CHAPTER RATING: T (Language, Violence, Slightly Mildly Sexually Suggestive Situations)
Chapter 21: Another Secret, Another Burden
...Two weeks before Team Avatar's arrival in Ba Sing Se…
"Unbelievable." Iroh sighed. "I cannot comprehend how incompetent these men are." He whispered to himself, sitting in a room lit by the sun's light. "Even if the Dai Li were corrupt, at least there was some sort of structure." He sipped away at his cup of Jasmine tea. "I hate politics." He stared down at the pile of papers, eyelids growing heavier by the second. The world was flashing through a stack of papers, and a blinking blackness from his eyelids.
"General Iroh!" A man burst through the door of the office, forcing the Dragon of the West to attention.
"W-What is it? Can't you see I'm busy?" He replied, more irritated usual.
"I apologize, General. But I believe that this matter is of grave importance."
"Go on then, what is it?"
"It's the Fire Nation."
…
If there was anything that reinforced Iroh's thoughts on the incompetence of the Council of Five, it was this.
"Fire!" General How commanded.
"Hold your boulders!" Iroh shouted. I cannot believe that I spent six-hundred days trying to take this city. "How is THAT the Fire Nation?!" He pointed to the lone zeppelin in the distance, a red cloud in the blue sky.
"B-But it has the Fire Nation emblem on it." The guards of the Great Wall looked at each other in confusion.
"Unbelievable." Iroh sighed. "Do not fire!" He looked out to the lone zeppelin, a shaking finger pointing to it. "If this was the Firelord planning an invasion, the sky would be burning with red! The ground that you're standing on would be blackened with ash! He would burn this city to the ground. THAT IS NOT AN ASSAULT!" He scowled. "Let them through!"
…
Sokka heard a click from his cell. He turned from his dark corner and looked at the guard who held a bowl in his hand.
"Lunch. Rice porridge. Eat."
"Does your vocabulary ever allow you to exceed three syllables per sentence?" Sokka shrugged and took the bowl from the ground. He held the spoon, and watched the white slop drip into the mound of itself, shuddering at the smell of the dish.
"No questions."
"Do you have to eat this?" Sokka held the bowl towards the guard.
"…"
"Come on! Let's talk. It's only been you and me for the last…how many weeks?"
"Two." He answered.
"Two weeks huh? So, what's your name?"
"…"
"My mistake, my name is Sokka, Southern Water Tribe. How about you?" He smiled.
"Chou. Eastern Fire Nation." The guard answered.
"Ah. That's a nice name. Why are you here?"
"I am."
"What? That doesn't answer my question."
"No more questions, please."
"Oh…Well, alright then." He played with the porridge in his bowl, trying his best to bring the foul smelling food to his tongue.
The door to his cell creaked open.
"Hello!" A perky voice pulled in an equally perky looking woman with large eyes. Sokka turned away, still playing with the food he held in his hands. "Can't you say 'hello' back?"
"Hi." He replied.
"Well, aren't you just a treat to talk to." Another flat voice answered.
"Look who's talking." He replied in an equally flat voice.
"I'm Ty Lee, and this is Mai. What's your name?"
"Sokka."
"Sokka, that's an interesting name." Ty Lee tapped her chin.
"Take a listen to your own name."
"She wasn't insulting you, jackass." Mai defended. "Why are you so rude?"
"Ha." Sokka scoffed. "I'm a prisoner, but I'm sure you wouldn't know how that feels."
"You really need to watch that attitude of yours." Zuko's voice came. "Keep it up, and you won't ever get out."
"Get out?" Sokka laughed. "I thought I could trust you, but, surprise! The exiled prince has no honor!"
"You are one of the most frustrating people I've ever come across." Zuko sighed, and looked over to the guard. "Let him out." Chou nodded, and Zuko turned to the two women behind him. "Let's go. The sooner we get Azula to Uncle, the better."
"Where are we?! And if you were planning to set me free, why did you knock me out?!" Sokka shouted.
