THE TEAM IS SILENT AS THEY WALK BACK TO HAMA'S INN. In the aftermath of discovering what the woman in question had done to the villagers, and her subsequent arrest, Kida figures that no one really knows what to say. Earlier, Toph and Kida were helping the villagers escape from beneath the mountain, so they only caught the tail end of the confrontation between Katara and Hama that Sokka and Aang had gone to stop. Kida isn't entirely sure what happened, but the way that Katara is sobbing softly, and the look of shame and fear that Kida recognized earlier -- one that Kida's sure she herself has worn before -- hint towards a deeper wound Katara is desperate to heal.

"I don't think I can stay here tonight," Katara whispers, just as everyone walks through the door.

"We'll pack everything and get out of here," Kida decides, placing a comforting hand on Katara's shoulder. The girl nods before walking up the stairs. Kida turns back to Aang, Toph, and Sokka. "What happened out there?"

"I'm still trying to figure that out," Aang admits. "Hama....she was controlling us somehow, making me and Sokka attack each other."

"That's beyond creepy," Toph adds.

Aang and Sokka exchange a nervous glance.

"That's not all," Sokka says. "Katara had to do the same thing to Hama to get her to stop. Hama called it bloodbending."

A shiver runs through Kida's body at that word. "Bloodbending," she repeats.

Sokka nods solemnly.

»»---------------------►

AS THE REST OF THE TEAM DOZES OFF ONCE APPA IS IN THE AIR, KIDA STAYS AWAKE. She had offered to steer while everyone else gets some rest, and given the night they just had, no one argued.

Kida always thought it was peaceful, flying on Appa at night. The clouds were soft and the stars bright, and tonight the moon was full, almost a sign to Kida that everything would be okay. She glances back and notices that Katara is still awake. Or, by the looks of it, was woken up by her own thoughts.

"Want to talk about it?" Kida offers, while keeping her voice low as to not disturb the others.

"No," Katara whispers. "I just want to forget the whole thing. I wish I never knew that was something I can do."

This strikes a chord, brings back memories for Kida of years spent denying, and hating, her abilities. Especially after losing Hiro, she started to wish that she was born anything else other than a firebender. She scolded herself, tried to forget, ignored the fact that she had power within her. She had nightmare after nightmare of losing her family, burning down their home with her own bare hands.

Kida realizes now that part of the problem was in her denying her ability to firebending and seeing it only for its potential for destruction. Once she started training, it became less of a fear, and more of a power. There are other things Kida is much, much more afraid of, but she decides to leave that part out.

When Kida finishes saying all of this, Katara scoffs. "So, you're saying I should practice taking control of a living being?"

"No, not really," Kida sighs. "You're a powerful waterbender Katara -- you need to own that."

"And, if I start having nightmares?" Katara's tone is confrontational as she asks this question.

"Try to think about all the good you've done with your waterbending," Kida suggests. "All the people you healed. Spirits, you're the Avatar's waterbending master. Spirits, he wouldn't be as skilled as he is now without you as a teacher. "

This thought seems to ease Katara. Kida continues to fly into the night, allowing silence and the moonlight to engulf her.

»»---------------------►

IN THE DAYS LEADING UP TO THE INVASION, EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE FALLING INTO PLACE. The team arrived four days early, so that meant extra time to train, strategize, and build Appa's armor.

But, Kida notices that Aang seems to be doing the opposite. Not sleeping, over training, falling apart in every sense of the phrase. The team tries everything to help him through it, to ease his mind.

If she were to be honest, Kida is falling apart too. With the invasion looming closer, so is the very real possibility that something goes very wrong.

Regardless of personal cost.

Haven't the Spirits already taken enough?

Part of Kida wants to convince everyone to abandon the plan and run away, live a life where they're all happy and safe together, free of the thoughts of war and battle strategies and violence.

There are two main problems with this fantasy.

One: it would be selfish. Spirits know that Kida has been selfish and irresponsible before, which led to drastic consequences for people she loved. All the fighting, all the loss and pain Kida went through had to mean something. That stupid prophecy hung over her father's head, weighed down her family until the very end. She would be damned before repeating the same mistake and turning her back on her destiny.

Two: it would be impossible to live a happy life knowing that there was something more that she could have done to help end the war. That she could have prevented children from losing their parents, sisters from losing their brothers, young ones from having to grow up too fast, families from being torn apart. That she could have stopped an empire from abusing and terrorizing innocent people. There was no way Kida could go about her everyday life like this war doesn't exist.

Kida had promised to do whatever it takes to end this war. To her, that means acting like there aren't a million worries racing through her mind, like she doesn't have nightmares. It means going through the invasion plan with Sokka over and over while reassuring him that everything will work out, even when she has her own doubts and a headache; it means encouraging Toph and Katara when they practice bending even if it triggers images from visions of them getting fatally wounded; it means training and training and training even if she is exhausted to her bones.

Spirits, Kida's habits must be rubbing off on Aang, much to Kida's dismay.

Apparently, yoga with Katara, a massage and acupuncture with Toph, and a therapy session with Sokka did nothing to ease Aang's stress. It was Kida's turn to try and help. Kida's idea is simple, really. She just thought of what she desperately needs when she feels this way: a good night's sleep.

She and the team use koala sheep wool to make Aang a comfortable bed. It's done by the time night has fallen. At first, Aang takes it for a bed of clouds, another hallucination.

"Hey! We spent hours working on this!" Toph protests.

Aang starts to protest as well, for a different reason, but Katara is quick to interject.

"Listen to me," she says. "You've been training for this since the day we met. I've seen your progress. You're ready."

"You really think so?" Aang asks, looking at them hopefully.

"We all do," Sokka answers. "You can do this"

"You're the man, Twinkle Toes!" Toph exclaims.

"You've got this, kid," Kida assures, smiling at him. "You're brave and strong. We believe in you."

"Thanks guys." Aang yawns and rubs his eyes. The four of them help him onto the bed. "Hey, Kida? Can you tell us one of your stories?"

Kida hums. "Did I ever tell you the one about the kid who saves the world?"

Aang smiles softly, closing his eyes. "How does that one go again?"

The team settles around Aang's makeshift bed as Kida weaves a tale about five travellers, working together to restore balance to the world, with an airbender who gives all of them, and the rest of the world, hope. Toph lies back on the ground, Katara is comfortably on her sleep mat, and Sokka drapes a blanket around Kida's shoulders. Even Momo and Appa join in, curling up next to the team.

When the story comes to a close, most of the team has fallen asleep. Kida shifts the blanket so it covers both of them as she lies down next to Sokka, resting her head on his chest and he wraps an arm around her waist, bringing her closer. As she listens to the soft rise and fall of Sokka's breathing, Kida can only hope that her story comes true, before her fears start to creep in once more.

»»---------------------►

author's note

thank you for reading! 

if you can, please check the links in my bio for resources and action items, including for helping palestine and india. 

and, please remember to take care of yourself as well <3