Hardened Winds
Chapter VI
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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"Ah… this place makes the best cherry rum, although it's no match against ginseng tea…. right, Prince Zuko?"
His back towards his uncle, the banished one only grunted in response. Uncle Iroh, clearly used to this kind of treatment, just chuckled and turned to the rest of the crew, who at least had the wisdom to respect and like such a learned and amusing man. They were all enjoying themselves at one of Kali's few bars, some drinking beer and exchanging their experiences while others settled around a table to play a quiet game of poker. The entire crew was grateful to Zuko, who had so quickly and easily set them all free, and tonight, the night right after their liberation, they had disposed of their worn out Fire Nation armor for some simple Earth Nation robes, not only to camouflage themselves within the small, peaceful village of Kali but also to finally have fun without being labeled as Fire Nation soldiers.
Zuko was having anything but fun, though. He was sitting on a lone stool in the corner, looking out of a dimmed window and hating how the green robe felt against his skin. Unlike his men, the prince could not stop worrying about the Fire Nation, his fate, and…
Katara. He sighed and closed his eyes.
Shouldn't she be back by now? They had agreed to meet at the harbor by dawn today, yet he hadn't seen a trace of her when he had waited for her for nearly two hours. Could she really had been… captured? The waterbender was rather good at getting herself out of bad situations, yet the sad thing was… she was even better at getting herself into the worst circumstances. And now pondering over this, Zuko had to admit that his decision of letting Katara go to the castle hadn't been the wisest choice; after all, she had entered the avatar's lair. And even if Katara was right and the security at the castle wasn't so strict, the girl could have gotten lost and accidentally bumped into an enemy, and then…
The firebender recalled how strong the avatar's crew had been when they had fought each other a few days ago. Each one, he could tell, had been severely trained in combat and had been taught to be prepared for anything. And if one of them had a hold of Katara… Waterbender or not, the sixteen-year-old wouldn't have the greatest chance of escaping. And when he finally came to his conclusion, he was almost sure that Katara was caught, and he cursed himself for letting her off by herself in the first place.
Now not only would he have to sneak into the castle and attempt to regain his honor, he would also have to save Katara at the same time. The stakes and the dangers were twice as high, but that didn't really concern him much. However, if the avatar did something to the girl…
No. I won't let that happen. I'll kill him before he does anything.
"Hey, sir!" one of his younger men called to him, and Zuko scowled as he ignored the soldier, who –from his unsteady voice- had had an overdose of liquor. "Do you mind telling us how you freed us again?"
A low growl escaped his throat and behind him, he could hear his uncle trying to change the subject. The retired general had been rather well acquainted with the prince's mood over the years, and he presently must have known that Zuko did not want to talk, especially since the previous question was one that had been asked over and over again. Some of his crew were the biggest idiots he had ever seen, the firebender mused, sighing. If they thought it had been even remotely difficult to find their captured ship and locate their cell… The banished one smirked. It had been the easiest thing he had done for a long time.
There had been no sentries at all for his vessel when he had approached it earlier that day, and Zuko could only guess that the avatar's army felt that nobody would dare come near their loot. They were morons, too, now that he came to think about it. After finding their ship, the eighteen-year-old had simply slipped inside, and since he knew its interior like the back of his hand, it had merely taken him moments before he had found the cell in which all his men had been imprisoned. And although the enemy had made the cell fireproof on the inside, it was certainly not on the outside. A foolish mistake.
The hardest part, really, had been to sneak his crew out of the vessel and into Kali's streets unnoticed, and that had required a bit of planning between him and his uncle. It hadn't been too difficult though, and they had all finally managed to escape by letting out one man at a time at irregular intervals. And when they had all been free, Uncle Iroh had instructed them to disperse in the village, only to meet again at night in this bar once they had successfully exchanged their Fire Nation attire for something… more subtle. And here they all were now.
Little did his crew know that, for Zuko, his job was long from done.
The teenager then heard a chair being pulled besides him, and a moment later, his uncle appeared, his face concerned.
"Where is the waterbender?" he asked his nephew tentatively, and Zuko sighed again.
"I'm not sure, uncle," he answered quietly, "but I think she's imprisoned in the avatar's castle."
"The castle of Omashu? How did she get there?"
"I… Katara wanted to sneak in because she wanted to know what the castle is like inside, and I let her go in the end. That was stupid, I know now."
