A/N: The characters of the Avatar Universe are in no way owned by me. But, I still love writing them.
Welcome back! Thank you two my reviewers for the last chapter, I got a huge laugh out of Stegosaurus1412's "Oh bugger..." and Kael, you've left two reviews now and it makes me happy to read them! You're so sweet!
I had a lot of fun writing this coming chapter, I'm not very experience it writing fighting scenes so I sort of glossed over those a bit. I hope you enjoy what I've got in store for you!
"Hurry, Appa!" I cried as he dodged another attack. I cursed myself for leaving my staff behind. It was leaning beside the window in my room, where I'd stupidly left it after flying around this afternoon. We were still over the ocean, minutes away from the palace but it felt like we'd take days. I'd been in the air for a long time, how long did it take for the ships below to notice me? Were they attacking from the coast or were there traitors within the castle? Everyone had been asleep when I'd left—were they safe?
"Stay in the air, buddy! I'll let you know when I need you." I called before II jumped from my bison's back as soon as the ground was close enough and took off sprinting from the courtyard into the palace. The outside seemed untouched, but the growing roar beyond the walls meant that wouldn't remain the case. The inside was chaos, with staff and occupants running from place to place, and Lu Ten shouting orders to the guards while still shrugging into his armor. He'd been sleeping in the barracks, so it didn't surprise me that he'd been the first to hear of this.
"Aang," his voice dropped its commanding tone as he quickly walked over to me. "What did you see?"
I blinked, my mind still running while I stood motionless. I should have been on my way to see if Katara, Sokka, and Yue were safe, but I stayed, trying to gather my thoughts enough to answer him. "Uh…" I shook my head. "Boats, lots of them. Some of them were Northern, but some of them were Fire Nation."
His brows drew together. "Fire Nation? Under who's flag?"
"Zhao's," I replied. He didn't technically have a flag for his ships, but it was the flag associated with the Fire Nation's aid to the Earth Kingdom, a task that Zhao was in charge of. He'd likely used his power over his men to corrupt their thinking. Those fighting believed they were overthrowing weakness, not realizing that they made the nation weaker.
Weak enough for the North to one day take over.
"How did they get here so quickly?" He growled. "We weren't followed, I made sure of that."
"They were probably hiding on a nearby island. Sangok sent word earlier. He backed down too soon in the throne room."
Lu ten nodded, his gaze looking passed me to the hall.
"Aang!" Katara yelled, throwing her arms around me. "You scared me!" She shouted as she pulled away, poking my shoulder. "When the guards came in saying you weren't in your room, you scared me!"
"I'm fine, Katara," I insisted, resisting the urge to rub the spot she'd jammed her finger agains. Sokka stood behind her, leaning on my staff while chuckling to himself.
He righted when he noticed my stare, still snickering. "I figured you might need this, seeing as your normally never without it."
"Thanks." I took the staff, hoping I'd be able to help with the fires in the city with it. I looked to Lu Ten. "What next?"
"The royal guards have already taken my family to the safe house; I stayed behind to escort you there. It's beneath the palace—" a loud noise interrupted his words, making the four of us flinch.
"What was that?" Yue gasped, her eyes widening.
Lu Ten frowned. "The gates the courtyard. They're being breached." He jerked his head in the opposite direction. "We have to hurry."
I shook my head. "Take everyone else," I told him. Gently pushing Katara into Lu Ten's arms. "I'll try to talk some reason into Sangok and Zhao. Attacking the Fire Nation when we promised peace was foolish, maybe I can get them to back down."
"Aang, no!" Katara snapped. "You don't even know where Sangok is out there. You're going to get yourself killed."
"What else should I do?" I snapped back. "I can't hide; not while the people of the Fire Nation are suffering. My life is not more important than theirs, Katara. I have to protect them."
"Let the military protect them, Avatar. Sunrise is not far off, soon our soldiers will have an advantage over theirs. They cannot keep this up forever when the sun is on our side."
"Yes, they can, Lu Ten, or did you forget there are Fire Nation dissenters out there, fighting against your people?" I snapped open the glider, watching the gates to the palace bend under the pressure of the battering ram through the window. "Get Katara and the others to the shelter, Lu Ten. I'll come find you when I can." I'd been shown the shelter before, I knew the way.
