CHAPTER RATING: T (Language)
A/N:
So, I believe it's been even longer than the last time I published a chapter. It seems like Life is finally getting in the way.
Anyway...Hope you enjoy.
Chapter 34: Left Behind
"K-Katara...?" Aang shook his head while scanning the room. His eyes were foggy, his throat was dry, and his muscles were aching. "Where..." He coughed out what seemed like bloodied dust, a voice caught his attention.
"I see that you're awake." An old, gruff voice came through the door.
"Master Piandao." Aang wheezed.
"You didn't respond, no matter what we did." The elder swordmaster offered a platter with food and water. "We couldn't bring you back to consciousness."
"How long has it been?" With every twitch, with every movement, it felt to Aang like his muscles were crying out in pain. Every passing second was tearing away at them.
"It's been a month. A month that has passed you by ad if it were a minute." Piandao nodded. "Vegetable dumplings and fresh spring water. Eat, and Sokka here, will inform you on what you've missed."
Sokka walked through the door at that very moment. He was dressed in clothing similar to his master, a black robe trimmed with crimson. At his side, a sword that appeared to be as dark as ash, as if it were made of volcanic obsidian, instead of steel. On his back, hung a sheath that secured his trusty boomerang, and his sturdy war-club.
"Aang! Good to see you back in the land of the living!" He said as he pulls up a chair. "You've been out for a while. How ya feelin'?"
"Not too great." Aang answered back between bites of food, and sips of water. "Where's everyone else?" He turned to see a note on the small table by the head of the bed.
Sokka took in a deep, reluctant, and regretful breath.
"Yeah, about that..."
...Four Weeks Earlier...
"Fine." Azula nodded. "If you're so insistent, then I won't stop you." Katara smiled back with confidence.
"I'm not a kid, Toph. You don't need to constantly follow me." Sokka groaned.
"In just doing as I was ordered." The footsteps of Twinkletoes' two Sugar Mommas made her turn her head. "So, what's up?"
...
"They didn't say much. They left, said something about wanting to talk to you. After a few minutes, they returned…"
…
"So, what's the plan?" Sokka asked as the two came back into view.
"Toph, Azula, and I are going to the boiling rock." Katara sighed. "You're actually going to stay behind." She felt relieved, and yet, saddened that he was so unwilling to go with them.
"That, and the fact that you aren't exactly a master with this yet!" Toph shouted and brought a black, metallic sword forward.
"Is that...?" Azula looked to her left. "Stop dismantling my ship!"
"Easy! Easy!" Toph jumped back. "I can fix it."
"Come with me. We need to talk." Azula grabbed Toph's hand, and dragged her towards the ship's bridge.
"Look Katara, it's not that I don't want to go." Sokka said. "It's just...Toph has a point. I'm not even ready to carry a real sword yet. Dad always told me that I'd be watching over you, to protect you. But, I don't think you need me to protect you anymore."
Katara felt another jolt of warmth as he pulled her into a hug.
"Come back safe." He added.
"I promise I will." She replied with a tightening embrace.
...
"…And that's the last I saw of them." Sokka said.
"I've got to go." Aang sat up.
"You're not going anywhere!" Sokka pressed his hands against Aang's chest. "You haven't done anything but sit in bed for the last month! Your body can't move on its own." He could feel the bones of Aang's sternum against his fingers.
Aang let out a labored breath, and collapsed back into his bed.
"What am I supposed to do, Sokka? I'm the Avatar, and all I can do is watch as the women I love are taken away from me?"
Well, what can you do? I mean your body's breaking-wait...Did you just say women?"
"...Damn it."
...
"Open it up!" A man's voice echoed through the assembly hall. He looked towards Katara and gave a desperate, if polite nod. "We're counting on you."
Katara nodded back.
The agonizing groans of machinery were interrupted when the zeppelin's main hatch began to open. Air rushed into the hall, pushing everyone back with clouds that began to creep through the massive opening.
Sitting around her were several giant, empty containers secured on wheels. Katara stepped back, and took a deep breath. With smooth motions, as soft as the waves, and as beautiful as the ocean's endless horizon, the fog that invaded the massive vessel began to transform into strands of water that danced with Katara's movements, gliding across the air before falling, and filling up the containers.
The gasps in amazement and awe from Azula's men only stirred her on. Soon, she was feeling the billions upon billions of water droplets, she began pulling water from thin air. All containers were filled by the time Katara pulled back and let out another breath.
"Thank you!" An engineer shook her hands. "This should last us enough to reach the Boiling Rock, and then return to Ba Sing Se."
"Yeah, it's no problem." Katara breathed out while wiping away the sweat on her forehead.
"You there!
He looked towards a few other soldiers. "Get this water to the engine room!" He turned back to Katara. "You've done a lot. Why not go to the living quarters, and take a rest?"
"Thanks. I'll be down there if anything comes up."
Katara made her way down a set of stairs that seemed impossibly long-winding, until she remembered how large the zeppelin was. She walked into her room, sat down, and thought back to when they had left.
...
"So, you were with the Avatar while I was with Zuko." Azula started. "Mind if I ask why?"
Katara stopped and reached into her pouch. She grasped onto a cool ice sphere and presented it, making the wooden fragments within clink against the container.
"It's Aang's personal amulet that he uses to communicate with his past lives." She removed the top of the frozen sphere. "Without it, her won't be able to communicate with them anymore."
Azula reached out, and took a fragment, it was made of a smooth, shaven wood, engraved within the fragment was a part of a symbol that she couldn't make out.
"So what does that mean?"
