A/N: Surprise! You guys didn't have to wait that long for this chapter XD Really wanted to thank everyone for your support. You always make my day with your words and it fills my heart with joy to know you're all enjoying it. Thank you for being patient with me, I know long stories can be tiresome to keep up with sometimes, so seriously thank you. I had fun reading this chapter back to myself, so I hope you like it.
Aang's POV:
I stroll down the aisles alone as everyone is browsing in various areas of the library. Even Toph found some audio books to listen to. My eyes search the vast room, surprised to have found no sight of the snake since we've entered. 'But I suppose since we're here it means he deemed us worthy enough to read his books. Whatever that means.'
I catch sight of Zuko grumbling to himself as he flickers through an old looking book in his hands. Pursing my lips, I make my way over to him and peer past his arm to take a glimpse at the pages. I only catch sight of a couple of words before the book is abruptly slammed shut.
"What do you think you're doing?" The firebender orders as I feel my face going pale.
"Just wanted to know what you're looking for that made you bring us all here. I didn't realise it was to read about an old myth." I say casually, but inside I feel my guts trembling. Zuko stares at me for a moment before glancing to either side as he leans forward.
"I still believe the Avatar is a myth myself, but my Dad's been looking for him. I was thinking that maybe if the Avatar exists and we find him, then maybe we could get him off your back and your friends." Zuko explains in a hushed whisper and I would've smiled at the kind thought if it wasn't for the fact that his father is searching for two identities of the same person. I watch him uneasily as I take a step back.
"What does your dad want to do with the Avatar?" I ask tightly, prompting the scarred man to shrug.
"Something about stopping him from getting in his way. But at least capturing the Avatar would mean that you won't have to build weapons for my father." The firebender reminds, but I just stare at him in disbelief.
"You do know that the Avatar's role is supposed to maintain peace right? This would be just as bad." I argue, only for the man to raise an eyebrow at me.
"Why are you being so defensive? This way you and your friends won't be in danger anymore." Zuko voices stiffly. I shake my head as a wave of anger rushes through me.
"You really think your father will be satisfied at having just the Avatar? You're only giving him more tools to win!" I hiss, causing the firebender to narrow his eyes at me.
"Or maybe I'll help stop things!" He retorts. I furrow my eyebrows tightly together as I scrutinise him.
"What's this really about? You obviously can't really believe that." I ask, dropping my voice to a mere whisper to avoid drawing attention to us. Zuko jerks his head to the side as he stares at one of the giant pillars.
"This could be my one chance to prove to my Dad that I'm not worthless. He might actually be proud of me for accomplishing something that even he couldn't." Zuko explains in a mutter and I have to force myself not to clench my hands.
"Zuko, wake up. That man has done nothing, but cause destruction. He's incapable of change." I try to reason with him, but it backfires terribly as the firebender snaps his head back towards me as a fire burns in his amber irises.
"Of course, you wouldn't understand. You're a goody-two-shoes that sticks to the rules. You might've had everyone you cared about taken away from you, but at least they all loved you." The man spits. I clench my jaws tightly together as I watch the fuming student.
"And look at where love got me! You're better off without it." I retort without thinking, but as soon as the words slip past my lips, I slap a hand over my mouth at saying too much. Somehow, the firebender narrows his eyes further as he glares at me.
"You don't know my father. He loved me once. Maybe this will make him love me again. Now, get out of my way." Zuko orders harshly as he shoves past me. I almost feel like screaming at him, but I hold back, knowing that it will neither solve anything nor will it be easily explained away by everyone else that hears it.
I stuff a fist into my mouth and bite on my knuckle hard. 'I should've never agreed to come here. If Zuko finds anything of use then Roku could be in danger. Heck, now I'm doubly in the line of fire. I'm such a fool.' I berate myself viciously as I slap my forehead.
