Moutain Journey
"I said we'll look into it," Sokka said, stepping to the side as pebble flew past his head. "I didn't say we'd start looking tonight!" He held the torch higher as Toph worked the rocks and fallen debris out of their path. "Can't you be quieter?"
"Well, excuse me, but earth isn't a quiet element." Toph rolled her eyes, and jutted her foot forward, propelling a boulder out of the way. Sokka winced as it crashed down the mountain.
Aang frowned, walking closer to the earth bender. "Toph, you have to be quieter. If you're too loud, we could get caught."
"Didn't you say this place was known for rockfalls? That's why it's closed in the first place. A little noise won't hurt."
The air bender sighed. 'Trying to reason with Toph is like talking to a rock.' Aang shook his head, and fell into step behind Sokka.
They walked down the path in tense silence, save for the noise of the earth bending to Toph's will. Sometimes their backs pushed against the side of the cliff as they passed along narrow ridges and loose ground. The song of insects floated through the night as the road leading to the forest crept farther down. Aang peered through the darkness, attempting to see past the mass of trees.
A cool breeze drifted along, bringing the faint smell of flowers and grass to the air bender's nose. Aang breathed in deep, the scent reminding him of a special water bender. 'Katara always smells like flowers.'
Toph stopped short, digging her toes into the rocky ground. "Looks like this is it. After a couple more feet there's nothing but water."
Sokka moved in front of her and held out the torch, taking several more steps until he reached the edge of the water. "The road ends here. We'll bring the boat tomorrow."
"How deep is it?" Aang asked, walking ahead. He shivered as the cool liquid covered his feet and stopped when it reached his knees. The water rippled as he looked around, his reflection obscured. Something caught his eye, and he leaned down. He called out as his vision blurred and lost his footing, the water dragging him down into darkness.
Aang opened his eyes to a blue cloudless sky, and a cold wind that made him shiver. He wrapped his arms around him as another wind blew. 'Where am I?' He sat up, his hands touching grass green with life. He stood up and looked around, his eyes resting on a lone figure in the distance.
"Sokka? Toph?" He began walking towards the figure. As he came closer, the grassy path become narrower, and the field started to wither. The sky darkened and black clouds rolled in, the crack of lighting sending jagged white whips through the darkness. Aang flinched as another white whip struck through the sky. 'What's going on?'
Aang stopped and looked at his feet, something soft and grey replacing the grass.
"Ashes?" He looked up, staring into amber eyes. "Zuko?"
"You found me."
"Aang!" Sokka ran into the water and dived under. Reaching out, he grabbed Aang's wrist, pulling him closer, and swam to the surface. He gasped for air as he swam for shallower water. Sokka waded through the water, pulling Aang through the mud and onto the path.
"Wake up!" Sokka pushed down on the Avatar's chest, making the younger boy cough, spitting up water. He helped Aang sit up, patting his back.
Toph ran up behind them. "What happened?"
"He forgot how to swim," Sokka said, turning his attention to Aang. "Are you okay?"
Aang nodded, shaking from the encounter. Something colder than the water invaded his body and mind. A feeling of dread weighed on his shoulders as he recalled the scarred face in his dream.
"Is that everything?" Katara asked, leaning against the wagon. She shielded her eyes from the sun, tugging at her collar as sweat dripped down her neck. She gulped, trying to soothe her parched throat, frowning as the sun's harsh rays shone through the trees. Since the storm had passed, humidity had settled in the forest like a heavy blanket.
"Yes, I believe so," Ashan said, tossing a bag into the wagon. He sighed, wiping off his brow, and glanced up at the sky. 'This isn't the hottest it's been.' "The sun is merciless today." He looked at Katara, noting her flushed face. "Are you feeling unwell?" He stepped closer to her, reaching out to touch her forehead.
Katara stepped back, forcing a smile. "I'm okay. I'm just not used to this kind of heat."
