Hardened Winds
Chapter V
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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The Fire Nation temple was completely deserted.
He immediately recognized it as the one he had gone to years ago to speak to Avatar Roku. And in front of him, gazing at him solemnly, was the statue of the former avatar himself. The boy stared at the figure, not knowing why he was here.
All of a sudden, stone came to life as Roku abruptly swept down to him, and the child gasped when he realized that the elder was wearing a furious expression.
"You failed!" Roku bellowed, and fire erupted in his eyes. "Why did you fail me?"
The current avatar clutched his arms and looked pleadingly at the man.
"I'm sorry," he murmured, trembling, "I tried my best, Roku, I really did… but something happened, and I-… and I-…"
"The avatar," Roku interrupted him quietly, glowering at the boy, "does not fail. No matter what. Because the avatar… does not let trivial things get to him. The avatar…. retains control. No matter what."
Looking down, the child squeezed his eyes shut and let the former avatar's words sink in. The avatar does not fail. It was true. Then… why… why did he let those stupid things restrain him before? A crack unexpectedly resounded in the room, and he knew that it was his heart breaking. The narrow, cold agony seized him viciously, but somehow… this time… he had been anticipating it. And this time, he refused to cry.
"You can't fail, Aang," Roku told him, his voice cool and harsh. "You won't fail. Because if you fail again…"
The boy fell to his knees, breathing heavily and letting the pain numb his whole body; he wouldn't fail, he wouldn't let anything else get in the way of his duty. The avatar opened his mouth to assure Roku of this, but instead (he hated himself for this), a childish question escaped his lips:
"What if… what if I do?"
The fourteen-year-old then tentatively looked up to the man, and he froze when he saw the enraged, almost wild façade of the man. A second later, Avatar Roku disappeared, only to be replaced by his guardian dragon. Its narrowed eyes as crimson with anger as its master's, the beast let out an angry roar before charging at the child, and too late he saw that the dragon had opened his mouth full of glinting fangs, ready to devour him whole.
A scream. Full of anguish. And everything went black.
----- ----- -----
At the door of a cell, a tall, scrawny sixteen-year-old was waiting impatiently for one of his colleagues, all the while fingering with his blades and wondering where in the hell could she be. The boy amused himself in several ways; he sometimes changed his visage in the most hilarious expressions, imagining the reactions of his friends, and sometimes he tugged at his bright verdant strand of hair, thinking about whether he should change it into a more atrocious color.
And of course, he pondered, stretching, he would have used this opportunity to sharpen his skill with his blades, but a certain someone warned him that he could accidentally behead someone by doing so. And since this person-who-shall-not-be-named also threatened to behead the boy if he ever caught him using his weapons carelessly again, the teenager thought it wise to heed his words. Yes, Dadhe thought, rolling his emerald eyes.
Finally, after what appeared to be an eternity, a woman as lean as a stick came walking to him, her pallid face wearing a smug and amused expression.
"Asuka," the boy waved at her.
"Misaki," she greeted him back, mockingly imitating his gesture.
"Okay then," the former pirate then became serious, "you said you caught this troublemaker," he motioned to the cell, "a day ago. Do you know what was his motive for sneaking into the castle?"
"She," Asuka told him smoothly. "It was a she. And you know her, too, I believe. Remember the water tribe girl you saw from the prince's ship? That's the same one who's now our captive."
"You caught Gloria?" Misaki pretended to goggle at her, and the woman gave him a nasty look.
"No jokes, boy. It's that stupid waterbender who apparently has an infatuation for the escaped prince."
"Ah… her," the adolescent put his hand to his chin and sighed. "If I remember correctly, Gloria seemed to take quite a liking for her. Too bad she's on the wrong side. But," he frowned, "why would she want to get into the avatar's castle when the war is over? What can she really do here?"
"Good question," Asuka, looking suspiciously at the cell, said. "I'm almost sure that she isn't doing it for herself. I figured long ago that she's too simple-minded for that. I think… it's because of that banished prince. She's doing it for him."
