It was morning at the Western Air Temple. Everyone else was sleeping, sleeping bags all arranged in a circular form. Chit Sang was snoring. I shifted a bit, curling father into Zuko's side. Aang woke up, yawning and rubbing his eyes. Several birds fluttering about the fountain.
The birds suddenly flew away as a bomb was launched their way, splashing through the waterfall fountain. I gasped and scrambled up, waking Zuko in the progress. I ran forward and sent a beam of green energy at one of the incoming bombs. Aang grew suddenly alert and rose, using his glider to airbend the bomb away. The bomb exploded. Two more bombs pelted the building. Everyone was now fully awake.
Aang raced toward the edge of the building, glider in hand. A Fire Nation airship came into view. The bow of the airship launched another bomb that sailed through the air and crashed into a nearby bridge. Aang ran back to the campsite, Appa following close behind, and used airbending to force the large, ceiling-high metal doors surrounding their site to close. Several bombs continued to assail the temple. A portion of the ceiling roof began to crumble and finally caved in. Katara was standing directly beneath the crumbling ceiling. She looked up, alarmed, only to be pushed out of the way by Zuko.
"Watch out!" The two rolled across the floor, the debris from the ceiling crashing several feet away from them. They finally settled on the ground.
"What are you doing?" Katara snapped angrily.
"Keeping rocks from crushing you." he replied calmly.
"Okay, I'm not crushed. You can get off me now!" Katara rushed out from under Zuko. Zuko got up.
"I'll take that as a thank you." He said. A section of the wall had a hole bored through. Toph and Haru had created the exit way using earthbending.
"Come on! We can get out through here!" Everyone began entering the passageway. Aang stayed behind, trying to get Appa to leave with him by pulling on the bison's reins. He spotted Zuko and I standing, facing the airships.
"Go ahead! I'll hold them off. I think this is a family visit." Zuko said.
"I'm coming with you." I said. Zuko grabbed my shoulder and looked me in the eye.
"No, I need you to go with the others. I can't let you get hurt."
"I can handle myself!" I insisted.
"Avery, please. Listen to me." He said. I sighed and bowed my head in agreement. Zuko pulled me into a hug, kissing my forehead, before running off. Sokka and Katara run up to Aang.
"Zuko! No!"
"Come on! We've gotta get out of here!" Sokka said. Aang, Katara, Sokka, and I began pulling on the reins together in an attempt to budge Appa.
"I can't get him to go in there! Appa hates tunnels!"
"Aang, there's no way we can fly out of here." Katara replied.
"We'll have to find a way." Aang said.
"We need to split up." Sokka said. To the others, he said, "Take the tunnel and get to the stolen airship."
"No!" Katara said, turning angrily. She walked up to her father. "The Fire Nation can't separate our family again!""
"It'll be okay. It's not forever." Hakoda said. Katara hesitated before hugging her dad and ran back to Aang. Sokka and Hakoda hugged also as Sokka took Suki and ran with the rest of us. The two groups went their separate ways. Toph touched a wall.
"I can clear that away and we can fly out through there!" Toph announced.
"Um, there's an awful lot of fire in that general direction..." Suki said.
"We'll get through. Let's go."
Appa flew through to the outside of the temple, covered by a shield of rock in front. Azula tried to bring him down, only for the shield to absorb the blasts. Appa escaped and the shield disintegrated. Behind Azula, a second airship rose, revealing Zuko. Appa, dodging fire blasts, held Katara as she deflected several large whips of fire with her waterbending. The group rose above the airship to avoid more fire. Zuko and Azula attacked in unison, dealing fire-packed punches, which launched them both off the airship. Zuko was caught by the team, but Azula was left falling.
"She's... not gonna make it..." Zuko said. Azula used her firebending to propel herself toward the wall, stopping her fall with her hair pin and saving herself.
"Of course she did." I said. Zuko huffed with a head shake.
"Wow, camping... it really seems like old times again, doesn't it?" Aang said.
"If you really want it to feel like old times, I could, uh... chase you around a while and try to capture you." Zuko said jokingly. The entire group laughed except for Katara.
"Ha, ha." She said sarcastically. Sokka raised his cup.
"To Zuko! Who knew after all those times he tried to snuff us out, today he'd be our hero?" Sokka said. We held up our cups, except for Katara.
"Hear! Hear!" We cheered.
"I'm touched. I don't deserve this." Zuko said.
"Yeah, no kidding." Katara said angrily before walking away.
"What's with her?" Sokka wondered.
"I wish I knew." Zuko said. He got up and followed her.
"What's with him?" Sokka said. I shrugged and got up, sneaking after them.
"This isn't fair! Everyone else seems to trust me now! What is it with you?"
"Oh, everyone trusts you now! I was the first person to trust you! Remember, back in Ba Sing Se. And you turned around and betrayed me, betrayed all of us!"
