CHAPTER RATING: T (Language, Kissing.)
A/N:
A question needs answering. A question that some users have asked me about.
Pregnancy.
As you all know, I never mention anything relating to condoms or birth control…Because seriously, doesn't that just ruin the flow of an intimate moment?
So, use your imagination with this quick outline to explain why pregnancy won't happen (in the foreseeable future) for this story.
Bodily Fluids.
Bodily Fluids that resemble water.
Waterbending.
No Babies.
I once read a story that explained the process, but I won't be explaining the process myself.
You understand, don't you?
Great! With that explained, let's do the thing!
Chapter 26: Arrival in Feixing
"Where am I?" He asked when he was able to gain his breath. The wooden walls and thin air was unlike any place he'd been, never before had his environment denied him the ability to bend.
'You are Home, young Avatar. Home, and amongst your own people." The woman replied.
"The Eastern Air Temple?" She nodded to confirm his answer. "And you are...?"
'We are the Council of Elders, the ones who have awaited your return for a century." Aang was surprised to hear the word 'elder' being used. Everyone in the room was young. From his vision, he'd guess the youngest was in her mid-twenties, and the oldest, only in his early thirties. 'I am Mei Shan. And I am honored to be in your presence." She bowed.
"As am I." He fell to his knees, and they did the same. "I wish I had been there for you. I am so sorry." His forehead touched the ground. "I should have been there for all of you."
Footsteps approached him, and a hand rested on his shoulder.
"Rise, Avatar. The Past is past, the Present is what matters now." Her words struck him deeper than she could imagine. "You're absence has not waned our devotion to you." Her hands wrapped around his arm, and picked him up. "No more apologies for what could have been done. Now we focus on what can be done."
...
"So, what exactly is your plan?" Sokka asked. Azula walked over to a locker, pulled it open, and tossed a metallic breastplate into Sokka's hands.
"Put it on. You're all going undercover." She answered, and pulled the rest of armor onto the floor. "I don't know what's going to happen out there. But for us to have any possibility of getting out of this alive, you need to trust me."
"We trust you." Katara answered. "Right?" She looked behind her to shifting gazes. "I said... RIGHT?!"
"..yeh...sure…" Sokka mumbled.
"Please, I only want to find the Avatar. If I had any reason to not keep you safe, I wouldn't be talking with you right now."
"I suppose that makes sense." Suki pushed Sokka out of his carelessness.
"We don't have much time left." Azula looked out the window at the other zeppelins that surrounded them. "Put on the armor. And follow my orders."
Azula stepped out of the room, and let the door close behind her.
"You know…" Sokka slipped on the heavy armor. "Maybe the people from the Fire Nation are just more muscular…but these don't fit." The breastplate dragged down his shoulders, and strained his muscles.
"I've got this." Toph cracked her knuckles. Sokka felt the armor seize up, and then crumple around him into a snug fit. "Better?"
"Yes." He smirked.
...
"Quickly, get in line. Stay quiet. And stay close to each other." Azula whispered to them. Sokka, Suki, Toph, and Katara stood among a mass of soldiers, which began to march down a massive ramp after a loud crash. Amidst the organized chaos, Katara found herself separated from the rest of the group. She was standing alone at the front of the unit.
The first sight she saw sent a shock of fear through her.
Hundreds of Fire Nation soldiers. Her heart jumped, and she almost took her stance, but remembered that now, of all times, wasn't the time.
Another man stepped through the other soldiers across from her, eyed her with suspicion, and continued towards her.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Katara froze as his harsh voice hit her. "How can you expect to stay in fighting shape if you don't take care of your armor?!"
"..." A cold sweat ran down her temples. Is he talking to me? He must be talking to me, Toph messed with the-
"Well?! What's your answer?!"
"S-Sorry, sir!" Katara harshly squeaked. "I was too careless!"
"What's your name?"
"I...uh...My-My name...is..."
"Is there a problem here, Captain?!" Azula's voice brought an unexpected emotion to Katara...Relief. "Why are you harassing one of my soldiers?!"
