Hardened Winds

Chapter IV

Summary: Two years ago, Aang was betrayed by Katara, who fell for Zuko and ultimately led to the avatar's failure to defeat Ozai before summer's end. Hardened, the young airbender is now back with a full army and is on the verge of defeating the Fire Nation once in for all. Yet despite his belief of being in full control, nightmares of the past still haunt him. What will happen when Katara returns and a series of misunderstandings and more betrayals unveil? Will Aang be able to handle it all?

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It was a starless night.

Not even the moon shone, for tonight it too was concealed by the dark. A storm had just passed, although one wouldn't have known merely from the serene atmosphere. After all, the waters were calm now, and the air was fresh and cool. Yet in the small, lonely boat drifting in the murky sea, two people would have known, because they were soaked to the bone from simply trying to endure the preceding bad weather. But it wasn't just the earlier storm that had dampened their moods. It was also the black, stifling feeling that had so quickly overcome them, ever since the news had spread that the avatar had at last conquered the Fire Nation

The prince sat, silent and disconsolate, his knees huddled to his chest, while Katara stared listlessly at the infinite ebony sky, trying to no avail to forget about the hopeless, empty feeling inside her. Even the numbing cold from the rain could not penetrate through their poignant feelings, because now that the Fire Lord had fallen, the two adolescents had no real goal. They couldn't defend the Fire Nation from the shadows anymore… they couldn't do anything.

"Zuko, are you all right?" the girl murmured after a long while, when the heavy silence became finally too much for her to bear.

"No."

The single word came out, harsh, cold, and bleak. Katara sighed and looked at him. She almost didn't recognize the firebender in front of her, because the prince she had known and loved had always been on his feet, ready to fight and looking for any opportunity to redeem himself. Yet the person who was presently sitting like a stone was half covered by the night's black cloak, his shoulders hunched, as if proclaiming that they had given up on the world. Meanwhile, his flaming spirit was for once subdued to a struggling flare that was threatened to being blown out any moment.

"We can still do something," Katara told him gently, and she tried with all her might to sound encouraging, although she herself was also unsure about their future.

"Katara," Zuko sighed, still not bothering to turn to her. "The empire that my family has worked so hard to create is now gone, annihilated. The Fire Lord's powerful army has finally been defeated, and my father… he's probably dead now. There's no way –no way at all- that we can ever restore the Fire Nation to its former glory."

"No…" the girl reluctantly concurred, yet she did not avert her meaningful gaze from him, "but we can still do something. The most important thing we can do now is to free your uncle and the rest of the crew. We owe them at least that much, right? And then, with your wise uncle and at least a few people behind us, I'm sure…" she smiled slightly, "we'll be able to come up with a plan."

The eighteen-year-old remained quiet, and Katara was afraid that her earnest words did not reach him at all. However, she grinned when he soon slowly turned to her, and although his face was still dejected and shaken, there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes that had not been there before.

"Yes, you're right," the prince stated, his voice steady. "We have to free the crew first. I should have thought about that. I shouldn't…" he looked down, scowling, "… I shouldn't have abandoned them in the first place. I'm a coward."

Katara walked to him and sat besides him, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder, and she was astonished (and a little worried) when she realized that Zuko was shaking slightly.

"No, it's okay," she soothed him. "You couldn't think, and it was natural. I mean, what else can you be but in shock after you hear that your father –the nearly invincible Fire Lord- has been defeated? I couldn't think either, and I'm sure your uncle and the rest will forgive you, especially after we save them."

"There's still no excuse," Zuko said quietly, but Katara was pleased to hear that his miserable tone had been significantly subdued. "We'll have to save them, you're right but… we have no idea where our ship was taken to."

