Chapter XVI
"So, you're telling me that you pulled him out of there all by yourself, carried him through the tunnel, and brought him outside where he started acting like this?"
Katara kicked at the sand, staring out over the lake. She curled some of the water around her fingers, letting its cooling touch sooth her aching mind. Her bending had been returning to her, but it was coming at a slow pace. The little tendril around her finger was about all she could muster at the moment.
"That about sums it up. Not much else to tell," she said.
Aang stood next to her, his arm bandaged. He rubbed the back of his head with his good hand, turning to look behind him.
Katara did not bother, already knowing what she would see. Sokka, standing in the middle of everyone else as they poked and prodded him. They had been trying to figure out what had happened to him since she brought him back, but they seemed no closer to figuring it out than when they first began.
"He scares me," Aang said, facing Katara. "It's that look in his eyes. He looks like he wants to hurt somebody."
Katara nodded her head. "He's been like that since Joshua let me leave with him. I just want to know what's wrong."
She lowered herself to the ground, the warmth slowly fading from the grains of sand as the opal sun descended behind the mountains. It painted the clouds in vibrant swaths of pink and orange; a soft glow before the coming night. And what a night it was going to be; stuck in a valley with limited bending, no flying, and a psychopath bent on their total annihilation. They would be lucky to get through it alive.
The sharp cries of an argument disrupted her thoughts. She turned to see Azula, Jack, and Zuko all yelling at each other; or, to be specific, yelling at Azula. The boys were throwing their arms around, pointing back and forth between Azula and Sokka, who stood behind them with a smug look on his face.
"Looks like they found something," Aang said.
Katara stood up, smoothing out the wrinkles in her tattered clothes. "Come on," she said. "Let's go see what the commotions all about."
Aang followed alongside her as they walked over to the camp, the argument growing louder as they approached.
"I can't believe you! Why didn't you say anything?!"
"I thought you already knew. It seemed quite obvious. I guess I just forgot how incompetent you all are."
"Azula you're not helping. How do we fix him?"
Katara watched as Azula rolled her eyes at her brother. She crossed her arms, demonstrating once again why she was the most obnoxious person on the planet.
"We 'fix' him" she said, making quotations with her fingers. "The same way we fixed you, dear brother. With her."
Katara froze as Azula pointed a broken fingernail in her direction. Everyone turned to look at her, making her blush. She fidgeted for a few moments.
"Alright, what are you guys talking about?" she asked. She caught Sokka's eye. Her heart leapt into her throat as a wave of black swept through his irises, a malevolent smile spreading across his lips.
"Princess here says that Sokka's been possessed this whole time," said Jack.
"What?!" Katara turned on Azula. "He's possessed? How, why?"
Azula smirked, brushing her blood stained strands of hair back behind her ear. "Well, I would say it was probably back when you found him at that tunnel. You did say something reached out and grabbed him, right?"
Katara nodded her head. "Ya, this big black hand came out while he was taunting the tunnel, it tried to pull him back in. But we drove it off before it could drag him inside."
Azula laughed. "It didn't have to drag him inside. All it needed to do was make contact with him. I daresay that his recent rambunctious behavior can be attributed to the spirit currently residing in him."
Katara turned back to Sokka, walking up to her brother. He stood motionless, his eyes fixed on hers. She could see the vile gleam in them, almost like a black ray dimming the normally bright blue. It was certain that he was possessed now, she could feel the spirit's presence; the aura of evil seeped out of her brother's pores.
But before? Sure Sokka had acted like an idiot, but it always had been him. Besides she knew he could be flippant at times; he just had that type of personality. The whole drinking thing had seemed a bit strange-not so much the women- but she had always attributed it to losing Suki. But possessed? She still didn't know whether or not she could accept that.
"What's your name?" she asked
Sokka looked back at her, or, at least the spirit did. It titled its head, a perplexed musing crossing his lips as he tried to form words.
"I guess you would call me…torment," the spirit said, its voice echoing with the sound of a thousand haunted souls. It reached out a hand, brushing back a strand of Katara's hair. A lustful smile came across its lips.
"Yes, you may call me torment," it said.
Katara brushed his hand off, trying to keep herself calm. It was unsettling having your brother's body flirt with you.
"Well, Torment, I would like to ask you some questions. You up to answering them?"
The spirit looked at her for a moment, then slowly nodded its head.
Katara took a deep breath. "Right then; when did you first enter my brother?"
Someone snorted behind her, an annoyed voice calling out. "Does it matter? Sokka was just being himself either way. Even if you get the spirit out he won't change. He'll just have another excuse, aside from stupidity."