He nodded, never one to ignore an order, and took Katara's arm, tugging her toward the hidden passage down the hall.
"Aang," she shouted, struggling against his and Sokka's grip. Tears brimmed her eyes as she planted her feet, her eyes fierce and firm. She looked like she had so much to say, but no time to say it. For weeks, we'd been here, growing together and learning about the other in ways we hadn't been able to for so many years. Finally, every dream either of us had ever had about the other was coming true. It was impossible to believe that our story had us falling in love while the world fell to pieces around us. We both felt guilty for it, letting our feelings show rather than giving the problems of the world our full attention. Her eyes were full of regret, realizing I might not return from this. Avatar Roku had died protecting his island, and I could die protecting the capital. I wondered if she had come to the same realization I did. I could die, today, and rather than enjoying our time together, we'd spent it dancing around our feelings instead of admitting to them.
"Be careful," she finally said, sounding more like a command than a request. I heard the words underneath it, though. I love you, come back to me.
"I will," I promised and flew into the sky.
The gates burst open while I was lunging through the air, and slammed shut again with the force of air I sent sailing toward the insurgents with the tail of my glider. Landing firmly on my feet, I secured my stance and pulled a wall of earth into the gateway, buying Lu Ten and the others a little more time to get to safety. The scattering servants had already hidden themselves away in the secret rooms hidden throughout the palace. They were easier to find and not nearly as easy to defend, which was why Sozin had the bunker constructed in the volcano. Few knew about it, and even though it was a reminder of unstable times, it still served the family greatly in the times of unrest after the treaty. I'd hidden there with them once or twice when I was learning to firebend. Mostly for drills. The family tried to keep each other versed for what to do in emergencies.
I jumped to the top of the wall, sending a burst of air slicing through the fire and ice sent in my direction. Earth creeped up around their knees, securing the men and women in place. "Where are your leaders?" I seethed when I didn't see Sangok or Zhao among them. They couldn't be far. Sangok and Zhao were soldiers—they wouldn't hide on their ships and let others fight for them.
Wide eyed and probably unaware of what they'd gotten themselves into, the soldiers stared, mouths hanging open. They'd signed up for a siege of the palace, not a fight with the most powerful bender in the world. Even with their numbers, they were outmatched and they knew it.
I repeated the question, trying to sound a bit calmer.
"He's on the mountainside," one finally spoke, instantly hushed by her peers.
My heart jumped to my throat. "What? Why?"
The firebender next to her spoke next, laughing as he did. "Zhao used to work in the palace as a guard before he worked his way through the ranks. Every palace guard—"
"Knows about the bunker." I finished.
Oh, no.
I threw the glider in the air, hopping on as I prayed to the spirits that everyone was safe. The rest of the Fire Lord's forces could handle the city. I needed to find Sangok and Zhao.
The sun was rising now, not yet over the horizon, but it was light enough for me to see the billow of smoke and dirt on the mountainside where Sangok and Zhao were digging into the passageways that led to the hideout. I could handle the two of them easily enough with the power of the Avatar State, it might not be the smoothest of battles, but so long as I could subdue them quickly, we could make it out of here.
I landed, a ring of air clearing away the dirt and smoke, revealing a smug Water Nation solider and a cocky Fire Nation general looking unsurprised. In addition to thirty other Fire Nation and Northern soldiers. Against the mountainside were three earthbenders, looking ragged and tired. I suspected the didn't have a choice to be here.
I really should have looked before I landed. Two of them would be simple. Thirty of them posed a challenge. I couldn't protect my back from all of them.
I swallowed, suddenly not liking my odds.
"Well, well, Avatar," Zhao mused, "I am disappointed. I bet Sangok you'd get here much sooner."
Cornered or not, I would not back down. The people of the Fire Nation needed me, and I would not abandon them like I had my people. "Both of you, stand down," I snarled. "You don't want to do this."
Sangok smirked. "You're right. I can only speak for myself, but I don't want to do this. You forced my hand when you didn't make the Firelord hand over the Princess. You caused this Aang, not me. I warned you there would be consequences."
"I told you, everyone needed time," I shot back. "All you had to do was let the Fire Lord think things over and make his decision. Instead you've forced his hand! Fire Nation soldiers are already taking down your armies in the city. You're ruining people's lives for no reason!"