A small wave slid beneath the boat, gently swaying it and somehow managing to appease the waterbender's spirit. Absentmindedly, she drew the tame wave back, smiling as it rocked their boat again while her mind searched for an answer to the prince's question. It didn't take too long before she turned to him with a definite reply:

"The avatar lives in the castle of Omashu, right? He must also have a harbor for all his warships near his home. I think your ship is probably at the port of the coast village of Kali, which is only a few miles away from Omashu and… yes! I remember!" Katara snapped her fingers, beaming. "We passed Kali a year ago, remember? I could've sworn I saw a few ships with the avatar's crest at its harbor!"

The sixteen-year-old knew that Zuko was presently smiling.

"I'm glad I managed to get you into the ship with me," he then whispered, so quietly that the waterbender knew that the prince wasn't sure whether he actually wanted her to hear this or not. "I probably wouldn't have been able to handle all this… on my own."

"You're welcome then," Katara laughed, giving him a hug.

"The village of Kali is rather far away from where we are," Zuko started, and his tone was now almost even business-like; the girl knew that he was starting to be himself again, beginning to plan their next move carefully. "I'm sure, though, that with your waterbending and my good sense of direction (Kali is just south of us, I'm sure), we can get there in a day or two. The boat has some provisions and some water, so I think we can manage. And once we free the crew…" he stopped, his uncertainty apparently returning.

"Everything will fall back in place again," the waterbender finished confidently for him, and once again, the firebender smiled.

"Yes, it will. Now I think we need some sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a busy day."

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Katara decided that she liked the pleasant village of Kali.

Short, stocky buildings made of wood and stone aligned its parallel, amiable roads, which were filled with bustling, chatting people, simple, hurrying carriages, and a wide variety of shop stands. Everywhere she turned, she saw eager merchants displaying their best treasures at the most reasonable prices (or at least, according to them), wizened ladies attempting to sell their diversified collection of memorabilia, tanned, strong men advertising their catch of the day, and even small children trying their luck at business, showing passing pedestrians everything from miracle medicines to tarot cards.

The fresh, pungent fragrance of the sea tickled the sixteen-year-old's nose while the carefree giggles, the booming shouts, and the genial babble all around her made her smile. Kali's colors were of a modest reddish hue, from light brown to soft pink, making the rural community look as welcoming and youthful as it could be. If Katara hadn't been on an important mission, she would've gladly sauntered through the village's streets, looking for good deals and the most extravagant merchandise.

"The place is too loud," Zuko said sullenly besides her, and the girl stifled a giggle as she caught him scanning his surroundings with obvious distaste.

Their boat had long been safely secured to the harbor, and now the two were walking along the coast, trying to catch a glimpse of any captured Fire Nation ships, yet so far, their attempt had been futile. To her disappointment, Katara couldn't even find a vessel belonging to the avatar, and she dearly hoped that their long journey to the coast village hadn't been a complete waste of time. Glancing at the prince, she knew that he was thinking the same thing as his expression became more and more frustrated and impatient.

"Maybe… we should ask someone?" she at last inquired, but Zuko shook his head.

"We don't need anybody to tell us," he replied curtly. "We should be perfectly able to find the ships by ourselves. And if we don't find it, it's obvious that Uncle and the crew aren't being held captive here."

"Yeah," Katara muttered reluctantly; the older adolescent did have a point. Ships were rather easy to spot, and although she hated to admit it, chances were becoming more likely that their vessel just wasn't at this port. Still… as she had asked Sokka (she felt a painful twinge tug at her heart) two years back… what was it with men and asking for directions?

They investigated the harbor for what seemed like hours, walking from end to end and inspecting it from every angle, as if the open, public place could somehow hide a big ship from their unsuspecting eyes. In the end, the results were far from uplifting.

"Our ship isn't here, Katara," Zuko concluded, and Katara felt a pang when she heard the note of annoyance in his voice.

"Yes, you're probably right," the waterbender sighed.

Her eyes then fell to a middle-aged, raven-haired man who was currently working on his own boat at the dock. Despite what the prince had told her, she abruptly decided to try their last resort.

"Katara! What are you doing?" the boy bellowed after her as she suddenly ran to the small, wooden boat, and she smiled when the stranger finally caught sight of her, raising his eyebrows. He was evidently surprised.

