Ch 15 much later…
Stopping on an island, just because some dead guy appeared in a vision and told you so was more than strange. It was fucking lunacy!
But no-one cared. No they just decided to follow the Avatar. Olivier scoffed at them. The kids practically worshiped Aang, all because he was the Avatar. In Olivier's eyes that meant nothing. Aang had done nothing to warrant her trust.
"I don't see anything here." Sokka said.
"Something's here. It's an entire city, under volcanic ash." Toph said.
Olivier slightly opened her mouth in dread. That meant that this island had a volcano. And judging by the size of the volcanic ash, it must have been one hell of an eruption.
"My god. How many are here?" Olivier asked.
"You don't want to know." Toph said.
Olivier sharply inhaled. Dying by suffocation and asphyxiation were painful ways to go. And an entire village of people died that way.
Olivier quickly found herself bored out of her mind. She waited with everyone else while Aang conversed with his past life. He soon came back and told them the entire story.
"So even after Roku spared him, Sozin betrayed him?" Katara asked.
Wow. What a bastard. The two had been friends for decades, and just like that he leaves him to die a most horrible death. The poor bastard was probably buried under her feat. How sobering.
"It's like these people are born bad." Toph said.
"I beg to differ." Olivier muttered.
"That's not the point." Aang said.
Then tell us, 'wise' avatar. What was the point? Why did your past life spare Sozin when he had the chance to kill him, and the justification?
Olivier wondered if the Avatar's truly brought balance to the world or not.
"Roku was just as much fire nation as Sozin was, right? If anything, their story proves that anyone is capable of great good or great evil. Everyone, even the firelord and the fire nation have to be treated like they're worth giving a chance." Aang said.
"Now that's stupid. What about Azula? She killed you. Would you give her a chance? You'd just give her another opportunity to end your life. That sort of idea has its uses, but not in a war. Especially not this war." Olivier said.
Aang completely ignored her and continued talking.
"I think it was also about friendship." He said.
"You think friendships can last more than one lifetime?" Toph asked.
"I don't see why not." Aang said, grabbing her hand.
"Well, scientifically speaking, there's no way that…" Sokka drawled on.
"Sokka, just hold hands." Katara said. Sokka grabbed his sister's hand. Everyone looked at Olivier.
She knew what they wanted. But she refused. Being in the military on the frontlines, such as the Briggs border, meant that death was a daily thing. No use making friends if said friends would die the next day.
Climbing on Appa, they headed further into the fire nation and stopped near a town so Katara and Toph could train Aang. Olivier wondered how they would be able to cover the noise from the bending. They were far away from the town so the might not be heard at all.
"Hey Olivier. Could you teach me some sword fighting?" Sokka asked.
"Sure. Nothing else to do right now." Olivier said.
She quickly found out just how inexperienced Sokka was. She had Sokka first charge him, enatcting a combat scenario.
Olivier winced at how loud Sokka yelled. She side stepped him and knocked him on his ass.
"Sokka, don't yell like that. You'll alert the enemy." Olivier said.
"But it's cool." Sokka said.
Olivier put both her hands around Sokka's throat and squeezed hard. She pulled back when Sokka was about to pass out.
"What was that for?" he asked.
"If I was a fire nation soldier, you'd be dead. In combat, you'll have to learn how to fight exhausted. Get up." Olivier said.
Olivier raised her sword over her head.
"Why would you do that, that leave you open." Sokka said.
"Come and get me." Olivier said.
Sokka charged with a slashing attack. Olivier quickly blocked it away. Hearing some yelling, the two swordsman turned and saw Katara and Toph fighting each other.
Sokka got an idea and ran towards Aang, yelling.
"SNEAK ATTACK!" He shouted.
With little effort, Aang blocked Sokka with a simple earth wall.
"Sokka, sneak attacks don't work if you yell it." Aang said.
"That's what I said." Olivier said, then slapped Sokka up the head.
Aang turned his attention to his teachers.
"Guys, aren't you supposed to be training me?" he asked.
Toph and Katara stopped fighting.
"Very well." Katara stiffly said. "I believe we've had enough training one day."
