Finally! It's been almost 2 months! I've been without a computer since before Thanksgiving. This is my first chapter venturing out into my own plot so I'm anxious to see what you all think. I'm happy with the way it turned out, though. I wrote in a surprise achievement for Aang as well as some lovely fluff. It seems to make you readers happy as it does me. ;) There is a tiny reference here to a fic I read entitled "Not Much Had to Change". Thank you Lyralocke ;) On with Chapter 7 --
Chapter 7. The World Over
"What about this one Aang?" Katara held up a saffron yellow and goldenrod colored tunic.
"Yeah, that one's great!" Aang smiled and took the garment from her, draping it over his arm. While shopping wasn't one of Aang's favorite pastimes, he didn't mind it much today since Katara was so willing to accompany him. His ceremonial robes weren't appropriate for everyday wear, and she had insisted on helping him pick out some new clothes. She grabbed a pair of pale brown pants and walked over to Aang.
"I know they're not your traditional Air Nation colors," she said holding the pants next to the tunic to see if they complemented each other.
"It's okay," he said taking the pants from her. "Hey, look at this." He went over to a rack that held different colored sashes used for belts. He pulled a yellow-orange one from the bunch and placed it with the other garments he held. "That's really close to Air Nation colors actually," he said holding the outfit up. He turned to walk toward the counter. "Alright, guess we're all done here."
"Don't you think you need more than one outfit?" Katara asked. She went and picked up another tunic and pair of pants. "If you're going to be traveling you'll need more than one change of clothes."
Aang shrugged and took the additional clothes from her. "I guess you're right." He paid for his purchases and they left the shop.
Aang had suggested they shop in the middle ring of the city so as to avoid the over-eager shop attendants in the upper ring. He didn't like being fussed over, and the people in this area of the city let him be. There was no 'hero worship' as Sokka and Toph called it, just the occasional nod from random passersby. He blushed as Katara took his hand and weaved her fingers between his, and he squeezed hers in return. After walking for a few minutes, they passed by a small restaurant and were enticed by the delicious aromas wafting from inside. Katara raised her nose slightly and inhaled.
"Mmm." She motioned with a nod toward the café. "You hungry?" Aang nodded eagerly and they went in to get a table.
--o--o--o--o--o--
Katara and Aang sat in the floor of his room, surrounded by piles of scrolls from every corner of the world. With Earth King Kuei properly returned to his throne, they were free to attend to the many requests that were pouring in by the dozens daily. They were sorting them into piles: those needing immediate attention, those needing Aang's seal, those that could be responded to at a later date, and those that were a definite "no" and needed a letter in response explaining the denial.
Aang rolled up the scroll he'd been perusing and noticed Katara's attention wasn't on the scroll she was holding, as her eyes were studying the candles that flickered in front of them.
"Hey," he said placing a hand on her knee. She looked up, almost in surprise, meeting his eyes. "What's on your mind?"
She'd been thinking a lot of the conversation they'd had at lunch. Finally, they'd had enough time alone where she could ask him about his battle with Ozai. During his recount of the fight, her emotions fluctuated from empathic fear in the frightening moments to beaming pride when he described the spirit bending. His regale had left her in awe, but his interaction with the lion turtle had left her feeling perplexed. She dropped the scroll and rested back on the heels of her hands, her legs crisscrossed.
"I've been trying to make sense of the lion turtle's mantra, and I think I understand it now." Katara pressed her lips together while trying to put her thoughts into words. "So…you're the true mind, and true heart and purifying light the lion turtle talked about aren't you?"
Aang shrugged and smirked, "I don't know. He could have been talking about light versus dark in general."
Katara shook her head, smiling. "You are that personified. Think about it--" she turned her body toward him, studying his profile. "All the knowledge the monks gave you, your genuine heart and free spirit…Aang that's amazing. You are amazing," she said taking his hand. Aang blushed. "I wish I could have been there to see you take Ozai down. The way Sokka described it…it must have been pretty incredible to watch." She rubbed the pad of her thumb over the arrow on his hand. "I'm sorry I wasn't there, but I knew Ozai was your fight, and that you were in good hands with Sokka, Suki and Toph. Zuko had given me an offer I couldn't refuse when he asked me to help him put Azula in her place. After what she did to you I was glad to help him take her down."
