Hello, all you amazing readers! I present to you another chapter of The Avatar Rebels. I hope you enjoy. The more I work on this, the more ideas I get. It's getting as thrilling for me as it is for you!
KingRock980: I completely understand about Feng. Also, about Zuko and Aang, their friendship is quite the strange one. On one hand, Aang and 'Lee' are have probably gotten closer since their mission together, not to mention that Aang was friends with Zuko before he got brainwashed. On the other hand, Aang hates Zuko now. Can you really be friends with someone you hate? What do you think? Is it a real friendship, or isn't it?
prettyshon10: You're welcome for the advice. I'd help you out more, but I don't have a Youtube account, so I've never bothered to learn how to make an AMV. Don't feel pressured, though, to get it done. I just have a little task that I think you might enjoy doing. Anyway, so your vote is for insane Avatar? It would be chaotic and devastating, especially if Aang learned to control the Avatar State. Still, could I live with myself if I did that? Could I really just break my all-time animated dream guy? The whole thing would be heartbreaking for me to write! I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Btw, thanks for telling me about that picture! As you can probably tell, it is now my profile pic. I'm telling you, that picture is the essence of me. :)
Mz topsy turvy: i'm just glad you reviewed at all. The praise you gave this story really means a lot. Really, I'm so glad that you love it so much! That makes me feel so good and proud of this story. Let me know if there is anything I need to work on, and thanks for your wonderful compliments. You made me feel great! :)
Disclaimer: I do not own A:TLA.
This chapter is dedicated to KingRock980.
Okay, it's time for the part that you guys really care about, STORY TIME!
Chapter 10 Part 1: Regarding Katara
"Aang, can we talk...in private?"
It was the day after the return of Aang and Zuko from their mission, and Katara, who had been extremely frustrated at not being able to talk to her boyfriend, was more determined than ever to have a conversation with the Avatar. However, this was easier said than done. Aang seemed to talk to Zuko all the time, and he was sometimes willing to talk to Toph and Sokka, but he never, ever talked to Katara.
Katara was genuinely stung, though she knew it wasn't the boy's fault, and she knew that this was actually a step in the right direction, even if it didn't feel like it. Still, the waterbender was extremely jealous. No, she wasn't a jealous girlfriend. She was a jealous best friend. Before she was the Avatar's girlfriend, she was his best friend. He had always been closest to her. He opened up to the Katara whenever he had a problem. He had been the one who made Katara laugh when she felt like crying. The former monk could always make Katara feel better, and vice versa. The two of them had been an unbreakable pair since before they even got together, but now that all seemed like a distant memory. It was like Katara and Aang only barely knew each other. The inseparable pair, labeled "Kataang" by the public, were now a thing of the past. Aang acted as if he had never met Katara. Katara realized, in dismay, that her little Avatar, her little monk, her big-eared goofball, was drifting further and further away.
"Sorry, what did you say, Namika?" Aang asked, turning to the girl.
"Can we please talk?" Katara repeated patiently.
"Oh, uh, sorry, Namika, I can't right now. I have a meeting with the Dai Li."
"Don't you have a little time?" Katara pressed. She wouldn't give up that easily.
Aang was about to say no, but one look at "Namika" screamed for him to do otherwise. Her fists were clenched, a definite tell that she was holding strong emotions back. Her face was getting red, which meant that she was either mad or frustrated.
It was her eyes that did it for Aang. "Namika's" eyes were pools of desire, anger, frustration, pain, and downright misery. Aang realized, with a pang, that he was the cause of these emotions. The boy was suddenly overcome with a strange urge to comfort the obviously hurting girl. It was as if he could feel the girl's pain. He wanted oh so desperately to make her feel better.
"Look, I can't now, but, um, how about later? We can talk after my session with the Dai Li, or, uh, after I've recovered from it," Aang suggested.
"What, really?! Of course, I would love to! See you then!" Katara immediately ran off to the rest of the new recruits, leaving a fairly stunned Aang behind. The departure of "Namika" seemed to have snapped Aang out of whatever trance he had been in. Now, as he watched her go, he had to wonder. Since when do I care so much about Namika?
