Four years passed. Four. Toph walked silently behind the tall Avatar through a forest that she could not see. Aang had to be especially careful these days. No village standing was safe for the Avatar anymore. That was why they were heading toward a village in ruins. They reached the leveled gate and began searching. Toph walked ahead, Aang followed. She walked immediately to a half-standing house and knocked thrice on a large rock.
"Three…two…one," Toph counted. On time, the ground opened, sending the two benders sliding into the earth. They reached the bottom and brushed themselves off. Below ground was amazing.
It was just as it was above ground years ago, just without the sun to light it. Instead, crystals gave off a dark-yellow color, illuminating the place. Shops and stalls rested on boulders and ledges high and low. It was safe. For the thousandth time Toph wished she could see it. Aang had always told her details. He used to use adjectives like beautiful and green and various other colors, but eventually ceased using them as much when Toph would scowl at her disability. She appreciated it, but then again she wished he would keep telling her exactly how things looked.
"Toph, you okay?" Aang asked. She realized she must have looked dazed or spacey.
"Yeah, I'm fine, just tired."
"Oh. Well, I'll be in that direction, I got us a place over there."
"Okay," Toph didn't ask where, she usually wandered around first, then usually found Aang and headed in. Aang walked off, Toph went to her wandering.
After the last battle, Aang had gotten unusually quiet and slightly distant. Toph frowned at this; it was probably because he had lost Katara. His little watertribe obsession. He never yelled at Toph, but she yelled. He would always speak so calmly, almost sadly. Whenever this happened, a strike of guilt hit the tough earthbender. How did he do that? No one ever made her feel guilty, except him. Some nights she could smell tears as they sat in their camps. Nothing was said, but Toph knew that Aang thought she was clueless. She always told him, "I may be blind, but I know all!" He never seemed to take the hint.
How she wanted to reach out and wipe the tears off his face, or to just hit him and tell him to suck it up. She hated to see him like this. Toph grinned to herself at that remark…see him like this…see him…. Sometimes she wished she could. Speaking of which…where was he? She was tired and hungry, and had no clue where they were staying. She sighed and walked up to some random merchant.
"You seen a guy 'bout this tall," she held up her arm to Aang's approximate height, "with a blue arrow on his head?" Of course, she had no clue what blue was. She could only speak form what others had told her.
"Yeah, he went in there about an hour ago, just right across from here. In the tavern."
"Tavern?" Toph asked herself, "Wow, Twinkle toes…."
She found the tavern and walked in. A knife just barely missed her shoulder. She raised an eyebrow and felt with her feet for Aang.
Katara sat sipping her drink at a corner table of some tavern below ground. Her usual blue leathers were now replaced with black watertribe style cotton. Her mother's necklace was tied around her thin wrist, and Sokka's necklace around the other. Her chocolate hair was tied back into a long ponytail rather than the braid she sported at fourteen. Her infamous loops of hair still fell across her eyes, but much longer, past her chin. Her ponytail fell to her belt, with many small braids falling from her tie. Blue and white beads adorned them, complementing her cerulean eyes. She wore no skirt, but rather baggy black pants tucked into tall ebony leather boots. A small nose stud piercing made her delicate face look dangerous.
She had spent the last four years searching for Aang and Toph. She had returned to the battle site to try and retrieve Zuko, but the soldiers had taken his body. She was almost glad that she didn't have to see him dead. She had found his red hair tie; his hair had gotten so long that he could don a short ponytail. This was tied about her wrist, above her brother's ivory necklace.
She swigged the last drops of her drink and threw two copper pieces onto the counter and proceeded to the door.
"Hey, pretty girl," came the voice of a drunken young man from behind her, "where'd ya get that there sc- hic- scar?" Katara froze in the doorway. She looked down at her right arm; the white wrap that usually covered a large burn scar from the battle was loose, letting the scar show to the world.
"Ah, that's okay!" he came staggering up to her, "I like 'em dangerous…." He hissed from four feet away from her. She continued out the door.
"Hey! I'm talkin' to you, whore!" he drawled. Katara stopped, turning to him slowly, her eyes closed. Summoning her unique abilities, her eyes snapped open. She threw up her hand, and his entire body followed. She turned her hand so that her palm was up, and, curling her fingers slowly to make him float nearer to her, she concentrated on her cold anger. She looked into his bloodshot eyes and cocked her head. He gasped and made small choking sounds. Moments later, frost and bits of ice crept slowly from his mouth, and his eyes froze over. She dropped her hand and he fell to the ground, frozen.