"I, Princess?! I-why are you here?!"
"I'll be the one asking the questions here, Captain. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Princess." The authority in his voice died.
"As for you, Mei Ling." Azula turned to Katara and placed her hand on Katara's shoulder. "Head back to the blacksmith, and tell him to fix up your armor." She winked. Katara nodded, and marched back into the crowd.
"What are you, and the rest of this division doing here, Captain?"
"We are patrolling the area, in response to a report, Princess!" His stance was even tighter now. "It is believed that the Avatar was here. T-That he was taken in by airbenders!"
This confirms it. She thought to herself. For now, the charade was to be kept up.
"Let me do it." The Voice echoed in her mind. "I will strike fear into them beyond belief, and I will make sure that they never come to Feixing again. That they never search for Aang again."
Her eyes burned for a millisecond, and as she faced him, she could see the fear in his eyes.
"Haven't you heard?" The long lost, sinister tone returned. "I killed the Avatar in the crystal catacombs of Old Ba Sing Se." She waved her hands. "Bring his robe!" She commanded, and the soldiers cleared the way.
Another soldier presented Aang's robe, a gaping hole tore through the center of it, deep burn marks scarred the rim. Azula took a handful of the fabric, and held it up to his face.
"He's dead, unless you doubt my personal account?" Her hand tightened around the cloth, and brought flames to it, that burned the robe into a pile of black ash.
"Not at all, Princess! Please, it's just...we must confirm our reports."
"You DARE insult my great-grandfather who destroyed all of the airbenders a century ago?!" Azula planted her foot in the ground, let lightning scatter across the dirt, and the Captain fell to his knees. "I should kill you right now!"
"Please! Forgive me! Please!"
"Do you want to live?" She asked in her haunting voice, and he nodded as if he were a pleading dog. "Then follow these new orders: Leave. And never come back." Another jolt and he was now bowing. "You tell my Father: 'Princess Azula had everything under control'. Is that understood?"
"Yes! Yes, Princess! Right Away!" He jumped back up to his feet. "You all heard her orders! We're going home!" His shaking voice commanded. Every soldier turned and reentered their zeppelins before taking off.
"We're also departing!" Azula shouted to her personal guard. "However! Those of you with bent or out of shape armor, are to meet me in my quarters. Move out!"
"Is she talking about us?" Sokka whispered to Katara.
"I think so. We'll meet her there." She replied.
...
"I trust you found the performance satisfactory?" Azula asked as Team Avatar shed their armor. "A bit cruel, but the end justify the means. No one will ever come looking for the Avatar or airbenders again."
"It was...Pretty sweet." Toph grinned. "I approve."
"I don't know...Did you really have to be so ruthless?" Katara asked.
Azula shrugged at the question, but provided no further answer. Katara could see in her eye that same fire that she thought was gone.
"What's done is done, no use in dwelling on the past." Azula smiled. "But nonetheless, here is the current plan: you all will head into Feixing, you will find the Avatar, and when you have him, I'll meet you all back in Ba Sing Se."
"Ba Sing Se?" Sokka asked. "That'll take weeks!"
"As of right now, it's the safest place we have." Azula reassured. "Uncle will keep us safe. Now hurry, we don't have much time. I'll call an assembly to keep any guards busy, that's when you leave. "
They nodded and turned around.
"Oh, but one more thing, Katara." Azula's whisper stopped her. "When you find him, make sure you spend as much time as you can with him." A smile stretched across Azula's face. "Because once he's in Ba Sing Se, he'll be mine." Katara saw her wink, and slowly slid out of the room.
Something was wrong, but it would have to wait.
...
"So, if you were looking for me, why did you shoot darts into my neck, restrain me, and test me?" He gazed at the tattoos on his arms. "Don't I already look the part of an airbender?"
"We just had to make sure. Itr's how we've managed to survive for so long." Mei Shan replied. "At the time, all we had to go on was how you looked."
"Then what about Appa and Momo? Don't they give away who I am?"