I take in a deep breath and scan the book shelf in front of me. The label at the top reads: Legends, Myths & Spirits. I swallow and pick up a random book and flick to the first page. Avatar. The novel slips from my fingers and hits the ground with a dull thump.
I fight the urge to vomit and swoop down to pick it up and skim through the pages of writings, detailing everything from known sightings to their abilities. When I turn to the final pages, a picture of the Avatar in the Avatar State has me trembling.
My fingers trace the bright white glowing eyes and without another thought, I slam the book shut. 'I'm officially doomed. If Zuko pieces together the truth, what's stopping him from turning me in? He's desperate for his father's attention. Before I was just some genius, but now...if he knows this, what's stopping him from handing me over?'
"Hey Aang! Any luck finding some detective novels? Maybe those could help us." Sokka hollers from the aisle behind me. I swallow and force my tongue to move.
"Still looking!" I mutter back as I slide the book back into its place on the shelf. I rush out of the aisle, only to roughly slam into someone. The collision sends us both to the ground. When I open my eyes, I notice the waterbender rubbing her shoulder. Without another thought, I scramble to my knees and crouch in front of her to check if she's alright.
"Gosh I'm sorry, I didn't see you." I apologise profusely as she drops her arm to her lap to scrutinise me.
"Don't worrying about it. Are you alright? You look pale." Katara voices with furrowed eyebrows as she stretches out a hand to rest against my forehead.
"Of course!" I reply quickly, but if anything that makes the woman more concerned as she drops her hand down to my cheek.
"If this is about earlier..." She starts unsurely, but I'm already shaking my head.
"It isn't. It's not my place to tell you what you should or shouldn't do." I reassure with a sigh. The waterbender purses her lips for a moment before tilting my chin up.
"As my friend, you have every right to tell me your thoughts. I...I hadn't realised Air Nomads were pacifists." Katara admits with a half-smile. I bite my lip and give her an uneasy smile.
"Air Nomads don't really stick around much to talk about themselves." I semi-explain, evoking a knowing expression from the woman.
"So I've gathered." The waterbender murmurs teasingly. I swallow as that rush of warmth spreads within my chest and I have to take a deep breath to stop it from becoming overwhelming.
I catch the slight frown on the healer's face and try to smooth out my own features.
"Are you sure you're alright? You look troubled." Katara queries as she leans forward to eye me carefully, leaving close to no space between us and making my breathing catch. 'No, no. This isn't right. I can't feel this much affection for her. It will get her killed.' I berate as I bite my cheek hard.
"I'm sure. Have you found anything interesting in the library?" I deflect. The waterbender purses her lips at me, but decides to play along.
"What haven't I found? This place has everything! I even found other sub specialties of waterbending." The woman gushes with bright eyes. My features soften at her excitement.
"Oh yeah, like what?" I ask curiously as I get to my feet and offer the girl my hand.
"Like manipulating water in plants to make them move, they call it plant bending." Katara explains with a playful eye roll, but a frown graces her face a moment later. "There was even something called bloodbending." The healer voices lowly with a shudder. I scrunch up my nose at that.
"That doesn't sound pleasant." I say as wiry enters my tone, which elicits a head shake from the girl.
"It isn't. It's the supposed ability of being able to bend blood within another person to control them. It was all theoretical. No one has ever actually been able to do it, thankfully. It's just so wrong on so many levels." Katara mutters as a horrified expression is etched into her features.
"Maybe it's a good thing that most people don't know about this library. Some of the knowledge in here is dangerous." I utter gravely. The woman hums back in thought.
"Makes me wonder how Zuko found out about this place." The waterbender murmurs to herself. I bite the inside of my cheek. 'So am I.' I think anxiously. "Anyway, have you found anything?" Katara adds after a beat of silence. Instantly, I shake my head, prompting a surprised look from the waterbender. "Really? What about that aisle you were just in?" The student asks as she peers over me to catch sight of the labelled bookshelf. I panic and start waving my arms in front of her face.
