Hardened Winds

Chapter IX

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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"You broke your promise."

Those were the first words that slipped from Katara's lips when he came to her cell the next day, this time bringing an enormous basket of fruit. Hearing her cold tone, Sokka abruptly swerved his head to her and stared, confused. Katara was wearing a solemn expression, gazing at him sternly as if he had done something obscene. Perhaps breaking his word was something totally wrong to her… if he had done anything of the like. Which he didn't. And that was why Sokka soon opened his mouth and came up with this mature reply:

"I didn't do anything!"

Yeah. Two years had done wonders for him. Meanwhile, the other looked scandalized for a moment, but when she didn't glower at him and instead continued to give him that grave (and irritating) look, Sokka knew that something was truly worrying her. And despite the fact that she was his prisoner and that he shouldn't care the least bit about her problems, he still sat heavily next to her (keeping a good amount of distance, of course), prepared to know what was on his sister's mind.

"Okay, what did I do now?" he sighed, his tone surprisingly gentle.

"You mean… you don't know?" Katara gaped at him, appearing irked and perplexed.

"I have no idea." Sokka shook his head and while she was looking at him quizzically, almost skeptically, he lazily tossed her a banana from the basket.

"You promised, Sokka… don't you remember?" her sister inquired, and she seemed sad now. "You told me… you wouldn't kill Zuko."

"And from what I know, he's still alive and well," Sokka retorted matter-of-factly.

"Alive… but not well. And it's because of one of your men."

He blinked at her. When was the last time he had talked to one of his 'men?' When was the last time he had actually given an order? He knew for certain that he hadn't laid a finger on his sister's damn boyfriend. Something else bothered him, too.

"How do you know this?" Sokka asked Katara instead, suspicious. "Did you have… contact with that prince?"

He wouldn't know what he would do if she and the banished one had been talking to each other, because then… dread began to dominate his insides… she could have said anything to the enemy. After all, Sokka hadn't kept track of how much he had told the waterbender, and now he could hit himself for it. How many times did Aang tell him to be careful with his words? But these days, he had thrown caution to the winds, for the miserable excuse that Katara was his sister. He had taken her isolation for granted, and he was presently paying back.

But hopefully… the girl hadn't spoken to the firebender since she had been here. Sokka prayed for that to be true. Because if it wasn't, he would be forced to move Katara to another cell. But it wasn't just because of the technical difficulties; if Katara had talked to Zuko… had given away their secrets… it would prove that his little sister had changed, that she was more dangerous that he had taken her for.

"Of course not!" Katara broke his train of thoughts by answering hastily, and Sokka could have sighed in relief. "But I know it was Zuko because I heard him last night… of course, I had no idea he was coming, but I caught a glimpse of him," she pointed at the door, which indeed had a small, barred opening.

"But it was only a glimpse, wasn't it?" Sokka pointed out, keeping his voice composed.

"Yes, it was, but Sokka, I heard him. It was definitely his voice!"

The boy sighed wearily. It was great that Katara and Zuko hadn't had contact, but did it have to come with a bad part? And it was really bad that the prince had been able to sneak into the castle, and even worse, managed to escape.

"And what happened next?"

"This guy came and attacked him!" the fourteen-year-old practically shouted at him. He had to gesture for her to lower her voice, which she did, albeit reluctantly. "He must have hurt Zuko pretty badly, because he had to retreat, and you know how strong he is! And that's how… you broke your promise."

"Okay," Sokka crossed his arms. "So one of my men could've attacked Zuko without me knowing it. So what? It was his job. Besides, I only promised not to kill that stupid boyfriend of yours. I don't think anyone I know would have tried to just finish him off right away."

Katara gave him a livid look, and it took all he could not to inch away from her. But when she spoke again, her tone was eerily calm:

"Do you want proof, big brother? Get out and look at the floor. You'll see proof then."

Gazing at her dubiously, Sokka nevertheless nodded and stood up. He kept an eye on her as he opened the door with his key (it was locked from both the inside and the outside), making sure it was securely closed before he finally looked down. He gasped at what he saw, his visage paling.

