Call this part one of "The Pop Off". Or whatever you want to call it. And I've hit a little block with Azula's part of the story for the moment, so she'll be back when I can piece together what she's doing now, because I know exactly how her story goes later on. If that made sense.
It probably didn't, so ignore my rambling and read the disclaimer.
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender
Chapter Twenty-Six
Kian screamed loudly, his face reddened and his hands clenched tightly. He had fallen flat on his face after losing his balance. The baby howled as Suki knelt down and picked him up, patting him gently on his back. This seemed to calm the child and he pressed his face into the Kyoshi Warrior's shirt, rubbing his eyes with his chubby hands. His light eyes seemed to instantly dry as he turned his attention on Sokka.
"Oh, so you're trying to be a ladies' man, now?" The Southern Water Tribe boy said and patted Kian on his head. The baby stared at him and from where he stood, Sokka grinned. "I have to agree, Kian, Suki is a very attractive woman." He put his arm around said girl's waist, "But, I think she's a little too old for you."
From where she stood near the door, Katara giggled, looking back at the group of people that had grown to fit into her family. There was Ipitok sitting on floor, piling Hattori's hair on top of his head while the teenage boy shook his head, smiling lightly. Seated on the cushioned chair, there was Kajika and Toph, and the Fire Nation soldier, Tasuke . They had all somehow filled a void in her that she didn't even know had even been there. They made her feel almost complete.
She could never really be whole-she had accepted that-she could never really patch up the hole that the loss of her mother had formed, no matter how many people she loved. Katara smiled to herself and turned to Zuko, who was pulling on his scarf.
They were going to the Spirit Oasis, if just to reminisce. For a moment, Katara's thoughts travelled to Yue, the now dead princess of the Northern Water Tribe. She had borrowed life from the Moon Spirit, and when her destiny called, she had given it back and became the Moon Spirit herself. Sokka had loved her, and in a way, she had, too. Yue was the moon, from which Katara drew her waterbending strength.
"We'll be back, soon." Katara said and Kajika looked up as she opened the door of the rent-home, putting her foot on the threshold to keep it from closing. The Northern Water Tribe woman looked coyly at Zuko, then Katara and smiled before nodding.
And it took a moment for the young waterbender to grasp what Kajika had been implying. Her ears burned and her cheeks grew hot as Kajika threw back her head and laughed. Katara shook her head and stepped into the hallway, pausing long enough to hear Tasuke call after them, "Be back as soon as you can!" And then the door closed.
Turning to face Zuko, Katara pulled the collar of her parka up to her neck. The firebender-his face obscured by the scarf-turned his golden gaze towards her. She couldn't quite tell if he was smiling or frowning, but she grinned briefly before heading towards the staircase that led outside to the back of the building. The waterbender led her companion down the stairs, nearly slipping on the bottom step.
When they stepped into the light of the outside world, Katara found that it was unusually quiet. During particularly loud days on the main road, she could hear the civilians and soldiers alike, and on days she had deemed normal, the sound of the market street was a low hum.
But now, it was quiet.
Katara looked back at Zuko and frowned. It was almost unnerving, she thought as she walked by Appa, pressing her hands into his thick white fur. The beast groaned and nudged the waterbender with his nose, nearly pitching her into the cold waters of the canal. She laughed and grabbed onto his snout, hugging him tightly before looking into the animal's brown eyes. "You've been a good friend, Appa." She said and stepped back, turning back to walk towards the main vein of the city.
With Zuko at her side, the young waterbender took note of the world around her. The waters of the canal were eerily still, having not been churned by the passing gondolas. Only a few of the market stores were opens and an even smaller of amount of people were actually on the streets that ran parallel with the river. There were no children from what she saw, and the people they passed were frowning and solemn faced.
It confused her, and when she looked back at Zuko, her firebending friend shrugged. The air was ominous and thick. She breathed and looked out towards the ocean, where the overwhelming outline of the Fire Nation fleet cast a sense of constriction on the tribe.
They kept walking, though, in silence. Katara looked up at the sky where the few white clouds were crisp and thin, while the sky was endlessly blue. If she hadn't felt so uneasy, she would have thought that it was peaceful.
