Hi again! I've begun this chapter straight away, as opposed to waiting a while like I did for the last one. Big thanks to vampireorvampyre for favouriting, to Guest for your lovely little piece of encouragement (are you the same "Guest" that left the last review?), and to DarkKing009 for doing both. In answer to your review, I did say at the beginning that I was ignoring the comics (but I will be taking a few ideas from them), although that was a while ago. What could I do to get the full 5/5? I am doing this for all you lovely people, after all! I don't have much else to say here, except for the fact that I still don't own Avatar. Do you think if this story gets enough favourites Mike and Bryan will let me have a share? Either way, enjoy.
It was early evening. The nights were drawing in as Autumn enveloped Kyoshi Island in its dull embrace, and all the candles had been lit. Suki was on a date with Sokka, as he would be leaving for the South Pole soon, and this left the other warriors, weary from a gruelling eight hours' training, to congregate in the biggest bedroom – shared by Fen, Xue, and Lia – around a bowl of assorted snacks, and make a pastime of having nothing to do.
For a few minutes, there was comfortable silence, the warriors all taking time to bask in the quiet and the laziness. Then, Niu decided it was time to strike up a conversation. "So, how are you liking it here, Ty Lee?"
"Liking it?" Ty Lee shot up from where she had been lying sprawled on her stomach across a pile of cushions. "I'm loving it! You guys are all so super-nice!"
"Aww," grinned Lia. "So, are we, like, your new best friends now?"
Ty Lee considered for a minute, her head on one side. "Yeah," she said finally. "Apart from Mai, of course!"
"That sucks," Ai sighed. "So, how long will it take for you to like us more than her?"
"Mai's the tall one, right?" asked Lia. Ty Lee nodded. "I hated her. She was such a bitch. I remember when you captured us and you were all nice while Suki was being interrogated, and she goes "Oh, stop making friends with the prisoners"! That's so mean!"
"Lia!" Lin prodded her sister in the side. "She was probably only following protocol. I mean, when we capture intruders, are we all chatty and friendly about it?"
"I suppose not," Lia sighed. "Sorry, Ty Lee."
"How does someone as nice as you get involved with someone like that princess?" was Fen's attempt to subtly change the subject.
Ty Lee flushed slightly at the compliment. Although her life had been mostly happy, compliments had not been a huge part of it. "Well, I was seven. I'd just started at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls, and Azula was there too. She asked us all loads of questions, and she found out that I liked aura reading and acrobatics. She thought the acrobatics might be useful for fighting, and she invited me to come over to the palace. She said she wanted someone else to be our friend, but she didn't think anyone else in our year was good enough. Then she found Mai – she was in the year above – throwing knives at a tree, and she said she could come over too. It turned out she lived next door, which was really nice!" Then, warming to her tale, she continued. "Then, we met Zuko. He didn't talk much, but Mai went really red and wouldn't look at him, and he kept staring at her!" She giggled.
"And now they're a couple," sighed Lia dreamily.
"Yeah," grinned Ty Lee. "They're my favourite couple. They're so cute together, and their babies are going to be so adorable! I hope I get to babysit."
"You're thinking about their babies?" giggled Niu. "Have they thought about their babies?"
"Have they even had sex?" demanded Lia, prompting another anguished cry from her sister.
"Oh, yes!" Ty Lee was truly giggling now. "You can tell by their auras! They are so in love!"
"You know, this is actually getting kind of creepy," Lin decided to stop that particular line of conversation in its tracks. "What was it like being Princess Azula's minion?"
"Do you have any cool stories?" asked Ai.
"We were chasing the Avatar!" began Ty Lee. "And we had these amazing mongoose-dragons. They're really fast, and they can run on water! They say they never bite, and we have a phrase in the Fire Nation – if you're "bitten by a mongoose-dragon", it means that something really, really unlucky has happened to you. Mai's mongoose-dragon bit her all the time, but mine was so super-nice and friendly. They mostly ate meat, but I could feed mine apples, for treats!" She gave a dreamy sigh. "I named her Kiku. I miss her so much." She looked downcast for a moment, but brightened up in short order. "We kept them on a tank train. That's what it was called. It was so awesome, but it was so loud. If we wanted to sleep, we had to stop and make camp, because the vibrations and the noise meant that we couldn't sleep on the train. Once, we ended up chasing the Avatar and his friends right through the night! It was so exciting! Azula said we had to be ready to get out at any minute! Mai was really tired, though. After we got thrown into the river by their big fluffy white thing–"
"Appa," interrupted Fen.
