Chapter 14: Responsibility
AN: Hello, hello! New week, more chapters! Thank you to everyone for your kind reviews! To Ashley Barbosa and TheGentleBreeze especially, I appreciate your kind comments on multiple chapters! You have made my dark days a lot brighter :) More politics and drama to come in this chapter, I hope everyone enjoys!
I apologize for any grammatical errors, English is my second language.
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender
The cool, gentle breeze of Ba Sing Se and a shivering waterbender was what woke Aang up in the morning. Stretching out against the fur of Appa, the airbender stared up into the sky to try to locate the sun. To his dismay, the sun wasn't even up yet, and both Katara and Appa were soundly asleep. Katara however, was curled up in a ball next to his form, clearly trying to gain any sense of warmth in the chilly night. Taking a few more moments to watch the sky, Aang gained the sense that the moon was slowly making its final descent and the sun would soon be rising.
Knowing that he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep, he figured he could at least help his beloved out. Cradling her into his arms, he gently stood up with the blanket wrapped around her, smiling as she nuzzled herself closer to his body with a sigh of content. With everything that he has been through in the past 2 weeks, he had been extremely grateful for Katara. Once again, she had been his rock and continued to stay by his side through his many downs. Aang just hoped that he would be lucky enough to spend the rest of his life making it up to her.
Arriving into the bedroom, he gently placed Katara back under the covers, wrapping them tightly around her and using the firebending in the hearth of the room to help keep her warm. As much as he wanted to sit and wait for her to wake up on her own, he needed to clear his mind and think about things, especially with the second day of peace meetings occurring this afternoon. After yesterday, the airbender looked forward to having any sort of improvement for the upcoming meeting. Before he left, he decided to jot down a quick note to Katara so there wouldn't be any misunderstandings for his disappearance.
Katara,
I needed to clear my mind, so I am going to Iroh's to have a chat with him. I'll plan on seeing you at the Peace Meeting at noon. Thank you again for last night, I could go on and on about how much you mean to me but then I'd never be able to leave. Just wanted to tell you that I love you.
Aang
Content with his letter and the state of Katara's comfiness in bed, Aang headed back out of the doors and into the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se. Since it was still dark out and he had no idea if Iroh would be up immediately at sunrise, the airbender decided to take a leisurely stroll through the Upper Ring as he made his way to the Jasmine Dragon. As he took in the large, beautifully landscaped homes, Aang took the moment to do some meditation and take an inward look at his thoughts and feelings.
To be honest, he was upset. Really upset. Life was extremely frustrating for him right now. He was still in the middle of one of his bouts of depression, and honestly nothing seemed better than sleeping the day and pain off. Instead, he had to spend the day with abhorrent jerks that called themselves politicians. Aang had never been one to try to boast about his accomplishments. In fact, since the war ended, the Avatar grumbled when a crowd of people rushed up to thank him and his friends. But the way he was treated yesterday at the meetings . . . don't they have an ounce of respect for what he did? Did they not realize the sacrifices he had to go through to fulfill his duty as the Avatar?
Aang loved his nation, and he misses them every day. He only wished he had the opportunity to talk to Monk Gyatso about these peace talks. The politicians however . . . they disrespected the Air Nomads and called them weak. They acted like the peace that his nation preached was the reason for their downfall. Growling at the thought, Aang kicked a rock in front of him and sent it flying into the air. Who are they to say such things about his nation? What gives them the right to act like everything was Aang's fault? He will be the first one to admit that he still feels guilty about what happened a century ago, but thanks to Katara he has begun to accept it more and more.
Now, he feels as if he's back to where he started in the South Pole. Aang completed his journey. He fulfilled his mission. The airbender would even argue that he fulfilled his destiny as the Avatar. He ended the war and had helped put proper figures in power to help restore peace. The world doesn't understand what he had to go through during his journey. They don't seem to care that he still shouldn't even know that he is supposed to be the Avatar for another 3 years. At an age far too young, Aang shouldered the responsibility of the world with no complaints. He somehow pulled off the miracle of properly learning all 4 elements in less than a year, and hopefully by the end of these peace meetings, he would be entrusting peace back to the world.
