Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction ❯ The Next Chapters ❯ Next ( Chapter 2 )
[ A - All Readers ]
By: Miss Luccifer 
Non Anime: Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 04.23.2009 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.9K | Visits: 375 | Status: Work In Progress
Non Anime: Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 04.23.2009 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.9K | Visits: 375 | Status: Work In Progress
At such high altitudes, the temperature had fallen causing the party to huddle under their jackets. Katara, so happy to be returning home to her father, with her brother and new boyfriend in tow, closed her eyes and rested her head on her hands on the edge of Appa's saddle.
She could vaguely hear Sokka and Suki talking mush to each other, and though she pretended to be annoyed sometimes, she actually thought it was sweet. One eye opened and she put minimal effort into glancing at Aang, who was riding contently on Appa's head. She and Aang. Together. She closed her eye again and sighed. It would just be another few hours and she would be home. The air rushing past her was a bit cooler than she'd like, but the rays of the sun fell upon her face and she smiled into the warmth.
They'd spent the last couple of days returning Toph to Ba Sing Se and enjoying a hot cup of tea or two (or five) with Iroh. The old man was happy to have his tea shop back. The building did need some repair after the damaged caused from the war, but, despite the lack of a wall on one side, the place was as comfortable as home.
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"HEY, DAD!!! IT'S ME, SOKKA!!!"
Katara started awake at the sound of Sokka yelling. Panic ran through her, but quickly faded when she saw her brother jumping up and down and waving frantically. She groaned and rubbed her eyes, stretching out her legs. They'd been tucked beneath her when she'd fallen asleep and and now they were numb. "Are we there already?"
Suki crawled over, ignoring Sokka's excitement. "Almost. We're still about a half-hour away."
"Then why is Sokka yelling?" Katara stared dumbfounded at her older sibling, who had yet to cease his joyous outbursts.
Suki shrugged. "I think he's just happy to be home."
Katara's face settled into a smile. "Yeah. Me, too."
Suki left her side to join the calming Sokka and put her arm around his waist. Sokka squeezed her close and planted a kiss on her forehead.
Katara was still trying to work feeling into her legs when Aang approaced. He smiled as big as ever. "Hey, Katara."
"Hey, Aang. How long was I asleep?" she asked, noting the position of the now-setting sun. The clouds had turned pink and gold, and nighttime was just on the other end of the horizon.
"Just a few hours. We had to stop so Sokka could have a bathroom break--" he ignored the dirty look he was receiving from Sokka "--but now we're almost to your village." He jerked a thumb in the direction of the town. "I'm gonna go make sure we land okay."
Katara nodded, From below, there was a shout she only recognized as her father's, and she leapt up to join Sokka in his excitement.
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Light was faint. Humidity was high. And the air...the air just felt dirty and stale. It smelled dirty and stale. It even tasted dirty and stale. To be reduced to this--a nearly old man, huddling on a bench in the Fire Nation prison he'd helped build. Ozai growled to himself and thrust his fist into the wall.
Even after hundreds of punches, the wall refused to give, and his knuckles still bled. Raw, reopened wounds leaked plasma and pus, and the ex-Firelord felt nothing. Nothing but hatred for those responsible for putting him here. He punched the wall again, thinking of the Avatar, and how his bending had been taken from him. His treacherous son had left his side to join the Avatar--even after his honor had been restored.
Eyes squeezed shut in frustration and anger, the ex-Firelord began to pound the wall with a single fist, over and over, until the skin across his knuckles had broken to the point of revealing bone. Blood smeared the brown bricks, and with a final blow, Ozai's knuckles shattered upon impact. He paused for a moment, staring in shock down at his misshapen hand. Then he let out a frustrated scream.
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The new Firelord pored over a table, staring at yet another map of the world. His father hadn't given him much to work with. If Zuko was ever going to find his mother, he'd have to get more details. He sighed and rolled his neck. He didn't really even know where to start. All he had at the moment was the conversation he'd had with his dad at the prison.
"Where is my mother?" Zuko asked, leaning his face down closer to the bars of the prison cell.