"Their sky bison," added Ai.
"Yeah, we got thrown into the river, which was so not fun," Ty Lee picked her tale back up again, "I went back to the train, and Mai went to sleep under a tree! When Azula came back, we went to look for her, and Azula kicked her in the face, which was so mean! She had a bruise for ages!"
"In fairness, though, I think I'd probably go to sleep too!" laughed Niu.
"That's not funny, that's actually kind of depressing," Fen told her.
"Yeah, have you got anything to lighten the mood?" asked Lia.
"Anything a bit less life-threatening?" suggested Niu. "Some pranks you pulled on the guards or anything?"
Ty Lee thought for a minute. Then, she gasped and sat up straight. "I've got one!" she cried triumphantly. "One night, Mai and I were sleeping over at the palace, and Azula wanted to play Truth or Dare, because you can't have a sleepover without Truth or Dare, and it started out with all the usual stuff – you know, Azula tried to get Mai to admit that she liked Zuko, and Mai wouldn't, she dared me to eat biscuits dissolved in miso soup, and they were awful! But then, Azula came up with this prank we could both play on Zuko! Azula had these pellets made from this stuff that got really big real fast, and then the stuff spread to other things it touched and made them really big too, I didn't really get it, but she challenged Mai and me to go and put them in all Zuko's drawers." Ty Lee giggled. "And Mai was getting all jumpy in case he woke up, but we went anyway." Ty Lee's giggles got closer together as she reached the climax of her tale. "She kept looking over at Zuko while he was sleeping, like she couldn't get enough of him–"
"She could just have been checking that he was still asleep, though," interjected Fen.
Ty Lee sighed. "I suppose. But it's funnier to think that it's because she liked him! Anyway, it was my job to put the pellets in and Mai's job to pour water on them – because that's what made them grow – and when we'd done the last one, I said "Let's go!", and Mai said "Shh, Ty Lee – he'll wake up!", and Zuko rolled over so that he faced towards us and said in his sleep "Mai? You look really pretty." And…and…" Ty Lee took a minute to finish giggling. The other warriors were giggling too, by now, and never had Ty Lee felt more in her element. "And Mai panicked and dropped her jug and just ran, and then of course, I ran too, because I knew the crash would wake him up. So, we ran all the way back to Azula, and Mai was really red – and she went even redder when I told Azula what Zuko said – and we could hear Zuko yelling. He got so mad, and it was hilarious!" Ty Lee finished with a laugh, echoed by her friends. Then, she sobered. She elected not to mention that the self-same sleepover had ended with Azula daring her two "friends" to face their greatest fears – Mai's having been being locked in the dark. Azula had duly found a cupboard – and, after turning the key in the lock, had proceeded to forget about the older girl. She had been discovered several hours later by a suspicious Zuko, and had thrown herself, shivering, dirty, and sobbing, into his arms. Ursa had been summoned, and had arranged for the two girls to go home. That was the end of Truth or Dare.
Niu glanced at the candle. "Ooh – look at the time!" she cried. The other warriors looked. It was going on for half past eleven.
"Come on, let's get to bed." Ai stood up. "Suki should be back soon, and she'll want us refreshed and ready for tomorrow's training."
And with that, the gathering was at an end.
Akemi headed into work the next morning still feeling rather shaken. She wondered what she was going to say to Azula. She certainly wouldn't tell her that she had visited Ozai – what the man had said would surely only make his daughter worse. Every step seemed like an effort, and she kept her head firmly forward, concentrating only on the corridor in front of her – so much so, in fact, that she didn't hear Fukui calling her until he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Akemi." He said her name firmly, leading her into his office and gesturing for her to take a seat. "You don't look well."