"There would've been nothing you could have done to help me. If Ozai would have seen you, he may have attacked you," he started shaking his head. "I don't want to imagine what could have happened. We all played our part. You were where you needed to be, to help protect the throne of the Fire Nation." He looked at her with a shy grin. "What's important is that it's over, and we're here, safe…and together," he said with a slight blush. Katara nodded in agreement, leaning over and seizing his lips in a warm, languid kiss. Without breaking their contact, she pulled herself closer to his side, her right leg bent in front of her, the other knee bent upright behind Aang's back. He wrapped his arms around her, turning his upper body slightly as she wrapped her left arm around his shoulders and cupped his cheek with her right hand. She kissed him as if trying to reiterate his statement, that in fact, they did make it and were here, together. She did indeed feel safe, and here in his embrace, she imagined there could be no safer place in the world. Reluctantly, she pulled away, tracing her fingertips along his cheek.
"We're never going to get through these scrolls this way," she said blushing.
"If you're having trouble concentrating, I guess we could ask Sokka to come help us out.," he said, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Katara laughed and scooted back to her original place on the floor beside him, picking up the discarded scroll and clearing her throat. "This one is from Governor Lao in the Earth Kingdom province of Lianjin," Katara began. "He seeks your approval for a twenty-percent tax increase on sales of products grown and manufactured in his province to nearby Fire Nation colonies."
"What? Let me see that." Aang took the parchment from her and looked it over, shaking his head. "What's wrong with these people? Where do they get the idea that it's okay to do to the colonials what's been done to them by the Fire Nation's military?"
Katara took the parchment back and rolled it up, tossing it to the 'definite no' pile. "I doubt that's the last one of those you'll get. We'll just have to come up with a polite way of telling them that they're fascist and immoral."
Aang smirked at his girlfriend. "Maybe that's exactly what we should tell them. You figure people would just let go…be at peace."
"If only everyone saw things the way you do." Katara stood and walked to the desk, pulling out a scroll and inkwell. She began to write. Aang watched as the lamplight flickered across her face, illuminating her beautiful features. He cocked his head and regarded her with a smile. As if she could feel the weight of his stare, her eyes left the parchment and met his.
"What?" she asked with a smirk.
Aang shook his head, the grin still plastered on his face. "Nothing." He stood and walked to the desk, leaning his weight against it next to her.
"Whatcha writin?"
"A letter to my family. I promised them I would write when I got settled in." She put the quill down and sat back in the chair. "I'd said something to my dad about spending my birthday with them but…I'm not sure."
"Why not?"
"Because I just got back and, well…when you leave, I want to go with you." She looked up at him with a smile in her eyes. He smiled back at her. She stood from the chair and positioned herself in front of him, draping her arms over his shoulders. He embraced her, pulling her close to him, their lips only centimeters apart. "You didn't think I'd let you do this alone did you?"
Aang shook his head. He knew very well that she had every intention of accompanying him in his travels. He'd really never considered otherwise. She'd prove to be quite helpful actually, in the rebuilding aspect as well as in the political meetings. He knew that some parts of the world still considered women to be of no use in politics, but he also knew that Katara was just the girl to change their way of thinking. That was a thought to ponder at another time, however, as her lips hovered in too close of proximity to his own to enable him to entertain a rational thought. He closed his eyes as she brushed her lips over his. It was hard to describe the feelings rushing through him at the moment. Just a few short weeks ago, he'd feared he'd ruined every chance he had to be with her this way. Now here they were, comfortable in each other's embrace as if they'd been together all along. Not much had to change between them, they were great friends, and they always would be, but the new benefits that came with actually being together far outshined those of just friendship. He felt a rush of warmth as she met his lips in soft, lingering kisses. She pulled back to look at him, a blush brightening both their cheeks.
"I'll go with you wherever you go. For as long as you'll have me."
Aang searched her face before meeting her eyes. "You're sure? What about your family? Your home?"
Katara framed his face with her hands. "You're my family too, and my home…is with you." She moved her arms to wrap around his torso. "I realized when I was in the South Pole, that it didn't feel like home for me anymore. Is that bad?" she asked biting her lower lip.
Aang shook his head. "No. Only you know what feels right to you. If you want to go with me, I'd love to have your company. Honestly, I could use all the help I can get." He smiled as he brushed his hand over her long hair, running his fingers through it at her waist.