"I'm not sure, but when I spoke with him, he wouldn't let me know too much, something is really wrong here."
"Everything seems to be wrong here." Azula sighed. The door to Aang's room opened, and they saw him during on his bed, serene as ever, without a care in the world.
"We're saying our goodbyes. Do you want to go first?" Katara offered.
"You've known him for longer, you can go first." Katara stepped into the room, and closed the door behind her.
...
"I know you can't hear me Aang, but I still need to say this." She dissolved the ice sphere, and laid down the broken pieces of his medallion by his side. "I'll leave this with you. I hope you can get in touch with..." She giggled. "Yourself." She cleared her throat. "We'll be back. Maybe not soon, but we'll be back. I promise." She moved closer to him, and wrapped her arms around him, taking into herself the warmth of his presence, perhaps, for the last time.
...
"Hey Sugar Queen! Whatcha thinking about?!" Toph's voice broke Katara's concentration just as her thoughts returned to the present. The Earthbender stomped through the room, and feel into the bed.
"I was just remembering something. That's all." Katara replied.
"You sound down. What's up?"
"It's nothing, I was just...Wondering if we made the right choice."
"I don't know, but not much we can do now, right?"
"Right." Katara breathed out. "So, what is it?"
"Azula wants us topside. The volcano's nearing."
"Already? I just came down here."
"It's actually been a while. Maybe you went into the Spirit World like Twinkletoes." Toph shrugged, and shot back up to her feet. "Next time you go, why not try to get into contact with him." With a wide grin, Toph smacked the wall, and walked towards the bridge.
"Yeah. I'll do that." Katara laughed, and followed Toph.
...
Steam lingered on the horizon. Breaking through the clouds, a deceptively small structure, surrounded by a boiling lake of water that could serve as the magma inside volcano itself.
Here, looking at the possible fate stared her in the face, Azula let her thoughts drift.
...
"Your turn." Katara whispered as she exited the room. "Take your time. If he comes back, then let me know."
"Yeah, I'll do that." Azula replied.
She stepped through the door. Aang sat in the same position, in a stoic stillness. The shards of a medallion by his side.
"Even if you can't hear me, I guess I'll say this more for myself." Azula sat down next to him. "You've helped me more than you can imagine. Because if you, I'm nearly a different person. I'm not the same person who tried to kill you in Ba Sing Se, even if..." Her eyes traced down her arm where she held her heart. "Even if I'm not the one who loves you. I'm stronger than she'll ever be. And that's what Uncle needs right now."
She returned to her feet, and looked at him sitting in serenity. With her nails that were sharpened to a point, she raised his chin to face her.
"I know that many people would find this offensive, or downright sickening…" she whispered. "But I am the person who did everything to you. And I know how much you love it when I do." She let her lips feel his once again, the warmth from him was unparalleled, and brought to her a comfort that had no comparison. "Good-bye."
…
"Are you ready?" Zuko's voice broke through as the memory ended.
"Everyone's here?" Footsteps ran into the room.
"Everyone's here."
"Good. We all know what to do." Azula turned around, and with a click, felt her wrists lock in metal shackles. She turned to Katara and Toph. "It's uncomfortable, but it's what we need to do." Katara nodded, and placed her hands behind her back. Azula looked again at Toph. "Oh, and, don't hesitate to act the part. I know you can."
Azula men took hold of Toph's arms.
"Get the hell off me! I can do it myself!" She pushed away, put her arms behind her back, and channeled the metal bonds onto her own wrists.
"That's perfect."
"We're clear to land, Commander."
"Everyone, get in position!" Standing at the entrance hatch, the three prisoners stood, from left to right: Katara, Azula, and Toph. Behind them, stood their captors, Ty Lee, Zuko, and Mai. Azula whispered out one last command as the gates descended.
"If anyone tries to 'hurt' you two in anyway...disable their 'weapons'...Permanently."
With deep breaths, they nodded.
...
"You WHAT?!"
"No, no, no! It wasn't my idea! It was-"
"Don't you dare blame this on Katara!" Sokka screamed. "How could you do this to her?! I thought you were-" Sokka yelled at the top of his lungs, unsheathed his club and with a crash, created a hole in the granite wall. He pulled a bag from his back pocket, his voice falling lower in tone, replacing rage with sorrow. "I found those by your bed. And I fixed it for you."
"T-Thanks."
Without another word, Sokka slipped out of the room. When Aang opened his bag, he saw the one thing he had crushed with his bare hands.
He took it into his grasp once again, closed his eyes, and took in all the sounds, all the life, all existence, into himself.
And...Nothing.
Nothing at all. Not a flash. Not a whisper. Not a vision.
Nothing.
...
"Well, well, well." An old, gruff voice came through the noise of rattling metal chains. "What scum do we have here?" When their eyes adjusted to the brightness of the outside, they were faced with what seemed like an army of soldiers. When they looked up, hundreds of archers looked down at them. When they looked around, hundreds of soldiers focused on them.
"Warden." Zuko stated in his commanding voice. "I...I bring you my traitorous sister."
"And I welcome you to the most secure prison in our great Nation." The Warden replied. "I'm sure that your father will reward you greatly for your actions. Not like your whore of a sister here."
Every syllable he spoke his condescending tone, made everyone want to rip his tongue out. Even his own guards, and especially his prisoners.
"Although, I do have some rather...Unfortunate news, you're not going to get the opportunity..."
A sharp pain ripped through each of their necks, six pricks of a needle struck them.
And then the world faded.
PUBLISHED ON: 05/30/2015
A/N:
Thanks for reading!