Hardened Winds
Chapter XV
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?
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Sokka and Katara weren't speaking to each other.
Ever since their brutal argument, the second-in-command had given up his duty of giving food to the girl, instead telling one of his younger colleagues to do it for him. Furthermore, he had told the sentries that his sister wasn't allowed outside anymore, in case she decided to sneak out of the castle behind his back. These days, Sokka was in a foul mood, and he directed all his anger at the waterbender. He figured it didn't matter too much, because she was only a captive, and she deserved it all.
Katara, meanwhile, wasn't so happy either. She hated how she was now stuck in the castle, unable to even get out of her cell, and she soon resorted to waterbending to calm her nerves. Before she had thought she had been unable to waterbend, since there was no water at all around her, but she soon was able to draw water directly from the air, which was a feat she had been trying to do for years to no avail… until now. She lashed out her attacks to the wall, all the while praying that Zuko would come back soon. She couldn't stand any of this anymore.
In the way, brother and sister were the same. So convinced that they were right, so driven by their emotions.
----- ----- -----
The door wasn't locked.
Hesitantly, Gloria stepped into the room, her expression timid as she gazed at her surroundings. And sure enough, she saw what she had expected; the earth walls were scarred with sword marks and his bed was a mess, his sheets all crumpled as they lay scattered, some on his ruffled bed and a few even on the dirtied floor. She was surprised that there weren't thrown clothes all over the place, but she knew that he wasn't a child, after all. There were limits to how the boy could lash out. And she smiled knowingly to herself before turning her eyes to the figure right in front of her.
His back was towards her, his eyes lingering on the window, and when the waterbender approached him, she could have sighed in relief when she saw his face from the reflection of the clear glass. His façade was serene now, his mind completely focused on the lackadaisical, soft clouds above, and he was like the calm after the storm. It seemed strange that the boy was gentlest after he had vented out his anger, but Gloria was glad, because that meant it would be easier to talk to him. It took a few minutes before the sixteen-year-old realized that he wasn't alone.
"Gloria?" Misaki at last turned around, and she couldn't tell whether he was irritated by her presence or not until he gave her a weary smile.
"Hello, there," the woman greeted him pleasantly, returning his smile as she sat on his bed. "This is quite lumpy, you know. How can you sleep on this thing?"
He sighed.
"This is not the reason you came here," he accused her, and she could only grin, shaking her head.
"I want to know if you're all right," Gloria told him gently. "Sokka… he told me what happened. He also told me you were angry."
Misaki scowled before sighing again.
"I'm always angry, aren't I?" he then said sarcastically, making the blond shake her head and laugh. "But yeah, I got really angry three days ago."
"So angry that you locked yourself in your room and bit the head off anybody who dared to come near?"
"Shut-up, Gloria."
She smiled smugly, and the boy glared at her.
"Anyway," she then started, her tone serious again, "Sokka is right in a way. You shouldn't have done that. You shouldn't have been so rash and tried to get the prince for yourself. You could have been seriously injured, and besides… who said that we wanted the firebender dead?"
"I wasn't trying to kill him," Misaki muttered.
"What came over you?" Gloria ignored him, continuing her reprimand. "The Resistance works as a team, and you always knew that. Why did you suddenly forget after the war? Our job isn't done, you know; that's why we're still here. And the most important thing is… why look for the prince yourself when you were supposed to look for him with Asuka and me? What's the difference?"
Giving her an annoyed stare, the sixteen-year-old said nothing for a long time, his gaze flickering from her face to his room until finally, he looked at her steadily and asked:
"Are you done with your lecture yet?"
A pillow thrown at his face was his answer.
"At least answer my last question," Gloria retorted crossly, giving him a flat look.
"It just wasn't the same," Misaki whispered, turning away from her. "There was something… I had to do."
"And that was?" the woman inquired, concerned.
"It's… just too complicated." She saw his fist clench. "I told Sokka only half the story, because for real… I did other things… other things he would have never thought I could do. But it's all over now," he sighed in relief, and when he turned to lock his eyes with hers, there was a pleading glimmer within the vivid green depths. "It's all over."
