Chapter 5: Reunions. Good and Bad.
"I still think we should have just left right away" Zuko said as they had reached the border of the village on Kyoshi Island.
"We need to pick up a few things Zuko, Sokka said he would keep watch and soon as anything bad happens he and Appa will take off" Katara said trying to sound optimistic.
This was hard to do when she was the most adamant about staying to keep watch but Zuko and Sokka knew she had proven to be the best keeper of supplies and knew what and when to get things they needed during long journeys. She also had a knack for bargains.
Sokka had also managed to placate her concerns about only one of them being on guard duty. Zuko also reminded that while nearly everyone underestimated Sokka they usually were proven wrong. This made Sokka smile then get annoyed and he told them to just go.
Now that they were at the village they tried to act like nothing was amiss.
However how they felt certainly didn't help how the villagers would react.
"Katara!" Koko shouted as she spotted them entering the market.
Zuko then noticed a rather irritated look on Katara's face followed by a forced smile. The last time he had seen that kinda behaviour was a short while after Yu Dao. He knew this would prove interesting.
No long after the young girl shouted did a crowd begin to gather. The village elder and leader himself was at the front of the crowd and by him was a man who seemed to get so excited he began to foam at the mouth and collapse from his excitement.
"Is he ok?" Zuko asked
"He's fine that happens every time we come here" Katara said.
Koko was surrounded but a large group of girls, they were the group of 'fan-girls' that had each formed their own childish crush on Aang, or Aangy as they called him.
"Where's Aangy?" Koko demanded. This was the second time they had visited this village where Aang was not present.
"Sorry Koko he couldn't be here" Katara explained patiently while she was aware of their crush on Aang she didn't let it bother her as she knew Aang didn't have even the remote ability to be unfaithful something he'd proven more than once.
"I thought I saw you all fly to the beach on Appa last night, is he down there?" One of the other girls asked.
Katara saw the problem arising. If they got that thought into their heads it would be impossible to stop them from charging to the beach and the last thing they wanted was word spreading too quickly about what had been going on.
Just as the girls all seemed to come to the conclusion and were about to make for the beach Zuko stepped into their path.
"Sorry, but Aang is with us. The Avatar is currently take time to pursue an important spiritual journey after all the events that have occurred recently. We are accompanying him" Zuko explained quickly and calmly.
Katara sighed in gratitude, silently thanking Zuko for saving them from a headache. She then turned towards the village elder to offer her greeting. It was quickly followed by Zuko who gave a humble greeting as the Fire Lord. To which at first earned him a few narrow eyed glances until the elder patted him on the shoulder and welcomed him.
A short while later while Katara and Zuko were shopping for some supplies, Zuko carrying the basket while Katara filled it, a young woman approached them. She word the traditional clothes of a female air nomad, or rather Air Acolyte, and did not yet have her own tattoo's but her hair was shaved from her forehead.
"Greetings Fire Lord Zuko, and Master Katara" the Air Acolyte said giving a proper bow.
Katara and Zuko turned and each gave a bow in return. The Air Acolytes in name had only been around for a little under a year but before that they were known as the Avatar Aang Fan Club. Many of them had adopted the Air Nomad culture, philosophy and way of life. At first when Aang was struggling with the concept that the world had changed so much and that he didn't want his people's culture treated in a way he thought was a joke, had been against them. However after the incident and Yu Dao he realized that he could not hold the Air Nomad culture to him alone. He renamed them and began to teach them so that it would allow any who wished to become part of the Air Nomad culture to learn.
Ever since then they had grown in number and many had begun the task of restoring the Air Nomad temples.
"I am Yon-Mei sister of Won-Lee of the Northern Air temple chapter. It is a pleasure to meet you Fire Lord Zuko, and Master Katara, first girlfriend of Avatar Aang" she said with a cheery smile.
First girlfriend of Avatar Aang
That was a phrase that elicited an irritated twitch of Katara's eyes as she tried to maintain a smile in return. Now that she was told whose sister this girl was she could see the family resemblance. Her tone also hinted she was like her sister whom Katara had often suspected was among a few of the Acolytes that had more romantic desires for her sweetie whereas the majority viewed him as a wise mentor for the Air Nomad ways.
