I Need To Find Myself
Song Inspired: Maroon 5- Secret/ Mausam and Escape- Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack
*Mausam and Escape is a song that I highly recommend you listen to so that you get a better feel of the desperation and distress that I'm trying to deliver around the last half of the chapter.*
(Once again, I can't wait to read your reactions to this chapter; another one I really enjoyed writing :])
After a quick but exhausting voyage, Katara's ship finally made its trip back to the waters near the small tea shop she calls home. The morning sun shone brightly on the young water bender's face as she squint her face in reaction to its luminosity; she struggled to get herself up from the cool, wooden floor of the main deck she rested on throughout the entire voyage, raising herself as she wiped the tire from her eyes with her balled fists. Katara then stood up from her seated position and raised her arms to the air as the cool, evening air ruffled gently over her dress; stretching her limbs as she let out an exhausted yawn. After a brief struggle with her fatigue, she proceeded to walk onto the Forecastle deck of the ship; her mind still reeling over Azula's spotting from the previous night. Katara grabbed onto the railing as the setting sun bathed her eyes and dark locks with its deep orange and pink hue; contemplating every moment that took place at the Event as she let out an overwhelmed sigh, "What a night." thought Katara to herself as she leaned onto the railing, resting her arms as she overlapped them in support. As the ship began to dock next to the harbor, her thoughts began to wander; "Lee, I hope you're safe." thought Katara as the mellow sea breeze found its way to Katara's loose strands of hair. Katara looked on as the strands of hair from her crown danced along harmoniously with the wind, curving them with its rhythm as they flowed and hovered in front of her face. Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed from within the young water bender's psyche…
"Keep going…"
Katara's mind then shifted to the night before; traveling onto the Palace Hall and into the middle of the enormous, black tiled dance floor, watching herself dance in the arms of the person she least expected to be body by body with. She commenced to daydream of Aang sensually grabbing her waist and thigh as they moved together with the flow of the drums, grinding on each other, holding each other. The sheer thought of Aang's body coming in contact with her owns was enough to cause Katara to quiver as small surges descended to the middle of her thighs. Just then, Katara felt an overwhelming feeling of guilt for harboring such feelings; she squint her eyes and bowed her head as she tried to fight off this strange but alluring sensation, "What the heck is wrong with me?" thought Katara as she shot her eyes open, coming to the realization that the ship had just docked next to the harbor while her intrusive thoughts ran amuck within her head. She looked on as the passengers of the ship began to disembark, one by one leaving the ship as they stepped onto the platform and walked onto the dock. Families, women, men, children, young and elderly, all walked out of the ship, except for one person, a cloaked beggar who seemed to have his or her focus planted on the young water bender. Katara's focus turned to the destitute individual on the other side of the main deck, her eyes quint so as to get a better look at the strange looking person but trying to do so discretely. She analyzed the soul who wore a long, dark, grungy hooded cloak; leaning comfortably by the edge of the ship railings with his or her arms and legs crossed, almost as if he or she were waiting for something, or someone. "Hmm…looks like a drifter of sorts." thought Katara suspiciously as she turned to walk towards the passenger platform, using her peripherals to further investigate the cloaked stranger. But just as Katara was about to get a better look at the elusive stranger's face, she was abruptly interrupted by a voice coming from behind her.
"Looks like there's going to be a storm." said the voice.
Katara turned around and turned her focus to the two men who stood behind her. One of the men she could immediately tell was the Ship Captain; the other seemed to be his First Mate. She immediately noticed the worry emanating from the Captain's eyes as he further discussed the details of this 'storm' with his First Mate.
His First Mate gave a distrustful look to the Captain, "How do you know?" asked his First Mate.
The Captain gave his First Mate a very serious look as he turned to face the great city of Ba Sing Se, his hands grasped behind his back as he took a giant whiff of the air, "I can smell it, like a dampness deriving from the atmosphere, and not just any storm; oh no, this is going to be a big one." said the Captain ominously.
The Captain focus soon changed as he immediately noticed the beautiful, young water bender; curiously eavesdropping into their idle conversation. He raised his eyebrow and snubbed Katara as he turned his long, withered face to meet his First Mate once again. "You take care of yourself, and don't go out this evening unless it's absolutely necessary." said the ship Captain as he placed his hand on his First Mate's shoulder, giving him a reassuringly stern expression as he let go of his grasp.
The First Mate blinked several times nervously as he took in the enigmatic warning, slightly backing away from the captain as he bowed his head in respect.
Katara looked on as the Captain's First Mate proceeded to walk onto the passenger platform and disembark from the ship. She nervously turned to the Ship Captain, their eyes locked on as if they were reading each other's thoughts through telepathy. The Captain merely looked at Katara and walked away from his position with his hands entwined behind his back, but just as he was about to disappear from sight, he turned his head back to the ebony beauty. All Katara could see was his gray, worn eyes as he once again locked sight with her own; nodding his head compliantly as he turned his focus towards his Captain's Quarters once again and continued to walk away until he was completely out of sight.
