Dying To Survive
Chapter 11- The Peak
"Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in awhile, or the light won't come in." Alan Alda
..::-::..
Every breath was gripped tightly in their throats as the passing seconds stiffened their gaze. Katara and Zuko shifted nervously as the figures approached them. The twigs snapped on the ground as her vision became clearer. Katara dropped her arms and took a step forward, only to be held back by Zuko. The trees swayed slightly above them as she narrowed her eyes, pushing his hand away.
"What are you doing? We need to help her!" Katara said.
"It might not really be them though," Zuko replied cautiously. Katara bit her lip and looked to her left again as Jet and Laia stumbled into the area around them. Laia was holding onto Jet's arm for support as they walked on. They stopped and Laia smiled hesitantly.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly. Jet looked at her and sighed. Her charcoal hair swept to the side with the breeze as it shaded her shameful eyes. "I shouldn't have run off like that."
She let go of Jet but swayed. He grabbed a hold of her again and sighed. Zuko's eyes broadened as his anxiety disappeared with his exhaled breath. He scratched his forehead and glanced at Katara.
"Should we tell them what happened?" he asked.
Katara nodded and looked at Jet. "It sounds unimaginable…but just a while ago, we were attacked by…"
"Clones?" Laia filled in. Katara's mouth dropped and then she folded her arms.
"How did you two know?"
"The same thing happened to us. I had to fight against myself and a different Laia had threatened me, but I escaped," Jet stated. Zuko thought over this pensively and closed his eyes.
"What happened to Laia?" he asked. Katara glanced at her friend and saw that Laia's knuckles were as white as the drifting clouds above them. Her lips were cracked and dry. A slither of despair tore through Katara's throat as a suppressed cry voiced through her mouth. She ran to Laia and hugged her, unaware of the real pain that cradled the wounds inside of her. Laia's eyes widened and she gasped for air.
"I'm not sure. She didn't tell me what happened when she met the other Jet," he said. Katara stared into Laia's eyes and knew undoubtedly that whatever had happened wasn't something to talk about. Pulling out her pouch, the water instantly glowed and Laia dropped her jaw in wonder. The water slipped into her parched mouth and fell against the rough roof of it. She swallowed and felt her veins of blood pumping with a steady pulse. She smiled and jumped up with renewed energy.
"Thank you so much Katara!" Laia said as she beamed and hugged her friend tightly. Katara struggled for breath for air and then laughed as she pulled away.
"Don't mention it! As long as you feel better," she said. Jet shook his head and tapped his finger on his chin.
"Don't you think this place is almost mystic? I never thought it was possible to fight against myself," he stated.
Zuko nodded and put his right hand on his hip as he took a stance. "I agree. This isn't a place to live in. Whatever attacked us all, they're not human. I could see it in their eyes," Zuko commented. Katara raised her eyebrows and suppressed her hidden joy. His opinion had meant that he could see a difference between herself and the fake Katara. Pointing out that her eyes were different gave Katara a different image of Zuko than she had thought previously. A detail as minute as the distinction in their eyes wasn't something an insensitive person could see. But for what she knew, he could have just been taking pity on her like the times before. He said it himself that he saved her just because she was there and he would do it for anyone at the right place and time. The fear that her pain might come again dragged out her long list of thoughts and she couldn't fight it any longer. She stepped away from Zuko and moved closer to Jet.
"Why would they fight us though? We didn't do anything to them," she said.
"I don't know what to think anymore. Maybe we should figure out how to find the woman, finish the mission and go back. This journey has been full of odd events instead of being difficult to get through," Jet said. Laia glanced at him with round eyes. At that moment, Jet thought of how his remark meant something else. The journey had given him a second chance to be with Laia. He put a finger to his lips and signaled her not to say another word. Just this action caused her to beam happily and she pumped her fist in the air.
"All right then! Let's move it group!" she said.
The birds began to chirp again. The leaves rustled with a strident resonance that had been hidden timidly before. As the nature around them was beginning to feel more exposed, Katara's heart began pounding in her chest. At any moment, another wave of pain could parade her into misery. She didn't know what Taiko's real objective was anymore; he could have killed Zuko himself, but then again he had said that it wasn't possible for some reason. Katara sighed as their footsteps left slight marks within the bent grass. The barks of the trees were plastered with rough edges. They streamed out into the numerous branches that never seemed to quit growing. Katara winced each time she felt the prickling against her skin and she growled with irritation as another sharp point dragged along her arm. Zuko looked at her and raised his eyebrow as she muttered to herself. It had been almost an hour since they had all met up and her arm was a deep shade of pink.
"Stupid forest. Why are there trees everywhere? Where's the open paths and the flat stones?" she asked. Katara pulled out her water pouch and healed herself quickly before moving on. Up ahead, Laia was whispering to Jet.
"I didn't really want to meet up with them," she said. Jet smiled and stretched his arms out in front of him.
"I don't know, maybe it's better this way. We've got four people instead of two teaming up against the psychotic clones running around." Laia glared at him and then he chuckled. She was about to say something when Jet tripped on a rock and stumbled. Katara and Zuko rushed forward and helped him stand up. "Where did that rock come from? I never saw it there before!" he yelled in humiliated anger. Laia smiled to herself and then turned her head to a clearing in front of them where the sun was reflecting off of the grass. It radiated such peacefulness that Laia became lost within the flow of the wind against the rolling field. After another moment, she gasped and pointed.
"Look!"
They turned their heads and stepped forward, squinting, as the trees dispersed around them. Each person displayed the utmost shock when they finally walked up to a woman sitting on a large stone; she turned around and smirked.
