A/N: I should so be revising. Why is motivation so hard to find? Here's a chapter I really shouldn't be posting until I've finished revising, but it's nearly 3am and I cant be asked. Thank you guys for your thoughts on the last chapter, really enjoyed reading through them and love hearing your theories of what might happen next. So I realised if I posted a synopsis for the sequel it would kinda give away what might happen next, so I'll include a synopsis in a couple of chapters time.
For this chapter I felt I could've written it SO much better, but I don't have time to keep changing it, so I'm sorry you're left with this mess. Having said that, it's still an angsty chapter so please don't come at me with pitchforks lol. Anyway enjoy.
Late Evening:
Aang's POV:
"Get out." A guard orders as he grabs me out of my cell. I look at him in confusion, expecting to have been done for the day. My confusion turns into worry when I see them also pulling Katara out of the cell.
"Hey wait, why are you taking her too?" I ask, trying not to sound concerned, but all I receive is a hard shove in the back before they cuff my hands behind me.
I glance over to the girl beside me to see them doing the same with her. Her eyebrows furrow slightly in discomfort at having her burns stretch around her shoulder. I bite my tongue to hold off an angry tirade against the masked man as we're led back into the main warehouse.
Throughout the walk, Katara doesn't meet my eyes once and I'm starting to wonder if being cold towards her was really a good move or not. A couple of minutes later we're both pushed to our knees in front of Yon Rha who's face looks too smug for someone who was told off and burnt just the night before.
"Do you think we're stupid? What do you call this?" The murderer grits out as he holds up a paper of my drawings to my face. I swallow and glance up at him.
"What are you talking about?" I ask neutrally as the man takes the paper away. He grins at me and I'm already having a bad feeling about this.
"You think you can trick us by drawing faulty designs and we wouldn't notice?" Yon Rha explains with a growl. My lips part in surprise. 'Dang, I thought they wouldn't realise.'
"It must've been an oversight on my part. I can fix it." I say calmly, but his grin just widens.
"Geniuses don't do oversights. Every single drawing you've drawn, and there are lots of them by the way, has a fault somewhere or another. It seems you need the right motivation to work hard." Yon Rha booms loudly as he beckons the guard standing behind Katara. I watch in horror as they shove the kneeling waterbender forward. She nearly topples face first, but catches herself on the last moment. That same whip of fire bursts from his hands and my heart misses a beat in blinding fear.
"Wait! I said I'd fix it!" I shout in protest.
"Too late. You need to learn that tricks like these don't go unpunished." The firebender utters with a bright gleam in his eyes as he pulls his arm back, ready to hit her. To Katara's credit, she simply glares up at her mother's killer with defiance. Not a single ounce of fear is present on her face. Even when the whip comes down she keeps her lips tightly pressed together as it sears her arm.
"NO!" I bellow as I struggle with the cuffs binding my arms together. Hoping. No praying that my Avatar State will kick in any moment, but my arrows don't flicker white nor do I feel that rush of power through me. And I don't know why. The whip comes down again and this time a small yelp escapes the healer as it grazes over the burn at her side. I grit my teeth as I struggle harder against my bonds.
"Stop!" I cry out as the fire slashes her again. Katara's body shakes at the pain, as I watch uselessly, unable to do anything to save her.
"Yon Rha!" A voice suddenly shouts, prompting the man to pause his flogging as he half turns to see who called him. My heart leaps in my throat at seeing Kuzon standing defiantly. "That's enough." He orders, but Gyatso's killer simply snorts at him.
"Don't forget your place Kuzon. You're beneath me. Go now and I won't punish you for interrupting." Yon Rha growls. My Dad's former best friend flickers his gaze to me for a long moment before shaking his head.
"No." He utters with a tone of finality. My jaws slacken in surprise at his unusually bold move. A scowl appears across the other man's face as his whip of fire disappears from his hand. Instead, he opts to take a fighting stance.
"You're in for it now." He sneers as fire bursts from his hands. Kuzon shifts his feet apart before taking a deep breath.
"I don't want to fight." He says, trying to sound reasonable, but the older man launches straight at him without further warning.
"Kuzon!" I shout before I can stop myself as I watch the two men collide. However, they don't get far in their fight when suddenly a burst of blue erupts from behind, knocking Kuzon to the ground as the flames engulf him. I watch in silent horror at the display as horrible memories of fire and destruction carve its way to the forefront of my mind. The source of the fire takes two steps forward as the younger man's lips turn downwards in displeasure.