Being honest with himself, Aang realized that he was tired. Exhausted, even. He had no real family to go back to and because of his current duties, he hardly felt like he had any time with his new family. The Avatar felt as if he had sacrificed enough time already to the world. Now he just wanted to relax. To have the chance to be a kid. To enjoy time with his friends. With Katara. Travel the world but this time enjoying the places they stay at and not always feeling like they had to be on the run.
As he approached the doors of the Jasmine Dragon, Aang let out a small sigh of discontentment. The airbender looked up to Iroh, and he admired him for his sage wisdom. He could only hope that the General would be willing to offer him advice now. Gazing his eyes back to the sky, he saw that the sun was now rising, so he knocked on the door, hoping that Iroh would be awake. Thankfully, the door opened right away and he came face to face with the jolly firebender.
"Ahhh, Aang, it is so good to see you! What brings you here this morning? Oh, where are my manners? Would you like a cup of tea?" Iroh chuckled, clearly joyful that he had a visitor. It was hard for Aang not to already feel somewhat better after taking in the old man's disposition.
Quickly bowing, Aang tenderly responded. "Good morning, Iroh, it is wonderful to see you as well. I hope I am not intruding on anything. If you would be okay with it, I would be honored to share tea and a conversation with you." The Avatar couldn't help but smile when General Iroh absolutely lit up in response.
"Well, it would be my honor, Aang," Iroh cheerfully replied. "You bring much joy to me, as sharing a conversation and a cup of tea are two of life's greatest pleasures! Now come in and get comfy while I brew up a kettle." Feeling much more at ease, Aang made his way to the table and watched as Iroh bustled around in contentment as he worked. After a minute, the Dragon of the West returned to the table with a pot and began to pour a cup for each of them. "I brewed up a special batch of Jasmine," he explained. "I find it to be particularly soothing, especially when something is on my mind. What is on your mind this morning, Aang?"
The airbender took a long and thoughtful drink out of his cup, allowing the warmth of the tea to soothe him. Looking up to meet Iroh's eyes, he decided to be forthcoming about his worries. "I'm really worried about the upcoming meeting today. Yesterday obviously didn't go as planned, and I'm not sure if I can mentally take another round of attacks towards me and my nation." Aang sunk into his chair for a moment, his eyes drifting down to look at the cup in front of him as he sulked. "It may be selfish of me, but I guess I was hoping for more . . . appreciation? I guess that I expected them to treat me like Aang, but they only viewed me as the Avatar."
Iroh took on a solemn expression as he took a couple moments to study the airbender sitting in front of him. Taking a sip of tea himself, he let out a deep breath before offering his wisdom. "I give you my sincere condolences, Aang, for the behavior of the representatives yesterday. They have every right to be angry about their own losses to the war, but their comments about the Air Nomads were highly uncalled for. If anything, your mature response in handling the situation shows that you have more intellectual wisdom than they will ever possess. But, your last comment intrigues me, Aang. Please tell me, what comes to your mind when you hear the word, "Avatar.""
Aang took a moment to ponder Iroh's question, before thoughtfully looking back up to meet the Old General's eyes. "When I hear the term "Avatar", I think of it as my job. I think of the duty that was forced upon me, making the world my responsibility. The Avatar State and the raw power comes to my mind, and the fear that it brings to others. It makes me think of the reactions that people have made to my title. The fear from the Fire Nation citizens to the hope that was also shown around the world."
The old man across from him nodded as he took in Aang's description of himself. "Now Aang, I want you to ask yourself. What comes to your mind when you hear your name?"
Aang shot a questioning look to the firebender as he took a sip of his own tea, and he allowed the tea to continue to calm his mind. After taking a moment to think, he thoughtfully let out. "When I hear my name, I think of my lost family from home. I think of the peace-loving, happy kid that existed before disappearing for 100 years. Feelings of endearment from my friends and family saying my name come to mind. My mind brings up feelings of love, compassion, and empathy. I like to think that I'm understanding, and a proud air bender."
Content with his answer, Iroh took the kettle as he poured a second cup of tea for the two of them. "Ah, so you feel that the title of the Avatar brings an unwanted burden to you?" When met with a nod, Iroh continued his wisdom. "It is vitally important that we not see ourselves through our outward appearance, but instead on what exists inside us. After I returned home from my siege of Ba Sing Se, I could only see myself as the failed General, who lost his son to fighting a pointless battle for his Nation. But, over time, I recognized that I still had much to live for. I recognized that the wisdom that I had wasn't just for strategic military planning, but could also be used to guide others down the right path. I found inner-joy in making tea, and I no longer focused on what the world expected of me, but what made me happy."
