Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar pr any of its characters. I own Koima.
Chapter 32
The Decision
&
Inner War
"Everyone up!" A hoarse yell ripped through my head, snapping me awake with enough force that caused me to flip out of my hammock onto the floor in a tangle of blankets. What the hell!
"EVERYONE ON DECK! PREPARE FOR BATTLE!" The man shouted. All the men groaned, mine mixed in with theirs. On deck? Why? What time was it? My tailbone sang with pain from the fall. I did not need thi- Wait! I untangled myself from my blankets and ran to the porthole window and looked out. Ice…Big chunks of ice were drifting by lazily. It was the first time I have ever seen icebergs. They were glorious. But I couldn't admire the sight now, its sign was the bringer of death. We were at the North Pole.
We were here…. I swallowed the lump in my throat. This was it. We are going to war: Killing people, Destroying Families, making children into orphans…
:Time Gap:
"Koima." Someone whispered. It was Iroh. I hadn't realized how long I had been looking out the window. Everyone had left the barracks. Uncle Iroh beckoned me to follow him. "Come with me." I nodded and followed him out of the barracks.
'Where's Zuko?' I wondered. I felt that I was about to find out. "Uncle, what's g-"
"Shh." He hissed, pulling me through another doorway, "I'll talk. We are at the North Pole, as you know. We are going to Zuko."
'But where is he?' I couldn't help but think. We went down flight after flight of stairs, Uncle literally flying down the stairs, pulling me in tow.
"Uncle." I whispered, "The war. I don't want to fight. I can't kill any more people. Two is more than enough."
"You won't. Stay with me." Uncle opened a small door and we slipped inside.
Zuko…
He stood by a small boat; he wasn't wearing his armor, only a pale suit to help him blend in with the whiteness around us. The cuts and abrasions shone out from his pale skin. Beyond him the North Pole city could be seen. It was night…. Zhao was not going to fight them when the moon was visible. They were stronger at Night. Uncle Iroh took care of Zhao in the mean time. He told me.
"Zuko." I went up to him and looked at the boat curiously, "Where… are you going?"
Zuko threw a net into the small craft, "I'm going to get the Avatar, Koi." He was leaving?
Uncle nodded grimy, "Be safe Zuko."
"I will Uncle." Zuko said almost impatiently.
"I think of you as my own, Zuko. Ever since I lost my son…" Uncle's voice became chocked with emotion. His son? Iroh had a son?
Zuko nodded, "You don't have to say anymore, Uncle. We'll meet again….after I have the Avatar." He got into the small kayak. I ran forward, "I'm coming with you!" I said, preparing to get in the kayak with him. Zuko held up a hand, holding me back away, "No, Koi. Stay with Uncle. You'll be safer with him. I have to do this on my own. I don't want you to get hurt." Zuko shook his head, "Please stay with him."
"But I can help!" I persisted, why wouldn't he let me? I'm an Earth bender! I can help him! Zuko nodded, "I know you can help. But you can get hurt. Stay with Uncle, Please. What would your parents have wanted? Don't throw away your life with me. Stay close to Uncle. Please." I swallowed back the lump in my throat as tears stung my eyes. I nodded, "Please come back." A giant hand was squeezing my chest, making it almost impossible to breath.
Zuko nodded, "I will." I ran forward and hugged him, not knowing if this was going to be the last time I would ever get to see him. He might get killed out there. He hugged me to him as I tried not to cry, "Please be careful. You and Uncle are all I have. I can't stand to lose either of you." The tears came anyway.
I pulled away and Zuko stepped into the kayak and began lowering himself down into the water. Uncle Iroh came up, his hand on my shoulder as we watered Zuko paddle away.
"He'll come back." Uncle murmured, "He's strong. I know he will."
:Big Time Gap:
:;:Zuko:;:
"Stupid peasant. I rise with the sun!" Zuko was relieved the fight with the Water tribe wench was over. She now lay senseless on the ground. Zuko shook his head, feeling wrong for hurting a girl. But it had to be done to claim his prize. Zuko pushed the guilt from his mind and got the monk.
'I win. Finally. Now to get him back to father.' Zuko carried the Avatar up and onto the plateau/ He covered his face and set forward through the snow. 'I won. Now I can go home. I'll take Koima with me, she would love the palace. Maybe she'll even be my queen.' He thought ahead with this fantasy. With this thought in mind, he pushed himself beyond all limits and into the ice desert.
