Hardened Winds

Chapter XVI

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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This wasn't good. No… this was far from good.

Darkness. Thick and foreboding, it was all around him, glaring at him, taunting him. And he grasped his scrawny arms tighter, closing his eyes and willing it all to go away. Cold. Warmth. He felt them both; the cold gradually conquering him with its sharp, glinting claws, and the feverish heat that made his head hurt, that made the worst unwelcome thoughts enter his head.

His mattress felt like lumping ice underneath him, and his thin covers that were now securely drawn all over him… they weren't helping. They weren't protecting him from anything. But the boy nevertheless held them more closely to himself, a purely instinctive movement as he prayed fervently for what…? Warmth that would revive his body? Or the cold that would clear his head…?

He remembered. He recalled the things he had so desperately pushed into the back of his mind years ago, when he had been so foolish… so free… He remembered his relaxed, sarcastic voice… her warm smiles that were just for him… And he felt a stinging stab, knowing that he shouldn't be reminiscing all these memories, that he was only hurting himself further. But his mind kept replaying everything he had gone through before that summer's end, and when he saw his own cheerful grin, his own stupid exploits… He couldn't help but flinch.

So naïve. So stupid. He had had no idea what he had gotten himself into then, had he? He had had absolutely no clue what war had really meant…. what the heartrending sacrifices had been that the avatar was always forced to make. And he had paid deeply for his ignorance, had he not? For a brief, terrible second, he felt her familiar presence lingering next to him, and he cringed. But he couldn't help but miss a part of his former, carefree self, because the moment he had abandoned his childish spirit, he had let go of something else… of something much more valuable.

He didn't know what, though. And he hated not knowing.

A cough. It brutally escaped his mouth, reminding him of his present condition, and the fourteen-year-old sighed. Sleep. He needed sleep. The cold always went away when he sank into the shadows of slumber. But then…. There were the dreams, and he closed his eyes, feeling a small shiver pass through his entire being. He could deal with his nightmares when he was well, ignore them completely until their dreadful aura had vanished completely from his mind. But would he be powerful enough when he was sick like this?

He felt horrible, knowing that he could never escape. If his illness wasn't plaguing him, his mind would… with teasing, heartbreaking pictures of the past. And he knew that he would feel drained and depressed in the morning if he fell asleep and accepted these dreams.

Still. He was tired of the cold. And he couldn't stay awake until morning. That would take energy that he did not have. Besides, if he admitted that he couldn't face his nightmares, he would only prove to be weak, vulnerable. He had to show to himself that he could bear these dreams, and when they stopped haunting him, affecting him, they would… go away.

Please… just go away.

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

"Aang wouldn't do that… would he?"

He wasn't sure. He wasn't sure of anything anymore. And behind him, his little sister looked at him with those large, innocent eyes, which again shone with trust. Gritting his teeth, the seventeen-year-old punched the earth wall in front of him. His fight with Katara…. the two of them had long forgotten about that ever since he had saved her from Asuka. Brother and sister were once again on even terms, but the price for that had been high. They no longer doubted each other, turning their suspicions on…

No. It couldn't be.

Katara was calling to him again, her voice soft, almost comforting. But he couldn't to look at her, not now. Instead, he kept his eyes on the wall, glaring fiercely at it and all the while wondering how he had gotten into such a screwed-up situation so fast. Why did Asuka just attack the waterbender like that yesterday? And, the second-in-command narrowed his eyes, confused. The woman hadn't been merely trying to hurt his sister… she had been intent on finishing Katara off. But why? The nagging, persistent question mocked him, tugging at his every nerve. Asuka had said that Aang had sent her, had wanted to destroy Katara, but that was impossible. Aang wouldn't turn to harsh actions. He would never –never- kill…

Abruptly, the dreadful memory of their deceased prisoner crossed Sokka's mind, something that had happened so long ago. He recalled Aang's downcast face, his solemn tone as he proclaimed to his friend that he had indeed murdered someone, and again Sokka punched the wall, furious. No, no… no!

Yet the young monk had been acting dangerously these days, the evil voice continued slowly in his head, savoring his pain. Lately, Aang had been distant to him, averting his eyes from his own cerulean ones, and hadn't the airbender ignored him quite a few times the past few days? It was particularly difficult to admit that Sokka had no idea what his friend was currently up to. That doesn't mean that Aang wants to kill Katara! he screamed silently, clutching his head. His best friend… he couldn't have changed that much, could he? One moment he was the chirping, grinning boy everyone knew and loved, and the next…. a murderer.