Katara turned to the voice, looking past the others in the group to see Toph sitting by the fire. She was huddled in a blanket, her back to the others.
"What do you mean by that?" Katara asked, taking a step forward.
Toph did not bother turning to respond. "What I mean is that your brother is a moron. Always has been and always will be. Even if the spirit did influence him to drink and sleep around all it did was speed up the process. He was heading down that road anyways."
Katara could feel the swelling rage inside of her chest, but she held it back. Toph had been through a lot, she deserved the benefit of the doubt at the moment.
"Toph, I'm not so sure…"
Toph stood up, throwing the blanket down beside the flames. She turned on Katara, her fierce eyes once more milky green.
"Look Sugar-Queen, you can keep lying to yourself, but I ain't buying it. The simple truth is your brother is an idiot. A nasty, filthy rat! And you know what? I actually bought into it for a while. But I'm not pretending anymore. He's never going to change." Finished with her tirade, Toph turned and stormed off through the woods, the earth trembling beneath her steps.
The group stood stunned for a moment, shocked by her outburst. Right as Toph was disappearing into the trees Sokka called out- or more accurately Torment.
"Hey baby, you want to meet up later?"
Toph froze, her hands curling into fists. With a rigid motion she sent a pillar flying up from the ground, the stone crashing into Sokka's side and sending him flying into Katara. The two fell to the ground in a heap, Toph continuing on and vanishing in the forest.
"Get off of me, moron," said Katara. She rolled her brother off of her, standing up and shaking her head. She looked at Torment, a sly grin spread across his lips.
"She's a fun one," Torment said, hacking up a bit of blood. Katara bent down, grabbing her brother- or the spirit- by the arm. She helped him to his feet, feeling around his chest.
"Is anything broken?" she asked.
The spirit smiled at her. "I don't know. I think I need a more thorough inspection."
Katara froze, taking her hands off. She slapped Torment, driving her palm across his face. The spirit didn't even flinch. It just smiled at her, menacingly.
"Why the hell did you say something to her?" Katara asked.
Torment shrugged his shoulders, or, rather, Sokka's shoulders.
"I don't know. I think it was your brother speaking."
Katara shook her head, turning to the others. "Someone, go after her."
Jack nodded his head. "I'll get on it." The diamondbender made his way into the woods, stopping a moment to look for tracks.
Katara ran a hand over her facing, taking a deep breath. It was okay, everything was going to be fine, she just needed to sort things out. She turned to her brother, or Torment, or whatever the heck he was.
"Alright, listen up and listen closely. I ask a question and you answer it as short and brief as you can, got it?"
Torment merely stood there, staring into her with his vacant eyes, a momentary wave of blackness overtaking them.
"I understand."
Katara stood straight, preparing herself. "Okay, first question. When did you enter my brother?"
"At the entrance to the cavern I had previously been occupying."
Katara nodded her head slowly. "How many times have you taken control of him?"
"None, until now."
"Then why was my brother acting so strangely?"
A smile spread across Torment's face, the normal dorky look of her brother sinking into a malevolent glower.
"There were some underlying feelings already present. I merely encouraged them to… bubble forth," he said.
"Bull!" cried Aang, walking up to the spirit. "Sokka would never have acted like that. There was nothing inside of him that would have wanted that, I know him."
Katara held out her hand, stopping Aang with a gentle touch. She looked at him, pleading with him for a moment to relax and let her handle the interrogation. She could see the pain in his eyes, the feeling of betrayal which plagued her own heart. She did not want what the spirit said to be true, nor did it have to; however, by reacting he was letting the spirit know it was getting at him, and that was the last thing she wanted.
"Say what you want, avatar, your friend wasn't exactly what you thought he was. And he didn't exactly have many kind things to think about you" said the spirit, disdain dripping in his voice.
Katara looked between Aang and Torment, watching as the spirit goaded the boy on. Aang looked as if he was ready to enter the avatar state and blow this spirit straight out of her brother. However, whatever he was feeling, he remained still, until finally Zuko came over and lay a hand on his shoulder.
"Let's go for a walk," Zuko said.
Aang turned to Katara, his face contorted with emotion.
Putting on a smile, she tried to reassure him "It's okay Aang, I'll handle this." She stepped forward, leaning in and kissing him on the cheek. His skin was soft and salty, stained with tears, but there was still a spark to their touch. Drawing back, she watched as Aang slowly settled down, retreating back with Zuko towards the beach. Once they were far enough away she returned to her interrogation.
"Alright, now that that's out of the way, let's get back to question and answer, shall we?"
Torment nodded its head.