And she wasn't sure how she remembered where exactly the Spirit Oasis was, but somehow she found that her feet carrying her towards the tiny crawlspace that led towards the sacred place. It seemed so long ago, she thought, that she had been in this place.
Dropping to her knees, Katara began to crawl through the space, shuffling forward. She pulled herself through, wincing as she bumped her head on the top. And when she stood up, she gasped. The oasis was almost just as she remembered it-warm and refreshing.
Katara stopped, feeling her skin react to the sudden warm. She yanked her parka off and tossed it aside, breathing a sigh of relief before turning towards Zuko. Her friend had pull off his own jacket and his scarf and laid it next to hers, looking about the oasis.
"It hasn't been changed." Zuko said, quietly and like Katara, he sounded relieved. When they had both visited the sacred oasis, they had been enemies. And now they returned as friends. "The Fire Nation is too scared to touch a place like this." He was right, Katara thought. No nation, no matter how belligerent, would dare lay a finger on the place. They would anger the spirits.
The blue eyed waterbender approached the calm waters and knelt down before it, looking at her reflection. She was tempted to dip her hands in the water, as if it would heal her troubles and everything would be alright again.
She raised her gaze, mesmerized by the two koi fish that caught her eye. One was black and the other was white, both with a mark of their opposites on their heads as they circled each other in an endless, timeless dance. Tui and La. Yue and La, now. They were the spirits of the moon and the ocean, moving around each other in a continuous loop, giving power to the waterbenders and the world.
"Yue," Katara whispered, even though she knew the koi fish wouldn't acknowledge her. The white koi continued to move in time with the black one and Katara watched their ethereal dance, her eyes wide and dark. "I don't think you can't hear me, but if you can, I just wanted to tell you hello." She knelt closer to the water, "I'm here with Zuko. You remember Zuko?" Of course she did, the Moon Spirit was all-seeing. She had seen everything, but it comforted Katara to talk to the spirit again. "Aang is dead."
For a heartbeat, it seemed as if the two koi had slowed, but then she blinked and they were circling each other again. Katara leaned back, curling her toes under her. "I think the Avatar is out here, somewhere and…if you could just give us a sign. Just one sign."
Maybe, Katara thought when she saw that the koi remained the same, maybe her faith wasn't strong enough. She cleared her throat and looked back at Zuko, who had come to her side during her monologue. Maybe she didn't believe like she used to. Maybe things had changed.
Zuko bent down next to her and the waterbender's eyes traveled to the angry red scar on his face. Her gaze flickered back to the sacred water. Her breath caught in her throat, the young woman reached up and placed her fingers over his marred skin, feeling the sharp difference between the two textures. The firebender caught her hand, his thumb brushing her wrist and his golden eyes met hers. Katara parted her lips a bit and pressed her fingers gently into the dark skin. Zuko squeezed gently on her hand, applying the same pressure that she had, and he closed his eyes, breathing slowly.
Neither of them spoke as Katara traced the line of Zuko's scar from the ridge of his cheek all the way up to the jagged line that ran into his hair. She had never really explored his scar this way, and here, in the quiet oasis, there was something strangely intimate about it.
"I can heal it," Katara whispered quietly, and Zuko opened his eyes. "I can use some of the water and it can heal your scar." She said this breathlessly, turning her gaze towards the pool next to them. "It…it won't give you your honor back…" She smiled lightly, "How can you get back what you never lost?" For a moment, they were both silent, and then the waterbender continued, "It can…send you back to the old you."
"No!" Zuko said rather forcefully, and tore his face away from Katara's hand. "No. I don't want to go back to the old me. That's what I've been trying to get away from." He put his hand to the side of his face and brushed his fingers against his scar, "Why would I want to be the old me, when there's nothing left for that person?"
Katara was quiet. She understood him. She knew exactly what he was talking about, but yet she had thought that it would have been possible to help him somehow. To give a sense of hope. Zuko didn't need a sense of hope, though. He already had one, and it burned in him just as strong as it burned in her. There was really nothing left for their past. They had only the future to look forward, too, now.