"I see." Ashan frowned, his brows slanted in concern. "Wait a moment." Rummaging through the luggage, he searched the wagon until he found a jug of water. "Here, drink this. You will need to keep up your strength if you want to help the prince."
"Thank you." She held the jug to her lips. A single drop escaped her mouth and fell down her neck.
Ashan's gaze fell to the drop as it rested on her collar, his eyes wandering over the rest of her tanned arms. Her dark skin resembled cocoa beans. When his gaze fell past her collar, he turned away. "I've never seen someone with skin as dark as yours. It's lovely."
Katara coughed, placing the jug into the wagon as heat rose to her face. "Um, thank you." She turned towards the hut as the door swung open, showing Jin-Ho with Zuko slung on his back. She moved the sacks around as the soldier lowered Zuko into the wagon, his limp body cushioned by makeshift blankets.
Zuko's face still had a pale tinge to it, his lips cracked and white. Katara leaned down, brushing strands of hair from his face, allowing her hand to trace his jaw. She breathed in deep, her heart dropping at the sight of the prince's body.'Hang on, Zuko. You'll get better soon.'
Jin-Ho had assured her that the mountain village had the medical supplies he needed to help him. As soon as they reached the village and found a place to stay, he would start working on Zuko.
"Are you ready, little water bender?" Jin-Ho asked. He'd shed his leather armor and now wore plain civilian clothing. He grabbed the ropes attached to the wagon, situating them over his shoulders.
Katara's eyes widened as she watched the soldier hitch himself to the wagon. "You're going to pull that?"
"No. It's going to float along behind me," he scoffed. "Of course I'm going to pull it."
She opened her mouth to retort, then thought better of it. She was still in his debt.
Ashan came from behind her, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Don't take it to heart Katara. Brother has always been...curt."
"I think you mean rude."
"Let's start moving, you two." Jin-Ho motioned towards the muddy path.
She glanced at the hut, happy to be leaving. 'I just wish Zuko's condition wasn't so bad.' "Has he always been like this? Rude, I mean," Katara whispered.
Ashan grinned. "Brother has always been difficult. He's had a...militant upbringing."
"You haven't?" As the words left her mouth, she regretted asking. "I'm sorry. That's none of my business."
"No, I understand why you would ask. It must be hard to believe we're related."
She smiled, shaking her head. "Not exactly." 'He should meet Sokka.' At that thought, Katara stiffened. 'Sokka is with Aang. Aang is the Avatar. If Jin-Ho finds out about Aang, he'll turn is in.' Her heart beat faster, her mind entertaining thoughts of capture. 'I just put everyone in danger.' How could she have been so careless? She'd never stopped to think of what would happen after Zuko got better, or if they reunited with their friends. She hadn't thought at all. 'I was so worried about Zuko.' Would Jin-Ho and Ashan simply let her and Zuko go their own way?
"Is there something wrong?" Ashan asked.
She shook her head, trying to ignore the panic seeping into her mind. "No. Not at all."
"It's hot," Toph moaned, sticking her hands into the murky water. "We should have searched last night."
"Then we wouldn't be able to see them," Sokka said. He wiped his brow and searched the trees. He unfolded a map, his lips twisting into a frown as he traced the route they had been near when the storm hit. If Zuko and Katara stayed in the same area after the storm, they would be one day out. 'But where?'
He doubted they would be in Shu Jing. And if they had made it to the mountain village, Seung Hyun would have spotted them. Everyday, they had searched the town in case Zuko and Katara showed up. They couldn't have missed them.
Aang's eyes narrowed as he stared through the forest, his arms directing the water to carry the boat along. He squinted as they passed through a clearing, the sun's unforgiving rays beating down. He gulped, trying to relieve his dry throat as sweat dripped down his head. In the village, the humidity had been bearable, and there had been a cool wind down the mountain path. 'Now that we're below the mountain, the heat is worse.'
Sokka sighed and folded the map. We'll do a quick circle of this area and then go further. We have to be back in town before dusk."
