Ch.3 No Choice
Katara and the others followed Aang in silence. It was time to see what the council wanted. They tried to keep up the hope that they weren't summoned just to be married off. It was eerily quiet as they reached the grand hall. As they entered, a panel of eyes stared back at them. Each council member's nationality could be identified by the colour he or she wore. There were two representatives for each nation, with the exception of the Air Nomads. Katara couldn't help but think that some of the men in the council were undressing her with her eyes.
It angered her, of course, but she maintained herself. She was grateful Toph could not see, for if she knew how one of the Fire Nation's representatives was staring at her, she'd tear the whole place down. Aang stood by his friends. If they intended what he thought, there was no way he'd be counted among them. "Ladies, thank you for coming on such short notice," a woman from the Earth Kingdom said sweetly. Katara tried to be as respectful as possible as she addressed the council. "You are welcome, honored council members," she said slowly. Toph face palmed. It was time to get to the bottom of this.
"Cut the bull," she barked. Katara placed a hand on her shoulder. "Toph, what are you doing?" she whispered. Toph brushed her hand off as she scowled at the council. "What, do they think I'm gonna allow them to treat us like gifts for some old guys?" she asked, rather loudly. Every member of the council with the exception of Aang recoiled in shock. "Young lady, you would do well to show this body some respect," a man from the Northern Water Tribe said sternly. Toph wasted no time in firing back, "And you would do well to get a shave and a haircut, but you don't see me complaining." The man's jaw dropped. He'd never been spoken to in this way.
Aang could barely contain himself. Toph was letting them have it, and they deserved it as far as he was concerned. The male representative from the Fire Nation cleared his throat. "Yes, well, we have some business to discuss if you are quite finished, Miss Bei Fong," he said. Toph exhaled a breath sharply, but said nothing further. Suki and Ty Lee got closer to one another as he spoke. "Now then, the four of you are here because we are about to pass a new law that will affect the whole world," he continued.
Aang's eyes briefly glowed bright blue at this. He knew it. Katara put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "From now on, as soon as girls come of age, they will be married to suitors that we pick out for them," the female representative from the Southern Water Tribe said. If Katara was not still holding Aang, he would have snapped right then. Katara tried to be diplomatic about this. "We have some questions before you go marrying us off," she said. She almost spit the word "marrying" out. There was a subtle sarcasm in her tone that only her friends picked up on.
"Ask them," the female from the Fire Nation said. She had a certain impatience in her tone. Katara cleared her throat. "Well, first of all," she said as she pointed to Suki, "my friend here is already engaged to my brother," she said. There were murmers from the entire council. "And secondly, Aang and I love each other." The girls held their breath as the council considered this.
The female from the Earth Kingdom looked straight at Suki. "Have you had the wedding yet?" she asked after about five minutes of deliberation. Suki hesitated. "No, council member," she said slowly. "We were going to marry later in the year," she added. There was a brief moment of silence. "If you are not married yet, you are available. As to the other matter, the Avatar is forbidden to have any attachments. Therefore, you too are subject to this law," the male from the Fire nation said, pointing at Katara.
Aang exploded. "Who says I can't have attachments!" he shouted angrily. He had never heard of this before. "It was written long ago that the Avatar exists only to maintain the balance of peace in the world," the Water Tribe's male representative replied. "More to the point, you have too much responsibility to concern yourself with inner desires," The man from the Fire Nation added. "Are you kidding me?" Aang asked angrily. His voice had an air of frustration in it. "I defeated Fire Lord Ozai," Aang continued. "If that doesn't show you that I can handle my duties as the Avatar I don't know what will."
Katara had heard enough. "We'll never go through with this," she said angrily. The others nodded their agreement and stood behind her. There were cracks forming in the floor. Toph was beginning to earth-bend. The representative from the Fire Nation looked right at Katara. "Yes you will. I am aware that you and Miss Bei Fong are master benders in your elements, am I correct?" Toph stopped bending immediately. "If you refuse, we will be forced to have the Avatar strip you of your bending." He paused to let this sink in.
"You will then spend the rest of your lives in Boiling Rock prison," he continued. Aang couldn't take it anymore. His eyes shone white. "I would never strip them of thier bending!" he boomed. His voice shook the foundation of the building they were in. "As for the other two, they do not bend, so they too, would spend the rest of their lives in Boiling Rock." Suki's face fell. She never wanted to set foot in that prison ever again. She still had nightmares from what Azula had done to her. She had not been lying when she told Sokka that Suki was her favorite prisoner.
Aang glared at the council. "I'll never help you enforce this law," he said under gritted teeth. The Fire Nation's male representative smiled coldly. "Easily remedied. If you do not do your duty and uphold the law, you will be stripped of your status as the Avatar," he said. Aang couldn't believe what he was hearing. "The only way to get a new Avatar is for the current one to die," he said. That's how it worked.
"Ahh, but you do not understand, young Avatar. There is a ritual that can strip the current Avatar of his powers without breaking the cycle." Aang's face fell. After a moment, he turned to his friends. "You have to do what they say for now," he said slowly. Toph couldn't believe it. "You're joking, right?" Aang looked right at her. "Please, Toph. I don't want to strip you of your bending." Toph stood down. "Guards!" the council member ordered. In an instant several armed guards entered the room and surrounded the group.
"Please escort these four ladies to their quarters, so that they may prepare for their weddings," he ordered. The guards moved quickly to obey, chaining each girl and dragging them away. Katara looked back at Aang in fear. "I'll try to get you out of this," he whispered. She had tears streaming down her face as she was pulled from the room.