Disclaimer: Once, I had a dream that I owned Avatar, and I was married to the Phantom of the Opera, and I was a top notch archer, and I had finally finished my book, which ended up being a best seller. And my best friend was a ninja. But, alas, my best friend is not a ninja (yet), I am not married to Erik (he's still pining for Christine), my book is still unfinished (just you wait!), and my archery skills could stand to see improvement (...practice makes perfect, I guess...as do better bows!). Do you notice any pattern? Okay, now for the test: Do I own Avatar? Gee. I wonder.
AN: Thank you all for reviewing and reading this far. Okay, to answer some general questions I've received lately:
1) Katara may or may not die by the end of the story. That is for me to know and you to find out, my pretties.
2) Sen and Sokka are not, and will never be, a couple. She's about five years his senior, but that's beside the point. Though I suppose Sokka is the closest our favorite pseudo-psychotic bounty hunter will ever have to a romantic relationship, their interaction is completely platonic. No romance. He understands what she's going through, and, in answer to further questions, he approached her in the first place because he was trying to figure her out. Psychopaths, like all scary things, become less dangerous if you know more about them.
And (I promised I wouldn't do this, so smite me...) Sokka and Sen will be joining forces to start a new organization: SOULS, or Save Our Unmarried Little Sisters. ((Just kidding.))
And while I'm at it, I'd like to introduce you to Ling Xi's other hero/idol: Angle Man! With his great Protractor of Truth and Calculator of Justice, he travels the Avatar world, keeping the universe in order and all 180 angles straight! (Okay. I'm done now. I had to get that stuff off my chest. No more.)
3) No, this isn't going to be a love triangle between Zuko, Katara and Aang. Aang, in a show of true character, allowed Katara to be with the one she truly loved. He's still got that crush, but he's not going to act on it any more. But she's still important to him.
4) I'm sorry it took me so long to update- school is still, incredibly enough, murder. Expect the next chapter later than usual, because I predict that it will be rather long, and will consequently take a long time to write.
5) Also, one last thing, forgive any and all errors you see here, but go ahead and point them out. Since it took me so long to finish writing this, I didn't send it to any of my editors, so it's still pretty choppy. The parts where my writer's block kicked in will probably be really apparent.
And now that I've sufficiently bored you with a long Author's Note, on to the story!
Chapter 16
In This World You Tried
Not Leaving Me Alone Behind
There's No Other Way
I'll Pray To The Gods: Let Him Stay
-Memories, by Within Temptation
Zuko took a steadying breath, playing idly with the flames of a spare candle.
Blazes, why does this have to be so hard? He wondered grimly. A rampaging rhino was beginning to seem less dangerous than the task at hand. But it has to be done.
He kicked the air impatiently.
An Agni Kai is less dangerous than this, he thought, delivering another kick. So is trying to pull a dragon's tooth- a fiery punch- jumping from a cliff- another kick- running into a bonfire, hugging a shark...this isn't helping. He lowered his fists and began pacing irritably, trying to devise a plan. This was not something he could fight his way out of. It isn't something I can just blast away with fire...
As appealing as that option might be...
One of the walls fell away, revealing an Earthbender guard, and beside him, Sokka. The boy had evidently just come from lunch; he was still carelessly holding on to an apple. Zuko wasn't bothered by this- his meals had vastly improved after Katara and Aang had spoken to the King. But he turned his attention from his previously disrespectful treatment and back to the task at hand.
"Zuko," Sokka began gravely. "We seriously need to talk."
Don't I know it. The guard left, sealing the door behind him.
"What is it?" the Prince asked aloud. The other boy shot him a glare.
"You know what this is about," he said. "What is going on between you and Katara?"
"I've already explained myself."
"All that you've explained is that you like her. I want to know what's going on."
'Like her?' Are you completely blind?
"And I want specifics," he continued. "So start talking." He took a decisive bite of his apple, chewing it forcefully, as though shredding the fruit would somehow motivate the Prince. Zuko watched him in silence for a moment.
"I want to marry her," he said quietly, just as Sokka began to swallow. He choked, coughing desperately to dislodge the piece of food.
Zuko had planned this, of course- if Sokka was distracted with any attempts to breathe, he would have more difficulty trying to attack. It was a low maneuver, admittedly, but Zuko had long since decided that desperate times would call for desperate measures. Katara would not have a corpse for a husband, at least.
"What?" Sokka panted after a moment's struggle.
"I intend to marry Katara," Zuko said evenly. Sokka hadn't tried to kill him yet. That was a very good sign.
"You," Sokka began incredulously, finally regaining his breath. "Want to marry...Katara?"
"Yes."
"My sister."