Blood.

It was all dried, of course, making it almost blend with the slightly reddish hue of the rocky floor. A small, but thick trail continued on to the direction of the stairs, and biting his lip, Sokka followed it, all the while asking himself how in the hell could he have missed it. Apparently, a mocking voice laughed inside his head, you're oblivious to the point of stupidity. He had been thinking about other things when he had come here, after all –mostly of the things Aang had informed him about last night- and he had been idiotic enough to have kept his eyes looking up instead of down. Plus, the blood didn't stand out all that much in this battered hallway.

The appalling crimson liquid stopped soon enough though, and if it truly belonged to Zuko, the seventeen-year-old figured that the prince had somehow managed to stop his wound from bleeding at this point. Yet it was now apparent that his injury had been anything but trivial. Much that he hated to admit, Katara was right. The person from last night had truly wanted to hurt the firebender, and he had given his word to his sister….

I had no idea what I was getting myself into, obviously.

When he got back into Katara's cell, the girl had her arms folded, gazing at him meaningfully.

"Okay, you were right," Sokka said, sighing. "But do you think I can just control what everyone in the castle is doing?"

"You promised, though," the sixteen-year-old pointed out, and he had to acknowledge that it was true.

Plus, so far, he had never broken his word, and although Katara wasn't necessarily an ally now… He couldn't just nullify his vow. He didn't like to think about this, but promises also meant a lot to him.

"Besides," Katara went on, "you should be able to keep track of what everyone is doing, at least more or less, Sokka. If someone is sneaking in the halls at night, looking for someone to hurt, isn't that something serious? Can't you at least try to find the person who hurt Zuko last night?"

Sokka turned away, scowling at the wall, hating how the tables had turned and how Katara was so easily making her demands. But… Zuko's attacker, he was potentially dangerous, and there was no doubt that he should find out who had been secretly patrolling the third floor last night.

Remembering the blood, he told himself that he needed to clean the floor, too.

"Okay, Katara," the brother stood up. "You win. I'll try my best to find out who it was, and I'll make sure that he'll never try to harm your prince again, happy?"

The waterbender nodded in satisfaction, although she didn't know that Sokka had also decided then to look for the prince himself. The boy was about to leave when Katara called him again, and raising an eyebrow, he turned back to her.

"Yes?"

"One more thing, Sokka," the sister now looked a little apprehensive. "Can I ask you… a little favor?"

----- ----- -----

This has to be one of the best missions ever.

This content thought entered Gloria's mind as she leisurely walked through the busy streets of the pleasant village of Kali, giggling now and then when she saw the most fascinating objects and the most astounding merchants. The village was as boisterous as it had always been, and it was a warm, fall day; the sun was shining brilliantly, the skies were of a summer hue, and it was an excellent day for shopping. Which Gloria was now doing…. as well as also looking for the banished prince, too. Of course. The woman laughed meekly to herself.

"Hey there," a handsome, young man from one of the booths motioned to her. "I bet you would look even prettier than you are now with this fabulous amethyst necklace."

The North Pole native allowed herself to glance at the exquisite jewelry before quickly walking away, afraid that she might be enticed to buy the junk. Many people here attempting to sell their things were crooks, Gloria knew, but it was still exciting looking at what they had to offer. Besides, the scenery is lovely, too, she laughed to herself as she saw three five-year-olds eagerly scampering past her, their adorable facades alight with joy.

The blond had always loved Kali's hospitable-looking buildings, all with a tint of soft red that made the village appear warm no matter when. Smiling widely, she was sure Sokka wouldn't mind if she had a little fun during her mission, and if he did… Oh, well. She was older (and probably stronger) than him anyway. Still, the woman kept her eyes opened for any signs of the wanted prince, as well as other firebenders. Sokka had discovered this morning that somebody had freed the captives from the banished prince's ship, and although he was sure that most of them had already gone back to the Fire Nation, he had still wanted her to look out for them.

