Okay, so here's chapter 12! I have to admit, I missed your comments! Not as many of my fans emailed! So please do! I miss you guys! (Starts crying) Waaa! Where did everyone go? Did you leave me? (sniff sniff.) Come baaaaaaack!
Iroh: You look sad.
Me: yeah. some of my readers kinda left.
Iroh: You know what makes everything better?
Me: What?
Iroh: TEA!! LOTS AND LOTS OF TEA!
Me: That can't help me. And besides, I HATE tea.
Iroh: Ugh! You aren't my friend! (leaves, then comes back with a kettle) I want you as my friend, and the only way to do that is to force you to drink it!!
Me: NOOOOOO!! (runs away)
Iroh: Come back here! You can't hide from the power of tea!
Okay, besides that, here's the next chapter. Aang finds out he has a daughter, now what's she going to think? And what'll happen to Katara, Sokka, and Toph? Will they escape? Read on!
Aang still couldn't believe this. He had a daughter? No wonder she had looked so familiar. She looked more like her mother, but had his grey eyes and his facial appearances. But this wasn't true. He had only been married to Katara for a night. But they had been together, so it was possible. He just didn't believe it. He had sat there, gaping like an idiot for about a half hour, while Zuko and Hakoda tried to snap him out of it. But now, he wanted to hear the whole story.
Zuko and Hakoda walked in and sat down. They had given Aang a little time to collect his thoughts, but as they walked in he sat up. He closed his eyes, breathed in and out deeply, and then opened his eyes.
"I'm ready," he said.
"You should start," Hakoda said to Zuko.
"Aang, it was three months after you left, and Katara had been feeling ill. Hakoda told her to go and rest, and after a few days, I was the first one home. She went out to meet me and fainted in my arms. Toph then came home, and then Sokka, but couldn't do anything. We and the healers didn't know what was wrong, and she was so weak and cold that we thought we knew she was going to die. But Toph felt for two heartbeats, and she found them. She diagnosed Katara with very severe morning sickness, which meant she was pregnant."
"In the next few months, we just gathered troops," Hakoda started. "When Katara got your letter, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. At least you weren't dead. A few months later, Toph and Sokka came back. They had gone for Sokka to ask Toph's parents for her hand."
Aang smiled, and Hakoda continued. "As they came back, they delivered terrible news: a fleet of Fire Nation ships were coming to attack."
Zuko cut in again. "As we got ready, they started to attack, and Mai and Ty Lee switched sides. They're still with us in the tribe. So Azula was fighting me, and then the two girls joined me. Mai was injured, but Katara suddenly came and attacked. So we ran while Katara created a distraction. The rest is Sokka's version. He came up just as Azula hit Katara with lightning. He attacked Azula, knocked her out, and ran to Katara. That's when I sent Ty Lee to find him to ask where we could go in safety. And so a while later, we were in the crystal caverns, trying to save 3 lives, not just 2. But I figured out that I have healing abilities, so I was able to heal both Katara and Mai."
"I'm glad you did," Aang said, looking down, but smiling.
"During the whole battle, the biggest storm of the year came, and I kept watching it," Zuko said, "because Katara had written to Ba Sing Se University asked a few questions. I'll tell you later about that. But I received the letter, and I knew that Katara's time was coming. She went into labor, and we all started freaking out, because no one knew how to deliver a baby. But she was so brave and strong, and she directed us through her own delivery. Finally, your daughter was born. And I noticed that as soon as she fell into Sokka's arms, Katara's necklace started to glow. It was amazing!"
"Wait," Aang cut in. "About 15 years ago, suddenly the necklace Katara gave me, as well as my arrows, glowed! I didn't know what had happened. Was that my daughter?"
They both nodded. Zuko continued. "We stayed there for a few weeks, while Sokka and I went to go see what the damage was. Hakoda was injured, and I healed him, but we made plans to attack and overtake the ships, which all left except for a few. So we attacked, released the tribe members, and sent the ships back."
"Then Zuko had the idea to make a fortress to protect us. And we started right away. So now it looks like this!"
"Good job, Zuko," Aang said. "But I have a few questions. First, why did my arrows and pendant glow? That only happens for me, usually not outside forces."
"Well, she is the daughter of the Avatar, and a master waterbender from her mother," Hakoda said. "But from her father, she got another ability."
Aang stared at Hakoda. "What are you saying?"
"Why do you think she wears a headband?"
"No…she can't be an airbender. Two abilities?"
"Yeah, it's weird," Zuko said. "But it's true. Her parents are two of the most powerful benders in the world. Why not two abilities?"
"I need to spend some time with her," Aang answered. "and ask her what she knows about her father. But before I leave, I have another question: why didn't Katara, or any of you for that matter, tell me?"
