Disclaimer: All rights belong to Nickelodeon, Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, and all the men and women that created the A:TLA show, books, and comics. I take no credit, and I do not mean to break any copyright rules. This is simply a work of fiction made for enjoyment. No money is being made. The lyrics are from the song "Broken Arrows" by Avicii
Rating: General Audiences. Warning: some scenes contain dark themes and minor violence
Author's Note: Sorry for the confusion about the upload! I put it up right before I went to work and didn't realize my mistake.
Chapter 10: Family
We have to tear down walls that live in your heart
To find someone you call home
Now you see me for me and my beautiful scars
So take my hand, don't let go
Katara and Aang walk through the halls of the Air Temple for the last time. If everything went according to plan with the others, they should all be meeting in Yumai at sunset. After today there's only five days left until Sozin's Comet. By a unanimous, unspoken agreement, the team had decided to plan for a few days to rest and spend time together. No one knows what will happen to them - or the world - after the comet. Their days could be numbered.
Katara pauses by the statue of Avatar Wan. His history, and that of the Avatar's origin, is forgotten; only a few Airbenders who have journeyed deep into the spirit world and returned know the truth. Now she does, too.
She reaches out and touches the wooden arm of the statue. Wan's assurance that she was chosen for this fight has brought her a lot of peace. Although she's still scared - terrified - of facing Ozai again, the fear doesn't paralyze her or leach slowly away at her hope.
"How does it work?" Aang asks, watching her. "Can you speak to him or the other Avatars whenever you want?"
"Sometimes. I only speak to them when I need advice or reassurance." She drops her hand. "I can see myself in different parts of them, but I don't feel like we're the same person. And I'm only really in touch with the Avatars that came before me in the cycle."
"The last Avatar was an Airbender, right?"
Katara nods. "Her name was Saura. She was the first one I met." She smiles. "She reminds me of you."
Gyatso approaches them from a hall. His face is weary. "I have spoken with the others," he says. "Some have agreed to set up defenses in case the Fire Nation attacks. The others will take the non-benders and the young to a secret, sacred location until the comet has passed."
Katara and Aang share concerned expressions. "That's not enough," she says. "They'll need every Airbender out there to combat the Fire Nation."
Gyatso's shoulders slump slightly. "I have done the best I can. Our people are not fighters at heart, and years of isolation and peace has dulled what little instinct we have."
"It's better than nothing. At least we won't be completely wiped out if things go south." Aang sets a hand on Katara's arm. "You've done everything you can."
Katara nods. He's right. She's done her duty; if people won't listen to her, then it's no longer her responsibility. She knows she'll feel guilty anyway, though.
She bows to Monk Gyatso. "Thank you for your help. I wouldn't be here today if you hadn't sent Aang to help me. I look forward to working with you further once we have ended the war."
Gyatso bows back. "It was my honor to aid the Avatar. Many thought you were gone forever, but I never lost my faith."
Katara steps back as Aang and Gyatso say goodbye to each other. She runs her fingers over the smooth edges of her glider. In the past week she's learned so much about Airbending. Although she still has a long way to go, especially in the spiritual aspects of it, she feels confident enough using it in a fight.
She's done something only one Avatar has ever done before - master all four elements in the course of a year. She's travelled across the world, raised armies, led invasions, and fought the most powerful Benders in the world, and came back from the clutches of death - twice. If she isn't ready to take on Ozai now, then she never will be.
Aang returns to her and they exit the temple. He looks around one more time, nostalgia in his expression. Then he turns to her and smiles.
"Ready?"
She returns it. "Ready."
Then they leap into the air, flying off towards destiny together.
They reach Yumai a few hours ahead of schedule thanks to strong winds pushing them towards the Earth Kingdom coast. Everyone had gone smoothly - too smoothly, if Sokka's honest. Nothing has ever come this easy to him before. But he knows why they were able to cross the southern tip of the Fire Nation, steal a merchant ship, and sail all the way to the Earth Kingdom with minimal resistance.
The Fire Nation doesn't see them as a threat.
After all, what are thirty teenagers when there are hundreds, thousands, of Fire Nation soldiers spread across the nations, preparing to strike in full force? Thirty plus adult Earthbenders couldn't stop Azula in Ba Sing Se, so what are thirty mostly non-bender kids? Ozai is confident in his power and he sees no purpose in tracking them down. He knows they'll burn under the light of the comet in only a few days' time.