Firebenders running freely in the innocent village of Kali was more than an unsettling thought for Gloria. She would be glad to turn in any firebenders to the avatar, and as the morning went by, she became a little suspicious when she realized that she had seen many burly men in Earth Nation robes… who did not seem to come from anywhere near here.

It was probable that some of them were firebenders in disguise, but unless she had proof, she couldn't just arrest them, could she? Besides, her attention was supposed to be only focused on the Fire Nation prince, and she knew exactly how he looked. Too bad she had no luck finding him, and when the afternoon sun began to strike with a vengeance, she became frustrated. Even the stands couldn't brighten her mood now, although when Gloria finally took a break, she couldn't say she hadn't tried. Especially after she had snaked through the entire village, asked people if they had seen a scarred teenager, and even attempted stalking a few of the suspected firebenders. And all to no avail.

While the waterbender was resting on the bench, frowning, she saw two black figures dart away from the corner of her eyes. Startled by such an astonishing sight, she swiftly turned to look at them closer. For a moment, she managed to see two slim people clad in black before they gracefully slipped into the thicker crowds in the street, vanishing from Gloria's sight. They had been dressed like ninjas, the blond had seen, and their odd choice of attire reminded her of Asuka. Not that she would ever come here, Gloria pondered, smirking. The other woman absolutely despised Kali.

Finally getting up, she decided she would stop looking for the firebender for a while. At least until her spirits rose up a bit. She would probably look at the nearby shops and buy a lunch before resuming her job, and enlightened by the prospect of more shopping, she glanced at the nearest booth and let out a cry of joy. An overweight man in a turban was selling small, colorful snakes; when she approached his stand, she smiled as she saw the reptiles dance on their display table, flickering their tiny tongues every once in a while. Gloria had always liked snakes, viewing them as fascinating animals with their irregular shape and their vivid colors. Plus, ever since the war had ended, she had been considering buying a pet before she went back home. Just for the heck of it.

It was just her luck that she had presently found a snake booth, and when she asked the merchant if the reptiles were on sale, he gave her a huge smile.

"Yes, they are!" he exclaimed happily. "These are ox snakes, by the way," the woman then noticed that the animals had small, gleaming horns on each side of their heads, "and they come in all shapes and sizes. They make the perfect pets!"

"Oh, really?" Gloria asked him, interested.

"Yes, of course, they do! They're not poisonous, and they don't even bite! Harmless and adorable. Perfect for anybody!"

"And how much do they cost?"

"Five copper coins each!"

It was a good deal, the blond thought, and the snakes did look rather cute. Plus, the expression on Sokka's face when he saw the reptile in her hair would be priceless. Not only that, but the last time she had checked, she thought deviously, Misaki wasn't so fond of snakes either. She dug into her pockets and was about to hand the seller the money when another man came to the booth, his face thoughtful as he stared at the snakes.

"Hello… there," the merchant greeted the newcomer slowly, not expecting another customer so soon.

"They're poisonous, aren't they?" the man said in reply.

The vendor had a stricken expression on his face before laughing loudly.

"Of course not!" he waved the question off, as if it was an absurd concept. Gloria, however, wanted to hear more.

"How do you know?" she questioned the stranger.

He was barely taller than her, rather plump with stiff gray hair, and although he was dressed in Earth Nation robes, he looked like a foreigner.

"You see," he started, smiling contemplatively, "snakes with triangular heads are poisonous, and these snakes," he pointed, "definitely have triangular heads. Besides, their colors are too bright. It's a warning. Usually, harmless snakes have duller, less conspicuous hues because they don't want to get noticed. Yet these snakes don't care if you spot them, because they have great defenses."

The man was right. The merchant's snakes all did have triangular heads, and when she thought about it more, Gloria realized that the animals now looked rather ominous. Glowering at the seller, who presently wore a grimace, she angrily demanded:

"Is that true? Are these snakes really poisonous? And you told me they were harmless!"

Before he could reply though, the foreigner himself provided an answer:

"My dear, he was only half-lying. See, the snakes aren't poisonous. They're venomous. A common mistake, actually," he chuckled, "and I'm afraid even I was foolish enough to confound those two words earlier."

