trans_9 | I can take it and I will.

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I can take it and I will.

After coming back from interrogation, Katara was more than subdued, and hardly said a word. The fact that she'd not only made the wrong decision and had almost committed a crime of passion was bad enough, but she'd gotten closer to losing who she was again. Aang hadn't been here to make her see how wrong it was, and knowing the only thing that had stopped her was her need to help people was of little comfort. The worse part was she wasn't even sure she'd been able to kill the Yeerk if they had caught up to it: what would she do if Aang needed her? What if it got bad enough that she hesitated and this time she lost him for good?

Exactly how long could she go without having to make that decision?

"I wish I knew," she said softly to herself, hands tucked behind her head, staring at the ceiling. "I really wish I could talk to him about this."

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"It's okay. Sometimes you have to get it all out." Will knows these things.

She "hmmph'd" at the adult comment. "I WISH I had time to be a kid. Between this and everything back home -"

She sighed.

"It would be nice to go back to before all this . . . back to being a kid with no worries except school."

The other girl nodded, wiping her face on her sleeve. This was really not the way she would have liked to be remembered, espe3cially by a girl she'd just met.

She couldn't help but let out a laugh, despite her feeling of being particularly miserable at the moment. "I need to go TO school. Before going to travel with my group of friends, I was basically acting like my older brother's mother. That's what I meant by the whole Good Housekeeping thing. School was something only fairly rich nations could actuakllky get to send their kids to."

Katara took another look at Will. "Before I go back to talking about myself, I should say that I think your hair is really, really pretty and I'm glad you're keeping me company. So what's your world like?"

If it helped, Will didn't think any less of her for crying in prison. Most of the kids on this ship were like her - used to fighting, used to hard decisions, more grown up than they particularly wanted to be. Katara struck her as just that.

"Are you going to go to school here?" she asks. "I'm going to Dr. Grey's biology class, but Mr. Gentry recommended I take Meluly's math classes too -" she shrugs. "I . . . guess you could say I come from a rich nation. There are places in my world where it's a big deal if you can send your kids to school, but in my country, you have to go. Rich or poor, whatever."

She frowns slightly. Oh how truancy laws are the bane of her existence.

She brightens at the compliment to her hair, though. "Thanks . . . but yours is a lot prettier. Mine gets kind of thin and breaky if I try to grow it out . . ."

Katara would have been glad to know that. For all she knew, she was falling to pieces far too easily. If she was going to be stronger, she was going to have to admit to herself that she was still a kid about a lot of things. It would be good for Will to remind her of that.

"Well, I planned to," Katara said. "I want to take the biology class and physics class too, but I also want to do some of the morning physical education classes with Master Chief if I can. Of course, its pretty hard to take any classes when you're dumb enough to land in prison. Totally puts a crimp in those plans. but you're lucky you get to learn no matter what your social status is. Wars totally ruin that."

Katara blushed a little, but smiled. "Thanks, no one's ever really said that. They just like to talk about the hair loopies all the time."

"They're pretty cute. Unusual."

As for school - "I could bring you some class notes . . . homework or something. Mr. Gentry gave us all reading assignments to bring us up to speed. I could ask him for yours."

She looks a little hesitant about the idea. Being able to talk to machines, then talking to somebody whose brain is half-machine . . . it's awkward.

"Anyway . . . you shouldn't feel bad about feeling bad." She looks around the prison. "This is all a lot to take in."

Katara giggled. "Thanks. I don't usually get complicated on them."

At this though, Katara gave her first appreciative smile since...well, yesterday. "Oh, I would be so grateful! I don't really want to be left behind with all of the work that needs to be done! It'll be a little harder without the lecture, but I'm sure I can keep up!"

She took a look at the prison. "It's a lesson, I guess. I can't let my emotions blind me from doing what's right. With everything that's happened, I can't afford to compromise my ethics again."

Will brightened at the prospect of being able to help. "Sure. I'll get it for you."

She reached through the bars to take Katara's hand again. "You don't feel like a bad person to me." She smiled. "I'm pretty good about telling these things."

"Thank you!" Katara said, happy this was at least not so horrible.

Katara took the girl's hands, and sighed. "I won't go to that place ever again. Even if it means turning my back on everything my emotions tell me. Because if i just let myself react to bad people instead of doing what's right, I'll be as infected as any Yeerk, you know?"

Katara tried to steer the conversation into friendlier places. "So how has your stay in this place been?"