Gloria was speechless. After all, what Misaki had told her had been confusing, on the brink of not making any sense at all, but his previous speech had proved that he had been hiding something from her –from everyone- all this time. Sokka had informed her that the sixteen-year-old had patrolled the third floor these days, had looked out for the prince, and had even had a fight with the firebender a while ago. But Misaki had said that he had done more than that. But what could that be?
But it was now all over, wasn't it? The waterbender still needed to know, though, and she stood up and went to Misaki, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Tell me," she began quietly, "what happened."
He hesitated, glancing at her, but in the end, he shook her hand off.
"It's… just too complicated," he repeated, sighing. "I'm sorry, Gloria."
Avoiding her quizzical gaze, he left her alone in his room then, closing the door behind him and leaving the woman puzzled, suspicious, and… worried. There had been a quietness in Misaki's voice that had been abnormal, chilling. And perhaps she hadn't emphasized how much she needed to know what he had been doing, Gloria thought as she, too, exited the room. Maybe she should have shaken his shoulders, should have tried harder to make him see… because she had to know what was going on.
----- ----- -----
She felt like a lifeless corpse.
Sluggish and almost unfeeling, the girl lay immobile on the cold bench, her eyes closed as her breaths came out light and slow. There was nothing she could do now but wait for Zuko to show up, to free her from this disconsolate place. And perhaps then the sudden numbness she felt inside her would go away, the little void that had ripped open ever since Sokka had yelled at her… a few days ago? A week ago? She hadn't seen him for a long time, and it both annoyed and saddened her. Had this been the first time… their hostility had lasted this long? She had no idea.
Sokka had used to always realize he was wrong within a day or two. And occasionally, she allowed a small smirk to show, she had been the one who had been forced to acknowledge a mistake she made. However… no matter whose fault it had been… the two had always been able settle their differences in a fairly short amount of time. And now… was it so different now that her brother would refuse to talk with her forever? They were on different sides, it was true, but was that how he would see her from now on? An agent of the Fire Nation only? The thought made her depressed.
The boy was an idiot. The girl would never deny that. But he had had a point that day, too. She had lied to him, and she was presently feeling extremely guilty because of it. But why had he been so angry? He must have known… that she would never sell Sokka's -Aang's- secrets out so easily to the Fire Nation… even if it was for Zuko. She wasn't that low, and she still remembered the past.
Oh… really?
The snide voice was back, and she scowled to herself, remembering what she had done two years ago…
"Katara… what are you doing?"
"You… you can't be serious!"
"Why… Katara…. why are you doing this? Why… after everything… I-…"
His youthful face. Streaming with tears. That image had haunted her for months, and it had taken a lot of her willpower for her to make them stop. But now that she was thinking about it, she couldn't erase him from her mind anymore. The avatar… he had been so different from his normal, happy-go-lucky self when she had seen him in that cell, and it had almost broken her heart. Almost, though… because then… hadn't she been convinced that she had been doing the right thing? Zuko had used the right words, the right gestures, to make her believe that his nation had meant no harm, but now that she was free from his influence, alone and melancholy in her prison, she had to admit that it couldn't have been right… not entirely. Not when she had broken Aang down like that.
His eyes. They were a pale gray now, wintry and with an empty feeling brewing deep inside. It was so different to what she had seen in them before when….
"Hey! Look at this, Katara!"
"Wherever we're going, I guess it's near water."
"Tada! The marble trick!"
"I never wanted to be the avatar, but… if it means I bring hope, I guess… it isn't too bad."
They had shone then, those enthusiastic eyes of his, and his smile had been real, too. Sokka, she thought about him, he probably believed that she had extinguished the avatar's light, and she could see now… that he was most likely right. But her brother… he didn't know that she had changed more than one life with her decision from that summer's end. Because she knew she had also force-fed Sokka a cruel dose of reality that day. He was more on his guard than ever as Aang's second-in-command, and he wasn't as carefree as he had been before, happy enough to act ignorant and not care about it. He had transformed into commander instead, being obliged to carry a heavy load on his chest, and that had made him… what? The waterbender sighed. Her brother was more formal, more wary, and more tired than she had ever seen him.
He would probably not say anything stupid again without severely chastising himself. It was hard to imagine that there was a time, she grinned softly to herself, when he had just so freely said what was on his mind:
"Okay. Let's go find your boyfriend."