Misaki's frown deepened as he contemplated this.
"You're right," he told her slowly, "it probably is for that damn Zuko. But what would he want to do in the castle?"
At that, the other warrior practically snorted in disbelief.
"Stupid boy," she chastised him. "You know already that much and you still can't put two and two together?" When Misaki glowered at her, she continued silkily: "Think about it. His empire was annihilated by the avatar. His father was killed by the avatar. Now… what would a loyal son want to do with the avatar after all that?"
An astounded silence followed her derisive words before…
"He wants to murder him?" Misaki exclaimed with an incredulous face. "What kind of idiot is he?"
"A rather big one, apparently."
Misaki scowled and swore.
"We should make sure that the prisoner does not escape, no matter what. A search party for that stupid banished prince will be good, too. And… oh, yeah… the avatar should be quickly informed about all this. What do you say, Asuka?"
The woman looked into the distance, her façade pensive. After a moment, she closed her eyes and crossed her arms, a decision obviously made.
"No," she told the younger one, her voice ringing with assurance. "That would be most unwise. The only good thing you said was that we should guard the prisoner with all we have."
The former pirate frowned at her, irked. Asuka was always like this; closed-minded enough to shoot down almost every idea that met her ears and arrogant enough to voice her own opinions as fact. However, much that he hated to think this, the woman was also unusually smart. She never came out with an idea that would not look into –and therefore benefit them- in the future. That was why the avatar always listened attentively when she requested her presence, and besides Sokka and Gloria, she was perhaps the wisest schemer in the Resistance. Too bad it greatly swelled her ego.
"Go on," the boy then told her, leaning lazily on the wall.
"Misaki," Asuka began, "you know the prince seems to take… a liking to our waterbender. If we have her captive here, he will eventually come looking for her. And then…" she smiled, and the boy felt a shudder go down his spine, "we'll trap him here and capture him for good. So we don't need any search parties," she added after a minute.
"I guess that's a good idea," Misaki reluctantly said, sighing, "but shouldn't we tell the avatar that there is a potential murderer lurking around here?"
"The avatar is the most powerful person on earth," she stated, waving his suggestion off. "He can get rid of anyone in his way. Whether they slowly come to him or spring onto him. Besides, why alarm him for no good reason when we are perfectly able to deal with the prince ourselves? Now, since we're at this… Misaki, don't tell anyone of our plan."
More baffled than ever, the sixteen-year-old felt obliged to ask why, and the woman provided a rational answer quickly:
"Everyone is still celebrating our victory. It would dampen their spirits if they knew that there is still some danger for us to handle. They might take it all too seriously. Besides, getting the Fire Nation brat is a one-man job. I'm sure I can handled this myself, but…" she stopped when she saw Misaki's murderous look, only to quickly add: "… having you behind my back makes me feel a whole lot safer."
"Don't suck up."
"Do we have a deal?"
"Fine," he sighed, stretching again. "But first I have to make sure that this prisoner will get as much security as possible."
When he began walking away, Asuka yelled after him.
"Where are you going?"
"Isn't it obvious?" the boy laughed. "I'm going to get our second-in-command. If there's anyone who knows about security, it's Sokka!"
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Prisoners.
That seemed to be the only word Sokka heard these days. The boy had thought that when the war was over, everything would fall into place and he would just sit back and watch. How dumb he had been then. As Aang had informed him, of course there were still urgent matters at hand, and since (unfortunately) Sokka held the high position of second-in-command, it was natural for him to assist the avatar as he looked over the many Fire Nation men that the Resistance now held captive.
At many occasions, Sokka had boldly asked Aang if they could just release them all or give them ten-year prison sentences at their castle, yet the younger boy immediately refuted his ideas. After all, the airbender had reasoned, some of the Fire Nation soldiers did not deserve to be punished while others were so dangerous that they should be executed as soon as possible (at that thought, Admiral Zhao had quickly come to Sokka's mind).
"Just because they're from the Fire Nation, doesn't mean they're all the same."
