Don't own 'em. Still. Except for Jung. She's mine, and I love her. Hands off.
So, decided to add in a bit of other perspectives to sandwich the travels of Jung and Katara here, and those took up more space than I thought they would. Next chapter we get into some more airbending, waterbending, ass-kicking action. As well as a conversation on... ethics? but that's next time, no need for that yet.
--
Hahn looked up from the maps littering the table in front of him. "Have we received any news out of Omashu on King Bumi's position?"
"His stance on the war efforts is firm and he refuses to listen to reason, sir. Omashu continues to be the main source of outside aide to the Fire Nation. We have tried to set up blockades along major trade routes, but we are at a serious disadvantage in aerial travel. Most supplies and troops are being transported via Fire Nation war balloons."
"Yes, we have people working on that, but it's proving quite difficult. Any successor named to the throne yet?"
The general sifted through his paperwork. "Nothing official, but all those being considered seem to hold to the same views as the old loon."
Hahn pondered this, and looking down at his map seemed to measure the distance from the Fire Nation to the city of Omashu. "Yes, Aang was quite popular in that town. Hold off on the plans then, for the time being. We may just have to deal with the city as a whole after the Fire Nation. How do you feel a concurrent raid on the city would go over in the war room?"
"Not good, sir, and I don't blame those involved for such a decision. An attack on them would be an attack on the Earth Nation, and I don't think we'd be able to sustain a war on two fronts."
"Very well, as I said, then. Hold off on plans at least until we have word on an official successor. See what we can do about it then."
The Water Tribe general nodded his consent, scribbled something in the margin of the scroll in front of him and continued to the next item. "We have confirmation from the sages that it is assuredly the Avatar that we have contained in the palace."
"Good, keep him with the pair we've assigned to raise him. Make sure he receives no training in waterbending, and be sure no guards perform any waterbending in front of him. Don't want him getting any ideas." A brief heavy silence followed the order.
"There is only one more thing on the list to discuss with you this morning, sir. There is a confirmed sighting of Appa at the South Pole. She is assuredly meeting with Hakoda and his daughter there. How do you wish for us to continue with this?"
"The Southern Water Tribes are technically neutral in this fight. They have been supporting the efforts, but there is nothing to link the governing forces to this, and so we can not do anything about Jung's visit there. For the time being continue with the current path. Keep a close tail on her, only confront if she gets too close to people that may be…" He paused to consider his words, then acidly spat, "sympathetic… to her cause. Once she steps foot on Fire Nation soil, however, she becomes free game." Hahn leaned into the high back of the chair, resting his dome on the elaborately embroidered head rest. Placing the first two fingers of his right hand against his temple, he looked expectantly towards his general who seemed to be waiting for the chief to continue speaking. "If there's nothing else, you can leave now." The tone implied that this was not a light suggestion.
"Of course, sir."
--
"Ohh, I forgot to mention, we have to go by the Southern Air Temple on the way. Want to see if a few things are still there. Would you believe I'm still using my dad's old glider? He'd kill me! He never let anybody touch that thing but Teo."
Katara smiled brightly. "I haven't been there in years! I bet so much has changed."
"You'd be surprised" Jung responded from her seat on Appa's head. "Only change that's probably happened is a thick layer of dust. At least, that better be the only thing that's changed."
"Well, it's a short trip to get there on Appa. We'll find out soon enough." Katara leaned back into the sky bison's saddle. She missed flying around the world on the big furry guy. She got to touch a very different form of her element when she floated around near the clouds. Turning over, Katara looked down to the ocean below. "Umm, Jung? How long has that Water Tribe ship been down there?"
"He's still there? I noticed a ship on the way to the South Pole as well. Figured it was one of yours, watching out for me or something."
"No, we haven't had much luck tracking you for weeks." Realizing she just admitted to attempted spying, Katara stumbled over her words trying to amend her mistake. "Not.. that, we, umm… thought you needed protection or anything"
Jung just giggled. "Don't worry, it's sweet that you would try. But, that's not one of yours down there?"
"Well, I can't see the flag from here, but I don't know why it would be."
"Hmm, if he's still following when we leave the Air Temple, we'll have to try to lose him."
Katara agreed to let it be until then, and leaned back into her spot on the saddle.
--
The destruction to the grounds around the Temple from years ago had, for the most part, been fixed by the hands of time. All that remained of the destruction were a few new hills from Toph and Aang's earthbending, and even those had settled into the landscape in their own ways and grown over in bushes and sparse grass. On further inspection one might also notice a couple broken wood pillars among the airball pitch. None of this struck the attention of the two visitors, however. A tall, tattooed, airbender with rather non-traditional hair, and a slightly shorter female waterbender strolled into the main entrance in solemn, reverential silence. A tear trickled down the latter's cheek as she was half lead down the halls to where the nomad knew she needed to go.
"Wow. My room. I don't even know how bad I left it." Jung opened the door to find a lair of dust and dirt, an inch thick, spread out over piles of clothes and papers. "You know, one day, maybe I'll come back and clean this place again. Only here for a couple things today, though."
