Kishi: Ah, another day, another dollar, another chapter. Let's begin.

---

Kara-No

Chapter 12

Wind in the Willows

---

It was the ringing of the bells that alerted Aang to what was happening. He'd been here a month and a half, and the response to them was immediate, ingrained into him by Master Jigen. He quickly abandoned his game of fetch with Momo – the poor lemur had needed some attention, and he would be sore over this, Aang was certain – and ran out the door, glider in hand. In the hallways, other Earth Benders were running, their faces belying excitement and anxiety.

Aang's feet had memorized the paths leading to the northern exits. They led him through numerous sandstone galleries, through hallways with murals depicting Avatars past. Scripture ran across the tops and bottoms of these pictures, but Aang hadn't been terribly interested in those parts even when he'd had time to look at them. His interest had been focused more on surfing through the halls on a rock that he'd called up.

Occasionally a window would break the monotony of the walls, allowing him views of the carnage outside. The burning rocks of the Fire Nation's Army were falling like comets, crashing into buildings and leaving flaming craters. The ground trembled with their coming, and with the rumbling reprisals of the Earth Benders outside.

Sunlight illuminated his exit, and he ran toward it, throwing his glider ahead. He leapt onto it and was suddenly one with the breeze. He let the air fill the wings as he rose above the carnage, flying northwards. As he looked to the west, he saw some of the boulders disintegrate, huge holes blown in them. Shin had showed him the technique once - stepping forward with a thrusting punch. It seemed to be going to good use now.

He dipped low, flying down into the city, gliding through the streets. Stands and people blurred past before he finally skidded to a stop, right in the clear between buildings and wall. His eyes scanned the skies, waiting for the first projectiles. He heard shouts near the wall – ah. The Fire Nation must have thought to coordinate this strike with an attack on the walls. Can't focus on that. Soldiers are not the target. Just keep the boulders out!

The first flew over, and Aang took a step back, drawing tensed hands after him. The flaming black mass followed him before stopping. Aang shifted his weight back forward and thrust both palms back out. The boulder shot back over the wall.

Then another, then another, one following the other. Thinking quick, Aang made a quick kick, leaping in the air and spinning a roundhouse. The first boulder shuddered and flew into the second, shattering both.

His eyes scanned the skies, but they saw nothing but empty blue.

"Avatar!" a voice called down. Aang looked at the walls, where one of the soldiers was waving. "All clear!" he shouted. Aang grinned and waved back. The air no longer trembled with the tolling of the bells. Good. It had been a short attack this time.

There had been others in his month-and-a-half here. There had been days when the bells pealed before dawn and after dusk. There had been days when it had been one black rock after another after another. Smoke had substituted for clouds, and the sun had been dim, a pale reflection of itself. Those were the days when Aang stumbled through rubble-strewn streets, bloody-knuckled and covered in ash. Those were the days he couldn't understand the cheer of these people when he felt so tired, so dirty, so worthless.

He started to walk back through the streets, where people were already calling out to each other. It was true that he would walk these streets to assist others if they needed it – and sometimes they did – but it was just as much so that he could take courage from these people.

"Hey Jiro! How many holes in your house today?"

"Can't you see? I got two nice ones for my bedroom! Now we have a breezeway! What about you?"

"Oh, you should see the gift the Fire Nation gave us! A huge hole for our living space! Now we can see the sunsets!"

"That's not fair! I wish they'd have done the same for me!"

Aang chuckled. Jiro and Khan had kept up this contest of theirs every day he was out there. They weren't the only ones, though. Everybody he met seemed to find a way to joke about the situation.

Unless there were dead. Those people amazed him. He had been called upon to help dig through rubble, and he had found dead bodies before. The families would always weep, then. And he would walk back to the Temple, sit on some stairway that nobody crossed, and just weep. Yet when he saw these same people again, they would smile watery smiles and thank him for working so hard, thank him for making sure that more wouldn't die.

How could they be so grateful? How? How could they find joy in so much sorrow?

Aang did not understand it one bit.

It seemed, however, that this would not be one of those days. Aang smiled gratefully as he listened to the jokes about him, but his smile could not lift him up the stairs as he walked toward the Temple. He could not deny that the Earth was growing heavy.

---

Without the shouting and commotion assorted with firing into the city, the camp resolved back into its naturally feverish pace. Messengers ran the paths between tents, looking for this officer or that, looking to get these supplies or those. There were shouts and curses being heard as men limped toward the medical tents. The tapping of hammers echoed from the siege engines.

