A/N: Hello my darlings. I am still here! lol Once again this wait has been painfully long, in which I apologize. We are getting close to the end and I can hardly believe it. It's going to be WILD. I'm so excited to finally get to write the scenes I've been planning for years. But now, please enjoy!
Chapter 28 - Battle of the North, Part 1
Province 9 is gone.
I knew it, was prepared for it, but the knowledge still does not fully prepare for the devastation I feel. My heart feels like it's stopped beating in my chest.
Even from the distance, I can see the wall is nothing more than crumbled ice. Where structural igloos and huts were once lining the streets, the Fire Lord's armies have made camp. Hundreds and hundreds of maroon tents are now scattered throughout the province. There are a few that are far larger, indicating a general or important officer's lodging. Red and gold banners embroidered with twin dragons ripple in the wind. Most of the igloos are crumbled, like the wall, and the huts that remain are charred and burnt—destroyed. The palace is gone, too.
I fight back the tears just as I feel Zuko come to my side. Feel him lace his fingers with mine. For a long time I just stand here in silence, staring and staring at the demolition of my home.
"When this is over, we will rebuild it," Zuko vows quietly.
I think I nod.
The longer I stare, the less I recognize it, this place—my home. I don't know if…if I can ever see it the same again. Don't know if I want to.
Bowen, Toph, and Pakku head out to get a better look at the camp. The rest of us set up our own. We couldn't risk Appa flying, so he had to walk with the rest of us. He now watches us set up the tents in an almost bored fashion. Jin keeps him pre-occupied with her soft humming.
Zuko takes the spears of fish my dad had caught and roasts them with fire. Even though there's plenty of smoke coming from the Fire Lord's camp and we're a few miles away, we don't risk our own fire. We eat quietly, lost in our own thoughts. My mind keeps drifting to Sokka, wondering what he might make of all this. He'd complain the fish needed seasoning. Which always made me laugh, because we never had much money for luxuries like special seasonings.
I save some fish for Toph and the others. But when they get back, they don't return alone.
"What is this?" my dad demands as Bowen throws two soldiers onto the snow before us. Pakku had been carrying another and Toph had dragged one behind her. They all appear alive, but unconscious.
"Our way into the camp," says Bowen, sounding a bit winded. Over the captive's armor they wear heavy maroon parkas with black fur, the Capital's version of our own.
"They look like hostages," Lu Ten points out dryly.
"For now," says Bowen. He takes another deep breath. "First we take any useful information they have, then we'll use their uniforms as disguises to enter the camp. We can only see so much from the outside, even with Toph's abilities. We have to get inside."
I look at Bowen sharply. "And how do you plan on extracting useful information?"
His smile is gone. "By any means necessary."
Now I look to Zuko. But he just nods once at Bowen, giving his approval. They're right, I know they are. But it doesn't mean I'm happy about it. My dad looks ready to argue, so I say, "We have four uniforms. Who will go?"
Everyone has an opinion on this, but Zuko has the final say. I keep quiet and watch as Zuko listens to each person, weighing all the options.
Finally he says, "Bowen needs to go." No one had debated Bowen. He and Zuko are easily the stealthiest of our group. I just wonder how Jin will take the news. Currently she's fallen over asleep, her head resting on Bowen's thigh.
"And Toph, to sense what she can. We'll also need someone that knows this land." Zuko looks at me then, and reluctantly says, "Katara."
"Me?" I ask in surprise.
Zuko's mouth twitches at my reaction—is that amusement? He glances around our group and gestures to Pakku with his chin. "We need another master bender here. If we are caught in the camp, we need strength on the outside to break us out."
"I agree," Pakku admits. "We cannot place all our eggs in one basket."
"Then send me," says my dad. "I have hunted on these grounds since I was a boy. Katara is knowledgeable, yes, but not like me."
The insult doesn't sting, because he's right. But that's only part of it. The other part is that he wants to protect me.
"That may be so," says Zuko, "but it is a full moon and Katara may need to bend."
Bloodbend, he means. I don't know whether to kiss him or laugh at him for his confidence in me.
