Chapter 2:
Several days passed before they reached the capital but they made it, memories of the invasion popped into their heads wondering how they could have turned it into a victory instead of a defeat. But that is all in the past for now anyway they were there for one reason and one reason only, to see Aang. They got off the Fire Nation Cruiser that picked them up a few days ago and were met by a group of Imperial Firebenders and in front stood Zuko and Mai in their royal robes. Zuko smiled as he saw them, the gang allowed gravity to pick up the pace until they reached the bottom, Sokka was first he bowed them grabbed Zuko's outstretched hand and was pulled in for a partial hug then went over and shook Mai's hand. After everyone had either shook hands or hugged, they went to the palace with the procession of guards following behind them,
"Well, Zuko, it looks like you got our message." Sokka said.
"Yes, I did. I knew it would take you guys longer to get here on your Water Tribe vessel so I sent a cruiser to intercept you." He said.
"I'm glad you did, it was getting stuffy in the other one." Toph said, pushing Sokka out of the way just to be grabbed by Suki but before he could fight with her Katara spoke up.
"Thank you, Zuko but I would like to know if Aang arrived yet." He shook his head, making her become downcast.
"Don't worry, he's coming, I sent an Empire class cruiser to intercept him and gave the captain orders to bring him here before heading to the Fire Temple."
"Thank you." She said again, she was happier now.
"Now what why does Aang need to have a meeting in the Fire Temple?" Sokka asked, pushing Toph out of the way.
"He told me that something was happening, you know what is going on with the Fire Nation and the other nations."
"Hey, the other nations are trying to get their land and power back into place while you guys are trying to pull people out of the Earth Kingdom." Zuko nodded his head but there was something he wasn't telling them. "But what I want to know is, what are you keeping from us, Zuko?"
He sighed, apparently he was hoping that Sokka wouldn't have asked that question.
"Today, a Fire Nation colony located near Omashu was attacked, every firebender no matter what age were killed. The survivors are being held captive in Omashu and that's not all three scout frigates that were patrolling the Southern pole were destroyed, their crew was lost all of them. The other nations are gearing up for another war and the Fire Nation isn't ready and I know that others aren't either."
"Then why would they be doing this if they're not ready?" Katara asked not seeing the bigger picture.
"Fear." It was the first word Mai had said since they arrived, they entered the palace away from the wandering ears of the civilians. "They fear that with the Avatar disappeared that we are going to restart the war, so they are going to strike us before we can strike at them."
"Well don't you think that have your ship patrol the zones of the Water Tribes is going to inspire fear?" Suki asked, Zuko and Mai looked at each other for a moment then entered the war room. Several generals and admirals were already there waiting for them.
"Let them explain it to you, go ahead." Zuko walked around to the front of the chamber and guessed his friends to sit.
"Ah, Fire Lord Zuko, do you think it's a good idea to - -,"
"Yes, General Anvim, I do, your report please." The general rose and cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable to have two members of both the Water Tribes and Earth Kingdom.
"Our spy within both the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom has reported that they have been increasing their military strength to wartime levels. From what we have been able to ascertain, the Northern Water Tribe is building submarines and recruiting mass forces within their defense perimeter as well as engaging our cruisers and battleships. While the Earth Kingdom is striking at the colonies we haven't been able to evacuate which is twenty to thirty percent that are in danger of falling and having their population being enslaved."
"What about the Earth King? Have we gotten into contact with him and asked him to stop these attacks?" Zuko asked, giving them the full situation at they were faced with.
"Yes but he hasn't responded, I believe that he is ignoring them and allowing his citizen to do whatever they want."
"I say that in this moment of weakness, that we attack the Earth Kingdom in a single decisive push that could crush their defenses within minutes and give us control of Ba Sing Sa again ending these attacks." One of the Admirals shouted out of turn, Zuko stood up making his chair fall onto the floor.
