Hardened Winds
Chapter VIII
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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She couldn't sleep.
Of course, in these conditions, the girl didn't expect to find rest easily. Her hard, stone bench was cold and rough, and through the window, she could feel the cool, autumn wind of the night sweep past her, chilling her skin and making her teeth clatter. She wished she had asked Sokka for a blanket at least, but when he had visited earlier today, she hadn't thought that she would need it. And now she was paying the consequences.
Katara opened her eyes and couldn't help suppressing a shudder when all she saw was the intimidating darkness; only the window held a soft glow to it because of the moon tonight, but unfortunately, this small light was not enough to shed even the tiniest brightness to her room. She wondered how long she would stay in this cell. Surely Aang wouldn't keep her here forever? Sadly, she wouldn't know; her brother had hinted that the younger boy had changed for the worst, and the waterbender hadn't spoken to the avatar for years. Still…
It's so cold.
She huddled closer to herself, attempting to empty her thoughts, as if that alone could tempt sleep to befall on her. When a strong gust of wind blew into her face, making it numb, she sighed, fervently praying that either sleep or the day would come to her soon.
Suddenly, she heard an echoing clink nearby, like a stone hitting the wall outside. Katara immediately tensed, yet she soon shook it off. Probably just my imagination, she thought. A soft, dull sound then greeted her ears, so unlike the previous noise, and she didn't worry about it until a second sharp chink was heard. This time, the sixteen-year-old began listening attentively, each second hoping that the sounds she had heard were nothing more than natural sounds from the outside, because she presently knew that they were real.
For a while, silence once again dominated her surroundings. Katara kept her eyes open and her ears alert, and just when she was lowering her guard, she suddenly heard quiet, gentle thuds against the outside wall. By now, she was pretty sure that the noises were coming from the other side of her wall. Realizing that the softer sound was getting louder, she clenched her fists. It was only a few minutes later, when the thuds were significantly less faint, that she realized with a jolt that they were perhaps coming closer to her.
When she heard a stifled grunt, her worst thoughts were confirmed. Now that she thought about it, Katara was sure that the thuds were footsteps, and she severely reprimanded herself for not noticing this sooner. Yet… footsteps on a wall? Was that possible? Unless it was someone who was sneaking into the castle… because he wasn't supposed to. Another shudder went down her spine, and all kinds of wild thoughts were circling in her head. Was the castle under attack? Was there a serial killer right on the other side of her wall? Who could be determined (and stupid) enough to try to get into the avatar's headquarters like this?
However, one rational and reassuring possibility then came to her mind, making her blink, surprised and hopeful. Could it be…?
A soft ring unexpectedly reached Katara's ears… a sound that was way too close to her for her liking. When she abruptly turned to the window, the girl gasped when she saw a familiar face peering at her, and she jumped up and went to the window, a big smile spreading on her visage.
"Zuko?"
The boy looked into her cell, shushing her.
"I can't stay here for long, and I'm afraid I can't get you out tonight," he whispered, looking sincerely apologetic.
"It's okay," Katara told him softly, reassuringly. "I'm just happy you came to see me."
"Katara… are you okay? Are they treating you well?"
She thought about Sokka and his cold attitude towards her, but she also recalled the huge baskets of food he had brought to her recently, as well as his slight grins that he was showing more and more.
"Don't worry," the waterbender whispered, "they're treating me just fine."
"Good," Zuko nodded in approval, "or else I'd have to teach them a lesson myself."
"How sweet."
Even from the barred window, she could see him glare at her briefly, yet he soon resumed talking:
"I think that ever since they caught you, they maximized the security here. But I've been checking the castle out at all angles, and I think I can get through. I need you to tell me, though, how I can find your cell once I'm in."