My dad straightens. He wants to argue, but I know he sees Zuko's logic, and can't fault it. "I don't like this," he settles on saying.
"And I do?" Zuko's eyes flash. Reluctantly, my dad nods in defeat, tight lipped. "I will be the fourth."
"No," says Lu Ten, shaking his head. "We can't risk you being captured."
"Harmonic Convergence is in two days," Zuko snaps, his temper finally slipping. "If I'm stupid enough to get captured, then I deserve whatever punishment my father seems fit."
"Let me go," Lu Ten says gently. "We need strength here, watching the hostages. And even if I am considered a traitor, I am a bargaining chip. The Fire Lord can use me to get to my father. For that, he will want me alive."
Zuko stares at his cousin, stone faced, before he looks to me. "Well?"
"Well what?"
"You always have an opinion. I can't imagine why you'd start holding back now."
He's angry, snapping at every turn, but I understand his frustration.
"I think he's right," I admit, even if the idea of going into that camp without him terrifies me.
"You think he's right," he echoes.
"Yes. You do, too. You're just being stubborn."
Toph snorts. "It's settled, then. Me, Katara, and the two pretty boys will risk our lives while you lot sit back and relax by the fire. Sounds like a solid plan."
Zuko scowls at her, but he does not argue.
Later that night, when the full moon is high and I can feel the power of it in my veins, I finish sharpening Zuko's dagger—my dagger, I suppose—and sheath it at my thigh. When I trained with Bowen and Zuko, they both stressed the importance of close combat, that fending off a dagger at close range is more difficult than a sword at a distance.
Zuko and I stand in our tent. He slips the maroon parka over my armor. He's been quiet, which isn't unusual for him, but I can still feel his tension and see the stiffness in which he moves.
"You know this is the best way," I say gently.
"I do," he admits reluctantly. He starts adjusting the parka. "Doesn't mean I like it. I should be out there, not hiding here."
"You say that as if we're marching into battle, leaving you to watch from atop your throne," I say, teasing him.
He doesn't return my smile. "I should be out there with you."
"I know I'm not..." I start, struggling for words, "…not as strong as I once was. That my hand and my bending is—"
Zuko halts his movements and comes round to face me. "You think I don't think you're strong enough? The only person that doubts your strength is you, Katara."
"Can you blame me?" I try to smile, but it feels weak.
His hands go up to cup my face. A thumb brushes the scar on my cheek. "You are stronger than you give yourself credit for. And your strength is not measured by your bending abilities."
If I didn't already love him, I would love him just for that. "Then why are you looking at me like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like you're never going to see me again."
He gives a tightlipped half smile and leans down, kissing me gently. It's sweet and quick, all we have time for. He pulls back and says, "We won't be far away. If something goes south, you need to give us a sign. If you're caught, you run."
I shift a little at that.
"You run, Katara," he says, this time fierce and serious. "You run and I will come for you."
"The army—"
"I will come for you," he repeats. "Do you understand?"
I stare at him, hearing his unsaid words. Swallowing, I nod, because I do understand. And I don't argue with him that running into the thick of the Fire Lord's army just for me is a stupid plan, because I know he will do it anyway.
Just as I would do for him.
Bowen finds little when he questions the soldiers. After they obliterated Nine, they were given orders to wait. Wait until what, they did not know. Now all the soldiers are becoming antsy, questioning why they are freezing in the north with no apparent plans. The Fire Lord's tent is at the northern end of the camp, large and ornate enough that it's obvious it belongs to him.
These four soldiers are young, not high in rank, and likely know little of the Fire Lord's true plans. That much Bowen gathers. But we still keep them tied up, their hands and ankles cuffed with metal that Bowen bended, and without parkas so they are always cold. Not freezing enough to die or cause illness, not with their armor still intact, but uncomfortable enough so they can't bend easily.
Pakku and Tyran stay in their tent, while my dad, Nikka, and Jin stand guard outside until Shai returns with Zuko. Those two had gone out ahead, where they will remain hidden but close enough to keep an eye on the Fire Lord's camp. My dad and I shared a brief farewell. He hid is worry well enough, but I promise him this is not goodbye.