"What can I do to make it up to you?"
"You really want to know? Hmm, maybe you could reconquer Ba Sing Se in the name of the Earth King. Or, I know! You could bring my mother back!" Katara yelled. I ducked behind a rock as she stormed away. I walked forward and touched Zuko's shoulder.
"Don't blame yourself." I said. Zuko sighed.
"I know. I just want her to stop hating me." Zuko said. I shrugged.
"We could go ask Sokka about it." I suggested.
We accidentally ran into Suki on our way to confront Sokka.
"Oops, wrong tent!" She said, embarrassed. I smirked.
"Sorry, do you need to talk to Sokka, too?" Zuko asked, oblivious.
"Nope, not me." She said, scurrying off. I snickered. Zuko entered the tent and I followed. A look of shock was spread across his face and he covered my eyes.
"Well, hello... Uh, Zuko! Avery! Yes, why would I be expecting anyone different? So what's on your mind?" Sokka asked. Zuko dropped his hand and I blinked a few times.
"Your sister. She hates me! And I don't know why, but I do care what she thinks of me."
"Nah, she doesn't hate you. Katara doesn't hate anyone. Except maybe some people in the Fire Nation." His eyes widened as he realized his mistake. "No, I mean, uh, not people who are good, but used to be bad. I mean, bad people. Fire Nation people who are still bad, who've never been good and probably won't be, ever!"
"Stop. Okay, listen. I know this may seem out of nowhere, but I want you to tell me what happened to your mother."
"What? Why would you want to know that?" Sokka asked.
"Katara mentioned it before when we were imprisoned together in Ba Sing Se, and again just now when she was yelling at me. I think somehow she's connected her anger at that to her anger at me."
"She did." I said, leaning back on my elbows.
"It's not a day I like to remember." Sokka said. He began describing the day. "Many of the warriors had seen the black snow before and they knew what it meant: a Fire Nation raid. We were badly outnumbered, but somehow, we managed to drive them off. As quickly as they came, they just left. I was so relieved when it was over, but that's because I didn't know yet what had happened. I didn't know we had lost our mother."
"Sokka, that's horrible." I said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Wait. Can you remember any details about the soldiers who raided your village? Like what the lead ship looked like?"
"Yeah... sea ravens. The main ship had flags with sea ravens on them."
"The symbol of the Southern Raiders. Thanks, Sokka." Zuko said. Sokka began urging us out of the tent.
"No problem. Thanks for stopping by!" We headed outside and began walking away. I counted down from three on my fingers and Sokka peeked his head out excitedly and whispered.
"Suki!" Unfortunately for him, we had barely taken two steps away from the tent and Zuko was looking curiously at Sokka. Sokka pretended to be completely oblivious and whistled. I laughed as we began walking away again.
"Use protection!" I called in a sing song voice. His face went red and Zuko sniggered.
"Zuko, what the hell are you doing?" I asked, emerging from my tent. "You can't seriously be waiting there all night."
"I need to talk to her immediately."
"Get some sleep first!" I said.
"No, I need to stay up."
"Zuko, I love you, but you're a moron." I said bluntly. He sighed as I walked back into my tent.
I sat on Appa as Aang fed the magical ten-ton sky bison hay. Sokka fiddled around with a flower necklace.
"Looks like somebody got lei'd." I joked. Sokka turned beat red. Katara and Zuko approached the bison, Zuko carrying a sack slung over his shoulder. I frowned.
"I need to borrow Appa." Katara said. I slid off said bison and crossed my arms.
"Why? Is it your turn to take a little field trip with Zuko?" Aang joked.
"Yes, it is." She said.
"Oh. What's going on?" Aang asked.
"We're going to find the man who took my mother from me." Katara said. Sokka paused and stood up, surprised.
"Sokka told Avery and me the story of what happened. I know who did it and I know how to find him." Zuko said.
"Um..." Aang began, but I spoke instead.
"And what exactly do you think this will accomplish?" I asked in a steely tone. Katara shook her head in dismay.
"Ugh, I knew you wouldn't understand." She began to walk away.
"I don't understand? Are you shitting me right now?" I snapped.
"Wait! Stop! I do understand. You're feeling unbelievable pain and rage. How do think I felt about the sandbenders when they stole Appa? How do you think I felt about the Fire Nation when I found out what happened to my people?" Aang said.
"And think of how I felt when I lost my family. When I lost my friends. When my dad took me away from Zuko and Iroh. When-"
"She needs this, Avery. This is about getting closure and justice." Zuko said.
"I don't think so." I said, laughing bitterly. "I think it's about getting revenge."
"Fine, maybe it is! Maybe that's what I need! Maybe that's what he deserves!" Katara exclaimed.
"Katara, you sound like Jet." I said.
"It's not the same! Jet attacked the innocent."
"No shit!" I said.