"Nothing!" I squeal which if anything makes the girl more curious as she catches my wrists in her hands and lowers them as she scrutinises the writing.
"Myths? I thought you were one for facts." Katara teases as she side-steps around me to scan some of the books. I gulp.
"I am, but myths are great for downtime." I lie as I release an awkward laugh. I watch as the brunette reaches for the book that I had accidentally shoved a little too far into the shelf and pulls it out.
"Was this the one you were reading?" She asks curiously as she opens the novel to the first page.
I gulp as I half deliberate on snatching the book from her hands. Its several moments before the waterbender quirks an eyebrow as her eyes continue to skim through a few pages.
"Huh, I've never heard about the legend of the Avatar before." Katara muses to herself without lifting her head. I bite the inside of my cheek as I scramble for something to say.
"Yeah, it's not really talked about much." I mutter.
"Must be pretty cool though, to be able to bend all the elements." The woman voices in fascination as she flicks through another page. My lips part in surprise and cautiously I go to stand next to her.
"What, waterbending isn't enough?" I joke lightly, as I try to downplay my jitters. Katara laughs and elbows me softly in the ribs.
"Waterbending is the best, but I can't deny that seeing you do airbending is something else." The waterbender admits as her cheeks pinken slightly in embarrassment. My jaw slackens while my chest tightens.
"I..." I start, but the girl quickly continues on.
"I mean, I've just never seen airbending before." Katara explains with a half-smile. I swallow and nod in understanding.
"Hey, maybe we should see what the others are doing?" I say, changing the topic. The girl nods, but to my horror I spot her taking a few snapshots of pages on her phone.
"Are you allowed to do that?" I ask anxiously, only for the waterbender to purse her lips.
"It's a library where knowledge is meant to be shared, so I'm sure it should be alright." Katara waves off, completely undeterred as she takes a couple more pictures before pocketing her phone and returning the novel to its shelf. A moment later we're walking out of the aisle.
"Can I ask why you were interested in that book?" The waterbender asks curiously, making my heart drop to my stomach. 'Spirits, what do I say now?' I think in a panic before trying to shrug it off.
"Zuko was looking at it, so I thought to see what he was so interested in." I say at last, thankful that it's not a lie. The brunette hums in response, before asking another question.
"Do you think it's true?" Katara asks. I blink and turn to look at her.
"About there being an Avatar?" I clarify, earning me a nod from her. 'Shoot.' I cough and scratch my hat. "Who knows." I mumble, while silently thinking, 'I certainly do.'
"I mean, a person that powerful could do a lot of good in the world." The brunette muses with slight awe. I gulp.
"You think?" I query wearily, eliciting a nod from the girl.
"Of course! Imagine how low the crime rate would be. No gangs, less murders, less wars. The world could actually be peaceful." The waterbender lists off with her fingers. Her words feel like a punch to the gut as guilt lodges itself down my throat.
"Y-Yeah." I mumble, staring at the ground. A few silent beats later, I feel myself being lightly tugged around a corner and behind a bookshelf, out of sight from the others. I furrow my eyebrows as the girl moves to stand in front of me and takes my hands in hers. My lips part in surprise.
"Hey, are you alright?" I ask, noting the seriousness in her eyes. I watch as she crouches until our eyes align.
"Aang, can you please promise me that you'll tell me the next time you have the urge to cut again. I don't care if you have to knock at 2am or call me during a lecture. Just please." Katara urges, her voice quivering slightly over the word 'cut'. I flinch and look away.
"Katara, I couldn't possibly disturb you like that." I argue softly, but her hands leave mine to instead settle on my shoulders.
"Aang, I'll be staying up all night worrying about you if I don't know. I need you to be safe. I need to know that you can come to me when it gets too much." The waterbender begs as concern contorts her features. I bite the inside of my cheek hard. Harder than I was anticipating as a rush of metallic settles on my tongue.