And suddenly, outside of the oasis, the world shook. Katara let out a cry and grabbed onto the ground as she heard the sound of alarmed screams and cries of outrage just beyond the vicinity of their safe haven. The ground shook again and the uproar grew louder and more chaotic.
"What's happening?" The waterbender cried and Zuko shook his head, rising to his feet. The firebender bent and grabbed his parka and mask, throwing them on as he ran towards the crawlspace, stumbling as the earth rattled. Katara followed suit, her eyes wide in surprise. She didn't know what was going on outside, but she had a growing feeling that she would soon find out.
Suki had been playing Kian when the building across the river was struck with a flaming projectile. The impact shook their building, rattling the floor and causing several small items to fall to the floor. The Kyoshi Warrior froze, holding Kian's hands. It seemed that all time froze, then, as if everyone was holding their breath.
"What was that?" Toph asked- the first to break the silence. She frowned and turned her blind eyes in Suki's general direction. "What's going on?" She had asked the question that had been on all of their tongues, but she had simply been the first to say it.
Kian let out an outraged cry, his tiny fingers digging into Suki's skin, and his eyes wide with surprise. Suki held him closer, turning to face Kajika. The Northern Water Tribe woman had stopped in her tracks, her mouth agape. It seemed that everyone was looking at someone else, and then a dam broke.
Before Suki could blink, Tasuke ran from Kajika's rent-home and crossed the hallway towards theirs. Sokka followed suit, pulling Ipitok behind him. Hattori wasn't far behind, nearly dragging Toph along with him. They were headed towards the balcony, where they could see what had happened across the river.
Hoisting Kian higher onto her hip, Suki scrambled after her companions. The baby clung harder to her clothes as they crossed the hallway, crossing into the rent-home that the group of teenagers had occupied. He whimpered quietly and buried his head into her side, as if he could sense the alarm in the room.
By the time Suki had pushed her way onto the balcony, she had already pieced together what had happened. Or rather, what was happening. Across the river, a smaller rent-home building under construction had been struck with a barrage of fireballs. From what she saw, half of the outer structure had been melted in the attack and even from where she stood; she could see the exposed half-built homes that had been destroyed. No. She thought and looked towards her friends.
"No." She said the word aloud; for there wasn't much else she could say. She could see people scrambling to get away from the devastated building. And when she looked down, she could see the black outline of Fire Nation war tanks, rolling over the ice and towards the higher part of the city.
Kajika turned to Tasuke and Suki thought the woman looked furious. "What's happening?" She demanded, taking a step towards her friend. "Why are they doing this?" She clenched her fists and glared at the Fire Nation soldier, "Why is this happening?"
Tasuke seemed just as confused, though. "I don't know!" She said and held up her hands in surrender. "I didn't know about this!" But it didn't seem that Kajika believed her, for she took another menacing step until their noses were nearly brushing. "I swear!"
And to Suki's surprise, Hattori had joined Kajika in surrounding the soldier. "How do we know," He said slowly, quietly, "How do we know that you haven't been plotting against the Northern Water Tribe? How do we know that you're not working for Zhao?"
The firebender pointed towards the chaos below the building. "There's your proof! Do you think I would help orchestrate something like that?" Another fireball whistled through the air and the sky began to grow dark with soot and smoke. "I don't even know what's happening! Your friends are out there and do you think I would put them in danger?"
Kajika seemed to back down, then. She turned her gaze out towards the balcony, frowning deeply. "No one's fighting back," She said and her voice sounded sorrowful. "No one is fighting back…everyone is too scared." Her fingers traveled to her collar, "Look what we've come to."
And those words tore a hole in Suki. She froze and turned her gaze back to the balcony. There was a man standing on the passing war tank, hands clasped behind his cape. He seemed terribly disinterested at the destruction that the tanks in front of him had caused and he even turned his head to begin a casual conversation with the soldier riding on a komodo rhino beside him.
It made her sick and it made her angry to see such a thing. Suki pushed Kian into Kajika's hands and leaned against the balcony, narrowing her eyes. "We have to stop them," The Kyoshi Warrior said darkly, furrowing her brow. "If it's the last thing we do."