"Beware the Kuusu Mountains… you didn't listen to me!" she said. Katara stepped back in fear and shook her head. Jet did the same and hid behind her, shivering as the beauty flooded her eyes but was drowned her in the wrinkles of her skin and pointed crooked teeth. Laia jumped and screamed as Zuko restrained her. He narrowed his eyes and stepped forward, looking down at her.
"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" he asked quietly.
Her hair was still tied at the end so that it came down her right side. Her sparkling orange kimono blinded everyone's eyes as the sun shot its rays at the distasteful article of clothing. She stood up and laughed grimly. The visitors weren't running away. She sighed and pointed to the far left.
"Why don't we step into my hut? It's much easier to talk in there," she said. Katara glanced and saw that there was indeed a hut. Coincidentally, in front of it waved the same red and golden ribbon from before. It flapped in the wind up on the ends of the roof as they walked underneath it. Jet squinted as he entered; the small amount of light bounced off the little chairs and the small tables so that tiny glimmers floated everywhere. A cup rolled off a table as Jet bumped into it, and almost hit the ground but the woman caught it and held it in her hands gently as she placed it back on the table. She swept the ends of her kimono on the dusty floorboards and motioned them all to come in.
"This is where you live?" Laia asked.
"Yes, it is."
Katara's eyes widened and she pointed rudely at the woman's face as realization surged through her mind.
"Are you the old woman that needs our help? We were sent on a mission to find an old woman in the Kuusu Mountains and…" The woman's eyes twinkled and she laughed, exposing her ghastly smile.
"My name is Ineka. Yes, I need more help than you understand. It is a long story though…" she said with sadness as the travelers each took their respective places around the table. The animals outside were rumbling through the terrain and it almost seemed like a normal visit to see grandmother in her house within the mountains. Yet it wasn't. Somewhere out there lurked four duplicates whose intention was to harm the group. That situation was the most pressing thought on Zuko's mind.
"Before you tell us about yourself, you need to answer some of our questions. How did you know to warn us about the mountains? Did you intend to tell us about the clones?" he asked grimly. Katara looked from Zuko to Ineka with deep anticipation. She, along with the others, had desperately wanted to learn about the villainous people chasing them, but it seemed a bit too fortunate that Ineka would know.
"It is all a part of the same story. I will mesmerize you with terrors you never thought were possible." She took a deep breath and squinted as she glanced at each one of them. "When I was young, twenty years ago, I came here with my father in search of gold. It was rumored that there was plenty of it deep within the mountains and that whoever found it would be lucky for the rest of their lives. Ha! What a false tale! We came and we stayed for less than a day, already traveling to the many peaks of the mountains. It was then that we encountered peculiar beings, the most impossible display we could have ever seen!" Ineka said and spread her arms out in front of her with wide eyes. Her lips trembled and then she closed her eyes, bringing her hands to her chest.
"We were ambushed by none other than ourselves! We were shocked and most of all, frightened. My father did whatever he could to protect me, but he sustained great injuries. It wasn't until then that he told me about the mountains… there was a spirit residing within its dwellings! It was the Spirit of the Forests… whose name he knew not. My father yelled out to the spirit to guide us away from harm. We never intended on destroying his precious land, but then he came to us… what a glorious and terrifying sight! So beautiful he was, but the tangled branches surrounding his face scarred my view and I hid away while he spoke."
Katara shuddered and leaned closer to Jet. Laia scrunched her nose and diverted her attention back to the story teller.
"What did he say?" Laia asked.
"He said that he would aid us, however, a spell would be cast upon us. The clones were his defense. The forest and mountains grew from his power after he decided to dwell within it. He said he needed to protect something, but he never spoke of what it was exactly. Just as the trees grew in large numbers, any being who stepped into his domain would have another just the same grow from the ground as well. But it wasn't exactly so! He said… he used the worst thoughts unaware to the person and bred them with his power to search and seek to kill! That was his defense; that was why I said beware, and now you know my story. I was cursed to be old and frail, to live among the trees isolated from my father even, and that is why I need your help."
"Even if you don't want to admit it, the people who you saw, whatever they did, was because it's always been a part of you. Somewhere deep inside, it was your feelings and thoughts that bred the horrible beings you encountered," Ineka said gravely. The four sat in complete silence, stunned to their core at the revelation. Katara winced as she realized it was true. She had, if just for a split second, wanted to kill Zuko so that she could live on. Zuko's stomach twisted as he reflected on his duplicate's actions. There had once been that malevolence within himself; there was a time when he would have done anything to gain power, but that was no longer so. Jet and Laia each avoided each other's gazes and the hut was filled with an awkward poison seeping through the air.
"I see this is all very shocking. I understand," Ineka commented.
Katara gazed intently at her face and noted that Ineka's shining eyes resembled a part of the youth she had lost due to the curse. That kind of fate must have been so excruciating, and she had to bear it all by herself, alone in the small hut and the wilderness around her.
"What do you need us to do?" Katara asked solemnly.
Ineka turned towards her and smiled fondly. "I need special herbs to continue living. I have collected all that I could in the surrounding area, but there is a point up above where I cannot reach! If I don't have some more soon, then I will surely wither away… but maybe that's the best… after all this time! You four are the first people I have been able to talk with. It seems like you don't like me…" she said to the men. Zuko and Jet looked at each other and then shook their heads.
"It's not that. It's just that we're really confused, that's all," Jet said.
Zuko nodded in agreement and then took a chance, even though he knew it wasn't possible. "Do you happen to know where your father lives? I think he's the person we're supposed to help for our mission," Zuko said. Laia eyed him with a warning, but he just shook his head slightly as he listened for Ineka's response.
"I'm not sure… although I believe there is a path that leads to his home. We aren't allowed to see each other, otherwise, we automatically die."