"I always knew one day you'd betray us for your pathetic attachment to the boy." Ozai mutters distastefully as Kuzon struggles to push himself to his knees as burns cover a good portion of his upper body. Flames reappear around the royal's palm, but I'm too frozen to move. Or to do anything for that matter.
The sounds of crunching are what saves Kuzon from his fate. Ozai turns his head to the wall with a frown and when I glance towards the sound, I spot growing cracks on the wall. 'What the...?' I don't get to finish the thought as the wall gives way completely to reveal Roku. At the sight of him, I immediately wilt in relief. Ozai, however is furious.
"Who do you think you are, breaking down my wall?!" The royal bellows as he throws a large burst of fire towards the older Avatar. A small smile slips past my lips knowingly just as Roku dissipates the flames with a mere wave of his hand.
"It's been a while. I haven't seen a member of the Fire Nation's royal family since I defeated your great grandfather. I lost track of him when he ran and hid, but by the looks of things he still passed down his corrupt teachings to his descendants." My guardian recites as seriousness is etched into his aging features. It takes only 3 seconds before the implication dawns on the ex-royal and when it does rage contorts his features.
"You're the Avatar that destroyed my family's legacy?" He grits out as he twists his body to fully face Roku.
"Indeed." The Avatar confirms solemnly. That's all it takes before Ozai starts throwing balls of fire at him which the older man easily dodges. As their fight unfolds, the guards behind me starts running towards the fray to support their leader. Before I can think of a plan, I suddenly feel someone crouching behind me. I stiffen up at the presence until a hushed whisper reaches my ears.
"It's just me. I was waiting till the right time to do something." Zuko whispers as he picks at the lock of my cuffs. Several moments later, I'm free. Before I can say anything to the firebender, he pushes a key into my hands. "Free Katara. I'm going to find the closest exit for you guys." He mutters as he rises to his feet and creeps away. Immediately, I turn my attention to Katara who's still hunched forward as she takes a couple of deep breaths. I swallow down the wodge of guilt that courses through me as I rest a hand gently on her shoulder.
"Katara, I'm going to get you out of your cuffs." I whisper as I shuffle behind her.
"Spirits, this hurts." I hear her mumble as she squeezes her eyes tightly. I bite the inside of my cheek hard as I work the key into the lock, but either my hands are trembling too much to get it to work or this lock requires a different key.
"Monkey feathers." I curse under my breath as I jingle the lock harder, but no luck.
"It's fine. We can find the right key later. We should go while everyone's distracted." Katara whispers as she straightens up slightly. I instantly spot the beads of sweat along her forehead and the way her eyebrows are crinkled too tightly together in a mask of pain.
"Can you get up?" I ask quietly as I lend her a hand, only to remember she's still bound. Chewing my lip, I place my hands under her armpits and try to hoist her up, which under normal circumstances wouldn't be too hard, but the fatigue that I've been feeling all day is taking its toil and I end up falling to my knees with the failed effort. Black dots dance across my vision and the nausea that I've been trying to resist all day makes an unwelcome return. I take three deep breaths before looking up. And when I do, I catch the concerned expression on the girl's face.
"You don't look so good." She mutters worriedly. I give her a half smile.
"You're one to talk." I joke, even though the reminder pains me. The smallest twitch of her lips almost has me laughing hysterically that she could still find it in herself to smile at me, despite how rotten I've been to her.
"Touché." She replies before grimacing in pain. I swallow and with a renewed sense of determination, I return to my feet and pull her up. It takes a couple of minutes, but we're finally both on our feet.
"Is that your guardian?" Katara asks randomly. I look at her with surprise.
"How did you know?" I ask in bewilderment.
"I just saw him earthbend and firebend and since you said that your guardian is also the Avatar it wasn't that hard to guess." The healer explains. At her words, I take a glance at the ongoing fight and I'm almost surprised at how well Ozai is keeping up with the most powerful bender in the world. When my eyes flicker over the area, I catch sight of Kuzon still sprawled on the ground.
"Shoot. I can't leave him." I mutter under my breath. Katara must've been following my line of vision as she nudges me.
"Let's go grab him then." She murmurs, but I hesitate.
"He's all the way over there where the fighting is. If anyone spots us we're done for." I remind anxiously.
"Isn't he the last remaining person from your past?" The waterbender reminds, but I purse my lips.
"You do remember he's the one that started all this, right?" I point out bluntly, but the girl rolls her eyes.
"He just stood up for us. Flawed or not, he still cares about you." Katara voices gently. I chew my lip.