"Ba Sing Se. And I knocked you out, because you can't act." Zuko turned, and left, followed by Mai and Ty Lee.
Sokka stumbled out of cell, flinching at the guard still at his post.
"I-I guess I'll see you later, Chou."
"Hopefully not."
"Right. Well, enjoy your duty." Sokka smiled and slipped out of the room. A few minutes passed by, and he stuck his head back through the door. "Right or left?"
"Left."
"Ah. Thanks. Take it easy."
"I will."
…
"Zuko!" Iroh shouted to his nephew that stepped off of the zeppelin. "Azula?" Following behind his nephew was his niece, something that never expected to see.
"I know you're wondering why we're here." Zuko tried to explain, but looked over to Azula.
"I need your help, Uncle." Azula murmured under her breath. Iroh's eyes softened and he pulled his niece into a hug.
"I'm here to help you. And I am so happy to see you." He brought Zuko into a hug, and held both of them in a tight grip. "Both of you." The siblings wrapped their arms around their uncle, sharing a moment that they hadn't experienced for the longest time. "Come join on me for a cup of tea, and we'll talk."
"I want tea!" Sokka tripped over the metal boarding ramp, and fell face-first into the courtyard's stone foundation.
"Wait...What's he doing here?"
...
"You're telling me," Iroh sipped a cup of tea. "…that you kidnapped the Avatar, tortured him, and then took his waterbending master as a prisoner?"
"Yes, Uncle." Azula mumbled with her head held low.
"Wait, Uncle-" Iroh raised a hand to silence his nephew. Zuko responded by shaking his head, and rubbing his temples.
"Where are they now?" Iroh continued.
"They esca-They left." Azula replied.
"I see." Iroh kept silent for a few minutes. Only bringing worry to Zuko and his sister. "Well then, why are you here? Because the Avatar isn't here. So there must be something else."
"Yes, Uncle, we're here to talk about-" Azula stopped Zuko.
"I can handle this, Zuko." She interrupted. "Uncle, I need your help. Something…Something is wrong with me."
"Go on."
"I…The Avatar…Aang, showed me something. He's taught me that I don't want to be the way I am. I want to be someone else." She looked at her shivering hands, quaking in fear and uncertainty. "I…I don't feel right."
"As crazy as it sounds, we think that Father may have..."
Iroh began to quietly sniffle to himself. Zuko and Azula turned their heads up in surprise.
"I'm sorry." He said through forming tears. "I'm afraid what you believe is true. I'm sorry for keeping it from you for so long." He brought up his tear-stricken eyes to theirs. "Ozai used lightning to manipulate you when you were children." He wiped away the tears. "Who you are, Azula, is who Ozai wanted you to be. I'm sorry."
"But you can help, can't you? You can undo what Father has done."
"I can. But I do not know the dangers and risks of trying to undo what has been there for so long."
"But let's try it anyway." Zuko looked over to his sister. "Right?"
"Please, Uncle. Help me." Azula added. Iroh took a deep sigh, and a large gulp of tea.
"It will take a few weeks. But let us begin."
One Hour Later…
Azula sat in a chair, her hands, feet and neck bound.
"The restraints are only there to prevent you from hurting yourself." Iron explained. "Listen Azula." He looked his niece in the eyes. "This will be painful. It will show you the worst memories that you have ever hidden. It will resurface all the thoughts that Ozai has hidden from you. Are you sure about this?"
"Yes." Her eyes were burning with determination.
"Very well. I will be back." Iroh walked out of the room, and into the hall. He took a bowl with him to the outer garden, and collected water from the clear pond. A few minutes passed, and he returned to his niece and nephew.
"Let's get started." He cupped some water in his hand. Azula shivered as the cold liquid rolled with her hair, through her clothes, and down her body. Iroh placed one palm on the crown of her head, and two fingers on her left temple. "Zuko. Look away." Iroh commanded, and Zuko turned his back.