"Katara is a terrible person. She never loved you. She betrays all her friends. She's a liar, and cares for no one but herself."
"You're a...liar."
Feng suppressed a sigh. He had been working with Aang for awhile now, and the Avatar now hated Zuko, for being willing to do anything to get what he wants, Toph, for being selfish, uncaring, and full of herself, and Sokka, for never excepting the boy and singling him out. There was just one last obstacle. This was Katara.
Apparently, Aang could never hate Katara. He couldn't even be slightly irritated at the waterbender for long! Feng had tried everything he could think of, but Katara just hadn't done anything to upset the young airbender. Everything that could possibly make her look bad, the Avatar blamed himself for! How could he try to make Katara look bad if Aang didn't blame her for anything?
That was when an idea struck the hypnotist. If Katara didn't do anything, then he could just blame her for something.
"Aang," he began, "What brings you the most pain?"
There was a pause, as sorting his thoughts enough to answer questions was difficult for the Avatar in this mind-numbing state, and then the boy finally said, "Air Nomads…dead…"
"Is there anything else that causes you pain?"
"I-i...my headaches…my visions...confusing...two people...one body…"
Feng frowned slightly at this, but said, "Katara was the one who started those visions. She was the one who injured you, and because of that, you now have these confusing visions."
Aang remained silent.
Feng continued, "Katara supported the slaughter of the Air Nomads. She laughs every time their death is brought up."
"Katara...wouldn't…" Aang mumbled.
"Katara mocks the Air Nomads and laughs at the thought of their demise. She gave you your confusing visions as well."
"No...not...Katara..."
"Katara mocks the Air Nomads and laughs at the thought of their demise. She gave you your confusing visions as well."
"Katara...wishes...airbenders...alive…"
"Katara mocks the Air Nomads and laughs at the thought of their demise. She gave you your confusing visions as well."
"Katara...nnn…" Aang couldn't even manage to say no. Feng could tell that the young Avatar was at his breaking point.
"Katara mocks the Air Nomads and laughs at the thought of their demise. She gave you your confusing visions as well."
"Tara…"
"Katara mocks the Air Nomads and laughs at the thought of their demise. She gave you your confusing visions as well."
There was a long silence, as if Aang were thinking the matter over, and finally, the boy slowly uttered, "Maybe…"
"Hi, Aang! You ready?"
The cheerful voice of none other than "Namika" seemed to snap Aang out of whatever trance he had entered, and he turned to face the girl.
"Oh, hey, Namika!" Aang forced a fake smile to etch its way onto his face. He wanted to keep "Namika" happy, even if he barely knew her. The thought of the girl in front of him being sad seemed to be a very unpleasant thing, though he didn't know why.
Katara, however, knew Aang much better than he thought, and she could easily tell that his smile was fake. He didn't have that usual spark in his eyes. Not only that, but Katara, who cherished every single one of Aang's signature grins, could easily pick out a fraud. However, the waterbender said nothing, and together, the two walked off in a not so companionable, much more awkward, silence.
"So, Aang, where do you want to go?" Katara asked curiously.
"Hm, I actually didn't think about that. Let's see...Oh! I know just the place!" Aang grabbed Katara by the wrist and dashed off, the bewildered girl holding back laughter at Aang's childlike excitement.
They dashed through hall after hall. Aang knew the way by heart, and so they got to his desired area in no time.
It was down a tunnel that looked very much unused. As it was so unused, there were no torches, and so the tunnel was nearly pitch black. Katara knew that Aang must have the path memorized if he could find his way through this.
"Ok, here we are!" Aang announced cheerfully. The young airbender crept through a small opening in the left wall of the tunnel. Katara eyed the opening doubtfully.
"Namika, you coming?" Aang peered at her through the hole.
"Uh, yeah, be right there," Katara replied unsurely. She wasn't twelve anymore, after all. Finally working up the courage, the waterbender crouched down and maneuvered her way through the hole and into the room beyond it. The sight that greeted her left the waterbender breathless.