The four of us—me, Bowen, Toph and Lu Ten—have just left our camp behind when a small voice says, "You're leaving?"
I wince at the betrayal in her voice and turn around, but she's not looking at me.
"Not for long," says Bowen. He takes off his helmet and approaches Jin cautiously.
She must have chased after us. I can see Nikka in the distance back at camp, standing with her arms crossed, waiting for Jin to return.
"You are leaving me?" The fact that Jin phrases it like a question makes it hurt even more. I look away to give them a semblance of privacy. So does Lu Ten.
"Never," Bowen promises. "We've been tasked with a mission, Jin. It won't take long, but it's something we must do."
"Mission?"
"To find the spirit portal and stop the Fire Lord from entering it."
I wince again. So Bowen hasn't talked to her. He was just going to sneak off and think she wouldn't notice? I almost turn around just to glare at him.
"I can help," she says so hopefully that I feel my heart break a little.
"You are helping by staying here," Bowen says gently.
"How?" she demands, with more fierceness than I've ever heard from her. "How is that helping you?"
"It helps me more than you know." I can hear the strain in his voice, the way he hates to hurt her. He takes a deep breath. "Our prince and future Fire Lord is staying at camp. He will need protection—can you do that?"
I turn just a little to see Jin shrug her small shoulders. Now she looks a little nervous. "I—I'm no warrior."
Bowen smiles fondly and tucks a stray hair behind her ear. Then he flicks the feathered end of an arrow sticking out from the quiver on her back. "You sure about that?"
"I don't know. I just don't want…you're leaving me," she says again.
"I'm sorry I did not tell you," he says with sincerity. "I should have. I promise you this, Jin. If I ever leave you, I will always return."
Her eyes widen. "You promise?"
"I promise."
Now I do turn away. She's crying a little and he's speaking too quietly for me to hear. I hope he understands the levity of that promise, what it would do to her if he breaks it. To promise such a thing in a time of war…
We don't leave until Bowen joins us. I know he's watched Jin the entire time she walked back to camp, safe with Nikka.
Before he puts on his helmet, Toph says, "You really should have told her, pretty boy. Even I think that's cruel."
"Yeah," Bowen says with a long-suffering sigh, "I know."
I've never been around so many soldiers at once.
As the four of us walk through the camp, I try to level my breathing. The full moon paints a ghostly light over the hundreds of tents scattered across Nine. Soldiers sit in clusters around burning fires, drinking and laughing and playing cards. There are crimson flags waving in the chilly wind, stacks of swords and shields strung up on weapon racks.
We keep moving, heading north, careful to avoid large tents that likely house high ranking officials and generals. Not that walking around is suspicious—plenty of soldiers are doing just that—but we don't want to risk being stopped or questioned.
But the camp is huge, a problem Lu Ten quickly voices. "We need to split up to cover more ground. We're running out of time."
Bowen nods in agreement. "We'll track north. You two," he says, gesturing to me and Toph, "track east."
I think of what I saw of the tents from above, while we were scouting the area. "West," I say, dropping my voice as we pass a rowdy group of soldiers. "I think the Fire Lord would have his soldiers camp far away from where he suspects the entrance to be. The host looks to be mostly to the eastern ridges."
"What's to the west?" Bowen asks.
"Mountains. Abandoned forests."
"So, nothing." I can hear his smirk and ignore it.
"Where and when do we meet up?" I ask.
"The infirmary barracks," says Lu Ten, gesturing over his shoulder at a section of tents and cots. Men and women wearing long robes are tending to soldiers, carrying bottles of medicine, buckets of water, and fresh bandages. There are even some Waterbenders amongst them. Betrayal flares in my chest. I look away before I do something stupid.
"When?"
"In two gongs."
I nod. The gongs are used to tell time, to keep soldiers on the battlefield aware of their bearings.
"Two gongs, then." Bowen clips me under the chin. "Be safe."
"You too."