Katara couldn't help but feel a bit rattled by the Captain's cryptic urgency to his closest crew member, and decided to take his advice quietly. She smoothly shook her head as she proceeded to disembark herself from the ship, when she noticed something rather strange; the cloaked stranger that was leaning on the railings of the other side of the ship several moments ago was suddenly gone. Katara brought her head back slightly and raised her eyebrow as she looked around for any sign of the mysterious individual, but with no luck; he or she was gone for good. Katara then shrugged her shoulders and brushed off the slightly bizarre disappearance; deciding not to pay any mind to the stranger's previous eerie watch on her as she continued to walk out of the passenger ship and into the main harbor. As she made her way past the harbor and into the main market area of Ba Sing Se, she resisted the urge to think of the many negative occurrences that have occurred over the past 24 hours. She was so focused and intent of ridding herself of these thoughts that she didn't see the random vendor who happened to be sitting on his small stool outside of his shop directly on her path; an old, frail looking man with fancy, traditional city clothing, rings studded with small pieces of red, pink and orange jewels on every finger, a braid that reached the middle of his back and what seemed to be a valuable jug made from what seemed to be gold, carved craftily from the tip of the jug to it's very base placed on a pedestal on his right side. He sat comfortably as he merrily watched customers as they came in and out of his store with bags full of pottery and other goods that he provided; but without warning, Katara walked directly towards the old store owner, losing her footing as she became unbalanced. She tried to catch her grip by latching onto the store owner's arm; yanking him from his comfortable position on his stool as they both continued to collapse, but instead of Katara collapsing directly onto the ground, her body jerked towards the direction of the pedestal that displayed the owner's elegant jug. The owner watched on in horror as the clumsy woman knocked the pedestal that held his most prized possession, flinging it across the ground as the piece it carried on its surface descended onto the ground, shattering to pieces on impact. The store owner felt a wave of revulsion as he witnessed his exquisite jug become nothing more than mere fragments, scattered all throughout the front of his shop.
Suddenly, the busy shop's commerce came to a sudden halt.
Katara pushed herself from the ground weakly, groaning slightly as she rubbed the cheek that impacted the pavement below her. She opened her eyes slightly to witness the commotion that was surrounding her she continued to recover herself from the fall, "Ugh…what just happened?" asked Katara aloud weakly as she turned to face what seemed to be the owner of the shop, gazing at her along with the shop employees and customers with a shocked expression on their faces.
Katara gave everyone a questionable expression of her own as she worryingly looked at the many people that surrounded her, "Uh, what's going on?" asked Katara innocently as she got up from the pavement and brushed the small bits of dirt that were caught on her dress.
"YOU….YOU DESTROYED MY JUG!" roared a voice emanating from behind Katara.
Katara slightly flinched, her face squint in response to the angry voice. She turned around nervously to meet the person behind the furious voice, and when she did so, she gulped in her throat and let out a nervous chuckle. "Heh heh, how ya doin'?" asked Katara bashfully as she let out a cheesy grin, her fingers making a wave motion as she ducked her head innocently before the enraged shop owner.
The store owner was incredibly livid, his face flushed in anger as he pointed to the remains of what used to be an important part of his shop, "You destroyed my jug! Do you have ANY idea what it took to get this jug! It's irreplaceable!" fumed the irritated shop owner.
Katara's focus then turned to exactly what the store owner was referring to; her eyes skimming through the ground as she cringed at the sight of chunks and pieces of broken pottery spread on the pavement that divided her and the shop owner. Katara bowed her head in shame at the sight, bowing her knee to the shop owner in front of her, "Forgive me sir; I meant no harm. I wasn't looking where I was going and it cost you your jug. Is there anything that I can do to make it up to you?" asked Katara selflessly as she looked up to the shop owner, awaiting his reply.
The shop owner looked on complacently at the young woman's vulnerability before him as he rubbed his chin with his thumb and index finger; his eyes wandering to the upper right-hand corner of his view as he seriously considered the water bender's offer. As he contemplated the different options he had to choose from, an idea sprung from within his head, "I got it!" yelled the owner aloud as he pointed his finger to the air.
Katara waited eagerly for his response as she got up from her respectable bow, brushing the dirt that became caught on her knees.
The owner gave her a sly look as he grinned selfishly at the young water bender, "YOU…Are going to work for me for the day." declared the shop owner pompously as he placed his hands on his back.
Katara's eyes widened at the demand; she just got back from the Fire Nation and now she has to work on her day of rest? "You've got to be kidding me." thought Katara to herself. She looked on disappointedly at the old man's haughty appearance, feeling somehow that this guy was getting a kick out of making her miserable whole situation, even if it did cost him his 'prized' jar.
The old shop owner let out a sly cackle, "You start immediately. My employees will provide you with the…eh…" the owner looked on disgustedly at Katara's attire, glaring at her up and down in repulse as he continued his declare, "…work clothing…when you're done with that, you can start with cleaning up the mess that you made in the front of MY store!" finished the shop owner smugly as he stepped over the remains of his pottery, lightly brushing Katara on the shoulder as he made his way inside his shop with his hands behind his back. Every spectator to the whole debacle watched on as the shop owner disappeared from sight, their focus then turning to the young water bender, who looked around and observed everyone else's meddlesomeness. Business then proceeded as usual and the crowd that developed from the whole spectacle disappeared from sight, while Katara still stood in the very same spot that landed her in this mess.
"HURRY UP OUT THERE GIRLY! BUSINESS DOESN'T STOP BECAUSE OF BROKEN POTTERY!" yelled the shop owner to the discouraged Water Tribe woman, snapping her from her trance as she slightly jumped at the sound of his commanding voice.
She knew she had no choice; she knew this whole situation was her fault, so she decided to buckle down and try to do her best to make up for her mistake; even if it wasn't her wish to do so.
As Katara made her way drolly to meet the owner, the same cloaked individual that locked eyes with Katara back in the earth Kingdom ship stood in the alleyway across from the shop; eagerly watching her closely as a sharp cackle echoed from its darkness.
