Chapter 17

A Web of Lies

It all started with a sore throat from Sokka. He was a little hoarse and was coughing slightly. It wasn't a lot but it was enough to alarm me. By the end of the day he was running a fever with hallucinations. Katara sent Aang out to find ginger root since he knew what ginger looked like while I didn't. While Aang was gone I worked ferociously, making sure Sokka remained hydrated and warm.

"I couldn't find any ginger root."Aang stated as he returned from his outing half and hour later.

"But I did find a map. It says that there's a herbalist's nearby." Aang turned to leave with his glider but stopped when there was a clap of thunder. I frowned. The storm was long gone even though the sky was still grey. There shouldn't have been any more thunder. Katara coughed beside me.

"Not you too." Aang moaned. I winced myself. So far I was healthy but who knew how long that would last?

"It's just a cough Aang." Katara tried to assure him but to no avail.

"That was what it was like for Sokka earlier and now look. He thinks he's an earthbender!" As if on cue Sokka made a funny move.

"Take that you rock." He mumbled. I sighed and tucked his arms back into his sleeping bag.

"You too Katara, you need to keep warm and rest or you're going to end up like him." I cautioned. I turned to Aang.

"A word, in private please." He nodded and we walked a little ways away from where the two water tribe siblings lay against Appa.

"Aang be careful okay, avoid the paths, even if it takes longer... there's a lot I need to tell you but there isn't really time. Just remember that even when things look their bleakest you'll be alright and that Zuko-" I trailed off for a moment, unsure of how to continue. An image flashed in front of my eyes. It was my first day of tenth grade, my first year of high school and I was terrified. I didn't know where to go and was relying heavily upon the school map I had been given. I walked into my homeroom and noticed that all around the room, inspirational posters had been written. Several caught my eye, each one distinctly different.

"Scars may show us where we have been, but should not dictate where we are going." That one poster had not only made me comfortable, it had reminded me of Zuko. It just seemed to fit his character so well in both literal and figurative terms too.

"What?" I blinked looking up at Aang in surprise. I had forgotten that he was there for a moment.

"Sorry, if you met Zuko just give him a chance, he's not as bad as he likes us to believe." Aang looked at me strangely then nodded and took off running. I sighed and turned around. This was going to be a long couple of hours.

About half an hour later Katara asked for water. I agreed and left having run out a little while ago.

When I returned Katara's eyes were glassy and she was staring out into space. For a split second I panicked before I realized she was just hallucinating like Sokka had been. I eased down beside her carefully. I ladled some water from the bucket and held it in front of her.

"Thanks Momo." I blinked at her in shock. It was then I realized. I had always wondered what had happened to the little trinkets Momo had found for Katara and why they had vanished after Aang showed up. Now I knew why. Every part that involved Momo and Katara in that episode was all a hallucination. It sent shivers up my spine even thinking just how advanced the mental trickery that this fever was causing. Whatever this strange illness was I wanted nothing to do with it.

Aang didn't return until nearly sunrise the next day. He was exhausted and worn. His clothes were dirty and torn in places and he nearly shoved a frog in my mouth before he realized I wasn't sick anymore then he was. I looked at him and wondered what he had gone through yesterday.


Aang

I stretched myself gently slowly riding my body of the soreness that being imprisoned had caused. At the same time I tried to move past the fears I had experienced. The fear that this illness might be fatal, that Maddi fell ill while I was away. The fear that I would never return to my friends and that I would forever be alone in the metal walls. The fear that I would be a prisoner until the day I died. Then there was Zuko. He had risked everything to save me, his life, his position, even the honour he forever seemed fixated on. I didn't understand why. Why would he pretend to be the blue spirit? Had his plan been to kidnap me from admiral Zhao and take me for himself or had he really just wanted to free me? All these questions ran circles around in my mind. Not knowing was bothering me more then anything. If I knew he was my enemy then I would have left already. If I had known he was my friend I would have brought him to Katara, Sokka and Maddi. As it was he was in some sort of between and for some bizarre reason Maddi not only trusted him, she cared for him. Maybe Maddi had a point. Maybe it was time to give Zuko a chance. I hopped up onto a branch which was covered in moss and waited.

A few moments later Zuko shifted slightly. I began talking. Telling him things that had been on my mind since I had been to Omashu. I had been so scared because I had been sure that Bumi was dead.

"You know what the worst thing about being born a hundred years ago is? I miss all the friends I used to hang out with." I smiled slightly as a memory of Kuzon came to my mind.