Lu Ten just gives me a nod, and then they turn and head north. Toph says nothing. She just turns and watches them go.
"What is it?" I ask.
She shakes her head and turns around. "It's—nothing. Never mind. Let's go."
We head west, passing a group of soldiers that are practicing their bending. We move on and quickly find another. I notice there are rings stationed all through the camp just for training. Some have straw dummies, others spar amongst each other. Some use swords and shields, but most of them are firebending. I focus on not flinching every time I see a flash of fire.
When we finally reach the western ridges, to the edge of the tents, I stop and hesitate. Beyond are hollow forests surrounded by mountains. It's rough terrain, places our people never traveled. Or if they did, they did not return. And it's not deserted enough with all the surrounding tents for us to disappear off the map. We can't very well take off running, either. Our armor will be too loud.
"We need a distraction," I say.
"Finally, something fun to do," says Toph. She cracks her knuckles and turns back to the tents. Even with the armor, she still looks too small for a soldier. We're lucky we haven't been stopped.
Toph slashes her arms forward. In the distance, but not too far away, a handful of tents crumble to the ground. The soldiers sitting around them leap up and shout in confusion. Others emerge from the tents, looking around and shouting back at the others.
She must have manipulated the ground so the tents would fall. We take off at a brisk pace, leaving the soldiers to argue over the poor structure of their tents. Once we reach the trees, I look back to make sure we aren't followed.
"All clear," I say to Toph. "Nice job."
"I thought it would be less subtle than impaling a soldier to the ground by his sword."
"Good call."
As we walk on, the terrain becomes more jagged and rough. The trees are bare and ominous, and far too quiet. Every crunch of our steps is painfully loud. I slow to a stop and bring my voice down. "We're too loud."
"Oh, alright, I'll just grab my magic carpet and we'll fly the rest of the way," Toph whisper shouts. "Or did you want to take the not-so-subtle flying bison?"
"Stop talking," I whisper shout back. "Scan ahead. Do you see anything?"
"I can barely see anything with this snow." Still, she drops low and pressed a gloved hand to the ground. "No, it's clear ahead. I think."
"You think?"
"Yes, I think," she snaps. "What do you see, huh?"
I sigh. "Let's go."
We try to move as quietly as we can. I can see my breath, it's so cold. I'm thankful for the parka and armor. Just as we hurdle over a rocky formation, my breath hitches when I see the light. Its soft, pearly white, and not of this world.
"Toph—" I start.
"Not so fast."
We whirl around and look up, but not quick enough. Dark shadows jump down from the trees and move so fast, that I don't even have time to raise my dagger. I'm struck in the head with something hard, and before I can right myself, something sweet and rancid is pressed to my mouth and nose.
Then I collapse.
I wake with a jerk.
My head hurts, my nostrils sting, and my sight is blurry. But once I blink and regain my bearings, I notice I'm in a large tent and tied to a chair. No, not tied. Metal wraps around my wrists and binds me to the chair, and my shins are bound to the legs.
I look wildly around and find Toph sitting next to me. Only her arms and legs are not bound by metal—they're bound by fire. Blue fire. Not touching her, but close enough to be unbearably uncomfortable. She's awake, sitting incredibly still, not looking at me. One false move and that fire will sear off her limbs.
"Toph," I say, my voice hoarse.
"Oh, you are awake."
I still at the voice. It's behind me, which makes it even worse. I examine the tent more carefully now, noticing the long table covered in documents and ornate chairs, the four-poster bed, the flickering candles and wardrobe, the heavy desk.
His tent is unmistakable.
The Fire Lord comes around to face me, leaning against his desk. He looks just how I remember him. Powerfully built, handsome, and tall. Regal, elegant, without an ounce of warmth in his gold eyes. His long hair is down, pulled back at the top, but he wears no crown. As if it makes any difference; there is not a soul in this world who does not know his face.
For a long while, we just stare at each other. My heart beats frantically in my chest, panic and fear threatening to overwhelm me. He is here. Right here, before me.