Drinking in his wisdom, Aang let out a small smile as Iroh's guidance seemed to click inside his head. "So what you're saying is that even though I have my responsibility to the world, I should focus on my own inner-happiness first?"
Iroh nodded with a smile. "Indeed, Aang. If you allow it to happen, you could be busy with serving the world your entire life. The world won't willingly step aside so you can take time to yourself. Your own time taken for inner-peace and joy will be what you choose to do for yourself. You will have to create that time to do that, even if that requires you being selfish every once in a while."
Smiling, Aang finally stood up, taking the cups and the kettle from Iroh. Heading to the kitchen to help clean up, he finally responded as he started to clean. "Thank you, Iroh for your wisdom. I will make sure to take advantage of the time that is given to me, and I will make a list of what truly makes me happy. Once again, I am honored to have shared this time with you." With that, he gave a soft bow to the former General.
The Palace of Ba Sing Se's Chamber was full once again, all representatives returning for the second day. Today's mood seemed to be more weary and anxious, as no politician walked away happy with the results of the previous day. King Kuei stood up, and addressed the crowd. "Thank you to everyone again for attending our second day of peace meetings. We are honored to host, and hope to have a productive meeting. General Fong will start our meeting off, as he has updates on the rebellion that took place recently.
Aang had to stifle his chuckle as Katara let out a groan next to him. "Good afternoon, representatives of all nations. The Earth Kingdom Army was busy all day yesterday, as they interrogated each of the 38 firebenders that were arrested from the rebellion. We are sorry to report that we do not have much to report, other than the fact that every single rebel responded with one statement, "all hail Fire Lord Ozai." Our troops were discouraged to say the least as we all are desperate cause, but they wanted to report on their disturbance they felt when interrogating. Each rebel seemed to reply in the same tone as the other, and they mentioned that every individual's eyes seemed to turn glossy black when they made their statement."
Katara, Aang, and Sokka shared a quick look as their faces scrunched with concern. They had seen this behavior before, and they were quite familiar with it. Aang then stood up to address the crowd. "Hearing this, it gives me reasonable suspicion that it could be remnants of the Dai Li that existed in Ba Sing Se that are responsible for this rebellion. When my team and I visited Ba Sing Se, we discovered an underground ring led by Dai Li where they would brainwash people in order to maintain control over the city and pretend that there was no war. Every single brainwashed person exhibited the same traits that General Fong just described of the rebels."
The representatives began to quietly debate among themselves before a politician from the Earth Kingdom stood up. Aang quickly recognized him as the one who directly insulted the Air Nomads the day before. "That's quite the accusation you're making, Avatar." He said with a growl, "For you to suggest that former Earth Kingdom warriors were the ones leading this rebellion of firebenders sounds absurd."
Aang responded with his hands in the air, maintaining his calm disposition as he responded. "I understand that it is a heavy accusation, but I assure you that the Dai Li are not a group that we should underestimate for their abilities. Are there any Earth Kingdom politicians that could give a possible update to Long Feng's status?"
Another General from the Earth Kingdom stood up to answer the question. "Long Feng was arrested by Earth King Kuei shortly before the fall of Ba Sing Se. After Ba Sing Se fell to the Fire Nation, there were reports of Long Feng and all of his supporters escaping." This caused more murmurs across the crowd. Even the politicians from the Earth Kingdom knew how much of a potential threat that Long Feng formed. If he was truly out there, especially with a crew of his own supporters, he could cause a lot of chaos and more rebellions.
Though this brought anxiety to the Avatar, he made sure he didn't show it. He had to show his confidence and make sure that he led these peace meetings on the right track. "Very well then, unless anyone else has an opposing suggestion to the cause of the rebellion, I suggest Long Feng to be our priority suspect. If we are truly to achieve peace for the world, we need to make sure that we are stopping these rebellions at the root of the cause, and arresting Long Feng could very much achieve that goal."