"They're still dangerous!" Gloria seethed, staring at the merchant in fury. "It's one thing selling junk, but it's another thing entirely selling potential murders!"

To emphasize her point, the woman conjured a water whip, viciously striking the stand. It wobbled for a second before crashing loudly to the ground, and not bothering to stay any longer, Gloria stormed off. A moment later, the stranger appeared by her side, still chortling in amusement at everything that had happened.

"Thank-you for telling me they were poisonous," the waterbender told him gratefully, and the man nodded, smiling.

"You're a talented waterbender," he commented it, making her beam at him. "Tell you what," he continued, "why don't I treat you to lunch?"

"What? But… why?"

"For that greatly entertaining spectacle you showed me earlier!" the man replied wittily. Gloria laughed.

There was a small, secluded bar at the corner of the road that the blond had gone several times before; the place, unlike its surroundings, was constructed of creaking wood, painted a dreary teal blue that made it stand out a little from the rest of Kali while also camouflaging it from the viewer's eye. When she pointed the restaurant out to the foreigner, he thought it was a great idea to dine there, too.

"I'm Gloria," the waterbender told him as they entered the bar. "What's your name?"

"I-… I mean, my name is… Hiro," the stranger said slowly, and Gloria noticed that there had been some hesitation. I wonder what that was for.

It was rather dark inside, which was a dramatic contrast to the bright day outside, yet the woman knew the bar well enough to know what to expect; dark blue walls, a few scattered wooden tables, and a small counter where the bartender could usually be seen. When she made her way to the counter, seating herself on one of the stools, a tanned, muscular man suddenly appeared in front of her.

"You want something to eat?" he asked her, grinning.

"Of course," the blond replied pleasantly. "That's why I'm here. Let's see… why don't we try some chili and a tray of sushi?"

"At your service, ma'am."

'Hiro' –she decided that was certainly not his real name- soon sat next to her, and when the bartender asked what he wanted, he distractedly told him to get him the same thing Gloria had ordered.

"I'm so hungry," the woman sighed. "You must be a really good bargainer," she then continued, looking at him admirably: "I would have never known there were such bad crooks around here."

"You have to watch out," the man told her lightly, making Gloria smile. "I usually make sure I only get the best things at the best prices. Look at this magnificent watch I got for only seven copper pieces!"

He soon drew out a small, gorgeous bracelet with an elaborate sundial hanging in the middle. The wristlet itself was made up of numerous sapphire jewels bordered with gold stringed together, and the sundial seemed to be of silver, sparkling proudly even in the darkened restaurant while its golden figures distinctly gleamed from its surface. Gloria goggled at it, entranced by its beauty. 'Hiro,' though, merely grinned.

"The silly merchant was stubbornly demanding twenty copper pieces for it," he informed her, "or two gold ones."

"I see why he wanted to charge so much, though."

"Don't be fooled, my dear," the other warned her, still smiling. "You see, the supposedly genuine sapphire stones are really just blue-tinted glass, and the sundial is cheap metal. Plus, the watch was done poorly. Too fragile. I saw this right away, and the seller in the end was kind enough to do away with this watch for only seven copper coins."

"You're amazing," Gloria said, laughing.

The bartender then returned with their food, and in a much better mood than she had been before, the woman immediately took a piece of sushi and almost swallowed it whole. She savored the sweet, uncooked fish; it reminded her so much of her home, of what she had left behind. This place did make the best seafood, and that was why the blond had so quickly chosen to come here. Besides her, 'Hiro' looked at his own plate strangely, as if not sure whether the sushi was edible or not. He hesitantly took his chopsticks… and began poking the raw fish.

"Go on," the waterbender urged him. "It's good."

He stared dubiously at his lunch for one more moment before shrugging and digging in, and Gloria was pleased when his face lit up.

"Good food," 'Hiro' stated, a note of surprise in his tone.