"I know that. And I'm not leaving without him, but I don't want to put you in danger. You've gone through enough because of me." I explain firmly.
"AANG!" Kuzon's sudden shout rips me out of our conversation and when I snap my head towards the sound, I see a bright bolt of lightning heading to my right, where Katara is. I don't even think as I throw myself in front of the girl and squeeze my eyes tightly, awaiting for the ripping agony to greet me. But it never does. After a long minute I open my eyes to find Roku suddenly standing before me with his arms outstretched to either side of him. One cough. Then two. Before I see him collapse to one knee. Then his other.
"No." I whisper with wide eyes as I watch him fall face first to the ground. "ROKU!" I yell as I skid towards the old man and turn him over onto his back. A great big gaping, bloodied hole in his chest greets me. And suddenly the world around me darkens as Roku raises a shaky hand to rest on my shoulder.
"My dear boy..." The older Avatar croaks only to cough again. "...Hakoda and help is nearly here. You'll be fine." He voices quietly as each breath shudders through his whole body. My lips tremble as I stare at him.
"So, you're going to be ok?" I echo back as my throat constricts, as if the words itself were burning my tongue with how hugely I'm deceiving myself. A weak chuckle slips past the old man's lips.
"We both...know the answer to that. I..." I watch as he takes a deep breath, struggling with his next words. And I've seen enough dead bodies to know it's nearly the end for him. "... I'm so sorry I have to l-leave you so...so soon. P-please...try to move on...you are..." His next breath is his last. I know it when I feel his hand falling off my shoulder to hit the ground with a quiet thud. Whatever he wanted to say, I'll never know.
My vision blurs as a choking sound rips out of my throat. Raw pain bubbles through me as loud sobs echoes throughout the strangely silent room. 'He was all I had.' I throw my head back and scream. An ear piercing, blood curdling scream.
My screaming continues as a rush of power travels down my veins. The air around me picks up more violently than it ever has before. Air. Fire. Earth. I feel them all surround me and with uncontrolled rage, I wreak havoc on everything in the vicinity.
Katara's POV:
I stare agape at the scene before me. Seeing Aang tear the whole place up with that frighting expression of fury and hatred on his face should have any normal person scared witless and running for their lives like all the other gang members are doing.
But all I can feel right now is an indescribable sadness for the boy. Sadness and understanding. I was too numb to scream after hearing about Mum. But hearing it from someone like that. That pained and raw. It has me feeling sick to the stomach, especially knowing how Aang still hasn't moved on from all the previous deaths he has faced. 'How many more people can you lose before you're broken irreparably?' I wonder, feeling scared for the boy.
Our petty fighting a mere hour ago, feels insignificant and unimportant now. I try to push my feet forward in an attempt to reach him and calm him down like I've done before, but the wind is stronger than I've ever seen it and I find myself being knocked off my feet and skidding backwards on my spine.
"Ouch." I mutter as I push myself up on my elbows as I watch the scene continue to unfold before me. I'm about to push myself back to my feet with the intention of trying to brave the blizzard, until a hand grasps my wrist. I snap my head to the side to find Zuko kneeling beside me.
"What the heck is going on?" He shouts in an attempt to be heard over the rushing wind. Strangely enough, the burst of anger I had felt towards him earlier for being related to Ozai is surprisingly absent as I flicker my gaze to the airbender that's flying several metres above the ground as he slashes the war machinery around him.
My eyes drop to where Roku's body remains untouched beneath him, as if protecting a person that's no longer present. I wince at the thought.
"It's called the Avatar State. Aang only seems to enter it when he's under a lot of emotional strain." I explain quickly as the firebender helps me to my feet. I spot the confusion etched into his features as he glances at the child genius.
"And what triggered it?" He asks as he squints at the swirling air around us.
"He...his guardian was just killed." I say, my voice barely above a whisper as I drop my gaze to the ground. 'He died trying to protect Aang who was only trying to protect me.' I think shamefully and I find myself closing my eyes as my heart aches for the boy. 'This isn't fair.'
"Spirits. That kid can't catch a break." Zuko curses as he starts tugging me away. "I just spotted your brother outside of the compound. He's worried about you." He adds, but I shake his grip off me.
"I can't leave Aang like this!" I protest as I try to take a step towards the boy, but I find myself being flung violently back, hitting the ground with an even harder thump which has me gasping in pain. The firebender is by my side in moments as he lifts up an arm to hide his face from the flying debris.