"Hello," she greeted the man as cordially as she could, "my friend and I," she gestured to Zuko, who had suddenly appeared besides her and was now giving her the evil eye, "wanted to see the warships of the great avatar, as well as the Fire Nation ships that our savior has so courageously captured. We heard that they were at your village's harbor, but we didn't see anything. We were just wondering… are the ships somewhere else here… or are they not here at all?"

Katara waited for the stranger's reply, but she paled when she discovered that the man was currently not looking at her, but at Zuko, and she could have hit herself when she realized her mistake.

"He's from the Fire Nation," the stranger slowly said, glaring at the prince and his crimson armor, which –to the girl- now seemed to stand out like a flying bison in the serene village of Kali.

Zuko opened his mouth to reply, a spiteful insult at the tip of his tongue, when Katara violently stepped on his foot and hastily told the man:

"No, no, you've got it all wrong," she tried to laugh as naturally as possible, as if his (correct) assumption was a mistake that she had dealt with many times before. "I mean, yes, my friend… Kai… is from the Fire Nation, but you see, he's a double agent. Like me, he really works for the avatar, and he contributed a lot to our recent victory against the blasted Fire Nation." Katara could've sighed in relief when the stranger's expression soon changed from suspicion to confusion, although his eyes were still filled with mistrust.

"He seems a little too… angry… to be among the avatar's forces," the stranger, who had leaped off his boat, stated, frowning at Zuko.

The waterbender briefly looked at the boy, and she then realized that his face was half twisted in fury towards the man and pain at what Katara had done to him.

"He's just… a little irritated!" the girl laughed, waving her hand at the prince. "He hates it when people just assume he's with the Fire Nation just because of his background. He's really good inside, you know."

For a long time, the man remained hesitant, yet after a while, he smiled wearily at Katara.

"Normally, I wouldn't trust him," he momentarily scowled at Zuko, who gladly returned the favor, "but since he's with such a nice girl like you, I guess he can't be all that bad, can he?" the stranger laughed, and Katara smiled, eagerly waiting for the man to return to their previous topic, which he soon did:

"Okay then. You were right when you said that the avatar's ships and the Fire Nation ships he captured are at this harbor… or at least near this harbor. Because as you obviously know by now, the avatar isn't stupid enough to just keep his ships in plain view. Look to your right," he gestured, and the waterbender obediently turned her attention to the right side of the coast, although she still couldn't see anything.

"Yeah, it's hard, isn't it?" the ebony-haired sailor grinned. "You see, that big cliff," he pointed at the intimidating rock structure that had, so far, not being noticed by the two teenagers, "hides another, smaller harbor that is the avatar's. Step forward, girl, and you can see a small part of the sail, and if you're lucky, you can see the avatar's crest."

Blinking, Katara did as she was told and squinted, trying to see any signs of what they were looking for, and at first, she still couldn't see anything. After all, the cliff was high and sharp, and it didn't look as if there was anything behind it. Finally, though, the girl saw a glimpse of the familiar black sail with the avatar's white crest, the same that had adorned Misaki's ship.

"There!" she exclaimed, pointing, and a second later, she knew that Zuko had seen the ship, too, because he let out a shout of surprise and joy. "Thank-you!" the waterbender then turned to the stranger, beaming, but before he had the time to react, she had grabbed the prince's hand and had managed to pull them away from the man and to a much more private location.

Katara quickly looked around; the two were huddled near one of the smaller buildings in the village, and she was glad when she noticed that not many people came by, and when an occasional pedestrian did pass them, it was without a single glance. This must be one of the less crowded streets, she noted to herself with satisfaction.

"You were right," Zuko, looking a little too astounded for Katara's liking, whispered. "If the avatar's ships are here, so are uncle and the crew."

"Was there ever a doubt?"

For a moment, the firebender appeared to consider whether telling her the truth, but in the end, he just managed a small grin before shaking his head.

"Now that we have our ship in sight," the prince began, looking once more determined, "we'll have to break in and set my men free."