"Water Tribe food is always good," she said, "but the Earth Nation usually doesn't appreciate it. You… you aren't from the Earth Nation, are you?"

"Not around here anyway."

Looking at him with slight suspicion, Gloria remembered her mission and decided to question him further.

"Have you seen any firebenders nearby?"

"Uh…" 'Hiro' appeared nervous, "I don't think so. You know, I wasn't really… looking."

"They're here, though," the blond's voice became sharper, more serious. "They're disguised as ordinary Earth Nation civilians. But they still stick out."

"… Yes."

And suddenly, she gazed at him sternly and bluntly inquired:

"Are you from the Fire Nation?"

Gloria had never been one to stall. When the question came out, 'Hiro' laughed meekly and hastily replied:

"Me? From the Fire Nation? Now why would you think that…?"

Seeing that the man was obviously under pressure, she allowed a tiny smirk to appear on her face; she had this effect on people sometimes. Besides, although 'Hiro' was a great bargainer, he wasn't a good liar. However, as he smiled uneasily at her (almost backing away from her even), Gloria wondered whether she should turn him in. He was so nice, she mused, and he didn't appear harmful at all. Appearances weren't everything, though, she knew that all too well, but the man was old… he couldn't be that strong, right? Yet the concept of challenging him to a battle –especially after everything he had done for her- wasn't a welcoming thought at all, and gathering runaway firebenders… wasn't her current job anyway. She inwardly sighed in relief at that. Still… she wanted to see his reaction on a certain matter.

"I'm working for the avatar," Gloria then said evenly.

This time, 'Hiro' simply nodded calmly, chuckling even.

"I expected that," he told her. "After all, it would be rather foolish of the avatar not to recruit such a skilled waterbender."

It almost looked as if he had forgotten about their tense situation before, smiling cordially at her, but Gloria could see he was stiff, more alert than before.

"Are you on a mission?" the possible firebender asked her nonchalantly.

Should she tell him? The blond wondered that to herself, but she eventually decided that it wouldn't do any harm. The worst 'Hiro' could do was to alert the banished prince, but the latter couldn't go far, could he? Not when Sokka held his girlfriend captive.

"Yes," Gloria at last responded. "I'm looking for the Fire Nation prince, Zuko. Do you know him?"

"Ah… the banished one," 'Hiro' mused out loud. "Yes, I've heard of him. So you think he's around here. Yet why does the avatar want him now? The prince can't cause much harm, can he?"

"You're right. But I guess even the avatar would rather feel safe than sorry."

"Good point. And what do you think the prince is up to?"

"We have something he wants," Gloria said slowly. "And we're sure he's not going to leave until he has it."

"Yes, that's a powerful piece you have." 'Hiro' then looked into the distance before returning his attention to her, and when he did, his gaze was surprisingly somber. "I think that the chase for the prince will be more complicated that anyone will anticipate –you might be forced to make compromises… but even then…" the older one heaved a sigh, "nothing will be what it seems."

"Oh," she blinked at him and his startling words. "The avatar doesn't make compromises, though," she gave him a quiet, but proud smile. "After all, he didn't make any compromises when he defeated the Fire Nation, did he?"

'Hiro' could only nod at that, yet when they finished their lunch and parted their separate ways, Gloria still had his words in mind. It sounded like a twisted, almost even corny prediction, but her friend had already proved himself wise in so many occasions. Besides… she grinned as she continued her search, patrolling happily in the streets of Kali, how hard could catching a prince be?

----- ----- -----

The sun was about to set.

Besides him, Appa yawned widely in his ears, making Aang smile as he rubbed his flying bison's sides, feeling his guardian's soft fur intertwining with his fingers. He was taking Appa for his weekly walk around the castle, and he could feel the flying bison's joy as they lazily strolled forward; it had started as a daily walk a year or two ago, but when the war had become more and more heated, Aang had been forced to cancel those walks, too preoccupied in strategizing against the enemy. It was all behind him now, though, and the child was thankful for that.