Zuko quickly decide to diffuse the situation "What brings you to Kyoshi Island Yon-Mei?" he asked.
"Oh many of acolytes of the various temples decided to pursue pilgrimages to see the world. As part of the Air Nomad ways, and to spread the teachings Avatar Aang has shared with us" she said with a fond look in her eyes that made Katara less than amused by the seemingly admirable pursuit.
Yon-Mei then decided to join them while they finished their shopping. Katara and Zuko tried to politely decline but those efforts failed so they kept up talk with the progress of the Air temples restorations. Currently the Northern and Eastern Temples showed the most promise of being ready to receive travellers soon. This was due in part to the fact both these temples had seen the least amount of damage during the war.
"The mechanist has also been of great help. His war balloons and gliders that those are not Airbenders can use have helped us restore the beautiful temples. If things keep going this well, then the Northern Air Temple will be ready travellers very soon" she explained.
After an hour or so finally Katara and Zuko managed to pry themselves away stating that the Avatar was due north soon. They were already behind on their departure time to make the main continent of the Earth Kingdom as it was. They also were considering avoiding stopping at the village of Chin which had adopted an attitude towards Aang that was as enthusiastic as Kyoshi Island.
As they were making their way down the path Katara sighed in relief.
"That was exhausting…first girlfriend my foot" she muttered the last in a low tone.
"Something wrong Katara?" Zuko asked.
"It's nothing just something that girls sister one said back in Ba Sing Se, like she making it sound as though Aang and I were a temporary thing" she said.
Zuko nodded "I can sympathize with you. I've had my own issues with Mai like that. I was the one who let me anger turn to jealousy too quick when I knew there was nothing"
Katara looked a bit surprised at him "Glad to see the great Fire Lord is a stupid as the rest of us when it comes to love "she said with a giggle.
Zuko cracked a smile "Besides Aang loves you and only you. Only person I think should fear you more if they try to get in the middle of that is him" he suggested.
They both them formed a mental image of Aang becoming angry at someone trying to steal him from Katara which resulted in another laugh.
Finally they returned to camp to fond Sokka pacing on Appa's saddle. The camp was already taken apart and everything was packed.
"It's about time you got here what took so long?" he asked.
"We umm kinda had to deal with adoring crowds and Avatar Fan's" Zuko explained.
Sokka then took out a scroll that both Zuko and Katara knew meant he'd formed another schedule.
"Alright well taken time out for your cheering crowds, wish I would get some of that, were only behind a bit but-" the rest of his lecture was cut off when Zuko set the nearly 10 foot long scroll on fire.
"Thank you Zuko" Katara said climbing on top of Appa and packing away their food supplies then sitting by Aang
"Sokka things are gonna happen that we can predict, all we can do is get Aang to the North Pole as soon as we can" Zuko said grabbing the reigns.
"Oh sure just burn up the plan make Aang stay stuck longer" Sokka said irritated that despite being the planning guy he timetables were still disregarded.
"Oh Sokka just sit down. I'm as anxious to get Aang back to normal as you" Katara snapped at him.
"Yea so you two can make up for lost oogie time" Sokka muttered smartly
Katara turned on him sending a snow ball to his face from the water in her pouch as Appa took off.
From the shadows of the trees Yon-Mei watched them take off. She was wide-eyed at what she had heard.
Rushing back to the village she headed for the messenger hawk mail house and quickly began to scrawl a message. She then slipped it into a scroll case and sent if off with a clear destination as she seemed utterly serious in whatever information she had to pass on.
It was well past sundown before the group landed. Zuko had shown immeasurable patience while Sokka and Katara argued back and forth, true it was not a serious argument but even so the young man could only listen to so much before he snapped at them both to be quiet or they might even wake up Aang.
"Still think we should at least camp outside Chin" Sokka suggested as he and Zuko untied Appa's saddle to get it off him.