"I can't get beaten up by a girl! Besides… they snuck up on me!"
"I just took their side because they fed me."
"Yeah… we're all going to get eaten by a big monster."
Had everything… nearly fallen apart because of her? The girl buried her face in her arms, not knowing what to think. Hadn't she been the center of the trio two years before? Hadn't she been the one who had been closer to Aang and Sokka both? The notion made her feel even guiltier, but remembering the present, she told herself that everything was still all right. Sokka… he was handling himself just fine, ignoring her (at that, she frowned). And Aang… he should have at least recovered from her betrayal; it was a simple fact that he would never forgive her.
Soon, Zuko would come and get her, and she wouldn't have to think of…
What could have been.
----- ----- -----
Sitting besides his desk, furiously writing letter after letter, Aang could swear that he was catching a cold.
His skin was paler than usual, clinging to his bones and looking unhealthier than it had ever been, and he was always cold now, the chilling feeling slicing through his skin like daggers, becoming more vicious by each day. It also appeared as if even his insides were been depraved from warmth, because he felt a black hole inside him, brooding silently and making him feel strange, queasy and dizzy at the worst times. But maybe it wasn't because of his sickness that he was feeling empty. These days, with so many duties to perform and no company whatsoever, the avatar felt desolate. This new sensation bothered him, because it was new and taunting, plaguing him with a melancholy mood that he would rather not have.
Sokka was ignoring him, too. They had crossed each other's path many times during the last week, and although there hadn't been a time then when they had had to talk to each other, the fourteen-year-old could see by his friend's distant eyes that the other was avoiding him, hesitant and even guarded. Yawning and stacking away another letter he had just finished, the airbender sighed. Loneliness. The cursed emotion was slowly consuming him, and he hated that. He detested how it made him feel weak, as if he had to cling onto something –someone- to live. And there was something else, too. There was something… missing… deep inside him, and it was calling him, its soft, indistinct voice from far away. And he wanted to silence it, to just wipe away everything that was presently haunting him.
His possible illness… his frail emotions… his nightmares.
His hand was shaking as he was writing the last words to his final letter, and he gritted his teeth, forcing his hand to control itself. He couldn't be sick; he was the avatar, after all. He had no time to be vulnerable like this. And all of a sudden, he remembered her. How she had gazed at him, uncertainty and fear on her face, believing that he was invincible… that he was unconquerable. He unexpectedly felt a painful twinge, and that was when he stood up, at last coming to a decision.
It was the last thing he wanted to do, especially in these circumstances, but he had no choice, did he? Everything else had failed, leaving this one option, and at that thought, Aang collapsed on his chair and sighed. He wasn't looking forward to his at all, but thinking more about it, he had to confess that he had been putting this task off for a long time. He shouldn't have expected… anything less. And he clenched his fist and stood up again, suppressing a shiver as he felt a cruel, chilling breeze pass him. Nevertheless, he felt his skin prickle, numb, and he wondered in irritation when his own element had turned against him.
Aang made his way out of his room, frowning lightly as he went searching for any messenger who was available. There was somebody he needed to meet, and he currently didn't have the time to fetch her himself. The boy wandered aimlessly in his corridor for a while, and when he decided to check out a lower floor, he encountered Maya.
She wasn't the brisk, expressionless rebel firebender he had seen a few weeks ago. Now, completely relaxed, the twelve-year-old was in traditional Fire Nation robes, smiling and giggling as she kicked a ball towards her earthbender friend, her two small buns enthusiastically bobbing up and down. A smile of amusement flickered on Aang's face as he watched the girl play by the sidelines, and a spark of happiness (as well as this other, more hurtful feeling he couldn't place) momentarily warmed him, reminding himself of…
He sighed, shaking his head. He shouldn't dwell on this. And resolute once more, he approached the firebender and tapped her lightly on the shoulder. Immediately, she whirled around, and when she realized whom she was dealing with, she stepped back and blushed in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled, looking down, "it's my clothes, isn't it? I… uh…"
She gestured uselessly at her attire, wearing a worried expression, and the avatar restrained a chuckle as he gazed at the beautiful golden patterns adorning the firebender's crimson robe.
