Hey guys, I'm her with another chapter! This one took longer than I expected it to, though I can't complain because I think it came out pretty good, but I'll let you be the judge of that, enjoy and read and review! Also, check out AvatarCat13's Kataang Island Adventure story and CharlieFibrosis's Country Boy. Both great stories and definitely worth the reads!
Katara and Sokka:
Though Sokka and Katara were both heading towards Charmelion Bay, both had different reasons for getting there. Sokka simply was ecstatic to see his father again. It had been years since he had even talked to him. I wonder how much he's changed since I last saw him. This any many other questions were happily floating though Sokka's mind. Katara on the other hand, was a completely different story.
The complexity of the emotions that she was feeling at the moment was hard for her to decipher. As time grew since she was apart from Aang, she knew she was slowly losing her sanity. She knew she was crazy to think that she had become so dependent on a boy that she had met less than 5 months ago, but she had. He had become an integral part of his life and she was a fool to let him go. What made her feel worse was that she valued seeing Aang more than she did her own father. Sokka had viewed finding Hakoda as the end of their journey, but Katara saw her father as a means to an end. She needed him to get to Aang, and she felt terrible for thinking that way.
Sokka had said that they would reach their destination by nightfall and they had. As the trio climbed over the last hill, Sokka spotted camp fires off in the distance: "That's got to be dad!" Sokka said excitedly. The trio picked up there pace towards the encampment. When they reached the edge of camp, they were immediately met by very shocked, but very familiar faces. Hugs and fore-arm shacks were passed around, but Katara was focused on her goal: "Do any of you know where my father is." One of the warriors spoke up, he's in the large tent over there." He said as he motioned ahead. Katara quickly strode towards what she assumed was the meeting tent. I would probably get in trouble for this if I was back at the South Pole she mused.
As she opened the flaps of the tent, she was met by the dumbfounded face of her father. Sokka quickly followed her into the tent and spoke with tears in his eyes: "Dad"
Hakoda quickly stood and embraced his children whom he hadn't seen in years: "How did you two get all the way into the Earth Kingdom?" He said with tears forming in his eyes.
Sokka smiled at this: "We have been traveling with the Avatar."
Hakoda spoke up at this: "Is he with you now?" He sincerely asked, wiping the tears off his face and replacing it with a bright smile.
Katara looked down: "There was a misunderstanding between us. We shouldn't have separated."
Hakoda nodded: "Well I appreciate him bringing my children to me safely. If we ever meet him again, I will thank him myself."
Katara knew that this was her opportunity to broach the topic so she took the chance: "Well dad, actually, we know where he is going and I wanted to meet up with him?"
Hakoda looked confused for a moment, but then understanding dawned on him: "And you need me to get you there…"
"It's not like that! I mean, maybe…" Katara fumbled.
Hakoda knowingly smiled: "Where will the Avatar be going?"
Sokka spoke up: "To the North Pole."
"You don't really expect to travel half way across the world to meet up with him, do you?" Hakoda seriously asked.
He quickly got an answer with the look of determination that was plastered on his daughter's face: "Yes, yes I do. I'll find a way to get up there with or without your help!"
Hakoda deeply sighed: "We've been holding this bay for a long time because it's important for Earth Kingdom trade and it also leads straight up to Ba Sing Se. We can't just leave it Katara."
"What if I told you that the Northern Water Tribe needs you." Katara asked.
"How so?"
Sokka took this moment to inject himself into the conversation: "We noticed a large Fire Navy fleet heading northward. We assume they'll dock for supplies and fuel, and then head up to the Northern Water Tribe to invade."
"After 100 years, why attack now?" Hakoda asked.
"Because they knew Aang will be there" Katara said.
"Aang?" Hakoda questioned.
"The Avatar dad, his name is Aang." Sokka deadpanned.
"I'll have to talk with the other men; the North Pole is a long ways away from home." Hakoda said.
Both Sokka and Katara nodded in agreement and left the tent to set up their own towards the front of the camp. Early the next morning, Hakoda called for all of the men of the tribe to gather around the large meeting tent. When they had all gathered, he spoke: "Many years ago, I called upon the men of this tribe to fight a war, a war that has great affected and changed the dynamic of the Southern Water Tribe. The Fire Nation took our benders, with it, much of our culture. My son and daughter have travelled from far away to inform me of the Fire Nation's plans. They have been travelling with the Avatar and know he plans on learning water bending from the Northern Water Tribe. The Fire Nation also knows of his plans and are heading northward to attack our sister tribe! We are caught between our loyalties men! To our sister tribe and the earth kingdom, I leave the decision to leave or to go up to you all!"