Do we know any other Katara?
"Yes."
"Katara?"
"Yes." Zuko's nerves were beginning to grind beneath the mounting stress and the endless barrage of idiotic questions, but he made no sign of it. He had to maintain his dignity. He had to show Sokka that he was sincere.
Even though no earthly torture could possibly be so agonizing.
"You're joking," Sokka insisted.
"No, I'm not." Sokka looked him right in the eye.
"Are you serious?" All of his previous doubts and fears flooded through his mind, breaking at last through the mental barriers that he had pushed them behind. For a moment his senses numbed. He felt absolutely helpless.
What now?
What if Sokka forbids a marriage? Would Katara be willing to defy her brother so completely? What consequences would accompany such a dramatic decision?
And even if it is allowed, what then? She needs a place to live. And how on earth am I going to provide for her? Would I be a good father?
Would I end up like my own father?
"Yes," Zuko said at last. "I'm completely serious."
Sokka closed his mouth, and an oppressive silence filled the cell. The Babbling Fool had disappeared, replaced by the Big Brother, who held Zuko's gaze with a judicial authority, as though he was searching his very soul.
"Do you love my sister?" he asked quietly. Somehow, Zuko felt intimidated, but he allowed no uncertainty to cross his features.
"Yes," he steadied himself, defending against the agonizing pause that followed the admission.
"I see," Sokka said at last.
Well? What's your answer? Zuko wanted to shout, though he remained silent. He couldn't afford to lose his nerve or his temper. Not now.
"I see," Sokka said again.
Aang tried to focus on the task at hand, but it was a lot harder than he had expected.
"Clear your mind," Bumi recommended. Aang nodded, and tried- really, he tried!- but to no avail. He repositioned his stance, lowered his hands, and raised them to the ceiling again, trying to take a section of the floor with them. Pieces of sandstone broke off and tentatively crept heavenward.
"You know," the King said. "You won't get much done unless you can concentrate."
"I'm trying,"the Avatar insisted. He had no intention of offending his friend, but he was having a hard time focusing on the assignment. It wasn't as though the lesson was boring- not at all, while Bumi was up to his old tricks, at least- but it was his third bending lesson for the day, and he was tired of sitting around, concentrating all the time. He wanted a chance to relax, if only for an hour. Just to have some fun, to fly free...
Even then, things wouldn't be perfect, of course. Katara was still hopelessly in love with Zuko- a fact that Aang was slowly beginning to accept. At least she would be well taken care of. And he'd still have to face up to his 'grand destiny' and the whole 'battle for the fate of the world' thing...but he couldn't help wanting just a moment of...fun. Time to be Just Aang. Not the Avatar. Not the Chosen One. Just Aang.
Bumi studied him pensively. Of course, that pensive gaze resembled a madman's stare more than a King's regal glance, but whatever. It was Bumi.
"On second thought," the old King said slyly. "I have a better idea. How about-" But Aang got no chance what Bumi's ingenious idea could have been. Because at that moment, one of the guards rushed in, his face pale, though he was panting heavily.
"Your Highness!" he cried. "Your Highness! We're..." he gasped for breath. "We're under attack! The city...It's surrounded...by the Fire Nation!"
Sokka, Aang, and Katara stared off into the mountains from one of the higher points of the palace. Sure enough, they could see a thin, red and black line, stretching across the horizon. Occasionally, smoke issued from some place along that line, signifying campfires.
Hundreds of them.
"How many are there?" Sokka asked quietly. "Soldiers, I mean."
"They couldn't count them all," Aang said, his voice as hushed as his friend's had been. "But there's at least twelve thousand."
Katara didn't move. This couldn't be real. It was impossible. It was a joke. It was...
"Why are they staying so far away?" She asked instead, her voice deceptively calm. Aang bit his lip.
"They're trying to avoid the Earthbenders," he said. "They're not coming close enough for any of the Earthbenders to attack them. Even Bumi can't work from so far away."
"That doesn't stop us from marching up to them-"
"He already tried that," Aang said solemnly. "All of the soldiers were killed before they could get close. They were all shot..."
"So the soldiers are out of reach, and they've got archers nice and hidden just outside the city walls," Sokka observed bitterly.
"The soldiers here are Earthbenders, right?"Katara asked, trying to form another plan. "They could form a tunnel. Under the archers. And then-"
"They tried that, too," Aang said, swallowing. "The Earthbenders needed to put vents in the tunnel, so they wouldn't run out of air..."
"What happened?" Katara asked.
"The Firebenders saw the vents, and..."