The room fell silent as they anxiously waited for someone to voice their disagreements. Not even the Earth Kingdom representatives could find a more probable suspect. Taking this as a unanimous decision, Aang chose to continue. "First, we must focus on finding the location of Long Feng and the remaining Dai Li. I believe that he couldn't have left Ba Sing Se, as this city is where all of his power and influence exists. If I had to guess, there is one specific location to where they might be. Lake Laogai."
King Kuei then stood up, which caused the other two politicians that rose with him to immediately sit back down. "Avatar Aang, we will be happy to check there, but please know that the Earth Kingdom holds a shared concern about your statements. We would have no reason to want to start a new war, or cause any uprising to the rest of the world."
Aang nodded in confirmation. "I understand that, King Kuei, but you must understand that all individuals don't always represent the mind of one Nation. Unfortunately, Long Feng has a track record that gives a lot of suspicions to indicate that it would be him."
The Earth King let a lingering pause last between them before he officially spoke again. "Very well, this will include our meeting for today. Tomorrow is the day that we will be asking all nations to officially sign the peace treaty, marking the end of the war. We have a monumental time of prosperity ahead of us, so I encourage every politician to come up with any final concerns that they may have coming into the meeting. Thank you again for your time everybody, you are dismissed."
The mass of politicians began to move together out the door and into the vast city of Ba Sing Se. Aang, however, turned towards Katara, who he hadn't even had the chance to speak to all day. He didn't mind the hug she quickly brought him into either.
"I'm so proud of you, Aang." Katara stated while softly moving her hands across Aang's back. "Not to mention that I am the luckiest girl on the planet to be treated the way I was this morning. I'm going to make it up to you tonight. I'll cook up some dinner for the two of us, how does that sound?"
Aang dreamily stared back into his companion's eyes, a small blush showcasing his feelings for the waterbender. "I would love that!" he cheerfully replied. "Also, don't mention it, you remind me every day about how I'm the luckiest guy in the world." He again blushed when his last statement was met with a kiss on the cheek, before they were interrupted by a dry cough next to them. Looking over, he saw six politicians, two from each of the three other nations, and General Gun Ji staring at them.
"Avatar Aang, a word, please?" General Gun Ji asked, a more serious tone overtaking his usually joyful expression. Looking back to Katara, she quickly nodded at him before squeezing his hand and walking out the door. The group asked him to sit, and they quickly took the seats around him. "We were impressed with you once again, Avatar Aang. We never thought you could be so diplomatic."
While Aang was flattered, he just nodded curtly in response. He wanted to spend time with Katara and these people were cutting into that. "I appreciate the compliment, General Gun Ji. How can I assist you and your group here?" He noticed the discreet looks of trepidation that the politicians were giving each other in the group, making him all the more curious as to what this could possibly be about. Finally, General Gun Ji was the one to break the tension.
"We were wondering about what your future plans are after these meetings at Ba Sing Se, Avatar Aang. If everything were to work out the way it should, then World Peace could be achieved as soon as tomorrow. So, what is in your future, young man?"
The airbender wasn't sure how to respond to this statement. This question certainly wasn't one that he was expecting. Shrugging his shoulders, he made sure to make eye contact with everyone in the group as he responded. "I'm not sure, to be honest. Ideally, I would like to take some time to myself and give myself a short break. I know that the world will need me again soon, but I am rather exhausted from the war, and any moment that I can take to settle down and enjoy with my friends I will happily take."
He was surprised to see that this was met with a consensus of frowns from the group. None of the surrounding politicians chose to say anything though, as they all looked at General Gun Ji, waiting for his statement. When the General spoke, Aang thought he could detect some slight anger in his tone. "We are here to make a suggestion, Avatar Aang. Our militia will not be disbanded if the peace treaty is signed, instead we will travel the world and help the broken cities rebuild back to their once prosperous states. We figured with you being an Air Nomad, that this would be a perfect position for you. Plus, the world would greatly benefit to see all four elements working together."
Aang leaned back in his chair and subtly stroked his chin as he pondered the General's proposition. He had never really considered joining the militia before, but when the General puts it the way he did, it does allow him to live out a similar life to the Air Nomads before him. "I think that would be an excellent idea, General Gun Ji. I will make sure to tell my friends and our group would be happy to join you. Although, we may need to take a couple weeks to visit their homes so they can have the proper time they need before traveling the world again."