As hindering as the crowds were, Reiko could appreciate her two guards for the virtue of their sheer size. It allowed for efficiency in performing her tasks. Anybody who stood in her way would instantly step aside for the two mountains that walked with her. It was such a strange sensation to think about it sometimes – these two were massive, with bulging muscles and huge weapons. The horns of their helmets, coupled with their hardened faces, added to the impression of their might.

They would be easier than lifting a feather.

Together with her escorts, Reiko walked up to the vendor. The lady working there, a kind-faced soul with thick arms and eyes of a decided gray, smiled at her. "Ah, Reiko! It's so nice to see you again!"

"And you as well," said Reiko with a similar response. "Have you been well?"

"Ah, you know these military types," said the vendor. "Always manage to keep things interesting. What about you?"

Reiko's smile didn't change, but she felt a thrill. Now the game was on. This lady – Ling, an informant – needed to be informed of her progress with Zuko. The game was to code the message in just such a way – vague enough for the guards to pass it off, but just so.

"Oh, as dull as a servant's life can be," she said. "The master calls, and I must answer."

"Isn't that always the way?"

"It is. But my master is difficult sometimes. He is not allowed outside our tent at all, so he is often very short-tempered. And since the Prince has nobody else to speak with, he always takes it out on me!"

"Oh, you poor dear," Ling clucked. "He's probably just desperate to do something."

"Perhaps," Reiko allowed. "That remains to be seen. I do hope that he will let off soon, though. It does try one's patience."

"I imagine so. Will you be needing the usual?"

"Yes ma'am," Reiko nodded. She handed a ticket to Ling, who proceeded to match it up with a box. She knew the box's contents – tea and rations. Seasonings were at a premium, but her fellow occupants were both soldiers – they were used to worse. Ling hefted the box onto a table, and one of Reiko's escorts rifled through the contents. When he was done, he turned to the other and nodded.

"Will there be anything else?"

"No ma'am," said Reiko. She rubbed her hands together, almost as if she were wiping off dust. "I suppose that will be all, then—"

Suddenly, there was a loud grating noise. People stopped to look about, and then gasp. The supply depots were all surrounded by guard towers – wooden things, easily assembled and easily manned. Only now they were falling apart, as if the very rope bindings had been cut.

Men in the platforms screamed as they dropped to the ground, but their cries were lost in the sound of timber crashing.

As people started toward the wreckage to help the victims out, Reiko's escorts seemed conflicted. She looked up at them quietly.

"I'm too weak to help with any of that," she said. "But I won't go anywhere. You could catch me very easily."

The soldiers hesitated only a second more before nodding to each other and walking off to the wreckage.

"Well played, dearie," Ling murmured.

"Thank you," Reiko replied. "You understood my message?"

"Yes," said Ling, as she snuck a pair of long, narrow objects into the box. "Zuko has grown dependent on you for contact with the outside world – and he's growing desperate. He wants to make a bid for freedom. I assume you have it all in hand?"

"Yes."

"Well, just be sure you don't let him die, now. We need him to live for a while yet."

"No worries," said Reiko. "I will be with him. I remember the plan. The fall of this city is only a part of it."

"Got it. I'll relay the word back to our leaders. Stop by again some time. I don't get to see many of the People anymore."

"I understand," said Reiko with a smile as her guards stepped back toward her. She bowed, and walked away, with the rear soldier carrying her provisions. The path back to their tent offered no incidents outside of the ordinary. The press of humanity always seemed to be just shy of crushing itself.

They arrived, finally, at the tent, and Reiko shifted the canvas aside. The General was lying on the ground, napping in a sunny spot. Zuko, for his part, was doing push-ups on his knuckles. His shirt was off, and his knuckles were wrapped in some sort of cloth.

It had been like this every day. Whenever Zuko felt like going outside, he exercised. Push-ups. Sit-ups. Horse Stance. Always a little more, always a little longer. He even performed his forms - or at least, as much as the space of the tent allowed.

As she watched him, she couldn't deny a certain admiration for him. It wasn't that he was handsome - though he was, no denying that. Rather, he was driven. Nothing ever stopped him from pushing harder than in previous efforts. He was so driven, so dedicated to whatever he did.

It almost reminded her of herself. And with that came a sudden stab of sadness. Zuko was truly a beautiful human being - someone who inspired loyalty and gave without thought of personal cost. Such nobility, thought Reiko. I will regret killing him.

---

"Don't worry, Katara," said the lady in white next to her. "This is the last one."