No. Sokka knew that he himself had killed a few men during the war, and during that time, casualties had been inevitable. Hadn't Aang's situation with that prisoner been the same? It had occurred during the war, after all, but… it hadn't been necessary then, Sokka knew reluctantly. Aang had had a choice in sparing the captive that time, yet the avatar had decided to be merciless, crushing the victim without any thought as he had attempted to do this time… But that was just it, the South Pole native thought angrily. The airbender hadn't tried murdering Katara; Asuka had lied, that had to be true.

The woman had never lied to his knowledge, though. And why, the rational part of him asked, why would she? There had been no reason for her to evade the truth, and perhaps she had just given it to him that day… that awful day…

"Sokka?"

Surprised, the boy whirled around. Sitting on the bench, Katara gazed at him with concerned eyes.

"We probably… shouldn't think about this too much," she started tentatively, but Sokka immediately interrupted her before she could say more.

"What do you mean, we can't think about it too much?" he asked, his brow furrowed. "Don't you care about your life, Katara? Someone out there is trying to kill you!"

Bemusement spread on her face before she shook her head and sighed. She was so naïve sometimes, the boy thought, frowning. She hadn't changed at all, had she? She had been so foolish with her crush on Jet, and she had only been lucky when she had succeeded in convincing the earthbenders to rebel two years ago. And perhaps… perhaps she was being naïve again with Zuko? Sokka's frown deepened. He had never thought about that before, but now that he thought about it, the possibility angered him. True, that would mean that she wasn't truly bad, but he couldn't bear to think about all the pain she had caused simply due to her stupidity.

This was not the matter at hand, of course. Now, he wanted –he needed- to know who wanted to harm his sister before it was too late. Maybe it wasn't Aang, a hopeful part of him suggested. Maybe… it was the same person who had employed the YuuYan archers? But if that was so, they had used Asuka this time. And Asuka, Sokka knew with perfect certainty, never worked for anyone besides herself… and the avatar. Back to square one, he mused, infuriated.

He had to think about this further. He needed some time alone. But glancing back at his sister, he wondered what he could do with her. Sure, Katara was capable of defending herself, but not all too well, as her last fight had shown. Besides, she was presently wounded, unable to waterbend. This was bad. Should he leave her with a guard? No, he shook his head. That would seem suspicious. Someone was bound to report this to the airbender. And for now, Sokka's fists clenched, he didn't want Aang to know anything. Because apparently, the avatar thought the same.

"I need to go," the second-in-command at last headed towards the door.

"What?" Katara said, visibly alarmed. "Already?"

"Don't worry," he told her. "I'll have this door double-bolted, with a lock that only I can break. Don't worry."

He repeated the last statement softly, reassuringly, but when he closed the door, he could still see is sister's face, worried and frightened. He felt awful for some strange reason, as if… he was abandoning her.

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

However, it was obvious that he wasn't.

For two days straight, all he could think of was Katara, her safety, and who was trying to attack her. Locking himself in his room, he spread a multitude of papers across his desk and began thinking, jotting down anything –a thought, a clue- that could lead him closer to the mysterious foe. He was determined to prove that it wasn't his best friend behind all this, but (and he hated to admit this) there was a chance that Aang had ordered Asuka to murder his sister. After all, the boy could have been harnessing an anger towards Katara that he had never revealed, and if there was anything Aang was good at, it was hiding his emotions. Maybe, Sokka thought, closing his eyes, maybe the fourteen-year-old had recently reached a breaking point.

The thought was painful to contemplate, though, so he often pushed it to the back of his mind. Meanwhile, he was beginning to ignore the airbender, averting his gaze from the other's every time they crossed each other's path. It was rude, Sokka knew, especially since he hadn't come to the conclusion that Aang was the culprit yet, but he just couldn't endure looking into the avatar's cold gray eyes, not now. He was afraid that he would see guilt in them, or worse… nothing but the steely coldness that he had seen before, when his friend had confessed that he had killed that prisoner. Besides, Aang wouldn't notice if Sokka ignored him. He had a feeling that the fourteen-year-old was trying to avoid him, too.

However, by the end of the second day, the adolescent knew that he couldn't go on like this forever; ignoring his best friend and making himself believe that it wasn't him who had tried assaulting his sister while the evidence against the other was becoming stronger and stronger. He needed to talk to Aang about this. He was the only one who could give Sokka the truth, and the latter doubted that the avatar would lie to him. After all, when had Aang said anything but the truth before? Katara was also the enemy, so if the airbender wished to exterminate her, he would think that Sokka would fully agree with him. And when he pondered over this, the South Pole native wondered what would happen if Aang was really behind all this. Could he tell… the avatar to back off?