"Why are you possessing my brother?"
"Because I came into contact with him. Besides, he has such a strong spirit, stronger than any of the rest of you. I knew once I overcame him I would be able to channel as much power through his body as I could muster."
Katara bit her tongue, swallowing her pride and letting the strong spirit comment slide by. The spirit was getting cocky; that was good. All she needed to do was get it to slip up and tell her what Joshua was planning.
"Why doesn't Joshua's spirit suffice? Why is my brother's better?" she asked.
Torment looked around the clearing, his gaze resting momentarily on Azula. "The one you call Joshua has been tainted by death. His physical body will never recover to where it once was. It will decay and return once more into ruin."
Katara could sense her opening; if she could just get a bit more on Joshua then she could spill it all to the psychopath and maybe talk some reason into him.
"Does Joshua know this?"
The spirit looked first to the right, then to the left, leaning in close to Katara. His words came out in a hushed tone, whispered on the breeze. "I will tell you this merely because you will not be able to make use of it. The boy will soon die, within a year's time. That is as long as his body can resist the fade. However, as the time fast approaches and he draws closer to the spirit world he will delve further into its strengths and become an unstoppable force. In this he will have his revenge."
Katara took a step back, shocked by this revelation.
"What of you, what do you get out of this?"
The spirit laughed, a dark and foreboding noise that vibrated deep in his throat, coming out as a roar from his mouth.
"Torment. Eternal torment. Sweet and everlasting. I will be a witness to all of your miseries, and the proprietor of all your sorrows. I live for nothing else." His eyes turned as he spoke, black veins protruding from her brother's whitening skin.
Katara could feel a sickening feeling spread in her stomach. Fear began to tug at her heart, forcing a shiver down her spine.
"You've been the one pulling the strings all this time," she said.
The spirit smiled at her, taking a mock bow. "It is as you perceive peasant. The boy is merely a means to my own end."
Katara swallowed the rising fear in her throat; they needed to take this guy out, now.
Looking to the others in the camp, Katara gave them a nod, intending to have the remaining girls jump her brother and subdue him before something could happen. However, the three girls merely gave her a weird look, Azula going so far as to raise an eyebrow.
Katara groaned inwardly. It always had to be harder than it needed, didn't it? Time for a different strategy.
"Torment, I was wondering if you'd like to sit down, maybe eat something? I don't think you need anything, but my brother's body sure does."
The spirit laughed at her. "Foolish girl, do you really think I would fall for such a ruse? No, I believe your time here is done." And with that, all civility ended.
Torment flicked his wrists, the ground beginning to quake. A wall of water rose up out of the lake, towering into the sky. It careened towards camp, demolishing everything in its path.
Intent on stopping the tidal wave, Katara dashed off and held up her hands, hoping she had enough strength to halt the water's advance. Straining, she pushed as hard as she could, but the power was not in her. The wave crashed down on the camp, covering her in a frothing crest of white foam.
Roaring thunder filled her ears as she was submerged beneath the wave. Her body rolled and flung about beneath its fierce currents, slamming her into different objects. The constant spinning disoriented her, but she kept her mind clear enough to steady the water around her, letting her plant her feet on the ground and wait for the wave to subside.
As the water dissipated, she fell to her knees, casting the water off her person. There was a burning in her lungs from the liquid she had swallowed. Bending over, she wretched over the ground, bringing a shaking hand across her mouth. This was turning out to be one heck of a camping trip.
Before she could raise herself to her feet something crashed into her side, sending her sprawling into the mud. Quickly she tried to raise herself to her feet, but she only managed to get on shaky knees. Before she could get to her feet a blue blur crossed her sight, whipping back around to crash into her chest with the force of a small boulder. It sent her flying back once more, landing this time in a tree.
She found herself stuck high above the ground, the sappy needles sticking to her skin.
Suddenly, the water droplets which sat around her began to congeal, smashing into her back and sending her sprawling onto the ground once more. She landed in the mud with a thud, a sharp pain developing in her side as she struggled for breath.
Torment walked up to her, cracking his knuckles. "I was hoping for a bit more of a struggle from you. But then again, you are just a peasant. I guess I shouldn't have expected too much."
Katara lifted her head from the muck, the ends of her hair still trailing on the ground. Her brother, or Torment, whatever you wanted to call him, stood before her. His eyes were completely black, his normally brown skin ghostly white. He lifted his hand, an icy blade resting in his grasp. Lowering beneath her chin, he forced her to look up, the blade crackling with a freezing kiss.