Ozai was quiet for a moment, holding a blank look on his face. Then, he laughed. "You want to know where your mother is? Ha! I have no idea where she'd be by now. That fool left to spare your life. What a wasted effort," he added under his breath. Zuko pretended not to hear. He would stay calm, not show anger.
Zuko asked again,"Where is my mother? Where did you send her when she chose exile?"
The prisoner rubbed his face, and, for the first time, Zuko only saw him as an old man. A tired, grouchy old man. The two of them stared each other in the eyes for a few long moments. Finally, Ozai sighed. "The last I knew, she headed north."
Temper flared, and Zuko had to work to mask his irritation. "North? North where?"
Ozai turned to face the wall, indicating that he would speak no more on the subject.
Just thinking of the memory made Zuko angry, and he slammed his fist down on the table. Infuriating, he thought. I should have given him more incentive to talk. I could have tortured him. I still could...A thoughtful look crossed his face, then he frowned. No. I won't sink to their level. I won't do what they would have done. Aang was right. Violence is never the answer. If the old man won't talk to me, I'll just find another way.
"Why don't you take a break for awhile?" Zuko looked up when Mai approached, offering a hot cup of tea. Hesitantly, he took the cup and drank slowly. Tea had never been among his favorite beverages.
"I can't take a break. I have to find my mother. She could be anywhere by now." Zuko glanced back at the pile of maps laying on the table.
Mai walked up behind Zuko and began massaging his shoulders. His eyes closed and his head sagged. "You could try another method of interrogating your father," she suggested.
Zuko smirked a little and half opened his eyes. "I already thought of that."
"But...?"
"But I don't want to take that road. I don't want to do things their way." Zuko turned to face his fiancee. She looked as solemn as he felt. "But at the same time, I don't know how else to go about it."
He'd hate this idea. She knew it. But she'd pitch it out there anyway. "You know...there may be one other person who might have an idea where your mother is."
Zuko's face lit up instantly in surprise and hope. He grabbed her hands and held them close to his chest. "Who?"
Mai sighed, unwilling to make eye contact. So she stared at the ground past Zuko's feet instead. "Azula."
She dared to make eye contact just in time to watch Zuko's hope fade into a cold mask. He let go of her hands. "What makes you think she would know? And more to the point, what makes you think she would tell me?"
"I don't think she would tell you, but she might tell me. Ozai favored your sister"--Zuko snorted--"that much is obvious. Don't you think it's possible that he offered her information that might end up to her advantage at some point? Especially after it was determined that she would be Firelord?"
"It's possible." Zuko crossed his arms over his chest. "Did she ever mention anything to you or Ty Lee about our mother?"
Mai shook her head. "Not that I can remember. But that doesn't mean she doesn't know anything. It's worth a shot, Zuko."
Zuko exhaled heavily through his nose, his eyes focused on the woman in front of him. Were there any risks to simply going to talk to Azula? Absolutely. Even in a prison cell, the woman could potentially be dangerous. And worse, she was crazy. She'd proven that much during her last few days of freedom.
Zuko took another deep breath. "I'll think about it." Before Mai could respond, Zuko had returned to his place poring over the maps on the table.
______________________________________________________ ________________________
Aang leaned against the wall of ice and snow, panting. He'd just run from the enemy camp and now was recuperating so he could be ready for another attack. Katara joined him a second later, also out of breath. They sat side by side and stared at each other.
It was quiet, too quiet. Slowly, they both rose and peeked from around the little wall.
"Fire!"
The couple ducked just in time to avoid being pelleted with snowballs.
"Surrender, benders! Hey, that rhymed!" A round of children's laughter was joined by Sokka's at his own joke. He then turned serious and pointed to the wall behind which Katara and Aang were hiding. "Do you give up?"
The couple grinned at each other as they bent the snow into giant balls. Together, they rose again and turned to the army of children (and Sokka) and fired.
"Never!" they yelled in unison.
The group braced for impact, ducking, hiding their faces. Some fled the scene. Sokka stared in disbelief at his impending doom. At the last minute, the two ginormous snowballs shattered into millions of snowflakes, and gently rained down on the children. The children, delighted at the trick, just laughed and started a new game of snowball fighting amongst themselves.
"Hey, no bending!" Sokka pointed accusedly at the benders. A big chunk of snow landed on Sokka's face, and everyone giggled.