Olivier raised an eyebrow. That was the most epic fail of one person trying to regain their dignity, or what was left of it. She lay against Appa and fell asleep as everyone else, sans Katara, headed into town.
She woke up as the rest came back.
"Where'd you get all that food?" Katara asked, seeing the large amounts of food.
"Toph got us money." Aang said. "She scammed one of those guys who moved the shells all sneaky like."
Katara didn't look too happy.
"She used earth bending to win the game. Classic!" Sokka added.
"So she cheated." Katara said.
"What's wrong with that?" Olivier asked, taking an apple and eating it.
"Excuse me?" Katara asked.
"There's something to be said about war. If you're not cheating, you're not winning. I've stabbed and cheated by way to the top. And I don't regret a damn thing." Olivier said.
"I'm just saying. You shouldn't make a habit of this." Katara advised.
"Katara, I'll make you an Avatar promise that we won't make a habit of these scams." Aang said.
Bullshit. Olivier thought. She knew Aang just lied to Katara.
After a few scams later, Katara confronted them about it.
"Guys, this has gone long enough." Katara said, making Toph drop her smile. "If you keep doing that, something bad is going to happen."
"Will you stop being a sour puss and lighten up?" Toph asked, tossing her a coin.
"Oh, I'm sorry. You think I should be more like you? Like some wild child?" Katara pointed.
"Yeah. You should." Toph happily replied.
"Maybe then you'd see how great we have it. I mean, look at us. We're traveling the world. We're making easy money and having fun." Toph said, leaning against a boulder. "With no parents telling us what to do."
Olivier then paid deep attention. She pulled out her Armstrong sword, hoping that things wouldn't turn into a fight.
"I see. You're acting like this because of your parents." Katara said.
"Whatever." Toph said.
Katara shouldn't push it. Whatever problem Toph had with her parents was the past and not to be toyed with.
"They were controlling you so you ran way. And now you act like your parents don't exist." Katara pointed to Toph. "You act like you hate them, but you don't."
"I do hate them." Toph replied.
She should really shut up. Bringing up a person's past that they didn't want to confront was a bad idea.
"I don't think so. I think you miss them." Katara said. "But you don't want to deal with it, so you act like this crazy person."
Toph glared at Katara, angry at her.
"Look, I ran way to help Aang."
"Doesn't matter. These scams are putting all of us at risk and we don't need that. We've already got some third eyed freak after us." Katara said.
Oh. That guy.
"Speaking of which, I've come with a name for him. How about sparky sparky boom man?" Sokka asked, completely oblivious to what was going on.
"We have enough money." Katara said, ignoring Sokka.
"I'll stop when I want to stop. Now when you tell me to." Toph replied, walking past Katara.
As she and Sokka left, Katara turned to Olivier.
"Do you approve of this?" Katara asked.
"At the moment, no. It's very dangerous. I've known people who've gambled and scammed far too long and lost everything they gained, mostly in one night. But you pushed the line." Olivier said.
"What line?" Katara asked.
"You don't get it, do you? Toph's history with her parents is hers alone. Not to be invaded by you. You got off easy. Had it been me, I'd kill you on the spot." Olivier said, then walked away.
Olivier wasn't their when Katara and Toph had an even bigger fight. When she did come back, the two weren't gone. She, Aang, and Sokka headed into town to find them.
"Where is everyone?" Sokka asked.
Olivier pulled out her broad swords, knowing they were talking into a trap. Aang must have heard something, because he pulled both her and Sokka out of the line of fire.
"It's sparky sparky boom man!" Aang shouted.
Olivier rolled her eyes. For a second she wondered if it wouldn't have been better for Aang to have let her walk into the line of fire.
"That name doesn't fit him anymore." Sokka said.
Olivier face-palmed, and cursed under her breath. This was not her day. Katara and Toph appeared, and everyone ran away from the phsyco. Toph managed to stun him by a random blow thanks to a pebble.
"Hey, I got it." Sokka said.
"What?" Olivier asked.
"That perfect name for that guy. Combustion man." Sokka said. Olivier tripped him and continued running with the rest of the gang.