Promptly, the waterbender explained how to reach the stairs that directly lead to the level she was held in. Katara was glad now that she hadn't been knocked unconscious when the woman in black had forcefully led her to this room, and she was even happier that she hadn't forgotten. She even knew how to get to her cell directly from the main entrance, because when she had unsuccessfully sneaked into the castle days before, she had gone to one of the more remote hallways, forcing her capturer to retrace her steps to where she had started. Things were looking up.
"Great. I think I got it," Zuko told her. "It'll be risky escape, though. We'll both have be extremely quiet and on our guards at all time."
"I can do that."
The girl saw the prince smirk.
"Oh, yeah?" he asked smoothly. "Then why are you here now?"
This time it was her turn to glare.
"Well, if you think you can really do it, be prepared to get out tomorrow night. I'll be there."
Katara stared at him, taken aback. Tomorrow night…? That was so soon, although she should've expected it. Yet in a way, she hadn't expected anything, because although she had been talking enthusiastically about their escape plan with Zuko, it hadn't seemed like a real thing they were going to do. Which was a pretty stupid thing to think, a nasty voice piped up, and in the darkness, Katara scowled, knowing that she had been foolish.
"Are you okay?" the firebender suddenly asked her, and she gasped, embarrassed.
Although she could barely make out Zuko's face, it was clear that he could see her own features rather well.
"I'm all right," she hastily answered, "and yes… I'll be there tomorrow."
"Where else can you be?"
Blushing at her blunder, Katara just nodded this time, and satisfied by that, the boy didn't question her about that topic any further. Instead, he nodded back curtly. All of a sudden, though, he shot the most unexpected question to her:
"Why did you want to come here in the first place?"
The girl look at him, bemused.
"Didn't I tell you already?" she asked, hoping to keep her voice light. "I wanted to find the quickest path to the avatar for you."
For a moment, there was silence between them, and then Katara could see the prince shake his head in the darkness.
"No, that couldn't be it," he whispered, almost to himself. "You wouldn't… be that helpful when it comes to harming the avatar…. your friend."
Busted. The boy was right, of course. She could have sworn that her plan had been flawless, that he would have never suspected, but nothing passed Zuko's watchful eye unnoticed. She hadn't sneaked into the Omashu castle to hurt Aang, although in a way, hurting him was presently unpreventable, but to…
"I wanted time."
"What?" Zuko apparently hadn't expected that answer. "Why?"
"I-… I needed time to gather my thoughts, to think about what you wanted to do," Katara continued, sighing. "Because…" and here she hesitated, "because I knew that wanting to murder Aa-… the avatar is wrong."
"You could have just told me straight out." The prince was annoyed at the truth, she could tell, but unknown to him, his previous statement was a lie.
"No, I couldn't," she replied quietly, shaking her head. "Zuko, you have to know yourself. You're so stubborn and close-minded when you think you're right."
"I would have listened to you!"
"No, you wouldn't," Katara told him, her voice unexpectedly hard. Yet she immediately composed herself as she calmly explained: "I know you. Unless I have really good reasons to back up my argument, you would stop listening to me in less than five minutes. When you suddenly came up with the mission of killing the avatar, I was surprised, worried, and even a little confused. I couldn't just say 'no' to what you wanted to do immediately, because I knew that if I just did… it wouldn't do anything. Especially since my thoughts… they weren't all too clear. I needed some time alone."
"And why did this time have to be acquired by putting yourself in danger?" Zuko asked cynically.
"Come on," Katara said, crossing her arms. "If I told you that I needed some time alone to think, you would know that I didn't agree on you on something. And then you would raise your guard and refuse to listen to anything I say when I came back. You tend to be even more close-minded when you can sense an argument is coming, Zuko."
Frowning at her, the eighteen-year-old opened his mouth to counter what she had said, but when he failed to think up of a reasonable reply, he frowned and remained quiet.
"So that's why I came up with the excuse of going to the castle."