"No, it's not that," he reassured her calmly. "In fact, I think it's beautiful, what you're wearing." At that, Maya blinked before grinning shyly. "Anyway," the airbender turned solemn, "I want you to do me a small favor, Maya."
"Yes?" she said, her voice becoming serious, too.
"I want you…. to get Asuka for me."
----- ----- -----
Sokka had never thought that there would be so many people in Kali.
As he marched in the small village's streets and bumped against more and more people, his frustration began to rise while a small scowl gradually appeared on his face. This was taking way too long, he mused, annoyed. Much longer than he had planned. Yet what else could he do? These days, it felt as if he could only rely on himself. After all, it had already been about a week since he had talked to Gloria about the search party, and he doubted that the waterbender had ever succeeded in starting the hunt for the prince. Yet with Misaki's present mood and Asuka's aloofness, it wasn't surprising. Still, today the second-in-command had decided to take things in his own hands, determined to catch Zuko himself. It was becoming painfully obvious that he was the only one in the avatar's forces who was really intent on catching the firebender.
Sadly, as he had stated earlier, the task proved much harder than he would have liked. Kali was a rather crowded place, and people moved fast here, vanishing from his sight in the blink of an eye. And if normal people were able to do that, Zuko –with his amazing agility and his constant vigilance- would be practically impossible to track down. Sokka, unfortunately, was just starting to discover this, and this fact did nothing to enlighten his temper. Not only that, but he had also seen many men who had suspiciously looked like firebenders this morning, and it irked him that he couldn't do anything about it. Since he wasn't a hundred percent sure that they were Fire Nation soldiers, he had no authority to arrest them. Plus, he was only one man and a nonbender at that. He doubted he could take on several firebenders at a time.
Nevertheless, that wouldn't prevent him from jumping on Zuko the moment he saw him. Sokka hated those who hesitated in front of what they had to do, and besides, he had already fought the stubborn prince before, hadn't he? In the end, he had only come up of it with a few scratches. And ever since then, he had trained hard to improve himself, and he was sure that he was at least a little more nimble that he had been the last time he had fought.
Now… if only the prince would bother to show himself.
The enemy shouldn't be far. After all, if Zuko truly wanted to free his dear girlfriend, he would have to stay near her prison. But now that Sokka was coming to think about it, the firebender could be hiding in the forest nearby instead. Wouldn't that be a more sensible hiding place, away from the prying eyes of the villagers? But that would mean… that he had been searching in Kali for nothing! The boy gritted his teeth. This was becoming… too aggravating.
Closing his eyes, the seventeen-year-old finally stopped walking, taking a deep breath and seating himself on a bench. Relaxing, he shut his ears from the raucous, outside noise and attempted to empty his thoughts. It was no use getting upset about the Fire Nation prince. There was plenty of time to find him, and if he didn't, Zuko would come to him. It wouldn't be too long before the foe came back for Katara, right? Katara. He scowled, a soft sigh escaping his lips. What was wrong with her? Her lies, her treachery… it just didn't blend with her sincere smiles and the innocent nature of hers he had so naturally known when he had been solely her brother, when he could just act normal in front of her… and didn't have to treat her differently.
Katara… what she had done… what she was doing…. none of it made sense. How could she still smile and act justifiably after the horrendous things she had done? How could she still lecture about keeping promises after she had broken her own? How could she still act like his sister while deceiving him behind his back? It hurt to think about it, remembering the happy times the two of them had gone through when they had been young, careless, only for their earlier argument to show its ugly face to him quickly after. Slowly, Sokka opened his eyes, letting them rest on the serene cerulean skies above, and a moment later, his sight wandered to the animated people passing by him, smiling, laughing, and without a turmoil of vicious feelings ripping them apart. And meanwhile, here he was, struggling with himself over someone he had loved.
The South Pole native now dearly wished he had never strayed from his Zuko-centric thoughts.
