Katu, Son of the Avatar – Chapter 1
A/N: This is, in a way, an experiment for me. It's the very first time I'm actually going all the way through with writing a full-blown fic, and I'll just see where my improvising and story-telling take me, and whether they really are as good as I hope them to be. I shall try to explain everything through the story, and use no other author's notes than this one. Here's to hoping it'll work out.
Disclaimer: 'Avatar' does not belong to me.
"Zuko must know of this."
Aang tried to keep his voice down. Ever since the Avatar had beaten Ozai sixteen years ago, there have been rebels still loyal to the imprisoned Phoenix King. Luckily, their numbers were small, and they didn't have much influence, but every now and then, they would appear somewhere in the world, strike, then disappear. Fire Lord Zuko had tried hard to contain these rebels, but he also had a nation to rule and rebuild. Aang, as the Avatar, opted to help him in finding the loyalists and to alert Zuko should he come across anything.
And come across something he did. A large contingent of the rebels was camped hidden near a cluster of small Earth Kingdom villages. The land in the area was fertile, and after the war, the various farming villages in the area had been able to rebuild. The rebels had clearly been on the march, and were in all likelihood planning to raid the villages.
"How could the rebels gather so many members unnoticed? That was the largest group I have ever seen. We must tell Zuko as fast as we can." Katara was sitting on the bed. Their find this afternoon had been very troubling, and now, with their children asleep, they picked it up again.
"I agree." Aang stated, but there was something more in his voice, something unsaid. Katara looked at her husband, and noticed that a shadow had fallen over his features. He was leaning against the wall, not facing her, and he seemed to be staring at the ground.
"Aang, what's wrong?" She got up and slowly walked over to him, putting her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek. It took a good while before he answered. "One of us has to stay here."
She smiled at him, slightly confused. "Aang, it's not that long of a trip to the Fire Nation capital. We'll go visit Zuko, tell him about what we found, and come back here."
"That won't work, Katara." Aang finally turned to face her. "You said it yourself, we've never encountered a group of the resistance this large. One of us needs to stay here and keep watching over them, in case they decide to undertake anything. We'll have to step in and stop them if they attack."
Katara needed a second to take in what he had just said, but then her face fell. "No, Aang, no! What if something happens? What if the one who stays behind gets into danger? We can't let others split our family up like that again, not after we've worked so hard to build a good life for us." She couldn't help her voice getting slightly louder, and quickly stopped talking to avoid waking up the sleeping children. With her thoughts on them, she added: "What about our children, Aang? We can't put them through a childhood like ours. They deserve to grow up in peace."
Aang sighed. He could hear the trauma the war had put her through, evident still after so long a time. In a way, Katara was absolutely right. He had to think of their children. Had they been younger, still without a family of their own, it would have been easier to shoulder the responsibilities he had. But now, guilt crept into his thoughts for even suggesting such an idea. He sighed again. Zuko did have to hear about the resistance, and one of them had to stay in case something happened.
He put his arms around her waist and gave her a kiss. "It's okay, it won't become that bad. Like you said, it's a short trip. I'll stay here, you go to Zuko. If anything happens, I think I'll be able to handle it." He smiled at her. "After all, I am the Avatar."
She knew he was just trying to comfort her, but they were both well aware of the imminent danger the rebels posed. She leaned her head onto his shoulder and closed her eyes, a single tear running down her cheek. For a while, the couple just stood there in silence, holding each other. Then, Aang spoke up again.
"You should take Katu along. He's too young to stay here. Take Appa and leave tomorrow, we shouldn't waste any time."
"What about Tenko and Kya? They're young as well." Katara looked up at Aang, her eyes full of concern.
Aang gave her a sad smile. "No younger than we were when we first started saving the world. Besides," he added tentatively "they would need me to continue their training." He brushed her hair gently. Katara knew he was right, and let out a long sigh in defeat. Still, she put her hands on his cheeks, holding him in a firm grip, her eyes boring into his. Her voice had an anxious side to it when she spoke again. "Promise me you'll take care of them and protect them. You promise me that nothing will happen to them while I'm gone." Her eyes watered up again.
He held her stare, and answered in a sincere tone: "I promise. I swear that I'll keep them safe. They're my children, too, and I love them as much as you do." He gave her another kiss, but this time, she responded forcefully, pulling him in and not letting go.
"Aang." She murmured his name against his lips before claiming them again. He knew what she was feeling; she would leave tomorrow, while he would stay here, facing danger again. He hated the world for being so complex, and he hated the fact that even now, after peace had been restored, he could not find any himself. Banishing these thoughts for now, he let his wife lead him to their bed.