"Oh." Akemi tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I… I slept badly." This was true. She had tossed and turned almost all night, but she had not been able to stop Ozai's words rattling around her head. She wished she could have called for her mother. It had not been many months since she had moved out of her parents' house.
Fukui nodded, looking at her analytically. Akemi could tell that he knew she hadn't told him the whole truth. "You have a letter," he said eventually.
"A letter?" Akemi frowned. Who would send a letter to the Kitasaki Facility rather than to her home? If it had to do with Azula, Fukui would have read it first.
"Yes." Fukui was frowning too now. "It was dropped off in person by a young man named Lee. He said to check that you were alright."
"Lee!" Akemi sat up very straight.
"You know who I'm talking about?" Fukui leaned forward in his chair.
"Y…yes." It struck Akemi now that perhaps Fukui wouldn't approve of her little excursion.
"Then would you care to enlighten me?" Fukui was suspicious. Akemi had never come across a suspicious Fukui before.
"Oh, he's just someone I met last night."
"Last night?"
Akemi twisted her hands together. There could be no more avoiding it. "Yes. I…I went to see Ozai. Lee was the guard assigned to show me in and out."
"You did what?" Fukui stood up, towering over Akemi.
"It was properly cleared!" Akemi wished she could take that back. She had slipped into the defensive tone she took with her father.
"But why?" Fukui looked at her with complete incomprehension.
Akemi closed her eyes for a second. She wasn't sure how to phrase what she wanted to say. Eventually, she burst out: "Because I had to!"
"Why?" Fukui's tone did not change.
Akemi took a deep breath. "Because everyone, even people like Azula, deserve a second chance at life. It doesn't matter that she tried to kill people, it doesn't matter that she manipulated and abused her own friends, she is still a human being! What's more, she's a confused and vulnerable human being who needs our help to work out where her life is going and where she fits in the world! I will do anything it takes to help her make that journey, I will be with her every step of the way, even if it means sacrificing my own comfort and wellbeing! Looking after a mental patient isn't a job you can just clock in and out of, you have to dedicate your whole life to caring for this person! You have to understand," Akemi paused for breath, looking up at her employer almost pleadingly, "no-one in the world has ever cared for her before. Now I'm looking after her. I have to be there, because nobody else will. She's driven them all away. She needs us to help her break out of her vicious circle before it destroys what little is left. Please understand." She cast her eyes down, trying not to think about what might be whirring through Fukui's great mind.
"You've become very invested very quickly, Akemi," Fukui said quietly. The young woman looked up. Perhaps she could still escape with her job. "And for that, I thank you." He smiled at her, holding her eye for a second so that she could see that the twinkle in his own had not vanished. "I knew that you were the right person for Azula. I knew I needed someone new. When you work with mental patients for a long time, you become cynical. You see so many people who cannot be helped. Someone as bad as Azula needs someone like you – someone who won't give up, someone who is young and enthusiastic and caring enough to chip away at her shell until she breaks, and accepts our – your – help." Akemi smiled back. Her instructor had always been rather dismissive towards her due to her gender, and had never given off the impression that he thought any of his students were anything particularly special. One thing she loved about Fukui was that he always took time to point out his workers' qualities.
"So…I'm not fired?" Akemi felt very warm inside.
"I'd say being too committed to your job is hardly a firing offence, Miss Sato." Fukui smiled, rose to his feet and gestured for her to do the same. "In fact, it's workers like you that put the Kitasaki Facility at the head of its game. Just don't publicise your visit too much. I don't want people thinking that we're ordering our psychiatrists to go and talk to dangerous criminals as some twisted perk of the job." He fished in one of his desk drawers before handing her a scroll. "Your letter, Miss Sato. Now go. Azula will be waiting for you."
Akemi smiled wryly and left the office. But as she headed off to face her patient, she noticed that Lee's letter and Fukui's warm words had restored the usual spring in her step.
Suki wiped the sweat from her brow, flicked her fans open again, and charged once more at her boyfriend.