"And if you didn't actually go there, I would know," the prince finished for her in a monotonous tone. "So… are you trying to make me feel guilty? That you're here simply because I'm a arrogant, bigoted-…"
"No, of course not," Katara whispered quickly, and there was another sigh. "But you're right; coming to such a dangerous place wasn't the best idea. I'm sorry for that. But this tells you a lot, doesn't it? That I really don't want you to do anything to Aang. Zuko…" she then started slowly, knowing that her next question may not get the best reaction from the firebender. "You… don't really want to kill the avatar, do you?"
Through the darkness, the girl could have sworn she saw him scowl, but when he answered, his tone was controlled:
"We'll see."
That's not good enough of an answer! she wanted to scream at him, but she kept her mouth shut and instead frowned at him, hoping the banished one would see her displeasure.
"I'm sorry, too," he instead confessed. "I should have never let you go to the castle in the first place. But don't worry. You'll be free in no time, Katara," he assured her rather gently, and before the girl could say something else, it seemed as if the prince just jumped off her wall, because a second later, he was gone.
Sighing, Katara made her way to her bed and lay down again. It wasn't so cold anymore, she realized, and she was looking forward to tomorrow night, even though there was an unmistakable feeling of dread that came with her newfound hope. However, she didn't know where this other sensation came from, and when she tried once again to just relax, it proved harder than ever to fall asleep.
Her feelings were contradicting each other, making her doubt, yet she didn't know why until the next day.
----- ----- -----
"You look terrible."
That was the first thing that came out of Sokka's mouth when he entered her cell, bringing a small, covered basket this time. Katara glowered at him fiercely, but her brother was probably right. She hadn't slept well at all last night, if she had managed to fall asleep at all, and today she was feeling awful. Her bones ached from the hard bed she was forced to sleep in; she also felt exhausted, unable to concentrate. It didn't make her feel better knowing that whatever she was feeling on the inside, it must have looked two times worse on the outside.
"Your hair is a mess," Sokka went on, much to her annoyance, "and your clothes are all wrinkled. You should see your face, too, Katara. It's so lined that it looks like Gran Gran's."
"Sokka?"
"Yes?" her brother said, sitting down comfortably on the bench. He still sat on the other end, but he didn't do so as stiffly and formerly anymore.
"Shut-up," Katara told him, and Sokka scowled before he smirked and showed her the basket.
"Look, Katara," the seventeen-year-old then said very slowly. "This is your food for the day," he pointed to the basket. "If you don't behave, you don't get any food. No good, no food."
The girl dearly wished she had something to throw at her brother as he gave her the basket… after another irritating taunt or two. Her exasperation soon turned into surprise, when she pulled out a chicken leg.
"Meat," the sixteen-year-old said, blinking at it, "you haven't ever given me meat."
"Well," Sokka said casually, coolly, "I thought fruit wouldn't really keep you alive. There's seal jerky, too, if you're wondering."
Katara's spirit dampened somewhat as she bit into her chicken and watched Sokka divert his gaze from her. Her brother still didn't want things to go back to normal. He was still restraining from acting completely like himself. Of course, after everything that had happened, it was impossible for things to ever go back to normal, could it? Would Sokka forgive her if she told him she regretted joining the Fire Nation? Would he then treat her like his little sister again? Katara didn't regret anything though, and she doubted Sokka would ever trust her again anyway. Things were more complicated that she had thought it would be.
Before she knew it, she had finished her leg, and even more amazingly, the girl was still hungry. She dove into the basket for some more and found the seal jerky Sokka had mentioned earlier.
"It's so lined that it looks like Gran Gran's."
Her brother's statement unexpectedly came up to her mind, and Katara realized that it had been the first time that Sokka had talked about something that was remotely related to their past lives. Gran Gran. She felt guilty all of a sudden, asking herself whether the older lady knew what had happened to her… whether she was harboring the same feelings as Sokka. Katara couldn't blame her grandmother if she did, but she nevertheless felt horrible when she thought about Gran Gran acting as frigid and indifferent as her brother.