"It's a shame really, wasting such tender flesh with the tip of a blade. There are such better ways to… spoil it. However, sometime when we sacrifice a good thing greater things arise."
Katara's chest rose and fell with shorten breaths. Her eyes watched in horror as the blade rose high above her head, hesitating a moment before falling back down.
She closed her eyes at her impending death, her heart stopping in fright. For a moment images flashed before her eyes; she was certain of her end.
A splash of water slapped her in the face, making her blink. Opening her eyes, she was just in time to see her brother keel over, his eyes rolling back into his skull. His body landed next to her hands unconscious, his mouth slightly parted as breath escaped his lips.
Looking up, Katara noticed Ty-Lee standing before her, index and middle finger still stiffly pointing forward. She smiled sheepishly, reaching out a hand and helping Katara back to her feet.
"So that's what you meant by the nod"
Katara shook her head, trying to steady her breathing. She swayed as the blood rushed back to her brain, her ribs pressing against her tightened chest.
"Yes, that's what I meant by the nod. I hoped that you girls would have known common military signals," she said, stumbling backwards.
Ty-Lee caught her, putting herself underneath Katara's arm and walking her over to a piece of debris.
"You do realize the order to seize a target is a hand motion, right?" Ty-Lee flashed her left hand in front of Katara, going through two rapid motions before closing her fingers in a fist.
Katara rolled her eyes. "Well I'll keep that tucked away for the next time I want to take out a psychopath."
"It's really quite useful," continued Ty-Lee, missing the sarcasm.
Suppressing a grown, Katara let Ty-Lee guide her over to a log. The girl set her down gently, bending over and checking her side.
"Does this hurt?" Ty-Lee asked, poking Katara in the ribs.
A pained gasp escaped from Katara's lips as the finger touched her sensitive skin. She smacked Ty-Lee's hand away, rubbing her tender side.
"Ya, it hurts. Now go prod someone else."
Ty-Lee stepped back, a hurt expression coming across her face. "Sorry, I was just trying to help."
Katara sighed, chiding herself for getting snippy with the girl. "It's okay Ty-Lee. I'm just a bit out of it at the moment, you know, with being thrown around and all."
Ty-Lee nodded her head. "It's okay, I'm a bit flustered myself. That giant tidal wave was freaky. I don't know if I've ever seen anything like that."
The sound of someone slogging through mud made the pair turn. A smile spread across Katara's lips as she saw Mai walking towards them, her makeup smeared across her gloomy face. She looked like some demented clown which had been dunked in a barrel of water.
Apparently Ty-Lee thought the same thing as she quickly turned away in a burst of giggles, followed soon after by Katara.
"Go ahead, get your laughs in. It won't be so funny when I get over there and stick a knife up your-." Mai was cut off by someone clearing her throat.
"Please Mai, don't soil your dreary reputation with unnecessary vulgarness. It's not becoming."
The three girls all turned to see Azula pulling her dripping hair back. She walked towards them, just as soaked as the rest of them, a long crimson cut running down her forearm.
"Well, that was interesting," Azula said, kicking Sokka's unconscious form. "I did not know he could do that."
Katara took in a deep breath, trying to refocus her mind. "He has a lot of power. I don't know if we'll be able to restrain him when he wakes up."
"We could always break his bones. Snap both his wrists, dislocate his shoulders; probably break his knees as well. That should do the trick."
Ty-Lee gasped next to Katara, obviously shocked by Azula's suggestion. Katara merely shook her head.
"We're not going to break his bones Azula. We just need to get the spirit out of him before he wakes up."
"And how do you suggest we do that?" asked Azula. "You don't have your bending back."
Katara frowned, looking down at her muddied hands. "I can bend." She said, focusing her mind to cast the mud off. It slowly slid down her skin and to the earth.
"Wow, I am astounded," Azula said. She put a hand to her chest to demonstrate her shock. "With such power it is surprising we firebenders lasted as long as we did."
"Okay, I get it! My bending isn't back all the way, but it's a full moon tonight, which means we only need to hold him a while. It should be back soon." Katara took in a pained breath.
"What should happen and what does happen hasn't always been the same," said Azula. She lowered herself slowly to the ground, obviously in pain. Katara noticed that the raw brand on her shoulder had begun to bleed once more, the blood running down her arm.
"Ty-Lee, would you be a dear and find me a piece of cloth that isn't soaking wet?" asked Azula.
Ty-Lee nodded her head, dashing off through the mud in search of bandages. Azula turned back to Katara, a weary look on her face.
"I hope that your bending does come back tonight. For all our sakes."
Katara averted her eyes, looking away from the girl. "Me too."
