Here's the next chapter. Thank you guys so much for all your reviews. I'm glad that you're enjoying my story. This has some of Jet's story in it while he's at Kyoshi and then of course the battle of Ba Sing Se. So, enjoy the chapter.
Sorry about this chapter; it's a little rushed…
Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. But do the DVDs count?
Three weeks earlier…
When the three Freedom Fighters entered the town of Kyoshi, they immediately wanted to know what all the hustle and bustle was about.
There were people everywhere, running to three ships in which were packed with many belongings such as food, clothing, and water.
Jet led the way, still limping a bit, his arm holding his stomach. He walked over to a man with blue clothing on. He had a very spiky that was held up by a blue band.
Jet walked to him and asked, "What's going on here?"
The man didn't look over as he said, "You don't know, we're going to Ba Sing Se. The Avatar needs us to help him no matter how strong they may be. The head Kyoshi Warrior told me of their plan.
"Go get your stuff!" the man said. "We're leaving in only a few minutes!"
Jet and his gang stood there stunned that the man didn't even recognize them as people that weren't his own. But then they nodded not sure of what else to say.
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Present time…
"Ahhhhhhhhh!!" screamed a man from inside a jail cell. "AHHHHHHH!!" He was old man with white hair that was put up into a half ponytail; he was balding on top. His Water Tribe clothing was ripped and dirty. Tears stained his face, leaving a scar down his cheeks. The scar of weakness, failure.
They told him that they would let him go. If he used his waterbending to go all the way back to Ba Sing Se and tell the Fire Princess that her brother had escaped they would let him go free and continue whatever it is that he does.
But then she had waved her hand and they threw him back in jail. They had lied. He knew never to trust firebenders and now Dai Lee officers.
They had taken him away from his people; from his love. They had taken away his future by throwing him in this jail cell.
He slammed his hands on the door of his cell. He did it again. And then he pressed his back against and slid down, the tears falling.
What was he going to do?
There was nothing. He was stuck here till he died.
"There's no point of screaming," came a raspy voice from the back of his cell. He turned around to his jail mate; a woman that wore a deep blue cloak that covered up most of her body and part of her face. She was an old woman with long white hair and several wrinkles. She was thin from lack of food. But what he noticed most about her was her eyes; they were brighter than even his former student's.
"Why not?" He replied. "It's better than just sitting there. At least I'm trying to do something."
"You are a fool. I've heard that the noisier ones get executed first in the Fire Nation. Now stay quiet and maybe you'll live a little while longer."
"There isn't a point," the old man replied. "I've lost my people, my love, my students. And now Ba Sing Se is being ruled by that Fire demon of a princess. All hope is lost."
The woman stood at the response and walked over to him. She grabbed his shirt collar and thrust him up against the metal door resulting in a loud "clank!" for the entire city to hear.
She leaned in close so her nose was just inches from his own. "Listen here, Master Pakku," she sneered. "Hope is never lost. When I was younger I had to give up everything! My husband, my son, my throne! And to this day I'm sure both of them think I've perished. But I still hope that I'll be able to see them again.
"So don't you dare talk about not hoping. Do you hear the sounds in the distance?" She paused and Pakku listened; he heard swords clashing and earth being bent. He heard war sounds.
She let go of him. Pakku fell to the ground tugging at his clothing. "That's the sound of rebellion," she said. "The Avatar is attacking the city, taking over the Fire Nation. We will be freed by this time tomorrow."
She fell silent and then walked over to the bench and resumed her seated position. Pakku sat up, his back up against the cool metal.
After a pregnant pause Pakku asked, "How did you know my name?"
"Mmm?" the woman replied. "Oh! Your name? Yes, I know a lot about you Master Pakku, and your people, and your beloved Kana, and your students the Avatar and the Water Tribe girl.
"I've been many places, seen many things, and lost many people close to me," she concluded looking at the man straight in the eye. It was then that he saw she was wearing a betrothal necklace. It was a deep maroon with the symbols of water and fire combining into one. Who was this woman?
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Me?" the woman replied. Her eyes suddenly had a faraway look. She looked through Pakku. "I'm Lien of the Water Tribe."
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"Line up!" yelled the Fire Nation Princess. "Come on, men!! The time has come! The Avatar is infiltrating the city! We must protect it!"
"Azula is an inspiration, don't you think?" Ty Lee asked, taking a sip of tea. She looked over to her companion.
Mai shrugged. "Yeah, I suppose."