But Aang would have a point; Katara was responsible for high treason, and didn't she just lie to Sokka a while back? He didn't know anymore. He shouldn't trust the waterbender, he should just forget about her and the fun times they had had before… but he couldn't bear the thought of her being killed. And what more, but by her former best friend. This… was…. hurting… his head.

Surprisingly, before he could decide the exact time he would have a private talk with Aang, the airbender himself called him to his chambers.

"I'm going to Bai Sing Se," the young monk informed Sokka quietly, already prepared with a small backpack and –more surprisingly- putting on a leather coat.

"What?" the South Pole native questioned, taken back and even more suspicious.

Apparently, it was true. The avatar hadn't been keeping him up-to-date these days. But Bai Sing Se? That was the last thing that Sokka would have thought of.

"Since when?" he demanded, and the moment the words slipped out, he regretted them. He had sounded too harsh.

With his back to him, Aang tilted his head, as if surprised.

"Didn't Asuka…?" he started, but then he stopped and shook his head.

Didn't Asuka what? Sokka wanted to know, but thankfully this time, he retained this question. Instead, he composed himself, deciding he would rather want to know more about the subject of the Earth Nation Capital.

"What are you planning to do there?" he asked casually a minute later.

"I have some matters to attend to," the monk replied, sighing. "I'll be back in four days… a week even? I just want you to look after the castle until I come back. Not too hard, right?"

"Of course not."

The second-in-command felt strange when he talked to Aang, and it was only when the latter exited the room did he realize that his friend hadn't looked at him once during their meeting. The discovery was unsettling, and it only confirmed that the avatar was hiding something from him, something big. Sokka frowned as he, too, left the airbender's chambers. A part of him had already accepted the fact that Aang was most likely behind what had happened to Katara. The thought was nauseating, though, and the seventeen-year-old felt indignant and perhaps even enraged that his best friend could just try to kill his sister off so easily, not even telling him about it first. The hopeful voice in his mind that kept telling him that Aang was innocent was becoming quieter and quieter, leaving anger and wariness to brew freely inside him.

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

He had a feeling that something bad had happened to Katara.

True, Zuko knew, it was merely an instinct, and it was probably wrong. The prince was one who usually went by rational common sense, not normally jumping to conclusions solely because of his intuition. However, as nights went by, the uneasy sensation grew, tormenting him with daunting questions and horrid possibilities, and it was becoming harder and harder to simply ignore it, to cling on reason. After all, what would happen if his instincts were right? If the waterbender had gone through something terrible and… he hadn't been there to stop it? Zuko wouldn't be able to live then, knowing that someone so close had suffered when he could have done something about it.

Perhaps he should have already gone to free Katara. It had been a long time since they had long talked, and the girl was probably wondering what was taking him so long. Yet it wasn't as if the prince didn't have anything else to do in the village of Kali. Often, he conjured up meetings with his men, discussing about what they would do when they came back to the Fire Nation, and other times, he would plan with his uncle, trying to find the best way to cross the waters and reach Jennoh. Because although they could recapture their own ship, Uncle Iroh was sure that they could come up with a safer way to acquire transportation. The avatar didn't let his loot get stolen that easily, the retired general never failed to remind him, much to his irritation. And all these things happened at night, because by day, everyone had to look out for themselves. Firebenders were still far from welcome in the Earth Nation.

Most nights, though, he was alone, thinking about problems that were more… personal. He thought he knew what he had to do once he was back in his native nation. He would take the crown and follow his ancestors' footsteps, wouldn't he? Yet Uncle Iroh's words replayed themselves again and again in his head, and he began wondering whether becoming Fire Lord was such a great idea. He didn't want to repeat history, did he? But history… it just didn't repeat itself that easily, right? The questions were boundless, each one leaving him more confounded than ever, and it took several nights to sort his thoughts out.

About a week after being pestered by the foreboding feeling, Zuko decided he would pay a visit to the waterbender. By now, he was almost completely sure that something had happened with Katara. He was so desperate to find her that he decided he would go to her cell by sunset instead of in the safety of the night. A rash decision, he knew, but he had already stalled long enough. Besides, a little fighting would do him some good.

