A/N. I don't agree with violence. But yeah, for the story, it was necessary. Sorry people.

I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender.

Did Aang just… kill that buzzard bee? No. The airbender didn't kill. He didn't. He wouldn't. It was a living creature.

But as she watched the creature fall out of the sky after being hit by that scythe-like air form, Katara couldn't help but acknowledge the fact. Aang had killed it.

She had survived the desert. She had dealt with a drunk Sokka, who had poured that cactus juice like it was water. She had protected the younger earthbender from most of Aang's wrath. But this? Seeing the airbender throw away the one principle from which he never strayed? That made her heart crack.

Aang had been unreasonable since he had learned that Appa had been abducted by sandbenders. He had insulted Toph. Something he didn't do normally. Even if someone made fun of him, mistreated him, or did anything against him, the airbender would be calm and nice.

Not now. All what made him Aang had seemingly been seized with Appa. What was left, was an extremely angry airbender.

But Katara couldn't worry too long about what was happening with him, because she had her own problems. The water in her pouch was long gone, so she couldn't bend. The only person who could protect them from the buzzard bees was Toph, who couldn't see or feel them. So, while they were making their way back to the sandglider they had found, her brother and she were giving direction to the earthbender so she would be able to hit some with rocks.

Sokka turned Toph towards one that was readying to attack, so Katara had some breathing room.

She watched the sky, but couldn't see Aang. He had been so… violent… the last few hours. Grabbing Sokka arm when her brother had joked about some giant cloud in the form of Momo. Pointing his staff towards her. Even his eyes had changed. She was used to those big grey orbs looking gentle, intelligent and calm. But now, the grey was gone, and all that was left was darkness, gazing into the world with anger, resentment and something she couldn't place. But Katara was afraid she knew that look. It had been on her father's face when he had seen her mother. When he had come out of that half-burned tent.

Murderous rage. Pure, cold-blooded rage.

A buzzing sound made her come back to reality.

"There!" She turned Toph towards the buzzard bee, and a rock flew straight through it. Katara felt a pang of regret seeing the animal go down. But better him than them.

The other buzzard bees encircled them. Now would be a good time Aang. Come back to us.

The desert erupted in a wall of sand. It hit several of the animals, who fled towards their nests. Katara thought it had been the airbender, who had whipped the sand up with his bending. But when the sand began to clear, she saw around twenty sandbenders around them, with three gliders standing behind them. It were those men who had been in the oasis, who had looked at them. Spirits, could their day get any worse?

Aang landed in front of her and Toph. Sokka stood at the side, with hi club in his hand. But he wasn't looking at the sandbenders in front of them. He was fixing Aang.

Katara quickly pulled Toph towards her brother, and, standing next to him, she whispered in his ear.

"Please, make sure not to hurt anyone."

"If he doesn't hurt anyone, I won't. Have you seen…" Sokka began, but Katara cut him off. Toph didn't know what just had happened and wouldn't understand. They hadn't had the time to explain to her the finer details, like why Aang was a vegetarian, and why he didn't kill.

"I know. Just… prepare for anything." She quickly whispered.

"Ehm, guys… Why can I feel Aang, even in the sand?" The earthbender asked, seeming very worried.

Katara didn't respond, but she heard Sokka murmur something in the blind girl's ear. The watebender walked towards where Aang was standing, holding his staff. She saw, from the corner of her eye, Momo crawl quietly towards her brother and Toph.

"What are you doing in our land?" One of the sandbender stepped forward. He pulled his turban from his head, revealing an older, weathered face. Not an unkind face, Katara remarked.

"With a sandglider from the Hami tribe!" The man said, while another came to stand next to him. He also pulled his turban off. Katara saw that the younger man looked a lot like the man who seemed in charge. Probably father and son.

"We found the sailer, abandoned in the desert! We are travelling with the Avatar, and our bison was stolen. We have to get to Ba Sing Se." The watebeneder said, trying to sound reasonable. She heard a growl in front of her. Was that… Aang?

"You dare accuse our people of theft while you ride in on a stolen sand sailer?" the younger man yelled. Behind her, Katara could her Toph gasp.