"I gave him a week," Sangok snarled. "And then he decided to do nothing while my princess was in his grasps. You understand, Avatar, that my interest is in returning her to her father, and Katara to her husband-to-be. Now, get out of my way!" Sangok lunged forward, a water whip forming from the seal skin bag at his waist, arcing in my direction. Beside him, Zhao thrust his arm forward, a burst of fire emerging from his fist.
I dodged both with ease, twisting in the air and throwing a gust of wind in their direction. I gave them one final warning, a chance to back down and walk away from this peacefully. Zhao laughed at my request, saying he didn't listen to this scrawny waterbender when he approached him years ago just to back down so easily. He threw more fire while Sangok let the water consume his arms and take a more offensive position, using them as whips that lashed out at me whenever I landed. Zhao fired at me in the air, making maneuvering more and more difficult as I had barely any time to land before Sankog would fling ice at me.
"Enough!" I finally cried, my eyes and tattoos flashing white. With a burst of air and a rumble of the earth, the two benders were on their backs, looking up with their eyes wide. "You will not take the capital from the Firelord, your actions violate the treaty written a decade ago, and the world will not stand for it. Earth King Kuei will not permit you to use his people for your own advancement. If you continue down this path, you will lose."
Zhao's mouth twisted into a sickening grin. "No, Avatar," he purred. "You will lose."
I was careless. I was cocky.
I was too focused on Sangok and Zhao. I let my guard down for just one moment. I was too focused on Sangok and Zhao, I let my guard down for just one moment, and then I was sailing, barely able to lift a defense in time, and hit with a blast hard enough to knock me off my feet sent me careening down the mountainside. I tumbled and rolled, blinking in and out of consciousness until finally, the darkness took me.
The last thing I heard was my name. A sweet, alluring voice was calling to me. Coaxing me toward the darkness I slipped into as the other benders surrounding me overwhelmed me, overtook me.
All I could think of was Katara, and how I'd let her down.
"Aang!"
"Katara, stop!" Sokka snapped, gripping my wrist so tightly I nearly flinched. "Let him go, he has to do this and you'll only slow him down."
My eyes narrowed as my heel came down roughly over Sokka's toes. He howled in protest while I made to dig my elbow into Lu Ten's side.
"No, you don't," he hissed, moving out of striking range while keeping a firm grip on my wrist. "I don't like it either, princess, but we need to stay here. You'll only get in his way out there." "The Avatar said to stay with us, you'll only get in his way."
"You don't understand," I yelled, squirming against his grip. They never would understand. Everyone here expected a useless girl from the southern tribe, unable to take care of herself in battle, but I was more than that. I was so, so much more than that. "He doesn't have to do it on his own! We can help him!"
"You're just going to make it worse, Katara," Sokka sighed, tugging on my free wrist. "Come on, we need to get to the bunker before they breach the gates. We'll be safe there."
"We'll be safe there?" I snapped. "Sure, we'll be safe, but what about everyone else? There are innocent people out there who aren't capable of protecting themselves! Fire Nation soldiers are fighting other Fire Nation soldiers—some of them might backdown because they don't want to hurt a friend. As friends of the Avatar, we should be out there, helping keep the peace!"
"What can you do, Katara?" Sokka asked. "You can figure that out, if you want, but there are some people here who need protection. C'mon, Yue." Sokka's arm slipped around her waist, gently leading her toward the hidden door, currently wide open.
"Fine," I ceded, ceasing my thrashing and dutifully following them toward the archway, like the good little useless waterbender the North wanted me to be. I felt that burning in my stomach, revulsion rising inside me. Women were treated like playthings by Arnook and his people. We weren't warriors, we were meek and needed protecting, much like Sokka was treating Yue. She was a dainty snow lily, beautiful to look at, but lacked anything worth merit other than her kindness and loyalty. She'd proven her loyalty to Sokka and had risked her neck for him, but she wasn't going to do anything for the innocent people being put in harm's way. She wasn't going to risk herself for the Avatar that was currently trying to save her life amongst thousands of others.