"Before the war started I used to always visit my friend Kuzon. The two of us? We'd get in and out of so much trouble together. He was one of the best friends I ever had." I felt a stab of pain. I hadn't been able to see Kuzon after I had been told I was the avatar. Would he have turned his back on me like the others had or would he have stayed with me like my current friends had?

"And he was from the fire nation, just like you. If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends too?" Zuko didn't move he just stared at me, a strange expression on his face. I shrugged.

"You know I talked to Maddi before I was captured. She said something... I don't think she was really thinking but she said something which I thought sounded really wise. She said that we all have scars and that while they show us where we have been, they don't dictate what we're going to do with our lives." I noticed the fury in his eyes before I realized how he might have taken what I was saying.

"It's just a saying, it doesn't mean anything but I think she's right. We all have scars, just because you can't see mine doesn't mean I don't have them... I guess what I'm trying to say is, if we had been born at the same time, do you think we could have been friends?" Zuko didn't move. The anger seemed to have vanished slightly but it wasn't gone.

"I recommend you leave before I hurt you." Was the first words from his lips. I felt my stomach sink and at the same time I was glad. He may not have agreed we could have been friends but he had warned me. Maddi was right, that wasn't the sign of someone who really wanted to hurt me. I smiled just before I left.

"I think we might have."


Madison

I wasn't particularly pleased when Sokka and Katara insisted we leave the next morning. I suppose both were disgruntled and feeling ill from the fact they were sucking frogs for a good fifteen minutes. Aang while tired had been surprisingly upbeat which had confused me. What was even stranger was he thanked me for the advice with the largest grin on his face. He didn't even ask how I had known. It was to strange for my liking.

We set out but I was determined and insisted that Sokka and Katara rest the entire way there, in their sleeping bags. Neither had been pleased with me but they had listed.

"I think I have a wart on my throat flap thingy."

"No Sokka you don't" I told him, I was thoroughly engrossed in the scroll of the fire nation soldier I had bought.

"You didn't even look."

"I didn't have to." I replied in a bored voice, "Neither frogs or toads actually have warts, the bumps that people think are warts on toads are actually glands to keep themselves moist. And it's not called a throat flap, it has a proper scientific name."

"Maybe in your world those things are true, how do you know they're true here?" If I hadn't seen the look on Sokka's face as he uttered those words I would have killed him right there and felt no regret. He had just spilled my secret and judging from the expressions on Katara and Aang's faces it hadn't gone unheard either. I closed my eyes, put my scroll to the side and counted to ten slowly. I had to remind myself that Sokka was still recovering from a very bad illness which brought on hallucinations. Still if I denied it now and told them the truth later forgiveness wouldn't even be an option.

"What are you talking about." I sighed.

"Sokka was talking about the fact I don't come from this world." Slowly I told them everything, going into a lot more detail. I told them about the earthquake, about how my world instead of having bending had technology and how we loved fictional stories. Stories that sometimes weren't as fictional as they appeared.

"You know our future?" Katara asked in shock as she tried to process what I was saying.

"Intimately," I admitted softly, "I loved that, well this particular story. But then I stopped looking at it for a year and a half and then I ended up here. Needless to say while I have a good memory I can't remember everything."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Aang asked softly. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"For the same reason you didn't want to be the avatar. I didn't want the weight of the world on my shoulders. I struggled enough in learning how this world works and trying to fit in. I didn't need anymore issues and then how was I supposed to tell you that you'd find Aang in an iceberg on a fishing trip? I didn't know if you were going to find him tomorrow or in almost a year. And even after Aang How was I supposed to say that I knew everything about your life from the moment you met him until the day... well I..." I sighed again. Aang looked unsure and Katara looked downright incredulous.

"If I told you I was scared you wouldn't look at me as a friend and companion but as a map. I was scared you'd ask me how to live your lives right down on what to eat. I wouldn't be a person anymore and besides, my knowledge doesn't change like all this does. Because I'm here the world is changing. Eventually at some point my knowledge is going to be outdated and then if you're still expecting all my answer to be right I could end up killing you. Just because I underestimated how fast things would change. I couldn't do that." There was silence for a long time as my friends took in my words. Aang seemed to understand as he gave me a pitying smile. His eyes clearly saying that he understood and he'd stand by me. Sokka too was looking supportive, in a determined sort of way. I understood he was telling me that he had my back, no matter what. On the other side of the story Katara was looking conflicted. She didn't seem to know whether to support me or to criticize me. Either way I decided that I wasn't going to blame her. She was still young, she wasn't as aware of the world as Aang was. She hadn't experienced what Aang had.