Finally, the Fire Lord pushes away from his desk and says, "I must admit, I do not find the north hospitable or pleasing. Though, I suppose, it was once more than ash and dust, and had it's merits."
Cruel, horrible man. I refuse to cry, but I can't speak without the threat of tears, so I say nothing.
"This is always the worst part, isn't it?" he asks. He places his hands behind his back and begins to pace, the long burgundy of his robes dragging on the ground. "Your plan has backfired. You have been captured. You don't know what to say, what to do. Do you beg? Do you offer information in exchange for your life? What will come of you? Your loved ones? Will you be dealt a clean death, or will it be slow?"
I hate the cool, calculated way in which he speaks, and I hate how he's right. My mind is a whirlwind, and the unknown and uncertainty is more fearsome than anything else in the world.
"Let us converse as acquaintances, Katara." The Fire Lord waves a hand. A shadowy soldier that I had not even noticed steps forward and releases my bindings. An Earthbender, then. Ozai gestures to the soldier. "Leave us."
The soldier bows and exits the tent. I massage my wrists and cut a glance to Toph, but her head is still bowed. I've never seen her so submissive and it frightens me almost as much as the monster before me.
The Fire Lord walks to a small table laden with fruit, hard cheeses, goblets and a decanter. "It would seem an apology is in order," he says, pouring liquid into two goblets. Then he carries them over, extending one to me. When I don't take it, his mouth hardens. "Do you truly believe if I were to kill you I would do so by poison?"
No, I do not.
Hesitantly, I take the goblet, but do not drink from it. He brings his own to his lips before starting to pace again.
"As I was saying," he goes on, "I must extend an apology. I underestimated you and your rebel friends. What do you call yourselves? Equalists, that's it. It has been a commendable effort, to which even I can appreciate. Useless, senseless violence in the end, but commendable."
"Senseless violence? You have more blood on your hands than any of us could ever have."
"Do I?" He raises a delicate brow. "How many lives did you abandon at Thirteen? How many died so you could escape?"
My mouth goes dry at the unwanted memory, the hauntings and regret I still face.
"What of your adventures to the Boiling Rock, or your stylist? What was her name, again?"
I stare at him, unable to form words. My hands ball into fists.
"What of my Guards that will never go home to their wives and husbands, to their children?" He looks furious now, carefully contained under his cold mask. "Or do those lives not count, because of the armor they wore?"
I look away before I scream or cry. I hate that he's right. I hate that I've justified killing, that I've become a monster just like him.
"If you want to play at war, then you ought to own up to the bloodshed." The Fire Lord takes another drink, seeming to reign in his fury. "When we arrived in Nine, your people tried to rebel and fight. Admittedly the environment was to their advantage. But my soldiers are skilled warriors, and in the end, they fell, just like you."
He waits, watching for my reaction.
I give him nothing. I am not the same quivering, scared little girl that he can visibly intimidate. Yes, I am terrified, but I am stronger now, and have learned how to hide that fear.
"If you're going to kills us, just be done with it," I say, even though I know he won't. At least not yet.
He gives me a knowing look, as if reading my mind. "No, I do not think I will. Traitors do not deserve mercy."
"Is that why you locked your wife away at the Boiling Rock?"
My words catch him off guard. He can't hide his surprise fast enough, or the flash of rage in his eyes. "She made her choice," Ozai says coldly. "That choice had consequences."
A choice you indirectly forced upon her when you would have condemned your son to death.
I want to tell him what became of Ursa. How she escaped, how she's Amun-Ra and the Grand Master of the White Lotus, how she is overthrowing his precious throne as we speak—if all is going according to plan.
"Why am I here?" I ask instead. "What do you want?"
The Fire Lord's hand snaps out with lightning speed, grabbing my chin. His eyes are gold fire. "Time with the equalists has loosened your tongue, has it not? The next disrespectable word you utter, I will cut it out." He releases me and turns to his desk, keeping his back to me.
Shaken, I take a deep breath. I am unbound. He's confident enough to turn his back on me. But I'm not stupid enough to attack, not even with Bloodbending. Instead, I try to catch Toph's eye, but of course she can't see me. She still hasn't moved an inch, showing far more restraint than I've ever seen of her before.