"No, the last thing we need is more people around asking questions, wanting to see Aang, or worse being at risk if Zhao comes back" Zuko replied.
"We can handle him worst comes to worst" Katara said agreeing with Zuko as she stirred the contents of a pot of soup with her hands using Waterbending.
"Ya one whack from my Boomerang will send him flying with his tail between his legs" Sokka said confidently.
"Sure Sokka that's what did it" Zuko said smartly as he unrolled his sleeping bag.
Katara grinned as she raised her hands lifting half the contents of the pot into the air and sent it right into Appa's open mouth. He was used to be fed this way. He then turned to the small ration of hay that would be his meal for the night.
"So which way do you think we should take now?" Katara asked.
Sokka, right on cue, reached into his satchel and extracted his maps. Finally finding the one he wanted he unrolled it showing the entire Earth Kingdom continent. He touched a point near the south-eastern tip.
"Well we past Chin and are about here" He said moving his finger a short distance to the North West "a couple hours flight from the village. Nice flying today Appa" He continued complimenting Appa for his speedy travelling speed.
Zuko viewed the map as well while Katara handed each of them a bowl of soup and hunk of bread.
"If we head directly north we'll hit Omashu in…I'd say about a quarter of the day maybe a little more. If we push all the way again we could even reach Senlin village. You remember right Katara that village where that bear spirit was angry?" he asked.
Katara nodded "that sounds like a good enough idea. We don't have to stop at as many places so this will save us some time" she said agreeing with the plan.
"Good after that we keep moving along the coast, in hmm two maybe three days we should reach that harbor town here" he continued pointing to a spot on the map further north and where a river moved up and split into a wide Y like shape "and finally from there we just make the second hardest flight towards the Northern Air Temple and from there the North pole" he said clapping his hands together as if closing the deal.
Zuko looked over the map surveying the route "sounds like a good idea but why not just go straight north from Harbor Town?" he asked.
Katara set aside her finished bowl of soup "even for Appa that straight flight would be too much it's best we make the Air Temple our last stop before the North Pole as last time Appa had to finish the trek by swimming" she explained.
Zuko took their past experience to heart and nodded "alright it sounds like a plan if we can we might as well stop at Yu Dao and see my Uncle maybe we can also check on Toph and see if she is doing ok. After what happened yesterday I'm worried" he said.
After that they each went about their own tasks before bed. Zuko cleaned and polished his dual swords. Sokka went right to sleep as he would have the last watch of the night meaning he wanted as much sleep as possible. Katara went and fussed over Aang a bit making sure he was comfortable, clean and then settled down to rest herself as Zuko had the first watch.
Only a few hours had passed and Zuko's shift was nearing its end. He was contemplating just letting the siblings rest given over the past few years he had the most stamina for days without rest and could still function as quickly. Although he'd heard how after the sacking of Ba Sing Se that Katara had gone for weeks straight without sleep tending to a wounded Aang.
He was just about to make a choice on waking her or letting her sleep when he felt something. It was a slight shiver of his spine, and twitch on the hairs of the back of his head.
He heard running water in an open, flat, field.
"Wake up!" He shouted as acting on instinct he slammed his foot to the ground and raised his arms up to summon a wall of fire at his back. He knew the attack had to come from behind. You always attack the sentry at his blind spots.
The sound of air hissing as it turned to steam when the water attack collided with his firewall.
The grinding of the earth as through the wall a boulder came straight him.
He drew his swords and slashed at the rock using his Firebending to heat the edge of the blade so much that its cutting power cleaved it, splitting the beach ball side rock and sending its halves wide, one chunk landed right by Sokka's head that caused him shrieked and tear open his sleeping back trying to get out weapons drawn.
Katara also was awake instantly alert to the danger her hands moving her to water pouch snapping the stopper open, ready to draw.
"Who's out there?" Sokka called standing in nothing but his pants holding his club and machete. Katara having chosen to sleep by Aang was still clothed and blanket over her.