Iroh looked pensive for a while, his hand on his chin and humming slightly. At last, he peered at Zuko shrewdly and inquired:
"And why… did the girl want to go in the castle in the first place? Surely there's no reason to know the avatar's headquarters."
Besides him, the banished one frowned. Should he tell his uncle what he was planning? Zuko was afraid that Iroh wouldn't approve and would stop him from his mission, but he was also a little frightened that… his uncle would convince him that his goal was wrong. Perhaps assassinating the avatar would only bring more complications? Yet the firebender didn't want anything to get in the way of what he had to do. Those were the reasons why he hesitated in front of the wise man, yet… his frown deepened… considering how intelligent Iroh was and how well his uncle knew him, Zuko had to admit that his intentions were rather… predictable. If the prince didn't tell him, the other would find out one way or another.
And with that logic in mind, he answered truthfully:
"I might have hinted that I wanted to know what the inside of the Omashu castle is like… because I want to avenge my father's death."
His uncle managed a small gasp. Zuko could immediately tell that the man did not like what he had heard.
"I don't think that's the wisest decision, Prince Zuko," Iroh stated slowly, but the boy instantly lashed out.
"I don't care what's wise and what's not, uncle! What I care about… is my honor!"
The older firebender sighed, having heard this phrase countless of times. The adolescent swore that the man was even amused by his answer, which only angered him more.
"Whether you like it or not," he said quietly, "I'm going to do what I have to do."
"But do you really have to do it?" Iroh pointed out, and Zuko scowled.
"Of course," he snapped, "it's my duty to my deceased father and the Fire Nation."
After that, there was silence as his uncle gazed serenely at him. Then…
"No, Prince Zuko, this is not about your duty to your father at all. It is more about your duty to the Fire Nation… and your personal revenge."
Startled, the prince stared at Iroh before turning away.
"Maybe you're right," Zuko confessed quietly.
Because there was no use lying to his uncle, as always. After his banishment, his love towards his father had gradually decayed, only to be replaced by a fierce desire to regain what he had lost. On that day when Admiral Zhao had so coldly pointed out that the Fire Lord would have already taken him back if he truly loved him, Zuko had realized how much he had changed since that day two years ago, when he had begged on his knees for his father for mercy, a naïve and faithful son. Yet when Ozai had refused his son and had cruelly exiled him, how could Zuko stay loyal to him? How could he love him? How could he call a stranger… his father?
No, if the prince wanted honor, it was for his nation to welcome back with open arms, it was for him to regain his rightful place to the throne so that one day, he would be able to help his people for the best. Everything he had done, it had been for his empire, his people, because he had never been as coldhearted as those generals he had seen in his father's war chamber so long ago. The Fire Nation did not simply conquer for itself.
That day when the avatar had so effortlessly broke into his father's castle and captured the Fire Lord, all hopes for Zuko to restore his honor had disappeared. Because how could he get back his nobility for a nation that had itself become a disgrace? That day when the war had been lost, he had also lost, and he would never forgive the avatar for that.
So his uncle had been right, as always.
"Prince Zuko," Iroh then said, rather gently, "if that's all you're fighting for now, I suggest you just let it go. The Fire Nation… can easily rebuild itself (you should concentrate more on helping it directly) and… on the subject of your personal revenge, that is a trivial want that will help no one."
Zuko was beginning to see in his uncle's point of view, and he hated him for that.
"But there's Katara to deal with, too," the prince told the man. "I'm definitely going to the castle to free her."
"As you wish, nephew."
"And if…" the prince's anger started rising again, "and if the avatar harms her one bit… I'll kill him, uncle. I swear I will."
If Zuko wouldn't kill the airbender for his nation and his honor, he would kill him for Katara. Because somehow… the girl meant more to him that those other trivial matters.
Besides him, the retired general sighed.
"As you wish, nephew."
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So tired. So exhausted. His slumping body felt like lead.
He was walking alone in the dimmed hallway, not knowing where he was going and not caring either. As long as he was all right. As long as he had control.
Where was everyone else? Where was the rest of his army? The only sound was the echoes of his footsteps, because although the Resistance was there –somewhere- they were never there with him. For him. And that was fine. Really.
He then saw a blur of a person in front of him. For a moment, it appeared to be merely a shadow, but it soon sharpened into a petite blond.
Gloria…?
She was wearing the same worried expression she had given him yesterday, and abruptly, he felt scared. For what? a deadpan voice asked him, and he didn't know. All he knew was that she mustn't approach him.