There were carvings of all four elemental symbols on the circular walls. There were also statues of the various Avatars aligned with the walls. The roof was just as brilliant. Katara could see countless bright, shining stars against the dark-colored blanket of the night sky.
Katara gasped, "Aang…"
Aang smiled at her, "What do you think?"
"I-you-it's amazing!" Katara sputtered.
"Thanks," Aang grinned. Maybe this wouldn't be too bad after all…
"Did you make this all on your own?" Katara asked in astonishment.
"Yup, it was an extra room that the rest of the Rebels never used, so I just decorated it a bit," Aang admitted, before sending Katara a suspicious look. "You won't mind keeping this place a secret, will you?" he asked.
"Of course not, Aang," Katara assured the airbender. She walked off and began to examine the Avatar statues. Her companion followed.
"So, why'd you make this place?" Katara inquired.
Aang didn't answer immediately. He was gazing at the stars contemplatively.
"Aang?"
Aang turned to regard "Namika." The boy wasn't sure he wanted to tell her that yet. He still wasn't sure if he should've showed her his secret room. He had taken her here on an impulse, really. The girl just seemed so trustworthy. Aang felt like he could tell her anything. It was really hard not to open up with her around. Still, this room's true purpose was a very private matter. Aang didn't think it would do him any good to tell someone he barely knew about it. Aang looked doubtfully at his fellow Rebel.
Katara got the message, and changed the subject. "What's with all the statues?" she asked, gesturing to the earthen Avatar figures.
"I don't know," Aang admitted, "I just make them."
"Why?"
"Well, that brings us back to why I made this room in the first place."
What? Why am I telling her all of this? The Avatar mentally berated himself.
"How did you make all of this without earthbending?" Katara was full of questions.
"Once again, the answer is that I don't know. I come here, close my eyes, and let loose. When I open them again, I see a new decoration," Aang told the girl, once again opening up against his will. In order to avoid more questions about his room, he changed the subject.
"You wanted to talk to me about something?"
Katara nearly slapped herself in the forehead. She'd almost forgotten about talking to Aang when she saw his room. It just amazed her that Aang, who thought he was a Rebel, would make something like this.
"Oh, right, well, let's ignore that for now. I'd rather just enjoy being here at the moment."
Katara wanted to talk to Aang, but she could read the boy as easily as a book, and she could tell that he wasn't ready to open up to her. If she pried now, it probably wouldn't go well, and Aang would avoid her even more. She needed to get closer to him. She needed to try and reform their bond, which had been harshly severed since Aang had been brainwashed.
"Okay, then we'll just hang out, I guess."
Katara and Aang spent about an hour talking in that room, and it was quite pleasant. They commented on random things, and some of their conversations were just plain odd, but whatever they talked about, there was laughter and a sense of happiness. Aang, throughout all that had happened to him, could still make his girlfriend laugh.
"So this Rebel who has it out for me, I swear, was teaching us one day, and she asks us all to produce a flame. I wanted to keep my flame small, because I didn't want to show off or anything, and being Khon's apprentice already makes kids send me jealous looks. Unfortunately, the instructor decided to use my small flame against me."
"What did she do?" Katara asked.
"She walks up to me and says, 'Oh, Aang, you are so weak. Your flame is so small!' Guess what I said back," Aang was smirking by now.
"What?"
"I said, 'My flame is only as small as your brain, ma'am.' I managed to earn myself ten hog-squats, but it was worth it!"
Katara and Aang burst into yet another fit of laughter. After a few more stories, they decided to head back.
"Er, maybe we could do this again some time?" Katara suggested hesitantly.
"Yeah, it was fun! How about tomorrow?"
Thus began Katara and Aang's ritual of visiting that secret room every night. Aang got really bad headaches from their meetings, but as far as he was concerned, it was worth every single vision.