A crackle from Iroh's fingers, and Zuko experienced something that he had never heard before.
Azula's screams of pain and terror echoed throughout the entire palace.
…Now, in the middle-ring of Ba Sing Se…
"Is something wrong?" Katara asked.
"Something was wrong." He still laid on the bed, staring into the rose-red ceiling above him. "But it seems to have fixed itself." He decided to check, just in case. "Did you have something in mind for breakfast?"
Please don't say it.
"No, I didn't particularly have anything on my mind, why?"
Thank You.
"Oh, never mind. I think I'll just suppress my appetite until we reach the palace."
"That sounds fine." She smiled. "Now get up and get dressed." She laughed. "We had our rest last night."
Last night?
"So, what happened last night?" His voice cracked.
"You're telling me that I have to tell you what we did last night?" She laughed.
"Well..."
"Aang, all you need to know is that last night was a great night. And we had a great time." She leaned over and kissed him, a gesture that eased his nerves. "Now, let's get ready to go, shall we?"
Azula's voice rang through his mind.
"I'll see you again. The real me. Very soon."
"Yeah...Let's go."
...
Aang and Katara descended the stairs to the main lobby. There, standing behind the front desk was the hostess with the green robe and matching green eyes. Aang kept walking towards the door, and stopped just before exiting.
"Thanks for these." Katara whispered while passing the keys across the counter.
"Did you enjoy your night?" She asked.
Katara blushed and nodded before running back towards Aang.
"Come on, let's go get your glider." Katara offered to him.
"Go first, I need to talk to her." Katara nodded and exited the building. Aang moved ahead towards the desk.
"How can I help you?" She asked
"Are you...?" His voice dragged to a murmur.
"Am I what?" She replied. Aang's eyes squinted towards her.
"No, nothing. Never mind."
"Oh." She stopped him as he began to turn around. "I do hope that you enjoyed your night, Avatar." She winked at him, her left eye, flashing into a dark crimson "...And I look forward to seeing you again." She snapped her fingers, and Aang found himself walking out of the inn. He bumped into Katara, who stood there, dumbfounded, staring at the inn he had just left.
"Is something wrong, Katara?"
"Aang...Look." She pointed to the inn with a shaking finger. Aang's eyes widened when he turned and saw that he had just walked out of a massive cliff face. "W-what's going on here?"
"L-let's just get out of here." Aang mumbled before dragging her along. A few minutes passed before either of them spoke.
"Do you know what's going on here, Aang?" He jumped at her sudden question, turning to her with shaking nerves. "Be honest now." She folded her arms.
"You don't remember?" She shook her head. "I lived through a thousand days last night." He raised his hand to stop her from asking any questions. "Just let me explain." She nodded and invited him over to a bench.
"Go ahead, I'm listening."
"Wasn't it odd that the inn we stayed at had no room numbers, no customers, and only one large, extravagantly decorated room for clearly only one purpose?" Katara nodded. "It's because it was all part of an illusion, an alternate reality created by Zhéng Gú Shén."
Katara's eyes widened.
"Even you know who that is." Aang nodded. "She...It, trapped me in an endless loop. But She...It told me how to get out of it."
"It usually teaches you a lesson with its games, what was the one it forced you to learn?"
He looked away.
"...I'd rather not say."
"Okay...Fine." She whispered. "At least we're out of it...Let's go."
"Hey! There's the young airbender!" The muscular blacksmith shouted. "I got your sweet baby right here!" He spun and whacked the staff onto the stone ground. "She's a beauty, ain't she?"
"She is." Aang replied and took his staff. "Can I test it out first?"
"Feel free! I think you'll be content with its condition!"
Aang smiled and looked at Katara. She noticed his soft smile change into an expression of dread and fear.
"I'll be back soon, stay here for now."
"Okay. I'll be waiting for you. Right here."
He opened the glider, and with a running start, took off. Still fearing for what could happen, he decided to go alone. If the staff was defective, he could save himself and not put Katara at risk.
