CHAPTER 27- Painful Memories

CHAPTER 27- Painful Memories

Morning came slower than expected. The night was warm and sticky. Most rolled around in their beds, trying to fall asleep. However, Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee, and Iroh fell asleep fast. When asked about in the next morning, Iroh said that the heat didn't bother them because the Fire Nation is one of the hottest places on the planet. Hundreds of volcanoes cover the country. It's warm all year round, but hottest in the summer. So the heat doesn't bother them. That day was a littler cooler than the one before, so they all decided that they should train. Sokka worked on his sword skills with Zuko. Aang Firebended. Katara passed the time with her Waterbending. Mai and Tai Lee worked on their skills as well. Even the Kyoshi warriors practiced. Toph sat alone on the deck, pouting because she couldn't bend.

Suki noticed and felt bad. "Toph, why don't you join us? We could teach you some new moves." The other warriors encouraged her.

Toph eventually gave up arguing and agreed to learn. Aang watched her while taking a quick break. He had to give her credit that she was trying hard. Toph wasn't used to learning sequences like these. She cursed her blind eyes and wished that she could see. After about a half hour, she thanked Suki but said she preferred to watch. They kept training until they were called in for lunch, only to come back and train to dinner. After dinner, they worked until they couldn't see any longer.

Everyone had worked themselves so hard that they slept to lunch. Not even Sokka had gotten up for breakfast. When they all did get up, Katara advised that they might not want to train themselves so hard.

"We need to be ready," Sokka said. "After today, there's only two days before we have to tunnel our way into the city."

"It doesn't mean we have to work ourselves to death!" Katara said, becoming frustrated with her brother.

Sensing an explosion about to happen, Suki came over and led Sokka away while Zuko did the same for Katara. After they both calmed down, the gang proceeded with training, but didn't work nearly as hard or as long as the day before. At dinner, Toph thought of something.

"Hey, how long is this solar eclipse gonna last anyway?" She asked.

"Well, that depends," Zuko said. "Is it a total eclipse?"

"The calendar in Won Shi Tong's library did show a total eclipse. Why?"

"Total eclipses don't last nearly as long as partial ones," Iroh explained.

"So how much time will we have?" Katara asked.

"Probably not long. Some total eclipses don't last longer than seven minutes. Others, though very rare, have lasted up to forty," Zuko said.

"We don't have much time anyway then," Katara said. "No matter how long the eclipse lasts, we might not have enough time to take down the Fire Lord."

"Don't give up hope Katara," Aang reminded her.

She smiled. "I wouldn't dream of it."

"How are we going to get in?" Sokka asked. "It's not like we have a map of the palace."

Zuko waved a hand in front of Sokka's face. "Uh, hello? I spent the first fourteen years of my life there, remember?"

Sokka looked embarrassed. "Oh, uh, right."

They all laughed. Then, before any of them could be asked to play Pai Sho, they all headed to bed. Most of them fell asleep because training had again worn them out.

Katara tossed and turned in her sleep. She was eight again, and she was home. She watched the grey ships in the distance launching fireballs into her home. Her father called for her to get inside. Her mother yelled for Sokka to take her in as well. A nine year old Sokka came up to her and tried to pull her away from the horrible scene that was unfolding before them. Firebenders began entering the village. The men were trying to fight them off, but Waterbending had practically disappeared from their tribe. Katara was the only Waterbender left.

"Katara, we have to get inside!" Sokka commanded her.

"No, we have to do something!" She cried. "I can help!"

Katara began running toward the fighting. Katara's mom, who'd been running towards her children tried to catch Katara as she ran by, but she failed. Katara hadn't developed her skills much, so what she could do was minimal. She Bended a small stream of water and sent it at a soldier.

"Go away! Stop destroying my home!" She yelled angrily as the water hit him.

He turned on her. "Why you little peasant! I'll teach you to show respect for your betters!" The soldier shouted, grabbing a hold of her arms and beginning to drag her away.

"Katara! No!" Her mother cried. She ran as fast as she could at the soldier and lunged at him. "How dare you lay a hand on my child!" She screamed. All three of them fell back into the snow. "Katara, go stay with Sokka!"

Katara, now even more afraid, obeyed her mother and ran back to her brother.

The Fire Nation soldier knocked Katara's mother back down. Before she could do anything the soldier sent a blast of fire at her chest.

"MOM!" Katara screamed at the top of her lungs. She tried to run to her, but Sokka kept a firm hold on her arms.

Hakoda ran up to the soldier and slashed his arm with his machete. By now, the Fire Nation felt their raid was a success, so they began to leave, singing chants of victory. Once the last of the ships was gone, Hakoda ran over to his wife. Katara and Sokka ran over as well. The rest of the village was putting out tent fires.

"Hiana!" Hakoda called, reaching his wife and trying to elevate her back a little.

The snow around her was turning red as blood left through her stomach. She was breathing heavily. Katara and Sokka were bawling. There were no healers in the village.

"Hiana, stay with us," Hakoda pleaded, tears streaming down his face.

Hiana struggled to move her arm up. She unclasped the necklace she wore. "Katara," she whispered. "Be a good Waterbender." Her mother handed her the necklace.

"Mom! Don't leave us!" Sokka begged.

"I'm sorry. Don't ever forget how much I love you all." She exhaled and her eyes fluttered shut.

"Mom, no! Please, stay with us! Don't go Mom!" Katara yelled.

Their grandmother came over to them and they buried their faces into her parka. They felt Kanna's own teardrops land on their heads. Katara looked at her mother and saw her dad cradling her limp body in his arms, not caring that he was now drenched with her blood.

"Katara," a voice called, but it sounded far away. "Come on," it said.

"No, I can't leave her!" She yelled.

Katara shot up in bed clutching her mom's necklace. Tears were pouring down her face and her hair was disheveled. She looked around her. Sokka was sitting on the bed next to her. She realized the voice had been Sokka's, trying to wake her from her nightmare.

"Sokka!" Katara cried and threw herself into her brother's arms. "It was so horrible!" Her voice was choked and she couldn't stop all of the tears.

"I can imagine. You were crying out in your sleep," Sokka said, rubbing her back to try and comfort her.

She lifted her tearstained face. "I don't want to end up like mom," Katara whispered.

"You won't. I'm not gonna let anything like that happen to you," he said.

For the next half hour, Sokka sat holding his sister and rubbing her back until she'd fallen asleep again. He left her to what seemed like more peaceful dreams, but he was still a little worried about her. She hadn't had dreams like this in several years. Sokka hoped she didn't have any more like them. He knew though that it was probably wishful thinking.