The sound of someone rushing through the water made Katara look up. She noticed Aang and Zuko, the two boys running as fast as they could through the debris and to the girls.
Aang rushed up to her. a concerned look plastered across his face.
"Katara, are you okay?" he asked, his eyes wide.
Katara nodded meekly in response. "Don't worry Aang, I'm fine," Katara said, coughing. She winced as her lungs stretched against her burning ribcage.
"Alright, maybe not totally fine, but I'll live."
Aang sat down beside her, his gaze shifting over to Sokka's still form. "What in the world did he do?"
Katara sighed. "He gave me an answer."
"Sure, send me after the angry earthbender. It's not like she's in the mood to bust somebody's balls or anything. Man, I don't know if I can take much more of this. Why did I come on this stupid vacation anyways?"
Jack, always one to complain, walked through the woods, grumbling to himself as he searched for Toph. Night was quickly approaching, the last rays of the sun dying behind the cold outline of the mountains. If he couldn't find Toph soon he was going to have to go back to get a torch or something, as his bending still hadn't returned. For some reason everyone else was getting theirs back, but he still had nothing. He couldn't even light a flame with his fingertips; how sad was that?
Shaking his head, the diamondbender continued through the undergrowth, pushing aside pine branches as he looked for his little friend.
A few minutes later he found himself searching around a particularly thick patch of trees, the ground strewn with dead branches and pinecones. He was just leaning around the gnarled trunk of one of the trees when the earth beneath him trembled, the rocks vibrating at his feet.
Immediately his hands flew down to his crouch, blocking his privates from what he believed was an earthen pillar erupting from the earth. However, the ground merely shook for a few moments then stilled, a slight roar emanating from the distance. Turning to the source of the noise Jack realized it had come from camp. Something had happened.
Taking a step forward, he hesitated between dashing off and looking for Toph. If something bad had happened that meant everyone was in danger, including Azula. With their limited amount of bending they were at risk of being totally overrun by Joshua and his two goons. However, without his own bending there was not much he could offer besides maybe another target. He needed more help if he was going to save them from whatever had happened- if something indeed had happened- which meant he needed Toph.
Swearing beneath his breath, Jack turned back to the forest, picking up the pace as he went. Cupping his hands to his mouth, he began calling out Toph's name. As he yelled he heard his voice echoing around him, making him realize that he was attracting attention to himself. He snapped his mouth shut, resolving to find Toph without making too much noise.
His resolution lasted five minutes.
As he ran through the woods he crashed through a series of thick branches, the bark snapping back and lashing him in the face as he went past. When he came out the other side he was so infuriated that he did not notice the little stream rushing in front of him. He fell head first into the water, landing with a loud splash. Fish leapt past him as he sat up, one slapping him in the face with its tail on the way by.
Jack leapt to his feet, swearing as he kicked at the water. He bent over and picked up a handful of stones, throwing them as hard as he could at the swimming fish. Every one of his stones missed, the fish mocking him with teasing smiles as they swam on undisturbed.
"You damned fish! If I had my bending I'd show you!" Reaching out his right hand, he tried to pull a chunk of the water out of the stream with one of the fish still in it. He focused as hard as he could, his veins throbbing in his wrist, but it was no use. He didn't even make a ripple.
Grumbling, Jack made his way out of the stream, his wet clothes clinging to his body. He shivered as he stepped out of the water. Without hesitation he stripped off his shirt, throwing it down on the ground in a wet heap. For a moment he considered taking off his pants as well, but he figured he should keep those on, just in case someone heard his little tantrum and decided to investigate. He didn't want to be caught with his trousers down.
After sitting next to the stream for a few minutes, Jack decided to continue on without his shirt on. At least with it off he would dry. It was better than dripping all over the place.
So, grabbing his shirt from the ground, he marched off, continuing in his search for the earthbender. For the next half an hour he looked for Toph, searching high and low for his friend. He looked behind trees, in bushes, and even in a small cave next to the mountain. Everywhere he looked, though, he found nothing. Not a trace of her anywhere.
Soon the moon was riding high in the night sky, increasing his anxiety with each passing minute. There was no way Toph could avoid him this long, something must have happened to her.
Just as he was considering running back to camp for help he heard a soft noise; a stifled breath.
Jack moved towards the noise, weary of a trap. He approached a clearing, the trees dying out and giving rise to an open field of grass. It ran straight to the base of the mountain where the ground turned uneven and rocky.
With tentative steps he made his way into the field, looking around the gently shaking grass for the source of the noise. For a few moments there was nothing, save for the rustle of the wind. Then, from his right, came the noise again; a muffled cry. Either it was Toph or someone unpleasant. Well, either way it was someone unpleasant, but at least there was the possibility of it being Toph.