"Of course," the girl said, nodding.

"And I finally know what I'm going to do next, Katara. Because after we have uncle and the rest, we're sneak into the avatar's castle as well."

"What?" Dumbfounded and confused, the waterbender stared at him. "What for?"

Zuko bit his lip, obviously debating within himself whether to tell her or not, but a minute later, he sighed and almost reluctantly answered:

"Katara, I'm almost absolutely sure that the avatar killed my father. So now… the most honorable thing to do is to avenge his death. And that is by killing the avatar."

The sixteen-year-old goggled at him. Aang. In her head, she could still see his childish grin, and she knew instantly that she did not want to see his death, no matter what side she was on. But… Zuko's mouth was set on a grim, resolute line… and she knew that no matter how much she protested, the older one would turn a deaf ear. Besides, a cold, rational voice said, why should she hold on so much to the past? The young monk… her older brother… she had long pushed them to the darkest depths of her mind, and she knew Zuko would be appalled if he even heard her speak in their enemy's favor.

However, deep down, Katara knew why she wouldn't stand the death of the avatar. And that was because she couldn't stand any kind of death, especially if it was that of a friend… or a former friend. I was never a fighter. She was –and had always been- a pacifist, a thinker… and the thinker in her was now strongly advising her not to contradict Zuko, at least not until she knew how far the boy would truly go. After all, even the Fire Nation prince wasn't that cold-hearted. At least she hoped. Instead, Katara came up with a plan.

She tentatively tugged the firebender's sleeve, and startled, he glanced at her.

"What is it?"

"All right," she began quietly, "you're going to break into our ship. But I won't be going with you."

"… Okay then."

"No. That's not it. I'm not going… because I'm going to do something else. You really do want to finish off the avatar, right?" the waterbender steadily let the query slip from her lips like a statement, although in reality, it was the most important question she had ever asked, and she felt her heart sink when Zuko nodded. "Well, then, you'll need to know the inside of the castle of Omashu, won't you? And I'm sorry to say that although I went in before, it's being too long for me to still remember how it is inside."

"What are you saying?"

"Zuko. I'm going to sneak into the avatar's headquarters and find the safest, fastest way to the avatar. So you won't get yourself killed by trying the first time." Katara's heart was beating wildly as she finished her statement, but she nevertheless smirked at her last words. And the smile only widened when Zuko took the bait, scowling at her.

"I guess that would be a good idea…" the boy slowly said after a while, "but it's not safe if you go alone, Katara."

"I can protect myself just fine, Zuko," the girl told him confidently.

"And what if you get captured?"

"I'll escape."

"And if you don't? If you don't, I'll have to get you, and that'll just be a waste of time…"

"Don't you ever have the tiniest faith in me?" Katara crossed her arms and gave him a sullen look. Soon, though, her warm, assuring tone came back as she reasoned with him: "I'll be as careful as I can. Besides, now that the war is over, the security there won't be as strong. And I'm just going to get in, find the avatar's room, and go straight back to the harbor. Nothing wrong will happen, okay?"

Her soothing voice seemed to calm the prince, because he merely frowned when she was done, apparently deep in thought. After a moment, he sighed and gave in.

"If you're sure, Katara, then I guess I can't stop you. Just make the most of your time," he informed her briskly, but quickly, his business-like tone melted away as he whispered to her: "Be careful, too."

"I will," she promised, kissing him lightly. "Nothing is going to happen to me."

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A few hours later, the waterbender was right outside the castle of Omashu, breathing deeply as she kept her eyes on the two guards at the door.