To his pleasant surprise, the quick test run around the middle-ring of Ba Sing Se offered him no malfunctions. The staff was solid. He floated back towards the the stall, and landed softly into the ground.
"How'd she fly?"
"Great. Thanks again."
"Any time!"
Aang waved to Katara, who walked up, and wrapped her arms around him. Her breath fell onto his neck, her hands interlocked across his heart, and her body pressed up against his back.
She felt the familiar sense of his body tense with her teasing, feeling his blood boil with her contact. He tried his best to shrug off the reaction, began running, and took off.
...A few moments later, on the upper-ring of Ba Sing Se...
The two took in the sight of the massive palace, shining with emerald green, and burning with bright yellow against the sunlight that emerged from behind the clouds.
Sitting in the courtyard was a large, white puffball with an arrow decorated at one end of it. Sitting on top of the distant puffball was a woman in red, and laying across her lap was a man, also dressed in red.
Appa roared as they approached, Sokka and Suki both shot up to their feet to meet the two.
"Katara! Aang! You guys finally decided to show up, huh?" Sokka laughed. "Took you long enough."
"Oh really? How long have you been here?" Katara shot back.
"About two weeks." He scoffed. "I got here with Zuko."
"Yeah, he got here as a prisoner." Suki laughed.
"Hey, I suffered through a lot of rice porridge to get here, to finally get to eat some red meat. I deserve this!"
"Easy there, Hotshot. Remember who you're talking to." Suki warned him.
"F-Fine!" He backed down. "What took you two so long? Why did you arrive one day later than everyone else?"
"We spent a night in the middle-ring. Aang needed some time to think things over." She looked at him, and he nodded with a nervous smile.
"..." Sokka's eyes shifted between the two. "SICK!" He began to gag at the thoughts that filled his mind.
"Sokka, calm down!" Katara shouted. "It's not what you think!" She lied. He was banging his head against the pavement, wanting to erase the thoughts that until now, only lingered in at the back of his mind.
Aang let Katara's efforts to calm her brother fade away as he walked into the Great Hall.
...
"Welcome back to the halls of Ba Sing Se, Avatar Aang." Iroh's voice boomed through the palace.
"General Iroh. It's an honor to be here." Aang bowed before the aging man.
"To what do I owe this special visit?"
"I was actually just wondering where my friends were, but it looks like they're all here."
"But there is something else on your mind, isn't there?" Aang looked away at the question.
"Yes." He nodded. "Is Azula here?" He let out an exhausted breath, as if it required all of his physical strength just to utter her name.
Iroh turned and waved for him to follow.
"I did not think that you would be interested in seeing the Fire Nation Princess, considering that she abducted you from your friends.'" Iroh stroked his long, gray beard.
"She told you what she did to me...?" he stopped in his tracks.
Iroh raised an eyebrow at the sudden reaction.
"No. Not exactly. Why? Did she hurt you somehow?"
"No, she...she actually treated me very well when I was there." Aang couldn't tell if he was lying or not. "I was given food, and a bed. I think she just wanted something else." No, he wasn't lying.
"She just wanted to be loved. That's all." Aang nodded. "Both of them have been hurt from what my brother has done."
They walked deeper into the palace, where the ceiling became darker, and the halls were now lit by small fires contained in glass lanterns.
"The Firelord, did something to them?"
"Yes, he has always been about control. And wasn't above changing how people think by force, even if they were hoods own children."
"I'm sorry." Aang knew what he was referring to, but not wanting to hurt the elderly man any longer, didn't press him on for details.
Soon, there was a single large door before them, slightly cracked open with a shadow dancing within, and light begging to be let out.
"Here she is," Iroh pointed. "Please do not cause too much stress on her. The healing process has taken a toll on her body. She must rest."
"Okay. I understand."
"Her mind is also very fragile, please don't say anything to upset her." Aang nodded. "I'm sure she'll be surprised-but happy to see you when she wakes up. Maybe you can help her find out who she really is." Iroh gave Aang a heart-warming smile, turned, and walked away.