"How much are you willing to tell us about what's going to happen?" She finally asked. I sighed.

"I don't know in all honesty. There is just to many variables involved." I admitted. "I don't want to tell you something that is going to happen then have you make a different choice and do something that may have severe consequences."

"And what if you don't tell us and something has changed like you fear and someone gets hurt because of it."

"That's already happened." My companions snapped to attention, suddenly alert.

"Who?"

"Suki. She wasn't supposed to get that badly hurt. She was supposed to be fine and wish Sokka farewell." I admitted with a shaky voice. I still felt bad about what happened to Suki but there was nothing I could really do to change what had been done. It was over. Like I had told Aang, each new day like a second chance. Sokka nodded seriously, there was a sadness in his eyes. We still didn't know if Suki and survived. If this had happened in the actual series I wouldn't really have thought about it. Suki had been a minor character until later in the series, not really worth interest. However, not only did I know how important Suki was going to be in the long run, I also knew she was a real person, she wasn't ink and paper and animation. She was a real sixteen year old girl who had her entire village nearly burnt to the ground because they had welcomed three strangers into their midst.

"Is that it?"

"That's all I can think of now, I don't think there are more people who were hurt."

"What about things you want to change." I looked up at Aang in surprise.

"What are some things you want to stop from happening? Let us know and maybe when that time comes, if it comes, we can help." I gave myself a small smile.

"I don't know but... I can at least tell you what I want to stop. I won't tell you what leads up to that though, I'm not really comfortable with that yet." They nodded. I had a sneaking suspicion that they just wanted an idea of what was going to happen to them.

"I want to stop Jet from dying, I want to stop Appa from being bison-napped. I want to help Zuko make the right choice earlier. I want to save Iroh. I want to-" I trailed off before saying in a stronger voice.

"I don't want anyone to ever have to suffer or hurt. I want to save everyone I can. No matter what. I just don't know how to do that." I admitted with a blush.

"That's a tall order." Sokka warned.

"I know, that's why I don't want to tell you guys. You shouldn't have to get involved. None of you should have to go through this. You're still kids, you deserve to have a childhood but you didn't. Your childhood was taken away when Sozin decided to take over the rest of the world. It's something that I can't change but it is something I wish I could have."

"I don't." Katara told me. It was my turn to look incredulous. How could she not want that?

"Because if that never happened. None of us would have ever met each other." I smiled at Katara as Sokka pointed something else out.

"If you're striving for a perfect world you're not going to get it Pala. There isn't such a thing."

"No," I agreed, "but I can always try. If I have high goals then I have a higher chance of success." There was silence on the bison for a while as we all took what had been said in. Aang seemed troubled and kept stroking Appa nervously. Katara was deep in thought, unaware of how Sokka was inspecting her. He was keeping an eye on his sister, making sure she was going to be okay. I didn't blame him. There was a lot to be worried about. I gently reached over and touched Aang on the shoulder.

"I promise I'll do everything I can." The young avatar sent me a smile.

"I know. I trust you." After a moment I looked at him more seriously.

"Why did you and Katara trust me so quickly?"

"Well Sokka believed you," He replied, "and your story was to out there to be a lie. Kind of like how I was trapped in an iceberg for a hundred years... I guess the most unrealistic things are the most real sometimes." I smiled warmly. Aang had no idea how good it was to hear that. Apparently being told that this was just as crazy as it felt was something I had needed.

"Thank you Aang." Aang shrugged.

"No problem. But you need to trust us. The monks always warned me to never get caught in a web of lies."

"I guess I nearly got caught in one." I admitted. "So how do you escape a web of lies?"

"You tell the truth. A single truth can cut through a web of lies like a scythe through corn."


(If you read the author note on chapter 16 don't worry about reading this)

I am so so sorry that this update is so late. To make up for it though I'm posting two chapters at the same time chapter 16 and chapter 17. I severely underestimated how hard it would be to move and unpack in an entirely new place and to add to that we got a kitten three days ago. A little eight week old cat is now added to the family and getting underfoot as well doesn't help anything. On another topic I'm for sure going to be able to update once again every Saturday for the foreseeable future. I'll let you know if something changes about that. Also I've been thinking of renaming myself Firebrand, the book that Princess Kassandra (AKA Princess Kassie) was named for. Anyway thank you for your patience and I'm sorry that I haven't been able to write back to every review. I hope that will change as well. Anyway. Once again thank you and I hope you enjoy chapter 17 of Change the World.