But sometimes it does, Sokka thought, still brooding. It wasn't easy researching over one prisoner's past and then deciding what was the best thing to do for him. And if looking over one captive wasn't bad enough, the seventeen-year-old could swear that the avatar's army currently had a good few hundreds of Fire Nation soldiers at their mercy. So far, he had decided the fate of more than fifty prisoners, and Aang still hinted that their job was far from done. And now this.
Sokka sighed as he made his way to the particular cell Misaki had told him to visit today. What was so dangerous about this particular captive anyway? Did Misaki ever tell him that? No, a grumpy voice piped up, he was probably hurrying to get away from me so that he can have fun. And what do I have to do? Look after stupid Fire Nation filth.
After a few minutes, he was at the cell's door. Gazing at the door's dulled steel surface and its numerous, secure bolts, the teenager could easily conclude that the prisoner on the other side was rather dangerous. Yet… at this time… who could truly be a threat to the army? There was nothing the enemy could do to them now, and the second-in-command was greatly relieved by this enlightening fact.
Putting on a grave visage, he took a deep breath and grasped the knob, turning it slowly and praying that he would not have to stay with the prisoner for long. And when he peered into the dirty, dark cell, his heart stopped and he felt a chilling cold dominate his entire body.
She looked more or less like the sister he had known. Her chestnut hair was the same length it had been before, if not slightly longer, and it was currently tied into a long braid that fell to her elbows. She was also taller, and he could see that she had developed a few hard muscles, which told him that she had been through quite a lot since the day she had deserted them. Her attire had changed somewhat, though; although she, like him, still wore the colors of their South Pole tribe, she was now dressed in boy's clothes. Yet they were not the same as his; her shirt was sleeveless and she had light-colored pants instead of dark blue leggings.
Nevertheless, she was still the same person who had stifled out the playful twelve-year-old two years ago.
His emotions were in chaos. So strong, so fiery, and all fighting for total control, they battled violently within his body, twisting his insides and almost causing him physical agony. However, when he met his sister's eyes, he knew what he was feeling the most: anger. Misaki had asked him what they should do with this captive, and a cruel word instantaneously came to mind: execution.
He drew to his full height and spoke.
"Katara, I didn't know I would see you again so soon."
Biting her lip, the girl glanced at him before looking down, and he tasted her fear in the air, much to his vindictive satisfaction. He continued talking:
"They said that you got caught inside the castle. Trying to sneak in, weren't you? And I'm rather curious who had the honor of capturing you. He must've been strong to have been able to break you."
The waterbender muttered something, and not catching her words, Sokka raised an eyebrow and asked her to repeat what she had said, lest she wanted to face the consequences.
"It was this ninja woman," Katara finally answered, still refusing to look at him. "Tall and as cold and white as a ghost."
"Asuka. I should have known."
A small smile appeared on the older one's face; after all, Asuka always made sure that nobody who crossed her would get away unharmed. And if he remembered what Misaki had told him, Asuka had been thrown overboard by a water whip during her last fight, and she had been rather enraged that somebody had dared -and even more appalling… had succeeded- to get her out of combat. Sokka began walking leisurely in the cell, all the while peering at Katara and wondering if she was up to anything. But to his contentment, she presently looked mortified to be in the same room as her big brother, too nervous to try to escape. After all, she had already crossed him once; she probably knew what would happen if she was foolish enough to try to do so again.
"You didn't just sneak in for yourself, did you?" the boy suddenly said, stopping in his tracks and giving the prisoner an intent look. "You were doing it… for your prince…"
Katara didn't reply, but he knew by how her cerulean eyes shifted uncomfortably that he was certainly right. Rage began mounting inside him. It had been that damn prince who had made his sister betray Aang and him before; it was because of that banished one that she was here, imprisoned in the castle while a devious plot was obviously in her mind. And just then, he thought about Aang… and how he would react if he knew that his former best friend was now in the same building as him.
Reminiscing about how the young monk how taken her betrayal two years ago, a new wave of hatred came over the second-in-command, and he couldn't make the boy cry again. He just couldn't.