Still, he pondered when Appa nudged him gently by the side, one wouldn't believe how much he had had to change the castle's ground plans in order to make Appa's weekly promenade possible. After all, the city of Omashu had never been used to huge, flying bison, and Aang had had to clear more ground for his animal guardian's living space, as well as been obliged to set up tall walls around the castle to make sure Appa wouldn't just wander off. Of course, the enormous animal could always just fly away, but Aang figured that he would be too lazy to do so. Besides, Omashu castle's new walls' top priority had been to serve as extra security, because when word had gotten out that the avatar had mastered all four elements… well… Aang hadn't been exactly safe.

The sky was becoming redder and redder by the minute, its soft clouds all tinted with a light, nice shade of either orange or violet. It had been such a warm day, but now it was cooling down, and the familiar fall breezes rustled the airbender's clothes as he turned a corner. With a swift gesture of his hands, he lifted the breeze so that it swept past Appa's face, feeling satisfied when he heard his friend's annoyed grunt in response. With another small motion, the winds rustled Appa's thick fur before Aang finally let the air go, thankful for his amusing abilities.

With Appa by his side and nothing to remind him of what he had to do, the fourteen-year-old could almost forget of the matters at hand. Almost. But Suki's urgent voice had been enough to tell him that his job sadly was long from done, and thinking about the warrior of Kyoshi, he remembered how strangely she had been treating him that day. Had she tried to be… reassuring? Why though? He recalled her face when they had conversed, seeing in his mind's eye what had been in her eyes then: pity. A frown came to his face, because he didn't want –he didn't need- people to feel sorry for him. He remembered how it had been in the beginning… after the summer's end. People had either turned away from him, seeing him as a failure, or had looked at him with those long, ugly faces that had been supposed to be appeasing… but had only reminded him of why he had failed. Pity. He didn't need that. He didn't need to know that other people looked down to him… seeing him as weak. Because he wasn't. He couldn't.

Why pity him, anyway? His nightmares were receding (he still had them occasionally, but he wasn't crying anymore), and he knew what he had to do, perfectly content… more or less. It didn't matter that Katara was here or that Sokka had reported to him that a few firebenders had been freed. While the Fire Nation soldiers would be gathered eventually, Katara… he didn't need to worry about her.

What he should be concerned about was the current state of the four nations. Yet now that he had defeated Fire Lord Ozai, it should be easy restoring the world. At least, there wouldn't be any more fighting. Perhaps his present job would not be that easy, but it would simple, at least. And maybe… maybe then everything could go back to what it had been more than a century ago.

Aang then turned another corner… and stopped in his tracks. The color drained from his face. Besides him, Appa's ears perked up, because he, too, was surprised by the sight in front of him.

How…?

She had stopped, too, of course. Staring at him in shock, Katara took a step back, as if prepared to run away at any moment. She was really scared, he could tell, and he wasn't surprised. Their last encounter… hadn't been the best one, and thinking about it, a wave of sadness broke through his indifferent shield as he remembered… his tears, his pleas… and for a short, pathetic second, he felt like crying again. For a second.

His heart seemed to have stopped, frightened; it remembered the hurt she had so mercilessly inflicted on him two years ago. And now… she was back, and not just safe in the castle and out of his sight… but right in front of him.

You were… you were supposed to stay in my nightmares!

Paralyzed. Numb with pain. Just like the last time. He didn't know what to do; a part of him wanted to run away, to hide in a corner and break down. Yet… Was he really going to crumble again? Go back to his helpless twelve-year-old self, falling in front of her? Sorrow, anger, hurt… he felt them all, yet he was not going to give her the satisfaction. Two years were supposed to have changed him for the better, and he was determined to prove it.

"What are you doing here?" he finally asked her, his voice calm but brusque.

Blinking at him almost innocently, the girl appeared to debate with herself whether to tell him the truth or not. Katara had grown taller, stronger, the avatar noticed, and he hated how her familiar cerulean eyes still held the same, warm glow… how her face was exactly how he had depicted it in his mind all this time. She would have been so much easier to handle… if she had changed. But no, she was still Katara really, even if she had turned into a traitor. She was even prettier perhaps and…

…. He was now really glad that he had at least gotten over his crush on her years ago.