Bending over, Jack picked up a stick, gripping the rough bark against his calloused hands. He moved over towards the noise, his body shivering as the cool wind bit into his exposed flesh. With his weapon poised by his ear in his right hand, he separated the last strands of tall grass between him and the noise, readying himself for a fight.
A sigh of relief escaped his lips as he saw the form of Toph, her knees brought up to her chin, rocking slowly in the moonlight. He set his stick down, shaking his head as he approached.
"Toph, dang it, you scared the crap out of me!"
The girl whirled on him, her eyes once again milky green.
"Get back!" she snarled.
Jack froze. "Whoa, easy there Toph. It's me, Jack."
"I know who you are, idiot. I'm blind not deaf"
Jack nodded his head, taking a few steps forward. When she did not immediately lash out he took it as a sign that he could approach, so he came over and sat beside her.
"Everyone's really worried back at camp. You even got Katara to send me after you."
Toph snorted. "That girl can't keep her nose in her own business."
"It's just motherly instinct. She doesn't mean to pry."
"Ya, well, it sure feels like prying."
Jack leaned back on his hand, stroking his chin. The moon was shining bright tonight, its pearly white rays pouring over the clearing like milk. Silver stones glowed softly in its rays, the green grass vibrating a warm hue. It reminded him that it was always in the most beautiful of places that the hardest of conversations took place.
He let out a long sigh.
"Toph, we've always been straight up with each other. Why don't I just cut to the quick?"
Toph did not counter his suggestion, so he went on, poising a simple question.
"What's wrong?"
"What isn't wrong?" replied Toph. She laughed cynically to herself, shaking her black hair down before her eyes.
"Come on kid, don't get ambiguous on me. Fess up," said Jack.
"Maybe I don't want to fess up, have you ever thought of that?" Toph spat. She turned away from him, a silver streak trialing down her cheek.
Jack could feel the anger rising in his chest, pushing him closer to the edge. He stood up in front of Toph, trying not to lose it with the girl.
"You know what? I'm really tired of the tough girl routine. Enough of this 'ohh, I've got problems, but I'm so tough that no one can help me' crap. It's time you got real with someone."
Toph leapt to her feet, ready for a fight.
"When I want to 'get real' with somebody I'll choose someone I can trust!" she said, shoving her way past him.
Jack turned around, an aggravated smile plastered across his lips.
"Ohh no you don't," he said, walking after her. "This isn't about me lying to you. This is about Sokka."
Toph froze at the mention of the water-tribe boy's name. She stood still, her hands curling into little fists by her side.
"I know that's what it is Toph," Jack said, standing a few feet behind her. "You can try and lie to me, but I know better. Believe me, I know what it feels like to love someone demented."
"You have no clue what it's like!"
"Yes, I do," said Jack, keeping his tone level. He took a step forward, approaching the trembling earthbender.
"It hurts, deep. Like there's something missing in the middle of your heart. You know you can't control it, but you can't help but blame yourself. Somehow, someway, you failed to protect them, to teach them the right thing. The only reason they fell was because of you." Jack took another step, walking alongside Toph.
"You tell yourself you don't care, that you've never cared, but it isn't true. That nagging feeling remains in the pit of your stomach, reminding you of the emptiness in your heart. Every time you see that person, you feel angry, bitter, hateful. You want those emotions to control you, to take over, but then you feel even guiltier for letting them in, so in the end you're more miserable than when you started."
As Jack spoke a tear formed on his cheek, sorrowfully making its way down his face. He choked at the end, turning to the side in frustration as he realized he was talking for himself just as much as Toph.
For a few moments they stood like that, each struggling to control themselves as stinging emotion welled within. Finally Jack coughed, letting out a resentful laugh.
"Funny. You come out here thinking to find a friend and instead you do some soul searching. Who would've guessed?"
Toph remained quiet beside him, her shoulders gradually rising and falling. She turned her head away from him as he came to her side. Sniffling, she ran the back of her sleeve over her nose.
"I…I don't want to talk, okay?"
Jack let out a sigh. "Ya, okay."
Toph turned to walk away, pausing. She ran to him and held him in a quick embrace, squeezing her short little arms around his barrel chest.
"Thanks for being here," she choked.
Jack let his hand fall on top of her head, giving it a gentle pat.
"Don't worry kid, I'll always be here. Just talk when you're ready."
The earthbender nodded her head, pulling away a moment later and walking off, back towards camp. Jack shook his head, moving to follow. What a trip.