"Are you sure?" asked Katara. "I saw some others being brought in. If you need me to, it wouldn't be any trouble to-"

"This is the last one," the nurse said, and something in her tone said to Katara that there wasn't going to be any discussion on the matter. She nodded mutely.

The room was dull brown stone. Windows faced off into the south, allowing some degree of light in. Beds lined the walls, platforms raised from the earth and lined with dull-colored cushions to make the rest easier. Some held bodies, some were empty. The wounded were quiet, all asleep, either exhausted or drugged to stillness. Katara ordinarily found that sort of thing reprehensible, but she spent so much time hearing their screams that she would take any measure to get them to silence.

This last one had her arm at an odd angle - it almost seemed to dangle at halfway through the forearm. Katara paused at her age - 9? 10 years old? - before looking to the arm. "The bone's going to have to be reset before I can do anything," she said.

The nurse nodded, before offering the little girl a smile. "Now, now," she said. "This isn't going to hurt."

"Please don't touch it," the little girl begged. "Please, please, it already hurts, don't wanna hurt no more, please--"

"Shhhh," the nurse whispered, still smiling. "Where's your mother at?"

"Dad brought us both here," she said, sniffling. "Mom carried me as far as she could, but once you guys took me, she just sat down and went to sleep. She's out in the waiting room now, I think."

"I see. You guys lived out in one of the southern districts, right?"

"Yes," said the little girl, calming down. "We live near one of the gardens."

"Really?"

"Yes! Mommy always takes us to visit! I remember this one time when-"

There was a loud crack as the bone was reset.

Raising her hands, she began to move them all over the girl's arm without touching it, concentrating despite the girl's yowling. It subsided soon enough, though, as the girl began to tremble, as though caught in a vicious cold.

Finally, it was done. "There. Her arm's done."

The girl stared with wide eyes as she moved her arm, flexed her fingers. "There, now," said the nurse, drying the girl's tears with her apron. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Guess not," the girl mumbled, still marvelling over her arm.

"Sanae!" the nurse called to another. "Take this girl back to her parents. I think she's had a big enough day, don't you agree?"

Sanae walked over, smiling as the little girl slipped down from the bed.

"That went quicker than I thought it would," Katara said. She dashed a hand across her eyes - stay awake! stay awake! - before turning back to the nurse. "I can still see to more. Let me take care of some of these others here."

"I think not!" said the nurse, shaking a finger at Katara. "It's a wonder you're not in bed with these others! You're going right back to your room even if I have to have you carried there under guard!"

Katara nodded, surprised out of numbness by the sweet-tempered nurse's vehemence. She walked out, stretching as she did, fighting a yawn as well.

It had been like this for a while now, really. Her powers over water weren't considered overly useful for deflecting rocks. She'd volunteered to fight fires, and had proven useful - until they learned of her ability to heal. At that point, they'd asked her to join on with the hospital staff, and while she had resented it to a certain degree she couldn't deny that she was probably most useful here.

But she had dedicated herself to it nonetheless. At first, she'd just volunteered for normal shifts - a few hours here, a few hours there. But the wounded kept piling up, and she found herself volunteering for more and more shifts. The staff would tell her her help wasn't necessary, but she knew they were grateful. The less bodies there were, the better.

That didn't change that she was dead tired, though. Irregular shifts, irregular meals, irregular sleep. No real training to speak of. If she had the energy to be vexed at her situation, she would have been, but she was too tired.

She walked the hallways back toward her room, focusing one step at a time. As long as she took it that way, didn't think about what was coming, how long she'd be working, she could deny that she was so utterly drained, could just focus on the moment.

Being so tired, though, often meant missing the little things - like the fact that she wasn't walking, so much as stumbling along, and that if she didn't watch out, she'd trip over her own feet. She managed to make it to the last stretch of hallway, the one leading to her room, when it finally caught her. She pitched forward, but she didn't even register that it was happening. It wasn't until her face connected that she realized she'd tripped.

"Um?" her landing place asked. "Katara? What are you doing?"

She blinked and looked up into green eyes. Haru? What was he- had she just crashed into-? Oh. Awkward.

"Haru? Sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"You look terrible," he said with a frown. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine! Really!" she said with a hasty smile. "I just got a little tired! Don't worry, I'm--"

"Did you just work all night again?"

"I..." Well, the circles under her eyes would give her away soon enough. She nodded.

"Just as I thought," he said. "Honestly, Katara, you've got to get some rest. People can't get by without sleep!"