"You've opened up so much for me. Shared so much with me. After traveling the world I can't go back to the life I left. I know my place is with you, to help you in any way I can."
Aang smiled and nodded in compliance. "Okay." Katara beamed from ear to ear, kissed him chastely and sat back down to finish her letter, which would now contain a somewhat different message.
--o--o--o--o--o--
"We shall now commence the fifth meeting of the United Council, on this, the twenty-first day of November." The attendees took their seats, turning their attention to Iroh, who was seated to the right of Aang. "We are honored to have in attendance today, Fire Lord Zuko," Iroh announced to the Council. Each member nodded in acknowledgement toward the young Fire Lord, seated on Aang's left. "He is to give a report on the state of affairs in the Fire Nation, as well as address any concerns pertaining to your respective provinces, provided they are presented reasonably and within his realm of authority. He will also offer some insight into the obstacle we've come across in regard to rumors of possible rebel forces residing in the Fire Nation colony of Nanzhao in the northwestern Earth Kingdom. Avatar Aang will weigh in on this issue as well, so we may work to resolve the matter quickly and quietly. Also, I am happy to report that Long Feng, along with the remaining known members of the Dai Li, were detained three days ago in a province east of the Si Wong Desert."
The members of the Council applauded this achievement, and when the conversations dissipated, Iroh opened the floor to discussion amongst the members of the Council. The comments and requests remained rational, and to Zuko's surprise, none of the leaders blamed him for the uprising in Nanzhao. It seemed the blame was placed upon his father, and that they regarded Zuko as the representation of a new mentality that was slowly taking hold. He was held in such high esteem due to the immense respect the Council had for his uncle, and therefore was consulted as a colleague rather than a former enemy. It came to light that Aang had spoken very favorably in previous meetings of the Fire Lord and his offering of assistance to end the war. Zuko cast a grateful nod toward his friend, only to be met with reverence from the young Avatar. The mood seemed to dim as the discussions turned toward the unrest in the Fire Nation colony, and all eyes fell upon the Avatar.
"What exactly will be your course of action, Avatar Aang? You can't exactly ride that conspicuous, flying pet of yours into such an environment. In his stead, you should conspire a small, stealth team to infiltrate the town and impede their actions," a loud, red-faced governor from the other end of the table stated.
"With all due respect Governor Shun, traveling with my bison would be our swiftest mode of travel. If this rebellion is to be deterred quickly, I feel he is our best option. As for this team you've suggested, my friends who are in attendance are more than capable of assisting me with this confrontation. We will leave at first light for Nanzhao."
Aang's eloquence as he spoke made Katara raise her eyebrows slightly in surprise as she looked at her folded hands upon the table. She almost giggled as she remembered Aang addressing the Earth King with "Your Earthiness" during their last meeting, but quickly stifled it. Her expression relaxed as she looked toward the governor further down the table.
"Foolishness and poppycock!" another man stated. The eyes of Iroh and the Gaang widened as they glared at the source of the outburst. "It is an absurdity to allow you to travel into this sort of situation with merely a band of teenagers. What do you expect to accomplish? This isn't a leisure trip for you and your friends, Avatar. My city of Xian is very near the town in question, and I won't have this rebellion spilling over into the streets of my province!"
"It would be wise for you to remember to whom you are speaking, Governor," Iroh cautioned. "Have you forgotten that this is the same group that brought an end to the war in the first place? They should all be given our deepest respect." He motioned toward each member of the group. "Katara is an acutely skilled water master and healer from the Southern Tribe, trained by Pakku, my Lotus brother. Her brother Sokka, who has attended each of our meetings as the Avatar's trusted strategic advisor, is an accomplished warrior and swordsman and son of Hakoda, chief of the Southern Tribe. Toph Bei Fong of Gaoling, a truly gifted master of earthbending, and Suki, leader of the esteemed Kyoshi Warriors. This is no rif-raf, Governor, I assure you."
"We all know very well what Avatar Aang is capable of, and I'll allow no such insult from you or anyone else Governor Chu," Earth King Kuei stated from the opposite end of the table. Governor Chu stood and bowed toward Aang, then Iroh.
"My apologies, Avatar Aang, Grand Master. I only wanted to reiterate what is at stake in Xian. I hope that you have taken this into consideration."
"Of course, Governor," Aang said. "The fragile state of affairs the world over is my charge. I can assure you that every precaution will be taken to ensure the well-being of the citizens of Xian," he said bowing his head to show his sincerity.