As he walked after her a bird called out behind him, whistling in a strange harmonic tune. It made him freeze, a chill running up his spine. He looked over his shoulder and to the mountain, scanning the terrain for the source of the noise.
Toph, who had sensed his halt, called over her shoulder.
"Hey, Sparkles, let's go! I want to get back to camp sometime tonight."
Jack nodded his head, his eyes still lingering over the rocky ground.
"Go ahead, I've got to take a leak."
"Well hurry up. I've heard these woods aren't safe at night and I'm not standing next to you to protect you," called Toph, walking off.
"Never mind that, I'll catch up with you back at camp."
Toph waved him off.
Watching the earthbender, Jack made his way to the sound of the call, letting out a soft whistle. As soon as Toph disappeared into the foliage he turned and ran to the stones. He cupped his hands around his mouth, letting out a bird call of his own- though it was a bit weaker without his bending. Standing to listen, he heard its response just to his left.
A mound of earth suddenly moved, a black clad figure standing up. It dusted itself off, shaking its ragged blonde hair on top of its head. The figure walked towards Jack, an unsettling smile resting on its lips.
"I was wondering how long it was going to take you to find her," Joshua said, placing his foot on one of the boulders.
"You know I was always better at hiding than seeking." Jack started circling Joshua, his eyes trained on his friend's open palms.
"Don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you. If I was I could've done it a long time ago."
"I believe you," said Jack. "It's just better to be safe than sorry."
Joshua shrugged his shoulders. "You're the one who came over here."
"And you're the one who whistled. So what do you want?"
Joshua placed his foot back on the ground, stroking his chin. He began walking around Jack, striking a thoughtful look as he stared up into the distant starlight.
Jack followed his friend's gaze, taking in the beautiful view. The stars shone above like distant diamonds, sparkling softly in the sheet of blackness which surrounded them. A tail of glowing yellow flew by; a shooting star. It streaked across the pitch canvas, leaving a dim trial as it plummeted down to its ultimate destination, going in a brilliant burst of flames.
Joshua came to a halt, training his eyes back on Jack. "You know, I've been having so much fun lately, but something just seems to be… missing."
An uneasy feeling crept up the back of Jack's neck, making his hair stand on end. Whatever it was that Joshua wanted, it wasn't going to end well.
The boy continued. "I'm plotting my revenge, I know that much is obvious to you. And don't worry, you're not on my list."
"How considerate of you."
Joshua dismissed the disdain in Jack's voice with a wave of his hand. "You know what I want, and I daresay you've wanted it at least once before."
Jack did not protest.
"I'll take your silence as admission. So, the only thing that is left is what to do? I want something you once wanted, why can't we work together?"
"You're hurting my friends Josh."
"But aren't I your friend? Doesn't anything in our past mean something to you?"
"You know it's not like that-"
"Then what is it like!?"
The earth trembled as Joshua screamed at Jack. Black flames leapt to life in the boy's hands, his whole body shaking.
Jack- caught off guard by Joshua's rapid shift- moved his feet, positioning himself in a balanced stance ready to dodge either to the right or the left.
"Josh, you need to calm down man. I can't talk to you like this."
"Why!? What's wrong, are you afraid of me?!"
"Ya, I am afraid of you. The Joshua I knew never would have threatened his best friend."
"That Joshua is dead!"
Sweat began to gather on Jack's brow. He needed to calm Joshua down if he wanted to stay alive, but it was a delicate procedure. Already his friend teetered on the brink of full blown violence. If he so much as looked at Joshua the wrong way he was liable to send his friend into an uncontrollable rage. And yes, the irony was not lost on him that it was only a year and a half ago when his friends had to calm him down in a similar situation (only that time Azula's life had been on the line).
Joshua began to advance, a crazed look darting about in his eyes. "I've waited over three years for my turn at revenge. THREE YEARS! And now that I'm finally ready to strike I find you in my way. You! Of all people I would expect you to be on MY side. Didn't you care about me? What they were doing to me? What they did to Amy?"
Jack began back peddling, holding his hands up. "I loved Amy, she was like a sister to me-"
"Then why are you protecting them!?
"Because Josh." Jack tripped over a rock, falling down on the ground. His hand cut into the stone, pain flaring up as he lifted it back up to slow Joshua down.
"Because Josh, killing them isn't going to bring her back."
Joshua froze, his eyes dimming slightly. "What?"
"You heard me, it won't bring her back."
"But…what about justice?"
"Think about it Josh, what's worse, torturing them for a time, or making them realize the evil of their actions so that they live the rest of their days with regret and guilt?"
