A/N: Here, have another chapter. I hit writer's block on my first story and needed to play with something to get the creative juices flowing again. And then this happened. I have not abandoned the other story, but for now, this one is flowing so much better. Please let me know what you think!
I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or the characters.
"And it takes all my strength not to dig you up
From the ground in which you lay
The biggest part of me
You were the greatest thing
And now you're just a memory
To let go of.
In the mourning, I'll rise"
Paramore / In The Mourning
Chapter 1
"Chief Sokka, we have finished the western wall. Would you like to come see it?" Kinu asked.
Sokka rose from his makeshift drafting desk to follow the boy.
Kinu was young, only fifteen, but able and strong.
Sokka tried to forget that the reason Kinu and so many others benders had ended up in his tribe was because they fled the second Siege of the North.
That was why Sokka was throwing all of his resources and energy into fortifying the Southern Tribe. His tribe.
After fleeing the Fire Nation with his friends on the day of the comet, they got word that Azula had crowned herself "Phoenix Queen" and had no intentions of halting her father's world conquest.
Appa made it to the Southern Air Temple before collapsing. He never got up again.
Suki mentioned that she recalled hearing about the spiritual connections between Avatar Kyoshi and her animal companion. One cannot live long without the other.
Toph built the bison a tomb around his body and they used the opportunity for a memorial. They each said some words about Aang, Appa, and Katara. Each except for Zuko.
In fact, he had barely said anything since they escaped the Fire Nation with him.
Sokka hated that he had to be the one to pull Zuko from Aang and Katara's bodies. But he checked their pulses. They were gone, and the rest of them had to flee, before they were killed.
We must live to fight another day, he'd told the Fire Prince.
After a week at the Southern Air Temple, they agreed to get moving again. But where to?
There was no safe plan of action, and hearing of Azula's hellbent expansion, they were all anxious to get home and protect their families. They admitted this to each other over dinner that night. The Prince still said nothing.
When they woke the next morning, Zuko was gone. They searched the temple and surrounding area for him, but gave up eventually. He obviously did not want to be found.
Toph told them that she had to go to Gao Ling to protect her family. They could only fend for themselves on a political landscape, but with the destruction that Azula was capable of, they were in certain danger.
Maybe I'll get them to Ba Sing Se, and then I'll come find you guys. She left the next morning. Sokka and Suki spent another day together, prolonging the inevitable. Suki needed to protect Kyoshi Island, and find out if any of her warriors had fled there and survived.
And Sokka needed to protect his tribe. And find out if his father had returned.
They parted reluctantly, whispering promises of someday soon.
Sokka arrived home, greeted by an insurgence of Northern Tribe refugees, who had sailed around the eastern edge of the Earth Kingdom to get to the southern pole. The North had finally fallen.
His GranGran was alive and relieved to see Sokka, but informed him that neither Hakoda nor his men had yet returned.
They had another memorial for Katara, Hakoda, and all of the other warriors who had never come back.
Then, Sokka immediately employed the Northern benders in fortifying the city.
Looking up at the final wall that Kinu had fetched him for, Sokka was reminded again of his determination to protect his people.
"It's perfect," He told the young bender. He climbed the inner steps to inspect the new watch towers. Satisfied, he turned to the northern wall, the first one to be completed.
Staring at the frosty horizon, he remembered that Kyoshi laid in that direction. His heart ached.
Suki.
His thoughts were abruptly interrupted. He noticed a spec on the horizon coming into view.
"Men!" He shouted to the benders below. "A boat! Ready the defenses. Gather all the benders! Send the children and elderly into the main house."
His heart sank. He had hoped that the Fire Nation would need more time to regroup after taking the North. But it had already been two months. He was just biding time.
But as the boat came closer and closer, he realized that it was only a tiny sailboat and it was alone.
No, that can't be Fire Nation. But he didn't want to trust too much. It could be a trick. He had already become well acquainted with Azula's cunning.
His men now lined the northern wall with him. Waiting for his command.
But when the boat finally docked, only four figures hopped out. Two reached back to grab something. Something heavy.
A body.
Green sails. White faces.
Kyoshi! It was Suki!
"Kinu, Tokki, Kan, Sonnu! Follow me. I think I know who they are."
The indicated men rushed to his side.
"The rest of you, man the wall, in case it's a trap." Sokka couldn't afford to forget the time Azula and her friends disguised themselves as Kyoshi Warriors.
Kinu opened a door at the base of the wall, and Sokka and his troop passed to the outside, before Kinu sealed it up again. Through the fog, Sokka could see the girls struggling to carry the other person.
"Identify yourselves!" Sokka shouted, still cautious.
"Sokka it's me, Ty Lee!" He couldn't mistake that high pitched voice anywhere, but now it was lacking it's usual energy. Something happened.