But she did. One step and he felt a cold shiver pass through him. Don't come near me. Don't touch me. He wanted to say those words so badly, but he couldn't. He was frozen.
And she threw herself at him, just like the last time, and he couldn't escape. Get away… from me, a feeble voice begged in his mind, and the woman's warmth pressed against his ice- cold skin, but somehow, he couldn't feel it, and her stifling warmth only made him feel colder, sadder.
Suddenly, Gloria wasn't there, yet he was still smothered in an unforgiving embrace. He closed his eyes, hoping with all his might that he wouldn't see what he thought he would see, but when he opened an eye and saw a strand of brown hair land softly on his shoulder, he knew he was trapped in the worst nightmare yet.
Because he remembered how it had been when she had hugged him, before the betrayal… before everything. And this time, she was still the same; her hug was warm and tender, but he couldn't feel it, he wouldn't feel it.
It had been such a long time since something like this had happened, and a part of him had always craved for more than the simple cold that had gradually dominated him over the years. But he didn't want this; he wanted anything but this.
She was still the same, after all. How could she though, after all she had done?
The warm, content, safe feeling he had every time he had been in her arms… its memory haunted him and forced him to recall the more horrid, black emotions he had felt… that day. The grief, the anger, the tears…
He shook and began to cry, because he couldn't do anything else, could he?
And the gentle traitor hummed softly to herself as he sobbed, feeling more helpless and disconsolate that he had ever felt before.
He was… breaking.
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He was so cold.
The small monk huddled close and cradled his arms, his blanket long thrown away as he lay there, immobile, in his bed. Why was he so weak? he wondered angrily. Why was he constantly haunted by these nightmares? And why… did they affect him so much? He gritted his teeth, trying to convince himself that his dreams would soon leave him alone… them and the sudden cold that had now dominated him. It was an aggressive sensation, numbing his entire being, and he wanted to throw the blanket of ice off him. But he couldn't shake off this new feeling, and it made him more fragile and more frustrated than before.
He had been shaken, unstable, and clearly not himself these days. It wasn't fair, though. He had finally defeated Fire Lord Ozai; he had done what Avatar Roku had wanted, if not two years late. Then why… why was it as if he was being punished? What had he done that had angered the spirits? Surely it hadn't been killing Ozai, because that had been what everyone had wanted, wasn't it? It had been part of his destiny.
And then he remembered. He recalled the prisoner he had seen just before they had unleashed their final attack on Jennoh. Was it because of him that the avatar had had so many nightmares recently? But no… it couldn't have been. The child had already been troubled during that time, and now, closing his eyes and reminiscing about it, he realized that the only reason he had executed the prisoner so rashly in the first place… was because of his nightmares. Of what was currently going through his head.
The boy had already been on the edge of his nerves that day; perhaps he should have dealt with the prisoner when he hadn't been so stressed. But he had thought he could have handled it. After all, he had always managed to cooperate with his captives in the end, and how difficult could the latest one be? That had been his mistake. Because the airbender had been more restless than he had thought, and the captive… with his babbling and his insults and his insolence… it had just gotten to be so overwhelming… with his nightmares, with the Resistance, with the Fire Nation… that he had just lost all control and had thrown a deadly fireball to shut him up.
Did he regret killing the captive now? Yes, he did, but what he regretted the most was losing control, because he couldn't be a leader without being able to restrain himself. He had to keep everything in check. The fateful summer's end that still taunted him was a constant reminder.
What the monk needed now was to get a grip. Dreams couldn't hurt him, could they? He was stupid to take them so seriously, to let himself be dragged down by them so easily, and besides, he thought, frowning, it wasn't all over yet.
The child lay there, his eyes wide open, as the sun gradually rose and announced a new day. An hour later, the avatar heard a knock at his door and slowly got up, taking his time dressing up before opening the door and greeting the newcomer, who was one of his young rebel firebenders.
"Fire Nation soldiers have been spotted in the village of Kali," the girl crisply informed him, and that was when the airbender knew for certain that although Ozai was gone, his job was long from done.
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The fourth time Sokka came to visit, he brought a big basket filled with fruit for her.
Katara, who hadn't eaten for three days, stared hungrily at the food her brother had in his hands, all the while wondering, annoyed, whether the boy had purposely tried to starve her. She sat huddled in the corner, watching the seventeen-year-old calmly as he sat on the other end of the bench and finally pushed the basket towards her. Immediately, Katara grabbed a shiny, healthy green apple and bit ravenously into it, savoring the succulent juice that slid down her parched throat.
