I did want to clarify ages for this chapter since it is mentioned. Right now "present day"Aang is 20, Katara is 22, Sokka and Zuko are 24 and not that it really matters but Basho must be somewhere in his late 70's early 80's (he's old) So anyway that means that when Aang disappeared 6 years ago (as previously mentioned) that he was 14 years old. Just to get all of that straight if it wasn't straight before. Alrighty here's chapter 7.
The past is over now and we can breathe again
I want to hold you high and steal your pain away
There's so much left to learn and no one left to fight
I want to hold you high and steal your pain
Cause I'm broken when I'm open
And I don't feel like I'm strong enough
Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome
And I don't feel right when you've gone away
You've gone away; you don't feel me here anymore
Seether Broken
Chapter 7 Repression
Flashback
Aang stood on the balcony of the Fire Palace looking out upon the battle grounds that lie before him. So many benders had come to end this dreadful war. They had come for one purpose, to finally bring down the Fire lord Ozai and restore peace once more to the three remaining nations. He watched as they fought with such courage, such heart. They believed that an end to the misery was possible; they believed in the cause that they fought so bravely for, and most importantly they believed in him. He could feel his fists clench tightly in anger and frustration.
This war, this hateful war had taken everything from him, Monk Gyatso, the people of his nation, so many of his friends, and…now…her. Aang fell to his knees allowing the tears to freely flow down his face for the first time in months. He couldn't stand this anymore. After everything, after all he had done, after all that he had fought for, it felt as if everything had been in vain. He looked up into the heavens and gazedat the twinkling stars above. It was such a strange contrast to the hellish scene unfolding below. He could feel a burning pain rising deep within his chest, an inescapable feeling that he knew would never subside.
"I can't do this anymore," he screamed suddenly, unable to contain his anguish any longer. He clutched his head in his hands as if in agony.
"It's too much," he sobbed.
End Flashback
Katara's eyes gently fluttered open after a long and sleepless night. She could hear the gentle flow of the waterfall as it spilled over into the crystal clear pool below. She breathed in the cool morning air and stretched her arms over her head as she drowsily rolled over to her opposite side. She was suddenly startled by Aang who was sitting on a rock next to her. She stared up at him curiously. He was eating a mango and just staring off into nothing. She sat up watching him all the while. She suddenly took notice of her necklace that was now wrapped around his wrist. She turned from him and gazed into the cool rushing water. What did it mean, why was the necklace so important to him? She thought back to the carvings in the cave. It seemed as though he had remembered every detail of his life, but why was he not able to recognize her? She sighed deeply as she muddled through her troubled thoughts.
She turned to him again. He remained in the same position just staring into the water, it seemed, with his empty glowing eyes. He looked so different then the 14 year old she remembered. His face no longer held its boyish charm but had thinned out and now had a more masculine appearance. He was much taller and he now possessed a very muscular physique. He had grown to be quite an attractive young man. She gazed up into his emotionless eyes, glowing in that eerie blue light. If only she could see his beautiful gray eyes once more, shining so brightly in the sun, it had been so long since she had seen those eyes. She frowned looking down and away from him. She sighed in frustration, she didn't know what to do or how to help him. He was so lost in himself, she began to wonder if it was even possible to bring him back at all.
Abruptly she stood and walked into the pool of water at the base of the falls leaving Aang behind. She entered slowly allowing the cool refreshing water to calm her thoughts. The pool was shallow reaching just below her waist. She focused on the element as it softly surrounded her. She needed to clear her mind to find some clarity. The only way she could do that was through her bending.
Silently she raised a stream of water into the air, gracefully manipulating it so that it twisted and turned. She pulled the stream inward; the cool rushing water flowed elegantly around her body. She closed her eyes, gently sucking the air into her lungs and holding it there for a moment. She held the element steady.
"Wait…wait…release."She sent the stream hurtling through the air opening her eyes just enough to suddenly see Aang standing in its path. Before she could even react he grabbed hold of the stream turning it to ice; a move she had taught him so many years ago. She grinned slightly at the memory of Aang being pummeled again and again with her water stream till he had mastered the move. The ice fell to the pool creating a huge splash. Katara just stared at him without a word unsure of what to expect next. Slowly he entered the water.
Zuko sat quietly staring into the dying flames of the campfire as he muddled through his troubled thoughts. He replayed the events from the night before over and over again trying to find some clue, some hint to the spirits identity. There had to be something, anything that he might have overlooked. He cringed at the memory. How cunning the spirit had been masquerading as the women he loved, luring him into the water, leading him to where he would be at his weakest. How could he have been so blind!