He motioned for his men to help the girls.
Once the two parties had rushed close enough, Sokka scanned their faces for Suki.
No luck. Not even the injured girl in their arms. The only one he distinctly recognized was Ty Lee.
His rushed to help the other girls.
"Where is she?" He said seriously, now walking back to the village with the rest of the group.
Ty Lee's eyes shined with emotion. She threw her arms around him.
"She's gone, Sokka," the acrobat sobbed. "Azula came to the island. She burned it to the ground. Suki…she...told me to take the youngest girls and...head south and," She choked out between sobs. "And...She went back. She went back to fight."
Sokka's knees gave out. His men and the other warriors stopped walking.
Kinu whispered to the other men, to go ahead without them, get the other girls inside and fed. He would wait with his chief and the girl.
Sokka and Ty Lee sat, a tangled sobbing heap in the snow.
Sokka desperately wanted to deny it. Suki was too strong, too fierce. She seemed eternal. But then again, so did Katara, and their father. And Aang.
They had lost too much.
And it was too believable a story.
Azula would want revenge on Ty Lee for betraying her.
And Suki would never leave her island to ashes. She would definitely look out for the young and injured.
That's the kind of woman she was. The kind that he loved.
Ty Lee began to stifle her sobs, trying to catch her breath enough to speak again. "She told me to tell you she's...sorry. And...she loves you. And she will befriend the moon so that she too can look down on you." She sniffled. "She said you would understand what that means." Ty Lee's voice cracked and she fell into sobs again.
Sokka hugged the girl to him, still weeping, and nodded his head against her shoulder.
"Yes, I understand."
Sokka peered up at the sky, tears streaking his face. The moon was not visible tonight, but he prayed to Yue, anyway. She would listen for him.
Tell her I understand, Yue. Tell her I got her message.
After a week, Katara's physician began walking her around the room, leading her with his hands.
She was embarrassed at first, but soon grew determined to regain her strength.
Iroh spent the majority of his time in her sickroom, for the benefit of each other's company.
Katara and the doctor, Zaoru, had just finished a series of laps around the room. He deposited Katara carefully back into her bed, exhausted. Iroh asked if he could have servants bring tea. Zaoru nodded and excused himself.
"Why is everyone being so nice to us?" Katara asked Iroh, still breathy from the exercise.
"Two reasons, I believe. First, we command respect here. I suspect that there are still those that fear the name of the Dragon of the West. As for you, I think it is possible that someone else has vouched for your personal comfort. I have my suspicions, but I am not certain."
Katara raised a quizzical brow at his suggestion.
"Second," He continued, "Azula is away at the moment. Perhaps the palace staff has more freedom for compassion in her absence. Either way, we had best take advantage of this time for your convalescence and to plan."
"Plan?" Katara dared to sound hopeful.
Iroh smirked at her, "Your friends are alive. My nephew is alive, and he is the rightful heir. We need to get you to them as soon as possible," he stated matter of factly, as if commenting on the weather.
Katara glanced around nervously, "Do you have a plan?" She whispered.
Iroh chuckled, "I did not earn the nomer 'Dragon of the West' for my poor planning skills. Later, though. For now, you rest."
She nodded, too tired to disagree.
"Where has she gone?" she ventured.
"Oh? Azula?" Katara nodded in confirmation.
"A war campaign, I am afraid." He sighed.
Katara's stomach twisted. She didn't know where any of her friends were. She prayed quickly for their safety.
"Do you know where?"
"Alas, no. Azula has not seen me much since I was captured, and when she does, she minces words with me. I think she knows that ignorance is torture for me." The old man said sadly.
A servant backed into the door to open it, revealing a tray of tea in her hands. Iroh stood to help her with it.
"Is there anything else you'll be needing General Iroh, Master Katara?"
Katara was taken aback by the use of honorifics. Apparently, her presence did command some sort of respect. Although without the strength to even get to the bathroom independently, the Waterbender wasn't sure how.
"No, thank you dear." Iroh excused the girl.
She bowed and discreetly backed out of the room. The door swung shut behind her.
Katara had just taken a sip of the tea when the door swung open again.
A willowy frame swept into the room, long black tresses sweeping behind her.
Mai.
"You're awake." The pale weapons master stated flatly.
Katara could not conjure a response.
Luckily Iroh was more competent. "Lady Mai, good afternoon." He greeted kindly. As if he was not prisoner in some place where she was clearly welcome to come and go as she pleased.
"Yes, Master Katara has been up and moving around for a little over a week now." He continued.
Mai nodded in response.
A pregnant pause stretched for almost a minute, while Katara searched her brain for something to say to the girl, and then the courage to say it.