Even when Katara had been his prisoner, she hadn't act cruel and hostile like he had done for her. No, she had been just… Katara, calmly letting him lock her up in her cell, almost as if nothing seriously had been happening, as if they had been merely playing one of their childhood games. And when she had smiled timidly at him, had chastised him for all his old habits, the foolish, gullible part of his mind had began forgetting what she had done, what she had become. What had it believed, Sokka presently asked himself, exasperated? That although the waterbender had betrayed Aang, she had still stayed his sister? Of course, their last talk had completely shattered that illusion, whether he liked it or not…
A huge ball of snow. Right in front of him. The perfect missile to fire at his sister.
Frowning in concentration, he moved ever so slowly towards the prize, dragging his entire body on the ground like a snail. Because if he stood up, she might see him. And he wanted to launch a surprise attack.
Let the girl think she was safe and sound in that perfectly made fort of hers, he thought, smirking. The ball was looming nearer and nearer. But just as he reached out for it, a bombardment of snowballs fell from the skies, all seemingly as big and threatening as hail as they pelted him.
And when he finally stood up, she was there. Wearing a small, satisfied smirk. She had won… again. And he grimaced.
This wasn't time… to reminisce. He was scowling, and in a swift, angry motion, he stood up, planning on going back to the castle. Because who cared about the prince? He was being illogical, he knew, but he couldn't stand being here anymore. Amidst cheerful people, with stocky, soft-hued buildings all around him… He needed to be alone in a familiar place. But first off, he needed to go back to reality, to convince himself that Katara wasn't who she had been. The boy was determined to simply become her warden again, and as long as he had his fury to grip onto, he would not slip again. Her lies would remind him that this wasn't her sister… but a potential foe.
As soon as he got back to Omashu, he would interrogate her, cold and merciless. And he would get answers.
----- ----- -----
Katara was lying on the cold bench, brooding, when she heard her cell door unlock itself.
Startled, she immediately stood up, and she frowned as she peered cautiously at her door, wondering whether she had actually heard the sound or not. She had already gotten her food for the day, after all, and ever since her fight with Sokka, she had not been allowed to go out anymore. Who could possibly want to see her now? The girl waited for a moment or two, but when nobody came into her cell, her frown deepened. Well, she mused, raising an eyebrow, if the person outside doesn't want to come in, I'll just come out and see him for myself. Slowly, she went to the door and swung it open. She blinked in astonishment, though, when she saw that there was nobody there.
Strange.
The waterbender was a little suspicious. Who could have wanted to open the door for her, only to evade her at the last minute? It did not make any sense at all. However, with the possibility of escaping right in front of her, she didn't bother to think too deeply into it. Perhaps she had an unknown friend within the castle who did not want to have his identity known, or maybe this was one of the rare incidents in life that could not be explained. Either way, Katara wouldn't let this great chance slip by.
By now, she knew the castle's interior rather well, and she presently felt a surge of confidence, assured that she would safely find her way out. The most difficult obstacle had been conquered for her, had it not? This had to mean something. It would be such a waste of time, really, if the door had unlocked itself, presenting her with the perfect opportunity, only for her to get captured again. Besides, she would show Zuko –Sokka- that she wasn't just a helpless girl. She could –she would- escape all by herself, and she couldn't wait to see the prince's bemused visage when she presented herself in front of him, safe and free without his help at all. And Sokka… he would be outraged, of course. She felt bitter pleasure mount inside her as she thought about it, but her brother would have to deal with her escape. And it would be better for the two of them, wouldn't it be? Sokka, he wouldn't have to deal with her unnerving presence anymore, and she… didn't have to feel guilty after she was gone from this miserable place.
With that, she smiled to herself and quietly slipped out of the third floor, her ears strained for any sound while her body was tense, ready to fight. The sixteen-year-old took the more remote corridors, and her mood soared when she saw nobody in her path. The stairs were the biggest problem, because that was where she had the most chance of encountering a foe, but even there, there was no one to stop her, and she felt dizzy with delight. She would easily escape from here. Her steps were light and quick, and she never let her guard down, despite her optimistic attitude. She took the long way towards the exit, moving rapidly from one hallway to the next, and it was only when she burst out, her face colliding with the fresh air of late autumn, did she begin feeling a little uneasy.