The air grew thick and dense as Katara wiped away the perspiration on her forehead. It was all too much information to take in one sitting. She needed some air and she stood up to walk outside. Jet followed her, much to a scowling Laia's disapproval. Zuko sighed and looked at Laia.
"We need to find him," he said.
"Zuko, but I thought I made him up…" she said.
"It doesn't matter. The point is that there's an old man somewhere. Don't you think we should go help him in some way? Maybe he needs herbs too?" he asked. They heard a sniffle and turned to see Ineka's eyes covered in tears.
"I haven't seen him in so long… he was my only family, and now I don't know what it means to have family…but if you could find him, please tell him that I love him and I always think about him," she said. Zuko nodded and sighed.
"We'll do that for you," Laia said.
Outside of the hut, Katara paced back and forth a few steps before sitting on the ground with her knees tucked into her chest. Jet squatted down near her and glanced at her from the side. He sighed and looked up to the sky which was darkening as the sun began to hide behind the treetops.
"So this Spirit of the Forest, or something, lives here… that's why everything felt so unusual," he commented. Katara couldn't help but relive the moment when she saw her opposite trying to seduce and attack Zuko. She closed her eyes shut and shook her head. There was no way she would do that to him, she never wanted to, but if what Ineka said was true, then the replica had been hiding inside of her emotions all along. Faced with the instinct to save herself, she wanted to kill the person getting in her way. She looked up and took a deep breath as she saw Zuko's figure standing up inside of the hut. Katara stood up as well and Jet followed suit.
"Jet, we should leave before they come out. It's our mission, not theirs. They have nothing to do with it, and besides, it was just the two of us originally. Ineka is counting on us to find the herbs and bring them back so she can live on," Katara said as she found her bag and strapped it on. Jet glanced behind him where he thought he heard Laia's cheerful voice murmuring something to the lady they had just met. He looked away sadly and nodded.
"You're right. It was just the two of us to begin with. Let's go," he said. Katara took a step forward but as she looked back into the hut her eyes widened; they met Zuko's gaze with lament. She bit her lip and turned away from his confused look. Jet followed her as they made their way to the slopes above them. A croaking noise swept through the trees as Laia made it outside. Zuko stood by himself in deep thought. She twisted her lips to her right and then peered around the corner with her hand at her forehead.
"Where's Jet and Katara?" she asked. Zuko shrugged and gripped his bag.
"I guess they left for their mission," he said. Laia gaped and then growled.
"How could they? We were all a team!" she yelled. Zuko turned towards her and shook his head.
"No we weren't, Laia," he said bitterly. Zuko took a few steps forward and then looked back. "Come on, we've got to find her father before it gets dark," he said. Laia winced as she saw the distant gaze behind Zuko's clouded eyes. The pools of fire within him were growing and she could sense the frustration of his own thoughts. They walked on in between the thin trunks of spiraling trees as Laia considered her duplicate's actions. She could never picture herself as selfish as the fake, wanting to kill Katara just so she could be with Jet, but the unconscious desires she felt were making themselves more apparent the more she thought about it. As she looked at Zuko from the side, she could sense that he was thinking about his own duplicate. For a moment, she wondered what had happened with him and Katara before she and Jet found them again. The question wanted to spring off her tongue, but she couldn't get it out of her mouth. She was afraid of stirring the hidden emotions of Zuko's unconscious. All Laia wanted was for Zuko to stay calm and rational. Suddenly, she remembered why they had begun the journey in the first place.
"Zuko?"
"Yes?" he replied.
"What about the orb of chi? We haven't been able to talk about it for a while now… things kept getting in the way," she said distantly as she recalled all of the time she was able to spend with Jet.
"That might be our real mission, but we need to help Ineka's father first. Since we don't know where it really is, we just have to keep our eyes open for any signs of the orb," Zuko said. They walked onward and found a clearly marked path. As he went further, Zuko consulted the map and nodded to himself. Laia narrowed her gaze as she thought about something that hadn't occurred to her before.
"Wait a minute, what do we do when we find the orb?" she asked him. Zuko stopped and turned around, letting his arm drop to his side.
"I was told that we need to protect it from the evil forces lurking around trying to get its power. I suppose that Taiko meant the replicas…"
"But that means there would be no one to steal the powers if we had never come in the first place!" Laia said.
"Then maybe it's someone else we don't know about. The mountains are vast and there could be hunters in any of the areas trying to look for it," he responded. Zuko looked at his map again and walked on. Laia looked around through the far expanse of empty space among the trees and when she finally looked behind her after a few minutes, she dropped her jaw in shock. She pulled on Zuko's sleeve and pointed down.
"Did we really walk up all this way?" she asked in a small voice. He sighed and shrugged her off.
"Yes, are you afraid of heights?" he asked impatiently.
"N-no… I'm not!" she said as she quickly looked back up. They passed on in a heated silence that gnawed at Laia's insides. If it wasn't the atmosphere, then it was obviously someone else that was making Zuko so irritable. She sighed and closed her eyes slightly. Zuko stopped and held his hand out to keep her from walking forward.
"There's a fork in the path," he stated. Laia bit her lip and then scratched her head.
"Maybe it's better if we go separate ways. If one of us finds something, then let's say we'll come back down our own path and find the other. So if I find something, I'll come back here and go down your path," she said enthusiastically. Zuko sighed and put away his map.
"All right. That makes sense," he said and walked up his path. Laia scowled and tossed her head to the right. She walked away from his path and muttered to herself.
"Who does he think he is? Just because something is making him angry, doesn't mean that he should take it out on me! Well it doesn't matter now. I'll just find that orb first and show him that I can actually do something!" she said and beamed as she ran down the passageway through the forest of trees. The earth had leveled out and it made her much happier to know the steep slope they had climbed wasn't going to be bothering her for a long time to come.