"I guess it's been okay." All things considered. "I dunno - I hang out in the Sensoriums a lot. It's pretty fun - I get to swim all day and eat ice cream whenever I want to, but . . ." she shrugs. "I don't like seeing fake people around, so usually I just run around an empty version of my city. The media lab is fun, too."

"I can see that. The idea of the Sensoriums was pretty hard for me at first too. The idea of them just seemed really strange, since the world I'm from has nothing quite like that, you know? But you're right, it can be pretty difficult to not go there, if only to get some decent practice in."

Katara nodded. "Yeah! I totally know what more people are talking about because of the media lab! It's pretty interesting!"

"What do you practice? We should go and watch some things from my world some time. My boyfriend Matt has a band - he's the lead guitarist, and he's really good, and they have his music there . . ."

"Waterbending," Katara replied. "It's a little like what you guys call martial arts, except when I do it I can bend water: I can make it ice, I can ride waves, surf on water, use it as a shield, you name it."

Katara looked pouty. "Which is why they took my container away. Jerks."

She could be a little immature about that. She missed her element.

Katara brightened at the idea of hearing music though. "That's really neat! Is your boyfriend on the ship?"

"No," she says, with a trace of sadness. "He's not. It's probably best . . . he doesn't have any magical powers and he's not a warrior or a super genius or anything. He doesn't do stuff like this all the time." She brightens. "He's great with animals, though. And he's so good at playing the guitar . . ."

She blushes and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I have a friend who can do something like that," she says. "Waterbending. Only she doesn't call it that."

"I see," Katara said. "He sounds like a really sweet guy, actually. I don't think it matters that he doesn't have any powers. All that matters is that you care about him, and that he'll do anything for you. I mean, that feeling you get when he's around when he walks into a room, or when he holds you...its priceless."

Katara herself blushed. "Um, but that's just me anyway."

Katara sighed. "Yeah, I find there's a few people on the ship who knows people with that power and more. Some of these worlds really have a lot of power. I find, though, that even if the description sounds similar, they way they work is totally different."

"He is really sweet." Will smiles again. "Honestly, I like him because he's normal. I'd like him if he had powers, but that doesn't matter. He's just . . . he's great."

And here they are, being so stereotypically girly . . . in a prison.

"So, you have a boyfriend too? Is he the one you were talking about? And if you use water magic, we should go swimming sometime. When you're out of here."

"I'm glad you have someone like that. Who's to say that the person you're with can't be normal anyway? For all I know, it might make things easier for both of you, right? Of course, if he looks really good, it helps too! He sounds like a really good guy."

Katara was happy about finding another girl to be girly with. There weren't really that many girls on the ship her age she could do that with.

Katara nodded,, looking wistful. "Yes. Aang, is the Avatar of my world, which means he can control all four elements and has the power of the past Avatars too. We met when I was the first face he saw when he was released from an iceberg in my tribe after a hundred years. It's like...it was fate for us to meet, you know? We've both been through so much with each other, but I hardly got to show him how much I..."

Katara shook her head. If she did this, she was just going to get depressed again. "But I know I'll see him sometime soon, I'm sure of it! But yeah, that would be great! Hey, did I miss what your power was? I don't think you told me."

"I think he's gorgeous."

Well if she's going to be girly with somebody else, Will is going to go all the way!

"I . . . think I heard some guy talking about him once - the Avatar - it was that prince, Zuko, who has the scar - I know he's looking for him, so I'm sure you'll see him soon." She smiled, as comfortingly as she could.

"I didn't really mention it," she said, holding her hand in front of her chest. With a small flash of light, a strange pendant appeared, floating above her hand. The thing resonated - glowing slightly, as if it were filled with great energy. "This is the Heart of Kandrakar. I'm its keeper."

As she spoke, she watched Katara closely. If she reacted strangely to the Heart, then there was still a chance she could have been one of Phobos' minions in disguise.

Katara giggled. "Oh really? Well, do tell, You can't just leave me in the dark! It's a girl's rule after all, spill! How does he look?"

Katara sighed. "Yeah, that's Zuko, all right. It's funny...a year ago, I would have not liked knowing he was on the ship. Back then he was hunting Aang, he was our first real enemy. But overtime, I found out he was doing it to restore the honor his family took away from him just for showing compassion. Eventually, Zuko joined us by his own wish, and we've never looked back."

She decided to leave out the part where she was in a farther along time line. That was just a long story.