She had expected to be stopped when she had been inside the castle, snaking her way out. And she had felt jubilant and smug when there had been no one in her way to freedom. Yet her judgment had been clouded then, because she had been so convinced that the fates had been smiling at her from below, had wanted this to happen. But that couldn't be right, could it? There had to be a reason why she had been allowed to escape from her cell, and somebody must have wanted her to come out of the castle, to come this far. But who exactly… and why? She had thought that perhaps she had a friend amongst the avatar's resistance, but now that she was thinking clearly, she highly doubted that. But if it was an enemy who had set this all up, there was still the question of why? It just… didn't make any sense.
Frustrated, Katara began to walk, slowly and carefully at first, but her pace soon began to be more relaxed, even leisured, as if it was one of her normal walks in the castle grounds. Because a part of her couldn't help thinking that it was one of her ordinary promenades. She knew she shouldn't be here, that there were guards to look out for, but the soothing feel of the familiar earth below her, and the calming sensation of the refreshing breeze… It was all almost enough to convince her that nothing was wrong, that she should be here. Too bad that it wasn't true.
Plus, she was starting to wonder how she would escape from here. She had thought before that she merely needed to get out of the castle and then she would be free. But gazing at the immense castle walls in all around her, she knew that she had severely miscalculated. It had been so easy slipping under the walls to enter the castle, but she knew it would be much harder evading the intimidating obstruction. Urgh. She scowled, feeling angry and indignant again, and she wondered how she could have ever been so foolish, carried away by her optimism. She remembered what Zuko had taught her, to always keep one's head cool and level, and she could imagine him reprimanding her for ever thinking that her mission could have been so easy.
Calm. Peace. Quiet.
She stopped, closing her eyes and exhaling slowly. She couldn't let stress overcome her like this. She couldn't give up now. Ever so carefully, she let her body relax, allowing all her tension to unwind, loosen its suffocating grasp on her, until it was completely gone. She sighed, and a few moments later, when she opened her eyes again, she felt like her usual self: tranquil and composed. Walls couldn't keep her in. She would find her way out. She touched the barrier's rough, rocky surface, asking herself whether she could climb it. She felt its jagged texture, the hard earth crumbling into coarse sand in her hands, before looking up, and she sighed when she saw the daunting sight above. If she could just climb the wall, it would be a long way up.
There was always the caution of stealth, too, she mused, patting the sand off her hands. If she just scaled up her obstacle, chances were that a sentry would eventually spot her. And then it would be game over. Another sigh. She would have to find another way to go past the walls, although… the unexpected thought struck her, and she felt nostalgic all of a sudden… Sokka probably would have just risked his chance, going up the walls and being sighted. And Aang, he would-
Just then, an inexplicable dread seized her, and she took a step back and whirled around. A split second later, a spear shot through the air and struck the part of the wall she had been standing in front of a moment ago. The loud, rough sound of sharpened metal making contact with stiff earth clashed in her ears. She was now very afraid, her heart beating noisily in her chest, its pulse so violent that she had to clutch her chest to contain it. She had been so close to death just right now. It had been simply because of her instincts that her head wasn't pierced through at this very moment. The thought left her pale and shaken.
And in front of her was the enemy. Tall, gaunt, and completely in black, his face was hidden in layers of cloth, revealing only his small, narrowed eyes that burned intently into Katara's. There was a long, dangerous dagger in one of his hands, and she was frozen in place, knowing that he wanted to kill her but unable to defend herself. At least until he rushed towards her, dagger aimed at her face, and with a frightened yelp, the sixteen-year-old dodged, tripping over herself and falling clumsily onto the ground. Trembling violently, she struggled to pull water from the air, desperate to form a decent water whip, and when her opponent was right in front of her, Katara let out a small scream before she splashed all the water she had gathered into his face.
The other staggered, only for a second, yet it was enough time for the girl to stand up and get a grip. She had been surprised then, when she had been assaulted at the most unexpected time, but now she was ready to fight back. She wouldn't just let her enemy conquer her so easily. With a fluent grace, she pulled all the water back to her, quickly gathering a little more from the atmosphere before forming a rather large water sphere.