Maybe the waterbender should have shown more moderation; after all, this wasn't the first time she had gone without food for days. However, she was scared that this would be her last chance to eat, and besides, there was only Sokka in the room with her. And although he was no longer on her side, it was hard trying to convince herself that he was now a stranger and not a familiar face that had seen her devour food countless times before.
"You know," Katara began coolly as she shamelessly reached for a pear, "if you're trying to get something out of me by starving me, you won't succeed."
Obviously astonished by her remark, Sokka looked at her strangely for a moment and the sister instantaneously realized that it hadn't been his intention at all. At least, she pondered, relieved, the boy hadn't turned that hardhearted.
"Well," Sokka said awkwardly after a moment, "I told myself I would bring food to you once you looked hungry. But the problem was… you never looked hungry, and I guess I forgot all about you needing food until I discovered yesterday that we haven't given you anything since you were here."
"I never looked hungry?" Katara asked interestedly, pleased with herself that she had been able to keep her composure without knowing it. "And…" she then stared indignantly at her brother, "you forgot to give me food? How could you just forget?"
For a brief, happy second, the older teenager looked abashed, but then his cold exterior came back and he retorted shortly:
"You're not in the position to make demands, Katara."
The sixteen-year-old sighed and bit quietly into her pear, but a smirk appeared when she saw the other tentatively grab a banana from the basket. And when Sokka took a huge bite from the fruit, Katara had to stifle a laugh.
"Still the same, aren't you?" she commented, amused.
Sokka glowered at her and attempted to look intimidating, but since he was still chewing his banana, he only managed to sound like her old brother when he snapped:
"Shut-up."
Smiling inwardly, the girl quickly finished her second helping and when she was done, she took the time once again to look at her dreary surroundings. The cell wasn't the worst she had seen, she had to admit, but it was nevertheless the place she least wanted to be. The walls were grimy and damp, and the cold floor was filthy, with disgusting spots of black randomly scattered. And the worst part was that there was no lighting in the room; only a small window (with bars, of course) provided the waterbender with a little sunshine during the day, and at night, her cell was almost always eerily pitch black.
And being in alone at night, with darkness all around her, was rather frightening, especially if you were trapped in an unfamiliar and uncomfortable place such as this.
Shuddering at the prospect, Katara decided to think about something else.
"Don't you ever clean the place?" she then asked Sokka, raising her eyebrows.
"What for?" he replied, looking at the chamber without much interest. "Prisoners don't deserve luxurious treatment."
"It's not sanitary, you know. I can die from just being in here, with all the germs and the dirt here. Would you like to see me dead on the floor tomorrow?"
The older adolescent opened his mouth, a witty comeback apparently at the tip of his tongue, but then he abruptly shook his head and quietly told her:
"It's clean enough for you."
Frustrated at how distant her brother still was, despite the fact that she shouldn't expect any less, Katara frowned and took a cluster of black grapes, feeling a strange sort of emptiness inside her as she began eating again; she sighed when the fruit's sweet flavor touched her tongue. She stole a glance at Sokka, and her blue eyes widened when she caught him staring back at her. A second later, they both turned away, embarrassed. An uncomfortable quiet soon dominated the cell, and it was broken only when Katara timidly looked back at her older sibling and cautiously said:
"Aang… he knows I'm here, right?"
At that, Sokka blinked and looked at her again. The waterbender saw worry in his eyes and knew that her former friend had no idea that she was now here, his prisoner.
"You should tell him," Katara continued, and her voice began to waver because she knew she was presently entering dangerous territory. "He has the right to know, no matter… what happens. Or what has happened."
"Okay, he has the right," he agreed, looking grimly at her, "but why should I tell him? Is that going to do him any good?"
The younger one bit her lip, gazing steadily at Sokka, and it took a minute for her to come up with the best answer.
"Aang trusts you," she started, staring meaningfully at him, "and he would want you to tell him everything, even if it isn't the best news. If he found out I was here by someone else other than you, won't he feel betrayed? He may not be happy if you tell him, but at least he'll know you trust him enough to confide in him. Aang needs his only true friend… more than you think, Sokka."
The boy looked at her, his face blank, and Katara was afraid she had gone too far. She had talked, against her better judgment, about betrayal, and her brother was most likely feeling outraged at this moment, thinking how in the world could she talk about betrayal… after what she had done? But this wasn't about the past, this was about now.