Sokka dodged nimbly, swung round, and aimed a blow at her head with his club, fully anticipating her duck. What he did not anticipate was the fan she jabbed him in the stomach with. She took advantage of his distraction to roundhouse kick him and throw him to the ground, throwing herself to her knees in order to attempt to pin him down, but he was waiting for her; as she reached for him, he reached for her, and managed to grab a fistful of her short hair and stuff her face into the mat.
"OW!" She glared at him, rubbing her painted nose, and used the other hand to detach his fist from her hair.
"Sorry," he began, but she gave him no time for that, and she managed to straddle him, Sokka bucking his hips and kicking his legs in an attempt to force her off. Just as he did, she reached for one of her discarded fans. Sokka, seeing that he had little time before his opponent regained a weapon, rolled back on top of her and wound up on his knees above her, his hands on her shoulders.
He smirked.
She smirked back.
She kneed him hard in the crotch.
"OW! SUKI!" Sokka winced, falling in a heap on top of her. "I'll need those parts in later life!"
"Serves you right for leaving such a vulnerable area open," Suki smiled, giving his wolf-tail an affectionate tug.
In return, Sokka kissed the end of her nose, then her mouth, before rolling off her and scrambling to his feet. Suki leapt up next to him, reaching out and wrapping her arms around him.
"Truce?" he ventured.
"Truce." Suki kissed him again and led him to the corner of the training hut, sitting him down and pouring him a glass of water from the jug they had brought with them when they first came to train.
Suki rested her head on his shoulder, squeezing his hand as his arm draped over her shoulder. "I love you," she smiled. "If nothing else, you're at least fun to beat up."
"I am most honoured, fair Lady Suki." Sokka gave the best bow he could sitting with his knees drawn up to his chest, and Suki giggled.
"And you have a great sense of humour." She giggled again and straightened up. "Can we take a break – you know, longer than it takes us to get our breath back?"
"Sure," Sokka replied. "Y'know, I've been thinking up some ideas for weapons. What about some kind of ballista?"
Suki thought for a minute. "Wouldn't that take up too much manpower?"
Sokka shrugged. "I suppose. Or I could figure out a mechanism to make something spin, so they could attach a blade to it – you know, something portable. Something you could run into battle with. Like some kind of steam-powered motor."
Suki had her head on one side. "Yeah. Maybe. Perhaps you could use it to make household stuff as well as weapons – since the war's over, people'll be needing those more."
"Yeah, I guess." Sokka thought. "A new way to tell the time that you don't have to check all the time to make sure it's working – I mean, if your candle goes out, you're stuck!"
"Some kind of transportation?" Suki suggested. "Not everyone can afford to keep an animal."
"A way we can communicate more quickly than letters, for when I head back to the South Pole!"
Suki's face fell. "I can't believe you're leaving in two days. The girls and I'll miss you."
"I'd better get inventing quickly, then!" Sokka grinned, and Suki laughed.
"Hmm, what else could you invent?" Suki put a finger to her chin. She eyed her fans. "Maybe something to help you imitate bending?"
"Gloves to help you warm your tea the way Firebenders do?" Sokka suggested.
"And how are you going to do that, smart guy?" Suki gave her boyfriend a playful nudge in the ribs.
Sokka shrugged. "I don't know – I haven't invented them yet!"
Suki laughed, but her boyfriend was still thinking. "Vibration!"
"What?"
"At the South Pole, there's this type of bird that vibrates when it gets too cold. When I was a baby, I used to be obsessed with it! My dad says I could get hours of fascination just from watching this one weird little bird. If we could figure out a way to make something vibrate, we could use it for baby toys."
"So babies the world over can copy your weird little obsession?" Sokka could see Suki's blush through her face paint, and he looked questioningly at her. She giggled awkwardly. "My mind went straight into the gutter, there."
Sokka frowned. Then, as comprehension dawned, he began to laugh, too. "I think that puts the hat on baby toys, then!"
Suki giggled again, letting her laughs peter out and resting her head once more on his shoulder. "You can test it out on our kids." Sokka looked at her in alarm. "The baby toys, you idiot!"
Sokka buried his face in his hands. "That was awkward."