Katara was just as happy with the meetings. It was great to talk to Aang again, and she was thrilled that Aang didn't ignore her any more. Also, every time she met up with Aang, she got a little closer to him, and he got a little more ready for the inevitable talk that was to occur. Slowly but surely, their bond was coming back.
Feng approached the Fire Nation princess' room nervously. It was time for Azula to attempt to fulfill her end of their bargain. The air seemed charged with tension, and the slightest noise had the hypnotist in a fighting stance. He'd nearly killed a small rodent when it had dashed in front of him, even though mice and rats were very common in the Rebel camp.
Feng felt as if the world was waiting, waiting for something to happen. Waiting for that moment when someone breaks the silence. Waiting for that moment when someone makes the first move in a game of pai sho. Waiting for someone to make the first move in an Agni Kai.
The Dai Li hypnotist knew what the outcome of this would decide. If all went as he planned, Aang would have his sanity, and Feng wouldn't have to endure Azula's threats any longer, but if all went as Azula planned, then Aang would lose his sanity, and Feng would have to watch the boy go mad, knowing that it was all his fault.
Feng knocked on Azula's door. He almost hoped she wasn't there. However, the man wasn't that lucky, and the Fire Nation princess opened the door almost as soon as it was knocked upon.
"I am glad you finally came," she grinned at him, and the Dai Li agent suppressed a shudder at how crazed she looked. He hoped that he would never have to see Aang look like that.
"Are you ready, Your Majesty?" Feng questioned, and though he already knew the answer, he sincerely hoped she said no.
"I've been ready," Azula responded with a maniacal laugh.
"Then let us begin," said Feng, holding back a sigh.
"Yes, it's time, time to kidnap the Avatar."
Chapter 10 Part 2: The Plot
Katara and Aang were sitting in companionable silence that night, content to just be with each other. This is it, Katara told herself. It's time to talk to Aang.
She and Aang had gotten very close by now. They still hadn't achieved the bond they'd had, that would only come back with the restoration of Aang's memories, but they were getting to be very good friends. Aang might not be in love with her anymore, but he was ready to hear what Katara had to say, and Katara was fairly certain she'd seen him blush around her. That meant that he might have a crush on her now, which was one step closer to their old love.
"Um, Aang, remember how I wanted to talk to you?" Katara began.
"Yeah, I do. Why you ask?" Aang replied, turning to his friend.
"Well, I think it's time I talked to you," said Katara, hoping Aang wouldn't be upset.
"Uh, okay, go ahead," Aang said, and Katara was happy to notice that he seemed to be open to talking.
"Alright, I guess I'll start by asking: Why did you avoid me, back before we started meeting?"
Aang gulped, and a look of extreme discomfort and guilt crossed his face.
"You don't have to answer," Katara assured the boy. She didn't want to rush him.
"N-no, I will. It's just, this is a hard subject for me."
Katara placed her hand on Aang's shoulder in an effort to comfort him. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"
Aang looked into her eyes, and he knew he could believe her. Her eyes seemed to be singing, singing of how the girl they belonged to was completely trustworthy, of how she would do anything for him, as if he could rely on her.
'Well, alright, I guess it all began with the visions."
"The what?" Katara asked, slightly afraid that her boyfriend was having visions.
"The visions. I suppose you'll want to know how I got them?" When Katara nodded, he continued, "I started getting them a few months ago, after I was injured."
"You were injured?" Katara already knew the real story, that Aang was brainwashed, but she wanted to know what the Rebels had told Aang.
"Yup, I was injured. I was actually a very strong, powerful Rebel before my injury, but I can't remember any of it. According to Khon, I was captured by Team Avatar," Katara winced as Aang's eyes filled with hate, but Aang didn't see.
Aang, eyes filling with even more anger and pain, continued, "Originally, they were going to treat me civilly, but one of them, Katara, had a different fate for me in mind. She constantly came to my cell and tortured me, and eventually, I went mad."
Katara wanted to gasp, but she held back. How dare those Rebels even consider making Aang think she would torture him?! Now Aang thought Katara had driven him mad! Katara found it hard not to protest, but she managed to hold her tongue.