"This man, he's a monster."
"Katara, she was my mother, too, but I think Aang might be right." Sokka said.
"Then you didn't love her the way I did!" Katara yelled.
"Katara!" Sokka gasped, hurt. Sokka had to physically restrain me, holding my arms together behind my back, so that I didn't punch her.
"The monks used to say that revenge is like a two-headed rat viper. While you watch your enemy go down, you're being poisoned yourself." Aang said calmly.
"That's cute, but this isn't air temple preschool. It's the real world." Zuko said.
"Now that I know he's out there... now that I know we can find him, I feel like I have no choice."
"Katara, you do have a choice: forgiveness." Aang said. I sucked in a heavy breath and Sokka let me go, sensing that I had calmed down enough not to attack.
"That's the same as doing nothing!" Zuko said.
"No, it's not. It's easy to do nothing, but it's hard to forgive." Aang said.
"It's not just hard, it's impossible." She walked away, Zuko following behind. He glanced back at me, but I shook my head, gritting my teeth, crossing my arms, and looking at the ground.
"Avery, are you alright?" Aang asked.
"No." I said. "I can't accept that Zuko and Katara are making themselves into monsters."
"So you were just gonna take Appa anyway?" Aang said as he, Sokka, and I emerged from behind a rock.
"Yes."
"It's okay, because I forgive you." Aang paused. "That give you any ideas?"
"Don't try to stop us." Katara said.
"I wasn't planning to. This is a journey you need to take. You need to face this man." Katara situated herself on Appa's head. "But when you do, please don't choose revenge. Let your anger out, and then let it go. Forgive him."
"Okay, we'll be sure to do that, guru goody-goody." Zuko said sarcastically. He went to touch me, but I ripped away.
"Don't." I said. He sighed and climbed up onto Appa.
"Thanks for understanding, Aang. Yip-yip." Appa took flight; Aang and Sokka looked up at the departing bison while I stared at the ground.
"You know, you're pretty wise for a kid." Sokka said.
"Thanks, Sokka."
"Usually it's annoying, but right now, I'm impressed." Sokka admitted. I rolled my eyes, smiling slightly.
"I appreciate that." Aang said.
"So, can I borrow Momo for a week?" Sokka suddenly asked.
"Why do you need Momo?" Sokka shrugged.
"Avery, you look horrible." Sokka noted aloud.
"Gee, thanks." I said sarcastically.
"That's not what I m-"
"I know, Sokka. I just can't stomach what they're about to do. I mean, I've killed someone before. But I was a different person." I said. I dropped my gaze from the sky to the ground again. "But they... they're good. I just... I don't get it."
"We don't either." Aang said. I sniffled.
"Come on, we all need some sleep."
I looked up from the boardwalk as Appa returned. I frowned, got up, and walked away, passing by Zuko on the way.
"Avery, wait!" He said. I continued walking. He grabbed my wrist and I turned, furious.
"I know what it's like to kill someone, how much guilt comes with it. So are you happy now, Zuko? Now that you have someone's blood on your hands?" I snapped, eyes watering. I shook my head, long hair whipping back and forth at my stomach. "Zuko, I don't get it, how could yo-"
"I didn't."
"Yeah, Katara did, but you hel-"
"No. Yon Rha is still alive. Katara forgave him." Zuko explained. My eyes widened.
"Wait, really?"
"Not lying." He said. I nodded a couple of times. "Am I allowed to touch you now?"
"If you must." I joked, grinning. I stepped forward into his arms, wrapping my arms around his chest and sighing.
"I'm sorry." Zuko said, resting his chin on my head. "I should've listened to you."
"Like I said a long while ago, I'm half spirit shirshu, you should listen to my gut feeling." I said. Zuko laughed.
"Katara? Are you okay?" Aang asked as we approached her on the boardwalk. She looked up from where she had been swishing her feet in the water.
"I'm doing fine." She said.
"Zuko told me what you did. Or what you didn't do, I guess. I'm proud of you." Aang told her.
"I wanted to do it. I wanted to take out all my anger at him, but I couldn't. I don't know if it's because I'm too weak to do it or because I'm strong enough not to." Katara admitted.
"You did the right thing. Forgiveness is the first step you have to take to begin healing." Aang said. Katara stood.
"But I didn't forgive him. I'll never forgive him." She smiled at Zuko and walked up to him. "But I am ready to forgive you."
The two hugged and Katara began walking away.
"You were right about what Katara needed. Violence wasn't the answer." Zuko said.
"It never is."
"Then I have a question for you." Zuko turned to look at him. "What are you gonna do when you face my father?"
Yay, they didn't kill Yon Rha. Though that jerk deserves to go down...
Disclaimer:...
OH MA SPIRITS, EMBER ISLAND PLAYERS IS NEXT CHAPTER, AND AHHH!
So, what'd you think?