"And smoked them out like a den of ice foxes," Sokka finished. "Forced them to come up before they suffocated, and then..." He didn't have to finish. All three of them could see the cruel reality in their minds: when Omashu's soldiers rushed to the surface for air, they would be ambushed and outnumbered by the Firebenders. They hadn't stood a chance.
"There has to be something!" Katara insisted.
"Our side already destroyed the ramp," Sokka observed. "It's the only way into the city. They can't get in, at least."
"And nobody can get out."
"What about Appa?" Katara asked. Aang swallowed again.
"They tried...sending a bird. A messenger hawk, to some of the other cities, to get reinforcements. And...Most of them were shot down. By the archers. But...you remember those catapults, right?" he asked.
As though to prove him right, a burst of flame sprang to life and leapt from the ground, exploding into a smoldering heap, barely two miles from the city wall.
"Well...that was a warning."
King Bumi watched as the man paced nervously across the throne room.
"It's that Fire Prince," the man muttered. "I know it! I'd bet my life on it!"
"I doubt that," the King said. He had long since given up trying to calm the man, and his antics seemed to satisfy the growing need for panic.
The man, a councilor in the palace, continued his pacing and muttering, apparently trying to convince King Bumi that Zuko was the guilty one, and that killing him and launching his corpse from the palace wall could somehow satisfy the enemy's army.
As he began to suggest more reasons to execute the Prince, Sen entered the room. She was dressed in typical Earth Kingdom clothes, so to better blend among the townspeople, though the baggy clothes barely concealed her weapons and unnatural thinness. She rolled her stiff shoulders and glanced at the councilor.
"What? Did you find a scorpion in your bed?" she asked.
"As if you don't know!" the man snapped at her. "This is your fault!"
"Most likely," Sen shrugged. "But enlighten me: what did I do this time?"
"You! You didn't kill him! You had the opportunity, I know you did! But no, you and your mind games! Instead of killing him when you got the chance, you sat around and sent me to kill his precious girlfriend!"
"I take it we're talking about Zuko, then?" Sen asked mildly.
"Of course not!" the man cried, nearly in a rage.
"Then you must have me confused for someone else. The only one I've sent you after was the girl. But evidently you're used to tasks like that."
King Bumi looked neither impressed nor surprised to discover that Sen had arranged Katara's attack, though the councilor cringed, suddenly realizing that he had exposed himself, despite the King's indifference.
"I'm talking about the army!"
"I don't concern myself with the army," she continued in a bored tone. "You know that: I take care of the criminals inside the city. The rest of the world is your field of expertise." She waved idly at the King. "Anyway, I've had about enough of this. If you need anything, I'll be in the city." She began to walk from the throne room.
"'Don't concern yourself with the army?'" the councilor demanded. "Then how do you explain the army outside our walls this very instant?" The bounty hunter froze.
"What?"
"The Fire Nation is at our doorstep, and it's your fault! You let that...that monster lead his people right to us!"
"That's impossible!" Sen said, her eyes narrowing with irritation...and something else. "He's been locked in his cell since the day I brought him here. And I've kept track of every contact he's had to the outside world. Nothing has come through. Not for him. I guarantee it."
"Oh? Then you're saying that this is your doing, then? That you brought this army? There's nobody else from the Fire Nation here. Only him and you and your stupid bedridden mo-" a brutal fist to the gut silenced the man quickly. Sen was breathing hard, apparently angry, though her eyes said otherwise. She looked distant, pensive...
"I'm tired of asking," she said, her voice low. "What army?"
"The one sitting right outside the walls! Are you deaf, you imbecile?"
King Bumi stood.
"Perhaps this will make things clear...?" he suggested, pulling a stick from his sleeve. Sen stepped forward, sending a cold glare at the councilor, and took the stick.
But it wasn't a stick. It was an arrow, with blood red feathers rising from the end of a long shaft.
A YuuYan arrow.
The bounty hunter didn't look up as Sokka approached, and she only continued pacing angrily through one of the palace hallways.
"I'm guessing this isn't just a girl thing?" he asked lightly.
"I told you to stay out of my way," she snapped, not pausing in her rounds.
"I haven't followed your orders yet, and I'm not planning to start."
"I can make you regret that, you know," Sen spat bitterly. Sokka didn't retreat, though his eyes narrowed.
"Is it about those soldiers? The ones outside?" This granted a response. Sen finally stopped, slamming her foot against the ground.
"How does everyone know about them?" she demanded. "I'm a spy! How is it that I'm the last one to hear about this?"
"You can't see them unless you look for them. From the higher towers," Sokka explained.
"I know. I saw them..." she kicked at nothing, glaring daggers at the floor. "They won't be there long." Sokka's eyes narrowed.