At last, Sokka slowly stood up.
"You're right," he told her, sighing, "Aang needs to know. I can't go on protecting him like this if it means hiding something from him."
"That's right," the sixteen-year-old nodded, extremely grateful that he had taken her advice and not exploded in front of her.
'You know what, Katara?" the other South Pole native then said, and the girl turned to him, attentive. "You… haven't changed much either."
Although it was obvious that he was attempting to keep his voice neutral, she could tell that there had been much suppressed emotion in that last statement. That was why she beamed at him until she realized that it might not be the best thing to do, and her expression soon changed into an impassive façade as she nodded wisely.
"There's something else, too," Sokka continued, a small, cold smile spreading across his lips, "Maya just spotted a few firebenders in Kali today. No doubt your prince is already looking for you, and a few people have already been sent to locate and capture him and the rest. It won't be long now…"
At that, Katara felt a sudden, dreadful chill, and just as the boy was leaving, she came to him and tugged at his sleeve. Startled, Sokka raised an eyebrow.
"Please," her voice was a murmur, "promise me you won't kill Zuko, Sokka."
"What?"
"You can capture him, you can yell at him," Katara whispered fiercely, yet pleadingly, "but please… don't kill him. Don't even try. Give me your word."
Instantly, Sokka gave her a hard look, but the waterbender tranquilly returned his stare, determined. Finally, the brother heaved a heavy sigh.
"Fine," he told her grudgingly. "If it'll make you happy, I promise I won't kill him or let any of my men do so. But that's it," he added quickly, sternly, when Katara grinned at him, ecstatic. "I'll capture him and torture him any way I want."
He then left, leaving Katara feeling better than she had in days.
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Sokka was feeling unsettled. And a little uncertain, too.
As he walked away from Katara's cell, planning to head right back to his bedroom, he recalled what had happened earlier and what she had made him do. And now, without his sister's familiar presence and with the harsh reality revealing its ugly face again, he knew he had probably made a big mistake. Katara was the enemy, couldn't he remember? How could he give his word to her and expect to keep it? The sad thing, though, was that he did remember who she was. But he remembered more clearly who she had been.
After all, the second-in-command sighed as he made a left turn, he had never witnessed his sister's betrayal first hand. He had never seen the traitor in action, when she had so cruelly lured his best friend, and in a way, it was a relief. Because after Aang had had that last unfortunate encounter with the waterbender, he had changed forever. Would Sokka had gone through this transformation if he had talked to the traitor before now? He didn't know and he didn't wish to know.
That day when he had found Aang alone at that Earth Nation harbor right after summer's end, the young monk had been sitting dejectedly on a dock, his head lowered and his frame sagging with hopelessness. When Sokka had landed Appa on the water and had come to sit right besides the airbender, Aang hadn't wasted a second to inform him that it had been too late. That they had both seen the comet and that Fire Lord Ozai had presently become too strong for even the avatar to handle. And that had been why, on that day, Zuko had simply let Aang go at that harbor.
It had been strange for Sokka that the firebender had so easily released his best friend, but he had had no trouble believing it. But when the twelve-year-old had told quietly about what his sister had done, that had been another thing entirely. He had thought he had known Katara…. had known that she was faithful to Aang and him… and wouldn't just turn herself to the Fire Nation for that prince.
He had been in denial then. Simple and clear.
And Aang had had to drag him onto Appa, had been forced to direct the giant bison to fly over the sea, and had had to practically make Sokka look at Zuko's ship and who had been on it before the stubborn South Pole native had finally believed him.
The teenager would never forget what he had seen that day. It had been sunset, he somehow recalled, and the huge, setting sun had stained the calm, glimmering waters a deep, blood red. The Fire Nation's ship had been cast in an unnatural orange glow, and because of that, it had taken Sokka quite a while before he had recognized Katara and Zuko together on the deck, and it had take an even longer time until he had realized that the banished prince's arm had been around his sister's waist while her head had been lying comfortably on his shoulder. And that was when Katara had become a stranger to him.
But… she didn't really, did she? Because those times he had seen her –had talked to her- in her cell, she had appeared to be the same sister who had teased him about his first kiss ages ago. Sokka found it frustrating that he couldn't find a single way in which the girl had changed. Yes, she was with the Fire Nation now, but she wasn't scum like them. She was still… Katara. He still knew her. And that made him feel as confused and upset as ever.