Zuko walked to the left down his trail. He noticed the earth leveling out like the flat surface of Lake Nuchai. The bare ground smelled of musty growth and he could sense the air becoming thinner the higher up he walked. Suddenly, Zuko stopped and just stared at the nature around him. Every animal hiding in the shadows was keeping quietly to themselves. He breathed heavily as he thought of her last glance. Zuko closed his eyes and clenched his fists as he calmed himself down. If something happened to her, it'd be his fault, but Jet would probably find Laia and protect her. After a few seconds, Zuko realized that she was capable of protecting herself; her attitude of a firebender proved that. Lifting the guilt off of his shoulders, Zuko sighed and stepped forward down the diminishing path.
..::-::..
Jet and Katara had been walking down a narrow trail through the trees. The rocky ledges of the mountain shot up to their left side and were covered in the soft leaves that rustled with the occasional wind. Katara felt a shock of pain when she stepped on a twig. It ran through her leg and up into her abdomen, but when Jet came to her side, the pain was gone and she smiled.
"It's okay Jet," she said. He sighed and then looked up the erect slab of seemingly never-ending stone.
"She said it was up above right? So that must mean there's another ledge up there, we just have to get to it somehow," Jet observed. Katara nodded and looked up. There was a bridge of dense foliage connecting the trees on her right side to the vines along the stone wall on her left. She ran into the shadows and pulled herself up onto the tree which broke off into two thick branches. Once she was stable, Katara waved over to Jet.
"Follow me once I get to the other side!" she yelled down to him. He nodded as Katara crawled along the slightly unsteady entanglement of leaves, branches, vines and rocks. Her hand slipped and Jet's jaw dropped. She shook her head and gripped onto the bridge harder as the other side came closer to her reach. Once she was a few inches away, she rolled onto the flat earth and lay on her back, panting. She peered down the side of the wall and called Jet up. He came much quicker than she did, and once he joined her, they looked around with awe.
There were tiny bushes everywhere instead of grass. The leaves were of all different shapes and sizes, each one different from the other. There were no trees in the distance, only in the very far pocket where the mountains escalated even higher. Katara sighed and took out a spare empty bag.
"Let's start and get back to her quickly," Katara said. Jet nodded and took out a bag himself. He slashed at the bottom of the herbs and Katara picked them up. The whole gathering didn't take long, and their bags filled up plentifully. The croaking from the crickets was dying slowly and the sun was setting through the open gaps of the trees. The sky started to become enclosed within the web of clouds that had formed without their knowledge. Jet jumped down from the ledge and Katara chuckled hesitantly.
"I don't think I can do it!" she said. Jet smiled and spread his arms out.
"It's okay! I'll catch you. You can trust me," he said. Katara took a deep breath and nodded. She took a few steps back and then ran off the cliff. She shrieked, fearing the zooming ground would collide with her body at odd angles, but as she closed her eyes, she felt a pair of strong arms around her. When she looked up, Jet's eyes were crossed.
"Jet! Are you okay?"
"Yeah… I'm… fine…" he said, and then knelt down to the ground. Katara rolled out of his grasp and she shook his head lightly as she laughed. He got up and took her bag of herbs, adding it to his. The wind swept lightly around them and Katara sighed. She felt weaker than before but there was no pain; there was nothing there to drown her thoughts into furious contempt. Thinking for herself, she knew that if she went back to the hut, she would probably see Zuko again. The chance was high and maybe if she found a way to erase her problem, she could be free again. She walked on with Jet and then started a conversation to keep him busy, feeling guilty the entire time.
"Did you have to fight your replica a lot?" she asked curiously.
Jet looked at her and then laughed. "He wasn't even a match for my true skills! I was the one with the swords, after all! You should have seen him sweating! He was really scared, and then I got him out of nowhere…"
Katara agreed to his words with a low hum and soon slipped away, back towards the bridge where the shadows hid her. Jet stopped a few feet away from her; he called her name out, its echo ringing in her ears, but after a few moments, he gave up and left. Once she couldn't see him anymore, Katara stood up and rolled her eyes.
"I knew you'd give up that easily. I've got to find something that will help," Katara said to herself and began to run farther down the crumbling path of wood. The ground had spread into a pile of nature's old remnants, which included broken branches and shredded leaves. She jumped over it and landed on the ground gracefully. Her legs ran forward and she gasped for breath as she stumbled through a group of trees. The twigs scratched her arms again and she winced, not looking where she was going to land. At that moment, a man emerged from the foliage and dropped his jaw as Katara crashed into him. He fell backwards and she moaned as the sticky ground slid along her palms and elbows. Zuko picked up his head and his eyes widened as she did the same.
"Katara… how did you find me?" he asked. She sat up and shrugged.
"I didn't… I kind of… ran into you…" she said quietly. Zuko stood up and Katara did the same as she began dusting herself off. There was a soft glow of shadows on his face and she sighed as she realized the one person she had wanted to avoid so much had fallen into her steps. She began to back away and chuckle hesitantly.
"Okay then, I guess I'll have to go back now…" she said and turned around as she held his gaze. Just as her body twisted, Zuko gripped her arm and she gasped as he pulled her back. His narrow eyes bore down into her face and he hissed at her.
"Did someone hurt you? Who were you running from?" Zuko asked. His eyes weren't dark, and his voice wasn't slick like the time she had dealt with the fake Zuko. This time, she could sense pure worry in his words and it repulsed her. It made no sense for him to be asking these questions, yet he was. She threw his arm away and glared at him.
"I was running away from you! I didn't want to go back to the hut because I thought you'd be there, but I was wrong," she said and looked away as she folded her arms. Zuko stood back as his gaze shifted from Katara, to the ground, and back again. His eyebrow rose as he spread his arms out.