...
"What's up with that racket? Toph shouted to Sokka and Katara. "It sounds like someone is banging a melon into the ground!" Sokka paused, his head fuzzy from the self-inflicted wounds to his melon.
"Where have you been?" he asked.
"Hehe. Look at this!" Toph pulled from behind her a giant belt made of green leather, decorated with golden plates. The largest one in the middle, was adorned with an overly muscular badgermole, holding up an emblem that read: 'EARTH RUMBLE VII: WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION' She slung the oversized title over her shoulder, the middle plate, larger than her chest. A wide grin showing her pearly white teeth. "I'm awesome."
"You're the new World Heavyweight Champion?" Sokka gasped. "You're like 80 pounds! You can't be the heavyweight champion!"
"Then what do you call this?" She rubbed the center piece as if she was polishing it.
"Don't they have weight classes?! I mean look at that!" He motioned to Katara. "The center plate is bigger than your head!"
"Hey, I also won this." Toph pulled a large bag from behind her, and let it fall, spilling hundreds of coins onto the ground. "All gold."
"Wow. With that, we won't have to worry about money for a while when we leave again." Suki said.
"Okay, this doesn't make sense. I'm out of here! And when I get a chance, I'm going to talk to the owner of the EKBF, and have a nice, long chat about championship weight classes!" Sokka stormed off into the palace.
"EKBF?" Katara shot a confused look to Toph.
"Earth Kingdom Bending Federation. I owned all of those chumps in fair competition. And you're all mine." She caressed the belt like a new born baby. "Besides, Sugar Queen, where's Twinkletoes?"
Katara had just realized that Aang wasn't with them.
"He's probably in the palace talking to Zuko." She looked over to Sokka, his footfalls nearly cracking the stone under him. "Thanks for the help, Toph. That really took his mind off of the night Aang and I spent together."
"Any time. I love messing with him."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Suki asked.
"Nothing." Toph offered another wide-toothed grin.
"I've got my eyes on you."
"Hey...Me too."
They broke into laughter at her light-hearted comment.
...
Sokka stormed through the halls, complaining to himself about how Toph could be World Heavyweight Champion. No one would believe how angry this made him. It perhaps made him too angry, and in the quiet halls of the Earth Kingdom palace, he grumbled about his disapproval of the situation. Toph, after all, was only a part-timer. Business logic made it obvious that someone who doesn't work a full schedule shouldn't be champion, because he or in this case-she wouldn't be able to defend the title.
But then again, a monster that only made an appearance every once in a while would be a big draw, which mean a LARGE payday.
I could be her manager, and take 50 percent of her earnings. He grinned at the genius proposition, and turned to go demand the offer.
But someone's voice stopped him. A voice that came from a room that had two shadows dancing within the candle light that begged to be let out.
"I know you probably can't hear me..." Sokka leaned against the wall, ear cupped next to the opening.
...
"I know you probably can't hear me." Aang spoke to Azula in a hushed tone. "But, I just want you to know that I'm sorry." He looked for any sort of expression change from her, but found nothing. So he continued. "Those things I said, I partly said in anger, and I didn't mean all of it...So, I'm sorry." He stood without raising his head and turned to the door.
"Don't go." Her whisper stopped him. "Please, stay with me." She invited him over, and he took a seat beside her on the bed.
"I wish I could've helped you." He breathed out.
"You still can, give yourself another chance. Forgive yourself."
"Forgive myself? How can you forgive me for what I said back there?"
Azula brushed away her long raven-black bangs, giving him a full view of her beautiful golden eyes.
"Ever since Uncle helped me, I don't feel any desire to hold a grudge. I don't feel a need to hate anymore. I just..." Aang's eyes darted to her temples.
"What happened?" He saw the crimson scars etched into her skin.