When he finished, there was murmurings amongst the men of the tribe: "Do not make this decision lightly, take the day to make the choice. Those who are with me will leave by dawn tomorrow morning." Many of the men gave nods of affirmation towards him. He smiled to those who did and turned to his children: "This is all I can do; we have to wait for their answer now."
Katara resigned herself to some of the chores that she had done when she was back in her tribe, washing the close for the men. In a strange way, it connected her with her past, a past that she knew she wouldn't be able to go back to now that she had seen the world. Time changes people, Katara mused. She recalled something that Gran Gran had said to her and Sokka before they had left to save Aang: "Your connection with Aang is strong, you met for a reason, and now your destinies are intertwined." I wonder if what Aunt Wu and what Gran Gran said connect in some way? Katara shook her head to clear her thoughts; first she would have to make it to the North Pole.
Though much of the morning was leisurely, when the afternoon came, many of the men appeared to be preparing for something: "What's going on?" Katara asked her brother as she quickly walked up to him. His confused look made her believe that he was just as much in the dark about the situation as she was.
They both silently made their way over to their father's tent, wanting answers. When they opened the flap, they were met with Hakoda dressing in his warrior garbs. "What's going on dad?" Sokka asked, worry clearly in his voice.
"Some of our scouts noticed a small fleet of Fire Navy ships coming in this direction; we are going to do what we can to stop them from entering this river." Hakoda firmly said, while tying the last piece of armor on himself.
He quickly left his tent, his children in tow towards his warriors to which he started barking orders out to: "Get these bombs in the water and pack up this camp as quickly as possible, we don't want them to notice us till it's too late!" With the orders given, the men quickly hid the camp and dispersed into the foliage just past the beach, there, they would be completely hidden from the passing Fire Navy ships.
"What now dad?" Katara said as she crouched next to her father.
"We wait; the mines will do the rest." Hakoda said simply.
Katara was skeptical at first, but she soon changed her mind once she saw the damaging effects of the mines. Once one made contact with a ship, it exploded violently, causing a rupture in the hull. In Under five minutes, the offending convoy was quickly sinking, it's crew trying to escape onto land. While the Fire Nation soldiers were still disoriented, Hakoda gave the orders for his men to attack.
The confusion nearly tripled when the Fire Nation soldiers found themselves being attacked from all sides. When Katara began to run out to fight, she was swiftly pulled back by her brother: "What are you doing Sokka?"
Sokka looked down: "Dad told me to keep you safe while he fought with the other men."
Katara thought that this was the most preposterous thing she had ever heard: "But you're old enough to be a warrior!"
"I'm not the issue Katara; dad gave me orders, as a warrior, to protect YOU!" Sokka said firmly.
Katara was not going to let herself be stopped by Sokka though. She quickly shrugged his hand off her shoulder and began to take off into the fray: "Katara!" Sokka said while running in after her: "Why couldn't dad just have had 2 boys?"
Katara found a Fire Nation soldier and sent a small stream of water towards him, knocking him off his feet. Though Katara wasn't a Master Waterbender, she could still defend herself. While she was lost in her thoughts, giving herself a pat on the back, she was struck by a small wave of flames. Instinctively, she put her hands up to protect herself, but that proved to be a mistake. As Katara was knocked back, she immediately was met with searing pain in her palms of her hands, which was than further multiplied when she came crashing to the sand.
"Katara!" Sokka screamed as he wildly threw his boomerang at the attacker who had injured Katara. He barely even bothered to check if he boomerang had made contact with the man. He came sliding over to Katara's side. Katara was in a small ball, clenching her arms to her body and crying hard. By this time, many of the Fire Nation men were either killed or were retreating back to the base further up the coast.
Hakoda was smiling and congratulating his men until he heard his daughter crying. The blood immediately drained from his face as he ran in the direction of the noise. When he laid eyes on the position of his daughter, as well as Sokka's face, he knew that it couldn't be good. When he got to his daughter's side, he immediately noticed the burns on her hands. "I'm sorry dad, I tried to protect her, but she got away from me. She tried to defend herself against a soldier but was burned when she was distracted."
Hakoda didn't bother to reply to his son, he was focused on his daughter. "Someone, get some fresh cold water and some bandages!" Immediately, many of his men followed the orders. Hakoda knew what burns could do to someone if they weren't taken care of quickly enough. Bato was only one of the many testaments to the pain and suffering that burns could cause someone if left unattended to.
Katara had never experience such pain in her life before. It was like she was in a daze, or a dreamlike state. She could barely remember what had happened; only that she was on the ground, and in pain.
She was thankful when she felt coolness on her hands; it took the edge off of the pain she was experiencing. Within seconds she blacked out.
