Chapter 14

Told as Olivia

The day after the attack was the funeral, and I wasn't just for Yue, it was for the others who had died during the attack as well. I think Arnook just wanted to get everything over with as soon as possible, the town was still in ruins, people were still seeking medical attention, and every once in a while I could see a small cloud of smoke still rising. When we had first come to the city, I had thought it was glorious and breath taking, and it still was, just in a very different sense. It seemed that Yue's death had brought the tribe together, but I could tell it was tearing Arnook and Charlie apart, although I think neither of them wanted to show it openly.

Everyone who was left in the tribe all gathered in the hall where the welcoming feast had been days before, and Arnook had boldly spoken of how his daughter died. His voice never wavered, but I could see how crushed and damaged beyond repair he was in his eyes. He said he knew that Yue would die like that, and I had no idea how he could have possibly kept calm. But, then again, Charlie was calm too. She sat next to Cameron and I, straight faced although a little puffy eyes throughout the entire ceremony.

Charlie and Cameron were both so broken, and I felt helpless because I couldn't do anything to help them. Charlie had been screaming and crying for an hour after her sister's death, only to calm down before starting to sob some more. But, in a way I think it was better that she got everything out right away, better there than at the funeral.

Cameron, on the other hand, well I honestly had no idea what was going on with her. I had followed her and Zhao, and then she just… froze, and a few moment later when she snapped out of it she was furious, trembling, and holding back tears- and this was Cameron I was looking at, who never in a million years would cry in front of anyone. And I had no idea what caused her to panic so much, so much that she was blind with rage as she tried to kill Zhao, and he taunted her on.

Suddenly I was screaming at her, because I realized a second too late what she was going to do. But my words fell on deaf ears. Then the faint scent of burnt flesh filled the air and I shuddered, and for a brief moment, an image of a man, one I didn't know, came into my mind, but vanished just as quick. My knees felt weak and the world seemed to tilt slightly, but the enraged screams pulled me back to reality. Zuko dove at Cameron and pinned her to the ground, him screaming at her and she was just… numb.

I had never seen her like that just like I had never seen Charlie so broken. I ran over and was about to airbend Zuko off her her when he began to crawl away, and as he scrambled to his feet and ran, he look over his shoulder at me and raised his hands, in something of a surrender. I could tell he wasn't looking for a fight, and that he wanted to leave, just as much as Charlie, Cameron, and I did. For some reason, something about the look on his face made me believe him. A few minutes later I realized I had somehow let Aang's kidnaper go and I kicked myself.

My brain was so jumbled I didn't know what to think. I couldn't help Cameron deal with her, well, whatever it was because she refused to speak, I couldn't help Charlie or Sokka deal with their grief, I couldn't even get Aang to let go of his guilt at not defeating more fire nation ships, and Katara was so busy healing people that I didn't dare bother her. I felt so useless, I didn't know what to do. Charlie and Cameron's pain was too fresh, and if I knew anything about either of them it was that they wouldn't want to talk about what went on, at least not yet. It had barely been a day.

The ceremony went well, the families of all of those who died were honored, as well as Charlie and Arnook, especially. I could tell Charlie was having an inner battle with herself as to whether or not she wanted to speak about her sister. I glanced at her and she gave a subtle shake of the head, mumbling something about 'wanting to think about it' but that was the most I could get out of her. But, I wasn't going to try to talk to many people, everybody was too shaken. Not that I wasn't, seeing Zhao kill the moon and take away everyone's waterbending like that had frightened me, I hadn't realized that it was so easy to destroy an entire nation's culture. I mean, it had happened with the airbenders, but if I was brutally honest with myself that wouldn't throw the entire world out of balance, even if it kind of did for Aang and me but that wasn't the point When Zhao had killed the moon if not only affected the waterbenders but also the firebenders as well. I hope that the northern water tribe would be more protective of the spirits in the future. But I don't think Arnook would ever let anything happen to his daughter again.

Eventually, however, the political topics began to spring up. Since Yue had passed, who would take over when Arnook died? Some wanted to put it to a vote, but many wanted Charlie to take over. This, of course, put her on the spot and she became scared stiffless, and I caught myself many times telling people off, the nerve of some, not even letting her get over her sister's death yet. I could see Arnook quickly growing red in the face and I sighed. I wanted to help, to do something useful, but waterbender politics wasn't my problem, nor did I know how they worked, so unfortunately, I couldn't do anything there, either.

I could sense when I wasn't needed, so, once the ceremony was nearing an end, I slipped out. It was a little too much of an emotional overload for me, there was too much going on, too much sadness and grief and frustration and anger. I could feel it too, I couldn't stand it how much the firenation destroyed the tribe, but I just didn't like overly emotional situations, I tended to try to avoid those. So, I wasn't sure why exactly, but I ended up back at the oasis, staring down at the pond watching the fish. I shed the watertribe jacked and sat at the edge of the pond, my head rested in my hand.

"Hey Yue, I'm really sorry that this happened, and that we all couldn't do more to stop it… we should have stopped it, you see, you're so young, just the same age as us, you shouldn't have had to die so young, even if it was by your choice…" I wasn't sure why I was talking to her, hoping she would somehow hear me, but it just felt right. Maybe in a way I felt disrespectful for leaving her funeral, I don't know. I just felt better paying my respect to her there, than in the hall.