Aang sat on the edge of his bed, wearing nothing but his pants and shoes while his bare elbows rested on his knees; a blank stare in his eyes as his mind continued to reel over the many occurrences from the previous night. He and Onji haven't spoken since their feud back in the Fire Nation Event, but Aang was eager to let the tension rest, and was hoping to take the next step of his relationship with her without any animosity between them. He wanted to settle the score once and for all with her; let her know that he was just as serious about her as she was with him, even if it was going against his gut feeling to wait just a little longer. He was well aware that he and Onji have waited to consummate their relationship a lot longer than most couples do, but he also knew that it was with good purpose, and was glad that although it was a difficult pill for Onji to swallow, she still stood by his side patiently up until this very moment.
Just then, the handle to his door began to turn, the clasp of the door handle clicked as the door itself swung wide open, revealing an irked Onji behind it. Aang looked up at the ticked Fire Nation beauty; his heart began to race as he nervously watched her make her way down the stairs and stop next to his restroom, folding her arms as she gave Aang a menacing glare. Aang looked her up and down, gulping in his throat as he struggled to find the right words to say. He then stood up from the bed to meet Onji, who didn't seem pleased to be in the same presence as he; humphing as she turned her head away from the young Avatar.
"What do you want?" asked Onji.
Aang took a step back, gesturing with his hand for her to take a seat on his bed with an innocent smile.
Onji simply turned her eyes to see Aang's gesture, only to turn away once again and scoff, "Pfft, for what? It's not like we're going to actually use it." said Onji scornfully.
Aang simply closed his eyes as he took in a deep breath, "Onji, please." pleaded Aang as he walked towards the Fire Nation beauty.
Onji once again turned her eyes towards Aang as she watched him come closer, slightly letting her guard down as she turned her head towards him, "Aang?" asked Onji as she slightly released the grip on her arms.
Aang finally approached Onji; a ball of nerves, he decided to speak, "O-Onji?" asked Aang as his hands began to tremble.
Onji then let her guard down, "Yes?" asked a puzzled Onji as she lightly blushed at the sight of Aang's toned, bare chest.
Aang didn't know what to say or how to say it, but as soon as Onji said yes, Aang leaned towards the young Fire Nation woman; gently kissing her on the lips as he placed his left on hand on her cheek.
Onji felt incredibly confused by the whole situation. She assumed that he was still upset over her having stormed off from the party the previous night the way she did; so his actions were perplexing to her, but she enjoyed the taste of his lips nonetheless and decided to let her guard down to see where this whole moment was leading to.
Aang then parted from her mouth, grabbing her by the waist as he pulled her closer to him; fully knowing that it was now or never, "Onji; I want to make you mine, now…" said Aang nervously as he gave her a reassuring smile.
Onji's perplexed expression soon turned into that of joy as her eyes gleamed in excitement, "Aang, really?" asked Onji as a smile began to emanated from her lips; placing her arms around Aang's neck as she brought her body closer to the young Avatar's.
Aang looked into Onji's eyes, somehow searching and subconsciously hoping for some kind of hesitation, but found none; on the contrary, all he found was eagerness and anticipation. He slightly bowed his head and closed his eyes as he took a deep breath, meeting her face to face once again as he lightly nodded in agreement.
Onji remained oblivious to the Aang's inner turmoil and let out a shriek of excitement, for the moment she's been so anxiously anticipating has finally come. She clapped her hands continuously like a teeny bopper as she slightly backed away from the young Avatar, "Ok, ok, I'm going to freshen up, and I'll be back in a bit." said Onji as she shook her balled fists in front of her face, letting out another small shriek as if trying to get all of the excitement out of her system.
Aang smiled weakly as he released his grip from the young Fire Nation woman's waist, watching her make her run up the stairs and hum a melodious tune under her breath. As soon as she was completely out of sight, Aang walked up the stairs, closing the door in front of him as he momentarily froze and let out a soft sigh. As he made his way back down the stair, his eyes stayed glued onto the bed, his mind perturbed by the whole situation, "Am I really sure about this?" asked Aang to himself as he got closer and closer onto the bed, his nerves overtaking his judgment, "No, no I have to do this; I have a duty to fulfill. The whole world is counting on me to bring forth a child to preserve the Air Bending race, my race, AND the Avatar cycle; I can't just chicken out of something of this caliber." thought Aang to himself with a determined expression on his face, which soon relaxed as he took a seat on his bed and closed his eyes, "Besides, it was bound to happen anyway. Why not begin our physical relationship with some purpose?" said Aang to himself as he slightly opened his eyes again, his focus on the wooden floor below his feet. Just then, the last person he wanted to occupy his mind at the moment crept her way into his current thoughts. Aang continued to stare blankly at the ground as his thoughts took him back to the previous night; remembering the ebony beauty he once called his girlfriend and the sexually inviting ensemble she wore that night. As the thoughts of Katara continued to come forth like the floodgates in his mind were opened, he began to put an effort to stop these recurring thoughts of Katara as he placed his index fingers on his temples. "Aang, snap out of it. You don't need this right now." thought Aang to himself, but he just couldn't help but become enthralled in the remembrance of her alluring body, swaying and slithering like a cobra, and the intoxicating smell of her hair as he grinded his thighs on her bottom; pushing himself on her hourglass figure as they danced together as one in the middle of the dance floor. Everything seemed to disappear that night, all of his inhibitions, his quarrels, his fears and hesitations, everything negative dissolved from his psyche; all that remained that night was Katara, and he didn't know why, or better yet, he didn't want to know or ever find out. All he knows is that as soon as he came down from his high, everything went back to normal; his uncertainties and trepidations all returned to him as soon as the Dàmá wore off, leaving him more confused and indecisive in his decision to make love to Onji on this night than he was previously. He traced his fingers over his head; following the trail of his arrow all the way down to the back of his neck as he rested his hands on its position, entwining his fingers over one another as he continued to wage war within his own mind. "Why is this happening to me? It's just sex" thought Aang to himself as that very intimate word sat uncomfortably on his tongue, but immediately shook it off as he struggled to rationalize his fears, "I'm not being sent to kill somebody; on the contrary, I'm giving my love to someone I really care about. What's there to be afraid of?" thought Aang to himself as he continuously darted his eyes towards the door and back onto the floor, anxiously awaiting Onji's return so they can carry out the fulfillment of their love.