"Yeah," Suki rose to her feet and held out a hand for her boyfriend. He took it, completely composed. "You can test the other thing out on me." Sokka snorted, then spiralled back into laughter. "Let's get back to training." She pulled him into a hug and kissed him. "Love you."
"Love you, too." Sokka grinned, then drew the sword that he and Suki had hunted for for days after their battle on the airships. "Now you're going down!"
If there was one thing Mai hated more than orange, it was babysitting duty. It was Michi's view that if Mai could be trusted to return home alone (if only she knew, Mai thought), she could be trusted to look after her younger brother, and had resumed the vibrant social life she had led before the family had gone out to Omashu, leaving behind Tomohiro's nurse, who was to resume work the following week. Thusly, the little boy had been left in the care of Big Sister as Ukano worked and Michi attended yet another tea party. Mai decided that it was best to simply count her blessings that she was not expected to attend alongside her.
She had invented a new game. Tomohiro ran in circles round the living room, squealing fit to burst, until he occasionally came to a stop, looking up at the girl expectantly. At this juncture, she would throw something of appropriate softness – a cushion, a balled-up throw, or, as an emergency measure, one of her endless pairs of black tights – at his head, and this would, for some reason, restore his energy so that he would begin his laps once more, still shrieking with delight. And all she had to do was loll back languidly on the sofa and read her book – the most shockingly inappropriate thing one could imagine, with equal amounts of bloodshed and sex – while her brother had the time of his life. It was foolproof.
Well, almost foolproof. Eventually, the little boy stopped running, idly threw away the tights she tossed at his head, and ambled over to the sofa, where he flopped down at her feet.
"I'm tired, Mai," he said, looking up at her with open mouth. He picked up a pair of tights and idly began rooting around inside it, perhaps in the hope that someone had stashed treasure in the foot. "What's this?" he asked, holding up a strip of black silk.
Mai did not allow herself to blush as she snatched her breast bindings from him. "Nothing." Tomohiro's bottom lip quivered, and Mai was poised to snap at him, but she remembered Zuko's words and pulled him onto the sofa with her instead. He was a little bundle of warmth against the flat plane of her stomach. She put a hand on him to add support to his precarious position. She didn't want to face the consequences of the little brat hurting himself, after all. She did, however, shut her book to give her brother her full attention.
"Is he coming?" Mai had a good idea who her brother meant.
"Zuko?"
"Zuzo?"
"The boy who read you a story?"
Tomohiro nodded vigorously. "I like him. I ask Mummy tonight if he can come again."
Mai shook her head. "Mother can't know he was here."
"Why not?"
"Because he's my boyfriend, and I'm not allowed a boyfriend. Mother thinks we work together."
"What's "boyfriend"?" Tomohiro's eyes were wide.
Mai considered. "It means that we like spending lots of time together, but it's not like friends. It's more than friends. I like him more than my friends." She paused. "It means I think he's special."
Tomohiro shook his head, an expression of disgust on his round face. "No boyfriend. Kissing. Ew."
Mai sighed. "Yeah, we kiss. We like kissing. That's what you really mustn't tell Mother about."
"So it's our secret?"
Mai sighed, and rolled her eyes. "Yeah. I suppose it is." Having a "secret" together seemed to bring her closer to the boy, and a part of her resented that. But she supposed it was better than trying to kill each other as they got older.
"When will he come?" was Tomohiro's next question.
"I don't know, OK?" Mai was sick of his questioning and wanted to get back to her book. "He's got lots and lots of work to do, but he comes when he can. He might not come again until next week, or maybe not even then. Got that?"
Tomohiro nodded, his eyes filling with tears. He'd never understood why Big Sister didn't like him. Mai was unmoved. She picked up her book again and continued reading, only half-invested. The action in this book was good, but the smut was mediocre. She'd read much better. Tomohiro peered over her shoulder, but as he couldn't read, no damage was done.
"What's happening?"
Mai shut the book with a snap. "Grown-up things."
"Are you and Zuzo going to get married?"
"Maybe." Mai sighed sadly. She really didn't know when, or if, Zuko would be able to act on his promises of marriage.