"You can't do anything for him. Not now. Wait till he burns himself out." Zuko forces out harshly. I grit my teeth, refusing to believe that. Refusing to leave the boy in his pain. "I promised your brother I'd get you out of here." The scarred man utters stubbornly. I swallow, unable to imagine how worried he and my father must be.
"Where is he?" I finally ask. Zuko takes that as an indication to guide me forward.
"Outside. They're arresting a bunch of escaping gang members." The firebender explains as we exit the warehouse. My eyes take a moment to adjust to all the flashing blue lights from the police cars and vans. I don't get longer than a few moments to stare at the scene before I'm enveloped in a tight hug.
"For spirits sake Katara, never scare me like that again! I thought they were going to kill you!" Sokka babbles as his arms around me tightens on the word 'kill'. I sag into the warm hug and return it fiercely.
"You should know it takes more than that to get rid of me." I choke back thickly as I rest my chin on his shoulder. Another warm body joins the hug and from the cologne I can immediately tell who it is.
"Dad." I whisper as I stretch out an arm around his back.
"You're ok now. I'm so sorry. I should've never let you get involved in all this." Hakoda murmurs regretfully as he squeezes my shoulder. I bite my tongue to hold off a yelp, not wanting the man to feel worse than he already does. After a few moments, I pull back but no sooner do I do so a round of gasps greet my ears.
"Katara, you're...who did this?! I'm going to throttle them!" My brother demands as fury enters his eyes and I cringe at the mortification on my Dad's face.
"It's nothing really, I promise! I'll heal myself easy." I rush to reassure. At the reminder of my healing abilities, their faces relaxes slightly, but the obvious concern is still there. My attention shifts when I hear someone moving uncomfortably behind me. I turn around and find Zuko awkwardly standing there, as if unsure what to do with himself. When Sokka catches me looking, he leaves my side and goes up to the older boy.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but thank you for getting her out of there." My brother mumbles, as if unused to the idea of thanking the hot-tempered man.
"I, er... it's nothing." He mutters as he scratches the back of his neck uncomfortably. At this, my father crosses the distance between them.
"It's not nothing, you brought my daughter back to me and I'm grateful for that." Hakoda utters firmly. The firebender presses his lips tightly together before turning his head to the side.
"You shouldn't thank me. Especially when my father was the cause of all this." Zuko utters. I gape at the scarred boy as Sokka takes an immediate step back. 'I can't believe he just blurted it out like that. Isn't he worried what impact that will have on him?!' I think in shock.
"Wait, you're the person Aang was trying to protect?! Dang it Aang!" Sokka curses. "That kid is too nice for his own good." He adds under his breath.
A massive bang behind us pulls our attention towards the slowly crumbling building. 'Aang!' I panic as dread trickles through my gut. Without a thought, I spin on my heels with the intention of going into the burning building, but Sokka must've caught the look in my eyes as he grabs my arm.
"Where on earth do you think you're going?!" My brother demands.
"Inside. Aang's still in there!" I reply as I try to shake his hand off me.
"Katara don't be stupid! Aang can handle himself." The ponytailed man forces harshly. I grit my teeth and snatch my arm out of his grip.
"The entire building is going to come down, how is he going to handle that exactly?!" I retort angrily, but if anything that makes my brother fume more.
"He's got that weird glowing up thing going on! You on the other hand won't be fine if rocks fall on your head!" Sokka voices earnestly as he waves his arms dramatically in the air. I glare at him just as our father intervenes.
"Sokka's right, Katara. You can't go in there. It's too dangerous." Hakoda orders with a tone that leaves no room for argument.
"So what? You're going to let him tear down the surrounding area? Dad, I'm the only one that can get through to him when he's like this." I plead, only for my brother to intervene.
"Aang can snap out of it himself, stop trying to baby him!" The engineering student argues. I narrow my eyes at him, making the ponytailed man gulp.
"That boy just saw his guardian killed in front of him and there's no way I'm leaving him alone with that pain!" I shout. Sokka's eyes widen in shock while my father's face pales.
"Roku is...dead?" Dad echoes back, his tone sounding pained. I'm taken aback by the deep-rooted concern and sadness I see in his eyes, but I take this as an opportunity to run while they're still stunned.
"KATARA!" I hear both my brother and father shout, but I've already slipped through the building. I don't get further than several paces inside before dodging a huge pillar that falls to the ground, blocking the only exit I know. I swallow, but keep sprinting as I try to find the Air Nomad.