"Katara scarred me, mentally and physically, but somehow, Khon and the other Rebels managed to get me out before I was too far gone. I kept my sanity, but I still have to deal with visions, accompanied by painful headaches. I have sessions with Feng and the rest of the Dai Li to help me get back to normal."
When Katara could recover from her shock and anger, she said, "I still don't see what that has to do with you avoiding me."
"I'm getting there. Anyway, I know to attack or avoid anyone who gives me those visions, and apparently, you and the rest of the new recruits bring them on. I began to feel guilty for avoiding you, however, so I started to hang out with your friends more. I would've spent time with you too, but you happen to bring on the most painful headaches, so I continued to avoid you. I'm sorry, Namika, really."
Katara couldn't help it. She tackled Aang with a hug and whispered, "You didn't do anything wrong, Aang. You've just been wronged."
"Where is he?!" Azula very nearly yelled. She'd checked the Central Plaza, all the Divisions, the Dai Li Hypnotics Chamber, and she'd even peeked inside Khon's chamber, who was luckily asleep.
"I'm not sure," Feng, who was just beginning to feel a bit of hope, answered.
"I've checked everywhere!" Azula yelled.
That was when they'd heard the yell.
"I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO BELIEVE!"
Feng gulped.
"You know, my visions are the reason I made this room," Aang said a few minutes after he and Katara had broken apart, gesturing to the surrounding area.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I was looking for a way to relieve the pain of the visions, and that's when I stumbled upon this place. When I found it, I got an idea. What if I closed my eyes and let it out? What if I expressed my visions? Maybe if I expressed my visions in here, they wouldn't bother me so much throughout the day. So I started coming here at night. I closed my eyes, and when I opened them, a new decoration had appeared."
"Are the visions really that bad?"
"You have no idea. It's like there's a battle inside my mind! There's a constant pounding in my head! No matter how hard I try, I still have a second person inside of me, and sometimes, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO BELIEVE!" Aang was trembling by this point, and Katara thought she even saw the barely visible arrow on his head, which he had decided to show Katara, glow. He had stood up, and the boy was now taking heavy, ragged breaths.
Katara stood up as well, and began to comfort him, "Aang, I'm sorry. I know it's hard, but I also know that you're strong, and you'll pull through. You should have never had this happen to you, and I hate it, really. It hurts me to see you so upset. Just know this. I'll be there for you through it all."
"Why would you do that for me? You don't even know me that well," Aang pointed out doubtfully.
I know you more than you think, Katara thought mournfully, but what she said was, "I may not know you that well, but I can tell that you're suffering, and as your friend, I do not like seeing you go through this." Katara's words struck Aang right in the heart. How could someone be so kind and loving? How could someone care about him so much?
"Namika…"
Aang felt a rush of affection for "Namika" surge through his body, and a sort of warmth pulsed within him. He began to lean in, and Katara did the same.
However, just as their lips were about to touch, a terrible thing happened.
Suddenly, the earth around Aang began to shake, and he was encased in a mound of earth. Shocked, Katara spun around as the voice of Azula permeated the room.
"Sorry to break up your date, but the Avatar's coming with me," Azula said. Katara knew the odds of winning this fight were low, as Azula had the Dai Li with her.
"Avatar? What are you talking about?!" Aang was trying to escape the earthen mound that he was trapped in, but it was all in vain.
"Silence!" Azula snapped. She motioned for the Dai Li to get Aang.
Katara was in a state of panic. She had no water to bend! How could she even stand a chance of defending Aang if there was nothing to defend him with. That was when she remembered. There was water here, and though she hated to follow the advice of the inventor of bloodbending, she had to. At least she didn't have to bloodbend yet.
She felt for the moisture within the air. Katara felt the tiny droplets dangling around, suspended there. Taking a deep breath, she froze the droplets closest to her and sent the shards of ice at Azula. Azula dodged, and looked in shock at Katara. She had just taken in her appearance.