Suki, who had been watching from the sidelines for the last few moments, yelled, "Lunch is ready!"
His irritation at the benders long forgotten, Sokka raced off to find the food.
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Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar.
She could vaguely hear Sokka and Suki talking mush to each other, and though she pretended to be annoyed sometimes, she actually thought it was sweet. One eye opened and she put minimal effort into glancing at Aang, who was riding contently on Appa's head. She and Aang. Together. She closed her eye again and sighed. It would just be another few hours and she would be home. The air rushing past her was a bit cooler than she'd like, but the rays of the sun fell upon her face and she smiled into the warmth.
They'd spent the last couple of days returning Toph to Ba Sing Se and enjoying a hot cup of tea or two (or five) with Iroh. The old man was happy to have his tea shop back. The building did need some repair after the damaged caused from the war, but, despite the lack of a wall on one side, the place was as comfortable as home.
____________________________________________________________ __________________
"HEY, DAD!!! IT'S ME, SOKKA!!!"
Katara started awake at the sound of Sokka yelling. Panic ran through her, but quickly faded when she saw her brother jumping up and down and waving frantically. She groaned and rubbed her eyes, stretching out her legs. They'd been tucked beneath her when she'd fallen asleep and and now they were numb. "Are we there already?"
Suki crawled over, ignoring Sokka's excitement. "Almost. We're still about a half-hour away."
"Then why is Sokka yelling?" Katara stared dumbfounded at her older sibling, who had yet to cease his joyous outbursts.
Suki shrugged. "I think he's just happy to be home."
Katara's face settled into a smile. "Yeah. Me, too."
Suki left her side to join the calming Sokka and put her arm around his waist. Sokka squeezed her close and planted a kiss on her forehead.
Katara was still trying to work feeling into her legs when Aang approaced. He smiled as big as ever. "Hey, Katara."
"Hey, Aang. How long was I asleep?" she asked, noting the position of the now-setting sun. The clouds had turned pink and gold, and nighttime was just on the other end of the horizon.
"Just a few hours. We had to stop so Sokka could have a bathroom break--" he ignored the dirty look he was receiving from Sokka "--but now we're almost to your village." He jerked a thumb in the direction of the town. "I'm gonna go make sure we land okay."
Katara nodded, From below, there was a shout she only recognized as her father's, and she leapt up to join Sokka in his excitement.
______________________________________________________ ________________________
Light was faint. Humidity was high. And the air...the air just felt dirty and stale. It smelled dirty and stale. It even tasted dirty and stale. To be reduced to this--a nearly old man, huddling on a bench in the Fire Nation prison he'd helped build. Ozai growled to himself and thrust his fist into the wall.
Even after hundreds of punches, the wall refused to give, and his knuckles still bled. Raw, reopened wounds leaked plasma and pus, and the ex-Firelord felt nothing. Nothing but hatred for those responsible for putting him here. He punched the wall again, thinking of the Avatar, and how his bending had been taken from him. His treacherous son had left his side to join the Avatar--even after his honor had been restored.
Eyes squeezed shut in frustration and anger, the ex-Firelord began to pound the wall with a single fist, over and over, until the skin across his knuckles had broken to the point of revealing bone. Blood smeared the brown bricks, and with a final blow, Ozai's knuckles shattered upon impact. He paused for a moment, staring in shock down at his misshapen hand. Then he let out a frustrated scream.
__________________________________________________________ ____________________
The new Firelord pored over a table, staring at yet another map of the world. His father hadn't given him much to work with. If Zuko was ever going to find his mother, he'd have to get more details. He sighed and rolled his neck. He didn't really even know where to start. All he had at the moment was the conversation he'd had with his dad at the prison.
"Where is my mother?" Zuko asked, leaning his face down closer to the bars of the prison cell.
Ozai was quiet for a moment, holding a blank look on his face. Then, he laughed. "You want to know where your mother is? Ha! I have no idea where she'd be by now. That fool left to spare your life. What a wasted effort," he added under his breath. Zuko pretended not to hear. He would stay calm, not show anger.
Zuko asked again,"Where is my mother? Where did you send her when she chose exile?"
