Katara was often told she did not know how to let a matter drop. She considered this, as she went in search of Tahoe.
Aiga had been less than forthcoming about the house and the people that looked startlingly like her. Katara had realized she really knew very little of substance about Aiga's family, about her life.
"You can always tell me," Katara had asked. Aiga had just continued to set out her clothes for the next morning.
"Not today, Princess. Please."
So, Katara had stopped asking...her, at least.
Tahoe was on rotation near the Royal Solar, or as Katara had learned from Zhi that this just meant a big fancy private room, which Ursa was in currently. She was happy to find him at his post alone, though another guard sat not too far away.
"Tahoe, may I ask you something about Aiga?"
"Has she done something wrong, Princess?" Tahoe's face switched to horror. "Is she in trouble?"
"No, no, nothing of the sort." Katara patted his arm. "Do you know much about her family?"
Tahoe tilted his head, frowning. "Not more than you, I'd think. I know she came from the lower sectors, as most of us did."
"Would you know anything about a house near the fourth quad, red shingles, with a lot of people that look just like Aiga?" Katara asked. From Tahoe's face, it was clear he hadn't.
"Princess, what is this about?"
"I just...I think she wants to talk about it, but as close as we are...there is a divide. If you may find the time to get her to open up...I know what it's like to hold things inside until it's too painful." Katara rubbed her arms. "I'm just worried, is all."
Tahoe threw her a soft smile. "Of course, Princess. I'll be sure to talk with her."
"Right. Thank you. Erm, carry on?" Katara rarely knew how to end conversations with the help here. Most just left without saying anything, but Katara felt weird doing that. Not to say her current way wasn't equally as awkward.
She saw Sokka waiting outside her room when she returned to the Ladies Rooms. He had a handful of rolled scrolls in his fingers, his thumbs and face smudged with ink.
"I need you to draft these better," Sokka said, holding up the papers, causing half to lose their precarious position and tumble to the ground.
Katara welcomed him into her room. Taking only one look at Sokka's near illegible notes, Katara knew he'd been having the same thoughts that she had been.
That, each day that went on, was one more day of Zuko and Katara stealing time that wasn't theirs. That it was one day closer to a Fire Sage commanding Zuko to pick a wife and Katara having to say goodbye. One day nearer to the inevitable end. One more day that their people reaped the benefits of her presence in food, supplies, and other goods, but one day of become more reliant on this. Even with the promise of a trade set up, they had become woefully used to the thrice-weekly shipments from the Fire Nation.
Her people were enjoying the food as it came. And Ozai wasn't the sort to encourage them to go out on their own. He sent food that would spoil if not eaten quickly, leaving them dependent. They needed to be looking toward the future, to surviving on their own. There would come a day that the shipments would no longer come. They'd have to trade their own wares, prepare. Or, worst case scenario but hardly an impossible one, there may come a day in which Zuko was captured or overthrown or killed, and Azula took the throne, and the Southern Water Tribe would get nothing but soldiers and weapons and shackles on their arms.
The first parchment: a green house. Sokka had also grabbed a Farmer's Almanac and the pair scoured through, looking for the most resilient plants for their climate. They bounced ideas off of each other to make it useful in the winter as well; harnessing the little sun they got to bounce off mirrors, heating it with ever-going fires, building an igloo around it to build up heat...all good ideas, but none that could be confirmed until tried.
They drew up plans for smoke-houses and pickling cans. They looked at how to dig stores underground that would not collapse.
They discussed how to make better houses.
Hours into their talks, with Katara's fingers just as dirtied as Sokka's, she gave him a soft, sisterly smile.
"What? I have something on my face or something?" Sokka said. He did, but that's not what caused her expression.
"You're going to be a good chief one day," Katara murmured.
Sokka punched her arm lightly. "You will too."
It wouldn't be the same. She'd be a chief like her mother or Bato was. Sokka, though...he was always meant to lead.
Sokka got up, stretching his arms. In his clumsiness, he knocked the papers off Katara's desk. He leaned down to shuffle the papers back into groups of her things versus their things, but became drawn to one sheet. Katara peered over his shoulder to see her notes of possible weapons she could use in the upcoming match, and if it would change if she could know who she'd be up against. What weapons would work best across the board, since she would not know.
"Oh, yeah, that," Katara said, trying to grasp the sheet from his fingers, but he held tight.
"Katara," Sokka sighed. "When you were born, I promised dad I'd protect you. That's what brothers do. You know you've made that unbelievably hard?"
"Like you run away from danger. You're no better than I am." Katara rolled her eyes.