"I want you to get married. I like you, and I like Zuzo. You like Zuzo. Zuzo likes you!" Tomohiro began to tug at her sleeve, and Mai sighed.
"Yeah. I like Zuko." The thought of her boyfriend made her smile, and this in turn made Tomohiro smile. It was a sweet little moment, and Mai felt her heart warming in spite of herself. "Maybe you're not so bad after all, Tomohiro." She wrinkled her nose. "Ugh. "Tomohiro"'s such an awkward name, and "Tom-Tom" sounds ridiculous. I'll call you "Tom". There's a name you can take to adulthood."
Tom smiled up at her in approval of his new name. "Tom!" he repeated excitedly. "Tom! Tom! Tom!" He bounced up and down on her stomach, and Mai winced and deposited him onto the floor in short order. "I play new game now!" The way he was looking at her suggested that he expected her to come up with one.
Mai cast an eye to the candle. They hadn't long before Michi returned. "OK, I've got one. It's called "Let's Clear Up All This Mess Before Mother Gets Back"."
Tom squealed once more and got to it. Mai picked up her book again. Foolproof.
"I see it!"
Appa let out one of his distinctive bellows as Aang leaned out and gestured excitedly to the tall, thin tower, by which, the letter had said, the village could be identified. It had been a key munitions producer during the war, but now its people were struggling to survive, and had called upon the Avatar to act as go-between for them and the Fire Lord, and to help them figure out a solution.
"Wow, look at that mountainside!" Katara had risen from her slumber, and was pointing at the lush green plane that formed a glorious backdrop to the little village.
"Yeah!" Aang grinned. "One thing I always loved about the Fire Nation was its incredible natural beauty."
A crowd of people had come out to meet them as they landed, and most of them were cheering. Children waved excitedly, women held up babies so that they could see the prestigious visitors, and some men even gave them the traditional flame-shaped bow.
"Wow!" murmured Aang, so that only his girlfriend could hear. "Look at all these people who came out to greet us!"
"Yeah!" Katara agreed as she hopped down from Appa's saddle. "I can't believe a year ago I was just some girl from the Southern Water Tribe. So much has changed."
Aang nodded his agreement. "A year ago, I was still in a ball of ice – and now I'm dating you! Life's so much better now!"
Katara smiled at him, touched by his constant happiness around her, but the smile faded as she noticed that not everyone seemed to be overjoyed by their arrival. Several people in the crowd wore hostile expressions, and they seemed to bristle as the young Waterbender's eyes passed over them, as though readying themselves for a fight. She nudged her boyfriend to make sure he had seen them too, and his expression turned to one of worry as they slowly led Appa to where the village's main dignitaries waited by the village hall.
"Avatar Aang, Katara." The village elder bowed deeply, but when he straightened, his eyes were cold. "Welcome to the village of Mauntenpoto. I am Inoue, and we are honoured to have you here."
"It's nice to meet you to," smiled Aang. "What can we help you with?"
"We have organised a meeting for after dinner." There was something faintly patronising about Inoue's smile. "First, let us show you to your rooms. Children as young as yourselves must be tired."
"Actually, we've faced much worse than a long trip," snapped Katara. "We had to stay up all night once when we were being chased."
Inoue frowned, and Aang squeezed his girlfriend's hand. It was a calming influence. They followed the man to a bleak-looking three-storey building, grey stone rather than the sparkling white they had seen in the Capital, where he gestured them inside. A smiling old lady with crinkles by her twinkling eyes immediately took their small bags and led them upstairs.
"My husband is seeing to your bison," she told them. "Tonight, you're having a formal dinner at the village hall, but the other two nights of your stay, dinner is here – six until seven, but I'll bring you something if you're too busy or tired. By visiting, you're already doing great things for our village, Avatar. I'm Chinatsu, and my husband is Arata. We are honoured to serve you."
"Thank you for your hospitality." Aang made the traditional flame-shaped bow.
Their rooms were adjacent and identical. Pale red curtains fluttered at the windows, the wooden floors were brightened up with red rugs, and the sturdy-looking beds were made up with white sheets and a single red blanket. There was a washstand, dressing-table, and desk in each, and Katara's room had a vase of bright fire lilies on the bedside cabinet. They looked simple but cosy, and Aang was reminded of his old room back at the Southern Air Temple.