Katara is still a secret, the knowledge of her life known only by a few. The greatest power in the world discarded by an emperor who thinks himself above all others. Ozai has grown too confident and arrogant, and it will be his downfall.
Toph marches ahead of the group as they enter the village. When the leader comes down to meet them, concern on his face, Toph waves her Beifong passport in his face and tells him she's having a party and that he should be honored that she chose his village as the location. Although there's still a trace of worry on his face, he quickly nods and spreads word around to the inhabitants that their group is to be left alone.
They set up camp on the outskirts, receiving gifts of food and blankets and clothes from the townspeople who want to gain favor with a family as powerful as the Beifongs. Under any other circumstances, Sokka would feel guilty for manipulating them; but since they need to be well fed and rested to take on Ozai's forces in just a few days, he shoves it away. They can repay the village back after the war is ended.
An excited murmur goes through the camp, causing Sokka to drop his bag of supplies in his hands and run to the middle of the crowd. Pushing through, he arrives just in time to see Katara and Aang land, snapping up their gliders and greeting the Kyoshi Warriors.
He gives Katara a quick hug in greeting. As much as he would like to tease her about becoming an airhead or asking if she's going to shave her head and get tattoos like Aang, or just pretend like he doesn't even notice that she's back, he doesn't. Almost losing her during the invasion has made Sokka hyper-aware of how short and precious life is. He doesn't know if he might wake up in a week without her. He's terrified of it.
He rubs Aang's head affectionately, once again bald to proudly show off his bright blue arrow tattoos. He loves the kid, and he's afraid of losing him, too. The difference between Aang and Katara is that Sokka isn't just afraid of losing Katara physically - he's afraid that she's going to become a much different person after the war. Whatever happens, she isn't going to be the same. She's changed a lot in the past year, and sometimes Sokka almost doesn't recognize her.
But Aang? Aang has changed, too, but in a normal way. He's matured and grown a couple inches taller and Sokka thinks he might have started to finally pick up on some of his humor. He's pretty proud of him.
Of course, Sokka's proud of Katara, too. Although she's changed in ways he doesn't approve of, she's also become so much stronger and tougher than before, and she managed to do it without losing her compassion and determination. Mom would be so proud of her.
Suki and Toph are here, too, greeting the two. Toph gripes that she'll have to "call you Twinkle Toes Two now," and Suki shows Katara a few new moves with her staff. The other Kyoshi Warriors crowd around, all wanting to meet the Avatar. Katara takes the time to speak with each one of them, smiling and sharing encouraging words with them all. It's moments like this that makes Sokka most proud of her.
Aang entertains the ones waiting with some airbending tricks and tells them about the Air Temples. Toph has her own fanbase within the group. Sokka even notices Ty Lee on the fringes, chatting with some of the Kyoshi Warriors and occasionally glancing over at Katara with an expression almost like guilt. Mai sits at the very edge of camp, stabbing a blade into the tree trunk she's sitting on over and over again. She has a bored expression on her face, like usual.
Everyone stays up late that night. Sokka finds himself dragged into endless conversations at Suki's side while she continues catching up with all of her friends. Every once in a while Aang or Toph rescue him for a few minutes, claiming they need his help or his opinion on something. As honored as he is that Suki wants to introduce him to the people important to her, his part in the conversation lasts about five minutes before they start talking about people or places or things he knows nothing about. Even the warriors he knew from his short time on Kyoshi Island don't hold his attention for more than a few minutes.
Finally, when the moon is high in the sky, Sokka pulls Suki away. "It's time," he says quietly, and she nods before quickly finishing up her rounds. On their way here, she'd briefed them all on their part of the upcoming battle; now it's time to part ways again, if only for a few days.
Sokka gathers up the others and they slowly pull themselves away, finishing their goodbyes. It was too short of a reunion, but it was more than they could have hoped for under the circumstances.
Sokka, Suki, Aang, Toph, Katara, and Zuko climb up Appa's back. They wave as they take off into the night sky. Even Momo chitters, missing all the attention he'd gotten from the bemused girls.
They all settle in comfortably - or, in Toph's case, as comfortably as possible - and prepare for the journey ahead. It's shorter than what they've travelled in the past, but in some ways it feels longer; in some ways it feels as though they're crossing a point of no return.
In just five short days they're going to fight the Fire Nation in one last battle for the fate of the world, and every second brings them closer to their worst enemies.
They reach their destination with only three days until the Comet. This is how they refer to time now; not in date or day of the week, but in a countdown until the final showdown.