The reply was another jet of water followed by the shaking of earth as a pillar came out aiming to strike Zuko in the chest. He jumped back in time as his fire wall had dispersed but some of it ignited the patches of grass and flowers shedding some light ahead of them.
Katara took control of the water attack and weaved it around her body taking it for her own.
Sokka meanwhile looked at the earth pillar "I know that kinda attack. It's Long Feng!" he shouted out.
"It seems the water tribe savage has a keen eye. Correct peasant" came the cultured and self-righteous reply of the former head of the Dai-Li.
He then stepped forward his hands raised in preparation for his next attack. They took note that his hands hand the infamous Dai-Li rock gloves, likely he was using the rock shoes technique.
"If you're the Earthbender then who could be your partner the Waterbender attacking us" Katara asked as she held then water behind her arms like a shawl suspended above her.
"I think you know former pupil" came the quiet soft spoken words of an elderly woman who walked into the light as well.
"Hama" Katara and Sokka said together in anger.
While Zuko had not met this woman before he'd heard of her the creator of Bloodbending and a master southern water style bender, working alongside a master Earthbender and devious man in his own right, it was clear to Zuko what was going on here.
"You two must be the playmates Zhao was talking about" Zuko said calmly
"Very perceptive of you Fire Lord. Indeed he is our little savior from prison you might say" Long Feng said as he slammed his foot to the ground to split the earth under Zuko and the others. While Zuko and Katara leapt to one side to maintain their balance and focus on their opponents Sokka jumped on the other to guard Aang. Appa also stood and took the other side of his friend growling at their opponents.
"Kinda surprised at you Hama, siding with fire nation" Katara said.
The old woman chuckled "Oh Katara so quick to try and break my focus smart, but Zhao isn't really fire nation anymore, and he assured me I'd get to take out a Fire Lord. How could I pass that up?" she asked as he shot spread her arms wide and began to drain the water from a wide circle off plants and grass around her calling a large stream to fire at Zuko, while Long Feng switched targets and kicked up a large rock in front of him then punched sending dozens of shrapnel fragments at Katara.
Zuko put his fists close together and after a deep breath he fired a massive fire attack that met the water head on resulting in a large explosive clash while Katara swung her arms and froze her water into an ice shield to block the earth shrapnel. It worked almost perfectly but her shield was too thin and some of the shrapnel broke through it and hit her, only a few drew blood at her arms and one on the cheek.
"Katara you ok?" Sokka called
"I'm fine just stay close to Aang"
"So the Avatar really is out of the game now? Good" Long Feng said as he thrust out his hand sending a rock glove which turned into a fist aiming right for Aang laying on the ground.
Before Katara could turn to block it a rock wall suddenly rose up and blocked the attack.
"What!" Long Feng Said alarmed before he was suddenly knocked aside by another earth attack to his side sending him flying.
"Just like you to pick on someone when their down" came a tough sounding voice.
Katara looked over and smiled in joy
"Toph!" she shouted happily.
"Hey guys, sorry but less hugging more fighting!" she shouted as she moved to stand by Zuko assuming her stance.
Zuko smiled feeling much better about their situation.
"Glad to have you with us" He said.
"It gets even better" Toph replied.
Hama was snarling in anger and about to drain more water from plants to attack while Long Feng got to his feet when she had to duck and leap quickly from a sudden kick towards her head.
The one who attacked her was a young woman wearing make up wearing a green kimono and armour over it.
"Suki!" Sokka shouted in delight, forgetting the battle a moment.
"Sokka, stay focused" Zuko shouted.
Hama fell back to where Long Feng was.
"That's enough" She said.
"Yes" he said as he groaned rising then slammed his fists into the ground creating an earth wave under them both and they soon took off.
"You're not getting away that easy" Toph shouted.
"No they want us to chase them. They can't take us on so they want to split us up them Zhao might strike. We let them go, let's pack up and move now" he said taking charge before anyone else, friend or foe arrived.
His words however fell on deaf ears. When he turned his expression went too annoyed as he saw Suki and Sokka run into each other's arms and begin kissing repeatedly, while Katara greeted Toph with a hug who after a moment returned it.