"A spirit haunts to finish what was unfinished in life," the monk's words rang through Zuko's mind, "what does the spirit have to gain from your death?"Zuko contemplated the statement. What was the spirits unfinished business? Was it to kill him for revenge or was there something more?
His thoughts were interrupted by the stirring of his companions. He glanced over in their direction. Sokka was up and groggily stretching his arms over his head.
"I'm hungry," he sighed. Zuko grinned slightly at his friend.
"What else is new," Zuko thought to himself. Sokka slowly walked over to Zuko and sat down beside him.
"You know if Katara was here we would be eating a real, hot breakfast, instead of this,"he opened his palm revealing a handful of leche nuts.
"In your own little way are you admitting that you miss your sister Sokka," Zuko asked tauntingly.
Sokka shrugged, "not as much as I miss her beef stew."Zuko chuckled at the statement. Sokka would never admit how much he actually cared about Kataraeven though it was obvious to anyone with a brain. Zuko had the bruise on his jaw to prove it.
"I guess we should wake up the old man,"Zuko sighed, "we have a long day ahead of us."
The water seemed to tremble at the instant that the Avatar touched itsending a sort of shockwave of energy through the element. It hit Katara like lighting it was as if the two were suddenly connected by the element itself. In an instant she lost her grip on reality. Her sight went black and she was suddenly engulfed in a vision of the past.
Katara's vision
She saw Ozai's face, his cruel stare burning into her. He grinned evilly at her, a wild fire raging behind his heartless golden eyes. She could feel a desperate fear building deep within her chest. She searched the evil rulers face for some sign of guile a hint of deceit anything that would lead her away from the harsh reality that he had just thrust upon her. But she could find nothing. Ozai smiled, he seemed almost triumphant in his gestures. He reached into his breast pocket and pulled a familiar object into view. He dangled it in front of her tauntingly. The medallion shone brilliantly in the rich orange glow of the lit torches but the once blue ribbon that was tied to it was now stained red. She felt her heart drop to her stomach as her world came crashing down around her in the blink of an eye.
In slow motion Ozai tossed the medallion at her feet. She fell to her knees at the sight of it. As she slowly picked it up in her bloodied and battered hands, she was consumed in the most unbearable pain she had ever felt in her life. Ozai was laughing at her, laughing at what he had done. She clenched her fist tightly around the bloody necklace, anger steadily replacing her pain. He had to pay for this, he had to answer for his crimes. The laughter faded from her mind, the pain subsidedand she focused on Ozai alone. She could feel the energy begin to surge through her body. She gave into it allowing it to take control. Her eyes suddenly began to glow and she slowly stood.
End vision
Katara's eyes shot open, her heart was racing and tears were streaming down her face. She was still standing in the pool of water and Aang was standing a few feet in front of her watching with his now familiar stare. The horrific images of her vision were stained upon her mind. What was it that she had just witnessed? It seemed almost as if she hads been seeing events through Aang's eyes. Had he somehow shown this to her? She gazed at him sorrowfully.
"Oh Aang," she sobbed.
Zuko sighed in frustration as the trio took yet another break from their search because the old man needed a rest.
"This is ridiculous,"he thought to himself, "the Avatar could be miles away by now and I'm stuck here doing geriatric duty when I could be out searching for Katara!" He looked over toward the monk. The old man was sitting with his nose in a book eating some leche nuts. Momo was sleeping peacefully by the old man's side and he was humming a quite annoying tune. Zuko sneered at the sound of the familiar song. It was one often played by his crew on music night during his Avatar capturing days, as well as a particular favorite of his uncle. Personally Zuko hated the song, he hated music night. He sighed heavily looking down and away from the monk, maybe he just hated to be reminded of his uncle.
"Is it just me or has that guy finally lost his last marble," Sokka said suddenly interrupting Zuko's train of thought.
"What…what do you mean Sokka," he asked.
"What do I mean! Look at him Zuko, he's being…nice," he said as he scratched the top of his head, "I mean just a couple days ago you nearly killed him because of a comment he made about the shipwreckand now…now…well look at him…he's even gotten Momo to like him!" Zuko looked back over at the monk curiously pondering Sokka's words.
"People change Sokka," he sighed as he looked downward crossing his arms over his chest, "sometimes people change." He walked over toward the monk and sat down beside him without a word.
"Yes general," the monk said without lifting his face from his book.
"Nothing,"Zuko sighed.
Basho glanced at Zuko from the corner of his eye.
"You have a heavy burden on your shoulders General."Zuko smirked a little at his statement.
"Burden! What just because the Avatar treats me as his enemy, has kidnapped Katara, a woman I just so happen to love but who doesn't love me back and in spite of that fact her brother continues to threaten the very ground that I stand on if I even thinkabout her funny. Oh and lets not forget the best part of all that I have evil spirits trying to kill me. No Monk Basho, no burdens here, no burden at all."