Ty Lee and Mai looked back at their friend who was yelling out orders to her Dai Lee officers. That morning, Azula had told her friends that she knew that the Avatar was coming and they had to stop him no matter what.
So after breakfast that morning she had lined up all the Ba Sing Se men and the Dai Lee officers into groups. She had been screaming out commands for hours now, trying to get them all ready for the battle ahead.
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"Ugh, where are they?" Toph yelled pacing back and forth. She crossed her arms and groaned for the third time in ten minutes.
Aang sat on the hard ground, his head in his hands. "I'm sure they'll be here, Toph, don't worry." He rubbed his eyes. The heat of the summer was finally taking effect on the two benders. Sweat trickled down each of their necks as the sun blared overhead, a cloud no where in sight.
Toph threw herself on the ground and covered her head blocking out some of the sun's harmful rays with her ebony hair. She groaned again.
Just then, Aang looked up to see a huge group of people headed their way. Three hands waved to the Blind Bandit and the Avatar excitedly. "Toph," Aang said, shaking her shoulder. "Toph look! It's Sokka, Suki, and Kuei! There here!"
"Finally!" Toph sighed standing up. "It's so hot out here I can hardly feel any vibrations." She stood up, her back slouching as she did.
Sokka, Suki, the Earth King, and all their rebels reached Aang and Toph not five minutes later. They were saying their hellos and being introduced to Au when they heard a loud yell.
They all whirled around to see Katara, Iroh, and their rebels coming toward the army. Sokka looked at them with an utmost curiosity. Some of their members were wearing blue clothing.
"Hey!" he said. "That's—that's Dad's group."
Katara reached him smiling. "We ran into him at the second town we stopped at," Katara said proudly. "It's was exciting. I knew that you'd want him to be here."
Sokka looked over to her grinning, releasing his father from a huge bear hug. "Thanks, Katara. I'm glad you guys found each other."
She looked over to Aang and rested two gentle, but firm hands on his shoulders. "Did you find the Guru?"
Aang smiled and nodded. "And I mastered the Avatar State."
"Good."
Iroh looked suspiciously at Au since he had arrived. Something about her seemed very familiar. He just didn't know what it was. "Hey don't I"—he started.
Au jumped and ran behind Suki. "Don't worry," Suki soothed, "it's just Iroh. He won't hurt you." Au nodded but didn't step out from behind Suki's back.
Iroh tried to get one last glimpse of her but he couldn't. He decided to let it go. It couldn't be her anyway.
"Hey, someone's coming," Toph said suddenly pointing toward the wall of Ba Sing Se. The gang and all their rebels turned around and looked at the wall waiting for the Dai Lee soldiers to attack.
But it wasn't them.
Around one side of the wall, came another rebel group all dressed in blue. Suki ran forward knowing that it was the town that she had left. "It's Kyoshi," she whispered.
Sokka came forward to her side. "It seems you got a lot more Kyoshi Warriors on your hands now," he said thoughtfully.
Suki looked up at him and smiled. "Yeah," she replied softly.
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Four hundred and thirty seven people were lined up in rows and in columns. They were directly behind and beside one another.
Three hundred and seventy two had swords or some kind of weaponry. The remaining sixty five were all benders, therefore they didn't need any weapons.
Eight people stood in front of them, looks of determination, willpower on their face. They were: Aang, Toph, Katara, Sokka, Iroh, Suki, Kuei, and Au.
"Ready?" Aang whispered more to himself than anyone else.
"Let's do it, Twinkle Toes," Toph told him looking at him with her unseeing eyes. She gave him a reassuring smirk.
And he smiled.
Stillness.
"CHARGE!!" Sokka yelled moments later.
And the battle of Ba Sing Se had begun.
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Anxiety ran through the princess of the Fire Nation as she stood at the wall of Ba Sing Se waiting for wall to open. She brushed her hair back and continued to look at the wall intently.
Time passed slowly. Mere minutes felt like eternity. She felt as if each breath she took was hours apart. Azula hated feeling like this.
Ty Lee and Mai were beside her; Mai looking at the wall lazily, Ty Lee hardly keeping her feet on the ground.
And slowly, ever so slowly, the door opened.
Azula grinned.
The games have begun.
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The first thing Katara saw was the amount of Dai Lee officers there really were. It was almost has if Azula had taken every man to the ends of the earth and shoved them into a costume and put them in her army.