"Or we can take a few moments and then move on" he said to himself as he skirted around the tear into the earth Long Feng had made and went to greet his friends.
"It's so good to see you Toph, how did you find us here?" Katara asked excited to see one of her dearest friends. It had been months since they had last seen her.
"Well you're gonna think is weird but I had a dream back when was home about you all. Something about chasing twinkle toes and I just felt like I had to come here" she said with a big grin.
Katara couldn't help but laugh as she knew that had to be the reason.
Sokka and Suki meanwhile where quite literally locked in each other's arms.
"How did you get here Suki? I thought you were with Iroh?" He asked.
"I was but he told me I had been working too hard and that I needed some time off then while I was making my way here I ran into Toph earlier today she told me about this dream she had and we figured we keep moving together. The next thing I know she tells me she heard you all fighting and now here we are" Suki explained hugging him warmly and blushing happily.
They then turned and the warm greetings continued. Toph and Sokka hugged, as did Katara and Suki. Finally they dragged the grumpy Zuko in for a group hug only to have Appa approach and lick them all.
A few minutes later they were past the hugs and greetings and began to share. Zuko started a new fire as the remains of the old one were at the bottom of the pit Long Feng made.
"Hey Twinkle Toes, what are you doing lying down? Too sleepy to get up and say hello?" Toph called as she could tell with her seismic sense Aang was lying on the ground by Appa but not tell that he was comatose.
At that Katara looked downcast; this was something Aang would have loved to be awake for.
"Why is he asleep?" Suki asked noting Sokka's own look that mirrored his sisters.
"He's not asleep he's in a coma" Zuko said.
Suki and Toph both look surprised.
"You mean like that time after Ba Sing Se?" Toph asked.
Zuko nodded "Yea.. If were not gonna take off right away we'd better all sit down this is gonna take some time to explain.
So then Katara, Zuko, and Sokka each took turns telling the story. How they arrived in the South Pole. The attack by the shadow spirit now identifies as Zhao. Stealing Aang's energy and gaining the ability to Airbend. After that Zuko also informed them of the attacks going on at both the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom.
"Wow, talk about a damn ugly mess was in this time" Toph said taking much of the information in stride. She was not someone who was knocked down easily, both physically and emotionally.
Suki looked to Katara who was sitting by the still slumbering Aang.
"Are you doing alright Katara?" She asked. She and Katara were a lot alike both of them strong women but they did have hearts and each loved someone. As such she knew the kind of hardships Katara must be enduring seeing Aang like this.
Katara nodded and smiled a little at her friend "I'm fine. Ever since that dream I've felt like Aang is still around us and he's trying to guide us to get him back. I know we can do it"
"Right attitude sweetness. So what's the plan?" Toph asked making them all smile with her blunt attitude.
Zuko then outlined the plan Sokka had proposed earlier in the night and their intended destination and plan to restore Aang's spirit.
"Well I'm not too fond of going somewhere all ice and snow but if it's for Twinkle Toes I'm in!" Toph declared.
"Same here besides Iroh never did say I should go home just take some time off. This is the one place I would want to be" she said with a little wink to Sokka who blushed.
Zuko then stood "alright well it's getting close to dawn. We might as well start packing now and head out" he said trying to get them back to what he wanted to do an hour ago.
"Wait" Toph said turning towards the west, looking down at the ground.
"What is it Toph?" Katara asked.
"There's someone coming. It's not those two from before. I don't know who it is but he's walking towards us" she said.
Before anyone could react Toph took the lead and raised her arms and stomped her foot. There came the sound of shifting rock ahead and the surprised 'ooff' of someone caught off guard.
Then they all moved quickly and Zuko ignited a fire in his hand.
Before them encased in slab shackled was a dark skinned elderly man wearing simple traveller's clothes. His long white beard hung out over the slabs holding him and he had a genuine look of surprise before seeing the others approach
"Hello, I am Guru Pathik. It seems I'm a bit stuck" he said politely.
The group of friends all shared looks of surprised and confusion.
To Be Continued….