Katara's Narrative

At last, the long-winded speeches were over, and honestly, I don't
believe I was alone in thinking that it was not a moment too soon. In
fact, throughout the ceremony, our table had been a perfect mirror of
the listlessness and indolence promoted by these lengthy, and often
vaunted, accolades. I'd say that the majority would agree that it'd
been the most tedious part of the evening so far; well, maybe, except
for those who'd been distinguished by said lofty praises.

As if the preceding wasn't bad enough, I'd been stuck between a
retired General, who'd spent the better part of the addresses
fluctuating between wide-mouthed snores and incoherent babblings, -I
kid you not- and a Fire Nation Socialite, who, very early on, seemed
to have deemed it necessary to school me in the ancestral histories of
those important personages in attendance, and complemented these
summaries with a healthy dose of gossip; needless to say that before
the end, I'd earnestly begun to wonder whose clever idea it'd been to
seat me with such, uh…stimulating company? The only redeeming aspect
in this bothersome arrangement was the presence of Sokka and Suki,
who'd been seated across from me the entire time. Nevertheless, when
the time came to break ties with my present company, to mingle with
the other guests, I was unspeakably grateful.

Where's Aang? We'd spoken briefly before the general herald to dinner
had swept us off to our separate tables, and he'd promised to join me
afterwards. During the celebration, he'd been seated at Zuko's table
with the other dignitaries, including Prince Horonka, and among the
Fire Lord's household, Mai, Ursa and General Iroh. As soon as I was
able to delicately extricate myself from the Socialite's monopoly on
my attentions, he was the first person that I sought. "There you are,"
said a whisper, endearingly close to my ear. I turned around to find
him standing directly behind me, smiling warmly. So exalted was the
sensation that this tenderness produced in me, that I felt as though
the Heavens had given me wings; truly, my contentment, in that moment,
knew no bounds.

"I didn't forget you," he lightly observed, with his hand extended
towards me.

"No, you didn't," I said, smiling; I was very pleased. I placed my
hand in his and he drew it into a protective clasp and began to guide
me through the exuberant, desultory throng.

"Are you enjoying yourself?"

If I wasn't before, I definitely was now, and I wasn't willing that
anything unwholesome should disturb that pleasant frame of mind, so I
answered a simple, `yes.' We exited the spacious, elegantly decorated
hall unto the long porch, which was softly illumined with candles, and
where numerous guests loitered, clad in resplendent shades of red,
laughing and chattering among themselves.

When we'd slowly woven our way to the furthest end of the porch, where
only a few lingered, we were greeted by an old, kindly, Admiral and
his wife; they, like us, were charmed by the full, pale beauty of the
moonlight, which cast its splendid, silvery reflection upon the sea,
causing it to glisten luminously.

"Avatar Aang," said the Admiral, who was shaking Aang's hand very
heartily, "It's good to see you again."

"And you, Sir," Aang replied, in a deferential manner, and bowed
slightly to his wife.

"Is this your young lady?" asked the robust Admiral in a booming,
merry voice. "She's a lovely creature, eh, my dear?" He'd turned to
his wife to garner her approval, which, gentle, old woman that she
was, she held no grudge in dispensing. "I say, uncommonly beautiful!"
His warm, gushing compliments kept me blushing.

"I couldn't agree with you more, Admiral," said Aang, who appeared
mildly discomforted by the Admiral's supposition that we were an item.
He'd even released my arm, which moments before, had been comfortably
tucked in the crook of his arm. "But, as to the other matter, I'm
afraid you're mistaken; I hold no such claim upon the affections of my
lovely companion," he said, looking down at me, "other than that of a
close friend." Here, he formally introduced me to the Admiral and his
wife.

"Water Tribe, are you?" said the Admiral. "I didn't know that they had
such beautiful gems hidden away in that frigid, icy place." If I was
tempted to take offense to the Admiral's open and frank remarks, I
couldn't; his congenial air of easiness rendered it a difficult task.
"Ah, here's General Su come to join us. How do you do, Sir?"