Sokka put his hand on her shoulder, though, and stopped her. "No," He said, blue eyes serious. "We can't. Not now." He stared into her eyes and Suki found that she was the first to blink. "I know it hurts to see this happening, but if we can avenge everyone during our attack, it'll make our wait worthwhile."
Nothing, Suki thought, would make it worthwhile to see those people across the street being stripped of their homes and possibly their lives. The Fire Nation cared about no one.
But then, Kajika called out to them. "Gather your things-all of it." She said and grabbed Ipitok's hand. "We can't stay here, and if those people survived, they'll need all the help they can get." She had swallowed her anger and had instead steeled herself against the pain that was happening around them. "Get your things and your bison, and we'll find Katara and Zuko."
The Kyoshi Warrior felt as though her skin had gone numb. She flexed her fingers and bent down to pick up her pack of supplies, stuffed with clothes. The bag was nearly bursting open, stuffed to the top with her old clothes and new ones. Slinging it over her shoulder, Suki bent to gather Katara's things as well and added it to her burden.
"Hurry," Kajika said and Ipitok looked up at his mother, oddly silent. "We haven't much time!" She said and as if to prove her point, a block of ice fell into the river with a loud splash. The little boy whimpered and grabbed onto his mother's leg, his eyes wide with fear.
"Mommy," Ipitok whispered, "Scared." He said and hid his head in the warmth of his mother's clothes. Kian looked down at him and swung his feet, blowing a bubble of spit. "Scared." The precocious boy seemed to regress back into a younger version of himself, shaking his head.
Suki was scared, too, but she had gotten over that fact. Right now, they needed to find Katara and Zuko, and get out of the rent-home complex before the Fire Nation decided to attack that building, too. They had to piece together what the Fire Nation's motives were-why would they attack a city that was already theirs?-but in order to do that, they had to survive.
Maybe some of Katara's passion had rubbed off on her, but Suki thought that it was the least they could do. They owed Aang, even though he had died nearly a year ago. Suki didn't know the boy as well as the others, but she had loved him liked she loved Zuko and Toph, and Katara and Sokka. They were her family, because without the Kyoshi Warriors, she had no one.
And she suddenly felt very selfish. While she was able to roam the world freely, the girls that she had lived and trained with were locked in a prison cell somewhere across the world, kept in cages like rabid animals. If she knew where they were, she would sacrifice everything to find and rescue them. That's what a true leader did.
For now, though, she had to settle with getting out of the building. Gathering her burdens, the auburn haired warrior followed Kajika through the door and down the hallway towards the stairs, her feet slipping. There wasn't much they could do now.
Not yet.
Gathered around the fire, Hakoda watched as his tribe nibbled on their meager rations. They had to make the food last, especially with such a large group to support. Beside him, Kanna watched the flames flicker back and forth. The warmth of the fire seemed to ease the old woman's bones, for she seemed at peace for the moment.
"I would like to discuss an important matter with the tribe," Hakoda said and set his food down, lifting his gaze to look around at his people. "With so many mouths to feed, the seasons will be harsh and food will be stretched. Life in the Southern Water Tribe is harsh, as we all know."
Blue and brown eyes rose up to meet his gaze and Hakoda held them all. "The Fire Nation will surely attack us again," He said and Kanna's eyes bore hard into him. "Despite this being our home, we will be vulnerable. And so, we must move. We must prepare to leave the Southern Water Tribe and head towards the Earth Kingdom."
"We're moving?" Asked Tartok from where he sat at Hakoda's foot, looking up at the Southern Water Tribe chief. He grinned broadly, "We're moving, we're moving!" His chant prompted the other children and they began to chatter excitedly, their wide eyes glistening in the firelight. "Chief said we're moving!"
Hakoda cleared his throat and put his hand on the little boy's head. Tartok fell silent and Hakoda looked back at the burning fire. "Of course, the tribe must agree on this. For those in favor of emigrating, speak now." He said and looked around at his people.
