A/N. Kind of a slower chapter, to set the stage of the second part of the weeks before the Awakening.

I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender.

His daughter walked away, while the rest of the captives were killed by his warriors. It seemed… well, barbaric. But this was war, and if they didn't kill every single man on this ship, they would be betrayed. Better to kill than to be killed.

But Katara's… Cold stone attitude… That scared Hakoda. The small girl, who had always laughed was gone. In her place, he saw a young woman, bitter and angry. And it scared him, because he had recognized the signs.

The changes in character… Going from nice and kind to a bloodthirsty killer. Yeah, that had been him, the first year of the fighting. When Kya had died, he had spent three years, making the men build the ships, gathering the supplies, and preparing the tribe as best he could. That had been his only drive. The chief knew he had neglected his children in that time. But his mother had done so much, and an eight-year-old Katara had taken over much of the responsibilities…

So, when they had finally left, when Katara had been eleven… Well, the second he landed on Earth Kingdom soil, he had sworn to fight for the good side. But he had learned that in war, there was no good or bad side. At least, not under the soldiers. Sure, the Fire Lord was evil and bad, and the Earth King had been in his right to fight off the invasion, but the soldiers were just that. Soldiers, called away from their shops, their farms… And they killed them. Most were innocent of any crimes, except the one of just following the orders.

And to see his daughter take out her anger on these… well, innocent people, he saw himself from all those years ago.

He had killed. He had revelled in it. But after some months, and a stern talk with Bato, he had seen the error of his ways. So, from there, their tactics had changed. They guarded important sea lanes, like the mouth of the Jasmine River at Chameleon Bay, and only partook in skirmishes if it was necessary. In one such battle, Bato had been wounded and had stayed in the monastery where he had met up with Hakoda's children.

Over the years, the chief had learned that anger and 'revenge' were overrated, and it didn't bring back his wife. And now… He would have to say the same thing to Katara.

"She has lost it." The blind girl spoke suddenly. Hakoda had seen how the earthbender had bent two slates of metal, crushing a man between them, during the fight. So… If she thought Katara had lost it… Well, in that case, it was bad.

"She is just… angry." He spoke softly. He knew it wasn't her fault. If any, it was his. He could have made her stay back, he should have recognized the signs.

"Angry? Chief, I call her Sugar Queen for a reason. Aang would not want her to act like that. And least of all for his sake." Toph whispered.

And… She was right. That was what Bato had said to him. That Kya would hate the man he was becoming. That had been an eye opener…

"You're right… I'll talk to her. But now, we need to get this ship running. Sokka!" He called his son, who had been standing between the tribesmen and the place where his sister had walked off to, clearly hesitating if he should follow her.

"We need to clear the ship of any possible survivors." He said, but Toph stopped him.

"Two on the first level, in something that looks like a cell. The machine room has three men inside. Otherwise, it is only us."

What?

"Oh yeah, she can 'see' everything, as long as it is earth or metal." Sokka explained when he joined them.

This was crazy, how could anyone be able to do that… But she had said she was able to feel his heartbeat… So, she probably felt those of everyone around her.

"Alright, Iqaluk! Take five men and clear the machine room! Sokka, take three and go see who is in that cell. Gilak, take the boat they used to check on the beach and get Bato and the others! The others strip the dead and find clothes and armour that fit you!"

They had to dress like Fire Nation soldiers to make this ruse work. It was not really comfortable to wear some dead man's clothes, but at least, he wouldn't die if he did. With their skin colour, they could maybe pass as soldiers from the colonies, but if they were inspected… Well, that was something that they would have to test at the moment. For now, they had to get their people on the ship and get going.

And he would try and talk some sense into his daughter…

As the men got down to business, some running inside, while the older Gilak lowered the boat to get the others, he walked to where he had seen Katara disappear. As he walked over the metal deck, Hakoda thought how this ship… Well, it was better than his, that was for sure. But it wasn't… Fun. Sailing this thing was business and mechanics. His own ship, with its sails and wooden hull, had not only been practical, but also a pleasure to sail with.

There were some lanterns on the metal walls. In the soft lights, he saw the small frame of his daughter standing against the railing with her back turned to him. As he approached, Hakoda heard the sobs. Yeah… That was also a familiar thing. After each battle that first year, he would feel horribly guilty about the men he had killed. Only to begin anew the next day.