The second thing she saw was the princess herself along with her two accomplices, Ty Lee and Mai. They all looked like they had before: same expressions (Mai: bored, Ty Lee: bubbly, Azula: anxious), the same order (Azula first, Ty Lee second, Mai third), and the same evil look passing on their faces in their own way.
The last thing Katara saw as she and her own army marched toward the taken over city of Ba Sing Se was the faces of her friends, her family. They all were ready to finally take back the world from the Fire Nation.
Aang looked rather nervous, his staff outstretched toward the wall, a look of worry and determination across his soft face.
Toph on the other hand was smirking. She had both her arms extended toward the Dai Lee officers, the vibrations of them shifting and moving under her feet.
Sokka was yelling out commands to the rebels. His right arm was pointed toward the top of the six hundred feet wall. He wasn't smiling, he was grinning. He was finally getting to bash those Fire Nation heads that Katara had promised him in the very beginning.
Iroh was just standing there, his arms up his sleeves. He was staring out to his niece his face showing no emotion at all.
Kuei looked rather nervous also. He was jumping from foot to foot, Basco doing the same. Katara just smiled; Kuei wasn't the bravest man after all.
Suki was the person that scared Katara the most. She had a fire burning in her eyes. She wanted revenge on those three girls no matter what. Katara wouldn't want to fight up against her at the moment.
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The two armies clashed when the sun was shining at its brightest. It was in the center of the sky as the rebels reached the Dai Lee officers.
Swords were drawn and elements were bent.
Katara opened up her canteen of water and shot it out, creating translucent ice daggers that she shot at the arms of her enemies. She picked up the water once more and made a whip that she dragged several more men shoved out of the wall of Dai Lee officers.
Aang shot air out creating a wave of wind knocking down several of the men. He looked up at the Fire Nation Princess. He was going up there. He was going to have to beat her.
Hot breath was all Toph heard as she dodged another piece of rock from one of the vibrations in front of her. She kicked up two small rocks and shoved them toward the person's middle. She heard a grunt and the vibration lay on the ground. One down, she thought, a billion to go.
Sokka and Suki were surrounded. Over twenty men had surrounded them. Two swords were drawn and were in Sokka's hands. A pair of fans were placed in Suki's. Their backs were against each other's.
Sokka dodged a rock that was thrown at him. Suki blocked another. They were taking very long and very hard breaths.
"Suki," Sokka said. "There to many of them…we can't take them on our own."
"Where's the arrogant Sokka that I met way back during the winter," she replied smirking. "That Sokka would never back down. Whether he wins or loses, falling flat on his face."
Sokka glanced over his shoulder to the chestnut haired girl behind him. She had changed a lot, just like him, since they had first met. The only thing hadn't changed was the fact that she still was a great teacher, a great reminder, and a friend.
And so, he held his sword up a little bit higher. "Let's do it, Master Suki."
And they attacked.
Iroh continued to attack by not using firebending. Even though, Aang and his gang had accepted him, he still was doubtful about Hakoda and the rest of the rebels. He was technically Fire Nation.
He dodged a blow to the head by a Dai Lee officer and then kicked him on the man's right shoulder.
Several minutes later Iroh rubbed sweat from his brow. It sure was hot out here, even for a firebender. And then he noticed something: that woman, Au, the one that looked so much like her, was carrying two swords and was defeating the men in front of her, with so much elegance and grace that it was hard to tear his eyes away from it. Until her hood fell.
It looked so much like her.
Why would she be here?
Why would she be here?
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Noon had felt like it had past a long time ago. Battles erupted left to right. The Avatar ran through the men not stopping to fight any of them. Princess Azula had to be around here somewhere…
He dodged a swinging sword and airbended another out of his way. His face was contorted in a confused way. There was no way that she would just disappear! Shouldn't she try and find him?
"Hello, Avatar," a ruthless high–pitched voice sneered not fifteen feet behind him. He turned around to find a girl two or so years older than him standing there. She was Fire Nation, with jet–black hair and golden eyes. It was Princess Azula.
Aang stood there a moment letting the time melt away. His arms were outstretched toward her ready to bend what ever element that came to him first. She was smirking and her arms were also in the bending position.
The circled one another for a long time. Aang watched her every move making sure that he didn't act surprised when she attacked out of the blue.
And then she shot a blue flame out at him. He quickly dodged, countering with a boulder of earth.
Two more attacks the Fire Nation Princess shot.
Two more attacks that the Avatar blocked.
Aang felt sweat trickled down his neck. It was very hot out here. No wonder she was so powerful; the sun was her element. He would have to be careful; this was the girl who had almost killed him after all.