Rage filled me. Was this what it meant to be from the Water Tribes? Was the North's influence so much that women in both tribes were beaten down to the lesser roles? Did people around the world look at the Water tribe women and shake their heads in pity? Poor girl, they would say, can't defend herself from anything. Well, I wasn't going to give them the chance. I was more than just the woman the Avatar had feelings for. I wouldn't just be his girlfriend—or maybe even wife. I would be more than that. I would be his equal.
"There you are!" Azula's voice filled the cavern. Behind us, the door in the archway was already closing. I had moments before my chance to escape would vanish. Lu Ten was distracted and I broke free, sprinting through the gap and sliding to my freedom. The others were crying out behind me, but the way was shut before they could reach me. I had to get back to my room, I was useless without the water skin I'd had made. I didn't know if I'd have access to water while I was out there.
A small part of me asked what in the Spirit's name I was doing while I retrieved my water skin. I had only a few weeks of defensive training as a bender, but I'd picked it up quickly. I knew how to defend myself. I could do this. I needed to do this. The people beyond the gates needed me. Aang needed me, and I would not fail them.
With the skin full and secured to my side, I stepped into the courtyard in time to see Aang flying back toward the volcano. I silently wished him luck and skated my way over the wall he'd made with a sheet of ice. Landing with a thud, I took off into the streets of the capital, helping where Aang couldn't.
Fire and Water. Two elements that were considered exact opposites. According to our histories, Avatars born in fire had more difficulty learning water. They found the element to wishy-washy. It flowed and ebbed with time, yielded to no one. The bender guided it along, but ultimately, it was its own force. It was rooted in patience. Fire was a fiercer element. It had a purpose—a reason to burn. It would not be tamed, not even guided, for the bender was merely the pawn that released it into the world. There was no fluidity to it. It just consumed.
With that in mind, I couldn't begin to explain how much destruction two opposing elements were causing on this city. It wasn't an invasion force meant to reclaim two princesses. It was a siege. I doused fire after fire, and it only felt like more were emerging. Families were terrified, not sure how much longer their homes would be safe. I didn't have anywhere to send them. The royal family had ducked into hiding rather than offering the palace as a safe house for those fleeing from the insurgents. How could they do that? How could they leave their people to suffer while they hid among their luxuries?
In the South, our village was our family. We didn't leave anyone behind.
"Get inside," I told the families that turned to me with fear in their eyes. "Hide anywhere you can. Don't confront them, and keep each other safe. I'll send someone to help you as soon as I can." I didn't know when that would be, and I didn't know which Fire Nation soldiers to trust. They all looked the same, and there was no way of knowing who was fighting for who when I did cross them in combat. I didn't ask questions when I saw them, instead, I slid through on my patch of ice whacking them around with my water whip, and froze them in place. They'd break free soon enough, but it delayed the fighting at least.
Other waterbenders were more of a challenge. While I was a quick learner, my opponents had years of practice. Being a quick learner with the Avatar for a teacher was beneficial, but it wasn't enough for me to out match them. Instead, I had to outwit them. In confined spaces, waterbenders tended to hold their ground, staying in one place while they would bend. But water wants to fill the spaced of its confinement. I found myself freezing my feet to my sled and careening myself on walls while I incapacitated them. It helped that none of them expected me to be able to defend myself. I was, after all, Hahn's fiancée to them. They weren't expecting me to bend, and while that was infuriating, I used it to my advantage. Everything was going well.
Until it wasn't.
I was sprinting on my feet as I rounded a corner and skidded to a stop, my heart suddenly in my throat beating erratically.
Hahn's back was to me. He'd yet to notice me, and my first thought was: can I get out of here unnoticed? I was done with Hahn, he didn't control me anymore. I had told myself for years that I was with him because it meant I could save my people. For a while, that was true. He never hurt me, but I saw what he was capable of. I saw how driven he was. He would do anything for the Northern Tribe. I would do what I had to protect my people, but even I had my limits, as I found out the night I left the South with Aang. I wasn't sure if I'd make it out of this.
But I had to try. These people needed me to try.
"Hahn," I said softly. He tilted his head, as if he didn't trust his hearing. "Hahn," I said again, louder this time. My feet were light, but my stance was defensive, ready to strike if needed.
He turned, his eyes widening with both surprise and then softening in relief. "Katara," my name left his lips like a prayer, leaving me more confused.