The girl put down the seal jerk. She was remembering all the things that had happened to her when she had been young and cared for in her South Pole tribe, almost hearing her mother's sweet, soft voice as she sang her a lullaby so long ago. She saw Sokka's bored grimace when she had asked her father to recount an event that her brother had heard a hundred times before, and…
"Can you teach me how to fish, Sokka?"
"No. Ask Dad."
"But I want you to teach me, Sokka… why won't you teach me?"
"Because it's too much work. Ask Dad."
"Can you teach me how to fish, Sokka?"
"No!"
"Teach me how to fish… please?"
"No, no, no, n-…. Fine, all right!"
Katara was feeling homesick, and it was deep, chagrined feeling that she had never felt before, not even when she had been riding on Appa's back two years ago.But that had been because Sokka had been there and acting like the stupid brother she had loved. And she hadn't felt homesick like this on Zuko's ship, because she had tried not thinking about Aang and Sokka… and she had never known how different things had become because of a small change of mind.
And now… she had no idea where the brother who had taught her to fish had gone.
"Do you remember the first snow watchtower you built?"
The most unexpected question. It had just come out of her before she could have stopped herself. Katara gazed intently at the other, wondering whether he would even answer.
"Yeah," the boy replied after a moment of silence, frowning and already on his guard. "When Dad left… it was about six feet high, wasn't it? It was pretty good until it fell the next day."
"No, you idiot," Katara almost instantly chastised him, "the first one you built was when you were ten, don't you remember?"
She was talking to him almost as if everything was normal, as if there wasn't a rift between them. It had been a dangerous move, she knew, but it was a risk she was willing to take, as long as she could see whether Sokka would respond, whether he would care…
"What? That's impossible!"
He did.
"Three feet high," the girl went on, ignoring Sokka's protests. "Four feet high if you were lucky. And the polar bear peed on it the moment you were done."
"That was not a watchtower," the older one said quietly, struggling to keep his voice in control.
"You called it a watchtower, though… don't you remember? You have a bad memory, Sokka. Okay then… do you remember the biggest fish you caught?"
"Yes, of course. It was a giant salmon- at least two feet long."
"I remember you caught something bigger…"
"What?"
And as they talked (or to say it more accurately… argued) about their childhood, she saw him gradually lower his defenses, becoming unafraid to show his anger, his bemusement... Perhaps he had done this subconsciously, with no meaning, or perhaps he was warming up to her… and there was a possibility that they could be family again.
----- ----- -----
When Sokka at last left her cell, the girl sighed.
When she and Zuko would escape tonight, Katara knew that she would probably never see her brother again. It was almost certain, in fact. The two were from completely different worlds now –enemies to each other- and even if they could sort out their differences, when would they ever have time for a reunion in this hectic world? There was a heavy weight inside her, bringing her down, because she knew she would miss him once she was gone… and she would think of all those times together and would have to remind herself that they no longer meant anything.
I wonder if he'll miss me, too.
Probably… probably not. Katara couldn't tell. There were times when he teased her when she was sure he hadn't totally abandoned her, but when she asked a personal question, she could see his eyes hardening as he recalled once more their situation. And the worst thing of all was that… she couldn't say it wasn't fair. She deserved what her brother was flinging on her –his aloofness, his mistrust- because she had betrayed him. And what more… betrayed his best friend.
Aang.
The waterbender hadn't even seen him yet, much less talked to him. A part of her truly wanted to know what had happened to the airbender, how he was doing, but her more rational side knew that it would be dangerous trying to seek this information. Because if Sokka was so cold to her because of what she had done two years ago, how would Aang treat her? A small stab pierced through her when she recalled his tears as they had flowed freely to the dirtied ship floor, his fragile figure shaking as he begged her to release him, to tell him that it wasn't true… that she hadn't joined the opposite side.