A solemn-faced man, with thick, brown sideburns, who was dressed in
formal military attire, greeted us. "Doing well, Admiral," he
answered, before turning to Aang. "Avatar Aang, may I have a word with
you?"

"Come now, Su," the Admiral abruptly interposed. With this informal
address, the General cast his old acquaintance an irate glance.
"Surely, your business can wait until tomorrow."

"You're out of line, Admiral," warned General Su, who appeared plainly
irritated.

"Bah, nonsense," replied the bold Admiral. "Since when has anything
other than your own political ambition interested you? And, since when
have you ever ceased to use it to stifle the pleasure of others?"

`Oh boy!' I thought to myself. Things sure were getting ugly fast.

General Su seemed at considerable pains to keep his seething anger in
check. "It's okay, Admiral," I heard Aang say. "General Su, if you'd
give me a moment, I'll join you shortly." He excused himself from
their company, and gently pulled me aside. "I'm sorry, Katara. I know
I promised that we'd spend some time together…"

"It's okay," I quickly told him, although I was sharply disappointed.

"If you like, maybe we can do something tomorrow," he suggested. "It's
my last day here."

"I'd like that very much," I truthfully admitted.

"Then it's settled," he said. "Is there anything in particular that
you'd like to do?" He glanced at General Su, who was standing by in a
restive attitude. "Think about it; you can tell me your decision later."

"Bah, Jackass!" grunted the old Admiral, who, with his wife in tow,
joined me where I stood watching sorrowfully after Aang's retreating back.

After I'd spent a substantial amount of time outside, lamenting my
dashed hopes for the evening, I decided to return inside to my friends
to salvage what I could of that evening's enjoyment. I went directly
to Toph, whom I found out, after a brief conversation, was equally
displeased with the progression of the evening.

"I wonder what's so important that it couldn't wait until tomorrow,"
pondered Toph.

"I don't know," I replied, thoughtfully, "but I intend to find out."
I'd noticed General Su, Aang, Horonka, and a Fire Nation Commander,
talking together in a discreet corner.

"What're you doing?" asked Toph. I had grabbed her hand and was
drawing her forward with me.

"If we get close enough, maybe we'll hear something of their
conversation."

"Erm, Katara, are you suggesting that we eavesdrop on them?"

"Not a good idea?" I asked. At first I thought, `Oh, great, she's
having a crisis of conscience just when my own conscience was
failing,' but then she smiled wickedly and said, "Hmmm! I like that.
But, what if this involves some kind of top-secret, political matter?"
It sounded laughable at first until I realized that she had a valid
point. It was the only thing that made me hesitate for a moment, but
my curiosity burned stronger than any warning or caution that cropped
up in my mind.

Unobserved, we picked our way across the crowded room and concealed
ourselves as near as possible to the small group. Fortunately, our
friends were too engrossed in their discussion to notice us. In fact,
from where we stood, we could distinctly hear General Su's raised voice.

"With all due respect, General," I heard Horonka say, in an evident,
restrained voice, "I hardly think that this is the appropriate place
or time to discuss this troublesome subject."

"And what does the Avatar say?" asked General Su.

"I agree with Prince Horonka," said Aang, in a lowered voice. "But, if
you insist upon speaking out against the Fire Lord's ruling, I must
ask that you do it in his presence. You must understand, General, that
my position, by its very nature, must be an impartial one. Nor do I
wish to be drawn into the political conflicts of any nation; I say
this openly, and respectfully, before our witnesses."

"Very well," General Su snidely replied. "Commander, invite the Fire
Lord to the Council Room. Tell him that General Su, the Avatar…and
company," he'd tossed Horonka an obnoxious glance, "is waiting for him."

I saw Aang whisper something into Horonka's ear, before they followed
General Su, and several other men, whom General Su had beckoned to,
through the private corridor that led to the Council Room. Fortunately
for Toph and I, or so we thought, the passageway that they'd taken,
also led to a social room that was open to everyone. However, when we
were almost near the entrance, two of Zuko's guards emerged from the
corridor and prevented our advance.