"Very well, Council. We shall adjourn here for lunch and meet back here in two hours' time," Iroh announced. All the members of the Council stood and bowed toward the table's center and made for the exits.
The group walked through the Palace's main doors and into the courtyard, with Aang and Katara following close behind, hand-in-hand. When they reached the sidewalk, Aang stopped.
"I'm sorry guys, I didn't mean to drag you into this…I should've asked first. I guess I just kind of, assumed you all would come with me."
Katara squeezed his hand. "You know I'll come with you," she said with a small grin. Aang gave a smile in return. He looked up as Sokka spoke.
"There's no way I'd let you fight this thing on your own," he said taking a step toward Aang and shaking his hand. "Besides, between the two of you, you'd never make it there. Your map-reading skills aren't all that great." Katara glared at him.
"You know I'm with you Twinkle Toes," Toph said from beside Sokka.
"He did say your group needed to be stealth right?" Sokka asked grabbing Suki's hand.
"Just so happens I've trained for years in the art of stealth," Suki added. "I think we've got you covered."
Aang looked at his friends, a broad smile upon his face. His gaze fell on Zuko when he placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I wish I could come along to help, but I have to get back to the Fire Nation. This uprising could be one of many. From experience I can tell you once these skirmishes start, they spread like wildfire. I have to be sure I'm in position to handle it if something comes up there."
Aang nodded in agreement. "Let us know if there's anything we can do to help you."
Zuko nodded once with a grin. "We won't be attending the last half of the meeting," he said taking hold of Mai's hand. "We're heading back to Uncle's apartment to get our things and then to get our airship ready for our departure."
Everyone hugged Zuko and Mai, wishing them a safe journey and additional congratulations, and Aang turned back to the rest of the Gaang.
"Thank you guys, so much. I'm so lucky to have all of your support."
"We'll show 'em what this band of teenagers is capable of," Sokka said with a smirk. "After lunch, that is. You comin?"
Aang shook his head, "actually, you guys go on, I want to catch up with Iroh before the meeting begins again." He looked at Katara and motioned with a nod, silently asking her if she was going with the rest of the group.
"No, I'll stay with you."
"Suit yourself," Sokka said waving a hand as they turned to go.
Aang and Katara walked back toward the palace, stopping at the summons of Governor Chu.
"Excuse me, Avatar Aang." He approached them and bowed with his hands folded in front of him.
Aang returned the gesture. "Governor."
"I wanted to apologize again for my outburst in the meeting. My intention was to neither insult you, your abilities, nor those of your friends."
"No offense taken, Governor. Believe me, I understand the pressure you are under to keep your constituents safe. We intend to act as quickly as possible and return order to Nanzhao and Xian."
The governor bowed again. "Thank you Avatar, Master Katara."
The two of them bowed as Governor Chu returned the meeting room.
Katara looked at Aang with admiration, but he couldn't place the emotion in her eyes. He grinned at her. "What are you thinking about?"
"I've just never heard you speak that way."
"What way?"
"I don't know. In the meeting earlier, and just now with the governor, you just sounded very…articulate."
Aang shrugged, "Guess it comes from thousands of past lives' experience in politics." He smiled sheepishly. "Did I overdo it?"
Katara shook her head with eyebrows raised, "no, no. Not at all. It's just that it's, well, impressive." Aang felt a swell of pride at her compliment, but it quickly dissipated when he spotted Iroh emerge from the meeting room.
"Come on," he said grabbing her hand. "General Iroh!" Aang called out as they approached.
"Aang, Katara," Iroh greeted with a nod.
"Zuko's told me you are an excellent teacher," Aang began as he fell into step next to him.
"Well, that all depends on the subject matter," Iroh said with a slight laugh in his voice. "How can I be of service to you?"
Aang stopped walking and Iroh stopped to face him. "I want to learn to make lightning."
--o--o--o--o--o--
"No handicaps this time, I'm afraid," Suki said with her eyes narrowed at her opponent. "Now come on, give me your best shot."