Joshua shook his head, closing his eyes. "No, no, no. No you don't. Don't try and make me like you! Passive and limp. I'm here to deliver justice!"
"Then start with me!" yelled Jack, standing on his feet. He walked straight up to Joshua, coming face to face with his friend. They exchanged their hot breath, the tension between their gazes sparking across the short distance.
"I was part of the original group. I was the first one out of prison, yet I haven't killed them. If you feel you have to take out the people who betrayed you, then start with me." Jack spread out his arms, stepping away from Joshua. A steely glare sat on his face, his brows furled as he dared his friend to take him out.
Joshua began stammering, searching for words to match Jack's ultimatum. For a moment it seemed that Jack had outwitted his friend and forced a bit of reason into him. However, just as he was beginning to believe he had won his friend over a sinister smile spread across Joshua's lips.
"Ahh, Jacky boy, smooth move, smooth move. You almost had me there." Joshua backed away from Jack, wagging a finger. "You changed the situation on me, taking the position of deal maker. But that isn't how it works. I make the deals."
Jack breathed out through his nose, clenching his fists as the table turned back on him.
"Then what's your deal?"
"Join me and only the royal family will pay."
Jack's heart plummeted into his stomach at Joshua's words. He began to sweat, forcing him to wipe his palms on his wet pant leg.
"Join you? What do you mean join you?"
Joshua tisked. "Don't play dumb with me now. You know what I mean. Help me out and only Azula, Ozai, and Zuko will pay." Joshua held up a finger for each person listed. "I won't even harm Mai or Ty-Lee."
Jack licked his lips as he tried to settle his reeling mind. How in the world had this situation turned on him so fast?
"Josh, I…I don't know."
"Ohh come on man, it's not that hard. Either you help me take out the royal family or else I take out everybody. It seems like an easy decision."
"Ohh ya?" retorted Jack. "What if I just take you out instead? That seems like a pretty easy decision to me."
Joshua laughed. "Please. Is it my turn now to hold my hands out?" he asked, mockingly raising his arms in surrender. "Fine then, go ahead, bash my brains out."
To the surprise of both of them Jack leapt forward and tackled Joshua to the ground, pummeling the boy with his bare fists.
A struggle followed, one where Jack found himself on top of Joshua, wailing away at his friend. He threw down punch after punch, landing solid blows on Josh's face, splitting the boy's lip. There was a resounding crunch when he landed a blow on Joshua's nose, the bone crumpling behind his fist.
After pounding Joshua for a minute or so he found himself flying through the air. Joshua had shot his hip up, throwing him off. He slammed into the ground, a flash of white passing through his vision as his head whipped against the stone. Looking up, he saw Josh charging him.
Quickly he leapt to his feet, ducking Joshua's punch and stepping into his friend, wrapping his arms around the boy's legs. With a quick thrust from his hips, he lifted Joshua off the ground, slamming him back down a moment later. He then proceeded to get to Joshua's back, putting him in a chokehold. Josh's head rested in the crook of his elbow, his bicep muscle pressing against his friend's Adam's apple.
Jack trembled as held on to Joshua, fighting to keep the hold. The boy thrashed and reached back at him, but he avoided his prying hands. Slowly, Joshua began to choke, a gurgling noise emanating from his mouth.
All Jack had to do was pull tighter, and it would be the end of everything. No more Joshua, no more goons, and no more problems. He could end it now with just a bit more effort; but, somehow, he just couldn't do it. They had been through too much for him to end it like this. So, in a moment of compassion, he let his friend go, shoving him away.
Joshua started hacking, crawling away on all fours. Jack stood up behind him, breathing heavily and pouring sweat. His chest and hands were smeared with blood, a few bruises already developing.
"Well, that could have gone better," Joshua managed, coughing as he made his way to his feet.
"I can't join you Josh, but I also can't kill you," said Jack.
Joshua looked at him, his face stained crimson. "Don't underestimate yourself Jacky boy. You were a hair's breath away from ending me, and I believe you can do the exact same thing to the royals."
Jack shook his head. "Josh, I told you, I can't betray Zuko."
"You can betray Zuko, and you will," said Joshua. "And in the process, you'll save all your other friends."
Jack stared at his friend, the thoughts racing through his mind. Could he really risk the others when it was their past to blame? How fair was it to put Katara and Aang and Toph in danger when it wasn't their problem? Surely he owed them something for saving his life. Would it really be so bad taking out Azula and Zuko?
The battle must have raged across his face, as a smile spread across Joshua's face. The boy extended his hand, holding it out for Jack to take.
"What do you say?"