"I'm serious." Sokka's voice was quiet. "You've probably had the same thoughts about this whole thing. That you can't just let things go and Ozai knows this and he'll use it against you. He could kill you, and no one would blink an eye, if done in the sham of his completion."
"Yeah." Katara's fingers twirled around her hair loops. One word, that's all that she needed to say.
"I," Sokka's finger's ripped through the parchment, "Is it worth it? This? For him?"
"Sokka-"
"If I don't say this now, I'll hate myself. You'll hate me for saying it, but at least the thought will be there. If you get called and it's against someone you know wouldn't hesitate to kill you, throw the fight. Don't engage. Let them win and walk away alive."
"You're right, I do hate you for saying that," Katara snapped angrily. "I wasn't taught to just back down from a challenge, and neither were you!"
"I was taught when to know that a battle isn't worth it! Dad told me that not every battle is worth your life, most aren't! I was taught to stay alive!"
"But what if this is the war?" Katara asked, her voice growing near frantic, "Because, if I throw it, I know I'm going home-"
"How is that different than now?" Sokka demanded. "How is that any different. You know how this ends. You know it."
Katara stood, biting her cheeks to hold back her tears. "You don't get it. If I throw the match, that's a day on the calendar. A date of the end that I'm just waiting up to, dreading. Knowing my time is up. It's like if we were told what day we'd die on, we'd all spend our whole lives worrying up until that point. If I win it, there's more time with him, I don't know how much, but it's more time. You don't get how badly I want that time."
A flicker of something across Sokka's face, like a pain that she knew well. "Katara, I...I get it. Not just saying it to say it. I know what you mean."
Katara's whole tirade dropped, just for a second. Sokka's face was red, and his fingers ripped apart a tiny piece of parchment. It was the same nervous tic that Katara had. Understanding, at least in one way, flooded her. How had she not noticed her brother falling in love, with someone Katara couldn't guess, right in front of her?
"You don't mean-" she began. "Who?"
Sokka gnawed on his lip, and opened his mouth.
"Sokka? Katara?"
Zuko tapped on Katara's door. Sokka seemed all too pleased to be saved by his interruption, practically sprinting over to open the door.
"Hey, Zuko. What's up, man?"
"Glad you two are together. I have a little surprise," he said.
Sokka grasped his chest. "For me? You shouldn't have, darling. But I thought we weren't going tell Katara, she's the jealous type, you know," he said, giving Zuko a saucy wink. Zuko just snorted, rolling his eyes.
"Yeah, ew, stop." Katara shuddered.
"Not that sort of surprise." Zuko looked equally horrified. "Katara, I wanted to tell you that I've secure and hired a master swordsman to aid you for the match, to teach you sword fighting. I've been saying for a while that you should learn a secondary skill, since bending is a weapon that - as Ty Lee has shown - can easily be taken away."
"Awesome!"
Katara's eyes shone with excitement, until she truly thought about it. "Wait, just for me? Zuko, I'm concerned that the other girls will realize this is blatant favoritism for you to just give me lessons. I know our affections aren't exactly hidden, but this goes too far, no matter how much I appreciate the sentiment."
Zuko just smirked. "What do you take me for? A fool?" He turned to Sokka. "Sokka, I've hired you a swordsman. I do expect you to attend, not just for show, but because I also think it would be good for you to learn this as well. So, here I am, giving you – Sokka - the paper that officially has your name on it."
"Oh!" Sokka said, nodding. "Sneaky, sneaky." He laughed.
"What?" Katara stood, coming to stand by the pair of boys.
"It's why I was glad you two were already together for this," Zuko said, tilting his head toward Sokka.
"Because, dear sister, if you were to accidentally see the time and location of my first couple lessons with this master dude, and were to show up in the annoying way you happen to do, and you were to happen to learn a few tricks during my lesson, well, who could call that favoritism?" Sokka explained with a wicked grin.
Katara felt a smile curl over her face.
Zuko gave a sigh of relief, patting Sokka's shoulder. "I think I might love you, Sokka," he teased, clearly pleased someone else ran on his level of cleverness and strategizing.
Sokka rolled up the lesson plans, wiping away a fake tear. "Right back at you, bud."
XXxxXX
That was not the only surprise that Zuko had in store for the Water Tribe siblings, as it would come to be. He hadn't wanted to say anything then, in case his second plans fell through, but two days later, Katara got a message delivered on a silver platter, with all the pomp and circumstance of a usual Royal Missive.
Princess Katara,
As our efforts to broker a trade agreement between your tribe and the Fire Nation progress, it has been brought to my attention that it may do me well to become better accustomed with some of the traditions of your tribe. Specifically speaking, to experience a fishing expedition through your eyes, as to better understand the ways of your people going forward. Therefore, today you and your brother-the Southern Water Tribe representative-will be accompanying me on a Fire Nation fishing boat for a very educational day. Expect to be gone a full day. Food will be provided, so only bring anything you think would aid my teachings.
Cordially,
Prince Zuko
Katara had a feeling there was more to this, but she couldn't figure out what. If it had been just her, she would have chalked it up to a creative date. The combination of her and her brother? Not exactly romantic.
Still, she arrived at the front gates to the palace early the next morning in her traditional fishing garb, or the closest approximation due to her lack of usual outfits and adjusted for the humid temperature. She was happy to see Sokka wearing a version of his traditional garb too, so she didn't look completely out of place. He was lugging behind him a basket where they often kept fish clean and cold.
What was even more hilarious to her was that Zuko was decked out in a similar look, except in the rosy colors the Fire Nation so seemed to favor. It was laughable, but also strange, because there were things that were markedly Southern Water Tribe to his outfit. Katara wondered where he found that on such a short notice. Or, she reasoned, this had been in the works for longer than she knew (which, that did upset her a little).
Either way, it was about an hour down to the docks, just like when she'd arrived. She had not been so far out into the city since coming here all those months ago. She hadn't been on a boat since she arrived, which may have been the weirdest realization of them all. As a child, and growing up, she'd spent more of her life on fishing canoes than she had on ice.
The talk from the palace to the wharf was safe; although they were alone in the palanquin, there were guards riding on ostrich horses close enough by to overhear. So, they talked about the weather of late (wet, hot, nothing new), of the new teas that General Iroh had been passing around during meal times, and of the colors that the Hall of Histories may be painted, and if either of them had strong convictions toward or against a truly obnoxious yellow shade that apparently Iroh had chosen.
Once they arrived at the harbor, Zuko was quick to get rid of the guards. When they protested, he asked Sokka if the Southern Water Tribe fished with guards, which was met with a derisive snort, and that was the end of that argument. Plus, he argued, he'd spent more than a few years on a boat himself. He was very well versed in sailing jargon, and did know how to man a Fire Nation vessel, especially one as small as the boat they were taking. It was larger than any of their fishing canoes or even war ships, but against the largeness of the ship Katara had been brought here on, it was in fact laughable even.
They also didn't have time to talk once they were maneuvering out of the harbor. Zuko seemed to have planned this precisely, for the ship needed no more than three people to run it. Once they were safely out of sight of the shoreline - or any ships for that matter - and the anchor had been dropped, Katara came up to the top decks.
"Okay, are we actually fishing?" she asked, crossing her arms.
"Don't see why not," Zuko shrugged. "But no, it's not the primary reason for this trip."
"It sure is a good cover though, eh?" Sokka was preening. "Brilliant, don't you say?"
"I take it this was your idea?" Katara snorted. Then, she frowned. "How often do you two talk?"
"I am actually the Southern Water Tribe representative and we are actually trying to work out a reasonable trade deal, so more than you think," Sokka pointed out. "But no, this little brain child of mine...ingenious."
"Yeah, yeah. Off your high horse. I may have thought of it too, had I had time to breathe and think properly of late." Zuko shoved the basket across the wooden planks to Katara. Cautiously, she opened the top of the lid and felt a mixture of relief and terror at all one. The journal was staring back up at her. Which meant the powder wasn't far beneath it.
"Oh."
"This way, we have a paper trail. A reason to go out to the middle of nowhere on the water," Sokka explained, kneeling.
"I am also going out tomorrow on a different boat with Yue, Arrluck, and Hahn to make this whole excursion even more believable." Zuko grimaced. "Also Sokka's idea. A good one, I can't deny."
"Well, you like Yue." Katara played with her fingernails. More than 'like,' she reminded herself. She had a feeling Yue was on the shortlist of Zuko's choices.
"Yeah, but add Hahn into any situation and it just makes it so much worse," Sokka reminded her. "Thank La I don't have to go out tomorrow. And, to think, you'll probably actually have to spend a full day learning about Northern Traditions. We'll give ya a crash course, in case someone asks, but let's be real."
"I'm just glad we're putting this whole matter to rest. It gave me anxiety to have it around all the time," Katara said decisively. "So, what's the plan?"
"We rip each page out of the journal and dip it in water to make the colors bleed. Then, we burn the pages to dust and spread it out over the lake," Zuko said, holding the journal.
"And the powder?"
Sokka lifted out a gigantic metal ball, likely what was making the basket so heavy.
"Toph wrapped the sucker in twelve sheets of metal. Nothing's getting out. With Zuko's help here, they carefully covered the original dust in molten metal, just to be super-duper safe. We sink this to the bottom of the ocean, never to be seen again. And, if by some bizarre chance it does wash up, no one's getting inside of this," Sokka said, holding it much more casually than he ever had in his life.
"Well, let's get to work, team." Zuko clapped his hands.
"See? That's why I think we still need a cool team name!" Sokka whined.
Both Zuko and Katara ignored him.
They all took to their jobs. Sokka filled a bucket with water and started ripping the pages and gleefully dunking them into the water. Zuko burnt each soaked page handed to him in a small basin. Katara was passed the ball, and she went over to the other side of the ship, dropping it into the bay. The splash of water was satisfying.
She was able to waterbend, feeling the sea part as the metal ball sank farther and farther down into the depths of the water. It was extremely deep, thank Tui and La. She maneuvered it to the bottom, and then pushed and pulled the water currents to her best ability near the ocean floor, covering the ball until it was buried a few feet down. It was tedious work, since controlling water so far away was not an easy task, and it was quite the strain to cover it. Katara didn't want to do anything about this job half-assed.
She finished just about the time that Sokka and Zuko were done too. The last thing to do was to spread the ashes around the boat. And, silently, they did, as though paying tribute to all the airbenders and citizens alike who had been killed by these monsters. Then, no one spoke as they watched the blackened dust sink deeper and deeper until it was gone.
"Well," Katara's voice was unexpectedly hoarse, "It's done."
"Finally!" Sokka's voice was much brighter. "I think we deserve a job well done," he said with a smirk. He went back into the basket.
"Sokka, you don't mean-"
"Of course, sis." Sokka pulled out a jar of clear liquid. "You may have your sake and fancy alcohols, Zuko, but in the South, we have Pearl Algae. It's shared by comrades after a good hunt or fishing trip, a job well done, and I would say this qualifies as a job well done."
"Where'd you even get that?" Katara asked, sighing.
"Dad."
Sokka unscrewed the bottle, taking a swig. He smacked his lips, grinning, holding it out to Zuko. Zuko raised an eyebrow, but lifted it to his lips. He took a much larger drink than anyone ever should, and immediately began to cough.
"You find that enjoyable?"
"Burns, right?" Sokka's eyes were glittering. "Puts some hair on your chest! Makes you a man, er, warrior," he added at Katara's disapproving frown.
"Burns, sure. Burns like it's trying to kill me." Zuko was still sputtering. "Let me try it again."
"Atta boy!"
"Oh, stop it!" Katara said. "It's gross and after a fourth of that jar, you won't know up from down. Plus, it has zero taste."
Zuko took a much less generous sip. "Well, that's for sure. What is this made out of?"
"Algae. And Katara's just a spoil-sport." Sokka waved her away. "It's traditional."
"It's for getting smashed quickly," Katara argued. "And I swear, we do have better drinks. This is not all we have to offer."
"I hate to say it, but this would sell well here." Zuko waved around the jar. "Especially in bars."
"Ha-ah!" Sokka waved a triumphant finger at Katara.
She rolled her eyes, leaving the boys to their drinking. She went and sat on the top of the boat, staring out at the vast expanse of the sea. If she ignored the heat, it was so barren that she could almost pretend she was home.
Zuko came and found her after a while, bringing sandwiches. She gratefully took one.
"No more Pearl Algae for you?"
"Someone has to be sober to drive the boat back. At this point, I don't think it will be your brother." Zuko laughed. "That's quite something. Enjoying the view?" he added, sarcasm heavy on his lips.
"Beautiful," Katara breathed, but she meant it. There was something utterly enchanting about a view of just nothing for miles and miles.
"Well," Zuko settled himself down, crossing his legs to eat with her, "If you go back this way, that's the Fire Nation Harbor. North takes you to Ember Island, a beach city. South, to the Black Cliffs, which are really volcanoes. If you keep going straight, you'll hit the Earth Kingdom. Well, first you'll probably nudge along the Crescent Islands, but eventually, you'll likely hit Pirate's Pier. Named because of the Pirates that trade there. Or, some of the other endless shores of Earth Kingdom."
Katara was rapt with attention. "Really? You seem to have a great handle on navigation."
"You could say that."
"Is the rest of the Fire Nation like this? Or, is it hotter the farther you go? Colder?"