And there was blood streaming from the bars he was gripping… because his nails had cut through his skin.
And according to Sokka, he wasn't Aang anymore. At least not the child she had remembered. Nothing was what she had remembered.
I can't go back. That's why… I have to move forward.
The girl would have to deal with the hole, because there was nothing she could do. Zuko would come and get her, and life would move on. Her stay here would soon be another trivial memory, quick to vanish like the rest.
The sun was coming down when Katara heard footsteps nearing her cell, and instantly vigilant, she listened closely to who it might be. It took only a second, though, to figure out it was Sokka. After all, only his footsteps were quick and efficient, all the while being as loud as a stampede of mammoths. However, before she knew it, she heard another set of footsteps coming to her from the opposite direction, and this time, she had no idea who it was.
Sokka stopped right at her door. A minute later, the second pair of footsteps stopped as well.
"What… what are you doing here?" the seventeen-year-old then inquired, startled.
"Interesting question," the newcomer said quietly.
His voice was quiet and held a solemn ring, and it reminded Katara of the soft, cool autumn breeze. Not only that, but it also sounded all too familiar…
"I was looking for you, Sokka," he continued, "and I looked around everywhere until I came down here. I'm rather surprised, though. Why would you come to her cell two times a day?"
Her brother was embarrassed, the sixteen-year-old discovered, because it took a long while before he answered, a little clumsily:
"I don't know. I just felt that I had to check on her. It's my instincts, you know." The boy laughed meekly.
"Yes. Your… instincts. I'm sure they're always right."
It couldn't be, she thought, her eyes widening. The voice was stoical and composed, so unlike… But was there any other explanation? She could definitely recognize the voice and its mildness that sounded soft and sometimes even meek, but there was also presently the edge of steel in it, so cold that it just couldn't be…
"At least they were right sometimes. Maybe they're right again… at least I hope I didn't come here for nothing, Aang."
And with a violent shudder, Katara knew she hadn't been wrong The child answered again, but she didn't pay attention to what he was saying. His voice… she could tell that it was definitely the airbender's, now that her beliefs were confirmed. But why was it so different? Yes, in a way, it was still the boy's gentle, recognizable tone, but it lacked in warmth, in the familiar happiness that only Aang had. To her, the twelve-year-old's voice had been quiet, yet it had always held a genial, innocent feeling to it, like the playful summer winds that so naturally soaked into one's spirit. But when the fourteen-year-old talked, there was no teasing breeze anymore, replaced by a harsher, colder wind. The new Aang, she had thought, would be determined and justifiably angry, but by the sound of his voice… he wasn't angry or determined at all. Just calm…
And sad.
"I need to talk to you about what we're going to do about the nations," the avatar told Sokka tranquilly, and although her brother didn't reply, Katara soon heard the footsteps receding, leaving her with her frantic thoughts.
Maybe she wasn't evaluating the situation correctly, she reasoned. After all, she hadn't seen Aang's face, and for all she knew, he had been smiling on the time. Although judging by his previous tone, that was rather unlikely. Still, one did not know everything about another because of his voice, which made Katara wonder how much the avatar had really changed. The girl would never know though, because as she watched the glowing red sun finally set from her small window, she knew that the prince was coming, and she was glad. After all, even if she did get to know the present Aang, what would that amount to? Nothing, Katara told herself firmly, laying down before closing her eyes and letting herself rest. Everyone had changed the last two years. It was natural. Why should she be… worried?
The dark gradually crept back, and soon, an ominous pale moon appeared, along with the million minuscule flickers of bright, shining stars. Night had descended.
----- ----- -----
Even in the dark, the castle of Omashu made its presence known.