Sokka instantly began to whine. "Sukiiii, you know this isn't my sword, it's yours, and it's not like I can--"
"Nuh-uh. No handicaps." She took a fighting stance and beckoned him with two flicks of the fingers of her outstretched hand, a fan spread at the ready in the other. With a deep breath, Sokka assumed his fighting stance, sword poised overhead and left arm bent in front of him, two fingers pointed. His uncertainty was now replaced with sheer determination to improve his sparring record against his girlfriend. As it currently stood, he was four-and-six, not really impressive considering the six losses came at the hands of his beautiful and dangerous better half. He didn't dare call it losing to a girl any longer. She always tried to encourage him after a loss, insisting her increasing toughness toward him in their training together would sharpen his skills. She was impressed with his progressing talent with the sword, and consistently pressed Sokka to spar with her. This was partly due to the fact that they actually did need to keep their senses keen, but also because she loved admiring a shirtless Sokka with that determined gleam in his eye.
He started toward her, one eye on her fan, one on her feet. He lunged the sword along her left side, prompting her to spin away from his strike, bringing her fan swinging around at his eye level. Unnerved, Sokka ducked out of harm's way and used his sword to slash her belt, causing it to fall around her ankles. Suki ignored his ploy to distract her, taking advantage of his smug reaction with a swift roundhouse kick to his rear. He stumbled forward, his sword plunging into the ground, his face following shortly after. Sokka's disgraceful position presented Suki with a full on view of his bottom poised in the air, and yet another victory.
"Never divert your focus away from your opponent when you come up with a lucky strike," Suki said. She strolled over to the sword, drawing it from the soil. "I think that's a new record. You really make this too easy."
Sokka rolled over brushing dirt from his face. "Yeah, yeah, don't rub it in. I just couldn't keep my mind from picturing what it would look like if I cut the rest of your clothes away like that." He looked up at her with a smirk, despite having just fallen to four-and-seven.
Suki returned his smirk with a slightly mischievous look in her eyes. "How long before Aang and Katara get back?"
Sokka shrugged. "I don't know. Aang said he would be training with Iroh for the rest of the afternoon."
"You really could use a bath," she said. "Oh, darn. I have a rip in my shirt. Would you be a dear and help me out of it?"
Sokka stood and offered her his arm. "It would be my pleasure."
--o--o--o--o--o--
"What're they doin?" Toph asked from her place next to Katara. They were keeping a safe distance from the instruction taking place several yards away. The four of them had traveled far outside the outer wall of the city in order to keep the citizens safe from any stray lightning that might occur.
"I don't know. They've just been talking." Katara hadn't taken her eyes off of Aang the entire time she'd been sitting there. Though she knew she could trust Iroh completely, the thought of 'Aang' and 'lightning' made her stomach churn with anxiety.
"You know you don't have to be so worried," Toph said kicking back and resting on her elbows. "I think it's great that he wants to try to master lightning. He's got guts."
Katara looked down. "I guess it does show a lot of strength to want to master something that nearly killed him."
"I thought he did die," Toph said digging in her right ear.
Katara glared, and Toph felt it.
"What? It's the truth isn't it? If it wasn't for you--"
"Alright, Toph. You've made your point." Katara turned her attention back to Aang. Her eyebrows furrowed deeply as she remembered the events that took place that night. She gripped Aang's tunic tightly in her hands. She'd been holding it since he'd handed it to her before the training session had begun…when he'd told her not to look so worried. She couldn't help it. There was no Spirit Water this time, and she didn't want to think about what could go wrong. After she and Zuko had their own brush with lightning in the Fire Nation, it was something she'd rather not see again; but if Aang felt this was something he had to do, she wanted to be supportive. Appa grumbled lowly from behind her, nudging her. She turned to regard him, petting his nose. Everyone seemed to think she was overreacting, even Appa. She released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, watching with a cautious eye as they stood and began Aang's training .
--o--o--o--o--o--
"I know you have had the opportunity to experience the power of lightning first hand," Iroh began. "Zuko said you had to use the redirection technique against my brother."
"I did. Zuko taught it to me just before the comet arrived. He said it was a technique you developed after studying waterbending."
Iroh nodded. "As I told my nephew, it is important to draw wisdom from different places, otherwise it becomes stale."
"That's what the monks always said," Aang said beaming. "That understanding others, and the other elements, is what makes our spirit whole."
"You are lucky to have grown up with the monks' wisdom. They prepared you well for your life's journey."
Aang's expression softened, no longer feeling such a sharp sting of grief at the mention of his previous time with the monks.
"Lightning is a pure expression of fire bending. To perform the technique requires peace of mind." Aang nodded slowly in response.