"Silence Ghashiun! No one accused our people of anything! We must give them hospitality if their story is true. Surviving the desert… That alone deserves praise." The older man spoke with authority,

"Sorry Father."

Katara heard someone walk behind her, and, turning around, she saw Toph, listening intently to the conversation. Then, her eyes widened. Oh no… Please Toph, don't say anything.

"I recognize the son's voice. He is the one that stole Appa." The blind girl said, quietly, to her. But before Katara could even try to sush her, Aang whipped his head around. Spirits… That look. His clothes began to flap around his body. Katara didn't like that one bit. Because there was no wind.

"Are you sure?"

Please, say no, say no.

"I never forget a voice." Toph stated. Then, her eyes widened even more. She had realized her mistake. But too late.

Aang turned around, but Katara had seen his eyes flicker. Oh Spirits, everything but that…

"You stole Appa." The airbender said. The waterbender flinched at the sound of his voice. Harsh, without a trace of the kindness that was usually in it. It sounded so hard, so unforgiving…

"Where is he? What did you do to him?" He pointed his staff towards the sandbenders. Katara looked, and saw the sails of the gliders move, but there was still no wind. Tui and La, please don't let this happen.

"They're lying! They are the thieves!" The man named Ghashiun screamed towards the older man. But that man had seen Aang's eyes. He had seen the danger.

"Please, I'm sure this is all a misund-" The leader of the sandbenders began, but Katara saw the airbender move his staff, in the same manner as he had done when killing the buzzard bee. The scythe like airform moved forward, cutting one of the gliders to pieces. The wood flew high, and Katara had to shield her head from the falling debris. She turned back to Sokka, who had put an arm above the blind girl. He looked at the airbender, clearly not believing his eyes.

And Katara couldn't either. Aang, destroying something, just to make a point? She quickly moved to stand a few feet away from the airbender, but in such a way that she could see his face. And what she saw, wasn't Aang. It was him, but all the traits were wrong. The frown, the dark eyes, the pursed lips… No trace of a smile, no trace of that gentle twinkle in his eyes.

"Where. Is. My. Bison." He shouted. It sounded so wrong.

The sandbenders just looked, unbelievingly and the wreck. And then, back to Aang. Several began to retreat towards the other glider, but the father and son just stood there, clearly afraid.

"You tell me where he is. NOW!" Aang shouted, and Katara could feel a tear fall from her eye, watching the airbender do the same thing to the second sandglider.

"What did you do!" The leader shouted at his son. Aang looked at them, evidently waiting for an answer.

"It wasn't me!' the son yelled. But even Katara, from where she was standing, could see how his knees buckled, and how he was trembling. He was lying and was very afraid.

"You said to put a muzzle on him!" Toph said. Katara closed her eyes.

No. Everything but that…. Toph, why?

Even with her eyes closed, the waterbender saw the light shine bright. Spirits, no…

"YOU MUZZLED APPA?" The voice had changed. Katara recognized the sound. As if a thousand people tried to speak as one.

"What the-" the earthbender said next to her, but was cut off by the sound of the last glider, breaking in the distance. Katara opened her eyes, to see the wreck fly high, towards the desert. Turning around, she saw Aang… But it wasn't him. Still there was no sign of any wind, but the airbender looked like he was standing in a storm.

She turned, seeing how the younger sandbender fell to his knees.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know it belonged to the Avatar!"

Aang… floated… towards the man. Katara hadn't seen him do anything like that. His feet didn't move, but in a second, the airbender stood in front of the younger man, holding his staff directly to his face.

"Tell me where Appa is!" The voices shouted. Katara refused to believe that was Aang. It couldn't be!

But even she had to admit… In that whirlwind of voices… There was one in particular that she could discern… And it was Aang's.

"I-I t-traded him to s-some merchants! He is probably in Ba Sing Se by now." The man bowed low, putting his hand in front him. A clear sign of surrender… "They were going to sell him there. Please… We'll escort you out of the desert! We'll help you by any means we can!"

From all around, wind picked up suddenly. Katara felt it whip around, and it began to form a column around the airbender.