"These rooms are very nice," Katara smiled, entering hers and stretching out on the bed. Chinatsu placed her bag on the floor by her bed and left them to it.
They chatted idly until it was time to head out to dinner. Katara felt a heavy sense of foreboding as they left their rooms. It seemed almost as though the little inn was an island in a sea crawling with seal-sharks. Stepping out into the sunshine seemed like a huge leap of faith.
The cheering crowds were still there as they made their way through the streets. Aang was in his element, waving, grinning, hugging babies. It made Katara smile to see him so happy. She was getting her fair share of happy people too, and one little girl insisted on following them to the village hall, hand clasped in Katara's, her mother following behind to ensure no harm came to her little one.
At last, the (probably usually short) walk to the village hall ended, and the little girl was whisked away. Inoue waited for them, arms spread wide in welcome. Katara thought that he looked as though he wanted a hug, too. He had changed his robes, his new set glimmering dimly with faded grandeur.
"Avatar Aang, Miss Katara, we welcome you to our humble village hall." His voice was edged with the same condescending tone as earlier, and this time both of them detected a hint of sarcasm. Katara didn't have long to dwell on it, however. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw some of the aggressive people from earlier approaching them, seeming to emerge from the crowd as sap oozes from a trunk.
"Aang." For the second time that day, she nudged her boyfriend to ensure that he, too, had seen them. His grip on her hand tightened in assent. He began to wish that he hadn't left his staff in his room. That gesture of peace might have reduced his chances of defending himself. Katara still had her waterskin, though, so that was something.
They were starting to get uncomfortably close now.
Katara, as covertly as she could, opened her waterskin and bent some out.
Several of them were taking bending stances.
Inoue seemed oblivious to the threat. "Please, enter. Dinner is–"
The grenade at Aang's feet went off.
Several of the crowd screamed. Katara screamed with them. Aang had managed to leap several feet into the air, but he had not got out of the way in time, and he landed in a heap at his girlfriend's feet.
Katara knelt down instantly, bending her water around Aang's wounds. He was burned along his arm and his shoulder, and there were welts where he had been hit by debris. The fall had done nothing for him either, and she could feel some minor internal damage. As far as she could tell, as long as she continued to work at him, he should make a full recovery, but that didn't stop her shaking with fury.
"YOU!" She turned to Inoue as she worked, almost snarling at him. "You should have stopped this! You knew this was going to happen!"
Several townsfolk gasped. She could hear children crying. The little girl who had walked with them looked distraught.
"I assure you, I had no hand in this!" Inoue cried, but Katara was past listening to him now. She worked on in stony silence, and had healed two or three welts when a group of men bearing a stretcher arrived.
"I am a doctor." A man with a soothing sort of voice rested a hand on Katara's shoulder. "I'll take him to our village hospital. He needs rest and comfortable conditions."
"I have healing powers." Katara demonstrated by removing her hands from a patch of skin where there had previously been a particularly nasty wound.
"Then perhaps you are what he needs," the doctor replied. "But first, you need rest. His wounds will be no worse for a little wait, so long as they are dressed and bandaged properly."
Katara finally straightened up and allowed the men to pile Aang onto the stretcher. Chinatsu appeared in front of her.
"Come back to the room, sweetie," she said gently.
Katara wanted to rage and scream at her, too, but the saddened look in the old woman's eyes calmed her. She had had no part in this. Katara sighed and realised that there were tears streaming down her cheeks. She wiped them away as she watched the stretcher-bearers carry Aang out of her sight.
Well, that's a little more like it. 5,759 words. (No, I won't be including a word count for every chapter.) It still took me four months, though! I'll never get done at this rate! But hopefully the next one will be quicker off the bat. Also, this is officially the first chapter where I – and also the characters – have managed to refrain from dropping any F-bombs! Congratulations, me! Let's keep it that way, shall we? Anyway, leave a review, leave a favourite, leave a fruit tart, and I'll see you in the next chapter.