"Charlie misses you, a lot. Sokka does too. I think we all do even if we didn't know you that well, you just always seemed to brighten everyone's day…"

I was trying to continue when I heard the faint sound of footsteps behind me, and I turned to see a plump man dressed in maroon robes, with a stern yet kind look on his face. Immediately, however, I recognized him as firenation and I sprang to my feet. "What are you doing here? Go away! Haven't you hurt this place enough?"

The man sighed and gave me a small smile. I only narrowed my eyes more. Wasn't killing all those innocent people and Yue enough? What more could they want?

"Relax, I am only here to pay my respects, the same as you." My shoulders slumped slightly and I took a small step back.

"You're the one who was fighting Zhao last night, right?"

The man nodded. "Yes, I'll only be here for a few moments, and then I'll be on my way. I do not wish you, or anyone else here, any harm-" He stopped and stared at me, eyes wide and mouth slightly open. After a few moments I began to get uncomfortable, was there something wrong? "Olivia?"

Okay this is strange. I stumbled backwards in surprise, and nearly fell into the oasis if I hadn't caught myself. "Yes… but how do you know my name?"

The man seemed to smile at me, but look sad at the same time. "You do not remember? I'm Iroh, my son… he was Lu Ten-"

I was sprawled out underneath my parent's bed, silent tears rushing down my face as I heard the fire nation speaking harshly to my parents about 'where the air bender was'. I could hear my father saying it was him, and my stomach seemed to jump into my throat.

"Well why don't you prove it? Once we have the airbender we will leave the rest of your family, unharmed." The soldier chuckled, and I could hear the soft sound of flames crackling.

"Of course, of course," my father's voice was shaky, as if he was on the verge of tears. "if you would please, come outside-"

There was the sound of something hitting flesh and my father coughing. "Don't play games with us. We've heard the airbender is a kid, do you have any children?"

My mother's voice was frantic;pleading. "No! Please just let us go, we do not know anything. All the airbenders are dead, so leave us alone!"

"You two, search the place, you find anyone, bring them straight here." I could hear footsteps growing closer, and I suddenly wished out small house was larger than four rooms. The door creaked open and I saw metal clad feet pace back and forth in front of the bed before the door swung shut. I held my breath, and stopped the silent flow of tears, my small fists clenched together so tightly I think my nails were drawing blood of my palms. Suddenly, a face appeared right in front of mine, and I screamed and hi my head. He immediately shooshed me.

The man had a long and bony face, but a kind smile. He reached his hand out to me and I crawled backwards frantically until I hit the wall. And even then I desperately tried to make myself smaller, smaller, to blend into the wood and never be found. "You must be quiet," he told me. "My name it Lu Ten, I want to help you, please, you must come quickly, you are the airbender correct?"

The tears began to fall again. The soldiers were here because of me, they were threatening to hurt my parents because of me. They had already killed my grandfather but apparently that wasn't enough. They wanted me dead, too. I gave a small nod, unsure of why I was trusting him, and hesitantly took his hand. He pulled me out from under the bed like I was nothing, and helped me to my feet.

Just as I was about to regain my balance, the door was thrown open and it ran into me, I gave a cry and was knocked over as another firenation soldier came in. Lu Ten stiffened and grabbed me roughly by the hair. What was going on? He was so nice a few moments ago…

The man who had just entered walked out, a triumphant smirk on his face that made me feel sick. "We found the girl, Sir!"

Lu Ten dragged me into the main room, and the man standing in the middle of our living room grinned. "Finally." It was then that I saw my parents, tied up in the corner. Then without a warning the man who seemed to be the leader threw fire blast after fire blast at my parents, and I couldn't comprehend what was going on. I just wailed and screamed at him to stop, I couldn't get the sound of my parent's torchered shrieks out of my ears, it was as if they would never stop screaming, and the stench of burning hair and clothes and flesh filled my nose. The odor hit me so hard I felt like I would be knocked over. I couldn't do anything, Lu Ten had my arms held behind my back, I kicked and screamed and begged but he wouldn't let me go. Then, suddenly, I was free, and Lu Ten was stumbling back into our kitchen table. I felt a gust of wind around me and without thinking, I ran from the house, my vision blurry and tilted, and I could hear the men chasing after me. I had to leave, I couldn't listen to their screaming, smell that putrid odor, see the smoke and orange flames anymore. I didn't know how far I ran, but I knew it wasn't far though it felt like miles, before I was grabbed again and I lashed out, sending air blasts blindly at whoever it was that was holding me, screaming at the men that killed my parents, wanting nothing more than to curl up into a ball and never move.

Lu Ten's voice was close, and I was yanked backwards again. "I'll take her to the fire lord, he'll know what to do with her. Finish up here, we can't let anyone know she's alive." I was being moved again, but I didn't care. I couldn't save my parents- they died because of me- they were burned alive because of me- and that was all that mattered. I wasn't strong enough to save them, I was useless, helpless. I could faintly hear Lu Ten say something about taking me to his uncle for a few days, somewhere where I would be safe..

I could see Iroh now, he was rushing towards me, his hand outstretched and I realized my vision was fading, tears were rushing down my face faster than I could blink them away, and I couldn't hear anything. I was faintly aware of hitting the ground and my vision going black, but that didn't really matter. All I could think about was why this man's son, a firenation soldier, would bother trying to save my life. And of my parent's killer, and how in the back of my mind, I had a secret wish, that he was still alive.