"We did lure them away to draw you out." She smiled. "But even then, you have to remember that Appa doesn't resemble any bison we have, for all we knew, you were a Fire Nation spy. But I'm glad that's not the case."
"Mei! It's the Fire Nation!" Another airbender called to her.
Aang and Mei rushed to his side, and looked towards the mainland. From the Eastern Air Temple, Aang could see the mass of red floating above Feixing. Apparently, the Firelord knew, and Aang feared for the worst.
"Stay calm. Listen." Mei Shan whispered to Aang. "Hear the wind. And let it carry to you the truth." He closed his eyes, did what he was told, and heard everything that he could barely see before him.
"Then follow these new orders." He heard Azula's voice. "Leave. And never come back."
After all had gone, there were four figures still left on the ground, headed towards the village.
"Don't worry. They won't hurt anyone." He smiled.
...
The land was almost barren, small patches of grass dotted the dry soil the resembled sand more than earth. And in the distance, there were small huts, inconspicuous and simple. Whoever lived here, it seemed lived a simple life of farming. There weren't any pens for livestock, nor docks for fish.
Clearly, it was a place for airbenders.
"This is where the airbenders are?" Sokka asked aloud. "There's no one here." He looked around like a sailor looking towards the horizon. "Hello?! Anyone there?! We're not hostile! We're friendlies!"
The zeppelin engines faded in the distance, and a quiet serenity took the air, only interrupted with the occasional crashing of the waves on the sand below the cliffs.
"Aang has to be here somewhere." Katara spoke. "There's no way that he could have been misguided." But the village was still silent.
"Maybe it was all false. Maybe he was lied to." Suki added in a somber tone.
But to the east they saw a shadow, a giant beast that appeared as a small black speck in the vibrant blue sky.
"Is that…?" Katara began, and then a roar was heard. "Appa?!" And with a dust cloud that shot up, the sky bison landed. Three figures emerged from the earthen fog, and slowly approached. "Aang?!" His approach was even slower now.
"H-Hey, Katara. It's been awhile." He mumbled. "I-It's good to see you again." She jumped at him, wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and pulled him in close. Behind him, another woman dressed in Airbender robes with long hair stood next to a man with shorter hair.
"It's good to see you too." Katara pulled away, and looked into his eyes. She took a deep breath, and after a loud SMACK!...he felt a sting run across his cheek. "Don't you ever do that again. Never leave again." Tears began streaming down her eyes. And he felt a mass of regret filling his conscience.
"I promise. Never again." He replied, and was taken away by the sensation of passion as she pressed her lips against his.
"Ahem!" Sokka cleared his throat for the entire village to hear. Aang and Katara turned to face them.
"I guess we got caught up in the heat of the moment." Aang coughed, and turned to the other two that joined him. He bowed. "We haven't been formally introduced. Tia, Lin, This is Katara," She bowed. "…Her older brother Sokka," He nodded. "…his girlfriend Suki…" She waved. "…and Toph." She smirked. He opened his arms. "Guys, These two are Tia, and Lin. They're part of what remains of the airbenders."
"We are honored to meet the Avatar's companions, and grateful that you have taken care of him so well." Tia bowed.
"It also brings joy to see that he's met someone that he can share his life with." Lin added to a blush that overcame everyone's face-except Toph's. "If you would follow us, it is much safer to speak at the Eastern Air Temple." He offered them a path to Appa.
"Aang…" Katara whispered.
"Yeah?" He answered back.
"Your eyes are grey. Her eyes are green, and his eyes are blue."
"Yeah. They are." He smiled. "That'll happen."
She placed her arm on his shoulders, and leaned her head against his. He nestled his head onto the point of her shoulder, and rested his hand on her side
...
They arrived in a courtyard, a natural fountain spring surrounded by a garden of green, red, yellow, and violet. Overlooking them was a magnificent statue of Avatar Yangchen. And welcoming them with open arms, and loud cheers: The remaining Airbenders.