Suddenly I think of Bowen and Lu Ten. Has the gong rang out? How much time has passed? The flap of the tent is behind me, so I can't even tell if it's day or night.
"You may be surprised to find that I will let you go," says Ozai, braced over the desk.
I…am surprised. There must be a catch. Of course there is.
"And why is that?" I can't help but ask. "Your Highness," I force myself to add.
He turns, and this time he's holding my dagger—the one Zuko had given to me. The Fire Lord examines it with interest, running a pale hand over the hilt. "A fine blade, given to an unworthy owner. Tell me, Katara. Where is my traitor of a son?"
"Not here," I say with surprising confidence. "Do you think he would be so foolish?"
The Fire Lord looks up with a tightlipped smile, his eyes cruel and cold. "You are a cunning liar, but it will do you no good here. I know my son, and I know his weaknesses." He slams the dagger into his desk with such force that it sticks. "We both know I could extract the information from you. It would be painful, and there would be more blood on your hands. But why should I waste valuable time hunting down animals that are merely a pest? An annoyance?"
He is truly an overconfident man. He doesn't even think it's worth his time to snuff us out. And why should he? He has an army of hundreds—maybe thousands. What are we but pesky flies, meant to be batted away with a hand?
"You will return to my traitorous son and tell him to surrender," says the Fire Lord. "I will even give him a trial he does not deserve."
A trial that will end in his death. A public execution, meant to humiliate him in his final hours. He would rather die in battle, in a dual. Which Ozai knows.
"What makes you so confident he will surrender?" I ask, praying beyond hope that Ursa arrives and stops this madness. "That he will listen to me?"
"Oh, you will be staying here. You," says Ozai, gesturing toward Toph, "will deliver the message."
"He won't do it," I say with confidence I don't feel. A pit has sunk in my stomach.
I will come for you.
The Fire Lord's eyes gleam as he stares at me. "I think he will."
Anger, sharp and hot, flares within me. "So I am to be bait, is that it?"
"You built this snare the moment you walked into my camp, Katara. Blame no one but yourself."
"Why do you care?" I say, hating the desperation in my voice. "You have the numbers. You could just force us to take you back to our camp." There's no sense in denying it.
The Fire Lord's face has gone hard, his jaw tight. "Because I want him to surrender." He says the last word with such contempt it's almost a snarl.
Suddenly I understand. Zuko has lost his title, his crown stripped. All he has left is pride, and Ozai wants nothing more than to take that, too. This is not a matter of ease. It's a matter of pride, of cruelty.
"You truly are a monster," I whisper.
His eyes are lit with fire, but he does not lash out like I expect. What he does is worse.
"Yes," he says, almost gently. "I am. It takes more than a man to rule this world, and I am exactly what it needs to do so."
The Fire Lord drains the rest of his goblet and moves past us. I look back at Toph, and finally she's looking at me, her jaw tight in pain with the strain of the hot bindings.
"Toph," I start, my voice low. "Are—"
"He lied." Toph's hushed voice is filled with restrained anger. "He betrayed us."
"Who?"
But before she can answer, three soldiers are pulling her to her feet. The blue fire vanishes and she slumps, using one of the soldier's for support to keep her upright.
The Fire Lord returns, looking impossibly tall in his regal scale-like black armor. He's shed his robe and doesn't bother with a parka. But his armor is heavy looking, as though he has layers underneath. I suspect it's been altered for this weather.
"Escort this one to the edge of the camp. Do not follow." The Fire Lord looks down at Toph, his lip curling. "A shame such talent goes wasted." For once, Toph says nothing. She just grits her teeth. "I trust you to know how this story ends should you try something foolish, child. Now go."
I have to crane my neck in my chair to watch her go, and even then I don't see much but a sky of orange and gold—dusk. Have we been here almost a full day? That means Harmonic Convergence is in a few hours.