"Uncle has helped me become who I really am. This is who I was meant to be, not the vengeful, evil bitch that pushed you away weeks ago." She winced in pain as she finished the thought.
"H-Hey, take it easy." Aang brought her arms down to her sides. "General Iroh said you had to rest."
"Everything I said was true." She took a breath. "I do love you. I can say that with a clear conscious now." She smiled, but Aang still saw the pain in her eyes. "I fell in love with you when you saved me from that cell, so long ago. I just didn't know how to express it."
He watched as burning flames danced in her gentle eyes.
"I've come to love you, too." His thoughts then shifted to the other woman that he loved, to Katara. "But right now... I just don't know."
She brought her hands up. He took hold of them, feeling her smooth skin, and listening to her velvet voice.
"You don't know...I don't know...No one has to know." She closed her eye. The soft pressure on his lips made his muscles tense, a small shock of electricity skipped from her lips to his. And as she pulled away, she whispered to him:
"This'll be our little secret." A beautiful smile curled across her lips.
And he felt nothing, no change in attitude, and no presence of her shadowed figure haunting his mind at every moment.
"Thank you..." He managed through his tears of relief. "Thank you..."
"I love you." She spoke with a hand on his cheek.
"And I love you." Her thumb wiped away the streak of liquid from his cheek as he brought his lips to hers again in a passionate and gentle embrace.
...
Aang stayed with Azula until she fell asleep, then, he slipped out of the room.
"Well...What do we have here?" The voice made him jump out of his skin.
"S-Sokka! What are you doing here?"
"Oh, you know...Just chillin'."
"Hehe..."Aang tried his best to laugh, but found his efforts dying with Sokka's expression. "I know what it looks like, Sokka. But please, listen to me." He shrunk under his plea.
"Alright. What's your explanation for this?" Sokka said with a twitching, balled up fist.
"I..." There was no excuse besides the truth. But he had to make something up, something that Sokka would want to believe to be true. "I want to try and...You know...then we could have an ally against the Firelord on the inside. A spy. A double agent." It was the weakest excuse he had, but it was the only excuse he had.
"You're telling me that you're trying to seduce her? Yeah, right."
"Please, Sokka!"
"Look, Avatar!" His fist tightened around Aang's robe. "If you're playing with my sister's emotions, I swear by the moon spirit Yue, you will regret it." He pushed Aang down onto the ground. "It's up to you to tell her. But if you string Katara on with this lie, I will personally ensure that another Avatar is born into the Southern Water Tribe."
"Sokka, I'm-"
"Don't!" His voice began cracking. "Don't!...I can't believe it...How could you do this to her?" Sokka let his feet drag his disappointment as he walked back towards the courtyard. "I hope you can live with yourself, knowing what you've done. You make me sick."
"I'm sorry." There, in the dim, dark hall, he sat in a darkness that reflected his own heart.
There he sat, alone. For a long, long time.
...
Footsteps echoed with a soft patter against the carpet.
"What's eating you up?" Toph asked. With her foot tapping, she added: "Don't try lying, either."
He didn't answer, instead, he just walked past her.
"Hey! I'm talking to you Twinkletoes! Don't ignore me!" She stamped her foot in the ground, sending an earthen spike his way. He floated up into the air, and slammed into the ground himself, creating a fissure that knocked her off her feet.
He left her there, walking in a solemn stride. And while Toph could not see the anguish on his face, she could sense the torment in his heart.
"Please, Toph. Just...leave me alone." He opened his glider, and took to the air. Even indoors, the massive halls of the palace were a suitable size for him to take flight.
"Hey, wait!" Toph scrambled to her feet. "Damn it, Twinkletoes! You can't just fly away from your problems!"
Toph's voice pierced through their ears, and they turned to the sky. There they saw a silhouette of red and black soaring through the air.
"Toph! What's going on?" Katara asked as the EKBF World Heavyweight Champion stomped out to the courtyard.
"The Avatar has his panties in a bunch! He's sad about something, and won't tell me!" A hole burrowed into the ground with a stomp. "Go talk to him!"