"I've given this lesson to Zuko, although, it did not yield pleasing results."
"What happened?"
"At the time, my nephew was still struggling with emotional turmoil. When he tried to make lightning, the energy would explode in his face, throwing him backward."
Aang winced. "Oh."
"His plight has since improved. If he feels he is ready to try again, I will teach him, just as I will teach you." Iroh stood and Aang followed suit. He listened to Iroh as he began to explain the process of forming lightning.
"As you well know, there is energy all around us. The energy is both yin and yang; positive energy and negative energy. With this technique, you separate these energies, creating an imbalance. The energy seeks to restore balance, and in the moment that the positive and negative energies come crashing back together, you provide release and guidance, creating lightning. You may want to take a few steps back." Aang backed up to watch from a safe distance. Iroh drew his right arm flush with his side, then extended two fingers and began to move his arm in a rotating motion, creating lightning. He repeated the movement with his left arm, the energy circling around his body.
Aang's eyes widened in astonishment. The technique sounded like it would be difficult, but Iroh made it look as simplistic as breathing. Iroh brought his hands together in front of him and surged forward with his right hand, the lightning blasting out into the distance, a clap of thunder roaring through the open plain.
From her position beside Appa, Katara gasped and leapt to her feet, her hand flying to her water skin.
"Relax, Sweetness. Aang's fine."
Katara watched as Iroh turned back around and Aang got into his stance. Her heart was pounding in her chest. "He wants him to try it. Aang's going to make lightning."
"Um, wasn't that kind of the point?" Toph asked sitting upright. Katara ignored her beginning to walk toward Aang. Iroh saw her and called out to her with a warning.
"No, Katara. You shouldn't come any closer. It's not safe."
Aang turned toward her, judging from her swift gait that she wasn't going to heed Iroh's cautioning. "Just a minute. Let me talk to her." Iroh nodded and Aang ran toward her.
"Hey," he said as he reached her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Are you sure you're going to be able to handle this?" She placed her hands on his forearms, looking into his eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"Maybe you should go home. You and Toph, take Appa and go to the apartment. I'll meet you there later."
"No. I'm not leaving you," she said stubbornly. Aang took her hand and lead her back over to where Toph and Appa were seated. "What if…what if you got burned? Or worse?"
"I'll be fine, Katara. I'm the one who's going to be directing the lightning this time. Not Azula, Not Ozai. It's not safe for you to come over to where I'm training. If something happened to you, I wouldn't be able to live with myself."
"Okay," Katara said nodding.
Aang looked at Toph. "Toph, if you have to hold her here--"
"Aye, aye, sir," Toph said cutting him off, saluting with two fingers.
Katara's expression teemed with disdain as her jaw dropped.
"It's for your safety Katara. Please." Aang turned and walked back to Iroh.
Katara flopped down crossing her arms over her chest.
"Oh, stop pouting."
"Says the conspirator," Katara humphed.
"What were you going to say to him anyway? That he should give up?"
"No! No…just…that maybe this isn't a good idea."
"That's not fair to him, Katara. He's the one that lived through it, not you. If he wants to face it and overcome it, you shouldn't stand in his way."
Toph's words struck a sensitive nerve, but she was right. "I did live through it, Toph. Maybe not in the same way he did, but I watched the lightning strike him. I saw his body convulsing. I caught him when he fell. You weren't there, Sokka wasn't there. Neither of you understands what that did to me. He was gone. I saw it in his eyes. I almost lost him." She looked over at Aang, who had assumed his stance again under Iroh's watchful eye.
"Aang was right, maybe we should go," Toph said standing.
"No," Katara said catching Toph's hand. "If he can do this…maybe it will help me move on too." Toph shrugged and sat.
"Good….Now breathe….Good," Iroh said as Aang went through the motions of the technique. "Concentrate on the positive and negative energies around you, and separating them. Remember, once you separate the energy, you do not command it. You are simply its humble guide. Are you ready?"
Without breaking his stance, breath or movement, Aang nodded. Iroh took a few steps back as Aang came back to center. Aang took a deep breath and moved his right arm to his side as Iroh had before. He extended two fingers, and the blue energy crackled at his figertips as he moved his arm in a circular motion. Katara placed a hand over her mouth, gasping.
"What does it look like?" Toph asked placing her hands on the ground trying to get a better look.