All of the children raised their hands, and the younger members did as well. They grinned as if they were proud that they had made such a decision. Tartok beamed up at Hakoda and he had a smug look in his eye that made Hakoda think that the boy was certain that his vote was the only one that counted. But when the Southern Water Tribe looked towards several of the older members, he saw that they were frowning and pursing their lips.
"We're not leaving." Said an elderly man, narrowing his filmy eyes at Hakoda. "I have lived on this tundra for all of my life. We had fought off the firebenders many times before, we can do it again." He was old and tired, Hakoda could tell from his posture. "The Southern Water Tribe belongs in the South Pole."
Yvenya, one of the teenagers, looked at the old man and her gaze was hard. "If we stay here," She said, "If we stay here and listen to you, we'll surely die. You may have lived a long life, but we haven't. And that wouldn't be fair to us. We say we go."
The elderly man-from another village- looked at the teenager and then back at his tribe. He could tell he was defeated and he crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking away with his brow furrowed. Hakoda was certain the man would of course join them on their journey to the Earth Kingdom. Even for his age, there were some things that Hakoda just didn't understand.
"We will have to modify and repair the ships," Hakoda said. "In order to ensure space and safety." He picked up his food and held it just above the flames in order to rewarm it. The chief patted Tartok's head as the young boy leaned against his knee. "Sometimes we have to do things that we don't want to in order to survive." He said and Tartok looked up at him with his brown eyes. And smiled.
Hakoda decided he would adopt the boy one day, but then again, in a way, he already had. Tartok was almost his second son, and even though they weren't related by blood, the young boy had patched in part of the whole in his chest. He patted Tartok on the top of his head, and sighed.
This couldn't be happening.
Katara stopped and froze, her blood running cold. From where she stood, she could see several warships closer to the wall of the Northern Water Tribe and she could see war tanks rolling over the ice, crushing and splattering it. Her stomach turned and she felt as though she had to retch.
Zuko stood beside her, silent and emotionless as he watched the scene with her. And as Katara regained her breath, it came to her. She knew why there had been no one had been on the streets. They had known that the Fire Nation would do such a thing, and so they had cleared the way. They knew that the Fire Nation would ravage through the tribe again.
They were instilling even more terror upon the Northern Water Tribe and it had become a routine thing. But…how come Kajika and Tasuke never told them about it? And suddenly, Katara began to question whether or not the Northern Water Tribe woman had been lying to them all along.
"We have to stop them," Katara whispered, clenching and unclenching her fists. From where they stood, the passing tanks couldn't see them and if she had enough time, she could use the element of surprise to attack. They would be vastly outnumbered, but if she get one…if she could stop one tank like she had stopped that ship, it would be enough for the time being.
But then her eyes caught sight of the tumbling ice and her stomach dropped along with it. She suddenly felt impossibly small, impossibly helpless against the Fire Nation assault. Whatever she did, it wouldn't make much difference without backup, even with Zuko at her side.
The time without Aang had humbled her. It took more than hope to end a war, she had learned, and she had learned it the hard way. The waterbender stopped and turned to Zuko, but to her surprise, the scarred firebender had already taken off across the ice. While she had been caught up in her inner monologue, Zuko had taken it upon himself to race back towards the rent-home complex. Their friends, Katara realized, could be in danger.
Katara sped after him, cringing as the sound of tanks grew louder. They ducked along the shadows of the buildings and ahead of them; Katara could see the last of the war tanks, flanked by several komodo rhinos. They were heading towards the higher section of the city, where the old Northern Water Tribe palace was.
The firebender and the waterbender ran along the walkway and took a sharp turn, rushing down the alleyway that their rent-home was located near. There was a shrill cry and then Katara skidded to a halt just before she smashed into Kajika. The younger girl stopped, blinking rapidly as she took in the group. Kajika was holding onto Kian with one arm and tugging Ipitok along with the other, her eyes wide.
"You're alright!" Katara cried at the same moment Suki said, "Oh, thank goodness!" The waterbender looked at her family, and then pointed frantically towards the main road. "The Fire Nation soldiers are heading towards the higher part of the city," She said and cleared her throat, "I don't know why."