That did not mean, though, that he should let his guards down.
So deep was Sokka in his thoughts that he didn't notice his friend coming towards him until he bumped right into him. Misaki had apparently been oblivious, too, because he abruptly took a step back after the collision, evidently surprised by Sokka's presence. He stared at the second-in-command, his verdant eyes alert. Sokka, meanwhile, smiled at the former pirate.
"Hey," he laughed. "I haven't seen you in a while."
"Yeah," Misaki agreed, grinning, "We… haven't, have we?"
"Long day, wasn't it? I'm going to my room where there's at least peace and quiet. Where are you going?"
Tucking a strand of his natural, ebony black hair behind his ear, Misaki paused for a second.
"I'm going to where you came from, isn't it obvious?" was his clever answer when he at last spoke.
"Okay then," Sokka shrugged, "I'll see you soon… or eventually at least."
It was only when the seventeen-year-old entered his room when he thought back to the younger boy and became conscious of the fact that the level he had come from was practically deserted. The third floor was one of the lower and inconsequential levels, and its rooms were currently all empty… except Katara's cell. What exactly… had been on Misaki's mind when he had gone there? Sokka worried about the boy for a moment but soon easily waved his qualms aside.
Whatever Misaki had been doing, it couldn't have done any harm, could it?
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A/N: This is a… chapter. I can't find any words to describe it. It is meaningful, but it isn't as interesting as the last chapter. I'm sorry. But look there; I have Zuko in Chapter 6! Isn't that good enough? And I just noticed that I have all four major characters' points of view in this chapter, too. Yeah… enjoy this useless fact. Oh, yeah; I also redid the format of my fanfiction. Isn't it just so much neater now? Admire the improved format and ignore the rather slow pace of Hardened Winds. (laughs meekly)
Next chapter isn't so interesting, either. I'm sorry. Part Two (which consists of Chapters 5-10) is packed with meaningful details, not much action. But I assure you that Chapter 8 will definitely be interesting. Wait for two more weeks, people. It'll come.
Anyway, I am very happy on how many reviews I got for the last chapter. I got two new reviewers, too! And now for my reviewer responses:
Rebel Thief Lava Wolf Cooper: Thank-you for your great reviews, and this is what happens next! Which really isn't much… but what happens after what happens after this will be great! I guarantee it! All you have to do now is understand what I just said…
MysticWaterBender3: I'm glad you liked the meaningfulness of the last chapter, and I guess everyone is on vacation now. Sad. I'm happy that my details satisfy you, and Sokka is formal… because he tries to forget who Katara really is –his sister. I mean, you can't treat a prisoner with affection, can you? But as this chapter implies, it's hard for him to put the past aside.
The Next Avatar: You have to read and find out about the ships. But I suggest you don't add this story to your C2 now, despite the fact that I would love it if this story actually made it to one…
Spleef: Thank-you for that delightful review! And Hardened Winds is realistic, too? Wow… I often worried that it wasn't.
Jaqq: My characters are not OOC? That's great, because I am often concerned about that. I mean, Aang is naturally not like himself because of the betrayal, and I think I got Katara right, despite that she's a little OOC by betraying Aang and Sokka in the first place. It's Sokka that I worry about the most; he isn't… as carefree as he is in the show. But he is seventeen now, isn't he? Still, he's more like himself in this chapter, which does me great good. I also hate it when dark characters break down too easily; it's one of the top things that get on my nerves! I'm so glad Aang didn't break down in Chapter 5….
Ryuusui: (laughs) Looks like you do have a thing for Zuko, even though you don't love him. Can't blame you; he's an interesting character (he's in this chapter, too, so I hope you're happy), although I can't see why people think he's good-looking. Hazaa! I am unique; I am probably one of the few girls who think he doesn't look all too good. He looks okay, but… Yeah. I can't remember where I said that Sokka would be watching Katara, so I'm a little confused there… I don't keep track of anything I write. Pathetic, I know.
aangsair: Thank-you for saying that the last chapter was enthralling! And… (looks at spell check)… yes, you spelled the word right! Thanks for supporting my story all the way, and I hope to hear from you for this chapter, too!
Next chapter will be posted next Wednesday the earliest. I say the earliest… because I can't post this Friday, and Wednesday I am very busy. It depends on my feedback (winks and wallows in shallowness). And of course, I'm kidding… probably.