Toph stood still, feeling for Aang. There he was…. she could barely feel him because he must be sitting down, and all the scurrying people didn't make it at all easier. She made her way through the crowd and finally came to him.
"Aang?" she asked loudly. Aang looked up. "Aang?"
"Toph?" he moaned. Toph could smell alcohol on his breath.
"Oh my gosh, Aang! Are you drunk?!"
"Maybe a li'l bit…." He mumbled. Toph sat across from him, shaking her head.
"Let's get you outta here, Aang," Toph said slowly so that he could understand him in his newly found state of mind, and taking his arm to heave him up.
"Yeah…okay…" he drawled slowly, drooping onto Toph. She sighed and heaved him over her shoulders, just as she did four years ago….
Toph was glad that he was logical enough to point to the small apartment that they would stay in. She kicked open the door and stumbled in. She dragged him over to a bed and turned around to lie him down, but Aang was too heavy and she fell on top of him. He proceeded to hug her mercilessly, practically giving her the Heimlich. She gasped and tried to pry his hands off.
"Twinkle…toes! I can't… breathe, you dolt!!" she finally heaved herself off of him and looked around, brow furrowed. He smelled terribly of tavern and alcohol.
"Why the hell were you drinking??" she demanded. He remained silent. "Aang!!" She heard him stand up slowly.
"I dunno…I guess I just needed it, or sumthin," he mumbled.
"Needed it?! You've got to be kidding me!" Toph yelled, "Why would you need to get drunk, of all people, I mean, really! You can't possibly convince me that something actually came up to you and poked and prodded your brain until you drank yourself to drown!"
"I NEEDED IT BECAUSE I LOST THEM ALL!!" Aang yelled. Toph went silent. "I needed it because it was my fault that I couldn't defeat Azula back at the palace. It was my fault that Sokka and TyLee and Zuko and…. and Katara are all dead." His voice got softer as he yelled, and Toph could smell tears.
"Lie down, Twinkle toes," she said quietly, moving him toward the bed again, he went without struggle. She decided it would be best to deal with him when he was sober.
Katara walked sullenly to the exit, was earthbended to the surface, and proceeded to leave the deserted village. She had learned not to look at the buildings; they only gave her bad memories of trying to save them. They only gave her bad memories of that little girl….
flashback
"Katara," said the small girl softly as she lie in bed, listening to Katara's bedtime story, "did you ever have a prince like the girl in the story?" Katara swallowed and gently moved the girl's soft brown hair from her face; she admired her bright emerald green eyes full of wonder.
"Sort of, Maelee." Katara whispered.
"Oh. Didn't he take you away on his eleh…elegannnt…. pretty white Pegasus?" she asked, her eyes wide. Katara smiled at her attempt to pronounce words and shook her head ever so slightly.
"Oh…" Maelee whispered, hanging her head in disappointment, "don't worry miss Katara," she said smiling reassuringly, missing one tooth in the front of her mouth and putting her arms around Katara's neck, nuzzling into her hair, "I'll always love you." Katara smiled and laid the girl down onto her pillow. Almost immediately the small child fell to sleep.
This girl had just barely made it to six years old. Katara had come upon the village six months after the battle; it had been attacked and her healing skills were needed terribly. She had been put in charge of Maelee. She glanced over the small girl's face-it had a long scar over her right cheek all the way down her neck to her collar bone. Other cuts had been completely healed, and she still had a broken wrist.
Suddenly, there was an explosion from outside; people started screaming. Katara seized her waterskin and charged outside. Fire was burning everything; Firenation soldiers were tearing villagers off their feet.
Twenty minutes passed, Katara was exhausted. She was one of the only defenders of the village left, and it was so far no one's battle.
"The infirmary!" someone screamed. Katara whipped around, "Maelee…" She impaled one soldier and took off toward the flaming infirmary. She was so far away….100 yards…75 yards…the flames crawled up the walls…50 yards…the fire threatened to creep inside…15 yards…a window shattered, a scream from a small girl. Katara dove for a window, and was caught around the waist by an earthbender.
"Are you crazy?! It's too late for them; the fire's got them! Settle down!!"