;Koima;
I don't know when the war started, all I could hear was yelling and a high-pitched whistling followed by a loud smash as the Ballista's crashed into the North Pole wall.
"FIRE!" The Commanders yelled, the shouts followed by another 'TWANG' as a volley of catapults were released at the same time. Part of the wall broke down under the vicious onslaught, the ice too weak to hold up against the firebombs. All those people were now going to be murdered…..
I looked behind me up at the overlook that Uncle and Zhao were standing, observing the work they were carrying out. Uncle Iroh looked grim while Zhao beamed triumphantly. They were conversing and suddenly, another man was up there, "Admiral Chou!" It was a boy my age, a Water tribe boy, dressed as a very old-fashioned Fire Nation soldier, "I am Hahn! Prepare to be defeated! YAAAAH!" Hahn rushed at Zhao with a spear. Idiot. Hahn's war cry turned into a girlish scream as Zhao sidestepped his charge and flipped him over the railing. Hahn fell and splashed into the water.
'Idiot. If that is the Water tribes greatest warrior…they are in some serious trouble.' Even Sokka had a better chance of defeating Zhao than that idiot in the ancient armor.
(I know my time line is off. Forgive me. I've had a rough day and my head really hurts. I just wanna get this down so you can read it.)
:; Uncle Iroh;:
Uncle Iroh knew he had to stop Zhao now. Taking care of the moon problem permanently? None of it sounded good. And Iroh had an eerily certainty that he knew how Zhao was going to do it. Killing the Moon spirit would send the whole world tumbling into chaos. Zhao knows where and what Tvi and La, the moon and ocean spirit, he knows their form.
Iroh's been to the spirit world once before, he knows things that only the Avatar would have known. Iroh knew what the world would turn into without the balance of earth and sky, of fire and water.
Zhao already had left, Iroh said that he would stay and command the armies. But now…. Iroh went to find Koima. They had to stop Zhao from destroying them all!
Iroh found Koima pouring lighter fluid on the Ballista fireballs. He took her by the shoulder and led her away from the deck onto the below area.
"C'mon missy. We're going to shore."
"What? How can we?"
"Stay close. I'll take care of everything. Take your armor off and put this coat on. It's cold out there. You don't have to wear the armor anymore.:
Koima immediately shedded the heavy plated and donned on the clock. Her short hair framed her face like a halo. The cuts on her face and forehead had scabbed, ugly things, though they only brought out the natural beauty of Keijo's daughter.
Iroh sighed, patting her back comfortingly, knowing how hard this is going to be for her. "Come, we have work to do."
; Koima;
I ran to keep up with the old Uncle. How could one his age be so energetic? It was amazing. Something was pushing him to this….. Something bad was about to happen. I could feel it nipping at my bones and nerves, sending cold chills up my spine.
Uncle and I slipped through the battle, virtually undetected in the flurry of activity and carnage. I held onto the back of Uncle's cloak and kept my eyes trained on the back of the hood so I didn't look at the scene around us.
"This is what War is like, Koima." Iroh's voice penetrated my thoughts, "No good can ever come of it."
I nodded though he couldn't see it, "Yes, I've seen it before. All it brings is death and heart ache." 'And much, much more.' I wanted to say. Uncle nodded as if he could read my thoughts. We quickened our pace past a group of fire benders against one old Water tribe man. It was horrific; the lone man was winning! He making a giant waterspout and washing the fire benders away with a wave of his arm. These people are powerful! (Amy Note/ That was Pakku if you can't remember)
"Hurry Koima." Uncle pulled, "We must stop Zhao!" ZHAO? I stopped dead in my tracks. No…. not him. "Koima?" Uncle pulled me but I wouldn't budge.
"Koima!"
"Uncle. No." I shook my head, "I-I-I Can't! It's Zhao! He'll kill me once he sees that I'm alive! I'm afraid of him, uncle. You don't know what he'll do to me. I know!" In the time that I could ever be helpful, I was afraid. I am a coward.
Uncle took me by the shoulders and shook me, snapping me out of my thoughts, "Stop Koima!" He demanded, "Face your fears! I know you are afraid So am I! You will never be able to go forward in life if you don't conquer him! He only has power over you if he knows you're afraid of him and won't fight back. There's more at stake than this, Koima. Zhao is going to kill the moon! We will all die if he does. You have to do this Koima." The tone and look in Iroh's eyes chilled me to the bone. How could Zhao kill the moon? I wanted to run away from Uncle, Run away from everything and leave this far behind me.