"Shit! Shit! Shit! Come on! We need to get out of here!" Sokka grabbed Toph's arm, and Katara saw him make the same movement towards her. She just looked at her brother, and shook her head.

"Katara! We need to go!" He shouted, trying to come above the howling of the wind.

"Go!" she shouted back, and Sokka just looked at her, with pleading eyes, before turning around and dragging the blind girl behind him.

The sandbenders fled. Sokka fled. Toph fled. But Katara couldn't. She couldn't let Aang do this. Not because of her pity with the people that stole Appa. But because she knew that if the airbender was in his right mind, he wouldn't ever hurt these people.

She felt her hair fly free because of the wind, and she had to put all her weight on her feet to prevent being blown away. Sand flew everywhere, but Katara took a step forward, towards the centre of the storm. Towards Aang. She passed the sort of circle that had formed around the airbender, and saw the tattoos and eyes shine brightly white. Had she not known who it was, the waterbender wouldn't have recognized Aang.

The shadows on his face were dark, and the howling of the wind was mixed with something… a sound that sounded so out of place, that Katara faltered in her steps. It sounded like a wounded animal. As if something had been hunted, and left for dead, slowly dying.

"Aang!" She shouted, but the… thing in front of her didn't move. His feet came slowly from the ground.

"Aang, please!" Katara yelled, and she could feel a tear flow down. Taking a step towards… Him, she extended her arm, grabbing the wrist of the person, who was now hovering two or three feet above the ground.

It whipped his head around, and her heart shattered.

The features of the face that she… loved. So unrecognizable in wrath and pain. The eyes were the most frightening. At the Southern Air Temple, they had been empty, shining brightly. At the North Pole, they had been filled with determination, and purpose. At the fortress, Katara hadn't seen it, but Sokka had told her that there had been rage in those white eyes. Now… As those eyes looked at her, she felt her heart shatter all over.

There was hate, vengeful hate. Wrath and rage. But, buried deep beneath, she could see the hurt, the pain, the all-consuming heartache.

Katara held the wrist firmly, while looking in those eyes. The wind didn't calm down, nor did the howling. She could see just how much pain he was in. She herself felt it. He had already lost so much… His home, his friends, his people, his time… Everything that he had once loved and cherished was gone. And the last remnant of that period of his life was also gone…

"Aang… Please… Come down." She said gently. Katara didn't know if he could hear her, but as she looked in those eyes, she saw them fill with tears.

"Please… for me." The waterbender pulled softly on the young airbender's wrist, and slowly, he came down. The wind was still storming around them, but she managed to get him on the ground. Pulling him tight against her, she felt the airbender fall to his knees. The winds calmed down, just a bit. Gently going down on her own knees, she held Aang against her. Her arms around him, one on his chest and the other on his neck, she held him.

The light subsided, and, looking at his face, Katara saw the tattoos back to their rightful colour, and the tears streaming out of the closed eyes.

"I'm here Aang, we are going to manage. I promise. We will go to Ba Sing Se and find Appa. I promise." She murmured, while the airbender was still crying.

"Please… for me, get up…" She whispered in his ear. Quickly kissing his cheek, Katara felt him stir beneath her touch. He got up.

"I-I… I need to apologize… To them…" He mumbled.

"Yes… But please… stay away from the younger one…" Katara responded. Aang wiped his cheeks, but the tears were still streaming.

Looking over the airbender's shoulder, the waterbender saw Sokka walk over to them.

"Please… get up. Sokka will go with you." At her words, the young man stood up, and gently removed her arms.

"Sorry Sokka…" The airbender said, while turning around to face her brother.

"No… no need Aang… Come on." Sokka put an arm around him and pulled him towards the sandbenders. When they saw the two approach, Katara could see one of the men walk away, to stand a few yards away from the group. Aang didn't try to follow him, to her relieve.

"What happened?" A soft voice came from behind her. Katara stood up and turned around. Toph looked very disoriented. Her hair was a mess, and the waterbender saw traces of tears on her cheeks.

"Aang… well, what do you know about the Avatar State?" She asked gently. The earthbender would surely have heard some stories about that.

"Wait… what! You mean… That is true? Aang can… Spirits…" So, she had heard the legends.