Once again, he found himself surprised to find that their response to his statement was not a happy one. Finally, a representative from the Northern Water Tribe spoke up. "Avatar Aang, with all due respect, we don't have a need for your friends to join. This is a request to you and for you only."
The airbender was quick to respond, a defensive tone rising in his voice. "What? Why can't my friends come along with me?" He looked at General Gun Ji for support, but he noticed that the General was not looking at him. The Northern Water Tribe representative chose to respond instead.
"Well, from the Water Tribe perspective, Sokka is a nonbender. This militia is for benders only, so he wouldn't be able to join us. While we respect everything that Master Katara has done for the world, we know that a lot of waterbenders in our militia wouldn't be . . . thrilled . . . if she were to join. As for Toph, we find her far too immature to provide the proper help that the world would need. Then as much as we would love for the new Fire Lord to join us, there are obvious reasons as to why he can't take part."
Aang was outraged. Standing up, he chose not to hide the anger that he felt in his response. "You're outcasting my friends because they are too immature and the opposite gender? If that's the way that the militia is going to operate, then you can count me out of it. I appreciate what you're doing for the world but that is not how I'm going to treat people."
General Gun Ji responded with a sigh of exasperation. "I thought you might say that . . . that's why we're not giving you a choice. Think of your responsibilities, Avatar Aang! You have a duty to serve this world, your friends do not. You must forget them and move on! The world needs you, Avatar Aang! You can't possibly choose to be selfish and choose your own needs over the world's."
Aang had been patient. He put up with far too much than he was supposed to these past couple days with these politicians. Standing up and staring eye to eye with the General, he narrowed his eyes as they formed daggers. "What do you mean, I don't have a choice, General?" he let out through gritted teeth.
The General only smiled, as if this were the exact response that he was wanting. "Simple. My friends here have a lot of political pull in each of their respective nations. You say that you don't want to join us? Fine . . . but we will make sure that the peace treaty never gets signed."
"Are you trying to blackmail ME?" The Avatar roared in response, his tattoos glowing and a gust of wind surged through the room. Seeing the fear that he hated eliciting from people come out of the politicians' faces, he took deep breaths to calm himself down. General Gun Ji could only smirk in response.
"Careful, Avatar Aang. You attacking these politicians here would lose you all credibility to the rest of the politicians. We'll give you the night to think about it, but if you want that peace treaty signed tomorrow, I advise that you give us your decision before tomorrow's meeting." With that, General Gun Ji and the politicians around him walked out into the night, leaving Aang alone. Resisting the urge to throw the chair next to him across the room, he decided that he needed to see Katara.
To say that Katara was upset that General Gun Ji and the politicians ruined the first interaction that she was finally able to share with Aang that day was an understatement. She reminded herself though that they were about to share a wonderful meal together, and that she would be getting to spend time with her soul mate who had just spoiled her rotten this morning. She found it almost freeing to know how unbelievably easy it was to express her feelings and love Aang, when it had been so hard not even a month ago. As she made her way out of the Palace, she was quickly stopped by a group of waterbenders. She recognized them to all be a part of the Northern Water Tribe, with the exception of a couple of warriors from the Southern Water Tribe.
"Master Katara!" A member from the Northern Water Tribe began, "We wanted to take a moment to commend you for all of the work you have done for the world. To say that you represented the Water Tribes well would be a disservice to your heroic deeds." Katara couldn't help but beam in response. Normally she tried to stay humble to the world's compliments, but from a male from the Northern Tribe?
"Why thank you, I am honored to have earned such a recognition from the Tribes. I can't begin to express how much it means to me." Katara responded with respect and appreciation in her tone. The Northern Water Tribe member merely nodded in response.
"We have to make an admission, Master Katara. Your recent visit to the North Pole showed some of the errors in our ways that we practice waterbending. Once the peace treaty is signed, we plan on opening up our waterbending schools to both men and women who wish to participate. Men can learn healing, and women can choose to fight if that is their wish."
Katara didn't even bother to hide the joy that spread across her face, tears welling in the corners of her eyes. "I can't even begin to tell you how much that means to me. Thank you! Thank you!" The mirth and excitement in her tone brought smiles to everyone that was in earshot of her.