It isn't hard to find him. He's exactly where I left him, still floating in the air as he shoots fire and air to anything and everything. The only thing that remains untouched is Roku's still body beneath him, as if subconsciously rooted to the spot, unable to leave his side. I bite my lip. 'Last time I couldn't get within two feet of him, how am I going to catch his attention without being sliced into two?' I wonder worriedly as I start chewing my lip vigorously.
I shake my head. 'It doesn't matter. He won't hurt me. I know he won't.' I convince myself as I take one step at a time towards the violent hurricane. I'm not even 4 metres away from him when I feel my feet sliding and my knees on the verge of buckling.
"Spirits. I'm still weak from hunger and pain." I mutter to myself as I try to force another foot in front of the other. 'Using my last reserves to run from my Dad and brother probably wasn't the smartest thing I've done.' I admit begrudgingly.
My momentary loss of concentration has me blown into my knees. "Spirits!" I curse as I raise my squinted eyes to stare at the raging airbender. His face is so full of anguish and loathing. It reminds me so much of what he said before. Of how he feels when he's in the Avatar state. I can feel determination setting on my features. 'I'm not going to let him feel like that any longer.' I vow, but as I try to get to my feet again, I find that the power of his airbending is too strong, so I'm forced to crawl forward.
"Aang!" I shout. But it's immediately lost in the wind. "AANG!" I holler as loud as I can. Immediately his head snaps towards me as his rage-filled glowing eyes locks onto me. 'Shoot. How much does he see when he's like this? Can he see it's me or do I just look like another threat?'
I gulp, but plod forward. "I know you're hurting, but all this isn't going to change anything. Come down and we can sort it out together." I plead, but the air continues to push against me roughly as the boy continues to stare at me.
"Nothing." His voice echoes, as if multiple people were talking through him, but the meaning is lost on me. I shake my head, feeling confused.
"What?" I yell back, wishing that the wind would just stop for a moment so I could talk to him properly.
"There's nothing that can be fixed." His words boom loudly over the hurricane, but his eyes continue to gaze at me blankly, devoid of any emotion. Before there was anger or pain, but now? There's nothing. It's like he's switched off his feelings and that...that scares me more than all the fury I've seen him possess.
I watch as he swipes randomly to the side, cutting a tank into halves. I push myself onto my knees while my palms press firmly against the cold ground beneath me.
"Aang, please! You're scaring me." I utter, my voice cracking as fear grips my heart, worried that I'd lose the airbender to all his hurt. At my words, the boy's raised arm freezes before he drops it to his side. He doesn't say anything for a minute, but I notice how the air around me starts to slow to a simple flutter and then the glow fades from his eyes and tattoos.
I watch with wide eyes as he starts falling. With one hand on the ground, I push myself forward and sprint just in time to catch the child genius in my arms. I expected him to be passed out from all that energy he must've been using, but when I turn him over to look at his face, I find that his eyes are screwed tightly together as tears escapes down his cheeks.
"I lost him." He chokes out. My heart shatters and I find myself useless on how to comfort him. I opt to wrap my arms securely around him, allowing him to press his face into my chest as he cries. "He was all I had." I hear him croak as I feel his tears soak my top. My eyes crumples as I rest my chin on top of his head.
"You've still got us." I whisper, but the airbender shakes his head against me and I have no idea what that means.
Before I can say anything, I hear something creaking above us. When I look up, I have to hold in my sharp intake of breath as I spot the roof starting to collapse. I don't even think when I throw my arms and hunch my shoulders over Aang in an attempt to protect him. I feel him stir at the sudden movement, but I stubbornly use my body as a shield. His eyes widening in fear is the last thing I remember before blacking out when the roof falls on us.
A/N: *crickets* Dang I'm mean I know. I kinda can just imagine your possible stunned silence on my end lol. Don't know what to say except I don't know why I have this inclination to break Aang. Honestly at this point I feel he really can't go any lower than he already is, like the guy has hit the mother of all rock bottoms. Forgive me?
We're almost at the end, I was thinking about it and have figured there's prob 4 chapters left for me to tie most things up. Anything I don't tie up will be followed up in the sequel. Next chapter is kinda like the aftermath of what has happened in this chapter, it will be Aang's POV ofc and a little of Zuko's POV too. I've started writing it, but might be a couple of weeks to get it out to you guys, if not more. Sorry to leave you hanging on a cliffhanger like that. Wish I could say the wait will be worth it, but lol prob not. Don't worry, I'm not going to end the story on a totally depressing tone, I like happy endings after all. Anyway, leave your thoughts and I'll see you next time. Keep well!
26/3/22