"I can't! I can't just let her die!! NOO LET ME GO!!" Katara thrashed and bit and hit, he wouldn't let her go. He was right, she knew, if she would have jumped into the building she would have been taken. The cries from Maelee faded, the building crumbled. Tears cascaded down her ashen-smeared face; she had failed again.
end flashback
Katara looked up and realized she had made it where she needed to be without thinking. She looked around for any followers and walked casually toward a seemingly harmless loop of rope hanging from a tree. She reached for it, grabbed it. The snap of a twig behind her. Whipped around, no one there. She tugged on the rope and it wrenched her upwards into the trees. She landed gracefully on the porch of a tree house. She looked around her to make sure all of them were intact. The legendary Freedom Fighters still roamed here, and she was glad not to be alone.
"Have any trouble getting here, Katara? No followers?" Asked someone behind her. She turned and saw the familiar face of Smellerbee. Her hair was much longer and braided down her back. Her eyes were still outlined in black, but she had ridded herself of the red war paint on her thin cheeks. Altogether, she looked much more like a lady than she did four and a half years ago.
"No, no trouble, no followers."
"How are you, Katara? Haven't seen you in a week, almost," asked a soft voice from beside her. She turned this way and saw Longshot. He was much taller, his black hair longer and falling over his soft brown eyes. A thin horizontal scar crossed his high cheek beneath his left eye and curved to his jaw. He no longer had his infamous hat, but a new bow. A scar on his left shoulder held the memory of an arrow shot near to his heart.
"I'm great, Longshot, thanks," she said, smiling at him. He smiled in return.
"So, what's the news on our spies, Smellerbee?" asked Katara.
"I haven't received any message scrolls yet, probably get another one in about three days, maybe."
"I see. Well-Longshot, what is it?" Katara asked, looking up into the trees where he had been staring, his eyes narrowed. He stared more, shook his head and turned to Katara again.
"Nothing, I just thought I saw something. Probably a ravenjay. I'll see you girls later," he muttered, turning and waving to the girls.
"Okay, see ya," waved Katara.
"So, Katara, thought about staying here with us longer?" asked Smellerbee, scratching her head.
"Yeah, I thought. I don't think I should."
"Oh, still doing your little mysterious 'search' then?" Katara nodded.
"It's just that this place is just a haven, not a home, Smellerbee."
Firelady Azula sat upright on her throne before the three girls, studying them appreciatively.
The girl on the left wore baggy tan pants tied tightly at the knee. Thick brown studded leather shin-protectors wrapped around the rest of her legs, and bare feet stood out among the group. Her flat, muscular belly was bare, and a leather bustier over a short black shirt covered her chest. Her toned arms were bare, except for her wrists, wrapped with thick brown leather. A long, thin leather wrap completely covered the top of her head, including her eyes. A long braid swayed down her bare back down to her thighs. A black belt adorned with a Firenation insignia on the buckle showed about her waist.
The girl in the middle was the second tallest. Black fur-lined leather boots halfway up her calf were tightly laced and adorned with various animal teeth. Loose black pants sat below her waist and were tucked into dark red wraps at her knees. Another dark red wrap wound about her thin waist, a tight sleeveless black shirt, and a black belt with the Firenation insignia. Only her blue eyes made her look less like a firebender. Her black hair was in four long braids; a smaller braid with blue beads fell over her dark face. Unbraided hair nearly covered the left side of her face, making her look elegant and dangerous.
The last girl on the right was the smallest. She was very petite, but had lean muscles showing about her stomach and arms. A black wrap was tied around her forehead, her sleek light brown hair rested past her shoulder blades and fell over her slate gray eyes. A tight dark red shirt hugged her chest, her thin belly shown beneath a black waistcoat. Azula could almost count her ribs, and swore she saw a strange tattoo on her collarbone. She wore black tip less gloves. Her pants were baggy and tucked into tall soft black leather boots just above her knees.
Azula stood, smirking happily. "The time has come, my friends, to do fulfill your debt," she began to pace in front of them, "You will help me eliminate the rebels, and the Firenation shall finally claim its rightful prize. Now," she walked over to the small girl on the right, "please let me examine your tattoos…."
Okay how'd I do? I wasn't sure if I should describe the three girls at the end well or just skim, I'm planning on posting my drawings of them on Deviant art, if anyone's interested, so..yeah…shrug anyway hope u all liked it and of course pweez review! puppy eyes