Aang then relaxed his hands on his lap, taking in a deep breath, "Everything's going to be alright; It's going to be great, just like Zuko said. Just take it easy..." said Aang quietly to himself as he attempted to console himself. He suddenly felt himself relax at the thought of Zuko's sound advice; his apprehension beginning to unwind and lose its grip on his nerves as continued to feel at ease once more at the thought of having sex with Onji.
Aang closed his eyes as he continued to talk himself out of his restlessness; feeling tranquility overtaking the tension that was nestled within his heart. But just as he was truly beginning to feel determined and eager to carry out this 'mission' and peace in his decision began to settle in, a powerful shockwave spewed from within his chest and traveled to every limb in his body; causing a blinding flash of light to overtake Aang's sight as his body jerked to the incredibly spontaneous energy that surged through him.
As Aang struggled to adjust his eyes, he found himself standing in a place that didn't seem familiar to him; his vision still blurry and unable to make out where exactly he was, but as he rubbed his eyes a little more, he found himself standing in the middle of what seemed to be a small, misty plaza, void of any sign of life. "Where did…my room go?"said Aang aloud as he further analyzed his surroundings; He didn't immediately identify exactly where he was until he noticed that the plaza was located within what seemed an enormous city. His eyes continued to look around until; he spotted in the horizon, the giant walls that surrounded the enormous city. Aang's eyes slightly widened as he placed his hand on his forehead, "No…there's no way I just got here this quickly, I was in Onji's house, in my room; what's going on here!" yelled Aang desperately as he came to the comprehension that he was no longer in the Fire Nation, but in the great city of Ba Sign Se.
Aang's immediately heard a noise coming from behind him; forcing him to pose in a fighting stance as he turned to see his assailant.
Only it was no assailant, but the person that's been subconsciously haunting his thoughts as of late.
"Katara?" said Aang quietly as he raised his eyebrow in confusion, relieving himself from his combat pose. He analyzed the young water bender before him, looking away from him as she seemed to be struggling just to stand; seemingly drenched in water as she stared blankly into oblivion.
Aang watched on worryingly as Katara refused to acknowledge his presence, "Katara, what's going on?" asked Aang as he attempted to approach her, but to no avail; for an invisible barrier immediately blocked him from getting closer to her. Aang looked on suspiciously as he began to pound at the transparent layer that prohibited him from closing in on Katara, pounding harder and harder with the right side of his body as his endeavor went unnoticed.
Nonetheless, Aang continued to pound at the barrier, trying to get Katara's attention with his attempts, "Katara!" yelled Aang as he continued to pound the barrier with his fists when all of a sudden, his focus turned to what Katara was truly looking into; a dark figure emerging from within the midst.
Aang looked on suspiciously as the figure continued to get closer and closer to viewing distance, beginning to recognize the cloaked figure that was revealing itself from the midst.
Just then, Aang's eyes widened in sheer horror as he immediately recognized the dark, hooded figure, for he recognized all too well the face that figure harbored.
"Azula." thought Aang to himself as his expression twisted into that of anger. He looked on lividly at the Former Fire Nation Princess; wondering why she was dressed like some sort of beggar instead of wearing her usual Fire Nation attire, but the reason as to why Azula looked the way she did was the least of his concern, no, he wanted her back in the desolate prison cell where she belonged. Aang balled his fists as he let his anger take full charge of his rational thought and charged at the apparition full force, but he barely managed to run two feet in front of him until the invisible barrier stopped him from approaching her as well.
Aang pressed his hands on the transparent layer that divided him from both Katara and Azula, feeling defeated as he stood his ground helplessly; watching the disastrous scene unfold right in front of his eyes as the atmosphere and mist that cloaked the city began to darken into a deep and depressing gray.
Azula let out a menacing cackle as every word that came out of her mouth echoed through seemingly endless space, abnormally bending her fingers in fury as her pupils dilated and a dark shadow cast over the left side of her body; "….no-ow….bo-ow befo-ore me….fo-or ete-ernity-y-y!" screamed Azula as she put her index and middle fingers together, positioning herself for a strike as she began to make elegant circular movements with her hands; lightning beginning to emanate from her fingertips as its luminous branches trailed behind its power source.
Aang looked on in terror as he continued to witness Azula prepare her deadly attack on Katara, and became more desperate in his endeavor to capture Katara's attention and warn her of Azula's motive; further trying to exhort himself to the seemingly oblivious water bender. "KATARA, SNAP OUT OF IT! GET OUT OF THERE!" yelled the young Avatar as he continued to pound the invisible layer in front of him like a mad man, but his efforts remained futile as Katara continued to stand her ground; almost as if she were anticipating Azula's attack.