"Well," she started timidly, "Sokka decided that it would be… good exercise if I went out for a short walk once in a while, and he told me I could go around the castle today."

"Where is he?" Aang inquired coolly; somehow, he sensed that it hadn't been easy for the girl to convince her brother to let her out. In any case, though, he truly needed to have a word with that second-in-command of his.

"He isn't here," the waterbender replied, and something must have shown on his façade when fear unexpectedly enveloped his insides, because she rapidly added: "But the guards are watching me," she pointed at the earthbender sentries guarding one of the smaller entrances to the castle; indeed, at least one of them was staring at her suspiciously, "and besides, it's not as if I can climb those walls."

"Yet you could probably find another way to get through them," Aang remarked tranquilly. "After all, how else did you get inside the castle in the first place?"

Katara looked guilty for a moment, shrugging, but then, she gave him a small smile.

"I see you like to take walks, too," she commented quietly. "You have Appa with you, too. How is he?"

As if in response, the flying bison let out a loud, low-pitched sound. Aang suspected that his animal guardian was actually glad to see her. He had no idea whether Appa even knew about what she had done to them… to him. Katara's smile widened at his animal guardian's warm greeting, and the young monk felt his heart tighten as a childish thought came to his mind: I wish… I wish I could be glad to see her. That was stupid of him, though. He shouldn't wish for these things.

"It's such a nice day, isn't it?" the girl continued, closing her eyes as a gentle breeze blew past her face.

"Yes, it's a nice day," Aang agreed, sighing softy.

Perhaps sensing his sudden melancholy, Appa then rubbed his mammoth head against him. He grinned a little as he patted the bison's side.

"Look," Katara said a minute later, pointing, "the sun is about to set."

Aang turned to the west, and sure enough, the sun was beginning to disappear into the horizon, its hue a bright, deep crimson now. The skies were a dark, warm magenta, while the clouds had practically all vanished. Dipping lower and lower, the huge star sank, whilst the autumn winds suddenly blew harder, as if warning him about the chilly night that was about to come. When the sun touched the ground, an explosion of red melted into everything his gray eyes could reach, turning the landscape into a warm, scarlet painting.

The airbender was feeling uplifted, though his spirits stayed poignant and down. Appa's eyes were fixed on the sunset, too, and he let out a small rumble every few minutes, clearly enjoying the beautiful, rare sight. Katara, meanwhile, was smiling softly as she gazed at the vanishing sun. When it was halfway down, she closed her eyes, humming a quiet, but joyful tune that blended with the voice of the skies above.

"It's so beautiful," she breathed, "… everything. It makes me remember…"

Aang blinked at her, confused before he also remembered: the times they had been on Appa's back, quietly watching the sun rest together… happy. He reminisced about those moments, recalling their own bright, melancholy hues, and when he looked back to the present sun, which was almost gone, he realized he had never seen one that had been so drastic –so intense- as the one he was witnessing now. Looking back at those memories was a weight bringing him down, yet it made him happy somehow, someway… Because gazing at a smiling Katara, he could sink into blissful ignorance. He could forget, thinking instead that it was just like it had been before, when they had quietly watched sunsets together while Sokka had slept away, unaware.

But once the darkness came, so did his common sense, and he knew he had to get everything back together. These slip-ups… could happen only so often.

"I have to go inside," Katara told him, and he nodded, as if uninterested.

The girl gradually disappeared from his view as the stars one by one flickered to life in the ebony sky. Sighing, he sat down and thought about what had happened. There was sadness within him… he could feel it vibrate in every part of his body… but he also felt contented. A strange sort of joy, tinted with the dark azure shade of sorrow, and mixed together, he had this strange, calm feeling, making him feel more at ease than he had felt before.