"NO! We will not plunge ourselves back into war. Yes, your strategy is intriguing but it will undermine everything that we have been trying to do for the past two years! Do you understand!" His voice echoed through the war chamber scaring the advisors into submission.
"Yes, Fire lord." They all said in unison.
"Dismissed, I need to be alone." The advisors rose and left the room.
"Now you see, the other nations are planning attacks on us. This is the world when the Aang disappears again, the treaty is fracturing right before my eyes and there is nothing I can do about it." They couldn't answer him, the situation was the same all over the world.
"It's okay, sometimes I don't even know what I'm doing. You should all get your rest, Aang will be here tomorrow and we can work on the problem then. Servants, please take my friends to their room in the high level suites." They bowed as the group rose and followed them to their rooms. Sokka took the room on the far end, several seconds later his voice rang out.
"Ha, nice! This is unbelievably . . . soft." His voice slowed down until the sound of snoring came out. The servant looked at Katara with confused eyes but she shrugged and went into her room, she closed the door behind her and gazed at the room. It was very high fashion, flowers in the window, a deck that looked out to the sea, gold studded furniture, she walked over to the bed and sat down. For once in Sokka's he was right, it was unbelievably soft but she was too nervous to think about it, Aang was coming every second brought him closer; she steadied herself and tried to stop her thinking but it didn't work her mind kept going back to how she would react. Before she could think any more on it a knock came to her door,
"Come in." the door opened and Suki walked in.
"Are you alright, Katara? Can I come in?" She nodded to both questions. She came in closing the door behind her and sitting on the bed next to her.
"You're nervous about seeing Aang again, aren't you?" she asked.
"No, don't be silly." She lied, she was blushing.
"Katara, I know that you love Aang, I also know that you want to see him again, very badly." Katara shook her head but her blushing became redder showing how wrong she was.
"I know you love him, you said it yourself." Katara got up and went to the mirror.
"I hate him, how could he just leave us like this especially when he knows how much we care for him and need him. He just ran off," tears streamed down her face as the painful memory came to the foreground of her mind, she wiped them away furiously. "I – I" She couldn't hold it back anymore, she broke down as her memories of him flashed to her mind. How he changed her world forever by traveling with him in order to save the world but they got too attached to each other. Suki got up and hugged her and shushing her to calm her down now knowing how hard Aang's leaving had hit her, it changed her she could never get over it, never.
"Shush –h –h –h, it's okay, Katara. Let it all out." She said.
"How could he leave me! I loved him and I still do, its eating me up inside. Why did he leave, why, why." She was quaking in her arms, her chest was convulsing. She couldn't control herself not even a bit. A knock came to the door then Sokka's head came through with a comical confused look on his face.
"Is everything alright- HAAAA!" Katara bended the water out of the plants and sent it at his head, Sokka ducked just in time and crawled back to his room, not even trying to get to his feet.
"What happened, Sokka?" Toph said as she came out of her room.
"It's Katara, she tried to kill me with waterbending! She isn't kidding, Suki's trying to calm her down but I don't think it's working!" He shouted, then another batch of water shot out of Katara's room and headed right for him, he crawled fasted but Toph blocked it with her earthbending. Sokka sat there breathing heavily at the attack, Toph looked at him then she held a hand out signaling him to go into his room, he didn't need to be told twice he ran in not taking the time to stand. Toph walked to Katara's room, hearing Katara's crying calming down, but her vibrations knew better she was still likely to explode again, she walked into the room only to have water being shot at her. She brought up a stone stab to block it, once Katara saw who it was she bended it back into the plants.
"Sorry, Toph, I thought you were Sokka checking in again." She apologized sitting back on the bed where Suki was leaning to the left on to avoid being hit.
"No, Sugar Queen, I'm not Sokka but I am here to find out why you are attacking him?"
"I don't want him to know how torn up I am."
"Torn up? You sent Sokka to his room running on his knees not his feet." They all laughed at the thought of him running on his knees. Toph came over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry Sugar Queen, we'll be here to help you when Aang gets here. Just don't try to kill him." She smiled then bursted out laughing.