"The Beach Town gets really hot, but the seas are calm and soothing, thus a popular destination. The Crescent Islands are about the same temperature, but mostly built on rocks. The Volcano lands, near the base, are a little colder. They're not usually active, so you don't have to worry about that. You don't-" He began to ask, but then broke off, looking embarrassed.
Katara knew what he was about to say. "No, of course I haven't a chance to go elsewhere. The South and here are the only places I've ever been. Even as a Princess." She leaned back on the hull of the metal ship, enjoying basking. "Though, to be honest, when I talk to the other contestants, it's not unusual. Most girls have never been outside of their own cities before the Choice."
"You're joking."
"No, truly. Even when suitors were being paraded around, it's a man's job to travel. Men are warriors. Men go out on the road. Women learn how to tend to the house. Why would they ever need to leave?" Katara sneered with a tinge of anger. "You, of course, spent your whole life traveling. I'm sure it doesn't feel foreign to you. But, truthfully, has Azula traveled much?"
Zuko quieted, answering her question by saying nothing. Oh, she was sure Azula had hit up some of the Fire Nation cities, but she had her confirmation that outside of their own nation, she had not the opportunities Zuko had.
There was silence. Katara sat up, shielding her eyes.
Zuko had been...off. At first, she'd thought it was about the whole business with the journal and the powder. He was still nervous now, so it couldn't be that.
"What?"
"Huh?" Zuko asked, a little distracted.
"Something is eating you, and you don't seem like the person to bang back shots of basically cleaning alcohol. What's wrong?"
Her mind leapt to the worst; that he was about to tell her that tomorrow it would be up. He'd be picking someone else tomorrow. She'd be going home. He'd be marrying someone else.
Zuko's eyebrows knit together. "I just heard from my Uncle. Zhao thinks he has a lead, out somewhere in the Earth Kingdom. He's taking his troops - Aang included - tonight."
Oh. This wasn't the worst she had thought, but this was undeniably the worst of things. So much worse than her own love problems.
"No," Katara breathed. "Does Aang know?"
"I'm sure he's being told now."
"What do you think will happen if they find someone?"
Zuko dropped his head into his knees. "Frankly, I don't even want to know. I just don't."
Katara, quiet for a second, just pursed her lips. Then, tentatively, she nudged Zuko's arm with her shoulder. Without thinking, Zuko moved her arm to pull her next to him. If either noticed about how domestic and comfortable the motion was, neither spoke. Instead, they just enjoyed the magnificent view of endless sea.
XXxxXX
The day was hot and dry, and the only relief was when the water splashed against the docks, showering the gathered men in sea salt. When Aang inhaled, it felt like he'd stepped onto the sun, and his Fire Nation standard uniform did little to offset the immense heat. He would take this over the Fire Nation weather, still, since if he were in the Fire Nation, he'd be sweating profusely.
"Think we'll find 'im?" one of the recruits asked, scratching underneath his helmet. "The tip seemed sketchy, at best. None of the others have panned out..."
"I hope so!" Aang winced at the enthusiasm of the second person's response. "We don't want those sorts alive. Gotta get rid of them right away, before it becomes a problem. Like weeds."
"I guess so," The first one sounded a little unsure. "I just don't want my family in no danger. If they are dangerous, like Fire Lord Ozai says."
"Of course they are!" The second huffed. "I wanna look these terrorists in the face. When Commander Zhao smokes them out, I'd kill to be in the room with him."
"I didn't meant to say Fire Lord Ozai is a'lyin, I just-,"
"Commander Zhao will pick whoever he feels is most correct to be in there, if he wants anyone at all. I think we should stop talking about it, lest the vermin overhear and escape," Aang said in a controlled voice, trying not to stumble over 'vermin'.
Very good, very logical, Kasata purred in his mind, cunning.
"Oh wow." The first soldier's eyes widened underneath his helmet. "You're right. You're right."
"No wonder Commander Zhao prefers Guardsman Kuzon," A third voice whispered, but this did effectively manage to quiet any talk about killing airbenders. Aang was of a mixed mind to be recognized as a favorite; on one hand, he did need to have a direct line from Zhao about the comings and goings. However, to be the favorite, meant to be appealing to this devilish figure. No matter how much you tried to keep your pretend life away from your real life, eventually, the two mixed. Years living at the Royal Palace taught him that.
"They got him! They found him!" a recruit called, running fast toward the milling soldiers, panting. He approached the docks, throwing off his helmet and running his fingers through his hair. "A real honest-to-Agni airbender!"