Its many towers rose to the ebony black sky as if watching the dormant city below, and the giant citadel was even more intimidating in the shadows, an enormous, sinister figure amidst the smaller edifices around it. Ominous, grotesquely shaped, and emitting a subtle, enigmatic aura, it seemed almost like a monster. It was a gusty night, and the strong, cool winds crashed into the walls, attempting in vain to penetrate through the solid brick earth. The structure was practically invincible –the headquarters of the avatar- and to be home to such a powerful figure, it needed to be protected at all times. The walls were thick, impossible to break, and all the entrances were guarded… at least, they had all been guarded.
Because at the main entrance, the two earthbender sentries were presently on the ground, evidently unconscious, and when one peered at them closely, they could see rather severe burns on their necks, still smoldering red. A firebender had crossed their path.
Indeed, a banished prince had just infiltrated into the gargantuan castle, his steps light and quick as he easily made his way through the numerous hallways, intent on accomplishing a single, necessary task. Everything around him was a murky shade of midnight blue, and he was thankful that there were torches at intervals lighting the corridors. He didn't know whether he could have so smoothly found his way through the building in the dark. The firebender had never been inside the daunting building before, yet thanks to an insider, he knew exactly where to go. No other guard stopped him, because fortunately, the cursed avatar had not had the wisdom to post patrols in the corridors.
It was extremely easy navigating through the castle, the eighteen-year-old thought to himself, smirking, and in no time at all, he had reached the small set of stairs that would carry him to the nearly abandoned third floor where Katara lay waiting. His eyes swiftly flickered to his surroundings, his body tense and ready to fight at any moment while his ears strained for any unwanted sound. However, the coast was all clear, almost making the firebender suspicious of how lucky he was.
The third floor. He was there already. This hall was darker than the others he had gone through; the torches were at a farther interval, and at this stage, the boy took more caution, this time deciding to walk his way towards Katara instead of running. He didn't come all this way to be caught in a trap. Surprisingly, there were many doors on each side of him, but he knew that he would be able to find the right one. Because Katara would be behind it, and she would make sure that he saw her once he passed her.
After a minute, as he had gone past the tenth door to his left, he heard a small cry, and abruptly the prince stopped and whirled around.
"Zuko!" a quiet voice called for him, and he knew instantly that it was her.
He hid a small smile, immediately beckoning her to be quiet. Prepared to burn through the keyhole, he held up a flamed fist, yet at that moment, he heard footsteps coming towards him. Then, without warning, a violent punch came in contact with his face. Letting out a muffled gasp, the boy crashed to the floor and swore under his breath.
Somebody had seen him coming.
In one fluid motion, he got up, glowering at the darkened hallway in front of him, but there didn't seem to be anybody there. Too late he realized that the opponent had somehow slipped behind him as he felt himself being tripped onto the floor. When his adversary approached him again, probably trying to land another punch, the firebender rapidly jumped up and kicked with all his might. His attempt was successful, he soon learned, smirking as he felt his foot brutally sinking right into the enemy's stomach and making the other gasp. Zuko, seeing the advantage, then rushed forward and tried to get a punch into his opponent's face; he swore it was only luck that saved the stranger from being hit right in the nose when he hurriedly dodged and instead managed to punch the banished one in the chest.
However, it didn't hurt so much, because Zuko had seen it coming. Avoiding another blow, he soon decided that his goal was to try to knock the other unconscious, the thought quickly followed by an attempt to hit the foe's head.
"Zuko!" he could faintly hear Katara from her cell, but he didn't need to worry about her; the girl was safe in her cell.
It was time to use fire, the prince mused, dancing flames emerging from his hand. After all, sharp, scorching burns were always able to knock one down. Especially, Zuko knew, if it attacked one's face, and thinking about how annoyed he was with the stranger he was fighting with, he couldn't help believe that the other deserved his unforgiving fire. He had shown mercy with the earthbender guards earlier, but this one would just have to deal with the harsh consequences of crossing path with a firebender prince.