"You know general," Basho paused setting down his book and running his fingers through his long white beard, "a man's character is often decided by the burdens he bares, the losses he suffers, the sacrifices he makes, you should know that better than anyone."
Zuko turned to Monk Basho a little surprised. Until this very moment he had never realized just how much the old man reminded him of Iroh.
The Avatar stood motionless as Katara approached him. She stared up into his glowing eyes; she could not escape the pain that she had experienced in her vision, Aang's pain. Where ever he was at this moment she knew he was not feeling it, perhaps that's why he stayed there. Slowly and cautiously she reached to him watching him intently just waiting for him to rip her arm away at any moment. He didn't move. Slowly she inched closer, pausing only inches from his face. He allowed it. Reaching the rest of the way, she gently touched her hand to his cheek. The Avatar's eyes closed and he trembled slightly. It was the first reaction that he had shown toward her since the day on the cliff.
"It's okay now," she whispered softly, "I'm here."
Suddenly he pulled away from her. His expression changed slightly, softened somehow but at the same time became confused. He grasped the sides of his head as if in pain. He quickly backed away from her.
"No," she sobbed becoming frantic, "please, don't run away." He turned from her. Katara's heart was racing, she had been so close to him. It almost seemed as if she had reached him somehow but now he was withdrawing from her again. She couldn't let that happen, she had to stop him.
"AANG," she cried out as tears began to stream down her face once more. He froze at the sound of her voice.
"Remember Aang." He turned his head slightly as if glancing at her from the corner of his eye. She watched as he let his hand drop to his side allowing her necklace to fall to the ground.
"Aang?" The wind began to blow. He was lost again. She ran to him desperately.
"Aang!" The avatar leapt into the air disappearing into the tree tops. Katara fell to her knees picking up the necklace in her delicate hands. As she did so her mind suddenly flashed back to the horrific vision; the necklace falling to the floor in slow motion, picking it up in her bruised hands, the bloody ribbon, Ozai's sinister laugh radiating in the background. She closed her fist tightly around the medallion holding it over her mouth as she sobbed She seemed no longer able to contain her pain and frustration.
"Katara,"a voice called from the shadows of the woods. Katara turned to the voice but could see nothing. The air around her became strangely still.
"Katara,"the voice called again this time it sounded as if it radiated around the whole area, not coming from any one location. "Katara," the voice came again, "he's dangerous get away from the Avatar."
"Who's there," she yelled angrily. She could hear a faint laughter in the trees ahead of her. Suddenly a figure stepped forward from the shadows and began walking toward her.
As the three men slowly made their way through the island wilderness, Zuko was consumed in thoughts of his uncle. Why now at this moment he had begun to think of him he didn't know. It was true Iroh was always on his mind in some shape or form. It was true the smallest things often reminded him of Iroh, whether it be a single memory or one of his famous philosophical statements that he insisted on telling Zuko every chance he ever got. Sometimes the tune of a song that his uncle would hum from time to time and then of course there was the tea. Till this day Zuko could not even smell tea without seeing his uncle sipping daintily from his favorite cup. Zuko smirked at the memory, god how he hated tea, and how annoying he had found it that his uncle insisted that they incorporate a tea time into every training session.
"Tea is good for the soul Zuko,"he could almost hear his uncle's voice. Zuko shook his head as he continued on. Why was he thinking of the past?He had to clear his mind,if he wasn't careful that damn spirit would come after him in the form of Iroh.
"Hey Zuko, we passed this place twice already, do you even know where we are going?"
Zuko snapped back into reality, he looked up to see Sokka standing in front of him with a questioning expression on his face.
"What?" he asked. Sokka raised his hand to his forehead rubbing it in frustration.
"Please don't tell me that we have been following you all this time and you weren't even paying attention to where you were going."
"Sokka I know where I'm going,"Zuko insisted in a rather annoyed tone of voice, "look we're in direct sight of the cliff they had to have landed around here somewhere." Zuko paused for a moment, placing his hand on his chin as if in deep thought.
"Sokka, you traveled with the Avatar, where do you think he would go, I mean is there anything in particular we should be looking for? Sokka scratched the top of his head as he pondered Zuko's question.
"I don't know, I mean we've been so many different places I can't even begin to think of what they all have in common…..although,"Sokka paused seemingly thinking more deeply on the subject.
"What Sokka," Zuko asked.
"Well,"Sokka said, "more often than not we were near some form of water, being as that Katara was training him and all."
"Water,"Zuko mumbled to himself.
To be continued...