Their eyes are all heavy when Appa coasts down in the pale pink light of the sunrise, but the sight ahead of them wakes them up with surprise.
"What is it?" Toph demands, crossing her arms.
"There are rows of fancy beach houses," Aang says, leaning forward so far that he's almost falling off Appa. "And miles of pristine beaches. It's like paradise island."
"Isn't being on a small island dangerous?" Sokka asks, turning to face Zuko.
The prince is sitting against Appa's neck, his arms crossed. He's the only one who doesn't seem excited. "No. Our house has its own private beach and property. No one will bother us."
"What if your father or Azula is there?" Sokka presses.
A bitter laugh escapes Zuko's mouth. "Trust me - no one uses this house anymore. Even if they did, my father and sister are too busy planning their final victory to be lounging around our vacation home."
Katara slaps her hand over Sokka's mouth before he can ask any more questions. She can see that Zuko isn't exactly excited to be back here, let alone to talk about it. "It will be a safe hide-out until the Comet," she says, trying to reassure everyone. "No one will dare bother us if they think we're the Fire Lord's guests."
"Until the paparazzi shows up," Toph mutters.
Appa sets down by a large beach house out of sight from the other luxurious houses. As Zuko had promised, it has its own beach. A charred firepit is the only sign of humans on the sand, and even that looks months old. Katara glances back to see Zuko glaring at it, as if the firepit somehow offends him.
Aang rushes ahead of the others to check out the house, Sokka on his heels. The others begin unloading their meager supplies off Appa's saddle.
"Why is the door kicked in?" Aang asks, jogging back to them.
"Someone must have broken in," Sokka adds, walking up behind. "I think it's unsafe."
Zuko doesn't meet their eyes. "It's fine. I was the one who broke the door."
Aang and Sokka's eyes shine with questions, but a quick glare from Katara keeps them from asking.
The house itself is untouched. There's a wall with pictures of the royal family strung up, a blank space with an empty hook where one is missing. A few other mementos lie around, but otherwise the house is empty. The fancy furniture is covered in dusty sheets and the window panes are streaked with dirt. No one has been here in a long time.
Zuko points to a hallway with several doors. "Those are the bedrooms," he says dully. "The one at the end was my parents'."
Aang and Sokka claim the guest room that often housed Mai when she was young and came on vacations with them, and Toph and Suki take Azula's old space. In an unspoken agreement no one even touches the room that once belonged to Ozai.
Katara finds herself drawn to Zuko's old room. She steps inside, looking around at the sheet-covered canopy bed, desk, bookshelf, and drawer. Next to the head of the bed is a small nightstand. Katara walks over to it and picks up the painting sitting on top. She brushes away a thick layer of dust to reveal an image of a young Zuko and an older woman who must be his mother.
She stares at it for a long time. The artist did a good job; young Zuko looks exactly how she would imagine him. She can't stop staring at his unblemished face and his bright golden eyes. Here was a time when he was truly happy - not just happy in the moment, but happy in life.
"I forgot I had that."
Katara whirls around to see Zuko standing in the doorway. She feels her face heat up, embarrassed that she was caught snooping.
"I'm sorry," she says, setting it back down. "I should have asked first."
He shrugs and steps in, closing the door behind him. "This place doesn't feel like it belongs to me, anyway." He walks over to her, reaching past her to pick up the painting. "It belonged to that kid."
"Is that why you don't like it here? Because it reminds you of better times?"
"No." He sets the image face-down on the table. "I came here a few months ago, when you were in the palace prison. Azula noticed I was unhappy, so she planned a vacation here for me with Ty Lee and Mai. We actually had a lot of fun." His eyes darken. "And we also learned a lot about each other." He meets her eyes. "I hate it here because it reminds me about the truth of my family."
Katara smiles wryly. "Somehow I have a hard time imagining Azula on a vacation."
"She's a cruel, efficient warrior, but she's also a fifteen year old girl." Zuko sits down on the edge of the bed, not bothering to remove the draped sheets. "She has hopes and dreams for the future. She may not act like it, but she does care what others think of her. She was always jealous of the relationship between Mom and I, and she tried to seek it out with our father. Even though she manipulated them, she really did care about and trust Mai and Ty Lee. And…" He pauses, his face twisting. Katara takes a seat next to him, looping her arm through his. "And she really did love me."
Katara can't imagine how difficult this is for him. She thinks of herself and Sokka - they fight each other as often as they get along, but at the end of the day Katara knows he'll be there for her when she needs him most. She imagines young Zuko and Azula, being pitted against each other from birth for their parents' love and attention while at the same time allying together to face the challenges they both confronted as the royal children. Their bond was like a tornado, holding them together while at the same time destroying them and everything around them.