"I..." I trail off as images of me with that knife flashes in my mind. The reminder of those feelings of vulnerability and pain just before a cutting session has me screwing my eyes closed. 'I can't possibly let her see me that vulnerable on a constant basis, can I?'
Warm hands cupping my cheeks has me fluttering my eyes open to gaze into the concerned face of the waterbender. Thumbs gently brush underneath my eyelids, making me aware of the sudden collection of wetness there.
"Aang?" Katara probes softly with furrowed eyebrows. I swallow.
"I don't want you to see me like that again." I rasp. The girl frowns for a moment in confusion before understanding dawns on her features.
"That doesn't matter to me. All that matters is your safety." Katara urges as she leans forward to rest her forehead against mine. My breathing catches at the proximity and it takes everything in me not to pull away. 'I don't deserve her.' I think sombrely. "Please?" At her plea, I find my resolve weakening.
"Ok. I... promise." I pledge quietly, but I'm already regretting the words as soon as they've left my lips 'How can I promise something that I won't be able to stick to?' I berate myself, but no sooner do I think that, arms immediately wrap around me and pulls me into the warmth of her body. I feel her chin resting on my shoulder as she whispers:
"Thank you."
A lump forces its way up my throat as I press half my face into her collarbone. That fuzzy sensation rears its head again. 'This is what love feels like, isn't it?' I close my eyes tightly to rid the thought. 'It doesn't matter. Katara deserves someone that isn't as broken as I am. It can never happen. Even if Toph is right about what Katara feels, I'll just have to turn her away.'
I raise my arms to reciprocate the hug when she squeezes me tightly. 'But not now. We can still have this semblance of a friendship. We can.' I convince myself as I feel the brunette loosening her hold around me before withdrawing. She gives me a warm smile and I can't help but return it. I watch as she opens her mouth, but before she can speak, her brother cuts across from the other side of the library.
"Hey Aang, you have to check this out!" Sokka hollers. I blink and turn towards where I heard his voice coming from before glancing back at the waterbender. She gives me an eyeroll before tugging me along by the sleeve.
"Guess we better find out what Sokka is so interested in." Katara voices wirily.
"Yeah." I agree, but inside I'm tumbling deeper than I would've liked and I consciously try to step on these feelings. When we reach Sokka, I immediately spot a leather covered book in his hand as he waves us over.
"What's that?" His sister asks as she looks over his shoulder to read.
"It's the history of the Fire Nation. Did you know that they used to be ruled by a royal family?" Sokka asks randomly as he holds the book up for me to read. I furrow my eyebrows before glancing back up at the man.
"So I've heard. Why are you so interested?" I ask in confusion as I straighten up.
"Look." He points at a picture before continuing. "Many generations ago they tried to start a war, but an unknown powerful bender put a stop to their plans and disbanded the royal family. The Fire Nation was then ruled democratically by a council, something similar to what we have today before the nations started merging. It says here that the descendants of the royal family have held a grudge ever since and till this day are trying to continue what they started decades ago." The non-bender regales as I stare at the perfectly drawn pictures with an agape jaw.
"Wait, you think this is who we're looking for? The descendants of the Fire Nation's royal family?!" Katara exclaims with wide eyes. I lean back, speechless.
"Well, Aang did say that they wanted to start a war and so far, every member of the gang has been firebenders. It seems like too much of a coincidence. I just wonder what type of bender they're talking about here. He sounds too strong to have defeated the entire royal family and it's army." Sokka muses with a hand on his chin.
I gulp, already having a good idea on not only the bender, but who. 'Dang it Roku, you didn't tell me that you stopped this before! I guess that explains why he's so determined to stop them.' I realise as I chew my lip.
"Any ideas who the mystery bender was?" Katara asks curiously as her eyes skim over the pages. Her brother shakes his head.