The bedlam that occurred was monumental. Aang was shoved aside by the stomping of soldiers and townspeople, to see the first actual airbender that he'd seen in over 100 years. Well, Dhakiya was an airbender, but he hadn't known, so that didn't count.
He had a horrible fear that this would be Dhakiya, because Zuko had been extremely tight-lipped about her current location. However, it was not a young girl at all that they dragged out, but a weathered man. He was already bleeding from a couple places, and he seemed to be more of a bag of bones than anything else. He stumbled over the cobblestones, and his clothes showed a man of little wealth. He was roughly shoved by the two guards, while Zhao paraded behind like a proud father.
Did any of his comrades honestly think a man that already looked an inch away from death posed any threat at all? Even if the airbenders were dangerous (which, surprise, they weren't.)
Aang positioned himself near Zhao.
"This really the airbender?" Aang knew he should have perhaps thrown in an insult, but he couldn't bring himself to, not at the ragged look on the man's face already. Sunken in brown eyes, light brown hair. He looked nothing like the airbenders of old, those that had coloring much like Aang's.
"Aye, son," Zhao said, kicking the man's legs as he hobbled to stand. "Coward was hiding out in some woman's potato cellar. Everyone gets what's coming to them eventually, though."
"I sure hope so," Aang said truthfully, looking at Zhao. He hoped this man would miraculously be let free, and he hoped Zhao was eaten by a moose-bear.
"Good townspeople," Zhao announced, tugging the man to his knees in front of him. "We require a location to interrogate this dangerous man. If one of you would be so kind to offer up a location, perhaps a boat, we will make sure your town is safe from his kind and any others who may think they can outsmart the Fire Nation."
There was an uncomfortable murmur that rose through the townspeople. Despite being commanded by the Fire Nation, none of the Earth Kingdomers seemed overly excited to offer up their place.
"We would, of course, be willing to give compensation," Zhao added after no one came forward.
A man with a full white beard edged his way forward. "How much are we talking?"
"Dear!" Assumedly his wife, a petite woman with gray hair pulled into a bun, a decorative stick through the middle, pulled on his arm, casting not quite a sympathetic look toward the airbender, but a look more than nothing.
"We need the money," the man said firmly. "We have a boat. It's not much, but it's what I can give."
Zhao threw a deceptively friendly arm over his shoulder. "I'm sure, sir, a proper price can be worked out..."
Hours later, Aang was sitting at a restaurant near the boat, legs bouncing with anxiety. They'd set up quickly. Zhao had taken some of the older military members on board. It had been hours; Aang was horrified to think of what they were doing to that poor man. His mind was whirling with ways to possibly get onto that boat, to fix this.
"Gonna eat that?" the soldier with the family nudged Aang. He looked down at his plate of rice, raising his head from his palm.
"Hmm? Oh, no..." He trailed off. He couldn't imagine eating. His stomach felt like someone was shaking it violently. This man could be dead already, and his whole reason for going along with this charade would be for nothing. What good was he as the Avatar if he couldn't save one old man?
"It is not going to rain!" The same old couple who had sold their usage of the boat to Zhao walked by the harbor restaurant. The man pointed to the clear as clear skies. The woman was arguing furiously with him.
"Well, if it were, you gave our boat away, so we can't get to those buckets aboard anyway."
"I leant it out, for this!" The man held the bag of money aloft. "And it's a perfect day. Not a cloud in sight," he said. The woman threw up her hands, stalking away.
Aang frowned, standing up, his helmet cradled under his arm.
"Ugg, no more rain," the guy who took his rice moaned. "The Fire Nation is floodin' enough without it."
Aang shot a near-friendly smile (no use alienating his fellow guards quite yet) but was asking the round table of voices. Gopan was offering his wisdom on weather patterns, but nothing conclusive could be made. Gopan bemoaned the fact he was only watching, claiming he used to be able to 'feel it in his bones'. Aang wasn't about to go through the exhaustion of switching minds to confirm this.
Still, Aang, ever-looking for a window, silently slinked aboard the fishing vessel, staying out of sight.
Within the hour, the skies darkened and the rain began to pitter-patter onto the deck. The town itself nearly cleared out. Aang saw most of Zhao's men gathering under awnings, using their capes as shields. Aang pressed himself against the side of the shack on the boat, inhaling.
If there are any Gods listening, now would be the time to really help your favorite Avatar out... Aang prayed in his mind. This was, of course, met with some responses and offended scoffs about being the 'favorite Avatar of the Gods' but eventually Kyoshi shut them all up.