The prisoner rubbed his face, and, for the first time, Zuko only saw him as an old man. A tired, grouchy old man. The two of them stared each other in the eyes for a few long moments. Finally, Ozai sighed. "The last I knew, she headed north."
Temper flared, and Zuko had to work to mask his irritation. "North? North where?"
Ozai turned to face the wall, indicating that he would speak no more on the subject.
Just thinking of the memory made Zuko angry, and he slammed his fist down on the table. Infuriating, he thought. I should have given him more incentive to talk. I could have tortured him. I still could...A thoughtful look crossed his face, then he frowned. No. I won't sink to their level. I won't do what they would have done. Aang was right. Violence is never the answer. If the old man won't talk to me, I'll just find another way.
"Why don't you take a break for awhile?" Zuko looked up when Mai approached, offering a hot cup of tea. Hesitantly, he took the cup and drank slowly. Tea had never been among his favorite beverages.
"I can't take a break. I have to find my mother. She could be anywhere by now." Zuko glanced back at the pile of maps laying on the table.
Mai walked up behind Zuko and began massaging his shoulders. His eyes closed and his head sagged. "You could try another method of interrogating your father," she suggested.
Zuko smirked a little and half opened his eyes. "I already thought of that."
"But...?"
"But I don't want to take that road. I don't want to do things their way." Zuko turned to face his fiancee. She looked as solemn as he felt. "But at the same time, I don't know how else to go about it."
He'd hate this idea. She knew it. But she'd pitch it out there anyway. "You know...there may be one other person who might have an idea where your mother is."
Zuko's face lit up instantly in surprise and hope. He grabbed her hands and held them close to his chest. "Who?"
Mai sighed, unwilling to make eye contact. So she stared at the ground past Zuko's feet instead. "Azula."
She dared to make eye contact just in time to watch Zuko's hope fade into a cold mask. He let go of her hands. "What makes you think she would know? And more to the point, what makes you think she would tell me?"
"I don't think she would tell you, but she might tell me. Ozai favored your sister"--Zuko snorted--"that much is obvious. Don't you think it's possible that he offered her information that might end up to her advantage at some point? Especially after it was determined that she would be Firelord?"
"It's possible." Zuko crossed his arms over his chest. "Did she ever mention anything to you or Ty Lee about our mother?"
Mai shook her head. "Not that I can remember. But that doesn't mean she doesn't know anything. It's worth a shot, Zuko."
Zuko exhaled heavily through his nose, his eyes focused on the woman in front of him. Were there any risks to simply going to talk to Azula? Absolutely. Even in a prison cell, the woman could potentially be dangerous. And worse, she was crazy. She'd proven that much during her last few days of freedom.
Zuko took another deep breath. "I'll think about it." Before Mai could respond, Zuko had returned to his place poring over the maps on the table.
______________________________________________________ ________________________
Aang leaned against the wall of ice and snow, panting. He'd just run from the enemy camp and now was recuperating so he could be ready for another attack. Katara joined him a second later, also out of breath. They sat side by side and stared at each other.
It was quiet, too quiet. Slowly, they both rose and peeked from around the little wall.
"Fire!"
The couple ducked just in time to avoid being pelleted with snowballs.
"Surrender, benders! Hey, that rhymed!" A round of children's laughter was joined by Sokka's at his own joke. He then turned serious and pointed to the wall behind which Katara and Aang were hiding. "Do you give up?"
The couple grinned at each other as they bent the snow into giant balls. Together, they rose again and turned to the army of children (and Sokka) and fired.
"Never!" they yelled in unison.
The group braced for impact, ducking, hiding their faces. Some fled the scene. Sokka stared in disbelief at his impending doom. At the last minute, the two ginormous snowballs shattered into millions of snowflakes, and gently rained down on the children. The children, delighted at the trick, just laughed and started a new game of snowball fighting amongst themselves.
"Hey, no bending!" Sokka pointed accusedly at the benders. A big chunk of snow landed on Sokka's face, and everyone giggled.
Suki, who had been watching from the sidelines for the last few moments, yelled, "Lunch is ready!"
His irritation at the benders long forgotten, Sokka raced off to find the food.
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Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar.