A/N: Two points, before you go read, if you'll indulge me that long. This is something of an experiment in writing styles for me. (Isn't it just amazing what discomfort writers put themselves through to improve their skills?) It's told entirely from Hakoda's POV, which is new to me in two ways. One, the POV through which I'm telling the story. Every story previously has been 3rd person. Now I'm writing in 1st, for this story, anyway. Second, I've had to do a lot of thinking about a character I've always liked, but never wrote about before. I've had to get into his head, and it's been a fun journey.
My second point, is that this story has been completely finished. I will post a chapter a week, probably on Wednesdays. I don't know why Wednesdays. I think I just like the middle of the week, for some reason. Give people a pick-me-up or something...And, I guess this is a third point, all props go to my beta, Caelum Blue, who kindly indulged my desire to get this fic done before she leaves on vacation for a month, and thus was beta-ing a chapter every other day or so, along with vacation preparations. (I know you said work that is fun isn't really work, and I agree, but still...it was a lot!)
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my idea. Not even the plot this time! Though any scenes you recognize as being expanded from time gaps in the episode, those are mine!
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I stood on the small trail circling the side of the cliff, and watched my children leave me once again. I had thought, after they left to follow the Avatar a few weeks ago, I would never have to stand back and let them face the world on their own again.
I was wrong.
And it hurt, watching them leave, still feeling the lingering warmth from their farewell hugs, and knowing they were both hurting because of this defeat. Someone had betrayed us to the Fire Nation. They had been forewarned, enough so that the Fire Lord had been nowhere to be found, even when my children and the others had found the underground bunker.
All that planning, all of Sokka's plans, gone to waste. How could I just calmly surrender now? My family had been hurt, had been devastated, by the Fire Nation before, and now it continued, would continue, without a feasible end in sight.
How could I…
"Hakoda, they will fight on for us."
I turned my head slightly, noting that Bato had come up behind me. His serious gaze held compassion for my plight, and understanding of my anger. Sokka and Katara were as close to children as he would ever have. The woman he had planned to marry had died in a raid that occurred some two years before the one that had killed my Kya. We had all needed support then and so I had encouraged them to treat him as an uncle since they were little. It hurt him just as much, to see them fly away from us.
I pulled in a deep breath, reworking my thoughts to the appropriate mindset for what I now had to do. Our troops knew we couldn't win this, but I couldn't let them surrender without hope. I looked around until I spotted one of the Earthbenders and motioned him over. I thought he was the father of one of the children that had left with my son and daughter, but couldn't say for sure, since I hadn't been paying attention to anyone other than my children.
"Can you make me a platform? All the troops need to see me."
"You think that is wise?" he asked skeptically. I laughed bitterly.
"We will be taken captive soon anyway. I will not let our troops go without some form of hope. If we don't do this now, we won't get another chance."
"I can give you a brace as well, if you need it to stand straight." The man offered. I smiled gratefully at him, and nodded. Likely I would fall off the platform half-way through my speech without some form of support.
The man left and a moment later I had a platform raising me above head level, subtle supports worked in to keep me upright, and strategically placed shields further up the mountain to keep off the continuing barrage of missiles and fire from the regrouping Fire Nation soldiers.
Word had spread that I was going to give another speech, and similar arrangements had been worked out for the groups farther from our own. Earthbenders had raised shields to get the farthest close enough to hear, and now the entirety of our troops huddled in one mostly compact group. I felt my heart constrict a bit at the image of my warriors helping Earth Kingdom soldiers to their feet, of Earth Kingdom soldiers keeping some of the people from the Northern Air temple on their own feet.
Why had it taken an invasion to make us all work together? Why had it taken a hundred years of war to make us see how similar we all were to each other?
"You all fought well! We struck a blow against the Fire Nation's pride today! Never again will they believe themselves invincible, invulnerable against attack in their own nation. In their own capital!"
I had to pause a moment as the men and women gathered around me cheered – and to me the cheers seemed more a roar of defiance at the oncoming soldiers - at the one bright point they had to this day.
"So while we did not defeat the Fire Nation today, we still have hope. The Avatar will still be out there, finding another way to end this war. He has with him representatives from both of our nations! The Earth Kingdom," I had to pause again as approving calls interrupted me again. "The Water Tribe!" My own warriors hooted and hollered, and I noticed even Bato had a small smile appearing around his mouth.
But all the cheers were short-lived. Cut off by the ever-closer missiles of the Fire Nation. I braced myself, trying to ignore the way the earthen barriers shielding me were shifting to accommodate different angles of attack. If I was struck, I was struck and there was nothing I could do about that.