"Mind if I take a quick look around? It's been a while."
"Yeah, go ahead. I've only got one more place to stop after this, though. Won't be long." Katara moved on down the hall to explore, as Jung walked into her old room, went to the corner of her closet and grabbed a long iron staff leaning against the wall. With a quick gust of air the dust was cleaned off it, blown onto the floor to join the accumulation of dust resting there. She continued through her closet and pulled out a thinner robe in preparation for the warm weather they would be flying into. She then left the room and headed towards her parents' old quarters.
After scanning through the dust and grime on the bedside table she spotted what she was looking for. Picking up a shiny metal head band, and once against dusting it off with airbending, she sat on the bed for a couple seconds in reverie. It was the headband that Toph always wore when visiting their friends in the Fire Nation capital. Jung wiped the tears out of her left eye, placed the adornment into her own short hair, and pinned back the bangs covering her blind right eye. The scar, stretching from her cheekbone to the inside corner of her eyebrow, still looked fresh and pink against the bright pallor of her face. "Hope mom won't be mad about me borrowing her clothes" she said quietly to herself, then stood up to go find her friend.
--
Katara stood in front of the intricate doors to the sanctuary. Last time she was inside, this room was the only place left untouched by a hundred years of war. Now, she thought it might hold one of the only changes to the Temple. She heard quick movement coming up behind her and turned in time to see Jung running up behind her carrying a new staff and a set of robes over one arm. Her bangs had been moved out of her eye, and the waterbender smiled upon recognizing the hair ornament placed on the lovely girl's head.
"Hmm, what's in there anyways?" Jung asked as she approached.
"You, don't know?"
"Nope. The old man never let me in. Said I had to be sixteen. My mom always said it wasn't anything interesting anyways. Something about a room full of cosmic Avatar mumbo-jumbo"
"Would you mind opening the door? I'd like to take a look inside if it's alright."
"Sure. Hold these." The young airbender held out her arms and Katara grabbed the staff and robes Jung had been holding. The tattooed girl then placed her fists together while taking a deep breath, then, with the grace of a pumalion, she performed a quick airborne pirouette and flung her arms forward, forcing two jets of air into the bells of the door lock. The door split down the middle and the two girls walked inside.
Katara handed the staff and robe back to her friend, and made her way to the center of the room. There, in untarnished marble, stood the form of a tall, tattooed airbender, smiling broadly, and holding a long staff behind his back. Both benders looked upon the statue in shock. The waterbender, who was half expecting the miraculous presence of the image before her, smiled upon seeing her friend one more time. The teenager, however, had not expected this one bit. She stood there, with her jaw drooping half way to the floor. "Daddy" she whispered. And that was all.
She stayed there before the sculpture for hours, on her knees, wishing she could actually communicate with the man. Eventually, the two traveling companions decided they would sleep there for the night, if for no other reason than the comfortable beds that were laid out for them. That night, Jung dreamed of a beautiful sunset, sitting silently between her parents. In her dream she had the use of both eyes, and her hair was much longer, covering her back completely. She slept more easily that night than she had in three years.
--
That same night, in a palace in the frozen north, a small child had an elaborate dream. This isn't the first time he had seen a similar image, but it was always a pleasant scene. The child stood before a large Pai Sho table. At either side of the table sat two men, both very familiar. The man on the left, about 30, tall, bald, with blue tattoos adorning his arms, legs and head, was the only one to speak throughout the dream. The man on the right, who was much older, with white hair tied up into a top knot, hardly acknowledged the child's presence. After the bald monk made his next move, which is never seen in the dream, as the child observing them was too short to see the top of the table, the thin man looked down, and smiled warmly to his friend.
"Glad to see you again."
"Umm, hi."
"You seem sad. What's got you so down?"
"I don't like my home. They're trying to hide something from me. I'm thinking of running away."
"There's a blind woman we know that would definitely empathize with you on that."
The boy was unclear if "we" referred to his Pai Sho opponent or himself, but he considered all the people he knew, and determined that it had to be the older man in Fire Nation robes he was speaking of. The kind tattooed man turned toward the game table again and contemplated his next move for some time before making it. He then continued his conversation. "I am afraid that if you tried to escape at this time, you would not make it far. However, there's plenty to learn simply by watching from the shores near your home. It may do you more good than you know."
"So, I should run then? Even if they bring me back the same night?"
"A moment's freedom is still freedom. Ohh, by the way, send my daughter my love, would you?"
The boy was confused, but he was always confused at this point in the dream. The vision of the two men and the Pai Sho table started to fade away. He would not remember this dream when he woke up. He never remembered this dream, for it would interfere with the natural order of things. But he always slept soundly those nights, and those close enough to see it, were always touched by the warmth of his smile while he talked to Aang, with Roku sitting across from him.
--
Aww... poor little guy. At least we now know he'll get to meet Jung! :oD
And.. why am I so silly and childish in these author notes? must change that. /serious face