Iroh looked me right in the eye, "You can't run away from your fears, Koima. They will follow and haunt you where ever you go."
My father had run away…and he had been found and killed along with my mother and the rest of my village. I had been captured and taken prisoner and slave. Tortured everyday by Zhao. If that's what comes from running away from your fears….
I pushed away my fear and regret and nodded, "-Okay." I breathed, feeling like I had just agreed that the executioner could kill me.
Iroh nodded, "Be strong." He took my arm and we ran.
:;Zuko;:
Zuko came conscious and found himself bound tight by the very ropes he had used on the Avatar! Zuko lay on the floor of a gigantic saddle…on top of the Avatar's flying bison. The Avatar, Water tribe Peasants and a white haired girl were in the saddle with him.
Zuko shut his eyes quickly before they could see that he was awake. 'Dear Agni. I'm caught! What am I suppose to do now?' He thought with a sickening feeling in his stomach.
The Avatar and the White haired girl were talking about something about the moon; it was urgent from the sound of it. Zuko listened but could not follow what they were saying. He could feel the beast land and…
"They will call me Zhao who darkened the moon! Zhao the Conqueror! Zhao, The Moon Slayer! ZHAO THE INVINCIBLE! ARRRGGGGHHHH! GET IT OFF!" Zhao batted at the big-eared lemur as it attacked him and flew off to rest on Aang's shoulder.
Zhao smirked, raising the bag that wiggled and jumped in his grasp. "Don't bother."
Aang saw what he had. Tvi! "Zhao! Don't!"
"It's my destiny. To destroy the moon and the Water tribe!"
"Destroying the moon won't hurt just the Water tribe, it will hurt everyone, including you. Without the moon everything will fall out of balance. You have no idea what kind of chaos that would release on the world."
;Koima;
"He's right Zhao!" Uncle stepped forward while I kept back. I could only stand and shake from fear as Zhao held the balance of order and chaos. A fish… A Koi fish…the moon spirit. It holds the balance of the world…kill it, and we will fall into chaos and mayhem.
Zhao looked at Iroh, as did Aang, Katara, Sokka and an elegantly dressed girl with blazing white hair. Zhao sneered, "General Iroh. Why am I not surprised to discover your treachery?"
"I'm no traitor, Zhao. The fire nation needs the moon too. We all depend on the balance. Whatever you do to that spirit I will release unto you tenfold!" Uncle Iroh looked back at me, "Then I will pay you back for what you've done to Koima…" He told Zhao. I was found out now.
"Who?" Zhao asked, perplexed. I burned with fury. I saw Aang, Katara and Sokka's eyes widen at the mention of my name.
I could only glower at Zhao. He didn't even know my name, "Bird! Bird, as you called me!" I pulled away the hood of my cloak and glared at Zhao. My father's temper and rage, my mothers cunning and courage, all of it was in me. This was the moment I've dreamed of. I now can fight back.
Zhao stared at me, "B-But you're DEAD!" He shouted, trying to convince himself.
"I'm alive! You tried to kill me because you couldn't have me anymore! Do this now! PUT THE FISH BACK!" I shouted. Anger flowed through me in hot torrents. Uncle's words repeating in my head, 'He only has power over you if he knows you are not afraid and won't fight him.' I'm not afraid anymore; I wasn't scared, afraid, weak! Or a slave anymore! He has no power over me.
Zhao laughed, "You can't command me, Bird. I own you!"
"No you don't!" I declared, "Put the fish back!" Uncle Iroh raised a smoking fist at him, "NOW!"
Zhao realized that he was outmatched. He looked at the bag, and tipped it into the water, releasing the white Koi with a black spot on its head. The fish swam out. I was about to breathe a sigh of relief…then Zhao changed and cut the water with a wave of fire and a yell of anger!
"NO!"
The sky went dark as the moon died…. Zhao had killed it.
Uncle Iroh went berserk, he charged at Zhao and I followed. I pulled up two boulders from the earth and with all the force I could muster I threw them at Zhao. They hit him, knocking him off his feet and into the ground. I didn't see Uncle. Two soldiers came at me and I covered myself in stone and rammed into them, breaking bones and bruising flesh. Rage was immeasurable as I hit left and right, crashing wall upon wall of earth onto Fire Nation soldiers. Faces of my dead friends flashed through my mind's eye. The Fire Nation did that. Zhao broke my father's neck. I want to kill him! But…Zhao was gone? When the dirt and smoke cleared, I stood among broken bodies.