"Y-you're, YOU'RE THE WATER TRIBE PEASANT! YOU ARE THE ONE WHO BROUGHT ON MY DEMISE! I WILL GET MY REVENGE!" Katara braced herself as Aang looked at her in shock. A battle was about to go down.
Whereas the old Azula would have made the Dai Li fight, this was not the old Azula. This was a mentally unstable Azula who wanted revenge. She wanted Katara all to herself, and she told the Dai Li that.
Azula blasted blue balls of fire at Katara, who just managed to dodge. Katara then countered with more ice shards, which Azula blocked using small fire blasts. She then made a fire-whip for each of her fists, and slashed them at Katara. Katara countered with a water-whip. The attacks collided, and Katara quickly made another water-whip to help defend herself.
They continued attack each other with the whips, and steam had begun to fill the room, making it difficult to see anything. Azula screeched in fury, the steam frustrating her. At first, Katara was annoyed too, but then she realized. Steam was just hot water.
Smirking, Katara used one of her water-whips to free Aang, dropping the other one. Grabbing the Avatar, she used the steam to make a giant wave, and the two escaped the room together.
"AFTER THE AVATAR!" Azula screamed. The Dai Li followed the order, and Feng considered himself lucky that he didn't have to participate.
Everyone had been woken up by Azula's frantic screaming, and the entire base was in a state of chaos. Katara navigated her way through the crowd, searching for the rest of Team Avatar, Aang struggling to keep up.
"Y-you're a waterbender?!" he gasped.
"No time to explain, Aang!" Katara responded before finally spotting the three she was looking for.
She didn't have to call for them, as Toph could feel her and Aang's footprints, and a few seconds later, the group was reunited.
"What's going on?" Sokka asked.
"Azula! She wants Aang!" Katara informed them.
"I don't know why she does! She keeps calling me the Avatar!" Aang exclaimed.
"We need to get out of here," Zuko's voice took on that of a leader's.
"I don't think anyone will notice us leaving in this crowd," said Sokka.
"And I'll be able to tell if Azula's coming!" Toph pounded her fists together.
Unfortunately, Feng had followed Katara and Aang, and when he had heard that they were planning to escape, he knew he had to stop him. He didn't want Azula to get the boy, but he also didn't want Aang to get away. Khon would not be happy in the slightest.
Feng caught up to the group, and, staying out of eyesight of the others, he called to Aang, "Aang, over here!" He managed to catch the boy's attention.
"Come with me," said Feng, motioning for Aang to come to him.
Aang cast an unsure glance back at the new recruits, particularly at "Namika." Who should he go with?
Perhaps if this had been a choice between Katara and Feng, he might've gone with Katara. However, this was a choice between "Namika" and Feng, and that was not a hard choice at all. He followed the hypnotist. Unfortunately, Toph was too preoccupied to notice that Twinkletoes was slipping away.
Aang followed Feng through the crowd.
"What's going on?" he asked once they had stopped.
Before Feng could respond, a very unwanted person came up behind him.
"Good work, Feng, you got him."
Feng gulped. It was Azula.
Katara, Toph, Zuko, and Sokka gasped for breath as they reached the outside.
"We m-made it!" Sokka pounded his fist in the air.
"Not all of us," Toph realized in horror, "Aang's gone!"
"WHAT?!" Katara screamed.
"Oh no. No no no no no no no no," Sokka moaned. He had just turned around to go back, when he saw a line of Rebel soldiers running at them. Apparently, word of their identity had spread through the base.
'We have to go back!" Katara yelled, running at the line of soldiers.
"We can't," Sokka sighed, grabbing Katara. "They know who we are."
"But we can't just leave him!" Katara yelled.
"Sokka's right, we can't go back. If we try, we'll get captured," said Zuko.
"But-"
"Think of it like this, Katara. If they catch us, they might brainwash us. We'll have to leave now and come back for Aang," Toph reasoned. She managed to get through to Katara, and what was left of Team Avatar ran away.
What did you think? Did you like the fight scene? I honestly really wanted to write about Azula's plot, and so I made this a two-parter. Review and tell me your opinion! :)