Aang and Toph:
After their run in with Zhao and Aang's "failed" attempt to learn fire bending, they had both decided that it was no longer safe to travel within Fire Nation colonial waters. In making this decision, Aang guided Appa further out to see, stopping at whatever stranded island that they could find. Jeong Jeong had been kind enough to furtively pack many provisions onto Appa, which they had been very grateful for. Those provisions allowed them to stay away from the larger villages and avoid preying eyes that might sell their location or direction to the Fire Nation. That was likely how they had been able to constantly find us. Aang had mused earlier during the day.
Right now, it was beginning to get dark, Appa was tired, and Aang had not yet found an island. "Sorry buddy, if we don't find an island soon, we might have to fly through the night." Appa grunted in protest: "I know buddy, but I'll stay up with you."
"You can stay up, but I'm going to sleep" Toph said as she rolled over in the saddle.
As time passed on, it got darker and harder to see anything as it was not a full moon any longer. Aang silently guided Appa Northwards, both he and Toph had decided that they would head straight to the North Pole from the Fire Nation colony to avoid any further dangerous situations. Though Toph could not see at the North Pole, they had little choice and Toph did not, by anyway, want to go home so she by default decided to tag along for the ride.
As Aang lay awake, encouraging his bison onward, he had time to think and meditate: I wonder how much longer it will take to get to the North Pole? I wonder how Sokka and Katara are doing, hopefully they have met up with their father by now.. Aang did consequently still miss them, but the sting of abandonment had long ago left him, it was replaced by understanding and regret for what he had done. When this war is over, I'll make a trip down to the South Pole to apologize to them. Another voice inside his head continued to tell him that there was no point, they had made their decision, but Aang would have none of that. He knew that he had hurt them, but he desperately wanted to still be friends with them, but if they did not want that from them, he would leave and never return.
At was at this point that Aang had snapped out of his thoughts, right after his bison splashed into the icy water, too tired to continue. Toph quickly had woken up: "Oh great, now we have to swim to the North Pole!"
Aang rolled his eyes and took out his map again, though he could barely see anything, he could just make out the lines that separated Earth Kingdom waters from Northern Waters. They were definitely close to the Northern Water Tribe, he just had no idea where he exactly was. He quickly turned towards Toph and reassured her: "Calm down Toph, we'll get there in a few days, I promise!"
After this short argument, both Toph and Aang slept fitfully as the ride was cold and slow. By the morning, both Toph and Aang were freezing beyond belief: "If we don't make it their soon Twinkletoes, we're gonna freeze to death!"
Just in that moment, a large ice column came up from the ocean and latched itself onto Appa, who had no fight left in him to try and free himself. "What's happening?!" Toph screamed.
Aang stood up in an airbending stance, ready to fight: "We're under attack!"
When Aang was about to fight back, he noticed the large number of Water Tribe symbols on the sides of the canoes. It was then that he knew that they had made it to the Northern Water Tribe.
I know, this chapter is shorter than my previous ones, but I think I might be coming down with something and school is pouring work on. I'm glad that you guys loved my last chapter and I hope you like this one just as much. Now I know a lot of people will ask, why didn't you include the Northern Air Temple?! To answer that, I'm just gonna say that I had a better place to inject that into my story, so don't worry, it will be in the story, just not quite yet. Now onto the review responses!
AvatarCat13: I knew I needed someone close to Aang to get burned, otherwise he wouldn't have learned restraint. As for Hakoda meeting up with Katara and Sokka, I hope it turned out ok, that part took the longest to write for me as I kept changing it and starting over lol. Thank you for the compliments as always, BTW: I really like the last chapter of Kataang Island Adventure and will likely review it later on, (I just haven't had the time as of late to review stories I like as I try to put a decent amount of thought into what I say.)
FlameoInstantNoodles: You're still making me laugh with every review you post for my story. In a more serious note, I don't try and judge myself, but I like to try and better myself through pointing out my on errors, if that makes sense? And I know I should let you guys as my reviewers be the judge of my writing abilities, I will try harder to do so. Sorry I haven't posted in a few days, I started this chapter but did not have time to finish it due to other pressing issues coming up. As always, thanks for the praise and compliments and keep those reviews coming!
Amazing Guest: I'm just gonna give you that name now, so you know who you are for sure mystery guest. Lol I do really appreciate all the reviews you posted and all the praise that came along with them. Now onto your actual review! I love Katara as well, she shows what a real woman is, strong, yet emotional and caring at the same time. Even though I'm a guy, more men should strive to show the amount of emotion and self-sacrifice that she displays through the series. I always thought her as the leader and the mature one throughout the series and that transmits into my story as well. I did consciously decided to make Aang grow up a little bit, but he can be an immature goofball if he wants still. But you'll see his grown up leadership qualities in a few chapters.
Thanks for all the review guys for this chapter, keep them coming! The next chapter might take a little while to get out though, so keep your eyes open for it!