Which, a moment later, was not as interesting as the glowing thing that Will held in her hand right now. Like any other person, Katara was spellbound by the glowing energy. She really wondered when she'd stop being amazed by all of the different people on the ship.

"It's beautiful," Katara whispered. "What is it for?"

She sighs. "Oh, he's tall . . . he's got kind of a scruffy look, like a puppy dog . . . but a really handsome one." She covered her mouth as she giggled. "I don't know if that makes sense. He has great eyes, though. I feel all warm and safe when I look into them . . ."

She could go on.

"He seems pretty determined. I'm sure he'll find Aang. Maybe you should tell me what he looks like," she grinned, "you know, just in case I meet him."

As for the heart - "It's a power source. It can close holes between worlds, and it gives my team and me our magical powers."

She grins, as she tucks it away. "Apparently it can also make enough sunlight to power a Kryptonian, at least for a little while!"

Katara got a dreamy lok at the description. "Wow, he does sound pretty dreamy. And he's attentive and sweet? Congratulations, you really hit the jackpot! With those kind of pros, if he had powers he would be run after by every girl in the world!"

She laughed, good naturedly.

"Oh, he is, We've run after him long enough! But Aang...well, I don't know where to begin. Aang's very playful looking if you see him: big eyes, overzealous personality, completely off the wall. Also kind of hard to miss the bald head! He's the kind of guy who would do anything for a laugh, or to make someone laugh! At the same time, he's tranquil and sweet, quiet and willing to understand someone who's had it rough, and wil help people in need if he has to. And when he loves...really loves...you know it, deep in your heart. It's like a burning furnace, or a hug you never want to leave, and when you're away you can sometimes still see that smiling face."

Katara trailed off, the smile on her face tranquil, almost zen.

She blanched and recovered though. "It can do that? Wow, itsa mazing! How did you manage to get that power?"

She could ask Will what a Kryptonian was later.

"If they knew," Will said, with a laugh. "We try to keep our powers secret. I only told him I had powers a little while ago . . ."

She bit her lip. "The girls got pretty mad at me when I told them."

She listened to Katara's description, feeling the peace that the thought of Aang brought to her and smiling in sympathy - "He sounds like a wonderful person. I can't wait to meet him."

She smiled once more before shrugging awkwardly. "I barely know how myself . . . the Council chose us. I don't know why. Names out of a hat?"

"I can see why you would do that," Katara sais. "In my world, some people were even afraid to use their power because oppre4ssors in my workd would imprison them, or even kill them. It can be very dangerous to have those kinds of power with people who don;t want you to have them. But its good he knows though. Honestly is realy important in a situation like that."

Katara looked a little puzzled. "Girls?"

Katara gave a small smile: it was the only thing she could manage, knowing that the day might not come. She knew he was here, vaguely, from what Zuko said, but little else. How would she be abe to find out more? "I hope you see him soon too."

Katara did laugh at this though. "Really? That would be a pretty crazy way! I was born with my power, but how good they actually get is up to me and my training!"

"My teammates. There are five of us."

She nodded. "I'm glad he knows. He's . . . he's really supportive." By which she meant, "He lies to my mother about where I am for me." Which . . . might not be the BEST example of supportive . . . but it helps keep her mom from worrying.

"Ugh, training." Will stuck out her tongue. "We have a trainer now." Not that Orube's not okay. She's just . . . Orube. "Do you have a teacher?"

"Oh, so you have a team too? That's pretty neat! we have a teajm ourselves too: my brother's a master swordsman, Toph, an earthbender, Zuko, a firebender, me and Aang. Granted, Zuko only joinied us way later, but we still consider him part of the team."

Katara grinned. "That IS a good boyfriend. Lying isn't really a good thing, but if it protects the people you love, sometimes its necessary right? And your mom would probabably worry about you all the time if she knew what you did. Mine would too, if she were still around."

Katara nodded. "Well, I had one. Master Paku. It was actually because of him that I got this good. But he's not around anymore, so I have to rely on my own training now, or I won't progress."

"My four friends have the power of the elements. I give them their power, and we can do magic for a lot of little things."

Like invisibility. Or turning boys into frogs.

"I know, he's great." She blushes. "It's not that I want to lie to my mom, but I don't think she'd let me go out and risk my life to protect the world if she knew about it. Moms, right?" she laughs, and shrugs. "Maybe you and I should train together sometime. I mean, since Orube's not here, but I don't want to fall behind . . ."

I can take it and I will.

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