Ch 22 the southern raiders
Olivier woke up to the sound of explosions going off. Standing up, she saw a group of fire nation zeppelins approach the temple, guns blazing.
"Who the hell's attacking us?" Olivier asked.
"Go one and escape. I think this is a family visit." Zuko said, running towards the zeppelins.
"Shit. He's gonna die against them." Olivier said.
They pulled on Appa's reigns, but the bison wouldn't budge.
"Appa hates tunnels!" Aang shouted.
"Aang, there's no way we can fly out of there." Katara said.
"We'll have to find a way." Aang said, sitting on the bison's head, reigns in his hand.
"About time he grew a pair." Olivier muttered.
"We need to split up. Everyone else take the air ship and get out." Sokka said.
"No." Katara angrily shouted. "The fire nation can't separate our family again!"
Growling in impatience, Olivier grabbed Katara and pulled her towards the bison. Gripping her by the neck, Olivier gave Katara a KO.
"What was that for?" Sokka asked.
"If we don't move now, we're all dead!" Olivier shouted over the explosions.
"I can clear a way out of there." Toph said, jumping on Appa.
"There's a lot of fire in that direction." Suki said.
"Did you lose your balls in the boiling rock?" Olivier snarled.
"We'll get through." Aang determined.
The bison broke thru the earth barrier and fled the temple, and Azula. Aang turned around and flew under the zeppelins to catch Zuko as he fell from his duel with Azula. Everyone watched as Azula fell to her death.
"She's not gonna make it." Zuko said. He was proven wrong when Azula used her fire bending to propel herself towards the wall and saved herself.
"Of course she did." Zuko spat.
No-one spoke. They were driven away from the last safe hold from the fire nation. But the earth kingdom was a large country. They might be able to avoid the fire nation patrols, depending on where they landed.
When they landed, Katara woke up, clutching her head.
"What happened?" She asked.
Everyone stepped away from Katara. She suddenly remembered and confronted Olivier.
"What the hell was all that for?" she asked.
"Your sentiments almost got us killed." Olivier pointed. Quicker than anyone could blink, Olivier pushed Katara onto the ground, hand on her neck.
"Get your mind in the war. Focus on survival and training the Avatar. If not, you will die before it's over. I promise you that. Let it go." Olivier dangerously growled.
Olivier pulled out a knife and swiftly stabbed the floor next to Katara's head. Olivier stood up and walked towards Sokka.
"If she survives this war, put her in a goddamn mental asylum." Olivier said.
That night, as they chatted around a campfire, Olivier stayed a few inches away from the group, and sharpened her sword. Again. Man, the fire nation needed to work on its sword making skills. They were nothing compared to Amestris.
"To Zuko. Who knew after all those times trying snuff us out, he'd be our hero?" Sokka said, raising a glass.
Everyone raised their glasses, except Katara.
"Thanks. I don't deserve this." Zuko said.
"Yeah. You don't." Katara angrily said, before walking away.
"What's with her?" Sokka asked.
"I wish I knew." Zuko said, walking after her.
"What's with him?" Sokka asked.
Olivier also stood up and walked after the both of them. She pulled out her sword and crouched behind a bush.
"What can I do to make it up to you?" Zuko asked.
"Maybe you can conquer Ba Sing Se in the name of the earth kingdom. Or better yet, you can bring back my mother from the dead!" Katara yelled, then walked away.
And people thought Olivier was the ice queen. Katara was making Olivier look like an angelic saint. And that was saying something.
Later the next day, she watched as Katara approached Aang, with Zuko in tow.
"I need to borrow Appa." Katara said.
"Why, is it your turn to take a field trip with Zuko?" Aang jokingly asked.
"Yes." Katara said.
Aang turned around, confused as everyone else was.
"Oh. What's it about?" he asked.
Katara wasted no time in explaining her mission.
"We're going to find the man who killed my mom." Katara said.
Everyone was quiet, and Olivier wondered if Katara had snapped and gone nuts.
"Sokka told me the whole story. I know where he is." Zuko said.
"What exactly do you think this will accomplish?" Aang asked.
Simple! She'll kill the fucker and be done with it! Olivier thought, almost blurting it.