"Katara?" He knew he had to be careful.

"Hey…"

"Do you want to talk about it?" He shouldn't accuse her of something. When Bato had first begun to try and calm him down, he had accused Hakoda of being a monster. That hadn't really helped. So the soft approach was better.

"Not really." Katara wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. That was unwise, as she used her right hand. She smeared the war paint he had applied earlier away, making a streak of red in the dark blue. Blood red.

"That's alright." Hakoda answered, leaning against the railing with his arms, overlooking the dark water in front of them.

They stood there in silence. Hakoda didn't know how long, but it was several minutes at least.

"How did you do it?" His daughter asked quietly, not looking at him. He didn't need to guess what she meant. He knew.

"I didn't get over it. Not really at least. I had the same rage as you do now. But Bato and the others made me snap out of it after nearly a year. That first year away from home was the hardest. Now... Well, I still feel like it sometimes. But then I remember what Bato told me." The chief answered, still watching the water.

"What was his miracle solution?"

"He told me that Kya would have hated the man I had become. That worked like a charm. Would Aang like who you are becoming?" It was dangerous to say it as it was. But he had to get through to her.

Silence met his words, and he let the meaning sink in. After a minute, his daughter spoke.

"No. No, I don't think he would… And I think Mum would hate it too…" Her voice sounded so small…

"In that case, do as I do. Each time the urge comes over you, talk to someone who will talk sense into you. I have Bato. You have two good friends, and when he wakes up, you could maybe talk to the Avatar. For now, just focus on something different. Like how we are going to hide that enormous bison on this ship." He laughed softly, trying not to sound too upbeat, but still uplifting.

Katara nodded, and turned around.

"Has someone been sent to fetch Bato and Aang?" She asked.

"Yes, I send old Gilak to get them. When they are here, I'll send another group to get our supplies. DO you need something to be brought here?" He knew what she would ask for.

"Yeah, make sure that Aang's chest is brought up…"

"I've seen you carry it around, never forgetting it… What is so special about it?" He had been curious. Hakoda suspected it were the airbender's belongings, but he had seen only some scrolls inside it when he had closed it in his tent.

"The remains of a civilization." Katara answered cryptically, before walking away.

Of course… The Air Nomads had been wiped out by the Fire Nation, and the Avatar was the only survivor of that crime… His belongings would be what remained of his people… All that history… Tucked away in a small chest. Spirits, that had to be horrible. Hakoda couldn't imagine what it would be like if in the span of a second, his whole family, his friends and his culture were lost, and he was suddenly a hundred years in the future…

Following his daughter, he saw how several of the men were carrying the bodies of the Fire Nation soldiers down into the belly of the ship. They couldn't toss them overboard, otherwise, the fleet following the ship would surely see them before they sank to the bottom of the bay. So, for the moment, they had to keep the corpses somewhere.

Sokka came up from the stairs leading down into the ship, followed by two people. One was a very large and muscular teen, not older than his own son, and the other was a small boy, around eight or nine years old.

"I know them. We met them several months ago." Sokka explained and pushed the two towards him. "This one is Pipsqueak" his son gestured at the large teen, "And this is The Duke." At that, the small boy puffed his chest out, and stared directly into Hakoda's eyes.

Spirits, who were these kids.

"They were part of a group called the Freedom Fighters. But what were you doing in a Fire Nation cell?" That last sentence was directed at the teen.

"We tried to steal some food from their storage, but they captured us… That was two days ago. They told us they would drop us off in prison at Ba Sing Se, because it had fallen." The teen, Pipsqueak, spoke slowly and carefully. He didn't seem very bright, but not malevolent.

"Can they stay, at least for a while? Their group is split up…" Sokka gave him a look that screamed I'll explain later.

"Yes, as long as they work and don't betray us. But a friend of my children is a friend of mine." He nodded to the two and walked along. In reality, he was happy with all the help they could get. He had just over a hundred men and sailing this ship would probably be a straining thing, because they had no training whatsoever with it. So, having more people on hand to help was good.

Walking over the deck towards the railing overlooking the beach, Hakoda saw how the bison emerged from the trees, followed by tiny figures; two were carrying something between them, so he guessed it was the Avatar. As the people got into the boat, he was actually surprised to see the big beast also wade into the water, and swim next to the boat containing his master.

It was something Hakoda had realized. The Avatar, even unconscious… had an aura of respect and loyalty. He had seen how his children adored the boy, how the blind girl would, sometimes, plant her foot down and stop everything she was doing, as if listening intently. Now that he knew she could feel heartbeats, Hakoda had guessed she was listening for the Avatar's weak sign of life.

The bison and the lemur seemed to be gentle creatures, but each time someone whom they didn't know had approached the tent on the beach, the bison, Appa, had growled softly, standing in the person's way, while the lemur had loudly chittered, alarming anyone in the near vicinity.

And Katara was clearly the fiercest of all people defending the Avatar. Hakoda had realized it the first night, when he had seen how she had nearly skewered him just for talking too loudly… And again, this night. He just hoped that his little speech had helped, just a bit…

The boat arrived at its destination, and Hakoda looked over the railing, to see how Gilak, Bato and the two others were just looking from the ship to the Avatar. Katara had been very clear before leaving. Do not move him unnecessarily.

But how were they supposed to get him up the metal ladder?

"Move." The blind girl suddenly appeared, and bend a metal sheet out of the deck of the ship. She lowered it to the boat.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Put him on it." Gilak and Bato hurried to lift the stretcher from the boat onto the sheet, and when they had done that, the earthbender lifted the metal up, very carefully. As she did that, Hakoda felt the wind pick up around them. It was eerily. It had been a windless night… And now, it seemed to come from all directions…

Airbending…

He had never seen airbending, as, for a long time, it was considered extinct. When the Air Nomad had come into his camp, he had not bent a single time, and when he came back to grab Sokka, Hakoda had not seen him do anything. There had not been time. The Avatar had wanted to leave immediately…

"Pretty weird heh." Toph said, as she put the metal plate gently on the deck, with the Avatar on it. The four men were climbing the ladder now.

"I… does this mean he is waking up?" He had to know… If the Avatar woke up, surrounded by people he didn't know… With the first face, he saw being the man who had rejected him… Well, Hakoda wasn't sure if that was going to be nice to live through.

"No, he does that all the time. Once, after his first lessons of earthbending, he woke us all up because he was dreaming about riding some animals. But his movements caused an earthquake.

Wait, what?

That boy was able to produce an earthquake in his sleep? Spirits help them if he had a nightmare…

Hakoda turned around, seeing how his son had taken the two newcomers and put them to work on opening some kind of big trapdoor on the metal deck. If that opened into the cargo space… Maybe they could put the bison there? And keep it open while travelling, so he had the open sky above him? That could work.

Seeing Katara emerge from the door leading to the sleeping quarters, he saw how she had apparently found some water, because she had washed her face and her arms. As if pulled, she turned to where he was standing next to the stretcher with the Avatar.

His daughter walked towards them, with the worried expression he recognized immediately. Kya had looked like that after each raid and attack, before the children had been born… And each time, he had felt the same fear. Fear for the future.

"How is he?" She said as soon as Bato came to stand next to Hakoda.

"The same, he smiled at some moment, but that was it."

That was actually… a huge improvement! The Avatar had given three signs of life in the span of a day! First, when he had spoken Katara's name, then the smile, and just now with the airbending. Alright, Hakoda didn't know if it actually had been bending, or just some weird natural phenomena. But it was progress.

"Your mushy talking seems to have kicked some life into Twinkletoes." Toph gagged, and for the first time… Hakoda saw Katara blush. It wasn't very present… But he saw it.

"Toph…" His daughter sighed, avoiding looking at anyone except the boy that lay on the deck.

Hakoda turned slightly to Bato, who was grinning behind a hand. Removing it, his friend moved his lips, in a soundless sentence.

Told you, just like Kya.

He was right. The look Katara was sporting at this moment was exactly how Kya had looked if she had been seen flirting or someone said something embarrassing. Hakoda recalled one particular night, where they had… well, they had spent time together. Unluckily for them, it had been next to Bato, who had been wide awake, and had been… more than happy to make fun f them for the rest of the week…

"Alright, let's get him inside!" Katara quickly turned still not looking at someone.

