Fan Fiction ❯ Her Last Will ❯ Mother's Necklace ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

( So....here's chapter three at last! Any couples suggestions for next chapter? I already know I'm going to do a little Aang/ Katara, but I'm not sure what else. Also, thank you all my lovely reviewers! I'll do my crappy list of thanks next chapter X D )

Chapter Three: Mother's Necklace

"Where have you been?," complained Sokka as Emi ran up to the group, gasping for breath. Emi gave Sokka the evil eye. Aang laughed.

"That's for me to know.... and to take to my grave," she said while smirking. Though Emi appeared cheerful, she couldn’t help feeling a little sad while looking around at her old marketplace; it had changed so much. For one thing, more people had migrated to the small island, which meant that there were many more booths with higher quality merchandise. There was beautiful embroidered silk, cream colored lace so fragile it looked as if it would fall apart the moment someone touched it; rich colored, hand-woven rugs that gave off an oriental feel, fresh meadow flowers, fabrics of every neon color imaginable, precious jewelry, golden vases, and so much more. Coming from cafes open doors was the smell of fresh baked bread and strong coffee, filling up the streets. Emi had trouble tearing her eyes away from it, even to watch Aang's pathetic excuse for flirting.

"..... but even though she was the most beautiful ten year old in the land, I had to turn Princess Anoka down," Aang finished what Sokka later described as THE lamest story ever. Sokka rolled his eyes; Katara just smiled politely and nodded.

" So how about we split up to search for supplies?," Katara finally suggested after a moment of awkward silence.

Emi's face lit up, for now she had an excuse to send Aang and Katara off together. "Great!" she started, “Me and Sokka will team up, and you and Aang can go together!" Katara looked doubtful.

"But I don't wanna be teamed up with- OW!" Sokka exclaimed as Emi stepped on his foot. "What was that fo- OW! Stop doing that!" he yelled as she elbowed him in the stomach. "Is today just official 'Let's Hurt Sokka Day', or-," but Sokka didn't get to finish, because Emi had just let out an exasperated sigh and dragged him off by the hand somewhere else, leaving Aang and Katara to just stand there giggling.

0o0o

Two hours later, Katara was seriously considering putting a leash on Aang. When she had first seen some of the local mothers putting leashes on their small children, she had thought it was cruel. Now that she had to keep up with Aang though, she realized it was necessary. The inquisitive boy's large brown eyes could spot anything that so much as caught a ray of sunlight, and he would then proceed to chase after whatever it was, whether it be an expensive piece of jewelry or a glass eye.

"Oh! Oh! Let's go over there, Katara!" Aang said, tugging on Katara's sleeve and pointing to one of the numerous cafes. It looked like one of the most expensive.

"How about....not," Katara replied after she had counted their money. Actually, she didn't even really need to count it, just to glance at the two copper pieces in her palm to know that they wouldn't have enough. Aang looked disappointed, but shrugged it off and smiled when he noticed a small path that led off into the woods. Katara also had noticed it.

"Wanna go visit Appa real quick, maybe give him some lunch?" Katara asked.

"As long as we get to eat our lunch, too," Aang smiled widely as his stomach growled. Katara just smiled and nodded at him, and then the race to Appa began, Aang far in the lead.

0o0o

"Hey, where'd you get that daisy?" Sokka asked Emi suspiciously, inspecting the small white flower that was tucked behind Emi's ear. Emi flicked his nose in response.

"Hey! Why do you keep hurting me today! Is it your new hobby or something because you can't heal people anymore?" Now both Sokka AND Emi were pissed off.

"One...," Emi began. "How the hell many times do you have to say 'hey' in thirty seconds?" Sokka frowned. "Two, I was trying to get your attention by hurting you, because Aang and Katara needed to be alone. Until just a second ago. You were just pissing me off then." Sokka started to walk away from the booth they had been standing at, and Emi followed, still talking. "And three. I'm still perfectly capable of healing people, it's just there's no one around to heal. So unless you would like me to fix that...." Here Emi cut in front of Sokka forcing him to stop a second and look at her. She may have been a whole head shorter than him, but the look in her odd eyes was at the least mildly intimidating. "I suggest you stop making accusations. Kapeeshe?"

Sokka rolled his eyes and attempted to start walking again, but Emi leaned forward and bit his injured arm again.

"DAMNIT! That's it!" Sokka yelled. "I'm sick and tired of-" Sokka continued to yell, but Emi couldn't quite hear him, and no one else on the street paid him any attention. Something on the other side of the street had caught her eye.... She walked over to the small table with a green and white striped umbrella shading it for closer inspection.

"Are you even listening to me? Hey! HEY!," Sokka started yelling once he realized Emi was already on the other side of the street. She was just standing there, mesmerized by a small necklace that lay on the table.

"Does that there necklace interest you little lady?" asked the slightly obnoxious salesman. Oh, the necklace interested Emi alright. The necklace interested her very much. Her mother had worn one just like it the day she had disappeared.

0o0o

After a few minutes of running with no sign of Appa, Aang had spotted a small fenced in area that looked abandoned.
Pointing it out to Katara, who was out of breath, he had suggested they just rested and ate lunch there. Katara had nodded, but that was BEFORE she found out it was a grave yard.

"You want me to eat lunch in a GRAVE YARD!" Katara exclaimed after they had jumped the washed out gray back fence. "I mean, I've eaten some pretty disgusting things in some pretty disgusting places before, and haven't minded a bit, but...." Katara trailed off, her wide blue eyes coming to rest on a headstone. She couldn't believe what it said. It couldn't have been right...

"What is it?" Aang asked, attempting to follow Katara's gaze. Then he, too, saw the grave marker.

0o0o

Sorry 'bout that, kind of short. I've been grounded all week and deprived of the internet the majority of the grounding, and only allowed on the computer period for one hour a day. Plus, my sisters' baby is still late. Did I mention my sister being nine months pregnant in this story yet? Oh well, heh heh >_< Although I hate cliffies with a passion, my time is up and I'm not sure when I can post this. Fear not, though, for I'll update soon! Promise! Please review! (please!)