"We played a beach volleyball tournament when we were here." A ghost of a smile appears on his face. "It was the first time since I had returned that everything felt right in the world. It was just Azula and I, working together as a flawless and dominating team. Just a stupid game, but we were united the way we should have always been." He wipes at his face with the palm of his hand. "That's what this place reminds me of. What could have been."
Katara feels tears welling up in her own eyes. Partly for him, for the pain he's feeling and the suffering he's endured; but also because she understands exactly what he means. She spent many hours of her incarceration wondering what could have happened if other things hadn't. There is no thought more bitter than what could have been.
"We don't get to choose everything that happens, but we do get to choose how we react to them." Katara tightens her grip on his arm. "I didn't choose to be the Avatar, but I chose to take on the responsibility instead of running from it. You didn't choose to have such a messed up family, but you chose to turn your back on them to find a new, better one."
"I still feel responsible. I was Azula's older brother; she looked up to me. And she saw me doing everything I could to please our father, so she copied. And now it's too late."
"We can only choose how we react," Katara repeats firmly. "I don't want to kill your father, but defeating the Fire Lord is the only way to bring balance back into the universe, so I have to do it."
Zuko nods once. When he speaks, his voice is resigned. "And I have to stop Azula. My sister, my responsibility."
Neither of them are looking forward to Sozin's Comet.
"Sokka, come on. You've been in there for hours."
Suki pokes her head in through the door of the room he and Aang are staying in. Aang and Toph are off exploring the property, so Sokka's in there alone, sitting on a pile of maps and papers and other documents. He has a charcoal stick in his hand and he's using it to scratch out characters and numbers on a sheet of parchment that's already filled with characters and numbers, muttering under his breath as he works.
"Just a few more minutes. I need to run these numbers again."
Suki purses her lips before walking over to him, stealing the pencil out of his hand. When he protests, she places a finger on his lips, silencing him.
"You're just making things worse for yourself, Sokka. You've run the numbers a dozen times already. They aren't going to change. And everything is already in place. There's no point in worrying yourself further."
Sokka sighs. "I know. I just...this can't fail. This is our last chance to stop the Fire Lord. We can't have anything go wrong."
"Things always go wrong in battle." Suki reaches out for his hand and pulls him to his feet. "You have to learn to step back and trust your warriors to do their jobs."
She pulls him through the quiet, eerie house and out the creaking porch stairs.
"Where are we going?" Sokka asks, stumbling along.
"There's a great view of the sky from the beach. I noticed you like watching the moon."
Sokka's heart flips. "Suki - "
"Don't argue with me." They step onto the beach and Sokka can see that she's right: the night sky is wide and clear above them, the stars twinkling and the moon shining brightly. Sokka stares at it for a long moment, searching for Yue's face in the glow. He's let her go and moved on, but that doesn't mean he's going to forget about her.
"We haven't spent any time together in a long time," Suki says, pulling back his attention. She's laying a blanket out on the sand. "And who knows what's about to happen?"
Sokka settles down next to her. "I don't know," he admits. "I can only hope we're strong enough to hold off the Fire Nation long enough for Katara to defeat Ozai."
"We will be. And Katara's going to succeed."
He looks over at her. "How can you be so sure?"
"Because we have to."
Suki leans back on her forearms. With the stars above and the sea ahead, Sokka begins to feel as calm as Suki appears. He lays flat on his back, his arms folded underneath his head.
"After being on the run for so long, it's weird to feel safe in the middle of enemy territory."
"This might not be enemy territory in three days." Suki smiles. "There are a lot of changes on the horizon."
"Even with Zuko on the throne, it won't be smooth or easy." Sokka's tactical mind is always spinning, turning from one battle to another. "It will be years before many Fire Nation citizens realize all the lies Ozai and Azulon and Sozin have told them. And even longer before the other nations forgive them."
"At least we won't have to worry about a boring life after the war." Suki knocks playfully into his side. "Maybe we can be ambassadors together."
Sokka hasn't really had the time to think about what he's going to do when the war is over. His entire focus has been on ending it. All he knows for sure is that he doesn't want to be separated from her again.
"As long as we're together," he agrees.
But he's not ready to think about it yet. He needs to concentrate on getting them all there first.
As the hours slip by, he's growing more and more nervous that he's not up to the task.