"Don't treat me like such a child!" she snapped. "I do get sleep!"

"How much, then?" he asked.

"I got three hours worth last night!"

He looked at her critically. "Three hours."

Well, it had certainly sounded better when she thought it. "And now I'm going to get another four before getting a meal and going back to help again."

He looked at her, his gaze incredulous. "Katara, you've got to slow down and get some rest."

"Can't," she said, shaking her head. Why couldn't she bring herself to move from his arms? When had his arms gotten there, anyway? "People need me. Can't stop just 'cuz I'm a little tired."

"Katara, are you even listening to yourself?" He started to guide her into her room, an arm about her shoulder. Katara didn't want to admit that it felt good to have something to lean on.

"I'll be fine," she growled. "Just let me get some rest."

"Of course," he said, and before she had any say in the matter, he swept her off her feet and set her on her bed. "And no getting up," he cautioned.

Katara fought her blush back down. That insufferable--! How dare he-

She collapsed into sleep.

---

Breathe in... breathe out... focus it all down to nothing...

Taking another breath, Aang shifted down into a lotus. The rocks were now adjusted into the four cardinal directions, with himself sitting on the fifth. He closed his eyes and let his mind relax, letting all the extraneous thoughts drift away to nothing. He knew better than to fight them - that only led to the resurgence of the thought he sought to destroy.

The arrangement of the garden wasn't without purpose. The four directions represented the world. North, south, east, west - his concerns covered all of these. He had already been in the north and the south - now he lay in the east, and would begin his journey to the west. He was in the land of beginning, seeking the end. He was the center - the Avatar, the hope of the world. His concern, his compassion, was for all the corners, all the world.

And why shouldn't it be? Observe the wind - see? It does not favor one thing above the other. See how it fills the sails of a glider, the wings of the bird, brings the sun, brings the storm. It is not stuck in form - it adapts, fills purpose, and then goes elsewhere, remaining itself. Air is invisible, invincible.

Can the wind be contained? No, never - it's gone as soon as you try. The wind has no master. It has no attachment. Wind needs nothing.

That is you, Aang, isn't it?

Katara.

No. That's attachment. You exist without her.

Am I happy without her?

What is happiness? Nothing more than a phase of existence. It is countered by sadness, and both part leaving balance.

Then I don't need her.

You do not. You are the wind, and wind needs nothing.

So why do I feel so empty without her?

You are empty. You are the wind.

But the wind exists! Without Katara, it's as if I'm somehow... less. Like I don't exist.

Feeling passes. Existence remains.

And that's exactly the problem. Aang opened his eyes. He blinked a couple times, and shook his head.

"Aang! Are you messing up my garden again?" Master Jigen stalked forward, his brown robes flowing about his form more fluidly than they should have on an old man.

"Sorry, master!" he called out. "I still don't remember how it went originally."

"Honestly, kids these days," said Jigen, "no respect for design. So, what's on your mind?"

"Oh, nothing much."

"Please, Aang. I've seen you here for a month. You never take anything seriously. You almost never do any real studying to speak of unless we're there to monitor you. So obviously you've got something on your mind."

Aang sighed, and looked away. "That obvious, huh?"

"Afraid so, child," said Jigen. "Frankly, if you were depressed, I was hoping you'd hide it a bit better. But since you seem intent on bending my ear, I'll give it to be bent."

Aang looked back up to say it was all right, but Master Jigen had already Bent several rocks to form a sitting hill for himself.

"Well," Aang finally said, "there's this girl."

"It's Katara, isn't it?"

Aang stared. "How did you--"

"You've been asleep for 112 years," said Jigen. "When you awoke, she was the first thing you saw. I've heard this story before. Not to mention you've spent all this time travelling alongside her and her brother. I know there are girls here, but it'd be a surprise if you were interested in any other."

"So you already know."

"Yep."

"Then you already know my problem, too."

"Which one is that?"

Aang sighed. "Master, all my life I was told that I had to be like the wind. I must not form attachments. I must not like or love any one thing above any other, because attachment causes suffering."

"Sounds like Nomad philosophy."

"Yeah, but Master, I don't know what to do about this!" Aang exclaimed. "Katara's always been a friend to me. She means so very much to me, she really does. I see her with Haru, and I know he makes her happy! That should be enough for me, shouldn't it?"

"It could be."

"But it's not," Aang said, and his voice grew bitter. "It hurts to see them together. I want to be the one who causes her happiness, not him! How can she like him so much, anyway? We've only been here a month! She traveled with me far longer than she knew him! So... why..."

