AN: Thank you for all the awesome amazing reviews! :D I really appreciate them! :] On with the story! :D
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The room was dead silent. A pin dropping could be heard echoing throughout the room. Zuko looked expectantly at Sokka, and Aang gauging their reaction.
Sokka's sapphire eyes, darkened considerably, as he started at Zuko, his fists clenched. "What. Did. You. Say?" growled Sokka, his eyes flashing with an intensity never seen before.
Aang's eyes glowed slightly, his fists clenched. He closed his glowing eyes, and took deep breaths.
"Hahn beat Katara. There is no way to get around it. Getting angry isn't going to do anything, although I nearly did put a dent in his head when I found her. I guess I shouldn't be saying anything. " Zuko chided, trying to look as nonchalant as possible. Truth be told, he was burning with anger inside.
"It's my fault." Sokka whispered, his hands falling down to his side, tears starting to pool in his eyes. "I was so mad at her when she didn't' defend herself…" he began, guilt weighing heavily on his shoulders.
Aang looked at Sokka sympathetically. "If there is anyone to blame it's me." Aang choked out, anger and sadness swirling inside his chest.
"We all know it's your fault Avatar." Zuko said coldly. He turned to face Sokka, his amber eyes softening at the sight of the grieving man.
"Don't even begin to blame yourself. We all knew that Hahn was an ass, but we never knew that he was THIS bad. We never knew that he would ever resort to something like this. The men of his tribe were raised to believe that they were the dominant gender and the females were natural to follow underneath them." Zuko explained carefully to Sokka.
"Are you trying to defend that monster?" demanded Sokka in shock.
"No. I'm not. All I'm saying is that you shouldn't take it out on yourself; if you're going to blame yourself then everyone should take responsibility for this. Trying to predict this would happen would be like trying to predict the emotions of another person." Zuko said taking a deep cleansing breath.
"I can't wait till I get my hands on him." Growled Sokka. "He will regret the day that he was ever born."
"You need to be diplomatic about this Sokka. You're not a child anymore. You need to understand that Hahn is the successor of the Northern Water Tribe, if you act irrationally and out of anger, you could start a war between your two tribes. Do you really want to start another war? The reign of peace has not been nearly long enough." Zuko explained calmly.
"He hurt my sister and you want me to be diplomatic?" Sokka bellowed as he stood up and slammed his palms into the table.
"Yes! This will only hurt her more if she sees innocent people dying for something that she's going to believe it is her fault. We both know Katara; we know that she's the type of person who will try to shoulder all of the blame. Hell for all we know we could be pushing her back into the arms of Hahn, all to avoid a war. Katara loves her family, her tribe. She will go to any lengths to make sure they aren't harmed. This is exactly why we need to be rational when we approach this subject with the Northern Water Tribe." Lectured Zuko, anger bubbling uncomfortably inside of him.
Sokka sat down wordlessly, and stared off into space. He knew that Zuko was right, but that didn't mean that he wanted to be diplomatic about any of this.
Aang sat there quietly, his face chalk white. Aang's stormy eyes raged, as he thought about Hahn even touching one hair on Katara's head.
"Well, where can we go from here?" Aang quietly asked.
"The only thing I could even thinking about doing that would be slightly diplomatic would be to hold Hahn in trial." Zuko said. "He would have to be tried by his people, of the water tribe. However, the idea that their successor would even do that would be unthinkable and probably unbelievable." Zuko thought to himself.
"Why can't you try him here?" asked Sokka confused.
"He's not under my jurisdiction." Zuko bitterly said. "I can't pass judgment on someone who isn't a Fire Nation citizen. Technically speaking if I killed Hahn, the Northern Water Tribe couldn't do anything to me in a diplomatic sense they'd have to wait for the judgment passed over me by the Fire Lord. "
"What if you go and try to explain it to Chief Arnook, and get Katara to explain it as well." Asked Aang eagerly.
Sokka and Zuko stared at Aang in shock. "Are you insane? Do you really think that Katara would ever want to go back to that hell hole?" growled Zuko.
"Maybe you do not understand something here Avatar. Hahn beat her. He physically touched her with intentions of hurting her. He snapped Katara's mother's engagement necklace and I pray to the gods that he didn't' force himself upon her or else there will be hell to pay." Barked out Zuko.
"I understand that, I'm as furious as the both of you, but we don't want another war on our hands. That's the last thing that we want. How do you think that would make Katara feel? I bet she'd really like that." Aang tried to say as calmly as possible, sarcasm threading his last words.