"Do you think we'll ever find them?" Aang asked. 'If only we could use Appa. Searching would be easier...'
Sokka patted his shoulder. "I know we will. I can't stay separated from Katara for too long." He winced. "The universe hates me too much for that." Rubbing his eyes, he leaned against the side of the boat, his head pounding as he thought of the best ways to use their time. Seung Hyun wouldn't be in town much longer, and without him the gang might not get it into Shu Jing. 'We'll be left dodging soldiers in the forest.'
The gang rocketed forward as the boat hit muddy ground, almost throwing Toph off the side.
"I think we've run out of water." Aang lowered his arms.
"Earth!" Toph scrambled out of the boat, pressing her hands into the wet dirt. "It's never felt so beautiful."
"Sure, if you like animal poop," Sokka said.
Toph jumped, running to the edge of the water to wash her hands.
"It's never been so stinky either," Sokka whined, clasping his hand over his nose and mouth. "Aang, help me pull the boat in." They grabbed the ropes, and pulled the boat farther up the bank before tying it to a tree. Ahead of them sat tall swamp grass.
Sokka handed Aang his bag, and hoisted his own on his shoulders. "Let's go."
"We'll rest here for a while." Jin-Ho allowed the ropes to drop from his shoulders, positioning the wagon against a tree. He winced, a sharp pain running up his arm as he tried to stretch it. His shoulders ached from rubbing against the cord for hours. Sighing, he tried to ignore the discomfort. It wasn't the heaviest load he'd carried.
Turning around, he met Katara's concerned gaze. She'd made her way over to the wagon to check on the prince, her lips protruding in a pout. 'She looks like a ragged pup,' he thought. "What are you staring at?"
Katara frowned, her gaze falling to his arm. "Your muscles will get stiff after a while."
"I've been through worse, little water bender."
"My name is still Katara," she mumbled, wetting a cloth with water from the jug. She patted Zuko's forehead, running the rag over his cracked lips. She placed her hand on his head, and almost jumped at how cold he was. 'He's losing heat again.'
Ashan came beside her, glancing at Zuko. His eyes narrowed. "Brother."
Jin-Ho stared at Zuko's ashen face, then grabbed his wrist and pressed two fingers against it. He set his arm down, then laid his hand against the prince's chest. 'Cold.' "We need to move. Quickly."
"What's wrong?" Katara asked, throwing her bag over her shoulder.
"He's losing heat. Not just body heat." Jin-Ho slung the ropes over his shoulders as Ashan began to push the wagon.
"What's that mean?"
Jin-Ho met her gaze. "He is departing from this world."
Katara's body seemed to freeze at his words. 'No...'
"Do not despair, Katara." Ashan placed his hand on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "We will make it."
"What are you doing?" Katara asked as the wagon rolled to a halt. The sun had set hours ago, leaving a moonlit sky. She watched Jin-Ho unhitch himself and go to the back of the wagon. He motioned for Ashan to assist him as he placed his arms under Zuko's limp body.
Panic rose in Katara's heart as the soldier lifted him up. Ashan threw the bags off the wagon, and then spread more blankets under Zuko.
"What are you doing?" she asked again, voice shaking.
"We've run out of time," Jin-Ho said. "I must do what I can to save him." He turned Zuko on his side, and began to cut his shirt off.
"But the path to the village is just a little ways ahead!" Katara said. "We can still make it."
Jin-Ho grabbed her arm, moving her to the side, amber eyes piercing blue. "There is no time." He handed her the stained cloth.
Her eyes widened at the sight of Zuko's back. It had turned an ugly shade of black and green, the wound swollen and seeping fluids. She struggled to keep down the bread she'd eaten hours before. She thought she could compose herself, until the smell of the rotten flesh hit her nose. She vomited in the bushes.