"No clue. I could just make out a 'v' as the second letter, but the rest is all smudged. Though I'm probably wrong because there's no element that has that letter." Sokka answers with a shrug.
I swallow just as the waterbender tilts her head in thought, her eyes stray to the phone in her pocket. I watch as she opens her mouth, but on the last second she closes it and shakes her head.
"This is interesting and all, but why are you so excited about it? Aang already knows who's behind it." Katara points out with a frown, only for her brother to tsk loudly.
"Katara, Katara. Rule number 1 in catching the enemy is to know thy enemy! Till now we just knew they were a gang, now we know how long they've been around for and that they're probably rich." Sokka explains with a confident nod of his head as realisation dawns on the girl.
"Wait, if they've been around for decades, that means they could be much larger than what we've anticipated. How do we know if we catch the leader the rest won't just continue to work in the shadows?" The waterbender asks anxiously. I watch as Sokka opens his mouth, only to snap them shut again.
"Oh, right." He mumbles with a head scratch.
"Then we just have to catch them all." I interject simply, only to have the siblings to whip their necks towards me.
"We could be talking hundreds, even thousands here. We can't just catch them all. As soon as word gets out that they're leader has fallen they'll go into hiding." Katara voices logically. I purse my lips.
"So, what are you suggesting, a sneak attack?" Sokka jokes which elicits an eye roll from his sister.
"I meant, maybe Aang could ask the person he knows to find background information on everyone that's involved." The waterbender clarifies as the siblings turn to look at me expectantly. I gulp.
"I don't know, that's a big ask." I mumble as I rub the back of my neck unsurely.
"You have to try. I still don't like the idea of us just waiting until this person is 18. Couldn't they just appoint someone they rely on to be acting chair of the company?" Sokka pleads. I roll the bottom of my lip with my teeth in thought.
"I don't think they have anyone they can rely on, but I'll ask." I say, even as doubt rears its ugly head.
"Good! Now let's see if we can go home. I've already taken pictures of the information that I think will be helpful." The non-bender voices as he claps my shoulder and goes to find Toph.
I chew the inside of my cheek in thought. 'I can't believe we went through all that just to read a few books.' I voice silently with a headshake and go to find Zuko.
1 hour later
Azula's POV:
From my position on top of a wooden roof, I watch as Zuko leads the group outside of the abandoned building with his head held high. I smirk at the sight, knowing that he must've found something useful in locating the Avatar.
I eye the way he talks to the young airbender and can tell that my brother is becoming fired up. 'Good. The less attached he is, the less it will hurt when I hand him over to our father.'
My eyes accidentally fall on the waterbender that lags behind who appears deep in thought. I purse my lips, wondering what has her so bothered, before shaking my head hard. 'Did I just ask myself that?' I berate with a growl, but I can't help keep my gaze focused on her. 'Something about her intrigues me.' I frown. 'Maybe it's because she's the first person that hasn't ran away from me when she saw who I really am.'
I lean forward and observe as her brother tries to engage with her in animated conversation. A smile slips past her lips as she elbows him with a laugh. I shake my head at the display as it tugs at an old memory from my own mind. I sigh and turn away.
"Great, now look at who's becoming attached." I mutter. 'Oh well. It wouldn't matter anyway. Soon, the world will erupt into chaos on the anniversary that our ancestors fell from power.'
I swing down from the roof and land on the ground gracefully as I watch the small group disappear from my line of sight. 'Not long now. Not long at all.'
A/N: So we've got a bit of background lore here, considering they were in a library it's a bit hard not to have some included XD. I'm not sure how well I'm depicting Azula, I want her to be in character, but show another softer side to her – it kinda feels like a balancing act half the time. But kudos to those who knew Azula would be watching XD
Next chapter is back in Katara's POV and I've skipped ahead a week, so Katara & Sokka visit their dad for a much-needed talk. I'm still writing it, but I think I'm close to finishing it. See you in a couple of weeks or so.
19/1/22