down the gangplank." A man said giving Kya a kick in the rear and making her stumble forwards. Kya walked rapidly. Dragging the young girl with her. Katara with a young girls curiosity kept on pausing to stare at the massive city that lay before her. Some of the houses were the size of villages! The streets as wide as ice flows! The sound of movement and the shout of people were a din that threatened to deafen her!
Katara clapped herself firmly against Kya's side. Her lips trembled, still dry, still dehydrated. She wormed her mittens against her mother's belt. Kya patted her daughter comfortingly on the top of her head as they continued to walk down the plank and into the strange city before them.
"Come on. Move it. We need to get the two of you ready." A voice snapped behind them. A boot connected firmly with Kya's rear pushing her forwards. She stumbled and righted herself. She glared over her shoulder. Shooting one quick look was all she could afford. She knew that was the only time that they would ever permit her to do it again.
"Ready?" Katara whispered out. At the base of the gang plank was a large carriage, being pulled by two fire nation ostrich horses. The great big birds shook their heads. The carriage had no windows and only one very thick door in the side.
"Where are you taking us?" Kya asked the nearest fire nation guard. There were many of them moving around the marketplace. The pier was one massive seething sea of people, hawking wares, unloading massive cargo, pushing beasts of burden around. A few carriages and litters moved through the street.
"There. That is your new home." The fire nation solider said with a grin as he pointed upwards towards the highest tower in the city. In the exact center of the massive city too. Katara gulped as she gazed into the interior of the wooden carriage. There were no seats. Just thick wooden planks.
"Stay close to me darling." Kya said as she ducked under the low doorway and pulled herself into the carriage. Katara crawled up after her mother. The door closed and locked, the metal clinking against the door. The two found a wall to lean against. Katara crawled into her mothers lap and curled into a small ball. The carriage began clicking over the cobblestones. And pulled the two into the untold world that was going to open up before them.
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