"Why do you want to get away from me so badly?" he asked. Katara stared as she realized she had set up the downfall for herself. She couldn't tell him the real reason, so she thought of the closest thing that was believable.
"You aren't here to help the old man, are you?" Katara blurted out. "I've known for a while now. I see that Laia isn't here… I bet this is a trap for me!" she stated accusingly. Zuko looked at her incredulously and clenched his fists.
"What's gotten into you so suddenly? Why don't you trust me? Is it Jet? Did he say something to you?" he asked.
"No Zuko. I just know that you have a different mission, don't you? You were pretending all along just so that Jet and I wouldn't think anything of it," she said. He folded his arms and stared at her.
"Laia and I have a different mission, but I can't tell you what it is. The Masters told me I couldn't tell anyone else," he replied bitterly. He didn't understand why she still bore the image of him as power-hungry. So much had happened that he thought they had established a friendship. Katara suddenly bowed beneath the pressure as her spinning thoughts caused her to wobble. There wasn't anything suitable to use against him; she had no response to his answer. Her instinct took over; Katara ran right past him, knocking Zuko down to the floor as he reached out to her. His fingers curled in the air as he yelled in frustration.
..::-::..
Jet hummed to himself as he picked up a stalk of grass and put it in his mouth. Chewing on it brought back some cheerful memories and he laughed to himself quietly as the low breeze swept by. The sun was beginning to set and the blue hues in the sky were shedding, being replaced by yellow and orange. He had followed the path for a while, but he suddenly realized that he hadn't seen the pile of stones on the ground before. He examined them and stared around to see that the trees were slightly burned and sliced at. Jet stepped cautiously forward as he sensed someone's presence nearby. He didn't call out, but he armed himself with a sword in each hand, preparing himself for battle. The shadows were lengthening and he turned swiftly from side to side as he made his way further through the trees. Suddenly, Jet jumped out and swung through the air, thinking that someone was there. The bushes parted and swung at each other behind him. In front was a three way path and he stood at its center.
The wind died away and he let his guard down. Then out of nowhere, a girl in a flashy red kimono ran forward and tackled him with a hug as big and warm as a bear's. Jet dropped his jaw as her raven black hair blurred his vision.
"Jet! I'm so glad I found you! Zuko and I split up and I didn't find anything so I was going to find him, but I got lost and…" Jet put his finger on her lips and smiled as he shushed her.
"It's okay Laia, you found me," he said with a smirk. She pulled away and looked around them with a large sigh.
"So what now?" she asked.
"Katara disappeared on me. I got the feeling that she did it on purpose though. The whole time she was really awkward and fidgety, not like she usually is. Do you have any idea why?" Jet asked her.
Laia shook her head and sighed again. "Zuko was strange too… I don't get it."
"It's getting dark. I'm sure Katara will be fine. She gave me the bag of herbs, so why don't we just go back to Ineka's hut?" he suggested. Laia nodded and they began to walk down the path they believed to be the right one. She shifted anxiously, wondering whether she should say something to him. Then, as the thoughts accumulated in her mind, she stretched her hand out and grabbed Jet's. He looked down at her with surprise and she smiled shyly. He squeezed her hand gently and didn't let go as they walked onward. Even though the silence was cold, their hearts were filled with familiar warmth they had been looking for in each other. Jet's eyes perked up as he saw a hut to the right. He motioned his head to towards it and Laia nodded. But as they walked towards it, an eerie feeling spread through Laia's body. The ground seemed harder and its stench was worse than a pile of onions. Jet let go of her hand and walked into the hut without even glancing back.
"Ineka? Is that you?" Jet asked as he pushed the tarp away. Laia filed in behind him and gripped the sleeves of his kimono, gawking at the site before them. In the corner of the hut stood a young man with thick brown hair hanging down to his chest. Right next to him stood a feeble girl in a blue kimono. His fingers combed through her wavy hair as she struggled to free herself of his grasp. Jet's eyes widened and the man looked their way. Laia clung onto Jet more tightly, the fear building within her like and endless fountain of her body's blood. An explanation to this change of attitude failed her. It was because the man held what looked like Katara in his hands. Her energy was being devoured eagerly with each moment they stood watching. Suddenly, Jet's hands curled into a fist and he stepped forward growling furiously.
"What do you think you are doing, Katara?" he asked enraged. She turned towards him and Jet stepped back as her desperate eyes called out to him.
"He's taking my life away… help me Jet…" she whispered. Katara fainted as the man caught her in his arms. Jet pushed Laia aside and took out his swords. She cried out after him as the tears started to form in her eyes.
"Jet! What do you think you're doing? You can't fight him! Katara's in the way…or… Are you willing to get hurt just to save her?" Laia screamed. Jet didn't look back at her; he didn't do anything except exert all of his energy into the blade that extended from his arm. Jet yelled as he jumped around the table in the hut so that he could face him properly. His swords slashed through the air as the piercing wind cut through Katara's torso with a crack. Her eyes bulged out and the darkness crawled into the air as she moaned in anguish. Laia stopped crying and watched in horror as the body disappeared. The man fell to his knees, cradling himself as if the pain had shot through his body instead of Katara's. The man looked up at Jet and clenched his teeth.
"Bastard! Do you know what you've done?" he asked. Jet narrowed his eyes and saw that the man had no youth shining from his eyes. The rest of his features were strong and smooth just like a young man's, but the eyes were dead and held no sense of youthful energy. Jet stepped away from him quickly and ran to Laia. He pulled her up before she could say anything. The man stood up, his fists shaking, his lips quavering, as his fingers reached out towards them.
"Wait! Just wait right there!" he yelled. "I needed her to live… now I… I'm going to die because of you!"
