Chapter Text
The ocean always sounded different at night, calmer, more serene. The moonless sky sent a pang of despair across the northern water tribe.
Kalani stared down at the face of her lifeless sister, the spirit of the moon resting beside her.
Yue, the northern water tribe princess that was given the spirit of the moon to keep her alive, returns to the place where it all began.
She knelt at the edge of the spirit oasis, her hands trembling as they hovered uselessly over her sister's still body.
Princess Yue looked... peaceful.
Too peaceful. Like she had already slipped somewhere Kalani couldn't follow.
"No," Kalani whispered, the word breaking apart as it left her. "No... you're not—this isn't—"
Her voice broke completely.
Across from her, the old man moved carefully, reverently, the glow of the moon spirit pulsing weakly in his hands. The light flickered against the water, fragile and fading.
Everything felt like it was slipping. Like it was all happening too fast. Suddenly, Yue appeared again, rising out of the oasis. Her body was beautiful, regal.
Yue looked down at the southern water tribe boy in front of her, "Goodbye Sokka, I will always be with you." She said as she gave him a kiss.
After pulling away, she turned to face her younger sister. "Kalani, the world is changing. We can no longer afford to keep you from it. Please listen to my advice: I was given to the sky... but you were meant to walk the earth. The wind has found you, don't turn away from it."
"Please don't leave." Kalani cried.
"I love you baby sister." And with that, Yue disappeared into the sky, relighting it with the moon.
Kalani fell to her knees, and the southern water tribe boy, Sokka, placed his hand on her shoulder. She looked at him, the boy her sister had grown to like these past few weeks.
Sokka looked at the moon, his eyes tearing. "I think I know what Yue meant."
*********
And that was how Kalani joined team Avatar, through the death of her older sister Yue.
Kalani was a northern water tribe princess, used to a life a luxury and tranquility. Her world changed when she met the group of strong, but immature benders. It took time to grow accustomed to life in the wild, but thankfully they all helped her adjust. About a month later, another member was added, a young, blind, earthbender whose life resembled much of Kalani's. Toph was born and raised in a rich, diplomatic lifestyle, where her parents constantly breathed down her neck. Though Toph was an only child, and could be spoiled at times, Kalani and the earthbender made the best of friends.
Sokka turned into an older brother for Kalani, and Aang, a younger brother. Kalani was well-versed in life or royalty, class, etiquette, and they helped her forget that. Aaang was extremely goofy and kind, and always let Kalani do her own thing. However, upon the first few weeks of traveling together, Sokka wouldn't let Kalani do anything that could even possibly harm her in any way. Rounding up firewood? Sokka's stronger, and better at finding twigs. Setting up the tent? Sokka can do it in five minutes. It took Kalani saving Sokka from becoming worm food by Azula's flames for him to finally realize who he was dealing with. Kalani understood his ways, she truly believed Sokka held love for Yue, and his way of showing that was by making sure Yue's little sister was safe, and protected; however, that wasn't what Yue wanted.
"Sokka, Yue used her last words to tell me to help you fight the fire nation. How am I to do that if I have a babysitter who won't even let me collect firewood?" Kalani huffs, throwing her sleeping bag on the ground. Aang and Katara gave each other a sideways glance before leaving to collect some water.
Sokka stood up from where he was hammering the spikes of the tent. He sighed, "I know. But I can't stop thinking that if something happens to you, Yue would never forgive me."
"She wouldn't want me to be sheltered like this." Kalani looks out at the view below them. The two, standing on top of a rock face, took a second to look up at the moon. "She wanted me to help you. So please, let me help."
Katara and Kalani also became quite close, as Kalani was a water bending master. Women in the tribe weren't allowed to learn combat bending, but Kalani was no ordinary woman. As the princess of the northern water tribe, her father thought it best Kalani knew how to protect herself to the absolute best of her ability. While Katara had received the title of waterbending master, there was still much for her to learn, a lot of which Kalani could teach her, and teach her she did.
The only member of team Avatar Kalani could not get herself to like was the last member to join it, Prince Zuko. Though he helped get Hakoda back, though he helped Katara get revenge for her mother, even though he turned his back on his father, his people, she could not forgive him.
In her eyes, Prince Zuko was the reason Yue was dead. If it weren't for him, the avatar wouldn't have been distracted, and the original moon spirit would have never been killed. If it wasn't for his stupid honor, his stupid pride, then maybe Kalani's sister would still be here.
Kalani learned how to move with them. How to survive outside ice walls and ceremony halls. How to bend water without the weight of a crown pressing into her shoulders. And somewhere along the way, survival became something like living.
Not everything softened with time. Because there was one name that never stopped feeling like ice in her chest.
Zuko.
He had stood beside them. Helped them. Fought with them. And still...when Kalani looked at him, she did not see redemption. She saw fire, and the memory of a world that had taken her sister from her. She didn't know yet that peace would require more than forgiveness.
Or that the wind Yue spoke of...
had already begun to change direction.