Before the words, `excuse me,' was out of my mouth, I heard an
impressive rustle of dresses, perforated with several exclamations of
displeasure, a few murmurings of astonishment and a handful of, well,
downright impolite ejaculations, as about twenty guests, with varied
expressions of resentment, were hurried from the corridor.

"How rude!" I heard one say. "I'd almost beaten you at Pai Sho too,"
was another reply. "What's going on?" chimed another. "I wonder who'll
be their next victim?" someone else bitterly whispered.

More than ever, I was determined to discover the reason for this
hullabaloo. Frustrated, I turned to see Mai approaching. "Why won't
they let us through?" I asked her, when we'd shuffled safely out of
the sentinels' hearing.

"Come with me," Mai entreated. She brought us to her private rooms,
where she promptly dismissed her attendants so that we'd be able to
speak privately.

"Mai, what's going on?" I pressed. "Why wouldn't they let us through?
Why wouldn't they let you through? You're the Fire Lady."

"I wasn't invited," Mai flatly replied. "I can't say that I care either."

"But you're the Fire Lady."

"Even the Fire Lord is subject to the laws and customs of his own
country," said Mai, with an unaffected air, "How much more then, the
Fire Lady? It's the way it has been for centuries."

"All these rules…and customs, don't you find them suffocating?"

"My whole life, it's the only way that I've known," said Mai. "I was
born to privilege, and with it, all the pressures and obligations of
my rank."

"I'll say," interjected Toph, who, perhaps remembering her own past,
unhappy situation, seemed to take the provocation of this memory a tad
bit too derisively.

"But you have the power to change that, Mai," I passionately encouraged.

"Katara, I don't think you understand the sensitive nature of our
politics," said Mai. "While Zuko and I are indeed sovereign in our
land, we're only as strong as our loyal supporters. It's been five
years since the war has ended, yet the repercussions of that war still
reverberate throughout our nation today. And since we've no wish to
perpetuate Ozai's Iron Rule, we're more tolerant of our dissenters,
who lie in wait to incite the common man against us while their
operatives infiltrate our armies and poison them from the inside;
every word, every action, every decision that we make, is weighed
carefully, beforehand. These men, whom you see gathered here tonight,
though proud and absurdly set in their ways, wield a remarkable power
in uniting and rallying our armies and our faithful base. Sure, their
ideologies are antiquated, and they stick adamantly to their customs;
but, I think you'd agree that there's much more at stake here than the
possibility of my injured pride."

"Alright, maybe I don't understand…or even appreciate all these…rules
and customs, but if you know anything about what's going on with Aang,
please tell me."

"You two used to be so close," observed Mai. "I thought he would've
told you himself." I didn't answer and she didn't seem to mind. "From
what Zuko has told me, this really has to do with General Yen and his
recent sentence to life imprisonment by the War Tribunal. Ordinarily
this would've been sufficient, but in consideration of the crimes for
which he stood accused, the Tribunal delivered an additional judgment
to strip him of his fire-bending."

"Oh! And Aang doesn't want to do this?" It seemed excessive to me that
the world, which, in times past, had managed without depriving
criminals of their bending, now felt it an essential measure in
administering its justice.

"I'm not sure," said Mai, "but I'm inclined to believe that he's
leaning more towards rejecting this method." She frowned. "But,
there's more. Apparently, there's some disputation over whether
General Yen was indeed responsible for the slaughter of his own
soldiers. He's repeatedly, both in writings and oral protestations,
maintained his innocence and has managed to gain the sympathy and
support of several of his comrades. General Su is one of his most
vocal advocates. He thinks that the Tribunal's sentence was too harsh,
considering that General Yen still adamantly proclaims his innocence,
and there exists no evidence, within our knowledge, to prove contrary.
It also didn't help that all of the witnesses in this case were held
accountable for some part in this notorious affair. In spite of the
fact that they'd quickly turned against each other, it only made it
more difficult for the Tribunal to determine the truth. In light of
this, the Tribunal unanimously voted that General Yen, as the leader
of the company, should bear the greater blame, and he was sentenced
accordingly. The problem is, since then, there's been an evolution of
political discord that has split important opinions along three
different lines."