Kajika shook her head as Suki passed Katara and Zuko's packs to the respectable teenagers. "We'll figure that out," She said, "When we reach the Rejisuto hideout. It's the only truly safe place I can think of at the moment. It's the only place worth going to right now."
Zuko nodded and then the Northern Water Tribe woman was leading them into the light. Katara was suddenly very aware that a silence had fallen over the streets as they snuck through them. It was almost like the calm just before and just after a large storm had passed, and in a way, it had. It was quiet, and the air seemed to swallow every sound.
Katara could almost taste the tension that resonated through their group. It was sour and if it had been real, she would have winced. Even Ipitok was silent and Katara didn't think the little boy had ever seen such a thing happen before. He was only three, but Katara had seen destruction many times. Perhaps, she thought, that she didn't react so strongly to the even that had taken place. Perhaps that was why she hadn't gone out bent on revenge.
"Mm!" Kian said and uncurled his tiny fingers from Kajika's collar, pointing towards Dagayok's sweet shop. The baby grabbed onto a lock of Katara's hair and pulled sharply, causing the young woman to wince. "Mm!" He pointed again and Kajika deftly removed his fingers from Katara's hair, muttering an apology for her son's behavior.
"No, Kian, you can't have anything sweet." Kajika said and a small smile spread across her lips. "You know it hurts your tummy." The baby turned his gaze to her and frowned, as if she had insulted him. Kajika shook her head as they approached the entrance of the Rejisuto hideout.
It was brilliant, Katara thought as the door opened, to have a hideout in plain view. No one would ever think that the entrance was amidst several shops. They were safe for now, even among the enemy's tramping grounds.
There was Dai, the older man who had opened the door for them yesterday. He looked haggard as he stepped back without comment, nodding his head in greeting instead. As Katara pressed her way into the room, she was startled by the large amount of people that crowded the corners.
There were men, women, and children of all ages squeezed into the room, their eyes on the teenagers. Katara wondered if they were all members of the Rejisuto, or if they were just fortunate enough to have friends and family in the rebellion.
"The Fire Nation," Dai said as they sat down, "The Fire Nation has decided that they have every right to terrorize and destroy our city, even though they live in it just as we do." He looked at the Fire Nation soldiers amongst the group. "The Occupation of the Northern Water Tribe has become much more. It has become a rape of the Northern Water Tribe." He narrowed his eyes, "We must exterminate them."
"Why did they set fireballs to those buildings?" Asked a young woman Katara didn't recognize. "I just don't understand it. Why would they do such a thing?" She had brown eyes, but they were so dark that they appeared black. "What is the point of attacking us? The city is already theirs."
Before Dai could speak, the young soldier from yesterday cleared his throat. "They knew those buildings were half-completed. It's more a…" He tapped his chin, "It's kind of like a 'you only have what we give you' kind of mentality. They want to break the Northern Water Tribe, because the only way they can get anything is through the Fire Nation."
It wasn't fair, Katara thought, but the world wasn't fair.
"I think it's time." Dai said and surveyed the group. Slowly, as if processing his words, the younger civilians began to nod. "It's past due time, but now is the right moment. The people are angry. The people are tired. Now is the time to fight back."
But then, an older woman who looked as though she was old enough to be a grandmother spoke up, her voice raspy and rattling. "Why should we?" She asked, and wrinkled her nose. "Why should we fight back and have our young people die for a fruitless cause?"
Katara turned her gaze on the old woman. "Why shouldn't we?" She asked and stood, "You know what it like is to live without fearing for your life. You know what it's like, but yet you refuse to give these children a chance to feel what you feel." She pointed to Ipitok and Kian. "You're being selfish!"
The woman sunk into her seat, grumbling. Several gazes turned onto Katara and she felt her cheeks get hot. But then, she cleared her throat. "We have to still hope. The time to get our freedom back is now!" She said loudly.
It had started. The Northern Water Tribe was going to get its freedom back.
This chapter originally going to be dedicated mostly to the Spirit Oasis scene, but I think it was time that the plot moved along.