Yet he needn't have worried, because infiltrating the castle of Omashu proved to be very easy. As always, he climbed the wall using rope, making sure to land in an area that wasn't been watched. This time, luck was with him, because he soon found a way to slip into the structure by using one of its smaller entrances –one that was left unguarded. The hallways he sneaked by were all deserted, and in no time, he had mounted the stairs and had entered the remote third floor. His stride confident, he marched to Katara's cell, raising an eyebrow when he met a double-bolted door. The eighteen-year-old closed his eyes, frowning in concentration, and a moment later, his fist became flamed. With a snarl, he pounced on the lock, but when he did not hear the satisfactory click of the door becoming unlocked, he drew back his fist and looked quizzically at the door. A moment later, he swore.

So the water tribe peasant wasn't such an idiot, after all. That bastard had installed a fireproof bolt.

No matter, Zuko thought, gritting his teeth. He would break the door if it was the last thing he did. But before he broke his fists trying, he inspected the bolt, looking for anything –a weakness- of which he could take advantage. Uncle had told him once that a bolt was a complex mechanism, one that could collapse easily should one of the smaller parts break. Not such a bad idea, the prince now pondered, glaring at the object. If he managed to damage one of the smaller parts of the double-bolt, then he would have access to Katara's cell. He had to hurry, though, because even if he felt safe now, he was still in enemy territory. With that in mind, Zuko searched for any small holes and burned them as well as he could, hoping that one of them lead to the gears of the bolt. He then determined the weaker areas of the bolt before closing his eyes and directing a precise kick, using as much force as he could as his foot came in contact with the metal. A raucous, resonating sound dominated the air, and the firebender flinched, knowing that the noise had certainly been heard.

He tried opening the cell door again, scowling when the attempt proved useless. He aimed another accurate kick at the bolt before both his fists became enflamed. Fine, he mused, if he couldn't find a rational way to crack the bolt, he would resort to the first thing that had come to his mind; pure, impulsive violence. He hit the lock several times, making sure his flames penetrated through the small holes of the bolt, and after a minute or two, he stopped and tried opening the door again. When it refused to budge one more, Zuko's temper rose dramatically, and solely out of frustration, he kicked furiously at the door.

He was rather astonished when the door opened rather easily on his third attempt, and he even allowed a small smile to show. Take that, Uncle. Rash aggression was sometimes the answer. He looked into the cell, expecting to see Katara smile warmly in front of him. The second surprise met him when he found her flattened on the wall, her face pale and fearful as she stared at him with wide, glimmering eyes. Blinking, Zuko gave her an inquiring look, wondering what was wrong with her. Neither of them spoke for a while until finally, Katara hesitantly relaxed and looked at him closely. A moment later, the familiar gentle smile spread across her face and she leaped on him, making him stumble as she gave him a fierce hug.

"Katara!" he gasped. "What… why… what happened?"

"I'm so glad it's you!" the girl cried, almost tearfully, hugging him even more tightly. "I thought it could have been…"

"What?"

At last, she let go of him and stepped back, wearing a hesitant expression.

"Something… uh… happened," she told him quietly, and the fright in her eyes was back.

So he was right. Zuko clenched his fist, thankful that Katara was presently all right and already impatiently waiting to know who was the culprit. The sorry idiot would no doubt pay for what he had done. When he questioned her further, the waterbender sighed before launching her story, and as the tale progressed, he felt himself becoming more agitated, angrier. Someone had tried to kill her, and that person, as Asuka's identity became revealed, was one of the avatar's men. How could the avatar just let that happen? However, the worst was yet to come. When Katara quietly finished her account with one last horrifying piece of information, a suppressed cry of rage escaped the firebender's mouth, quickly followed by a few flames that floated aimlessly in the air for a second before quickly vanishing.

"But Sokka and I," Katara said quickly, sensing his fury, "we doubt that it's Aang who sent Asuka. It's probably not him. The woman lied maybe. And-…"

"I'll kill him."

The words were out before Zuko could hold them down, but when he heard the chilling statement with his own ears, he didn't regret them. Because he was going to finish the avatar once in for all. It had been his original plan, anyway, and what he had done to Katara… it was unacceptable. Nobody –not even that monk- could just try to destroy someone he loved, fail, and expect no consequences whatsoever. Besides him, the fourteen-year-old looked appalled.

"Zuko! No!" she immediately protested.

"Look," the prince gave her an intent gaze, "I can't understand why you're still sticking up for him. He's no longer your friend, Katara, and now… chances are that he wants you dead by any means necessary. How can you stand that?"

"Aang… He wouldn't do that… He would never do that…"

"People change."

Katara looked at him helplessly.

"I know that," she told him, looking down. "But I still don't want this. I don't want anyone else to get hurt… is that too much to ask?"

"Katara," Zuko hissed through gritted teeth, and he frowned at her, hoping to intimidate her into silence.

Sadly, she steadily held on to his gaze, returning it with a solemn one of her own. They stared at each for a long moment before the boy threw his hand up in the air and sighed. Katara was sometimes so stubborn, just like him. Usually this was a trait that Zuko liked in a person, but when the stubbornness was directed a t him… He groaned. Fine, he thought. He would make her happy and drop the subject. For now. The burning feeling he felt towards the avatar, though, did not cease. The vicious anger lashed at his insides, making him grit his teeth and wish the most spiteful things to the enemy. The latter would pay eventually, of course, and the prince looked forward to the moment he would deliver the punishment.

"Okay, okay, let's just get you out of here," Zuko then turned to the waterbender, giving her a reassuring half-smile. "And then we'll see."

An incredulous expression crossed her face, quickly followed by indignation, before she frowned and agreed reluctantly. Nodding, he extended a hand to her, and when he discovered that both her arms had a vicious, bloodied scar, his rage only grew. He regretted dearly that he could do nothing to help the wounds heal.

And just then, he heard the door slam shut. Eyes narrowed, Zuko abruptly turned around, and he felt a mixture of amusement and irritation as he found himself face to face once again with that brat, Katara's brother. His face also hostile, Sokka glared at him hard, one hand already reaching for the all-too-familiar boomerang.

"I never knew I would be meeting you so soon," the South Pole native said a moment later, his tone light.

"Me neither," Zuko replied, mimicking his casual manner. "I didn't know I would get to finish you off this soon."

"We'll see about that, prince."

With a flick of his wrist, the firebender's fist was on fire. This wasn't going to take long. He saw the other settle into a fighting stance, and he, too, drew his fist, prepared to burn the enemy's face off. They were ready to take each other on. Both were about to strike when Katara swiftly moved between them, her façade defiant.

"No more fighting!" she shouted authoritatively.

Sighing, the two boys withdrew, and Zuko scowled at the girl while Sokka raised his eyebrows.

"I'm not just going to let him take you without a fight," the latter informed her, and Katara gave him a brief smile before shaking her head.

"I know that," she sighed.

"And what should we do then?" the prince snapped, reducing his fierce face to a mere frown. "I need to get you out."

"Fat chance that'll happen," Sokka retorted. He gave the eighteen-year-old a contemptuous stare.

"I…" Katara started, yet when words apparently failed, she groaned and moved her arms, in a wild, desperate motion.

That wasn't the best move, though, and she soon flinched in pain. A stab of guilt instantly attacked Zuko. He knew that he should not have given so much pressure on her. She was dealing with enormous matters, trying to sort out a grave problem between two people she loved.

"You," he abruptly turned to Katara's brother, deciding to take matters in his own hands. "You can't possibly think that she's safe here."

"And what if I do?" Sokka asked haughtily.

"You fool," Zuko whispered. "This is the most dangerous place for Katara now. Can't you see that… or are you really that blind?"

The other hesitated.

"She got kidnapped here and now she almost gets murdered. Can't you see the picture? She's not safe in this castle, and she won't be so lucky the next time her attacker strikes. If you really care for Katara… you will let her go. You will help me get her to safety."

Sokka glared at him, but Zuko could see his resolve slowly disintegrating. Nevertheless, the idiot held on.

"I can keep her safe," he shot back. "I already got the door double-bolted, and I can employ guards to look after her cell."

"That can help," the prince admitted honestly, "but did the double-bolted door really work? I got through it very easily," he smirked. "And guards at the door? I could probably take them on, too. You'll just lucky I'm on Katara's side. But all this means that someone can get to her if they really want to." He became serious again. "And won't people here get suspicious when you start giving Katara protection? Even you must know the better option by now."

The South Pole native let out a sound of frustration, stamping his foot and giving Zuko a hateful look. But when he opened his mouth, he finally spoke logic.

"You're right," Sokka said quietly, and the prince could tell how much those words hurt him. "Katara… can't stay here."

"That's probably the smartest thing you ever said," Zuko commented wryly. "We have a deal then?"

The other boy walked to his sister and gently grasped her arm.

"Yes. Let's get her… out of here."

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A/N: Look at that. The story is going somewhere. Hopefully, this chapter interested you. The narrative of this fanfiction is a little too dense and prolix, I'm sorry, but it should be tolerable. I shall work on that later. Also, last chapter had a few problems (sometimes inadvertently abridged and sometimes without all the italics placed correctly) and hopefully this chapter will be easier to handle. Heads up: another chapter coming out soon.

Review if you're nice.