"He's doing it," was all Katara could manage.
Aang moved his left arm mimicking the motion of his right, and the energy began to surround his body. Behind him, Iroh sported an proud grin. Aang brought his hands together in front of him and lunged forward with his right hand extended. A bright flash of white-hot lightning streaked across the plain from Aang's fingers. Katara felt the thunder rumble in her chest as tears sprang to her eyes.
"He did it…he did it!" She jumped up and ran toward Aang.
"Very good Aang," Iroh said patting him on the back. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone get it right on the first try."
Aang turned toward Iroh beaming. He folded his hands and bowed deeply. "Thank you General Iroh." He heard Katara's footsteps rushing toward him just in time to avoid being tackled as she enveloped him in a tight hug. He used her momentum to lift her and spin her around twice before setting her down.
"I'm so proud of you," she whispered. "I'm so, so proud of you."
"Way to go Twinkle Toes," Toph said approaching them. "I gotta admit, I'm pretty impressed. Way to face it head on."
"I've had a lot of help in that area," Aang said as he hugged Toph.
"I would like to work with you for a while longer if you can spare the time. Lightning is a dangerous element to control, and it takes much practice before it is mastered," Iroh said placing a hand on Aang's shoulder.
Katara nodded letting go of Aang's hand. "I think Toph and I are going to head home. We need to get our supplies ready for our trip."
Iroh nodded and walked to sit underneath the tree where he had set up his tea pot. The other three made their way over to Appa. Toph launched herself up into the saddle with a spire of rock as Katara and Aang turned toward one another. She embraced him, touching her cheek to his and placing a hand on the back of his head. He wrapped her tightly in his arms. They remained that way for a few moments until Katara moved slightly to place her forehead against his, bringing the hand that had rested at the back of his head to his cheek.
"Do you feel better now?" he asked quietly. She smiled, realeasing a breathy laugh.
"Yeah. I do." She backed away a little so she could look at him. "To see you in control of the lightning felt like...like…a huge release," she sighed. "I understand why you wanted to do this now."
"I know that it's been a source of your fear, so…thank you. Thank you for being here for me."
"I had to be. I told you I'm not going to let you face anything alone."
He smiled as he placed a hand to her cheek, bringing her lips to his. He kissed her gently, letting his lips linger on hers for a moment before withdrawing from her embrace.
"Ugh, are you two done yet?" Toph grumbled from Appa's saddle.
They laughed lightly at her dismay.
"I'll see you later," Aang said grinning.
Katara nodded with a smile. Aang gave her a boost onto Appa's head.
"Just be careful…please," she cautioned before they took off.
"Don't worry. I'm in good hands." Aang backed away from Appa as they lifted into the air, waving briefly before he went to join Iroh under the ginkgo tree.
--o--o--o--o--o--
The sun had long since disappeared over the western wall of Ba Sing Se when Aang finally returned home. He walked in to find the apartment quiet, save for Momo's purrs as he leapt to his shoulder.
"Hey buddy. Is everyone asleep?" Aang quietly asked scratching Momo's head. Momo scampered from his shoulder and through the door leading to the back porch. Aang followed him to find Katara curled up on a pillow next to the fire pit. He walked up behind her and rubbed her arm to wake her.
"Katara," he whispered.
Her eyes opened quickly and she blinked sleepily a couple of times before sitting up.
"Hey." She pulled him into a quick hug and released him. "How did it go?" She began rubbing her eyes.
"Great. Iroh said that he'd never seen anyone grasp that technique so quickly."
"Aang, that's amazing." She smiled warmly. "What you accomplished today took a lot of strength." She stood to stretch and looked at the fading fire in the pit. "I must've been asleep for a while. I was going to wait up for you." Aang smiled as he stood and Katara walked past him. "Did you eat? I managed to save you some dinner, but not without complaints from Sokka."
Aang laughed lightly. "Thanks. I'm starved." Katara walked over to spoon some stew into a bowl from a pot hanging within the kitchen's stone fireplace.
"All veggies tonight." She smirked, "also not without complaints from Sokka."
"I bet he ate more than his fair share though," Aang grinned as he lifted the bowl to his mouth. Katara giggled as she picked up random items of clothing from the common area.
"We need to get some rest if we're leaving at dawn. I've already packed your things for you." Katara dropped the linens into a basket. "You ready to do this?" she asked from the threshold of the hallway.