Laia ran ahead of Jet and back into the shelter of the trees. She panted as Jet ran up to her. Her arms held him tightly as she buried her head in his chest.
"What just happened… you…"
"I got rid of the replica. That wasn't Katara, and from the looks of it, the man was feeding off of her energy to stay alive," Jet said grimly.
Her eyes glimmered as she stepped back. "Was that Ineka's father?" she asked quietly.
"I don't think it could be anyone else. Right now he's probably gone crazy because his food was destroyed. Come on, we've got to find Katara and Zuko, and get out of here somehow. These mountains are a death trap and we've gotten too far in to think that there could be a good outcome to all of this," he said. Laia nodded as they ran along the paths, their feet pounding into the soil that was stained with the ashes of lives gone by.
..::-::..
Katara ran full speed, not caring about the branches that were in her way. She pushed against them and stumbled a few times over roots that she hadn't noticed. Zuko would probably come after her, so she took abrupt turns and jumped over bulky rocks that would block his way. Zuko was unquestionably chasing after her, and each time she dodged his reach, the more encouraged she was that she could escape. She truly desired to get away from him, but to Zuko, it would seem that his secrecy about his real mission was her reason to get away. To Zuko, it made no sense whatsoever, and what was more confusing was the way he was acting. There was no need for him to go after her, but yet he did and as the sun's glow was waning, he could feel the heat inside of him building up.
"Katara, stop it! Stop running away!" she heard Zuko yell. Katara blinked a few times as his voice echoed through her veins. The blood rushed around her and made her heart work harder than she could handle, yet the rapid intakes of air and the blurriness of her vision weren't stopping her. If Zuko found her, then she'd have to confront her worst fears. She would have to kill him, or else suffer fatal pain.
"Leave me alone!" she yelled back. Katara pushed herself even harder and suddenly, she heard an animal's howling cry. Her eyes opened and Katara saw its suspicious gaze cornering her. Katara tripped and flew forward into the air. Yet as this happened, a buzzing noise filled her ears. Out of nowhere, Katara rammed into a wall. She cried out and fell to the ground as her shoulders hunched closer to her head. Her fingers gripped the bits of grass sticking out from the soil as she winced and looked up. There was nothing in front of her except air. While her arm shook violently, she reached forwards and felt her fingers graze an invisible barrier that zapped her arm back. She cringed and let her head fall to her knees. At the moment she felt Zuko's hands on her shoulders, Katara sat up straight and panicked. He looked at her warmly and narrowed his eyes, his scar becoming alive as his eye moved slowly.
"Can you hear me?" he asked.
Katara nodded and held onto his arms loosely. Without knowing, she began to look into his eyes with such intensity that she became lost in them. With a quick whirl, her gaze shifted dramatically; before her laid a long stretch of sand. The sun was setting and its deep red glow was haunting her eyes. She scanned the mounds of sand but couldn't find it anywhere. Katara didn't know what she was looking for though. All she knew was that she had to find it. Inside of his mind, Katara was wondering how much longer the pain would have to last. Then, when the anger began to settle in, her search doubled in speed. She began to soar through the sand as if it was water, gentle and fluid instead of rough and thick. Squinting, Katara finally saw it a little farther away. It was Zuko's chi and she almost had it within her grasp. Suddenly, as a wicked smile wound up on her face, she heard a distant echo ringing through her head. It was his voice, the concerned voice that always got in the way.
"Stop… don't speak… I can't see it anymore!" she yelled to nobody. Her troubles would be gone if she could just reach Zuko's chi. Her steps were useless then, because a sharp wind shot up from the ground and expelled her out of his world, as if someone had jabbed a knife into an inflated balloon. She gasped for air as out of the darkness, she saw Zuko's golden eyes staring at her frantically. His fingers were grasping her cheek and wiping away the cold sweat. The piercing cold she felt on her face came from his fingers and she pulled his hand away from her gently. She sat back against a tree and closed her eyes as she caught her breath and her heart slowed down.
"Katara… you stopped breathing… I thought…" his voice didn't continue. Katara opened her eyes slightly. Zuko was sitting across from her with his arm on his bent knees, staring at her as his head hung low. The moment when she had zoned out, he had thought she had died. Katara didn't breathe, didn't blink once, and her arms fell to her sides limply. All he could do when she started to shed beads of sweat was touch her face to see if she was still alive. When she finally inhaled, he felt like the air was gathered inside of him as well.
"I didn't die… sometimes it happens to me… in the most inconvenient moments," she said blandly.
"Oh. It's nothing unusual?" he asked with surprise.
"No, it's not..." she said and hung her head so that her loose hair covered her face. It wasn't fair to him, that he couldn't hear the truth, but what would he do if she told him? He would kill her first and then she'd have a horrible dilemma, yet even without wanting to, she had dived into his unconscious and started the task that she was always meant to perform. If it weren't for his interference, Zuko would have been dead by then. Little did he know he had saved his own life. Katara stood up and clenched her fists.
"I can't stay in this place. I don't know why, but ever since we came I've lost control over myself…" Katara said and then swayed. An electric impulse shot down her back as she neared the invisible barrier. Zuko noticed it too and tried to peer through it. On the other side was the rocky forest that they had been dragged through that day. He unsheathed his swords and took a stance before Katara could ask him what he was doing. Zuko breathed deeply and gathered the heat within him. He spun around and charged the barrier with his broadswords on fire. The collision sent sparks flying and Katara shielded her eyes with her arm as she stood back. Zuko roared vigilantly as he kept slashing through the resilient defense. Suddenly, a sharp buzz punctured the air and the barrier disappeared. Katara's jaw dropped as she saw what really was on the other side. Zuko motioned for her to follow and she did without hesitation. There were thick flat stones piled everywhere with one lone tree in the middle. The wind was howling and it died every few seconds before soaring back to life. Small puffs of grass were embedded in between the rocks and the landscape was bare around them. Only the fading light of the sun was centered in the lavender sky and Katara stared in awe as Zuko took a few steps forward.