His adversary struck again, his kick directed at his face, and snarling, the eighteen-year-old darted away from the assault and clenched his fist, prepared to give the guy a lesson he would never forget. His fist rushed to the other's face, yet again, his opponent dodged his enflamed attack, although part of his hair did come on fire. Only for a second, though, before the stranger managed to extinguish it, and when he did, he stopped and glared at Zuko.
For one still moment, both had stopped fighting, regaining their breath as they stared angrily at one another. It was almost completely dark where they were now standing, and the torches' far away fire could not shed light to the stranger's face. No matter, the banished one viciously thought. Once he was done with him, his face wouldn't be nice to look at anyway.
Just then, the adversary drew out a long, thin object. It was only when he was running to Zuko, brandishing his weapon, did the other discover that it was a sword. And much to his anger, there was already a nasty cut on his cheek before he could have managed to steer away from the attack. The prince could feel the wound opening up and the blood flowing slowly, a few drops reaching the floor, and the heat of his injury made him want to hurt this bastard as much as he could.
With a small cry of anger, Zuko ran forward, hitting the other on the shoulder. When he heard the fire sizzle through the enemy's clothes to his very skin, he smiled cruelly. The victim let out a small shout of agony before taking a swipe at the firebender with his sword, yet the latter easily dodged it before attempting to land another blazing attack. His adversary was gradually stumbling back, probably still hurting from the sharp pain of his burn, but when Zuko moved in for the kill, he drew his sword. A moment later, it was the prince's turn to gasp as the blade slashed at his throat.
If he had been any closer to his opponent, he would have been dead.
The eighteen-year-old took a few steps back, gritting his teeth when he felt the blood rapidly flowing from his injury, staining his Earth Nation robe and splattering noisily on the floor. Although it had not been fatal, the stranger's attack had made a rather deep wound, and even the firebender knew that it was no good continuing fighting anymore. The other seemed to be thinking the same thing about his own burn, because he was gradually withdrawing, taking one step back at a time under Zuko's enraged gaze until he was completely hidden by the shadows.
"Zuko! Are you are all right?" a soft voice unexpectedly asked in concern.
That was when the prince remembered that Katara had been inside her cell all this time. She had probably seen everything from the door's tiny, barred opening.
"I'm bleeding," he grunted in reply and when he heard her gasp, he quickly whispered: "I'm fine, I'm fine. But I can't free you tonight, Katara. I'm sorry," he then turned away, the pain from his injury beginning to become more intense. "Because if I got you out and we met someone on our way outside the castle, I'm not sure I could fight for long. Besides, that guy is probably going to try to get reinforcements. I'm not sure I can handle that either."
"It's okay," the waterbender told him in a soothing tone. "As long… as you're all right."
Despite his failure, Zuko smiled slightly before whispering his good-bye. A minute later, he was dashing through the maze-like hallways of the Omashu castle, seeking for the exit while his mind was already focused on how to get back in again. He would not rest until his girl was free.
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A/N: Argh… this chapter was a nightmare. I had to reread two times (which is really bad for me, because when I revise a chapter, I do it really slowly, and it's all so agonizing), and I had to make so many corrections. For the last fight scene with Zuko, I practically had to rewrite the whole thing. Plus, after all this, I'm still not so sure if this chapter is good at all when it comes to perfection in spelling and grammar. And this was supposed to one of the better chapters. After all, it was interesting, wasn't it? Although the identity of the stranger who fought Zuko in the last part is pretty obvious, in my opinion… Oh, well.
I am so happy I got nine reviews for the last chapter! Thank-you all! The last chapter wasn't so good, though, which makes me see a pattern in my story's popularity… For the chapters which aren't so eventful (like Chapter 1 and Chapter 8), I tend to get a lot of reviewers, but when it finally gets interesting… everyone deserts me.
Which technically means I'm only going to get three reviews for this action-packed (or not) chapter. The most. Argh.