As Azula was about ready to launch her attack on the young water bender, Aang began to truly panic; anxiety settling in the pit of his stomach as he hysterically attempted to break the concealed barrier; his eyes squint as he continued to try and break down the barrier.
Just then, as if the scene unfolded itself in slow motion, Aang's face turned slowly towards the Fire Nation fugitive; watching on hopelessly as lightning bolts exuded from her fingertips and to Katara's direction. Aang's eyes and mouth widened as his pupils grew small at the sight of the lightning traveling towards Katara; shock overcoming the young Avatar as tears began to flow from his terror stricken eyes from the forlorn sight.
"KATARA!..." screamed Aang perilously to the young water bender as he clawed at the transparent barrier in front of him; but just as the lightning was about to come in contact with the young water bender, he felt a tug coming from the midst of his abdomen. All of a sudden, Aang was dragged effortlessly from the tragic scene by an unseen force. Aang tried to grab on to whatever he could find and hold on, naively clinging to the hope that he can still save her, but to no avail as his entire being was all of a sudden zipped through a luminous tunnel, closing his eyes shut as he was submerged into complete and total darkness.
Just then, Aang raised his upper torso frightfully from his bed as he tightly grasped his bed sheets; his eyes still filled with dread at what he just witnessed as he panted heavily, a cold sweat trailing from his temple and neck as anxiety settled in his body. Aang looked at his surroundings confusingly, "This….*pant, pant* is not right, *pant* I was just…*pant* in Ba Sing Se..." said a perplexed Aang, for just as quickly as Aang found himself in the Great City, he found himself back in the very room he was in before this bizarre occurrence began.
And that's when it hit Aang; "This was no dream…." said Aang distressfully as he struggled to gather his composure, the thought of his cryptic vision sending chills down his spine as his hands trembled uncontrollably. He felt as though his heart was about to come out of his chest, beating profusely as he bent his back and held on to his knees; his eyes looking up to the door as the thought of Onji and her reaction to what he was about to do crept into his thoughts. Sweat continuing to trail down his face as his mind literally replicating the screams that will come out of her mouth when she finds out about this. But, he put all of those negative thoughts aside as he determinedly look up at the stairs, straightening himself up as an angry expression emanated from the young Avatar's eyes, "Onji, this is going to have to wait..." said Aang to himself as he darted up the stairs and made his way out the door, completely disregarding the fact that he was still half naked as he made a mad dash towards the entrance to the house; running out the house quickly as he ran towards the tide of the beach.
Aang stopped for a moment and looked up at the descending, gray storm clouds that were beginning to accumulate from the direction to Ba Sing Se; the strong gust of wind carrying small pieced of debris as it collided with the young Avatar's chest and violently tugged on his pants and waist tie. He noticed that thankfully there was no one to be seen within distance of the upcoming storm; but he suddenly heard Appa's groan from the distance as he huddled himself inside the rocky shelter Aang personally made for the giant sky bison next to Onji's home. Aang looked back to his lifelong companion, somehow reading the worry within his big, brown eyes; Aang understood his concern, but had to disregard his animal friend's warning, "Appa, this is a matter of life and death; I have to go. Don't worry, I'll be fine!" yelled the young Avatar as he waved at the sky Bison; hoping that Appa heard his voice in between the constant blowing and hissing of the wind.
Aang then turned his focus towards the direction of Ba Sing Se; noticing that the sky becomes darker towards that direction. "These are definitely not good conditions to be traveling in, but I don't have time to debate over whether I should or shouldn't go; I have to go…" said Aang cryptically as he ran towards the water, making an elegant pulling motion upwards as the body of water below him followed suit; lifting its surface beneath his feet as the body of water below him became a giant wave. The low tide behind him exposed the vast amount of sea weed and a variety of species of crustaceans, muscles and fish on the wave-carved, wet sand surface, but only for a moment; for with the swiftness of a Fire Nation messenger hawk, Aang extended his arms in front of him, holding his hands up straight as he waved his arms apart. The body of water beneath his feet rumbled at his command as it slightly lifted itself higher and rapidly propelled itself towards Ba Sing Se; Aang's body in a lunging stance as he surfed the rapid wave while his arms extended continuously in a smooth, come hither motion, desperately bending the surrounding body of water around him as he continued to make his way towards the ominous storm clouds that were towards the direction to the Great City.
Katara continued to sweep up the remnants of the shop owner's most 'prized' jug she knocked over an hour ago, grunting to herself as her apron continued to get in the way of her duty, "Ugh, this guy still has me cleaning up these small bits and pieces of clay? I mean come on, I can barely see these pieces anymore." thought Katara frustratingly to herself as she continued to scavenge the ground for any sign of clay, but thankfully found none; she let out a sigh of relief as she lightly smiled at a job she considered well done. She then sifted her hands together as she attempted to remove the bits of dirt from her hands and placed them on her knees as she proceeded to rise from her crouching stance, but just as Katara was about to get up from the ground, a loud, commanding voice stopped her dead in her tracks; causing her to pause as she cringed uncomfortably at the sound of the shop owner's scratchy voice.
"Katara! I demaaand that you go to the local meat market at once and fetch me a nice piece of imported possum chicken now would you darling?" declared the shop owner relaxingly as one of his chump employees rubbed on the sole of his 'aching' left foot.
Katara's face lightly blushed in frustration as her patience for the pompous shop owner grew thin, but nonetheless, she succumbed to his wishes, and nodded her head compliantly as she entered the shop. Katara took a quick glance of the small, dim shop, admiring its simple beauty and fine art displays; even if its owner was a real jerk, she couldn't help but admire his fine taste for exquisite handmade craftsmanship. Her focus then returned to the cranky shop owner, glaring at him tiredly as she held up her hand, waiting for him to give her the proper payment for his meal.