Walking sucks, she thought, sighing and reminiscing at how agonizing it had been to hike the entire way here. Ships and flying bison are so much more convenient. Unfortunately, her ship was currently being held in the avatar's control, and she hadn't seen the sole flying bison alive for all too long. While Katara let her heart go back to its normal, steady pace, she looked up and inspected the gargantuan castle that had transformed into the last airbender's new home. She had forgotten how immense and grand it had been, and now besides the majestic structure, she let out a small gasp of wonder. True, she mused, the castle was entirely made of rocky earth, and it wasn't as smooth and regal as most castles were. Yet it loomed tall and proud, and it had been home to the greatest earthbender not long before. Although the King of Omashu had long gone, his powerful aura still lingered within the castle, and the sixteen-year-old shuddered, afraid at how Aang's old friend would react if he knew what she had done.

The structure hadn't remained entirely the same, though; the avatar had recently constructed tall walls around the citadel, evidently to serve as an extra barrier to intruders like her. However, she had managed to conquer the obstacle by slipping inside a large carriage that had been permitted to enter through the gates, and she had also been able to get out of the vehicle unnoticed. The task hadn't been as simple as it sounded, but with constant caution, it had been almost easily done. Now, she decided, was time to spring into action; actually getting inside the Omashu Caste might be a little harder than what she had just did.

For the guards at the door, her tactic was simple yet risky. Moving as naturally as possible, she walked leisurely to the two, burly men, and gazing at the long, sharp spears that they were gripping, the girl could safely conclude that they could not earthbend. She had been right; now that the Fire Lord had evidently fallen, the avatar's security measures had significantly loosened.

"Hello," she smiled brightly at the guards, and they raised her eyebrows at her, obviously astonished by her presence.

Still grinning, Katara knew she had to act fast, and she closed her eyes for a second, concentrating as much as she could, before she slowly raised her arms. She felt the cork of the water bottle on her hip unscrewing itself, and inside, the water bubbled excitedly, as if anticipating what she would do next.

"What are you doing?" one of the guards barked at her as a long stream of water slowly rose from her bottle, only to divide itself into two smaller streams.

"I'm just entertaining you with some magic," the adolescent replied lazily, and when she was certain that the two men's attention were completely focused on her waterbending, she smirked before performing a hard double water whip, which struck the guards' faces and temporarily blinded them.

The men swore loudly, but Katara was already a step ahead. She had seen the set of keys dangling from their belts a few minutes before, and now she took the fleeting opportunity to snatch them away. One of the sentries was already beginning to regain his senses, and now beginning to feel panic rise, the girl reached for the biggest key in the chain and violently inserted it into the keyhole of the heavy, bronze door. She let out a cry of joy when she heard a click before opening the door with all her might. She couldn't have done it sooner, because just then, the guard to her right attempted to strike, only for the door to hit him right in the face.

Katara let herself look to her left, and a stricken expression came to her face when she immediately saw the other man's enraged face. Good thing she had already stepped inside the castle, because when she forcefully swung the door back, she heard the sentry gasp as he, too, appeared to have collided with the door.

Sighing in relief, the teenager scurried away, and soon, she was met with two diverging corridors. Randomly picking the right one, Katara let herself relax and placed a hand on her racing heart. That wasn't too hard, she thought, even smiling a little. Now all I have to find is the stairs. She kept her guard up and made sure she was ready to waterbend at any occasion, but when she failed to encounter any other obstruction for a long time, the eerie silence of the castle was becoming unnerving.

And to think, she pondered, crossing from one hallway to the next, Sokka and Aang are right here in this place. She thought of the possibility of bumping into them, and she felt goose bumps prickle her skin. No, she decided, meeting them would be the worst thing that could happen, and that was why she could not fail this task.

Sadly, after a while switching halls (at one occasion she could've sworn she had already passed one of the corridors), Katara learned to her dismay that she had almost no idea where she was. She had forgotten how huge the building was, and now… her insides froze as the horrid thought crossed her mind… could she even find her way out? She refused to think about the frightening concept any more, though, but instead she felt more determined than ever as she quickened her pace, resolute to find the avatar's chambers before someone found her.