"The heart's funny like that," shrugged Jigen. "Katara obviously sees something in Haru that she doesn't see in you, and she's attracted to him because of it."

"Yeah," sighed Aang. "Yeah. After all, how can a kid measure up, right?"

"I never said that."

"So what am I supposed to do?"

Jigen looked Aang in the eye. "I have an answer for you. But I cannot give it to you now."

"Why not?"

"Because you aren't ready to receive it. You are confused, lost. I will not accept that in any student of mine. Before I will answer your question, you must first answer mine."

Aang looked at the master expectantly. "The question," said Jigen, "is thus - do you truly desire to hear the truth? Or is the truth what you want to hear?"

"The answer's easy," said Aang. "It's... well, no... wait, then it's... no, that's not it either..."

"Figure it out," said Jigen, "and tell me when you've found the answer."

---

After witnessing his prowess on the battlefield, most Earth Benders knew better than to interrupt Shin during his training. They knew instead to just remake the earthen dummies that were split so strangely, so cleanly.

Step. Fist. Step. Fist. One thunderous step, almost a standing leap forward. The fist shot out, drilling outward. Step. Knife hand. Step. A clawing hand. Step. A kick. The form went on and on, backwards and forwards, attack and retreat mixing into one powerful line.

It had gone on like this for an hour before he finally walked over and pulled his sword from its sheath. It wasn't a sword like others - it was more of a dao, but it wasn't like those either. The blade was long and narrow, with only one cutting edge. The hilt of the sword was longer, too, allowing for use of both hands.

I wasn't sure the day would ever come when the sword would carve my path again, he thought. But it didn't seem that he had a choice anymore. Especially given what he'd seen.

He didn't know how the others had missed it - seeing some of the stones hurled back only to shatter, hollow out and break into pieces. Or cleave in half.

"No doubt," he said to himself. "There's another Void Bender out there. I wonder if we'll meet?" Staring down the blade of the sword, he shook his head, and stepped forward with a slash.

---

Kishi: And with that, I finish. And now I disappear for a few days... only to be back later. But just to leave y'all with a parting gift:

Omake no Toki! Hachiban! Avatar Idol!

(Time for the Eighth Extra! Avatar Idol!)

SEACREST: Aaaand we're back, live on the set of Avatar Idol! Coming up next, we've got AIROH up! AIROH, how you hangin'?

AIROH: I'm doing well!

SEACREST: Awesome! What song are you going to do for us tonight?

AIROH: I'm going to be singing the song "Staying Alive," by the Bee Gees.

SEACREST: Whoa, there! You gonna do a dancing tune?

AIROH: I figured I should go with something I liked!

SEACREST: No prob, there! Bust a move!

(the music begins to play. Hands clap in the background as Airoh steps to the beat)

AIROH:

Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk,
I'm a woman's man: no time to talk.
Music loud and women warm, I've been kicked around
since I was born.
And now it's all right. It's OK.
And you may look the other way.
We can try to understand
the New York Times' effect on man.

Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother,
you're stayin' alive, stayin' alive.
Feel the city breakin' and everybody shakin',
and we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive.
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive.
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive.

(the crowd loves it!)

SEACREST: All right! Looks like the people like it! What do the judges say? AANG?

(AANG is dressed in a black with shades).

AANG: AIROH! Dawg! Ya didja thang! You rocked me on out of my socks over here, bro!

SEACREST: All right, that's one. KATARA, what're you thinking?

(KATARA is dressed to kill, with a big grin... as usual).

KATARA: I'm thinking that was awesome! You've got so much passion and it shows in your singing, and it's wonderful! Wonderful job!

SEACREST: That's two! ZUKO?

(ZUKO's dressed in red shirt and blue jeans).

ZUKO: Uncle... uncle, what are you doing? Do you even know?

AIROH: I am standing and singing and enjoying every minute of it!

ZUKO: You're joking, right? That was awful!

(Only some of the crowd booes. The rest are too busy staring with hearts in their eyes).

SEACREST: Right then! Well, go ahead and get those calls in to the number shown below!

owari

Avatar: The Last Air Bender is copyrighted to people who aren't me. I don't know who they are, otherwise, I'd give 'em credit.

The only things I own in this story are those things that I perceive as being original, and thusly are mine. If you recognize something that you came up with first, all credit goes to you.

I have no clue where you can contact me. I think the address is in my profile.