The arrogant shop owner raised his brow proudly as he took out one silver piece from his long, dark green robe, "Here you go." said the owner as he placed the silver piece on her delicate looking palm.
Katara closed her grasp on the silver coin, angrily glaring at the store owner as she hesitantly bowed her head as an act of respect; "Thank you." said Katara as the sheer taste of those very words sat grossly on her tongue; making her way towards the entrance of the shop without giving him the satisfaction of a passing glance. The shop owner was displeased with Katara's attitude, and just to show her how displeased he truly was, just as Katara stepped foot onto the entrance to the shop, the shop owner yelled aloud for everyone to hear, "OH, AND DON'T HESITATE TO BRING EXACT CHANGE NOW YA HEAR? DADDY NEEDS TO GET HIMSELF A NEW PAIR OF SHOES!" yelled the shop owner demandingly as he lightly chuckled, proud of himself for his boastful actions.
Katara's blood began to boil as the shop owner's words began to swim within her psyche. But just as Katara was about to succumb to her infuriation, she felt a drop of water fall from the sky, then another, and another. She was so focused on her anger towards the shop owner that she failed to notice the ominous looking clouds that covered the entire land, as far as her eyes could see. Just then, Katara remembered the words the Ship Captain said earlier in the day…
"You take care of yourself, and don't go out unless it's absolutely necessary."
Those words echoed through Katara's mind as she witnessed the clouds getting darker and darker, plunging the entire city into darkness as they blocked the sun; leaving the Great city completely desolate of its rays of warmth. The wind then began to pick up as pieces of debris began to fly all over the plaza, "Aw man, do I really have to go out in this weather?" asked Katara to herself as the darkening clouds began to move quickly over vast amount of visible land beyond the great wall, but as she took a quick glance of the shop and its owner who still happened to be having his feet rubbed by his employee, she rolled her eyes as she turned her direction to the darkened alleyway in front of her. "Pfft, I'd much rather be in the middle of this storm than with the likes of that creep." thought Katara to herself as she tightly huddled her arms together; sheltering herself from the increasing wind as her locks violently blew towards her left side.
As Katara continued to make her way to the meat shop, she couldn't help but feel as if she were being followed; She stopped for a moment, then swiftly turned her back; positioning herself in a combat stance as she skimmed the area for any sign of an intruder, but found none. She lightly chuckled to herself as she relaxed her stance, "Ahh, I must be paranoid." said Katara to herself as she lightly nodded her head disappointingly to herself and continued on to her destination. But little did she know, lurking in the shadow of the alleyway behind her was indeed someone who was following her, the cloaked stranger that has been following her since they both disembarked from the Earth Kingdom ship; watching her every move, analyzing her and studying her movements while she waited for the perfect time to strike.
After a brief walk, Katara finally made it to the meat shop, but to her dismay, was closed. Katara approached the door to read a sign that was left by its owner on it window. The sign read, "Closed for the day due to weather. Sorry." Katara sighed disappointingly as she came to the realization that she traveled through this potentially dangerous weather for nothing. She grunted frustratingly as she walked away from the shop and tried to see if any others were open. To her amazement, every shop in the area was closed, all of them on account of weather. Although the young water bender was disappointed that all the shops were closed for the rest of the evening, she was anticipating seeing the look of that nasty shop owner's face when she comes back empty handed; knowing there's nothing he could say to her because the whole situation is completely out of her hands. She chuckled to herself as her mood slightly lightened; her frustration escaping her as she made way for happiness to settle once again into her heart, but just as she was about to make her way back to the shop, a shot of blue fire emanated from her left side, causing her to flinch from the heat as she desperately dove away from it; stretching her right leg open as she held herself onto the ground. Katara looked around as she began to pant, frantically searching for the person responsible for such a feeble attack, until she spotted the figure deep in the shadows of the dark alleyway in front of her. Katara looked on to see the cloaked individual coming towards her, immediately recognizing the stranger as the same person she saw earlier on the Earth Kingdom ship before she disembarked; glaring at her before she turned her attention to the ship captain, and disappearing from sight as she approached the passenger platform earlier in the day. Katara got up as she squat her legs, holding her left hand in front of her face while the other stood guard below her waist, "WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU WANT!" yelled Katara hysterically as the hooded figure slithered towards her, causing Katara to tremble as she slightly backed away from the eerie sight.
Rain began to pour down heavily from the heavens as the wind died down, soaking the young water bender in her position while the mysterious, cloaked stranger remained dry and hidden within his or her cloak. Suddenly, a calm and collected voice came from within the figure's hood, "You mean… you don't remember me? Surely you remember my signature flames…" said the figure coolly as she tightly bent her fingers in anger and willed blue fire to seep from the palm of her hands, shooting into the air as smoke emanated from its burning surface.
Katara looked on in horror at the terrible display of raw fire power, suddenly coming to the realization that the epitome of her fears was standing before her in the flesh; causing her pupils to shrink frightfully as her whole body began to tremble, "No…please it can't be…" thought an incredibly terrified Katara as her eyebrows curled in their middle frightfully and her mouth gaped open in astonishment and shock.