"I got your note."
His brow furrowed in confusion. "What note?"
What? "Don't play games with me, Hahn."
"Games?" He scoffed. "Katara, I came here to find you. When I got word the Avatar was holding you here, I came as soon as I heard. I wasn't going to let you be held hostage by that monster abusing his power any longer. I've been here for weeks and Zhao and Sangok wouldn't let me off the stupid boat."
I blinked. "What? I'm not a hostage, Hahn. I got tired of being a pawn in this political warfare and left! I got tired of being treated like property and got out before I was officially made your property!"
His shoulders sagged and his stance wavered as if I'd just delivered a blow to the gut. I guess I had, since he clearly didn't understand what was going on in this war. "Katara…you never were going to be my property. Where would you get such an idea?" He frowned. "Did Aang tell you that?"
I wanted to scream. No, he didn't. He helped me realize that I didn't have to put up with such a life. "I was never given a choice, Hahn. I was only allowed to learn how to heal. I couldn't learn to defend myself because that was your job. Our whole betrothal is some political scheme done by your chief to gain control over the South! I won't be part of that, Hahn."
His look was defiant, disbelieving. I wasn't the placated daughter of a chieftan any longer. He shook his head. "The Avatar has done something to you, Katara," he said softly. "I'm sorry it has to be this way." He jerked his head and water came surging toward me.
I'd run through this exact scenario with Aang a hundred times. Block and counter. Block and counter. Water was not an offensive element, striking out defensively would be my best bet. But I was only an intermediate student and four expert benders as well as ground soldier were too much for me. I might be stubborn, but even I could admit when the odds were against me. I would only last so long.
"HEY!"
The rising sun caught on a projectile sailing through the air, colliding with the heads of two of my opponents before arcing back in the air, to the hand of my brother, riding in the saddle of a bison.
"Don't touch my sister," Sokka seethed as Zuko and Azula jumped down, pummeling the remaining benders with their own fists of fire. They distracted them while Sokka pulled me up into the saddle, joining us when I was finally safe.
"What are you doing?" I gasped as we took off into the sky. "I thought it was too dangerous, Sokka."
He shrugged. "It is, but I wasn't going to leave you out there. Appa found us in the courtyard trying to find a way over that wall. We searched the city for you. Now we need to find Aang."
I swallowed, hoping he was okay as I grabbed the bison's reins and steered him toward the volcano. Hahn's shouts faded in the distance, but my heart still hammered in my chest. Was it possible that he was just a pawn in this game, too?
I had my answer sooner than I would have hoped when we heard the pained cry from the mountain side. Appa dived upon hearing it, and I cried out the moment I saw the wall of ice and fire meet Aang's back. He threw up a defensive wall of air, but it wasn't fast enough. The collision sent him flying, and he landed a short way away.
He didn't get up.
"Aang, no!" We all jumped off Appa as soon as he was close enough to the ground. I only had eyes for Aang. I have no idea how we escaped when the enemy was trying to pursue him, but I suspected Zuko's and Azula's skill in firebending was a large part of the reason we weren't disturbed.
Aang was unconscious when I reached him, breathing but unconscious. Yue helped me carry him to the saddle, and we left as soon as we'd landed.
"Head to Kioshi Island," Azula told Zuko as he took the reins. "Aang has friends there."
Tears streaked my cheeks as he lay against the saddle. I set to work on healing him, the burns fading as fast as I could will them. How could he be so careless? He walked into a situation where he was out numbered and overpowered. He was smarter and stronger than that.
"C'mon, Aang," I whispered. Everyone else was on the other side of the saddle, giving me some space to work in. "Please," I whispered, sitting back and burying my head into my knees. My job was done. It was up to him now. "You promised to come back to me." I didn't have to say it out loud when he left. He knew what I was really saying. "You promised."
I'm mean. I left you all hanging with a cliff hanger. But, I promise this update will come out soon, I've already got a lot of it written out!
I know previously when I shifted to Katara's POV I went third person, but after writing Sokka's chapter, I decided occasionally switching to first person for others that aren't Aang was fine. It was especially easy to get into Katara's head. She's got so much passion that it basically pours from my fingers.
Anyway, reviews are what keep writers like me going. I love your feedback!
Have a great weekend!
Em