"Of course, Master Katara." The Northern Water Tribe Man continued, "If you are willing, we would like to make you a teacher at either the North or the South Pole. We believe that future waterbenders would benefit greatly from your instruction." Katara couldn't believe her ears, she almost had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. "We just ask one request of you in return." Katara nodded, she would do anything to have her own waterbending school.
"If you are to be a teacher at one of our waterbending schools, we would need to make sure that you are following Water Tribe laws." Okay, that's easy enough. "Unfortunately, we have suspicions that you are breaking one of those laws, and we just wanted to make sure that isn't the case. What? What law could she possibly be breaking? "As you may remember, Master Katara, the Water Tribes are very selective about who they choose as their suitor. Both Water Tribes, North and South, have a law that you are not allowed to court anyone from another Nation." Oh.
The tears that started to fall down her cheeks showed how much this decision hurt her. She dreamed of being a waterbending instructor, and now they were going to take that away from her because of her relationship with Aang? "So you would really take that all away from me if I chose to be with Aang?" she practically pleaded her question to the group of men. When met with a nod in response, her tears only flowed faster. "You all sicken me!" Katara shouted, before running home.
As Aang finally stepped inside the house, he noticed everyone eating dinner, except Katara. When he shot a questioning look to the group, Toph just pointed in the direction of their shared bedroom. Dragging himself over to the door, he opened it to the dreadful sight of Katara laying against her pillow, sobbing into it. Suddenly, nothing mattered anymore. He had to comfort her.
Running over to the bed, he threw himself beside her, and took her into his arms. He held her tightly against himself, not wanting to ever let her go. Stroking his hands through her hair, he adjusted himself so he could allow her to sob into the crook of his neck. "Shhhhh . . ." he coaxed, "I'm not going anywhere . . . I'm here for you." Noticing a bowl of water next to him, he suddenly formed an idea.
Using the push and pull, he bent the water in his hands until he heard the familiar hum and watched the magical glow of the healing water. Using the water, he gently pressed his hands onto her shoulder and back, lightly massaging it and trying to get her to relax. He allowed his movements to be slow and steady, smiling at the purrs and soft moans of relaxation that her body gave in response. Eventually, Katara fully melted into his body, just softly laying against him, but he decided to continue. Working over every muscle in her back and shoulders, he diligently worked to bring her as much peace as she could. Her tears were now gone, and as he bent the water back into the bowl, he gently wrapped his arms around her.
Katara looked up at him, her eyes bloodshot and nuzzled her head against his forehead. She brought herself down and gave him a soft and gentle kiss, expressing her appreciation for his actions. "I'm sorry to do this to you, Avatar, but I think you now have another daily responsibility added to your list." She tried to say in a joking tone, a laugh escaping her wet face.
Aang let out a grin in response. "Now that's a duty that the Avatar happily accepts." Cupping her cheek and kissing away some of the wet tears, he gently probed her. "What's wrong, Katara?"
Still sniffling, she didn't dare break eye contact with the soft stormy eyes that she was now lost in. "They . . . They want to take me away from you! They want us apart!" When Aang gave her a look of confusion, she painfully recounted her interaction with the waterbenders. Telling him that they had praised her and offered a position to teach at one of the poles, but that they would not accept their relationship together. It pained her even more when Aang's expression was full of pain and hurt.
"Katara . . ." he whispered. "That's a once in a lifetime opportunity, I want you to make your decision, but I would feel guilty if I was the one holding you back from something like that. That's been your dream, Katara."
The waterbender could only shake her head in response. "My life isn't worth living without you, Aang. I could never forgive myself if I selfishly followed my dream to give up the one I love. You mean too much to me. I made the mistake of letting you go once and I am not going to make that same mistake again." She could only smile at the relief that filled Aang's eyes.
"General Gun Ji and the militia threatened me tonight as well. They want me to join their militia. I told them that our group would happily serve and they denied me that request. They only want me. In fact, they're trying to blackmail me into joining them. They told me if I don't make the decision to join them by tomorrow's meeting, that they would do everything they could to stop the peace treaty from being signed."
Katara could only look back at him with a sad expression. Their group had given so much to the world, why were they treating them this way in response? She happily stayed cuddled against him, her head on his chest as they both began to drift off to sleep. First, they needed to rest, but tomorrow she looked forward to teaching the world an important lesson that you can never keep two soul mates apart.