The night above… it was just like him, he mused, leaning on Appa's leg. There would always be more sadness in him, yet tonight, a bodiless happiness sparkled on, perhaps merely a few bright dots in the unending black void, but radiant enough… to make a difference. Closing his eyes, the avatar stayed outside amidst the dark for a long time, and it was only later did he learn that he had been warm, then.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

A/N: Just made the deadline. (sighs in relief) This chapter wasn't too bad when it came to editing, although I might have rushed it… I hope this chapter didn't have too many mistakes. Anyway, I have finally posted the tenth chapter of this fanfiction! Hourrah. Okay, technically, this is only the ninth chapter (you know, with the prologue…) but if I post another chapter next weekend, Hardened Winds will have more chapters than my last multi-chapter story! An exciting thought, isn't it? And the fanfiction is still long from done.

…Which I'm not sure is a good thing, now that I have school and all. I'm so busy these days; it's almost a miracle that I'm able to get this chapter done today. Hopefully, I'll still be able to post at a consistent rate, although instead of every Friday, I'll get a new chapter out every weekend. Hopefully, that won't make much of a difference to you guys.

What more? Oh, yeah… Sokka and Katara's relationship. But before I go into this, I'm going to give you a useless fact; behind me, my sister is watching ATLA, and I'm smiling now, because Aang just said, "My friends need to suck on those frogs!" Hehe. (readers roll eyes) Back to the serious topic; I think I might have made Sokka too soft on Katara (I keep repeating this, don't I?), but… sometimes people don't act on logic when it concerns people they love. I know I don't. (meek laugh) Besides, I can assure you that it wasn't that easy for the waterbender to convince him to let her out.

Ten reviews last chapter. Very happy about it. I'll be even happier if I can somehow grab more than ten reviews for this chapter, although I really doubt that. On to reviewer responses:

Dracori: If you ever decide to read on this far, I hope you catch this note. I'm happy you took the time to read this story, even if the parody-esque quality of it might insult you, you being a Zutara fan and all. Thank-you for your review and your insights, and I agree…. Unoriginal stories can be good stories, but I prefer originals, usually. Much more refreshing.

SapphireStars: Yes, you're probably right, and I hope you'll tell me whether you liked this chapter.

MysticWaterBender3: Look at me! I'm still writing! Don't worry; it'll take a lot for me to abandon this story. Anyway, I'm glad you think this story is exciting, and I can't believe my simple words can make your heart go that fast! It makes me feel so accomplished. I'm also happy that you can look forward to something (even more, my story!) when you have school to worry about.

blackrosebunny: Thanks for the enthusiastic review! I'm glad you feel for Aang!

Aang's biggest fan: Dark Aang is fun, isn't he? And you think I got Sokka right? Thank-you.

whirleeq: Thank-you for the long, detailed review, and I'm glad you liked the fight scene and the dialogs between Katara-Zuko and Sokka-Katara. And I have an explanation for why Zuko was confident that his conversation with Katara would not be overheard. You see, most people don't know that Katara betrayed Aang so badly. They just see her as a simple, harmless traitor waterbender. So for her, status isn't a big thing. Besides, her intimidate relationship with Zuko is also a well-kept secret that only a few know.

aangsair: You liked the fight scene! Great, although I hope I can improve my fight scenes in the near future. I'm sorry, by the way, that this chapter is a little late, but at least I'm updating, right? Can't wait to hear from you!

tigerchic121: Hopefully, this chapter satisfied you, because Aang and Katara finally got to meet. As if I could delay the event any further; everyone was anticipating it since the very beginning! It makes me happy that you like how I lightly make fun of the usual Zutara story, and you like my dark, powerful Aang? I feel so flattered.

TempestJLU: Thank-you, and this chapter just answered your question.

Gmasangel: A new reviewer! YES! Thank-you for everything you said, and you'll know the attacker's identity eventually, although I'm sure the answer will become obvious to you once you think about it.

This is the first time ever that I've been able to update right after school begins. Usually, the moment I enter that dreary building is the moment all inspiration is dead. But I survived this time! Next chapter shall be posted next weekend (I pray), but please don't feel too sad if you have to wait two weeks instead… I'm trying my best for you guys!

Review if you're nice.