Their battle continued. He shot a blast of fire at her.
"It seems you've found a teacher," she said the evil grin never leaving her lips. Aang trembled at the sight of her. "Once I'm through with you, I'll have to be sure and kill him."
Aang attacked again. This time he bent the air and blew her backwards around twenty feet. And this time Azula didn't return. Where was she? Did she just run away?
Meanwhile, Azula had rejoined her two comrades on the podium that overlooked the battle. "Ty Lee, Mai," she said, her voice hoarse from the running that she had done through the smoke and the battle.
"What is it, Azula?" Ty Lee asked, her big eyes showing concern toward her friend.
"We must retreat back to the Fire Nation," the Fire Nation woman replied coldly. "I must tell my father that the Avatar has mastered firebending and that we should be expecting him soon."
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One more shot, she thought. She water whipped the next Dai Lee officer until she officially couldn't take anymore. She was so tired. She could hardly keep her arms up let along bend her element to take on more enemies.
They had been fighting for more than seven straight hours. It was near nightfall when the Dai Lee officers finally surrendered after being abandoned by their leader, Princess Azula.
Katara was now walking around to the dead, or seriously wounded Dai Lee officers that were lying in piles as the people tried to tend to them. Katara ran to each of them checking to make sure most of them were still alive. Most of them weren't.
Tears were chocking her, making it hard to breathe. There was so much smoke, and so many dead bodies.
The Earth King had taken back his position just a few moments before and helped bring in the people that had been pushed out of the wall. He said that he would do whatever he could to help the Avatar.
The army that she had helped create was now staying in several abandoned houses, healing their wounded and getting the rest that they deserved.
The battle had been short compared to many previous ones during the long war. It had only last seven hours and thirty minutes. But it more people died in that day than many had in several battles in the past.
Katara walked through the streets of Ba Sing Se, in which were crowded by people cleaning up the area. They looked over to her and saw that she was the Great Katara, a rebel for the Avatar.
They all smiled gently in her direction.
Children looked up at her in envy. A little girl, no older than three, ran over to her. She had short, brown hair that was put up into pig tails. She wore Earth Kingdom clothing that was ripped and torn. And when she tugged on Katara's shirt and looked up at her with glowing green eyes, she smiled showing that she had one of her front teeth missing.
"Are you Miss Katara of the Water Tribe?" she asked, slightly fumbling with her words. It was a lot to say for a three year old.
The waterbender bent down so she was eye level with the little girl. "Why, yes I am," she replied. "And what's your name?"
"I'm Lyn," the girl replied. And then, to Katara's surprise, Lyn hugged her, wrapping her small, pale arms around her neck. "Thank you, Miss Katara for saving us." She then let go and looked Katara straight in the eye. "I'll love you forever," she concluded before skipping off to her friends.
Katara stayed knelt, watching the little girl wave and then run off. And then gentlest smile formed at Katara's mouth.
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"Ready, Pakku?" Lien asked giving the old man a reassuring smile before she turned her face back toward the door.
"Ready."
Lien brought the candle that she had taken, or rather begged, from a Dai Lee officer earlier that day, away from its place under the lock.
Then the man quickly bent the water from one of their cups and over the lock freezing it until it was a block of ice.
She pulled out a sword that she had kept under her cloak and quickly slashed down on the lock, causing it to break. She pushed the door open and the old woman and old man quickly checked to see if anyone was coming.
Seeing that there wasn't, they ran down the corridors of the jail that consisted of metal walls, metal doors, and bars that their prisoners looked out of.
They had about reached the entrance when they heard a muffled scream from one of the cells. Lien turned to one on their left and walked to it. She stood up straighter and peeked through the metal bars.
Inside she saw a girl with a cloth wrapped in her mouth; her hands were tied. She had short brown bangs and her hair was put back in a braid that had been messed up. Her hanbok was dirty and torn and there was fear in her eyes. She had tears streaked down her face.
"Pakku," Lien said. "We have to get this poor girl out of here!"
What they had down to their own jail cell, they did to the girl's also. In minutes the girl was free of not only her cell put of the cloth that was around her mouth and back.
"Oh thank you, thank you!" the girl said giving each of them a huge hug. "They said that since I was being noisy that I had to get proper punishment. They tied me up. They told me I would be one of the first to be executed in the Fire Nation….I've been like that for a long time."