In a fighting stance, Katara launched her attack, the water hurtling at an incredible speed towards the enemy. She briefly showed a satisfied smirk when her foe was sent flying, only to land heavily a few feet away from her. However, he regained his ground too quickly for her liking, and before she could strike again, he lunged at her, and his blade slashed her cheek as she barely avoided his dagger. Her water sphere exploded into a pelting rain, and she soon found herself on the ground. Gritting her teeth, she looked up to her enemy, hurriedly trying to gather her water sphere again. When she saw him raise his dagger, ready to stab her, she gasped and rolled away just in time.
An obscene curse escaped the other's lips. Katara was bemused that the voice had been… female. She had thought at first that she was dealing once more with a masked YuuYan archer, but if it was a woman she was fighting… Suddenly determined to find out her opponent's identity, the teenager grabbed the black covering hiding her adversary's face. The latter instantly jerked back, alarmed. However, the swift movement tore the cloth away from her façade, and before Katara knew it, a fistful of black silk was in her hands while she stared, mesmerized, at her attacker.
Abruptly, a scene flooded in her mind. Something that had happened so long ago… When she had been on Zuko's ship, when the avatar's pirates had been assaulting them, and when she had faced a thin, dangerous woman clad in black, a dagger pointed at her heart… It was her. The waterbender let out a loud gasp, instinctively backing away from her foe while fear contaminated her insides, slowly engulfing her, devouring her… Because the woman was staring at her with the most horrible expression, her chalk white face twisted in fury and loathing while her eyes –pitch black and as unfathomable as the murkiest depths of the ocean- glinted ominously. She had been the one who had caught her in the castle in the first place, was it not? And Katara could remember her chilling words exactly, even though they had been spoken weeks ago…
"I doubt you'll be spared this time."
And you won't, a quiet voice unexpectedly spoke up inside her, if you don't snap out of it. Feeling poured inside her again, and with another gasp, the sixteen-year-old jumped up, shaking off the fear that had so quickly gripped her and rapidly reassembling her water sphere. It didn't matter who her enemy was, she tried to convince herself. She was going to beat her. In front of her, the other smirked.
"It doesn't matter if you know who I am," she said silkily. "I doubt you'll live long to make this information useful anyway."
"We'll see about that," Katara whispered, narrowing her eyes. "Don't… underestimate me."
Those words exchanged, the two went into action, the ninja woman charging at the girl with amazing speed, her weapon drawn out, while Katara took a step back and hurled her water with as much force as possible, amassing the liquid into a small, concentrated ball that would hit the enemy's face with a solid, blowing impact. She was hoping that this sole assault would knock the woman out, because she knew that waterbending alone would never give her opponent any significant damage. And sure enough, the water hit her right in the face, and the dagger flew out of her hand as she collapsed on the ground, her breaths coming in slow, heavy pants.
Quickly, Katara made her way to the knife, hoping to render her adversary more or less harmless Her hand was merely a few inches away from the weapon before she felt something hard hit her face. A shriek could be heard, and she stumbled and fell, scowling as she saw the woman lazily pick up her dagger, all the while watching her in cruel amusement. The sixteen-year-old let out a sound that sounded suspiciously like a snarl before she got up and prepared a brutal water whip. With a furious motion from her arms, she unleashed her attack, but to her dismay, her foe dodged the whip before running towards her. The woman was too close now to dodge. Katara screamed, blocking her face with her arms, knowing that there was no way she would come out of this unharmed.
She was not surprised when she felt a splitting agony seize both her arms, and she took a cautious step back before slowly lowering her arms and checking the damage. She winced at what she saw; her two forearms were a mess already, blood eagerly bubbling out of her wounds and tainting her clothes a deep, taunting red. Even when the girl carefully rolled up her sleeves, there was a shooting pain that made her grunt. She felt her stomach churn uneasily when her eyes fell on a deep, ugly gash on each forearm. She glared at her opponent, the fear she had dispelled before beginning mount again when she learned that the other had barely been harmed by her attacks.
Katara clenched her fists and made a gesture that would harness back all the water she had lost, but she had just raised her arms when a burning, searing sensation made her yelp, and her arms fell back to her sides, useless. Her injuries… she hadn't known that they were that bad. Now, and this thought was followed by ice-cold dread that drenched her entire being, she couldn't waterbend. She tried once again to move her arms in the familiar waterbending motions, yet this time, she realize to her horror that the tiniest move made her cringe in pain. She was entirely… vulnerable.