"Katara decided," Hakoda said. "a long time ago, to not tell you, because she knew that once you knew, you would want to come home and not keep your mind in the fight. And she said to Sokka that she knew the challenges she faced as the Avatar's wife, and she accepted them. She cared about you so much that she wanted you to stay away. She wanted you to save the world, as you should, but once we found that Ara was an airbender, we knew we had to hide her too. But Katara, studying your airbending all of those years, taught her daughter herself to airbend and to master it. And at age 12, like you, she became a master and Katara wished for her to have the tattoos, like her father."
"I won't believe it until I see it."
Toph woke up suddenly. "Katara," she said as she nudged her. "The ship's stopped."
Katara had her head resting on the wall of the ship and one hand on Sokka's chest, with his head on her lap. It was still pitch black, but she and Toph found each others' hands and held each other. It had been a few hours, and Sokka still hadn't woken up. Under her hand, his chest moved rhythmically up and down. She knew he'd be okay, after some rest and medical care.
"How's he doing?" Toph whispered.
"He's still alive, if that's any comfort," Katara answered sadly. She missed Ara, Zuko, and her father, but right then, the person she missed most was Aang.
Suddenly she felt Sokka's head move in her lap. "Sokka?" she whispered. "Are you okay?"
"Ughhh…K…Katara, is that you?" he mumbled. "Am I blind?"
"No. It's just dark in here. Are you okay?"
"I feel really dizzy, and my head feels like it's on fire. Can you heal me?"
"I'm sorry, Sokka, there's no water."
"Where's Toph?" he whispered hoarsely.
"I'm right here," she said, sitting next to Katara even though Katara couldn't see her. "Are you okay?"
"My head hurts,"
"Rest for a while," Katara said. She took Sokka's hand and squeezed it.
Almost instantly, the sound of creaking was heard as literally blinding sunlight entered the darkness. Katara shielded Sokka's eyes with one hand and her own with the other. Toph didn't need to. The sound of chains echoed and Azula's cold voice carrying out stern commands. As Katara's eyes focused slowly, three guards came and each grabbed on of them. "No! Sokka!" Katara screamed as she was pulled away from her brother and Toph. "Please," she pleaded through tears. "Please sir, let me help my brother wherever we're going. He's hurt! Please!"
"No," the guard answered sternly. "You will see him later."
"Toph!" she cried while she was being led away. "Take care of him!"
"I'll try!" Toph yelled as they went out of Katara's sight as she was led around a corner.
"Get up, peasant!" A guard yelled as he kicked Sokka in the gut. He cried out, and Toph's heart leapt in her chest. Sokka would usually be fighting back by now and cracking jokes along the way, so she knew he was seriously hurt. Anger rose in her as well. She started to metalbend, but was grabbed by her hands and feet off of the ground and tied up. "Sokka!" she cried as she was carried away, "don't fight them. We'll be together soon!"
She silently cried as she was led away too.
Katara's tired eyes looked around her. She was in an old prison yard. All around her were tired-looking captives who shoveled rocks.
She was led up the stairs in chains and given new, but very ragged and torn, clothing, and then was led to a room and chained to the wall. The guards left, and Azula stepped in. Katara's heart pounded but she stood up proudly. "Let's see what you know about your husband," Azula said, aiming at Katara.
Aang breathed in, slowly, and out, as he stood outside Ara's tent. He wanted to talk to her, to find out what Katara had told her, to find out what she was really like. He pushed open the flap and stepped in. Immediately, at the end of the tent, Ara jumped—because Aang surprised her—and she lost concentration on the water she was bending in a bowl. She stood up quickly and bowed. "Sir…"
"No, no, please, sit. I just want to ask and tell you some things."
"Okay."
Aang wanted to keep his secret and disguise, for now.
"My name is Lee. I am a close friend of your father's."
"My dad?" Ara perked up. "What do you know?"
"Much. I wish to tell you, if you first tell me what you know about him. I know he's been gone for a long time, but what has your mother, uncle, aunt, Zuko, and everyone else said about him?"
"Well, my mother talked about him a lot. She really loved him. She said he was the kindest, gentlest, most caring man in the entire world. His name was Aang, and his was the last airbender. He was a bald monk, still bald, but not a monk after he married my mother." She laughed. "He was also the Avatar. My mother said that he was very powerful, yet he helped so many people. I don't know what he looked like exactly, but my mother said that I remind her of him a lot; my spirit, my personality, my eyes, my bending—oh."
"What's wrong?"
"Can I trust you?"
"Of course."
"My father isn't the last airbender anymore. I am an airbender, but also I'm a waterbender, from my mom. She taught me everything I know, including mastering airbending, which she wasn't even a master of. She, along with my aunt and uncle and adoptive father, Zuko, taught me from spending so many years being with him and studying his form. My mom, Zuko, aunt, uncle, Mai, and Ty Lee have all helped me train and fight. So they taught me, along with my mother teaching me to master waterbending, and finally the time came when I mastered airbending. My mom gave me a gift that was the most painful, but also the proudest day of my life. My mother went to get a tattoo artist from the earth kingdom and he gave me the airbending tattoos of a master, down my back, down around to my arms and to the tops of my hands, and down around to my legs and the tops of my feet. But most important was my arrow on my forehead. That's why I wear the headband. To protect myself. But that day, Lee, I was so proud of my marks, and I knew my father would have been proud."