Ashan brushed past her, placing a jug of water near the wagon, then turned to her, his gaze firm. "Keep a level head. We might still save him, but we must act quickly." As he spoke, he laid down a small cloth and began placing metal objects on it. He took the shirt from her, throwing it on a small fire he'd started.
Jin-Ho gestured for Katara to come toward the wagon. "I'll need you to hold him down."
She blinked. "Hold him down?"
"He will experience great pain. If we'd made it to the village, I'd have drugged him, but here, there is no such convenience." He held out his hand, helping Katara climb into the wagon, and handed her a rag. "Place this between his teeth when he screams. We can't have him waking the Fire Nation."
She nodded, situating herself in the back, Zuko's head resting on her lap. She grabbed his sweaty hands, holding them tight as the metal instruments glinted in the fire light.
"Are you ready?" Jin-Ho asked her, holding a metal tool. The hot tip of it reminded her of a hatchet, but more slanted. The longer she stared at it, the more it frightened her.
"Yes." She held Zuko's hands tighter. "We're ready." As the words left her mouth, a piercing scream broke through the night. Katara had never heard anyone let loose such a chilling shriek as Zuko did when the sharp, hot metal penetrated his skin. She gagged as she watched Jin-Ho slice into the swollen flesh, the smell, putrid.
"Gag him!" Jin-Ho hissed as another scream escaped Zuko's lungs. He wiped his hands on a wet rag, staining it with blood, then turned back to the prince. He cursed as blood and pus flowed from the wound and grabbed a cloth, allowing the water to clean off the surface. He'd been foolish to delay their trip by two days. 'Foolish and careless. We should have left the moment Ashan could walk.'
"Brother, the herbal water." Ashan set a bucket beside Jin-Ho, holding another metal tool. He handed it to his brother, taking the dirty one, dropping it in an empty bucket.
He waited for his brother to clean his hands before taking the soiled rag and throwing it in the fire, grabbing a new one from the herbal solution.
Katara stuffed the rag in Zuko's mouth just as he began to wail again, her vision blurring with tears. His grip on her hands tightened, his knuckles pale. With every muffled cry, she felt as if her heart had been torn out of her chest. Her lips moved, trying to find words of comfort, but she knew they would do nothing to ease his pain.
"According to the map, we should reach the mountain pass soon. We've avoided the flooding by taking this route." Sokka held up the scroll with one hand, holding the torch with the other so Aang could see.
"It feels good to be on hard ground again," Toph said, smiling as she stirred the dirt with her toes. "That mushy stuff isn't good for me."
"What's the plan now?" Aang asked. "It's past dusk."
Sokka rubbed his forehead, his lips pursed in thought. "We'll head back now and early tomorrow we'll take this route again."
"Sounds good." Aang fell into step beside Sokka. He listened to the night sounds of the woods, his thoughts wandering. 'Searching the dry land isn't going to be hard. We have Toph to help.' He forgot his thoughts as scream rang over the woods. Aang sucked in air, shuddering. He turned to Sokka. "Did you hear that?"
The older boy nodded, his eyes widening. "Yeah, I did." He looked at Toph. "Can you tell where it came from?"
"Hold on." She breathed in, and planted her feet. Everything seemed to stand still as the patterned waves of heart beats filtered through the earth to her. 'A bird, deer...' Then, one unlike the rest broke the chain and Toph followed it to the source. 'It's barely there, but it's human. I know this pattern...' She tensed as she felt the struggling pulse, just barely there. "I found Zuko."
Aang and Sokka stared at her, their faces hopeful.
"Where?" Aang asked. "Are they close? Did you find Katara?"
Toph nodded. "There's two other people with them."
Sokka grabbed her shoulders. "Who? Are they in danger?"
She shook her head.
"What's wrong? I thought you'd be happy when we found them."
She stared ahead, and blinked, the corners of her eyes watering. "Zuko's..."
