So, this is my first attempt at an AU one-shot, so please go easy on me. :)
The Seventh Chakra -Part One-
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Some Background: (PLEASE READ OR YOU WILL BE FOREVER CONFUSED)
This is an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE.
It is set sometime between The Blind Bandit and the season two finale and in the Fire Nation (this is SUPER important).
Aang discovered his chakras much earlier (and therefore blocked the Avatar State earlier).
Toph was introduced much earlier.
Therefore, there has to have been more action between the Blind Bandit and the season two finale.
Kataang never happened, and Taang did.
Zuko switched sides much earlier as well.
Assume that an alternate scene similar to the one in the season two finale occurred.
Zutara IS a thing.
Disregard all other things that would be evidence toward Kataang or against Zutara/Taang.
Katara acts on her instincts, and her issues with Toph were never resolved.
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"Aang, pull down your sleeve!" Katara hissed, as the blue tip of the arrow peeked out from beneath the fabric. Aang eyes dropped to his wrist, and he gasped softly, shoving his sleeve back in place, covering the tattoo. Both he and Katara glanced around them, to make sure nobody in the market noticed anything out of the ordinary.
All four benders plus Sokka were disguised as Fire Nation citizens, and they were trying their best to fit in. Despite Zuko being a born and raised Fire Nation royal, he knew nothing about the commoner's life, and offered no advice on how to blend in. "Oh, Katara, calm down," Toph exclaimed, throwing her arm around Aang, and shoving him down to her level.
While Katara would find it extremely annoying if Zuko tried to lift her up to his height, Aang merely blushed and let Toph control him. Ugh, their relationship disgusted Katara sometimes. At least her and Zuko kept a reasonable amount of space between the two of them when they were in public. It's as if Toph wanted to draw attention to the group.
"Toph, she's right, we don't want to look too out of place, and you hanging on Aang isn't very Fire Nation-y," Sokka pointed out, as if he were the expert on all things Fire Nation. Zuko gave Katara a look that made her giggle a bit, and the five continued on their meander. They stopped to purchase some food and supplies, and successfully posed as commoners, and Katara began to even feel a sense of normality even in enemy territory, when a few Fire Nation soldiers spotted them.
"Uh oh, we have company," Toph said, letting go of Aang's hand. Katara, Sokka, Zuko, and Aang followed her finger, and Katara's blood ran cold. She instinctively reached for Zuko's hand, and their fingers clasped together, a strangely intimate embrace for the two of them. "Why do you think they're coming towards us? We don't look any more suspicious than real Fire Nation citizens," Katara whispered. Zuko swallowed, his muscles tensing.
"I think we're trying to too hard to blend in, Katara. We must look too normal," he said. Aang held up his hands, quieting them down. "Calm down, Katara, it'll be okay, just act like you haven't done anything wrong, because we haven't," he said, and then turned around to face the soldiers, a goofy grin on his face.
Katara narrowed her eyes. Aang wasn't even remotely concerned with their safety. Had he forgotten what happened at Ba Sing Se? Toph and Sokka and even Zuko, who usually sided with Katara, seemed to be following Aang's lead. Zuko dropped Katara hand and stepped away from her, pretending to be fascinated with a map of the Fire Nation.
For some reason, this made Katara's blood boil. Why were they all so quick to lay down their arms. The Fire Nation soldiers weren't stupid, if they had reason to come over to investigate the five, then they were smart enough to realize that these weren't your typical commoners. And so Katara acted on her instincts.
Before the others could stop her, she lifted her hands, and all of a sudden, a huge wave of water soared through the sky, and hit all three soldiers, throwing them against the opposite building. Katara clenched her hands, and the water froze instantly, trapping the soldiers. Zuko, Toph, Aang, and Sokka all jerked to face her, with varying degrees of shock on each of their faces.
"What the hell was that?!" Toph screamed, the muscles in her arms tensing up. "You just exposed all of us!" And before Katara could reply, Aang ran in front of them, waving them forward. "It's too late for this, we need to run, now!" he said, and then they were all off. Zuko reached for Katara's hand, and she grasped it. The two ran as one, shoving past the citizens. Toph did her best to earthbend and keep the new onslaught of soldiers away from them, but they needed to run faster.
As they ran, Katara began to doubt her decision. As she registered the look of pure hatred from Toph, she dropped her eyes, feeling ashamed. She had acted on anger, without fully thinking. But now was not the time to regret her decision, now was the time to escape. And escape they did.
"What the hell is wrong with you!" Toph screamed the moment they were safely on Appa, soaring through the sky. Katara, while she felt guilty, could not bow to Toph's anger. "What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?! You honestly believe we could fool a few Fire Nation troops? They're not exactly stupid!" she shouted right back. Toph narrowed her eyes, and lunged at Katara. It took both Sokka and Aang to keep her from reaching Katara, but Katara was ready, she had her hands held up to defend herself. She was not afraid to fight Toph Bei Fong.
"We could've taken their whole armada if we had to!" she cried, struggling against Aang and Sokka. Katara exhaled loudly, stepping forward, and ignoring Zuko's calm hand on her shoulder. "Actually, we couldn't have, Toph," she said. "In case you've forgotten, which all of you seem to have, we don't have the Avatar State on our side anymore, and that's all thanks to you!" Katara had crossed the line. She knew it, and so did everybody else. Aang and Sokka's jaws dropped, and so did Zuko's hand from her shoulder.
Aang let go of Toph in his shock, and Sokka's grip loosened. Toph's eyes widened, and she disengaged her muscles, her back hunching. Katara had just opened a door that all four of them vowed to keep closed. Even Zuko, who wasn't a part of their group when it happened, knew that it was unspeakable. "Me?" Toph said, her voice silky and cold. Katara's rage was fueled, and no matter the amount of tension in the air, she was going to prove her point.
"Yeah, because of you Aang blocked his seventh chakra, and now he can't control the Avatar State, let alone go into it!" she yelled. Toph looked up at Katara, and her face softened, and became even somewhat sad. Aang's face turned beet red, and he placed his hands on Toph's shoulders. "Toph, don't," he pleaded, and Katara didn't know why. It was obvious that Aang couldn't let go of his earthly attachment to Toph, and that's why his seventh chakra became permanently closed. Everyone knew that. So why did Toph look so sad and why did Aang look some nervous?
"What is going on?" Katara snarled, becoming frustrated. She felt out of the loop, in the dark, and she didn't like it. "I guess it's time I told you," Toph said, and her voice had a strange, defeated tone to it. Aang's face turned a deeper shade of red, and he glanced wearily at Katara, and then at Zuko. Katara turned around to look at Zuko, who's face mirrored hers. They were both confused. Katara looked back at Toph.
"Told me what?" she asked, her voice softer, less angry. Whatever Toph was about to say, it wasn't rage-induced. Toph stepped away from Aang, and looked up at Katara, her clouded eyes piercing Katara's blue ones. "It wasn't me Aang wasn't able to let go of, it was you,"