Hello, People of fanficton.
Chapter 6 is here!
Sorry for the delay again, but I'm incredibly busy at the moment, I might post another chapter and then take another break from writing to attend to other things I have.
Again, I'm really sorry and I hope you understand :)
I hope you like this one, and please don't forget to review.
It's been two days since the attack on Ryu's workshop, Aang has been sitting by his bed since then, nursing and looking after him, The Avatar has spent the last two days having personal dilemmas, two years have passed since he's made the inevitable promise to never hurt anyone again, how's he going to keep that promise with people like Xo around?
The earthbender has really gotten on Aang's nerves, to the point that the avatar almost broke his promise back in the workshop, it made him ache in his heart, it just proves that he still has violence in his heart, he still believes that violence could solve his issues, he hasn't learned from the Ozai experience, it made him feel desperate more than anything, the fact that he almost lost his temper on Xo and his gang.
Aside from the constant nightmares, that's what's been bothering him for the past two days, is he right about not resulting to violence with the likes of Xo? Because he saw the result of not defending Ryu, was he right about that promise he made?
All those thoughts were swarming across his head, until he heard a cough, and someone faintly uttering a word,
"water..." Aang heard the still unconscious Ryu speak.
The Avatar was instantly filled with happiness, "You're awake! Thank the spirits. I'm sorry for what happened to you… it's my fault, please forgive me." Aang said with tears falling from his eyes.
"Bomaang…" Ryu faintly whispered, only to be interrupted by the avatar.
"I know what you're going to say, and you're right about it, I don't deserve your forgiveness. I'm a coward, I should have defended you but I just couldn't… it's just that I don't like violence, it sickens me to see someone aching in pain, and it would sicken me more if I were the one to cause that pain. I know that doesn't excuse my cowardice, but it's the truth. Please, forgive me." The Avatar begged.
"Bomaang…" Ryu was unable to speak loudly so he started again faintly, but he was interrupted once more by the avatar.
"the fact that I just stood there doing nothing… oh spirits, I'm such a lost cause, I should've been-"
"Bomaang!" Ryu used all the strength he could muster to make his voice louder, so he could grab Aang's attention.
Aang finally noticed his calling, "Yeah?"
Ryu appeared to be hurting after he spoke loudly, so he returned to his faint voice as he reminded Aang of his earlier request,
"water."
Aang realized his mistake, "Oh yeah, I'm sorry. I'll get it right away." The Avatar said as he hurled and grabbed the jar of water and brought it to his master.
Ryu chugged the water as if he was drinking it for the first time in his life, Aang watched as his master finished drinking the water, he took the jar from him and he placed it back beside the bed, he waited for Ryu to say anything, but Ryu just closed his eyes and appeared to go back to sleep.
Aang couldn't help but just sit there and get back to looking after him as he sleeps.
As the avatar wiped his earlier tears, he heard the faint voice of Ryu speaking again,
"There is nothing… to forgive." Ryu faintly said before going back to sleep.
Aang couldn't help but smile widely as he heard this, his effort of wiping away his tears proved fruitless as tears fill again from his eyes, but this time, they were tears of joy.
"Hey, Dad
I hope you're doing fine.
We've, quite effortlessly, reached an agreement with Firelord Zuko, he welcomed the idea right away, he wants to help us rebuild our tribe as a way for the firenation to apologize for their crimes.
He's also facing some problems here in the firenation and as his friends, we have to stick by him in his time of need, so Sokka and I decided to stay in the firenation for a while until we help the firelord solve said problems.
We love you so much, and we're hoping to see you soon.
Love,
Katara and Sokka."
Katara finished writing the letter to her father, she attached the letter to the back of the messenger hawk, and sent it off, she left the window and got back to bed to continue her road to recovery, it was a heartfelt message sent to her dad, so that he doesn't get concerned for Katara and Sokka's safety as they decided to stay in the firenation for a while longer.