"So you aren't mad at your father for not being there your whole life?"
"Not at all. My mother explained that he needed to save the world. And I completely understand. I'm proud that he's my dad. But I do wish that someday he'll come back. I love him even though I've never met him. And I wish that he knew of me and was proud of me and my mother. But he doesn't know. My mother never told him about me to protect him. She was brave, but some days she seems like she wants to break down and give up, but she won't because she loves him and will stand by him. My parents have both been through so much. I remember," Ara laughed, "that every night when I was young, my mother and everyone would gather around at night and tell stories of adventures of themselves as kids. She and my dad were best friends long before they got married, as was everyone around the fire. She'd tell of how she found my dad, and how she saved him, and of all of their adventures. We would laugh long into the night, and my mother was always laughing when listening or telling a story, but I could tell that the stories hurt her inside; she really loves my dad. But I would lie there, listening to the adventures of the gang traveling all over the world, and wish I had been one of them." She looked up at Aang, who had tears in his eyes. "Lee, what's wrong?"
"Huh? Oh, nothing, nothing. It's just amazing how much Katara told and taught you of him. She shared so much. And now I will share information on him. He left the day after he and your mother got married. He is, or was, a leader of the Ba Sing Se army and 6 months before you were born, he was severely injured. He was to stay there for a few months to heal, and when he finally did, his best friend there was stabbed through, and so he had to stay for a few more months. Finally, he was to go home, when he received a letter to be arrested."
"For what?"
"For being the Avatar. You see, the general was so afraid of losing, that he kept Aang locked up until he needed him to fight. And whenever Aang refused, the general verbally abused him, telling him that he was a traitor and that he was turning his back on innocent people. That was enough to bring him down, and the general knew it. So he's still there, and your mother, uncle, and aunt went to find him."
"Wow," Ara sighed. "My dad is truly a great man."
"He never had a true father, but I know he'd still like a chance to be one." She looked up as he crawled toward her and sat in front of her. "What are you doing?" Ara cried as he reached for her headband. "Don't come any closer," she yelled warily as he looked in his daughter's eyes. "I don't believe you're an airbender until I see the arrow myself," he said, untying her headband. As he pulled it off, he gasped as she did have the arrow, right on her forehead. He looked at her face, seeing Katara. He looked down as he took off her mittens, revealing the arrows on her hands. "Airbend for me," he said as he looked up. She wound her hands in a circle and made a tiny cyclone. She stopped as she looked at him. "Lee, what's going on?"
"My name's not Lee," Aang said. "Take off my headband."
She slowly reached towards his headband and pushed it slowly upward. He closed his eyes, sighed, and then opened them. She pulled off his headband, revealing his arrow. She gasped and fell backward. "You're an airbender! But that's not possible…you'd have to be my…my…"
"Ara, I am Aang, your father." He looked at her. "I'm sorry for everything I put you through."
"You're not my father," she stuttered. "My father wore the clothes of an air nomad and had no hair."
"I am your father. It's been a disguise. Ara, it's me. Please! Look in my eyes, my arrows. I am the Avatar, I am an airbender, and I am Aang, your father. I am married to your mother, Katara. I have her pendant. Look!" he pulled it out of his shirt, took it off of his neck, and handed it to her. "She gave that to me the morning I left."
"This is her design! She has the same carving! It was given to her by her mother—"
"—before she died."
Ara looked up. "I can't believe this is happening. So, you really are my father."
Aang nodded.
"Dad," she whispered, and fell into Aang's arms, hugging him tightly. Tears fell from both of their eyes as she pressed her face into his clothing and he kissed her head and stroked her hair. "Dad," she whispered. "I've waited for this day my whole life."
"I know. Can you ever forgive me for not being able to come back, and never knowing I had you?"
"There's nothing to be forgiven from," Ara said. "I love you dad."
"I love you too, Ara." He laughed. "My daughter."
Okay! I hope you guys liked it! I am still loving the story myself! Thanks so much to Kataanglove and hsm2fangurl for all of your loyal support! And check out both their pages! Kataanglove, you rock! You are now my best Avatar friend! Long live Avatar! So what'll happen to the three members held by Azula? Ara accepts her father! And Aang accepts his daughter! But something troubling is coming…sorry, no spoilers! You'll have to wait! PLEASE, READ AND REVIEW! I MISS MY READERS! COME BACK! But thanks for everything you guys, and remember, this is just the beginning…
Avatarone3