"Why not?" he asked. From what he knew of Sen, that tone never accompanied good news, or anything moral. She raised her glare to him.
"Why do you think? That's Zhao down there. I know it. And I know what he's after."
"Aang..."
"And Zuko. And Katara. And if he sees Ling Xi in here, he's going to call her a deserter and have her tortured to death. But that's not going to happen. I won't let it."
"What are you going to do about it?" She looked up at him, and a cold, cunning smile crossed her lips.
"Guess."
Sokka stepped into the cell, paying no attention to the guards as they closed it behind him. Immediately Zuko tensed. Judging by the other boy's grim expression, he suspected that Sokka had finally come to a decision regarding the marriage.
But fate had brought another motive for the visit.
"Hey, Zuko," Sokka began unceremoniously. "You had a catapult on your ship, right?" Zuko stared at him.
"Yes," he said, somewhat taken aback by the randomness of the question.
"So you know how it works. Good. Anyway-"
"What does this have to do with anything?" Zuko asked suspiciously
"Nothing."
"You wouldn't ask if it was nothing. Why do you need to know?" Sokka considered arguing, but he growled and leaned against the wall.
"I want to know how to take them apart. Or destroy them, or something." Now the Prince could only be surprised.
"You aren't planning on going out there, are you?" he asked. Katara and Aang had already explained the siege to him. Sokka moved from the wall. Zuko had noticed that habit: Sokka tended to be restless when he was uncomfortable.
"I'm not. Sen is."
"You're trusting her with something this serious?" he demanded.
"Not on your life. That's why I'm coming with her," Sokka said. "She says that Zhao only has three big advantages: the catapults, the archers, and the Firebenders. Sen's going to find a way to get rid of the archers, and the Firebenders shouldn't be too much trouble, against the Earthbenders, anyway, and-"
"There's no way you'd understand how to destroy the catapults."
"Yes, I can. Just explain it to me." Zuko shook his head.
"It isn't that simple. The catapult on my ship wasn't the same as the ones Zhao uses. I wouldn't be able to explain it to you. Not without seeing them first."
Sokka looked disappointed.
"Yeah, well...thanks anyway," he said, turning to leave. Zuko started.
"I'm coming too," he said. Sokka stopped.
"No, you're a prisoner here. You don't exactly have a choice about when you get to come and go."
"I don't care. The last time I saw Zhao, he was trying to kill Katara. I'm not going to just sit back and give him the chance to try again."
There was no way around it. They had to tell him. Otherwise, an escape would have been impossible.
And of course, once he realized what they were doing, he wanted to be a part of it.
"It's my duty," he said stubbornly.
"But you have to stay here and make sure nothing happens to Katara," they argued. But he wouldn't listen. He wanted to be out there. Fighting, most likely dying, beside his friends.
They couldn't convince him otherwise. And they couldn't stop him.
And so the escape was made.
"Come on," Sokka said, adjusting his boomerang, glancing at Zuko's swords and Aang's staff. "Sen'll be waiting at the gate."
"Give me a minute," Zuko said quietly, making sure to stay in the shadows, avoiding every chance of being sighted. "There's something I want to take care of first."
Sokka and Aang exchanged glances. They knew, but this time, they wouldn't stop him.
"Just don't tell her," Sokka warned. "Don't tell her."
Katara stepped into her room, hoping for some refuge. She had been with Ling Xi earlier, but Sen had arrived at the garden, bent on speaking to the little girl. Katara had, by Ling Xi's assurance, resigned herself to leave, if only to avoid unnecessary contact with the bounty hunter. She closed the door behind her, her thoughts distant...
"Katara..."
She jumped a yard at the sound., but managed to turn.
"Zuko?" she asked, finally seeing his face through the dim light of the room. Concern began to overcome her surprise as he approached. "Zuko, what are you doing here? If the guards catch you-" He put a finger to her lips, silencing her.
"They won't catch me," he said softly.
"But-"
"Shh..." The sound was soft, but it seemed to fill the room. "It's all right. You don't need to worry, Katara." Something about the way he was speaking...It wasn't normal.
"What's wrong?" she asked. He cupped her cheek with one hand.
"It doesn't matter," he said softly. "I'll take care of everything." He didn't give her a chance to ask anything else before he leaned forward and kissed her gently. She tried to pull away, to question him, but he only tightened his grip. The kiss continued- long, pure...and veined with a wrenching sorrow that she could not understand. Katara felt tears well in her eyes, but Zuko gently wiped them away.
At last it ended, and he pulled away.
"I love you," he whispered, bringing her hand to his lips. One last kiss on the back of her hand, unbearably tender. "Goodbye."
And like a shadow, like a dream, he was gone.