Aang found himself in the midst of an incredible storm as he continued to surf the enormous tides graciously; bending the water below him as quickly as he could while knowing that time was indeed his enemy at the moment and that he had to somehow get to Ba Sing Se as quickly as possible. Aang twisted his hands graciously as he forcefully pushed the violent wind in front of him, waving his hands harmoniously as he created a wind barrier in front of him. He then noticed that at the rate he was going, there was no way that he was going to make it to Katara in time. Aang's concentration momentarily shifted to the vision he had back in Onji's house; imagining the potentially tragic end that would be Katara's if he somehow got to Ba Sing See too late, the thought of finding Katara sending nauseating sensations up and down his chest and stomach, "I have to make it, I just have to!" exclaimed Aang desperately as he squint his eyes in anger; transforming along with his tattoos into the familiar glow that identified him to be the Avatar. Aang was completely submerged within his Avatar state as lightning cascaded down from above; thunder soon following suit as its terrifying roar echoed throughout the vicious ocean. Aang allowed his raw power to completely take over his body as he mentally controlled the energy that was beginning to seep out from within him. Wielding the raw energy emanating from the core of his being, he used it to bend the water with such vigor that he caused the ocean to split in half as he sped through its tall walls; breaking the sound barrier as his speed continued to escalate into astronomical proportions. His eyes and tattoos continued to glow as he hastily reached Earth Kingdom territory; swinging his fists from the bottom of his knee upward towards the air, making the land underneath the ocean catapult him above sea level and onto the rocky surface of the Earth Kingdom. As his feet landed onto the ground, he sunk himself so deep into the earth that it nearly left a permanent crater on the very spot he landed on. He then stomped his right foot in front of him and paced his hands over his head as if her were pushing the air above him; the earth below his feet reacting to his gesture as it rose high into air. Aang then positioned himself into a running stance as his glowing eyes stared blankly towards his destination; then, with the speed that would rival that of a bullet, he took off, the rock below his feet rising with every running motion he made while the earth that surrounded him split in contact with the pure energy that was overflowing from his body. Aang mentally knew that although he was incredibly quick, he still wouldn't get to Katara in time; so as he vigorously ran over the earth, he released powerful jets of fire from his hands, using it as a means of propulsion. As Aang' continued to reach unfathomable acceleration, he noticed that time itself seemed to halt around him; catching quick glimpses of the seemingly frozen drops of rain that were hovering all throughout the land and over his head. Aang's focus then turned to the enormous structure up ahead; immediately recognizing its grand appearance as he proceeded to race against the clock, "Hang on Katara, I'm coming…." thought Aang to himself eagerly as he finally caught glimpse of the tall walls on the horizon that belongs to the impenetrable city, the city of Ba Sing Se.
Katara stood there, in complete shock at being in the presence of the world's most wanted fugitive. She felt nausea surge from within the pit of her stomach as she anxiously awaited the troubled former Fire Nation Princess's next move. "What is it that you want from me, Azula?" asked Katara as her voice broke in the middle of her question.
Azula then stepped from out of the shadows and into viewing distance of Katara, "You mean, you don't know? I mean, you were there when I 'fell from grace', so to speak." said Azula as her glossy eyes pierced into Katara's own deep blue eyes; her face with the exception of her eyes still shielded by the hood of her muddy cloak. Azula placed her finger on her chin as she folded her arm over her chest, but without warning, she ran towards the young water bender; before Katara could react to the sudden attack, Azula grabbed her hand, sending a minuscule shock of lightning throughout her body as she convulsed at the sudden impact.
Katara then collapsed onto the ground, severely weakened by the surprise attack, "Wh-why, why are you d-doing this?" asked Katara weakly as she laid on the ground helplessly at the mercy of the disturbed war fugitive.
Azula couldn't help but laugh at Katara's misery, kicking her in her lower abdomen as Katara whimpered in pain; grasping her abdomen tightly as she was forced into a fetal position, her face twisting violently in pain as she looked into Azula's eyes.
Azula walked around her, "This, LOOK AT ALL OF THIS YOU BITCH!" screamed Azula maniacally as she bent down towards the water bender, gesturing her hands towards their surroundings as she spun around idiotically, "ALL of this….was supposed to be my father's….and mine…" said Azula as she stared blankly at the vast city, slightly tilting her head strangely as her bottom lip dripped down in awe of her focus' impenetrable glory. She then turned to face Katara, bending down as she slowly leaned towards Katara's ear, whispering into the young water bender's ear, "All of this….was supposed to be Fire Nation….but…..your stupid little Airbender friend just haaaaad to intervene and make a mess out of EVERYthing." whispered Azula maniacally as she suddenly raised her hand and slapped an already weakened Katara across the face.
Azula then rose from her crouching position and walked away from the young water bender; she began to speak with her back turned to the debilitated water bender, "One by one…I will take you all down with me. Starting with you." declared Azula as she turned to glare comically into Katara's affright expression, "You…." continued Azula as tears began to run down her cheeks, biting her lip as she struggled to fight the overwhelming emotions that consumed her inner being, "You….took….my honor away…" continued Azula as her voice quivered intensely, her eyes shut as she bowed her head and sobbed in remembrance of that fateful day in which Katara defeated her with the assistance of what she considered to be an 'inferior element'. Azula then glanced indifferently to the young water bender as rain continued to drench her crippled body; Katara looking on hopelessly as her attempts to bend and fight back were futile, for her arms were severely weakened by the shock Azula gave her earlier. Azula then backed away from the young Water Tribe woman, their eyes still locked onto one another's as she stopped ten feet away from the water bender. She then proceeded to take off her cloak and toss it to her side; "You water bender…will have the honor of being the first…to die…" hissed the former Fire Nation Princess as her eyes creepily bulged from her socket. Katara struggled to get up from her weakened state; her body wobbled continuously as she struggled to raise herself from her stance. She decided that if this is how she was going to go, then she would do so bravely, looking on to her reaper's scythe with honor and dignity. Katara somberly raised her ailing body as a single tear ran down her cheek; her heart racing at a hundred miles an hour and her body quivering in terror as she painfully waited for Azula to deliver to final blow.