Mai broke the silence first, "Azula is coming back tonight." She spoke as if she were making some kind of off-hand observation. And Katara was unsure what to make of the declaration.
"What are you doing here?" The waterbender finally said.
"I begged a pardon from the Phoenix Queen and she was merciful." Mai's voice, as always, betrayed no emotion.
Katara flinched. Mai had saved Zuko and Suki and her family from prison, and she decided to bounce back to Azula's side after all of that? "Traitor," Katara spat.
"Says the weakling peasant." Mai retorted venomously.
"He cared for you!" Katara pulled out the most potentially damaging weapon she could think of from her mental arsenal. Zuko.
Mai winced, for only a second, before regaining her composure.
"It was unrequited," Mai replied, heartlessly.
Katara took a moment to read the other girl, searching her porcelain facade for some crack she could exploit. She found none.
"You had best watch your mouth when Azula returns. She has no reason to keep you two alive. Do not give her a reason to kill you." And with that Mai turned from the room and left as breezily as she had arrived.
Katara snapped to face Iroh, "What was that?"
Iroh only shrugged in response, and sipped at his tea.
"She went through so much to protect us from Azula. She defected before even Ty Lee. And she's suddenly changed her mind?" Katara was aware of the growing volume in her tone. Not wishing to be overheard, she continued with a more controlled voice. "Coward. She's a coward, too afraid to stand for what she believes in, jumping to the winning side."
"It is a cruel path we have all had to tread. Mai maybe lost, yes. But a certain prince was once lost as well. And he found his way, eventually. We must not give up on people." Iroh said sagely.
Katara rolled her eyes, preferring to hate the girl instead. Anyone voluntarily associated with Azula wasn't good. Of that much she was sure.
"She was right about one thing however," Iroh posed.
Katara glared at him disbelievingly.
"Azula has no reason that I know of to keep us alive," He continued, "Let us not give her a reason to kill us." She could tell the words pained him, and she remembered that Azula was, after all, his niece, just as much as Zuko was his nephew. It must hurt to see someone you love do such terrible things.
She nodded understandingly. "I won't jeopardize any chance I have to find my friends."
Katara spent her nights tossing and turning. She dreamt of Aang dying, calling out for her help. But she could not hear his cries because she was napping too heavily. She dreamt of her friends abandoning her.
She routinely awoke in the early hours of the morning, heart racing. She would only find peaceful sleep after the nightmares were spent.
But she found no peace on this morning. An hour before dawn, the door to her room slammed open with a bang.
Katara sat up in bed, fearfully.
Azula. She stormed over to the bed, in full armor, looking as menacing as she could manage. Her hair was obscured by the helmet which only showed her face. Katara wondered if she had ever gotten her botched haircut fixed.
"Look who's awake," Azula sneered.
Katara felt the retort building in her stomach before she remembered Iroh's words.
Let us not give her a reason to kill us.
Katara bit her tongue, not trusting her voice. She only glared defiantly at Azula.
"Lemur got your tongue, peasant?" Azula said a little loudly. She laughed at her own barb.
Katara remained silent.
Azula swung her arm, and the back of her hand met Katara's jaw with a loud smack.
Blood leaking from the corner of her mouth, the waterbender raised her head again to stare at Azula.
"Say something you dumb bitch!" Azula shrieked.
Katara realized that the silence was heavily unnerving to the other girl. And resolved to remain armoured in it.
Azula cackled again, "Not in the mood to talk? Fine! I'll talk!"
She appeared completely unhinged. Katara resisted the instinct to flinch away from her mad smile.
"Let's see! Oh, I'll tell you about my latest trip!" She continued. "I visited a nice little island down south named after some dirty avatar."
Kyoshi Island. Katara began to panic.
"I ran into a little bitch who caused me some trouble a while back. You know the one, short hair, facepaint?"
Suki. Katara's eyes must have betrayed her fear, because Azula snickered crazily.
"She was quite brave, you know. Stupid is another word for that. Yes, stupid right up until the end. Cremated along with the entire village." Azula was laughing uncontrollably now. Katara fought the tears that threatened the corners of her eyes.
No, it's not true. She's just trying to get a rise out of you. Don't listen.
Azula turned to leave abruptly and staggered from the room from laughing so hard.
The door didn't swing all the way shut; Azula must have damaged the hinges.
Katara heard faint whispering from the hall.
"Did you find Ty Lee?" It was Mai's voice, disinterested as ever.
Azula's voice, manically loud, replied, "No, I never saw her, she must not be there. The rest are dead though." Katara could hear the delight in Azula's voice and she felt sick.
She waited until she heard retreating footsteps.
It's true then. Suki's gone. She wept into the heels of her palms until she drifted back to sleep, eyes too tired to cry anymore.
For now.