He picked the front of the stretcher, while Bato took the other end. Following his daughter, he couldn't help but worry. In the span of an hour, tops, she had gone from a murderous psychopath to a sobbing mess and now, she was acting so normal… As a seventeen-year-old girl who had just been caught with her boyfriend… Spirits, she was really a mess… But it wasn't his place to comment further than he had already done. She had been right earlier, before the fight. He had to stop trying so hard.

Getting inside the metal corridor, he saw how Katara was leading them clearly to one of the upper rooms, inside the command tower. She knew exactly where she was going, so Hakoda was suspecting she had already looked around for a suitable place.

At the end of the corridor, she led them up a staircase, which proved difficult with the stretcher, but they managed. His daughter opened the first door on the right and entered. Following her, Hakoda immediately understood in whose room he stood.

A big Fire Nation emblem was painted on one of the walls, and the bed was clearly made for someone important. There was a desk, with papers scattered on it, and a stand with Fire Nation armour on it. The helmet had some kind of horn on it, and looked more ceremonial than functional.

This was the captain's room.

Bato and he put the stretcher down right on the bed, and lifted the airbender up, gently, while Katara pulled the stretcher from underneath the boy.

"He will need a healing session." She spoke, but Hakoda noticed that she didn't speak to anyone in particular.

"Alright, then, I'll be going and figure out how to move this thing…" Bato spoke, and Katara seemed startled, as if she didn't even realize they were still here.

"Oh… Oh yes, speak to Sokka about that, he always knows these kinds of things."

Pardon? His son was capable of figuring this out?

Bato left the room, but Hakoda felt… Well, it felt weird to leave without saying anything… So, he walked over to the desk, and pulled the chair out from under the desk, sitting down. From the corner of his eye, he saw how the corner of the room where the bed stood was lit in the blueish light he had come to associate with his daughter's healing powers.

Looking at what was written on the papers, he was surprised to see that they were actually messages. He would have commanded his troops to burn any message after reading it, to avoid it falling into enemy hands… But apparently, the Fire Nation didn't seem to think in necessary. Again, the arrogance of winning a war for a hundred years…

To all commanders!

Rejoice! The Avatar is dead, as are his companions! Ba Sing Se, the unconquerable city, has fallen to our great Princess Azula and Prince Zuko! The war is over!

The war was not over. He would make sure of that.

Going through the other messages, it seemed the fleet had been ordered to the Eastern Lake close to Ba Sing Se to make secure it. That was good news, that meant they would travel at least a week without having to encounter other vessels.

"Dad." His daughter suddenly spoke, and he turned around, still sitting in the chair. Hakoda saw how she looked dead on her feet, exhausted.

"Could you leave? I'll… I'll try to sleep for now…."

He immediately stood up, and began to walk to the door, but before leaving, he grabbed some shirts out of the closet next to the door. The captain had looked about his size, so Hakoda guessed his clothes would probably fit him. But before leaving, he turned around.

"I'll make sure the chest gets on board. And if you need something like a sleeping bag, or a blanket, just call. We'll find you something."

He saw how she hesitated, but Katara just shook her head.

He left. Maybe a good night's sleep would do her some good. He suspected she had not slept much for the last few days…

Their problems and state of mind could do with some rest.

Answers :

Gabriela N. Gonzalez : Yeah, kind of a hard chapter, and I also hate the word Savages, but I try to show how the Fire Nation sees other people.

Chinmay : Don't worry! Yeah, I was going for that, to show what someone is capable of without having a voice of reason: Thanks!

Kaloang : I don't want to put a teen pregnancy in my story, because I think that that is kind of an extrea burden upon these people. Yes, they are much more mature, and of course, up until the 19th century, seventeen was an acceptable age to begin having children, but I don't like it, it just seems too young. But I like the idea of how Aang wouldn't judge her! Of course he wouldn't!

Jjsmith103 : Yeah, I loved to put that into the story, even if I think she should have waited for him to wake up to say it for the first time, but lets not forget, she is all over the place at this moment.

Rak : Indeed, and that is the thing in this story : Even if they are not together, as, lets not forget, they are not together at this moment, the loss of the other would just destroy them. I also hope she will say it, I have not come to that yet lol!