"Do you believe this General Yen is innocent?"

"Honestly, I don't know," said Mai. "I don't know what to think."

"Well, what does Zuko think?"

"I'm bound by confidence to refrain from divulging his true feelings
in this issue."

`Poor Aang,' I thought to myself. I knew how important these matters
were to him. I comprehended that there was still too much about this
matter that needed elucidation, and that he could not easily make a
decision when unanswered questions remained that were imperative to
his fair judgment. What this affair must've cost him in the way of
perturbation of mind, I could only imagine. He'd always been a
gracious person, who tended to lean more towards mercy, even when the
benefactor of his kindness, in my view, might not have warranted it.
Oh, yes, I'll willingly admit that his capacity to forgive and look
past the offenses of others is much stronger than mines.

--

This was it. The evening had come and gone without so much as a spark
of anything fantastic like I'd expected. It was nearing midnight and a
handful of us lingered in the hall, chatting amiably amongst ourselves.

"Sokka, come on," I warned. "If you keep eating like that, you're
going to get sick.

"Katara, you don't know what you're talking about," argued he, while
practically inhaling a generous slice of pie. "It's not like my
stomach can't handle it." He stopped one of the servants, who'd been
passing by with several others, who were laden with empty dishes to
take back to the large pantry in the exterior of the sprawling beach
house. "Hey! You think you can get me some more custard?" The servant
looked dubious. "Please?"

"You know what? You're embarrassing," I told him, after the servant
had left.

"Hey, I'm a guy," he defended, "and a guy needs his strength."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's like midnight already. What do you
plan on doing?" I raised my hand in protest. "You know what? Never
mind. I don't want to know."

"Aang!" he bellowed. "Over here." I looked up to see Aang and Horonka,
who'd just entered through the scarlet-draped doorway. I saw him say
something to Horonka before he bent his footsteps in our direction.
"Hey, Aang, where've you been all night?" asked Sokka, who was
ravenously chomping off another piece of pie.

"I had some things to discuss with Zuko and several of his generals,"
replied Aang, who appeared rather distracted by Sokka's avaricious
display of appetite.

"Couldn't that have waited until tomorrow?" asked Sokka, who pulled a
platter of stuffed dumplings from among the dishes that he had arrayed
in front of him.

"If I had my way, it would have," Aang replied, as he eased into the
chair beside me. "Uh, Sokka, aren't you afraid of…uh, getting sick?"

"That's exactly what I've been telling him," I piped in.

"Hey, Toph told me that you guys are leaving the day after tomorrow,"
said Sokka, ignoring my comment. "Can't you stay a few more days? I
sort of wanted to borrow Appa."

"No, we have to get back to the Earth Kingdom."

"Hmmm! So no negotiating?" asked Sokka. Aang shook his head. "Well,
what about tomorrow?"

"It depends," said Aang; his grey eyes had settled upon me in a
meaningful way, which, I confess, thrilled me to the very core of my
being, in a manner that I'd never, ever, experienced before. I knew
that I was blushing profusely and my eyes fell under the intensity of
his unfaltering gaze.

"On what?" Sokka prodded. Aang didn't answer. "Hey! Hello! I'm talking
to you here."

"Yeah, tell you what Sokka," said Aang, "if by tomorrow morning I
don't have anything planned, I'll let you have Appa for the day."

Sokka was watching me with an odd expression, almost as if he wanted
to say, `what's going on here?' Instead, he said, "Fair enough, I guess."

--

The next chapter will consist entirely of Aang and Katara.

Also, since this story is written from Aang and Katara's perspective,
I've been thinking that I need to create another story to handle
Toph's story. There's only so much that Katara and Aang can know of
Toph's story. If I do go ahead with this, it will tie in with this
story, be written in the third person, and include most of the gang.