As said in the letter, they decided to help Zuko, as they knew he would feel alone without them in this battle, even though Zuko himself decided to leave the firenation on a journey alone, saying that he's going to recruit someone to help them out, Katara assumed it was the white lotus, but something about Zuko has been really off for her, if he was going to recruit the white lotus, what would prevent him from revealing that to them?
Anyways, Katara didn't get the chance to question him herself anyways, as she was still unconscious along with her brother when the firelord left, it was Mai who informed them of Zuko's intentions.
That power display was something out of this world. Katara thought on the bed as she remembered what knocked her out in the first place.
The waterbender still remembers the shape of the dragon that was formed by the fire which the assassin launched at her, it was something she's never seen, Katara has never seen such brutal display of power since Sozin's comet and the battle between Zuko and Azula, it's like that assassin has the power of Sozin's comet inside his chest.
Something to be fearful of indeed, no wonder Zuko decided to take a ship and leave the firenation seeking help, no one in this nation could help him in this case, he has to seek someone more powerful, like the order of the white lotus or the avatar.
Katara stopped herself from thinking any further as she hopped out of bed and went for the door, she knew that if she were to continue with this train of thought, she would eventually end up thinking about a certain young airbender.
She decided to head for Sokka's room to check up on him, her head was bandaged as she had this unstoppable headache that has been hurting her for the past two days since the attack.
She arrived at Sokka's room and knocked on the door,
"Come in." She heard Sokka's voice call from inside.
She opened the door and entered, "How are you doing?" Katara said.
Sokka immediately smiled upon seeing his sister, "Would have been doing great if it wasn't for that unbearable headache."
Katara chuckled, "Same here." She said.
"But hey look at the bright side, we are matching in head bandages." Sokka joked as he had the same head bandage wrapped around his head, same as Katara.
Katara couldn't help but laugh again, "You still find the most inappropriate time to joke."
"I told you, I make jokes when I'm uncomfortable, and that stupid headache is definitely making me uncomfortable."
"Yeah, me too. I just want to understand what was that? That was an incredible display of power, this guy can never be a normal firebender, even Firelord Ozai wasn't that strong, I'm sure."
"No, he wasn't, maybe with Sozin's comet at his side, but not on a normal day, No. and what's more terrifying is what the assassin revealed afterwards, the assassin said it was just a fraction of his power, imagine him in his full power." Sokka finished, looking at the ground in fear.
Katara had the same feelings, she sighed and looked at her brother, "Looks like I have no other choice."
Sokka looked at her raising an eyebrow as he didn't understand what she was hinting at, "No other choice than what?"
Katara gulped, she didn't want to mention his name, but she had no other choice but to face her fears,
"This is a huge threat we're facing, he might show up any time now. I have no other choice than to prepare to meet him." The waterbender said, and Sokka finally understood who she was talking about, but he didn't have a response to what she said, he's fought for two years to keep his sister sane, but the danger they are facing is definitely a very high-level threat, something only one person could deal with, and they have no other choice but to prepare to meet him,
Indeed, they have no choice but to prepare themselves for the avatar's return.
The Avatar heard a cough from his position beside the bed, he inspected the sound to find that it came from Ryu, perhaps he's thirsty again which is why he temporarily regained consciousness again.
"What happened?" The Avatar heard Ryu mutter.
Aang knew that Ryu finally fully regained consciousness, which is something that made him very happy, "Welcome home, my friend." The Avatar said.
Ryu failed to remember anything for a couple of minutes, he just stared into the ceiling, appearing to be looking for something, he then turned his head to look at Aang.
"Bomaang? What are you doing here?" Ryu asked.
The Avatar raised an eyebrow at him, "You seriously don't remember anything at all?"
"I'm trying to." Ryu responded, "The memories are starting to come back now... I got beat up so bad, dang. Xo's gang, frickin' imbeciles." Ryu muttered again, but it was enough for Aang to hear.
The Avatar looked at him, "It was my fault." He said, and then he turned his eyes to look at the ground in shame.