"You won't tell me what you and Zuko are up to, will you?" Sokka then continued his interrogation, and when the fourteen-year-old shook her head, he glowered at her.
"You'll just stay here then," he told her coldly, "and we'll make sure that Zuko will never get to you. And about food…" For a second, Katara looked up, alarmed, "… I won't be sure whether it'll ever come or not. It depends on what you do…" he let the word linger before giving her another meaningful stare, "… and what you say.
"Now… do you have anything you want to tell me?"
A moment passed in which his sister looked uncertain yet thoughtful, and then –to Sokka's surprise- she looked at him eye-to-eye.
"How did you win the war?" she asked him, her gaze solemn.
He stared at her, for a long while not comprehending her query, until at last, he composed himself once more and answered as calmly as possible:
"The avatar and his forces easily took over the Fire Nation Capital, capturing most of the Fire Nation's army… as well as Fire Lord Ozai himself."
"What… happened to the Fire Lord?"
"He has been executed by the avatar himself merely two days ago," Sokka informed her, unable to keep the note of triumph out of his voice. "And the war is over, Katara. There is nothing you can do."
They stared at each other for a minute, a heavy silence befalling on them, before Katara unleashed a second surprise. A small smile crept to her face, a sincere grin that Sokka had seen many times when his sister was about to give him a compliment, one that she was almost embarrassed to make.
"You must have been in the last battle at Jennoh, Sokka," she said quietly, and when the seventeen-year-old was too baffled to answer, she continued: "You must have fought well. I'm proud of you."
The boy didn't quite know what to make with her words. He knew that she wasn't playing with him; her words had rung clear and true. However, a part of him was furious at what she had said, because they were on opposite sides, were they not? Who was she to say that she was proud of him when all she wanted was his demise? But perhaps Katara had let out her words not as an enemy congratulating on his victory after she had evidently lost, but as a sister who…
The second-in-command gritted his teeth. It was too late for her to make amends, to show that she still cared. Two years too late, to be exact. There were damages she created (Sokka immediately thought about Aang) that could never be undone, and if Katara ever came to him, begging for his forgiveness, he was certain that he would never forgive her.
"I hope you have an enjoyable evening," Sokka fixed her a wintry smile, and the fear came back in the waterbender's eyes.
He then turned his back on her and went to the door. Yet as he slipped out of the cell, Katara spoke again, and her words were so soft that he nearly suspected that he imagined it when she whispered:
"I missed you, Sokka."
Nearly.
But it was too late, he reminded himself as he marched away from the cell. Because Katara was on Zuko's side. She wasn't the same person who had traveled with the airbender and him two years ago.
After all… the past can never be left behind.
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The feeling of absolute contentment after the Fire Nation's downfall still hadn't left Gloria.
In fact, most of the Resistance was still celebrating their victory one way or another, and the woman could honestly say that she hadn't missed any of the parties thrown by her colleagues, despite the fact that the avatar's army was a rather big group and practically everyone felt the need to celebrate in their own special way. Yet the best party of all definitely had been the feast the avatar had thrown, and remembering how happily and how fast Misaki had dove through his food besides her, Gloria stifled a giggle. It had been such a long time since they had actually eaten something good.
However, now that the war was over, many of her friends wanted to go home, to return to their family and friends. The waterbender couldn't blame them. She herself had been part of the avatar's forces for almost two years, and she hadn't seen her family ever since. Entering my mid-forties and still single, Gloria thought to herself, sighing. You would think I would have a life, considering that I helped save the world and all… Yet the strange, twisted thing was that when one was busy battling with the realities of the world, it was like giving up the really important things… such as being happy with a family and making a living through the good and the bad. It seemed as if the blond had pressed 'Pause' on her life when she went to the avatar, and she, too, was presently determined to go back to what she had started.