The woman could sense it, too, because there was malicious satisfaction shining in her eyes as she watched the girl squirm. Katara knew she should be running away if she wished to live. After all, it was obvious that the other wanted to kill her, but the dark, pessimistic part of her mind asked what was the point. And before she could convince her legs to flee, her enemy came forward, her thin lips curved into a victorious grin as she prepared for a deadly assault. Gasping, Katara knew she was just lucky when she avoided the dagger's fatal point, but the consequences was that she collided with the ground in the most painful manner, and when she automatically tried to push herself up with her arms, she felt an atrocious agony taking her over. A moan slipped from her mouth as she collapsed completely.
There was… nothing she could do.
A few feet away from her, the enemy watched her, her face this time expressionless.
"You deserve to die," she breathed softly, her voice so quiet, so cold, that the sixteen-year-old momentarily suspected that it was only the harsh wind that had chilled her to the bone. "You traitor."
The woman then jumped, her weapon positioned for the final, deadly blow, and in that slow, cruel second that Katara was forced to endure watching her foe pounce, she realized something. It was as if something clicked inside her, and she felt horrible all of a sudden, not only weak but…
It happened in a blur. He had just jumped out from nowhere, knocking the enemy down in midair. Her ice blue eyes widened when she recognized who it was. The ninja woman tumbled to the ground, flinching and scowling, and he immediately came to her, shielding her. She let out a gasp, but this time, it was out of gratitude… love. She gazed at him, at loss for words, and he returned her stare, his face unreadable. She struggled with the right thing to say, and finally, she smiled and whispered:
"Thank-you, Sokka."
Her brother nodded curtly and helped her into a sitting position. He was extremely gentle with her, taking good care of her damaged arms, and she felt a surge of emotion taking over her. He was so… endearing. Especially after what they had gone through, what she had done. So it was true. He really still cared. And it felt so good to know that he was still the same, that she still had a big brother to look up to…. She felt her melancholy being lifted, a small smile tugging at her lips. But there was still the enemy to deal with.
Katara composed herself, gazing nervously at her attacker, and she saw that Sokka, too, was looking at the woman, but he wasn't afraid. No, he was extremely angry. She felt happy and safe, though, that he was here now. His presence made everything… better. Just like it had had an eternity before.
"Asuka," the seventeen-year-old at last spoke up, his tone harsh and cold. "What were you doing?"
Asuka returned the second-in-command's hard gaze, standing up with an air of cool superiority.
"Sokka," she acknowledged quietly. "Why are you so worked up over one simple prisoner?" Her voice was mocking, and besides her, Katara could see her brother's fists clench.
"That is none of your concern," he spat out, wearing a fierce expression. "I'll repeat this just one more time… What were you doing, Asuka?"
The woman opened her mouth but paused before shaking her head slightly. And when she finally replied, the sixteen-year-old felt a sick feeling overcome her.
"I was sent by the avatar."
And a moment later, she darted out of their sight.
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A/N: Yeah, I'm alive. Be awestruck. And I know, it's been months since I've updated and I am a very bad author who should slowly burn but won't because that's how life is. Anyway, I am sorry that I haven't updated for such a long time, especially since I should have been able to. Kind of. Because my story is done. Yes, Hardened Winds is a finished story. I just have to edit it more before posting every chapter. Don't worry, though. I am planning to publish all chapters this summer.
Be jubilant. Although I know you won't be. Sigh. I'm pretty sure I lost all my reviewers when I… ah…. disappeared. Sorry again.
Hopefully, this chapter wasn't too painful to read. It was supposed to a nostalgic chapter, which might have irritated some, but at least there was an action-filled ending. And a cliffhanger of some sort. Maybe that will entertain you for a while.
Once again. Sorry. Sorry. And the next chapters will be up before you know it.
Oh, yes. By the way, thank you to AirGirl Phantom for pointing out to me that I described Katara as a fourteen-year-old practically all through this chapter. I thought I only made the mistake once or twice throughout this story, but it turns out I'm just not that smart. Yeah, and I've reposted this chapter a million times by now.
Review if you're nice.