"It wasn't." Ryu responded immediately.
"Huh?" Aang asked confusedly, as his head perked up at Ryu's words.
"I would never blame you for standing by, I understand your issues, Bomaang, because I personally know how it feels."
"What do you mean?" Aang asked.
Ryu sighed, "Get me a glass of water first."
Aang did as asked, and waited for Ryu to chug down the water, Ryu finished drinking the water, he put away the glass and looked at Aang.
"I haven't elaborated on that for a very long time, but since I consider none to be a son of mine but you, I guess I will have the courage to say this now…" Ryu sighed again before continuing,
"I haven't always been a blacksmith in Yu Dao. Once, I was a swordsman myself, I had a wife and child, and I lived in Ba Sing Se. I served a high nobleman in the upper ring, he was such an honorable man with a beautiful yet daring wife, she used to be in the earth kingdom army, she fought multiple battles, that's why she didn't need her personal bodyguard, only the master did. he also had two beautiful kids as well. Almost three years ago, I decided to bring my master invited me and my family to have dinner with his family in the mansion. My child loved the master's mansion so much. Said it was like heaven…" Ryu smiled at the memory, before he continued,
"but unfortunately, that was the day the firenation invaded our city, it all happened so suddenly. The Dai Li betraying Ba Sing Se and joining princess Azula. The firenation army surrounded the palace. The master thought of negotiating with the men, but the master's wife thought otherwise, as soon as she saw them, she only yelled 'filthy ash makers!' and engaged the enemy. Me and the other guards had no choice but to fight as well…" Ryu stopped to have a sip of water, before he continued,
"She was incredible, she brought down six of the enemy's forces, me and the other guards only took care of four, but they were too many. Eventually, the master's wife went down, we were captured, and as you might know, the firebenders have their own way of tormenting their enemies, they tied me, my family, my master and his kids inside the mansion and put it to the torch… the fire got to my wife and kids and burned them first, then it got to the master and his kids, I was last in line… when the fire came to me, it only burned the ropes tying me down. as soon as it did, I ran out of the mansion. I was the only survivor, unfortunately." Ryu said, by then, tears were streaming down from his eyes as he was looking at the ground.
Aang had his mouth agape the whole time, what a horrifying story, and it only added to his guilt as he still carried the burden of letting Ba Sing Se fall to the firenation in his chest, although he might have hidden them well during the war for his friends' morale.
Ryu sighed and wiped his tears away, "afterwards, I had a lot of bad feelings circling inside my head, I decided to act on them, I became the terror of the firenation soldiers inside the walls, I was a swordsman, and had my fair share of talent in the art of stealth, I used them to take out firenation soldiers one by one. One by one added to my nightmares, some of them were innocents, others were war criminals. Until it came to me that what I did was wrong, I only made myself feel worse every time I killed a soldier, so I decided to atone, leaving all this behind, finding a fresh start in the city of Yu Dao, I opened my own workshop, and I helped a lot of people, that's how I got over my feelings of immense guilt when it came to taking lives. I helped revive more than I've taken." Ryu said, looking Aang in the eyes this time.
He held the avatar's hand, and looked at his eyes more, "Do the same, Bomaang. and you'll be the happiest man alive." Ryu finished, he then took the jar of water and used it to chug down more water, before he laid down on the bed once more to get some sleep.
Avatar Aang couldn't help but think of every word Ryu said to him, he didn't even have the strength to respond, what Ryu said was too much for him to comprehend in one go, but he couldn't help but grin as Ryu just gave him the solution to his issues, he looked at the man and smiled at him fondly as he said,
"Thank you, Ryu."
The Firelord finally arrived, he was in disguise of course, nobody knew he was the firelord, but he finally arrived at the port, the ship took its place at the docks and Zuko got off it along with the other passengers to wander around the city.
The Firenation colony of Yu Dao.
It's time for the avatar to get back to the world he's sworn to protect.
I hope you liked this one
Don't forget to review, please.
and have a good one :)