Whether his pleas had been answered or the storm rolling in was set to be terrible either way, soon the rain was like tiny arrows on his skin and the wind howled like a dying polar bear-dog. The ship rocked like someone was playing with it, despite still being very close to the safety of the docks. Men rushed to tie it down more securely, but before anything could be done, a bolt of lightning lit up the sky like the sun, before cracking. The next thing Aang smelled was burning wood, and as he peered around the hut, he saw with glee that the ship had caught fire.
Talk about divine intervention, he thought with a sigh of relief.
He saw Zhao come up to the deck to see why they'd begun slowly sinking, and was preoccupied with a whole very uneasy crew. Aang wasted no time. He, light on his feet, tiptoed down to the lower decks.
There was only one room, so it was easy to find where the old man was being held. One guard was left to guard it.
"Commander Zhao says to go up on deck!" Aang tried to sound commanding.
He was a carpenter before this, Yangchen spoke evenly. I made sure to remember things like this.
"Part of the hull is blown out," Aang continued. "He sent me down because you'd know how to patch that. Go, now!"
Apparently, knowing the bit about his former occupation and that he might be well fit to help with such a disaster caused him to move.
This just left a door between Aang and the prisoner. It was locked, but one swift airbending blast (after making sure no one, and absolutely no one was around) opened it quickly.
Aang shut the door behind him.
"Ohh, no more..." the man moaned. Aang knelt next to him. His head hung low and his arms were tied behind a chair. His whole face was either covered in blood or bruises.
"Hey, hey, can you just hold on a little longer? I'm going to get you out of here," Aang whispered.
"Cruel tactic," the man wheezed. It sounded like a lung was punctured. "Too cruel..."
"It's no joke," Aang said frantically. "I'm here to save you."
The man lifted his head a little, breathing hard. "I'm sorry, but after today, I'm not inclined to trust anyone."
"Would you trust the Avatar?" Aang whispered. He very slowly lifted up a tendril of water with his hand, while making a flickering flame in his other. And, just to really drive the point home, he unlaced his ribbons on his fingers just enough for the blue arrow to peek out.
"Oh, spirits, it really is you." The man's eyes widened. "Am I dead?"
"No, still alive. You're going to stay that way." Aang rose. "I can't take you out now, but I wanted to give you hope. I'll need to find a reason to take you out of here, people would see if I tried to do it now. If I play my cards right, there's no reason I shouldn't be able to save you, still. If you can just hold out a little bit longer-"
"Avatar, please," the man said, his voice pausing Aang. "I don't have longer."
"Well, Zhao wants you alive. For information. He wouldn't kill you," Aang said slowly. The man gave a toothless grin, but it wasn't a kind one. Aang was sure some of those missing teeth was Zhao's fault.
"That's my fear. I am near the end, my friend. I know that keeping quiet is imperative, but the pain...forgive me, but there is not much more I can take before I tell your leader all that I know. And, if I do so, other, younger lives will be lost."
"More of us?" Aang echoed in horror.
"Near here. But I'm about to break. It's too hard."
Aang swallowed thickly. He could hardly blame the man, for he'd already endured so much. He had never asked for this. He'd never trained as a soldier. He was just an everyday merchant. This wasn't fair.
"Okay, okay." All the avatars in his mind were talking at once, and he tried to wade through their thoughts. "We need to get you out now. I guess I can-"
"You're undercover?" the man asked.
"Yes," Aang said, a question he could answer right now.
"Then you cannot risk blowing it. I am an old man. My life was near its natural end anyway," he said, a certain resolution settling over him. A peace that Aang didn't think he'd see.
"What...what do you mean?"
"Avatar, you need to kill me. Kill me so that I do not reveal where they are and more lives are not lost. We both know as soon as your leader gets what he needed, he'll kill me anyway. It is not unreasonable to think my heart gave out or the wounds were too severe." His smile was brighter now. "I will lay down my life for theirs and for the Avatar."
Aang stumbled back against the walls of the small room. "No, you don't understand! I can't! I'm...I'm an airbender by birth. We're pacifists."
"And, I mean no disrespect, but that may have gotten you killed 100 years ago," the man said. "There's eight of them. There is a girl who's only ten. These men cannot get her."
"No, there has to be another way," Aang argued.
"There isn't," The man said, which deep down, Aang knew to be true. He refused to admit it. He turned around, fingers in his black hair, panting as he frantically raced through options. Options that would get this man out of the ship and out of this town alive without blowing his cover or endangering the lives of the other benders...
"We need you, Aang."