"Come on, Appa." Katara boarded the large bison and took hold of his reins. She tugged on them, he responded with a yawn. "Appa, don't you want to help Aang?" He sniffed, looked up into the sky at the flying airbender, snorted, and went to sleep.
"Appa! Don't do this!" Katara slid down the bison, who began to snore. "Fine!" Her own steps began to create cracks into the stone with every stride.
"Do you know what's eating him up?" Toph asked.
"No." Sokka replied.
"...Liar."
…
Miles from the city gate, Aang passed over green pastures, and soon, he saw the clear sapphire water, crashing into the crystal white sand in a peaceful rhythm. The warm grains between his toes brought a comfort. In times like these, when he needed help there were ten thousand lifetimes to offer advice.
He sunk into the sand, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes.
I need your help. I need your guidance.
But...Nothing.
Please! Roku! Kiyoshi! Kuruk! Yangchen! I need help!
And still...Nothing.
He tried, and tried, he called, and called, but they did not reply. Not a single voice was heard, not a single image was seen. That's when he realized why.
This didn't concern the other Avatars. This wasn't about the balance of the world. This was about him. This was his problem.
And he would have to face it alone.
What am I going to do?
...
Appa's slumber lasted for hours, and when he finally relented to Katara's demands, she immediately climbed up onto his saddle.
"No one's coming with me?" She asked the rest of the team.
"No, actually, we're a little busy." Toph turned over to Sokka, who was slouched over the stairs while the earthbender bombarded him with questions that Katara couldn't quite make out.
"Katara," Suki walked over to her. "I think it'd be best if you went alone. He'll have an easier time talking to the woman he loves." Katara nodded with a smile. "Bring him back soon, won't you?"
"I will." She pulled up on Appa's reins. "Yip! Yip!" The bison took off into the air with a roar.
...
"No, actually, we're a little busy." Toph said to Katara before turning back to Sokka. "Hurry up! You better tell me!" She hissed at him.
"No! I'm not telling you anything! Leave me alone!" Sokka threw his hands up, and began to descend the massive staircase.
"That's funny." Toph laughed. "I didn't know that you'd be such a coward! I thought you were a warrior, facing problems head on, and whatnot."
That really got to him. She knew how to get to him.
"Fine! You want to know?!"
Appa took off.
"Let me hear it!" She replied with a smile. "I love juicy secrets!"
"You have to make a deal with me first."
"You name it, it's yours."
...
The horizon gleamed with orange, but a lone black shadow sat in contrast against the white sand.
"Down there, Appa!" Katara shouted. He roared as if he had already known where Aang was this entire time. The air around the bison pushed away the white grains as he landed.
"Why are you here?" Aang asked. "If I wanted you to be with me, I would've taken you."
"Well then..I guess I wasted my time!"
"Katara?" He jumped and turned to see her with a playful smile. "I didn't expect to see you here."
"I was worried about you." She sat down beside him, her hand holding onto his bare shoulder. "It's not like you to-" she began tapping her chin. "You don't usually-" her mouth was held wide open in doubt. "You didn't run off by yourself as much before. No, you usually ran off by yourself...You'd never run off by yourself that angry before." The smile returned to her face. "That's it."
An uneasy grin and a nervous chuckle came over him.
"So, what's wrong, Aang?"
"Nothing's wrong." He took a deep breath. "I'm fine."
"Really?" She could feel his heart pumping in his chest. And when he spoke, an unconscious pulse raced through his veins.
"Yes."
Another pulse.
"Aang, please. Trust me...Trust me, like how I trust you."
He took another deep breath.
What can I say to her? How can I possibly let her know?
"Katara, I love you. I don't know how many times I've said that, but, every time I say it, I mean it even more than before." He took her hands.
No pulse, and he continued.
"Every time I told you that I love you. You know this is true!" His breaths were heavy, it felt like his heart was about to jump out of his chest. Even Katara could feel it.