"What is this place?" she asked him. "How come we couldn't get in before?"
"I don't know… wait, do you feel that?" he asked. She looked around and saw no one. The mountains were falling away below them as the plateau of the peak spread in a circle. The opening they had entered from faded and became lost in the dense forest. Katara shivered as the wind diced at her cut arms. She quickly healed the cuts and bruises and walked over to Zuko who was gawking at something in the distance.
"Zuko, what is it?" she asked. He didn't even look at her when she said it, but he moved his lips as he answered her.
"Look over there," he said, and pointed straight ahead. Katara squinted and saw a mass of circular mass of clouds, each a different color. It was ablaze with sparkling red, blue, green and yellow hues, each representing one of the four nations. She shook her head slowly as her fingers reached for her gaping mouth.
"It can't be… is this… is this why you're really here?" Katara asked with disbelief. Zuko finally turned towards her and stared.
"What do you mean?"
"I asked you if this was your real mission? Or was it even a mission? Was it just a cover up for your own journey to find power? I can't take it anymore! Just give me a straight answer Zuko!" she yelled. Katara's fury boiled as she realized the masters had been right. Zuko had looked at the orb with complete fascination. Zuko narrowed his eyes and lunged at her. His snarling teeth were only inches away from her clenched mouth as he gripped her arms inward.
"Will you ever stop assuming things about me? Every single time you've accused me of something, you never asked me about it first! I was sent here on a mission Katara! I didn't come here because I wanted power. How many times do I have to tell you that so you believe me?" he asked as his voice decreased from a loud roar to a desperate plea. She was so taken aback that she didn't notice the change in the wind that accompanied the arrival of two unexpected guests. Zuko suddenly let go of her as they heard a slow clap in the background. He turned and both Zuko and Katara's eyes widened with astonishment as their bodies froze. A familiar pair of gowns flowed through the air as the two Masters walked towards them slowly.
"It's you two…" Katara said feebly. Zuko narrowed his eyes and gave them a questioning glare as Taiko smirked and motioned for Mayuri to come forward. The stones were off on their sides and she stood on one lower than him, making it seem like he already held the balance of the world in his fingertips.
"What are you doing here? I thought you sent me because…" Zuko said but was interrupted.
"You have been a wonderful device I must say. You played out our plan so perfectly that I was afraid something would go wrong towards the very end. Mayuri and I have been watching and waiting for the two of you to come. I dare say it was a brilliant plan," he said, and then chuckled to himself. Katara's hatred for the Master shot through her pulsing veins and exploded into a deep growl. Zuko's confusion multiplied his fury as suddenly, he shifted his attention to Mayuri. She stepped closer to the Orb of Chi, and in her eyes shined a beaming sense of renewed hope and the presence of attainable power. Zuko ran forward and shot a blast of fire in front of her face. Mayuri jumped back and landed at her husband's side. She narrowed her gaze and scowled.
"You've been playing me like a fool all this time!" Zuko roared. "You told me that there were evil people who wanted this power. I thought… I needed to find and protect it. Now that I have, you've come here as if all of my troubles have meant nothing!"
"Foolish boy, you do not know of our long hours spent in meditation and seclusion. My husband and I have trained ourselves since the moment of your departure and once you reached the destination we needed to have envisioned in our minds, we were able to gather our energy and transport ourselves in an instant. All that we ever needed was someone to guide us here. Now you are not needed and we will dispose of you," she said coolly.
Katara couldn't believe what she was hearing. There she was, the elegant lady of the temple that had been her home for the past six months and even before she left for the journey, she seemed subdued, but at that moment, she had changed. Once Mayuri saw the orb before her, a hidden rush of evil flooded her body as her only objective became clearer than the pale sky above them. She wanted power and Mayuri wasn't going to let Zuko and Katara get in her way. She smirked once more and raised her fingers. The ground beneath Zuko rose as well and he jumped off, his balance unstable. Katara gaped and cringed when he fell back on the stone with a thud. Zuko lifted his head and roared angrily.
"I won't let you take advantage of me! You two are sick and twisted. Katara and I have been put through torture and pain just so that we could do the missions you assigned for us. You call yourselves Masters? You're the evil ones. All you want is that power for yourself!"
"Bravo. You have finally understood the plan that we have created all along. We were informed that someone would come and try to stop us; we knew it was to be two travelers. As the days went on, it became clearer that we needed to annihilate the two of you in order for this to proceed without failure," Taiko said. The wind started to become stronger. Katara held her stance still while placing her feet firmly in the ground as her teeth chattered. All this time she had believed him, the Master of the Temple. Taiko had told her Zuko was evil, but it was Taiko who was the conniving man who wanted them both dead. He had stolen her own chi and even forced her to work against Zuko. Her mind wasn't functioning; all Katara knew was that she had to stop them at all costs.
"You'll pay for what you put me through!" Katara yelled. In that instant she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself. She jumped up in the air and then bent down to the ground where the flat stone tilted slightly. Her arms spun out and the water within her pouch stretched out so that it wrapped around Taiko and Mayuri's ankles. Zuko got up quickly and roared defiantly as his consecutive blasts of fire soared through the air. When the flames neared their heads, Zuko's fingers fanned out and reeled back into a fist. The fire expanded into five strands and coiled around the masters' bodies. Katara pulled on the water and Mayuri slipped. She fell on her back, her face scrunched in pain. Yet the old Master pushed herself up and shot Katara a death glare.