Jin-Ho stared at the wound, his gaze shifting to the blood-soaked blanket. 'If only I'd had more time.' Zuko's cries had stopped a while ago, and his breathing had become so shallow it had been hard to tell whether he was still alive. Even with Ashan trying to level the prince's body heat by transferring his own, nothing more could be done. He sighed, throwing another tool into the bucket, then reached for a clean rag to wipe his hands. 'I've done all I can.'
He stared at Katara's worn expression, her hands caressing the prince's face. 'I've made another promise I cannot keep.' "Enough. There is nothing more I can do."
"But you said you'd help him," Katara whispered, voice strained from crying. "You said you could save him."
"I could have saved him." Jin-Ho rubbed his eyes. "If we had made it to the—."
"No! You don't understand. Zuko's going to be the next Fire Lord." Katara held his hand tighter, even though his fingers had loosened. "He still has to defeat his father. He can't die. You can't die, right?" She laid her hand on his chest, ignoring the coldness of his skin. "You can't die, Zuko. The Fire Nation needs you...The world needs you."
Ashan came up behind Jin-Ho, his throat constricting as Katara continued to whisper. He closed his eyes, trying to think of the right words to say. "Katara..."
"Stop it! He can't die, okay? He can't. He's not dead!"
Jin-Ho took her hand and held it against Zuko's chest, his gaze softening as her tears fell on Zuko's cheek. "His body is cold, child. A fire bender's body never goes cold, unless Agni has taken what rightfully belongs to him." He released her hand and stepped back. "I will let you mourn in peace." He walked away, motioning for Ashan to follow him.
Katara listened to them leave, her eyes never leaving Zuko's face. She leaned down, pressing her forehead against his, and wrapped her arms around him. She wept.
Ashan closed his eyes as Katara's cries drifted through the forest. He leaned against a tree and slumped to the ground, resting his head in his hands. If only they'd had more time. 'If we had only made it to the village.' He stood, glancing at Jin-Ho. His eyes narrowed as he heard rustling behind him. "Brother, did you hear that?"
Jin-Ho nodded, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Yes. Someone is coming."
Ashan grabbed his sword and stood, hearing the noise come closer, then voices. "Soldiers?"
"No. Stay here." Jin-Ho walked further into the woods, listening to the slightest sound. He turned around, his ears registering the whisper of footsteps. With deadly precision, he grabbed his dagger and threw it towards the figure hiding in the shadows. A yelp came from the bushes. "Come out. Now."
"Where are Katara and Zuko?"
'A female's voice.' "They are only a few paces away. Though I fear you have arrived too late to help the prince," he said.
The bushes parted to reveal a young girl in Fire Nation clothing. Two other young boys stood with her.
"Where's Zuko?" she asked, her voice shaky.
"I will take you to him." He turned around, heading back towards the small camp.
Ashan stood near the wagon, his hand on the hilt of his sword. He frowned as he saw his brother emerge from the trees, tagging along three people. "Who are they?"
"The water bender's companions." Jin-Ho stepped aside.
"Is he..." Toph said, stepping forward. She gasped, choking back tears as she touched Zuko's cold fingers. Burying her face in her hands, she turned away, hiding her face in Sokka's chest as her body began to shake.
Aang's heart dropped at the sight of Katara holding the lifeless prince in her arms. His knees gave way and he fell to the ground, his mind and body numb.
Katara looked up, lips quivering as she spoke. "Aang...Zuko's gone."
The air bender shook his head. It couldn't end this way. Zuko had only just joined the group. He'd changed. Zuko had protected him in Ba Sing Se. The prince's words from Aang's dream came back to him. 'You found me.' Aang hung his head. "I didn't find you in time." 'Go back to where you belong. You don't belong here.'
Now he understood. Now he knew why he didn't belong where Zuko was. 'But Zuko doesn't belong there. Not yet.' He placed his hand over Katara's, meeting her gaze. "I'm going to bring Zuko back to where he belongs...with us."
Thank you all for sticking with me for so long. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter! I appreciate every review and favorite.
Painterofemotions