Freedom

Chapter 56: The Sea Salt Breeze

The sea breeze came off the bay. It brushed across their faces and they all took a deep breath.

They had finally made it.

Their lives were about to change.

They had arrived a day early, the wind on their side. Although it was a time for rest, they all seemed restless.

Aang had been having terrible nightmares, it took everyone's support to get him to sleep. His twitch was back and his nerves were getting the best of him.

He wasn't the only one.

Everyone was hanging onto one another for support, knowing what was to come; everyone except for Katara. She was there for Aang when he was struggling. She sung him lullabies to help him sleep. She brought his food to him. But anytime someone reached out to her, she retreated like a scared polar puppy.

Katara inherently ignored Zuko. He tried to reach out a few times but after his first few attempts were denied, he let her have her space. Zuko was kicking himself over the situation entirely. He swore he wouldn't act on any feelings he was having, at least not right now. He didn't even know if she felt the same way. But now wasn't the time for these kinds of things, especially with the invasion being merely days away.

Sokka had tried to reach out to her, knowing nothing about the kiss, but instead concerned about her new ability. But again, she pushed him away, figuratively and literally.

It was one of the things that plagued Katara's thoughts. She thought about if she would use it if she had to. What if Aang was going to lose? Would she do it save him?

The thought of using it again made her sick. But she remembered all the destruction that Ozai had caused, that Azula had perpetuated.

Maybe she could use it on them.

She looked down at her own hands and didn't seem to recognize them. If she closed her eyes, she could see them still; her hands covered in dirt, blood underneath her fingernails, and her wrist swollen and stinging with pain.

It took many healing sessions to get the hand back to almost normal. The unnatural break was difficult to put back together, even now she felt a stinging when she bended. The only way to get rid of that was resting the tendons.

Hopefully after today, they could rest, finally.

They all breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the boats in the distance. They watched as they sailed closer to shore. The sea mist hit their faces, cooling their bodies but not resting their nerves.

They were reunited with their friends and family. Katara and Sokka got to hug their father once again, having not seen him since they were flying away from the fire nation ship. They talked quickly, discussing everyone their father had been able to find.

Sokka stretched to look over everyone's heads, searching for green and gold armor with white face paint. But he searched his father's face as he shook his head.

"I'm sorry son... when we made it to Kyoshi, the warriors had left to fight and hadn't returned" Hakoda placed a hand on his son's shoulder. Sokka nodded, his face falling but his eyes still alit.

Toph was scooped up by an old friend, more then twice her size. The Boulder plopped her up on his shoulder like she were a paper doll. They talked excitedly, like old friends do.

Zuko watched it all from a distance, not getting too close. He terrorized many of the people there before him. He had ruined many of their lives; if he didn't, his family did. He didn't feel worthy to be there, to witness history today. Instead, he watched from afar, his fingers shaking from nerves but a smile on his face.