Aang inhaled hard, like he was sucking in sea water. All of a sudden, he wasn't in the tiny boat room, he was on Appa. The storm, very much like this one, raged around him. He couldn't control Appa, the winds were too ferocious. He was falling, falling...Appa was trying to regain flight, but his fur was far too wet. He hadn't meant to end like this, he'd just meant to go out to clear his head, to visit Kuzon or Bumi and figure all this out. The Fire Nation had been coming closer and closer to their home. He was only 12!
Then, he crashed into the water. He could feel the dark, black sea swallowing him up as he swallowed more of it. It burned in his chest, and he had one thought; this is how he died. No one would ever know. Gyatso would never know. And Appa, oh, spirits, he hadn't meant to do this to him. He didn't mean to. He needed to save Appa...
We need you...we need you...we need you...
The voice in his head was not one of the Avatars, but Gyatso. It was more than a memory washing over him, it was the feeling of absolute guilt and anger and fear he'd managed to shove down for the past 4 years, ever since waking to see Zuko over him.
Why'd you disappear?
He was back in the boat, just like that, sling-shot back. His hand was against the wall, and when he picked it up, he realized he'd burned his imprint into the wall. His whole body was covered in a cold sweat.
"What," His voice was rough, "Did you just say?"
"I said...I need you, Avatar."
For once in his life, without Ty Lee's aid, his mind was silent.
This man needed him. His job as the Avatar was to save lives. And, he was going to save eight, and possibly more. There was no other way out of this.
"Okay." Aang swallowed, near tears. "Before I do it, what's your name?"
"Roddon, Avatar."
"Roddon, the spirits will welcome you. And I'll never forget you."
Three minutes later, Aang slipped back out and into the heavy rain and forced himself to make it back to shore and talk with the other recruits, per Kasata's instructions to have an alibi.
Twenty minutes later, when the ship's hole would be patched and everything would be back in order, and two minutes after Zhao and one man would go back in to continue the interrogations, the man would die with a smile on his face. Official cause of death, whispered amongst the men? Injuries during interrogation got the best of him. Zhao would punish his supervising interrogator heavily, but Aang couldn't feel bad about that.
He had figured, as an Avatar, if he could heal with waterbending, could he also kill?
The confirmation made him feel all sorts of uneasy.
They stayed in the Harbor Town one more night. Aang, having gotten instructions right before he left the room from Roddon, went to a small inn for dinner called 'The Weary Traveler' and turned off the lanterns in the third window from the door. This was a message to the other airbenders that it was not safe, if they hadn't already figured it out, and to continue on further into the Earth Kingdom, and above all, to trust no one.
They would travel back to the Fire Nation in stony silence, none as scarily quiet as Zhao. It was to the point that no one met his eye and everyone scurried around him like he might throw a man off a ship at any moment, which is not an unrealistic thought.
And Aang?
He felt as though he'd collapsed into his own mind, letting autopilot (or, more accurately, another Avtar) take over basic interactions, because he couldn't be bothered. If anyone noticed, they didn't say. Or, perhaps they were all considering their own necks and how much they enjoyed them being attached to their bodies to care.
Back in the Fire Nation, Aang found his feet taking him to Ty Lee's door late into the night, far later than it was acceptable by any means for someone other than the Prince to come calling at a lady's room.
He realized this, only after he saw the name near her door, and saw where he'd ended up. Frowning, he turned to leave, but the door opened suddenly.
Ty Lee was on the other side, her hair out of her braid, her eyes wide.
"Oh, Kuzon," she crooned, "Your aura is black."
He expected revulsion, horror. Instead, her eyes turned liquid as she pulled him into the room. "Are you okay?"
The question was so unexpected, so kind that it broke Aang out of his walls. He gave a hard shake of his head, and let Ty Lee wrap her arms around him. He hugged her back, burrowing his head into her neck, holding back sobs.
He did not speak a word the entire night, but somehow, Ty Lee still knew it all.
When I sent this to my beta to proof, I just titled it 'ANGST' which I think is accurate XD
How did you all like my spin on the episode 'The Storm'? We'll be re-doing quite a few of these episodes in this world, so just a look of what's to come ;)
Anyway, review all ya'lls. I had the WORST night last night; my car got towed and I had to pay $280 to get it back, and then when I was driving back to my bf's house alone in a city I don't know at all, I got rear-ended. And then the utter ass drove away before I could get his info. I got my shoulder yanked and I called in a police report, because I wanted my insurance to be covered and all, but it was -3 degrees, so I was freezing in my car anyway (even with the heat on) and managed to pick up a cold. Talk about a totally not fun night.
So please, review to make me happier XD