I turn around as I hear Ozai tightening the vambraces at his arms. He could have someone do it—someone would be honored to do it. Yet he chooses to arm himself alone. He doesn't even have servants waiting on him.
I don't know why it bothers me. Maybe I want to see him as the tyrannical king, sitting in his tower while his people suffered and fought over his attention. While they waited on him hand and foot and doted on his accomplishments. But if I cared to admit it, maybe I'd see that he isn't that sort of Fire Lord. He chose an isolated, lonely path.
He isn't the evil, mustache-twirling villain from a storybook. He operates within his own twisted laws and morals, making him more human than fictional. It's somehow more frightening.
It takes more than a man to rule this world.
Was he right? Perhaps. Every conversation I've ever had with him has made me pause and think. But there was a line, a limit to which a man should not cross. And Fire Lord Ozai has already crossed too many of them.
"I know what you're trying to do," I say quietly. "What you tried with the moon spirit. It won't work. The darkness will destroy you—destroy us all."
"We shall see," is all he says before he exits the tent.
A/N: Thank you for reading! This chapter made me remember how fascinating Ozai is to write. Can you believe it's been years since I wrote him a scene with Katara? It was so fun for me to go back to the hearing chapter in The Rise of One, to see how much Katara has grown in how she handles herself. Anyway, we are truly getting close. I expect to have this story wrapped up in the next few chapters. 3
I've decided to move forward just with Katara's perspective. Maybe someday I'll write some bonus scenes so you can see what happened off page. But even though there is a lot happening outside Katara's perspective, this is her story and it just feels right to continue in her pov. Plus, it's just more consistent. :P The epilogue may contain multiple pov's, we'll see! ;)
As always, your kind words are appreciated. I read every single one. Thanks guys!
Review Responses:
Tabithatvd: "How is your life and SO? Have your created any of your own completely un-trademarked original stories yet? If you ever do I just want to say that young adult (or even "new adult") fantasy could use and author, a creator like you." - First of all, THANK YOU for your lovely review. It made my day. Secondly, we are well! He has no idea I write fanfic, but he's very supportive of my goal to publish my own book. As of now, I'm still working on my manuscript. I'm pushing for it to be NA fantasy. :) I read a lot of YA, but I feel like my characters are just a little more mature. (And they're definitely going to be older than 16. lol) Thank you again!
vanillaeclaer : "Hurt Zuko scenes- unparalleled in my book (aka Zuko needs to suffer more lol!)" - Baha YES. I actually like to write suffering scenes? I don't know what that says about me. But he has a tough one next chapter..
nerdalertwarning: can't wait for their happy ending...please? Or as happy as it can be" - I have an ending in mind and I think it's perfect. I don't want to give anything away, but I will say I can't imagine it any other way.
Guest: "And bowen. I lo e his relationship with jin. I can't say i ever saw him with katara, she loves zuko and bowen just fits better with jin I think." - For sure. I feel like Bowen and Katara in another life may have had something going on? (If Zuko and Jin did not exist lol) But aside from some fun flirting, it's clear where their hearts truly lie romantically. I've really enjoyed writing a sibling-ish relationship between Bowen and Katara though. I think she needed that, with Sokka gone.
Isaly: "For YEARS I've imagined how incredible it would be If my two fav stories merged together, and when I found yours I was scared that it was gonna be less good than the masterpiece I wanted to read, but I wasnt disappointed. This is just so good." - Thank you dear! I'm so glad you've enjoyed it, and Bowen! I'm wary of OC's too so I was very mindful when crafting him. 3
EbunnyLove: "Also I'd love for you to drop a bunch of cut scenes at the end lol" - You know, I probably will. :) I plan on adding some "fun facts" at the end of my final chapter too, because there's a lot of things that I don't know will happen on page, but happened off page.
KataraFan: "One question though, is there a chance you could let us know changing fate/ the sequel (i think it was called forces of destiny?) would have ended since I assume there is little chance of you updating again?" - Send me a private message. :) Truly I would love to finish it, but I don't know if it will happen. When I started writing fanfiction (AGES AGO OMG) I had a lot more time on my hands than I do now.