"Koima!" Uncle called. I shook myself, and as if in a trance, I ran to him. The dead Koi fish was in his hands, limp and lifeless. The others were gathered around him. Katara tried to hold back her tears and the white-haired girl sobbed, "There's no hope now. It's over."
A strange light blinded me and we stepped away from Aang. He was glowing! The arrow, eyes, nose, mouth…. everything was glowing with an inner light. Power illuminated from him.
"No. It's not over." A voice spoke along with his…an old one, more ancient and scary. He stepped into the middle of the pond in prayer stance….. then, everything seemed to glow. Aang disappeared, sucked into the water, vanishing from view. I tore my gaze away, it hurt my eyes to look upon it. Where had Aang gone? I looked and saw Zuko bound to the top of Appa's saddle. He gave me a look, "Untie me!" He mouthed. No one noticed me run off to untie Zuko.
"Koima, you shouldn't be here." Zuko grunted as I pulled on the tough ropes. He shook them off when they were loose enough. He grabbed my hand, his eyes wide, "You have to get out of here!"
"No." I shook his hand off. I stared at him, "No Zuko. I'm not running. I have to pay Zhao back for what he did to me and my family, for Icharu and for everyone! I must do it! While I still have a chance!" I leaped off the bison and landed on soft ground, I looked back up at Zuko, staring down at me in surprise, "This is my fight."
I turned and ran the way Zhao must've taken. A flash of cold air surrounded me and dispersed, leaving me feeling winded. That was power…spirit power. Something of great magnitude was going on…Aang! I couldn't look; I had to find the sick bastard that had taken away everything from me: My friends, My Family… I blinked back angry tears. My innocence. Everything must be paid back.
"Koima!" I heard Zuko running to catch up with me. We ran down stairs that led outside into the cold dark night.
"Go Zuko! This is mine!" I shouted.
"Koima!"
"NO! GO!" I yelled. I could see Zhao. He was running away! I tore up a boulder from the ground and hurled it at him with everything I got, "ZHAO!" He turned in time to see the rock crash into his middle, knocking him back to the ground. Against my wishes, Zuko was right there with me. Zhao stared up at the two of us, "WHY ARN"T YOU DEAD!" He hollered. He had tried to kill both of us, to get rid of us, he had not succeeded.
"You tried to kill us! Now it's time to pay you back!" I jumped down from the wall onto the bridge, "You killed my family. You killed my father! You took me as a slave!" I grabbed the boulder off him, letting him stand up. As he was standing I slammed it back into his legs, knocking him onto his stomach, "I didn't say you could get up, Master." I chided mockingly.
;Zuko;
'What is she doing?' Zuko watched Koima scold the Admiral like a child. Then it hit him; 'She's treating him like a slave!'
Zhao tried to stand, "You little Slut! You have no command over me!" He swung his fist, fire slicing through the air with it. Koima ducked and punched him in the eye, "You don't have control over me!" She screamed, "You Bastard!" She hit him with the chunks broken off from her one boulder for it was all she had.
Zhao blocked them and hit them left and right with his fists. He sneered at her, "Do you really want to fight me, Bird? You can't. You're weak. You cry and beg whenever I discipline you. Bird…you are nothing!"
"MY NAME IS KOIMA!" Koi shrieked, "IT'S NOT BIRD! I will fight you! I will kill you! I've waited for three years to do this! I'm not in a cage, I'm not tied to your bed! I'm not afraid of you anymore! I am someone, Master. I am Koima, Daughter of Commander Keijo and Hana. Not 'Bird' your slave!" Koima charged at him unexpectedly, nails out and scratching his face, and her fingers closed around his throat as she knocked him onto his back, her on top of him, her grip cutting off his oxygen.
"This is for my Father and for Bird!" She gritted. Zhao tried to get her off, his fists aflame as he hit her and shoved her. Zuko saw Koima's clothes catch fire, but she held on, too determined to let not let go of her pray.
"KOIMAAA!" Zuko shouted, running to save her, but he was too far away……….
Sorry it was long. I wanted to get it done. The next one is the last chapter….. It will be my longest one. I couldn't bare to separate it.. Review please!