Let's not dwell on that, shall we? Let's talk about Sokka now instead. I hope he wasn't acting too warm to Katara in this chapter, but tell me if he was, because big brother can't forgive little sister that easily, can he? But believe me, I made a lot of changes for that part of the chapter. Sokka was originally a lot more friendly to the waterbender.
School is starting by the way, if you didn't notice. Yeah, for most of you, school already started a week or two ago, but I'm one of the few lucky ones. My school won't start until this Tuesday. For so long, I have been rejoicing this fact, but now that my school is about to begin… Twitch. Not a happy thought. But rest assured! I shall keep updating every Friday/Saturday! I can almost guarantee you this! Aren't I so nice? Hopefully…
Let's go to the reviewer responses, shall we?
Boylessgirl52941: I feel so flattered that you wrote your longest review… for me! (gasps and cries in gratitude) I… am… so… happy. (reader rolls eyes) Okay, I shall get a grip now. Is this a Aang x Katara story, you ask? I shall not reveal this to you now, I'm sorry to say, and I assume that means you're a Zutara fan? At least you can enjoy the little KxZ fluff in this chapter. Thank-you for saying I'm a great writer, and I'll try my hardest to update consistently and complete my fanfiction! Just because I know that there are people out there who really care…. (sniff)
SapphireStars: Yes, poor Aang. (hugs him) Will he be okay eventually? Read on and find out. Thanks for the lovely review, by the way.
Blackrosebunny: You think the last chapters were good? Thank-you! Aang x Zuko is awesome, too, I agree completely, and bottom lockers suck, I agree completely on that, too.
MysticWaterBender3: I am so grateful that you're really interested in my story. You inspire me to be a better writer, although I'm not sure that'll happen any time soon. Continuing on… yeah, bad romance stories are things I hate, too, although I somewhat disagree on you when it concerns good Sokka x Suki stories. I mean, there is a possibility that they'll get together, despite the fact that the girl only appears in one episode… right? As long as the fanfiction is good, sometimes you can disregard some facts made solid in the show. And I portrayed Suki's character right? That's great! I'm also glad you like my pacing (I admit I was a little worried about that), but I can assure you that every single line of Hardened Winds is not perfect. If they were, why did I have so much problem with this chapter? I hope Chapter 8 wasn't too bad…
tigerchic121: My fanfiction is intriguing? Thank-you! That's a great adjective you used to describe my story! And you know what's funny? You were a little critical of my story because you're an AxK fan and you thought that this was a Zutara fanfiction. Another reviewer of mine, though, was skeptical about my story because she's a Zutara fan and she thought this would be an AxK story. (laughs) What will it be in the end? Only I can decide!
TempestJLU: Thank-you!
mop: Thank-you so much for saying that this is your favorite darkish fanfiction, although I doubt it will remain so for long when there are better angst writers out there. I'm glad that I can portray the characters' emotions well, and I'm even happier that you weren't offended when I bragged a little in my earlier chapters! Although I probably won't be doing that in the future…
Spleef: Thank-you, thank-you. I know you're a talented writer, and for you to say that you love my story… it's a very great compliment. Anyway, when I was talking about stories where Katara has to choose between Zuko and Aang, I don't mean in a romantic way. What I truly mean is that in many stories, Katara falls for Zuko and then just turns on Aang and Sokka, joining the prince's cause instead. Like… in my story. (laughs meekly) I am so glad I explained the parody quality of my fanfiction in the first chapter…
aangsair: Thank-you for saying that the last chapter wasn't short, although I can assure you that it's the last 'short' chapter you'll see. Besides the epilogue, anyway… You think Suki is cool? Me, too, and yes, I'm Asian; a hundred percent pure Asian blood flows in my veins, although I was born in the lovely, wintry landscape of mild Canada. (sighs nostalgically and starts singing the Canadian anthem)
I do not like school. But I shall be forced to commence it this Tuesday. Cruel, cruel life. I'll be back soon, though! Either this Friday or Saturday, so no need to fret!
Review if you're nice.