Azula cackled at the painful sight, finding it incredibly amusing that Katara was in such a state of weakness and delirium over a small 'shock', "Yes, yes, get up Water Tribe filth! Get up and face your death…" said Azula as she began to prepare herself for her ultimate attack on the helpless young woman before her, "Don't worry; this will be painfully quick for you; especially considering that you're soaked in water. See, water and lightning never mix…they are a dangerous combination." said Azula in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone as she prepared her stance, trailing her middle and index finger as she made symbolic circular motions, leaving small branches of electricity trailing behind every movement she made. Katara watched on in horror as Azula then placed her right middle and index finger over her nose; she knew what was to come after this, and closed her eyes weakly as she prepared herself for the impact that was about to take place between Azula's lightning bolt and her body. Azula chuckled at the sight as she took in the tension that was in the air, inhaling it as if it were an exhilarating high for her, " "….Now…bow before me…..for eternity!" hissed Azula loudly as she proceeded to bend her fingers towards Katara.
But, just as she was about to deliver her attack of redemption, a swift wind pierced through the thick wall of Ba Sing Se, creating an enormous crevice behind its trail. Azula turned around as she analyzed the strange sight, wondering what could've caused such a huge crack on the thick wall of Ba Sing Se with a perplexed but angrily determined look on her face. She growled under her breath as her focus then turned to the debilitated water bender, still standing before her; waiting for her attack. Azula's eyes widened in rage as she let out a frightening howl, but just as she was about to point her lightning's direction towards Katara, an unseen force grabbed hold of her hand, their united movements seemingly going in slow motion to one another, but unable to be seen by Katara. Azula looked up to see that the person that grabbed hold of her offensive hand was indeed the Avatar himself, his eyes and tattoos glowing with a fluorescence that rivaled that of the sun itself. "Avataaaar…" hissed Azula as she took out a blade from her back pocket; swinging it onto Aang's abdomen as she cleanly sliced through his muscle. Azula took deep pleasure into seeing the young Avatar bleed, cackling at the sight of the deep gash she personally imprinted on him, but then realized that although she cut deeply into the young Avatar, he barely flinched from the attack; causing Azula to genuinely worry about how she's going to get herself out of this mess. Katara looked at what seemed to be an invisible battle, unable to clearly see their movements as she continued to drift in and out of consciousness; but suddenly, the unforeseen force and Azula became visible, and Katara came to the realization that the unforeseen force was none other….than Aang. Katara looked on in amazement as Aang swung Azula by the hand that she was going to attack Katara with, pointing his middle and index fingers gallantly towards the opposite direction of the wall; Azula watched on in horror as she witnessed the lightning that she was going to use on Katara spread from her arm and into his body, miserably looking on with tears rolling down her cheeks as the lightning then ejected from the tips of Aang's fingers tips and traveled deep into the open crevice that he made moments ago. Katara looked on in admiration to what she was just witnessing, barely hanging on as she continued to watch in marvel at Aang get the upper hand on Azula. Azula then began to swing her blade and scream dramatically at the young Avatar as she sobbed hysterically at her first miss; for as soon as he dodged her first swing, he immediately latched on to the hand that held her blade and forced her hand to lose its grip on its handle. Aang then grabbed hold of the blade and tossed it to the side as he took a step back from the emotionally ailing fugitive. Aang looked on disinterestedly as Azula continued to sob like mad before his presence; bending the earth below her as he proceeded to entangle the earth with her limbs, holding her in a tight lock position with her arms and thighs completely spread out.
Katara looked on in awe at the amazing spectacle, feeling her body failing on her as she continued to watch curiously as Aang then place his right thumb on her forehead, and his left hand onto her upper chest; while Azula starred dolefully at the Avatar, tears still rolling down her cheeks as she let out exaggerated sobs. Her vision then came in and out of blurriness as she continued to then watch him take a deep breath, exhaling as he jerked his face up into the air and blue light began to emanate from every cavity on his face, shooting into the air so high up that everyone in Ba Sing Se would notice the amazing spectacle that was taking place within its walls. Katara continued to look on in complete and utter awe as Aang's body then became completely coated with the luminous, blue light; causing the entire ground below their feet to tremble at the amazing, raw power that was radiating from the young Avatar. Nonetheless, she didn't continue to enjoy the view for long; for as soon as Katara saw the blue light approach Azula's limbs, she felt her weakened state surmount the little strength she had left, succumbing to the aftermath of her injuries as she was overcome by darkness.
Stay Tuned…
Here's another physical rendition of the highpoint of the chapter; it was a bitchload of work to put together in photoshop because the image itself didn't fit in the scanner, so I had to scan it piece by piece and put it together like a puzzle. All in all it was very much worth it, and I enjoyed drawing it for you guys. I listened to this song over and over as I drew the picture (Baltimore Club music- don't make me kill) which made me lol because when I finished the sketch, Aang's face really looks like that of someone you don't want to eff with; just like the random angry person talking in the song XD.
Here's the link; once again, put the spaces together (I really wish I didn't have to post the link like this, but fanfiction won't let me post the link directly) so you can see the image I made for you guys:
http :/ img96. imageshack. us /img96/3676/aangdefeatsazula. jpg
Enjoy! :D