"You will regret rising against us!" Taiko roared. He burst open Zuko's flames with a winding tunnel of air. Taiko stepped back and with one hand behind him and the other in front, he pushed forward. Zuko's eyes widened as he tried to dodge it, but he wasn't quick enough and he fell backwards. Katara winced and got up as she saw Zuko struggling to fight again.
"We won't let you use the power of the orb for yourselves!" Katara yelled. She brought her arms up into the air and then swirled her hand around her hand as it came down to her mouth. Cupping her arms, Katara breathed into the cusp and concentrated on the breath. The water held inside the bonds of air formed on her finger tips and she ran forward as one by one, her fingers pointed sharply at Mayuri and Taiko. He widened his eyes as the invisible streaks of water zoomed towards him. He smirked and pushed his hands through the sneak attack. His element was water as well and Katara wasn't being much of a challenge at the moment. Mayuri built a wall of solid stone around her and then brought it back down as the stone crumbled from the force of Katara's attack.
"You will never win," Mayuri said with a grin. Zuko raced towards Katara and shot a coil of fire at Taiko's feet. The man jumped to the side, knocking his wife over in the process. She moaned as she hit the ground again.
"Do something!" she yelled at Taiko. Zuko was coming at him with more force than before, and then Taiko knew exactly what the firebender's weak point was. Taiko jammed his hand into his pocket and held onto the vial with all of his strength. Behind him, Zuko heard Katara shriek in terror as she fell to the ground instantly. Her arm reached forward and all of her hair sprawled out as her fingers curled and reached for Zuko's aid. He stopped where he was and ran back to her with a sprint. Katara felt the pain overwhelm her and she cried out as another sharp jab twisted her insides so much that she felt she was going to burst and explode. Zuko gripped her shoulders and then turned his head towards Taiko who was laughing deviously.
"What are you doing to her?" he yelled.
"Whatever it is must definitely be painful. Do you agree Katara?" Taiko asked simply. Zuko roared as the swelling anger inside of him came to its boiling point. Katara's moans were subsiding and her eyelids fluttered as her consciousness began to fade.
"Zuko… kill him… please…" she whispered. The wind pushed Zuko forward with more energy than he knew he had. Mayuri was getting up but the wave of fire that mixed with the sudden incoming wind hit Taiko straight in the chest. He didn't have time to stop it and he fell backward with a loud thump. The stone's edge hit his shoulder in an awkward position and he got up wincing. Mayuri looked at the orb frantically and started to run towards it. Katara saw Zuko run in front of her, using his hands to push her back.
"I am not as weak… as I seem," she said, and pushed Zuko aside. He stumbled and Katara at last found the strength lighting up deep within the torture as Zuko's gaze met hers. In that instant, Katara sprang up and hurled herself at Mayuri. She knocked her down and the two rolled off of a stone and onto another. Katara got up and ran towards Zuko who was getting up as well. The sky was filled with fast moving clouds and the wind howled violently around them as the air's temperature dropped. The single tree swayed and a crack filled the air as it bent in half. Taiko tried to get up as Mayuri growled in frustration. Zuko took Katara's hand and looked at her with more trust than he had bestowed on anyone else in his life.
"We need to get the orb before they do," Katara said quickly. Zuko nodded and they turned towards the swirling mass of colors as it pulsed in and out slightly. They started to dart towards it as two shrieks filled the air.
"No! You must not touch it!" Mayuri yelled.
"Get away from it! It is not your power! It is ours!" Taiko barked.
Just then, another pair ran into the scene as Katara and Zuko were inching closer towards the orb. Jet and Laia stared in disbelief as they saw the two masters standing up. Taiko held onto his arm as he heaved, and Mayuri brushed away the blood trickling down her face. They each walked forward, trying to reach Zuko and Katara before they got a hold of the orb. Laia panicked and didn't know whether or not what she was about to do was right. She flung her arms out to the sides and a blaze of fire ran towards each master. It hit them right on and it was then that they noticed the presence of the newcomers. Jet narrowed his eyes as Katara stood on one side of the orb and Zuko stood on the other. He didn't know what was happening, but a sinking feeling in his stomach told him that whatever happened next would hold certain doom for them all.
"Are you ready?" Katara asked Zuko.
"I'm as ready as I'll ever be," he said quickly as he stared into her face.
Katara's hair blew by her concentrated blue eyes as she nodded. Together, Zuko and Katara stuck their hands into the orb while two screams vibrated in the air around them. Katara gazed at Zuko as the orb began to expand. The air inside of Zuko's body froze as it did in Katara's, and in that moment, the orb stopped growing steadily as it burst at once into a vast explosion of blinding white light.
A/N: EDIT 6/15: so I was rereading this chapter, and found it to be completely horrible!! why didn't anyone tell me that the writing was so choppy and all?? well, I've revised it, and I think it's MUCH better and the word phrasing/ word choice makes things much smoother as well ;P (end edit)
this won't be too long of a comment... but I'd just like to say, if there's any part of this chapter that seems badly worded or kinda chunky in spots, it's because I had a bad day yesterday but some friends helped me get over it and I ended up feeling much better so I'm glad because the end of the chapter was intense huh??
keeping that in mind, I'd like to say that from now on... the chapters might not be as long... now, I'm not sure what the length, but it's going to get... complicated and you're in for a big change of setting... that's the only hint I'm giving away
so this is the big chapter that all the previous ones have been building up to!! I've had this in my mind for so long... months! and now I finally did it!! did you like it!?! I hope so... and please, if you read, then comment as well!! even if you commented before and now don't... because then I don't know if you keep reading or not. I just like to know who reads and it helps me out because I want to thank you!!
-Monika-