"I know Aang, calm down!" She could feel the erratic rhythm within him.
"I have to say this...I-"
A jolt.
A shock.
A crackle.
Lightning.
His posture forcibly straightened, his expression contorted in sharp, sudden pain, blood dripped from his mouth, and he fell forward into the sand.
"Aang!"
...
A deep, sharp pain in his heart shook him to consciousness. Katara was sitting by his side, as it seemed, she always did.
"I'm sorry." He saw her jump at his words. "I've been so much trouble for you." She turned to face him, her cheeks were scared with the remains of dried tears. "I never wanted to-" He twitched in pain.
"No sudden movements!" She held him still for a moment, then wrapped her arms around him, and brought him close.
"I never wanted to hurt you so much."
"Don't say that." She whispered into his ear with a cracking voice. "Don't ever say that again." She turned over to him, and met his lips with a light kiss. "As long as you're okay." A low growl answered her.
"Hehe. It's been a while since I ate." He offered a cheesy grin.
"I'll be back soon. Zuko's uncle just threw us all a huge feast. What would you like?"
"Surprise me." He smiled.
She kissed him again, and left the room. When the door shut, he took in a deep breath, and sunk in pain into the bed.
The door opened only a few seconds later, jolting him back up.
"I'm sho glad you told her, man!" Sokka stumbled into the room with a cup in his hand. "I'm sho happy you took may ahdvice!" In his other hand, he offered Aang a cup filled with an odd, awful smelling liquid.
"Sokka, I'm a monk, I've never had a drink before."
"Nonshensenseh! Take a break from your vows." He clinked his glass to Aang's. "Ish not like you've haven't done that ish before, amiright?" In his drunken state, he didn't realize how much that hurt.
"How did you know that I told her?" He wondered, because he didn't.
"I shaw her ruhn out of here, tearsh fallin' down her checks. You did good!" He clinked the glasses again. "Drink up! To honeshty, decenshy, ahn virtuhe!"
"To honesty, decency, and virtue." Aang raised his glass, and downed the liquor. "Not bad."
"Shee? Eashy! Take care of yo'shelf!" He waved to Aang, and left the room. Aang began coughing, wishing he hadn't taken the drink so fast.
Minutes later, the door opened again. Katara stepped through with a tray in her hands. He sniffed the air, and caught a familiar scent.
Oh no. Please no. This isn't happening.
"Here you go." She place the tray down into the bed. "It's-"
"Icicle cabbage and ginger root stew." He facepalmed.
"Yeah...Is something wrong with it?"
"No! No!" He took the bowl from her. "I've just..." He blinked, staring at the soup. "I've had this before. Many times."
"Oh. Sorry. Do you want me to-"
"No, thank you. I've had it hundreds of times, but it was always good." He smiled, and cringed as the soup touched his tongue. "Thank you, Katara. I don't know where I'd be without you."
The next few hours, he was visited by everyone, they checked up on him, and even though he had a pain in his chest, he smile and assured them that he was fine.
Then, his last visitor for the night entered the room, when the entire palace was as quiet as the night.
Two knocks came, followed by the long, slow creak of the door hinges. Azula walked in without a word. His eyes were transfixed on her mesmerizing eyes, and beautiful smile, dressed in a short, black nightgown.
"How are you doing?" She asked with her slow stride.
"I saw you today, and I could ask you the same thing."
"I felt better when I saw you again." She sat next to him, and took his hand. "Just having you with me, makes me feel better. In more ways than one."
She moved closer to him, and he met her soft lips, pushing towards her, letting the pressure blank his mind. She pulled away, biting down on his lip, and softly dragged it along until the contact was lost.
Another soft shock. But a comforting shock.
"Shh." She turned, teasing him with her unbelievable figure. "Keep it a secret."
The door closed, and with it, silence returned to the night.
PUBLISHED ON: 10/16/2014
A/N: That one was long.
Thanks for reading!