"Yes, and whatever you think… It is more powerful than that. We had some luck today… He didn't destroy too much this time…"

"What do you mean? There was a time he did?" Toph sounded afraid. An emotion Katara hadn't expected from the blind girl.

"Yeah… He kind of destroyed a fortress…" She answered and saw the eyes of the earthebnder go wide.

"Katara?" The voice sounded so small, "do you think… that Aang hates me? For what happened to Appa I mean?"

"No! Of course not! It is just… Aang lost so much. Everything and everyone he loved is gone. He loves Appa. Probably more than anything…" Katara sighed. It was painfully clear that something had broken inside the airbender. As she watched him and her brother talk to the sandbenders, Katara saw the hunched shoulders, the tired look in those grey eyes. Who didn't shine, as usual. Now, it was just dull grey, staring into the world.

Then, something hit her. Their belongings! If that man had stolen Appa, he had also stolen their stuff. And some of those things, she wanted back.

Grabbing Toph's arm, Katara marched towards Ghashiun, who was still standing apart from the others. When she came into earshot, the man turned, and apparently saw something in her expression that made him afraid. Good. So didn't have any problems with hurting people. Not after what they did to Aang and Appa.

"Tell me, truthfully. What happened with the things on the saddle! And with the saddle!" She asked, hearing her own voice sound very sharp.

"W-we… traded most of the stuff. Some things are on the gliders, like the clothes we couldn't sell. And a chest that was locked, we kept that! And the saddle... w-we u-used it as f-firewood last night." The man stammered.

Katara closed her eyes, feeling new tears well up. Most of the things had no value, and she was happy that at least, they still had some clothes. But the saddle… Aang had made that, with the help of Gyatso. Spirits, did he need to lose everything?

But wait… a locked chest?

"That chest! Where is it!" She snapped. The man scrambled towards one of the wrecks.

"Katara… Why did your heart nearly stop when he said that?" Toph whispered, so quietly.

"That was something Gyatso helped him made." Her tears flowed over her cheeks.

"Gyatso?"

"His.. Well, what you would call a father. He was his mentor at the temple." Katara whispered back.

"Spirits, shit! Let's just agree to not tell Aang that!" Toph sounded so sad.

The man came back, dragging the chest with him.

"We didn't trade it… because it was locked. W-we planned to break it open when my father was away. He… He doesn't agree with this." Ghashiun looked down.

"And why would that be?" Katara didn't wait for an answer, and took the chest from the man, turning her back to him.

Toph and Katara walked over to where the others were still talking to the sandbenders. Well, Sokka was talking. Aang was just looking sadly towards the horizon.

"Aang… We retrieved this." She said gently, putting in in front of him. The airbender just looked at it. New tears flowing over his face.

Sokka also turned, and smiled sadly, seeing the chest.

"We agreed that they would lead us to the northern edge of the desert, as close to Ba Sing Se as possible. They will also give us the money that shit over there got." Sokka spat towards Ghashiun.

"Again, I'm so sorry for having been so violent." Aang bowed towards the leader of the sandbenders.

"I understand Avatar. No need to apologize. It is we who are sorry." The man also bowed.

Just then, Katara saw Sokka walk up to the older man, and whisper something in his ear. The man raised his eyebrows, but nodded.

Her brother pulled his club, knife and boomerang from his belt, handed them over to Toph, and turned towards Ghashiun. Katara knew exactly what would happen. It was a practice in the Water Tribes. If a thief was caught, the wronged party had the right to kill him. In the South, that practice had been largely ignored. But it had been usual for the thief to at least pay the price for his crime.

Sokka walked over to the man, and with one quick movement, slammed his fist in the sandbender's face.

Aang took a step forward, but reconsider. She saw the smile. It was there a second. But she had seen it. And she hoped to never see that smile again.

It screamed Good. Suffer.

Answers :

CoyoteLemon : Yeah, Appa is such a darling, I always hate/love Appa's Lost Days !

Gabriela N. Gonzalez : The spirit's remarks will come back to haunt the poor airbender… And yeah, If it hadn't been for Katara, I would not try to imagine those poor sandbenders…