And that was why she was climbing the spiraling staircase to the topmost level. Her goal was simple; to somehow 'bump' into the avatar and have a little chat with him about the wishes of his loyal soldiers. Of course, it wouldn't be the easiest task (after all, she would have to talk to the great avatar about something as trivial as the army's desires), but the rest of the Resistance was convinced that Gloria was the best woman for the job.
"After all," Haru, laughing, had said, "didn't Gloria's change of plans give us our success over the Fire Nation? The avatar owes her his attention at least!"
In her mind, the adult glared at the young earthbender and she dearly wanted to give him a piece of his mind. Too bad the boy had already headed back to his own village; he had only been a messenger of the avatar, after all. He wasn't as deep into the Resistance as others like her and Misaki were, so he had been lucky not to need the avatar's permission to leave. And letting out another sigh, Gloria entered the hallway and ambled briskly to the avatar's chambers.
What would she say, though? This frightening question abruptly popped in her mind, and for the first time ever, the ever-so-experienced waterbender of the North Pole tribe was unprepared and even panicking. She couldn't just face the avatar and say, 'We want to go home'…. could she? No, her leader would clearly think that she was been arrogant, making demands like that! And it only made it worse that he was only a fourteen-year-old.
This is going to be rather awkward.
After all, she would be forced to literally look down at him. Imagine that; looking down at her teacher who had taught her so much about waterbending!
But… the avatar would expect that, wouldn't he? He wasn't stupid. Besides, she had talked with him before, and although it had been for more serious reasons, she knew that the avatar was familiar with her and respected her. And with that reassuring thought in mind, Gloria straightened her back and walked more confidently.
Her pace significantly slowed when she saw a small figure coming towards her from the other end, and the hesitation came back when she realized that it was unmistakably the avatar. The child was pretty much the shortest person around, and seeing the familiar autumn hues of his clothes only confirmed the matter.
At first, she put on an expressionless visage and resumed her swift speed, but when she gradually neared the teenager, she knew that something was wrong. The other's steps were slow, almost sluggish, and he kept his head down. Gloria discovered with a pang that his skin was pale, and not the gleaming, almost healthy pallid color that Asuka had, but a most unhealthful and weary white –almost gray- that made the avatar seem thinner and more fragile than ever. He was gripping his arms tightly, and when the two were finally side by side, Gloria was struck by how weak and small he was compared to her… and she was rather petite, too.
"Um…" she started uncertainly, looking worriedly at him, "are you okay?"
"I'm just fine," the avatar replied quietly, and the woman was surprised at how easily the lie slipped out.
Just then, the waterbender remembered that the airbender hadn't been at his celebration feast, and judging by his scrawny frame (every now and then, she could've sworn it trembled), it didn't seem as if the child had eaten for quite some time. Something was obviously wrong.
"When was the last time you ate? Are you sleeping?" Gloria then shot her questions, and only when they were out did she realize that she was obnoxiously poking into his affairs A small, abashed gasp escaped his lips.
It wasn't her fault, though. It was her spontaneous motherly streak. After all, when you were friends with two young boys (one a rowdy, volatile, former pirate and the other a warrior who was so obsessed with kicking Fire Nation butt that he often –if not always- forgot everything else), you just naturally developed a way to restrain them and clean after them. And being bossy since birth didn't help either, as Sokka was kind enough to comment almost everyday.
Besides, just because the fourteen-year-old besides her was the avatar, it didn't mean that he was invincible. Sometimes he needed a good reminding like the rest of them. Yet as the avatar continued averting his eyes from her, Gloria knew that the boy was thinking differently.
"It's okay, Gloria," he told her, closing his eyes wearily. "You can just go down… and enjoy yourself like everyone else."
And then he sighed. It was a small, imperceptible sound, yet the blond instantly knew that it wasn't just an ordinary, tired sigh. It was a troubled and shaking moan of a fourteen-year-old who just didn't know how to cry, to show his feelings, and with his status and his responsibility, the adult couldn't blame him. But he was still merely a kid, and watching him walk away from her, his aura evidently distressed… she just couldn't stand it.