"I – I think I'm fine now just needed to get that out of my system before facing him."
"Wait, Sokka's coming back. I bet he's trying to spy on us."
"I'll take care of him." Suki grabbed Katara's arm in order to stop her then stood and face her.
"Don't hurt him too much. He might deserve it but he's still my boyfriend and I still have plans for him." Katara nodded, then she took the water out of the plants, remembering the waterbending scroll that she stole from those pirates years ago and how Aang had gotten it so easily making her jealous because of it. She mimicked the movements, shifting her weight through the stances then released it right as Sokka busted through the door, he jump and tried to run but Katara's water whip hit him on the bum.
"HA!" He shouted as he ran down the hall and shut the door. They all laughed.
"Alright I'm going to go now, I bet Sokka's going to need me to make him feel better after that hit. Good night." Suki laughed again as she walked out the door shutting it behind her and walking down to Sokka's room.
"Okay, I'm going to bed, need my sleep if Aang's going to survive tomorrow. Good night, Sugar Queen." She walked out of the room and headed back to her room, Katara changed into her night gown then looked into the mirror and saw how much she had changed since she last saw Aang and wondered how he changed as well it didn't matter all she needed to know was that he was coming. And now she was grateful to both Suki and Toph because if she didn't release her anger now it would have been crazy tomorrow, she walked out to the lit lantern and turned them off one by one. Once in total darkness she walked over to the bed and got under the covers allowing her mind to drift off into dreamland but what dominated were the memories of her and Aang together, finally she let went to sleep.
It was midday when the Victory came to port, three days have passed since it picked him up with their orders to escort him. Aang walked over to the gangway as it opened to allow him off, the captain was there speaking to some of the naval officers who she ordered away when he came. She saluted him, he mimicked the gesture and held it until she rose,
"Avatar, the royal procession will be leading you to the palace." She said, this surprised him, before he could ask why Momo jumped on his shoulder and wrapped his tail around his neck like usual.
"Hey, Momo." He said smiling at the lemur, then turned back to the captain. "Why are the royal procession going to lead me to the palace, I'll capable of defending myself."
"I am well aware of that but Fire Lord Zuko wants to make sure that you are unharmed and don't worry about your bison, we sent him free this morning and a report states that he is already there."
"Thank you, Captain." Aang bowed, she did the same then he walked down the gangway seeing a small group of twelve, maybe even fifteen firebenders in royal red armor but in front of them was an old friend.
"Ed!" Aang exclaimed as he ran down to the bottom, they bowed to each other then looked up. Ed was a powerful firebender during the War, one of the few to defect from the Fire Nation and now he was in the service of Zuko.
"Hello, Aang it's been a long time. Come on, Zuko is waiting for you along with some others." It confused him as Ed started walking away, Aang run to catch up as the royal firebenders took the flanks.
"What others?" He asked.
"You'll see." Aang just looked around several people were happy to see him while other didn't even acknowledge him. He looked back at Ed and saw a new insignia on his uniform.
"What's that." He said pointing to the rank.
"This is the rank of the High Admiral, Fire Lord Zuko as put me in charge of keeping the other Admirals in line so war doesn't break out again but as you can see a lot of people want it to start again any way." Aang frowned then looked forward.
"What does that mean?"
"You'll see soon enough." That was the last thing he said before they entered the palace, nothing changed from it the last he came their but that was at the end of the War and when he had to leave. The royal procession scattered off as Ed and Aang continued walking, he looked around wondering where they were even though he had been there been.
"Where are we going?"
"To Zuko's office, I told you about the others well they're in there." He said halting to a stop. Ed stepped forward and pushed the door open, he stepped through then Aang and to his surprise they were there. Sokka, Suki, Toph, Zuko and Mai looked at him just as surprise as he was but Katara wasn't there, his heart sank.