Katara scoffed at Aang.
"I knew you wouldn't understand."
"Wait, I do understand! You're feeling unbelievable pain and rage. How do you think I felt about the fire nation when I found out about my people? How do you think I felt when Appa went missing?" Aang asked.
"She needs this Aang. She needs closure and justice." Zuko said.
Yes. That's correct. So Aang, just let Azula 2.0 go and kill the man who took her mother away.
If it were someone from the Armstrong family, Olivier would find the killer, and torture them to death in the most brutal way possible. Impalement, castration, etc.
"I don't think so. I think it's about getting revenge." Aang said.
"Fine! Maybe that's what he needs. That's what he deserves." Katara said.
"Katara, you sound like jet." Aang said.
Who the hell was Jet? If it was important, she'd find out.
"It's not the same. Jet attacked the innocent. This man, he's a monster!" Katara shouted.
Olivier closed her eyes. When one wants revenge, they'll believe any deluded shit, just to bolster their position, and to absolve themselves of any atrocity they'll commit.
"Katara, she was my mother too." Sokka said, trying to calm her down. "But I think Aang might be right."
This was something the siblings wouldn't forget, but Sokka had gotten over it.
"Then you didn't love her as much as I did!" Katara snarled.
Olivier pulled out her sword. Yeah, she treated Alex like shit sometimes, but she knew you never treated family like that. Katara did not deserve a loving family, not in this state of mind.
"Katara, you need to leave. Now." Olivier said, pointing her sword at the water bender.
"Fine." Katara said, and mounted Appa.
"Zuko." Olivier said.
"What?" he asked.
Olivier pulled Zuko aside and gave him her last 2 daggers. And her broadswords.
"If Katara goes nuts like she is doing now, kill her." Olivier said.
"Are you mad?" Zuko asked.
"Lie. And say you ran into fire nation soldiers. A fight broke up, and Katara was killed in the fighting. They'll understand." Olivier said.
"You've lost it." Zuko said, taking the weapons.
"I'm afraid so." Olivier agreed.
That night, Aang, Sokka, and Olivier confronted Katara and Zuko.
"So you were just going to take Appa like that?" Aang asked.
"Yes." Katara said.
"That's okay. Because I forgive you." Aang said. "That give you any ideas?"
"Don't try to stop me." Katara warned.
"I wasn't trying to. You need to face this man. But when you find him, please don't choose revenge. Let your anger out, and then forgive him." Aang said.
Olivier snorted. Katara was more likely going to kill the man then forgive him. Although Olivier didn't blame Katara for going after him. She'd do the same thing.
"Olivier, come with us." Katara said, wanting the ice queen to come with them.
"No. You need to do this on your own. Maybe it'll do you some good." Olivier said, before walking away.
For the next few days, they waited for the duo to come back. Olivier knew Katara, or anyone in the gang for that matter, never killed. Or see someone die in front of their eyes. Seeing the life disappear from another person. That was very mind and body numbing. You never got over it.
"You alright?" Aang asked, sitting next to Olivier.
"No. When Katara comes back, if she comes back, she'll be a different person. You never get over killing someone. Seeing the life disappear from their eyes, watching them plead and beg for you to spare them, but also know that their life will end at your hands. Then at night when you sleep, you see that same scenario again and again. Post traumatic is a terrible thing. I've seen some of the most hardened soldiers break down, sometimes go crazy because they couldn't handle the things they've done." Olivier said.
Aang thought over the speech Olivier gave.
"I have a question. You have to face the fire lord. What are you going to do about that? Will you be able to handle it? Taking another life?" Olivier asked.
"I don't know. I don't know if I'll be able to kill." Aang said.
"Grow a spine and balls real soon. It'll come down to that. The fire lord won't hesitate to kill. You have to kill before he does." Olivier said, before walking away, leaving Aang alone to his thoughts.
That evening, Katara and Zuko came back.
"How'd it go?" Olivier asked.
"She didn't kill him." Zuko said.
"Good for her." Olivier said.
But as Olivier thought about their adventure, she thought of the man Katara confronted. He's still alive, suffering from guilt over the killing he's done. Maybe it would have been a mercy to kill him.