Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction ❯ Book 4 Air: The Storm ❯ Shattered Peace Part 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Shattered Peace Part 2

Aang and Katara flew for what seemed like hours to the Eastern Air Temple. Every second counted if they wanted to save the last living relics of Aang's past. When they arrived at the rendezvous point, a group of yellow robed airbenders greeted them politely. Aang and Katara breathed a sigh of relief after surveying the area and seeing that nobody seemed to have attacked. Katara smiled as she saw Aang embrace his people, tears welling up in his eyes. She imagined that Aang's emotions would be akin to her own if she were somehow reunited with her long lost mother. The two of them were invited to a large banquet room and dined like royalty. The leader of the air nomads was an impossibly old monk whose age seemed to rival their friend Bumi's.

“Greetings,” he said. “My name is Mathias and I would like to entreat the two of you to a hero's welcome after vanquishing the Fire Lord.”

With that, he ordered everyone at the table to raise a toast to the two guests of honor, leaving Katara blushing from all the attention. Aang was blushing too, no because of the toast, but because of the attention he was receiving from the young women at the table. He tried his best to avoid their flirtatious glances and motioned towards Katara for help. A menacing glare from the waterbender was all it took to silence the girls who had been eyeing Aang. Meanwhile, Mathias continued to speak.

“I'm sure you're all aware that we didn't all come here to celebrate. We came here to ask the avatar for his help.” A hushed silence fell over the crowd of Air Nomads as they listened to their leader speak.

“Aang, we need you and Katara to accompany us on some very important missions - missions that could determine the fate of our people.”

“Monk Mathias, as the avatar, it would be my duty to help my own people whenever they need. However, I come here with grave news. The Fire Nation was recently attacked and their Fire Lord is deeply hurt by his father's assassination. When I raced here, I was sure that I felt the presence of assassins here at the temple as well.”

Suddenly, a menacing look came across Mathias's peaceful eyes as he began to quiver with rage. He ripped open his yellow robes and revealed a set of gray robes buried underneath.

“Aang, when I made you pledge your support, I didn't know that you still sympathized with those Fire Nation swine.”

A look of horror descended upon Aang and Katara's faces as the bitter truth finally revealed itself. The Air Nomads were responsible for the murder of Ozai.

“Aang, after a hundred years of turmoil and chaos, we simple nomads have finally opened our eyes.”

“Please Mathias,” begged Aang. “You don't know what you're doing.”

“Oh believe me Aang, I do. For far too long, our people have tried to peacefully coexist with the rest of the world but all we receive in return for our love is pain and death. Are you blind, avatar? Can you not see that the air nomads can no longer live like defenseless children while the Fire Nation ruthlessly hunts us down?”

Katara had enough and snapped back. “Mathias, don't you realize that the only way to bring this world back into balance is to forgive the Fire Nation? Can't you see that all of Aang's hard work is going to be erased if we continue to lay down hatred on each other?”

“Enough!” shouted Mathias. “You dare speak of balance? Have you forgotten about the Fire Nation's genocide against our people? Yes, I suppose you have. The entire world has, hasn't it? How else could it turn a blind eye to the Fire Nation's crimes against humanity and let them go unpunished?”

By now, Mathias's eyes were swollen with tears. Brimming with emotion, he bellowed, “How could you Aang, how could you let Ozai live after what he did to this world? How could you spare his life if he doesn't even blink an eye after murdering a thousand innocent people from the other nations? Aang, Ozai's death was his own doing. The world is a better place without him and deep down, I think you know that.”

“No, Mathias, I don't, and I can't allow you to continue to spread your message of hate to my people. I personally know the current Fire Lord is a good man. He has been through a lot and I couldn't imagine what I would do if I had to experience everything he went through. I never would have defeated Ozai if I didn't forgive Zuko. Mathias, everyone is capable of great evil as well as great good.”

“Enough! I see you are too foolish to be persuaded. Take them to the dungeon.”

A group of airbenders bent ropes around Katara's wrists and carried her away. “Aang, you have to stop them! What are you doing Aang? Why are you just standing there.”

The avatar looked up at his girlfriend's beautiful face and looked back down at the cold floor of the temple.

“I'm sorry Katara, but I can't hurt another airbender.”

With that, Aang allowed himself to be captured and closed his eyes as he and Katara were whisked away to an underground dungeon.