Aang nodded from behind his bowl. "Yep," he replied with a grin. He set his bowl into the wash bin. "Hey, Katara…"
"Yeah?" She lifted the basket and looked at him.
"Thanks again. For being there with me today." She smiled and set the basket down, walking over to him and embracing him firmly.
"I feel like there was some healing for us both today." She withdrew from him and held his hands. "So I should thank you too." She kissed his cheek and went back over to pick up the basket of clothes. "Goodnight."
"'Night." Aang smiled to himself as he walked to his room feeling accomplished and surprisingly relaxed, ready for whatever awaited them the following day.
--o--o--o--o--o--
"We should be nearing our landing point," Sokka said looking at his map. "Aang, Katara, you should probably go ahead and whip us up some cloud cover." They stood and began waving their arms in sweeping motions, summoning the air and water around them to gather as their shield. Once surrounded, Aang returned to his place at Appa's reins, slightly clearing a space so he could see. He tugged at the reins to draw Appa nearer to the clearing that was fast approaching. They landed silently in the meadow, surrounded on all sides; by trees to the north, west, and south, and by mountains to the east. Aang lead Appa toward a rocky overhang.
"Come on buddy. We'll be back for you soon," Aang coaxed motioning toward the spot intended to keep Appa from plain view. Appa grumbled in protest, but took his proposed position underneath the jutting rock formation anyway. Aang bended a third wall, leaving an opening so Appa wouldn't feel as if he were completely underground. He joined the group inside the tree line, crouching between Katara and Suki.
"What do you suggest?" Sokka asked nearly whispering. Aang's brow wrinkled in thought.
"A couple of us should go check it out first, to get an idea of what we're dealing with." He looked across the circle. "Toph, I think you and I should go first. I could really use your sense of sight. Plus, we'd be less likely to be detected because we can use earthbending as camouflage." Toph nodded in agreement.
"The rest of you stay here, and stay hidden. When we get back we can plan a course of action," Aang stated.
Katara put a hand on his shoulder. "You two be careful."
Aang gave her a reassuring grin, covering her hand with his.
"What if this doesn't go as planned?" Sokka asked. "What sign will you give if something goes wrong?"
"If something goes wrong, you'll know it," Aang replied as he and Toph stood. They took off through the trees along the meadow's edge.
"Should we follow, you know, just in case?" Suki asked Sokka with a worried look on her face.
"No. We risk everyone's safety if we're spotted. It would be best to lay low until they come back with a report."
Katara sat against a tree resting her head back, looking at the canopy above, and hoped this skirmish wasn't as violent as the council feared.
--o--o--o--o--o--
"Feel anything?" Aang whispered from behind Toph, whose hands were pressed to the ground. She nodded.
"Marching. A lot of men. I would say roughly, a couple hundred. Headed southwest."
"Marching? Where would they be marching to?" Aang's eyebrows shot up in realization. "Xian…they're headed toward Xian."
"You think we're too late?" Toph asked.
"I hope not. Let's try to get a better look." They formed a pocket in the earth and climbed into it, nearly closing it completely over their heads leaving an inconspicuous opening so they could see out. Using their bending, they moved the pocket within the earth, moving unseen toward the edge of the town. They looked on as the men in Fire Nation armor fell into formation, spears in hand. Their leader stood before them, speaking loudly.
"Today, we will claim the town of Xian in the name of Fire Lord Ozai, the true leader of our people. Today will be the last day that Governor Chu will allow his merchants to unfairly tax our citizens and block our essential trade routes. While Fire Lord Zuko traipses the globe with his new bride-to-be, we have fallen by the wayside, our people allowed to go hungry, our economy faltering. Today, we take justice into our own hands!"
The assembled group cheered loudly as Aang looked on with wide eyes. "Maybe this is going to be a little more difficult than we thought."
It's so nice to finally get this posted! I had the chapter nearly complete when my sister came and kidnapped her computer. I hope I've succeeded in achieving a balance between including some fluff as well as building up some suspense. I've never written battle scene before, so this should be interesting. Chapters 7 and 8 will be like the Siege of the North or Day of Black Sun: two chapters, one story line. Chapter 8 won't take as long as 7 I promise ;) Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your reviews! I'm so flattered. Keep em comin! More than 100 reviews on 6 chapters!? You guys are awesome.
Continues in chapter 8, The World Over, part II.