"The Avatar will not let our sacrifice today, our hard-work, be in vain! He will fight on, as will those who went with him, and so must we continue to hold our hope, our resolve, that this war will end and the Fire Nation will be brought down! Do not give up in the coming days, my friends, for we have proven today that the Fire Nation is not invulnerable!"
This time there were no cheers greeting my words, but there was a sort of acceptance crossing every face I could see. These people had known what might happen when they had agreed to come and take part in this invasion. And now they had something to hold onto during the hard times that were surely coming for us.
My platform was lowered and Bato and the Earthbender – I now recalled his name was Tyro - helped me down, I leaned heavily on them, my strength fast slipping from the exertion of maintaining a calm façade in front of the other troops.
"They'll hold, Hakoda," Bato told me quietly and Tyro, on my other side, nodded in agreement.
"You gave them hope," The man's green eyes smiled at me, while his face was serious. "Just like your daughter gave it to me and the other Earthbenders of my village."
"She did?" I hadn't heard much of this story. Just that Katara had refused to leave behind a boy she had accidentally gotten arrested for earthbending.
"She did. You taught her well."
I could only smile faintly, thinking that it hadn't been me, but my wife, who had taught Katara so much. The two had been inseparable while my wife was still alive, and Kya had been the one to teach her most of what she knew. Whatever Katara had gotten from me, I knew Kya had given her so much more.
And then there was no more time for memories, as the Fire Nation troops had arrived at last, and I pushed my supporters away to stand proud like a proper Water Tribe warrior and leader as we were all taken prisoner.
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I looked around the small prison I'd be spending the foreseeable future in as I was roughly guided through the front gates. There wasn't much to recommend it. It was obvious that this prison hadn't ever seen so much use in all its existence. There were hastily reinforced defenses and newly repaired guard towers everywhere I could see.
It was almost insulting, that the Fire Nation believed my troops would be so easily contained. But I knew, just as my troops knew, that we would cause as little trouble as possible.
Oh, we wouldn't bend over backwards to please the guards and the warden, but neither would we deliberately instigate conflicts. Even should any of us win free of the prison, there was no where for the escapee to go afterwards. Where would a Water Tribe warrior hide in the Fire Nation? An Earth Kingdom soldier?
No, we didn't have a clear enough escape path, and so we would wait. We would hold our trust in the Avatar and the children…the young men and women who had gone with him.
They weren't children anymore. They couldn't be, not after everything this war had put all of them through. I was sure my children weren't the only ones who had lost their mother to the war. I was sure those other young people carried their own scars, maybe not as obvious as the Mechanist's son's legs, but they were there.
My contemplations were cut short as a strident, slightly nasal voice shouted nearly in my ear.
"Look at me when I talk to you, Water Tribe scum!"
I glanced to the side just enough to determine it was the warden who had noticed my lack of interest in his 'welcome speech' and returned my gaze to the far wall. I refused to look this man in the eye.
"I said look at me!!"
I heard a few of my warriors snickering from their own places in the line-up, and despite my desire to see none of them antagonize the guards, felt a smirk beginning on my face.
My warriors knew what I was doing, and warden had no clue I was insulting him. That only made it all the more funny for my men.
In the Water Tribe, you only met the eyes of those you respected. You only gave the honor of a direct gaze to those whose achievements you acknowledged, or whose authority you respected.
I could apply none of those categories to this man, had no desire to apply them to this man, or anyone from the Fire Nation.
A stinging smack sent me reeling for balance, but I steadied myself without much trouble – a strong wind could cause our war ships to rock more than that slap had done to me – and shook my head slightly at my men and the other troops who stood with me, hearing their growls at the treatment I received.
"Too ashamed to look a true soldier in the eye, Water Tribe?"
I couldn't help smirking, even as I continued to stare at the far wall of the prison yard. I spoke firmly, but without shouting, as seemed to be the warden's habit.
"Perhaps it is not my pride that has been damaged, warden."
That earned a punch to the side of my head. I saw it coming out of the corner of my eye, and managed to twist enough that it was a glancing blow, instead of the brutal punch he obviously meant it to be.
"Not much of a soldier, is the warden?"
I didn't recognize the voice, and it was too low for me to discern who among my fellow prisoners had spoken. Which was fortunate, since neither could the warden.
"Who said that!?!"
Silence.
I barely managed to keep myself from sighing. Did he really expect the mutterer to speak up? Surely he couldn't be that stupid.
"I command you to tell me!"
Then again, maybe he could.
Of course, no one spoke up, and I saw lips curling among my warriors and the Earth Kingdom soldiers alike. None of us thought much of this man, so obviously insecure with his new position of authority and status. I doubt he'd had much more than a few petty thieves to bully before now.
"Get these scum out of my sight!"
As I was led away to my cell, I couldn't help the smirk that crossed my lips.
Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom 'scum': 1
Fire Nation Warden and Guards: 0
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