When was the last time he ate? When was the last time he slept? Did that matter much? No, she thought, what really mattered was when was the last time he was hugged and kissed, when was the last time he wasn't completely occupied with what he had to do… when was the last time he was truly himself?
It just isn't fair.
The sudden statement entered her mind, and she gripped it, knowing that it was completely true. Why was it that some were so carefree and happy while others were forced to work and worry everyday? Why did so many die this century, for being in the way of the Fire Nation, for being in the Fire Nation, and for just being at the wrong place in the wrong time? Why was it that only a few changed for the best while so many changed for the worst, hurting those who loved? And why was it… that a small, innocent child had been charged to save the world?
And she threw her arms at him, enveloping him a fierce, sympathetic embrace that she knew that he hadn't had for so long. For a quick, blissful second, she didn't care about their ranks, but all too soon, reality came back and she remembered that this was the avatar. Yes, he was a child… but wasn't he trained for all he had done? And when the boy didn't return the hug, didn't move at all, she began to worry.
"Please get off me, Gloria," the young monk finally broke the awkward silence with this cold statement, and the blond withdrew her arms and watched as the avatar walked away. During their whole conversation, he still hadn't bothered to look at her.
But… she glanced at her left arm and was surprised to see a single drop of water on her forearm.
A tear.
----- ----- -----
In his chambers, the avatar threw himself onto his bed and closed his eyes. He was searching for rest, not sleep. Because sleep only brought nightmares from far away. And the avatar didn't have nightmares.
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A/N: This was a rather important and meaningful chapter… I think. Yeah, I am a great and confident author here (waves hand sarcastically). This part was rather hard to edit; hopefully, there aren't many obvious mistakes. I'm also wondering whether the last part of this chapter with Gloria and Aang was necessary –maybe it said too much? Because we're still nowhere close to the ending. Your opinion will be very much valued.
What else? Oh, yes. My birthday was (counts fingers) three days ago. I just turned forty-three! (Everyone gasps.) And of course, I'm kidding once again. I'm not that old! Nowhere near, actually. And that is why I can still say I am a talented writer, because I am not yet of an age where people expect you to write this good. I… think. No more bragging now.
Sokka was rather angry in this chapter, wasn't he? I hope you guys don't think he was too harsh towards his sister, but I assure you that I have a good reason for his behavior. It's all anger, and he didn't mean a lot of the things that came to his mind when he was dealing with Katara. It's just hard to deal when you haven't seen a traitor you used to care for so much after such a long time. Don't worry; there will be more explanation for his feelings later.
I'm sorry if I sound shallow here, but I'm a little disappointed that I only got three reviews for the last chapter. Oh, well. I must cope with this, though it really baffles me that I got ten reviews for possibly the most boring chapter of all, and suddenly when it gets interesting, my popularity goes down. Really wacky world we live in, don't you think? Now, to thank my loyal reviewers:
aangsair: Yes, it serves Katara right that she got caught. But personally, I think that it's better that Asuka caught her. Oh, well. Anyway… there will be an explanation for why Aang killed the prisoner… soon. Although I guarantee that you will see something about that (whether it's a good explanation or not will be up to you), I forgot which chapter it will be in. So… yeah. (meek laugh) Thanks for your awesome reviews!
MysticWaterBender3: I always love reading what you have to say! It greatly swells my ego. Keep your reviews like that, and I'm going to turn into Asuka soon. Anyway, I hope this chapter (as well as the future ones) won't disappoint you, and I'm awaiting eagerly for the next update of Destiny's Prison, although I forgot whether it was you saying that you won't update so much now or someone else… Yeah, I'm not good at keeping track of things.
Ryuusui: Yes, it was a nice cliffhanger, wasn't it? Will Katara betray Zuko? Hmm… wouldn't that make her a double traitor? Well, I'm the author; I can make them do whatever I want! (forces Zuko to square-dance) Thank-you for your fantastic reviews so far!
Next chapter… should come out next Wednesday, because I'm not sure I'll be here next Friday. Summer's going by so fast… I'm hoping to finish this story by the middle of September.
Review if you're nice.