"She wouldn't want to testify to them. They would just call her a liar. Think about it. When she tried to learn water bending when you guys first got there they barely let her. They said she wasn't allowed to because she was a girl. Do you really think that a tribe like that is going to listen to a GIRL who is saying they're successor is capable of such evil? Be realistic Aang." Spat out Sokka.
Aang looked at Sokka pain evident in his eyes. "I don't know what else we can do." He admitted softly.
"I just don't want her hurt again." Aang choked out bowing his head slightly.
"You should have thought about that before you left then. Just so you know Avatar. I still hold you responsible for everything that has happened to her." Growled Zuko, his molten eyes burning in anger.
"I know. I do too." Aang hoarsely whispered.
A thick blanket of silences covered the room. Minutes passed slowly as everyone was deep in thought. The candles in the room flickered slightly and quietly.
Aang cradled his head in his palms, his bright arrow as vibrant as ever. His hands dropped to his sides, as he stood up, the wooden chair scraping the floor, harsh noises filled the air. He fell to the ground in front of the Sokka and Zuko into a low bow, his head touching the dirty ground.
"What is the meaning of this Aang?" Sokka softly whispered. They could feel the guilt and sadness shrouding Aang. Zuko could contain his anger at him no longer.
"You get down on your hands in knees in front of Sokka and I are you think that you are suppose to be apologizing to us, but who really do you think you should be apologizing to. Who did you leave?" Zuko bellowed, his face livid with anger.
"I know that I need to apologize to Katara! No, I know I need to beg for her forgiveness, I need to pray for her mercy. I don't even expect her to take me back. I just need her to forgive me for my stupidity. But I need to start with the people that I also hurt. My best friends, the ones that were always besides me. I know I didn't only hurt Katara when I left. I hurt you guys too. I need to beg for your forgiveness." Aang blurted out tears streaming down his face onto the concrete.
"Get up Aang." Sokka said pulling on Aang's arm.
"Not until Zuko forgives me." Aang announced.
"Then you can stay down there for all eternity and ROT." Growled Zuko contempt burning in his eyes. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. He knew that Katara would probably forgive him the instant that she saw him.
Zuko was angry and bitter that her undying love was directed at the Avatar. He understood that he was special, but was he really worth it to forgive him after so much pain?
"How do we know that you'll never leave her again?" Zuko questioned.
"I will never leave Katara." Aang seriously said as his face buried into the ground.
"Look me in the eyes and tell me that." Commanded Zuko, his eyes intensely staring at Aang's face.
"I will NEVER EVER leave Katara willingly." Aang said, his eyes glowing slightly, as he stared at Zuko.
"Make sure that you don't." Zuko said calmly, and looked away from him. "Aang, please don't let me down. I don't want to see her like that again." Zuko choked out, his angry, fierce exterior crumbled like sand to the pull of a wave.
Aang stood up and walked towards Zuko slowly. "I know no words can explain how sorry I am, or how much I wish I could change the past. I know I can't, but all I can do is move forward from here and improve." Aang said with his eyes directed to the floor.
"Oh good! We're all friends again! " Sokka joyfully yelled as he slung his arms over each of their shoulders with an impish grin on his face.
They all laughed at Sokka's silliness. It had been way too long since either of them had laughed.
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"Are you ready?" a low male voice whispered.
"Yes, but I'm not sure that this is right." Whispered another tenor voice.
"Of course it's right. She is my bride. She is mine." Growled the other voice, hostility could be felt rolling off his voice.
"But to sneak into Fire Lord Zuko's palace and take her seems so… risky." The tenor voice said, worry evident in his voice.
"I am only reclaiming what is mine." The other voice simply stated. "Don't get cold feet on me now. Her window is right there. We need to be in and out."
One of the two black figures limberly jumped and hung from a flag just above her room, and water bended around the lock, freezing the lock successfully, and breaking it open quietly, the broken ice chunks fell to the floor and was quickly changed into water in a matter of seconds.
Once the window was wide open, he knelt on the window sill, and gazed the sleeping water bender. Her soft dark chocolate hair fanned out on the pillow delicately, her mink eyelashes rested against her soft tan skin, her lips slightly parted , her breathing was deep and comfortable.
He choked back a feeling of slight guilt and motioned for his master to come forward. A slightly taller figure, jumped gracefully into the room, and picked her up gently, admiring her beauty.
"You're mine Katara." Growled a cruel voice.
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&& SCENE! :] Thank you once again for my awesome, super fantastic editors! :D KataraangDieHard and AxisofSymmetry. They are awesome possum editors and I'm very lucky to have them! :3 Until next time! :D