"Everyone." Aang bowed to them all. "These are the people that kept me safe, looked after me, and helped me become the Avatar that I am today." Everyone bowed before them. The massive courtyard was filled with what seemed like hundreds of people. Some had full heads of hair, others were bald like Aang. But every single one of them had the same arrow that adorned their bodies. But most telling of all, was the fact that most of the eyes that looked back towards them were not entirely the expected stone-grey that Aang possessed. Instead, there was a mix of colors that ranged from golden yellow, to dark sapphire.
"It is great to see your friends with you, Avatar." Mei Shan stepped forward. "And we, as the remaining heirs of our people, have only one thing to ask of you: What should we do now?"
Aang didn't have a clear answer to that question. But there was always something in the back of his mind.
The entire room looked up at him at attention.
"I'm not sure yet." His voice shrunk with uncertainty. "For now, I just want you all to be safe. I'm happy that you've managed to thrive for the last century. But all of this is happening too fast, I need some time to think things over."
Everyone bowed in understanding. Aang turned to Katara and the others, and motioned for them to follow as he walked down a familiar hallway.
"We'll spend the night here, and in the morning…We'll figure it out." He let out a sigh, and the familiar sound of a waterfall entered their ears. "Remember this place?" He walked through a long cloth the covered the entrance. "It's just like at the Western Air Temple." He pointed to the giant pool of water, fed by a massive waterfall, in a huge cavern lit by hanging crystals. "There's even a wall like before."
"You mean…We can take a bath?!" Sokka began running towards the pool, shedding his clothes along the way, when he struck a wall that knocked him over. "W-What's the big deal…?" He asked.
"Sokka. That side is the Men's side." Aang pointed to the other end of the wall. "Enjoy your baths." Everyone ran off towards the pool, but two stayed behind.
"Aang." Katara's voice came through, even with the waterfall's noise. "Could we talk, somewhere private?"
"Sure, Katara. Follow me."
Far from the courtyard, Aang led Katara to another room of the temple. He sat down in the bed, and invited her to join him.
"Is something wrong, Aang?" She spoke while taking a seat.
"I don't know how many times you've asked me that." He laughed. "And usually when you do, there is something wrong."
"So, what's wrong?"
"When I was captured, I had a vision." He twiddled his thumbs while he spoke. "I thought... I hoped that Azula had changed. But now I know that something isn't right."
"I know." Katara's answer almost knocked him off the bed. "I could feel it too. I could sense a change in her. But when she scared off the rest of those soldiers-"
She stopped to further explain, but something told her that he already knew.
"The way she spoke..." Katara continued. "The things she said...they were not part of who this 'new' Azula is."
"So then it's true. Azula...That Azula is back."
...
Meanwhile, back in Ba Sing Se...
"Zuko…Wake up." Iroh gently pushed his nephew awake. "Zuko…"
"What is it, Uncle?" Zuko replied while turning. "Why are you waking me up so early?" He sat up, and rubbed his eyes.
"Zuko, listen." Iroh spoke in a cautious whisper. "Get dressed. Follow me. Quickly."
Soon, they were walking side-by-side down the long winding hallways to the throne room. Zuko noticed that there was a considerably larger amount of guards in Fire Nation armor. They approached the huge doors of the throne room.
"Uncle, what's going on?"
"Zuko…" Iroh hushed him. "Promise me one thing. Perhaps…One last thing."
"What is it, Uncle?" Zuko felt his nerves building.
Never before had he seen the sweat running down his Uncle's temples like now.
Never before had his Uncle asked him for an oath in such a somber voice.
Never before had his Uncle spoken with such hopelessness and despair.
"Promise me, that no matter what we face through that door…You will not over-react, or risk your life in the process. You will remain calm."
"Uncle, what do yo-"
"Promise me!" He whispered in a fierce, demanding voice.
"I…I promise, Uncle."
"Good. Good." Iroh nodded, the guards opened the door with their approach. A flood of worry washed over Zuko when he saw who sat in the giant, golden throne.
"It's good to see you again…My son."
PUBLISHED ON: 12/21/2014
A/N:
Thanks for reading! And Happy Holidays!