Perhaps she had been walking a little too rapidly, a little too loudly, because too late she heard another pair of footsteps that seemed to have come from nowhere. Abruptly, the girl stopped, shaken. But the stranger's footsteps continued and scarier still, Katara still had no idea where they were coming from. Her unknown enemy could spring on her from any direction! She forced herself to close her eyes, and finally she realized that the footsteps appeared to be from right besides her. Maybe, the waterbender attempted to comfort herself, maybe the person isn't even looking for me. Maybe he's only in a parallel hallway and the only reason his footsteps seem so close is because he's in a hall right besides me. He probably doesn't know I'm here. Hopefully.

Yet why… were the footsteps becoming louder and louder by the moment? After all, the sixteen-year-old had stopped walking, and if the stranger was truly in a corridor parallel to hers, wouldn't his footsteps become quieter, not louder? Her heart began to beat faster and faster, and she let a stream of water rise from her bottle and prepared a water whip.

She then continued walking, hoping to keep her past pace while making sure her footsteps were quieter than before. She was shaking and biting her lip anxiously. Meanwhile, her heart was threatening to jump from her chest. The waterbender had only taken a few steps before all of a sudden, something terribly hard hit her head, and a yell of pain parted from Katara's lips before she was knocked down, the water from her whip splashing dulling onto the floor. The sound made a raucous sound that echoed off the walls, and the girl was sure that everyone in the castle was now aware that she was here.

Not that it would have been really made a difference, because a second later, she saw a shadow move swiftly to her, only to pin her mercilessly to the cold, uncomfortable floor. Trembling, she looked up to her captor; it was a tall, slim woman with skin as pale as a ghost's, and she was attired completely in black. With a jolt, Katara discovered that it was the same warrior who had tried to stab her back at the ship, but this time, she took time to take in the woman's hollow face and the raven black hair that was loosely collected in an unkempt bun. Besides her, she saw a knife and realized that she had been hit by its hard, wooden hilt.

"The traitor waterbender is back, I see," her capturer hissed, her eyes narrowed. "And I doubt you'll be spared this time."

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A/N: Two chapters in a week. And a cliffhanger, too. You guys should be ever-so-thankful to the mighty author (me). I'm joking, of course. (everyone stops glaring) I hope you readers liked this chapter, and I just figured out that there are a few things in Chapter 4 that don't make much sense. If you catch it, please inform me, but if you don't, that tells me that the mistakes I caught aren't a big problem and therefore does not require too much attention. But still… I'm going to insert an explanation for the (biggest) unknown problem in a later chapter.

I would like to thank:

Ryuusui: Oh… so you don't 'love' Zuko? Sorry about that misunderstanding. Though why is it that most people only care about Zuko's problems and don't even bother to see the depth in the avatar's soul? Of course, I'm not saying you are one of those aforementioned people (meek laugh), and thank-you for your endless support. I really appreciate it!

Saucy Noodles: Chapter 3 added more intenseness to my story? Yay! I can't wait for Chapter 3 for your fanfiction, and I'm glad I have such an enthusiastic reader!

Rebel Thief Lava Wolf Cooper: You like my dialogue…? (blurry eyes) Thank-you so much! Of course, I do have flaws somewhere in Hardened Winds, which will sadly only be apparent to me a year later… (sigh)

MysticWaterBender3: I am the best writer in the world, aren't I? (has a smug look and kicks Rowling aside) Just bluffing, of course. I know I still have a long way to go in the journey of being a writer. I love Aang's new personality, too, by the way (hugs Aang), and you being so happy about my story makes me happy. So the chain of joy continues!

Fran: (punches Ozai in the face) He's definitely gone, and don't worry; no cliché with him coming back as a ghost! Go Aang!

aangsair: Poor Aang. He hasn't been acting like himself for a long time, and now I doubt that his happy-go-lucky twelve-year-old self is really him. The fanfiction is all about how his new personality, after all. Katara is mean, too, I agree. Still… (gently pries aangsair's death grip off the waterbender)… I need her for my story. Or else I doubt Aang will become a dynamic character. (sweatdrops)

Next chapter will be posted next Tuesday/Wednesday or Friday. Or wherever I feel like it.

Review if you're nice.