Lien shot Pakku an I—told—you—so look (about the conversation that they had had earlier) before turning back to the girl
The young girl rambled on until Lien put a finger to her mouth. "No thanks necessary," she said as the girl was immediately silenced. "Just follow us; we'll get you to safety."
The girl nodded. Lien removed her finger and the girl said, "I'm Song by the way."
Lien smiled introducing herself and then Pakku. "Come with us," the old Water Tribe said. "We need to find the Avatar."
And the girl compiled without question.
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"It's weird," Toph said over a dinner of stewed prunes. "It feels just like yesterday we, or rather I, was begging to get out of here. And now we're back. It seems like we never left…"
Aang looked at her, confused and then knowing that he couldn't remember. "Besides the battle," he said, taking a hefty bite of the soup, which he immediately felt like throwing back up, "this place is really pretty."
Toph groaned.
"Oh, please," the young earthbender replied. "All it is is big buildings and boring structures. There isn't any life to this city. When we're traveling there are hills and trees. That's beautiful."
Aang shrugged dismissing the subject.
Katara looked at them and smiled. They had bonded since they had left. They were discussing, arguing, and talking about the simplest things that, back in the spring, they would have never done this. They seemed happier somehow. Aang seemed to be smiling more than he had this time three months ago. Toph seemed to be more open also.
It was surprising how all of them had changed. Katara had learned something about her arch enemy; that Zuko had been put through more horrible things that he should of as a child.
She also noticed that Iroh had kept looking toward the woman that she had met as Au; what could be so interesting about her anyway? Was it the fact that she had golden eyes or just that he didn't know her? Katara wasn't sure. She would have to make sure and ask him about it later.
She saw that Suki and Sokka weren't as close either. They didn't sit so close to each other at dinner and Sokka never tried to wrap his arm around her shoulder or hold her hand. Something had happened while they were on the other side of the wall and she wasn't sure what was wrong.
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Two warriors walked through the streets of Ba Sing Se keeping a firm distance from each other. "So," Sokka said quietly the moon shining right overhead, "about the other night…"
"I said we don't have to talk about it," Suki replied quickly her eyes avoiding his gaze. "We're just friends, nothing more and nothing less."
Sokka nodded slowly.
An uncomfortable silence followed.
"Your learning," she said suddenly. He looked over to her a confused look passed his face until he continued. "Your swordsmanship is improving. Today you had wonderful skill. Good job."
He smiled. "Thanks. And thanks for getting back in the battle earlier."
"No problem." She crossed her arms and giggled slightly.
She stopped suddenly and Sokka did the same. They turned to face one another. The moonlight on her face made her look even more beautiful this night. They leaned into until they were just inches apart.
Suki started to close her eyes as did Sokka.
"…We shouldn't," she said quietly before opening her eyes.
"I'm sorry," he replied.
"No, you shouldn't be," was all she said before letting go of his arms and walking ahead down the road her hand planted firmly on her mouth.
Sokka looked up at the moon slightly and then turned around and walked back toward the house that they were staying at.
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"Shhh," Lien said quietly as they continued to walk through the road. There were several houses lit with candles and the one that they were leaning up against now wasn't lit at all. "We've gotta be quiet. There could be people in there."
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Iroh woke up suddenly at a sound outside of the house that he was staying at. He looked toward the window in which the moon's light was shining through. He saw a woman out there whispering to what seemed to be two other people.
Iroh got up, curious to see who was out there.
He crept to the door, trying to see who it was that was creeping outside at this time of night.
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Lien put one hand to see if she could feel the door. It was just the wall. The moon had suddenly gone behind a cloud and so now she had to feel her way.
She touched something that didn't feel like the wall. Whoever it was though grabbed her wrists and pulled her up to him so he could see her face.
"Who are you?" a rough, familiar voice said.
The moon shown through clouds and fell on his face and it fell on her's. They looked at one another for a long time.
Lien spoke first. "…Iroh?" she asked quietly.
Iroh's eyes visibly widened. His hands trembled as he set her wrists back down at her sides. Then he whispered, so softly that he could hardly hear himself…
"Lien?" he asked. "Lien is that really you?"
Ooohhh so another cliffhanger; yay cliffhangers!! Anyway, I'm sorry if the battle was a little rushed. I just didn't really know what else to put there.
And for any of you Sokka/Suki shippers out there, I hope that "almost" kiss reminded you of another time that happened. And if you do, remember what happened soon after and keep that image in your mind as you read the later chapters in this book.
See ya next time!
Bye!!