A/N: Ok, so I lied about getting everything up before the S3 premiere... But I PROMISE this will be finished by Halloween. I only have two chapters left to write out, and two more after this completely written and ready to be typed up. But I warn you now, I'm leaving you with aMAJOR cliffie on 27 (the big fight scene). ;D, and someone dies but I'm NOT telling who it is. See if maybe you can guess by the time I get there XD
Chapter 25: Minutes to Midnight
Kori ran like the win across the top of the Inner Wall, Haru likewise, and Kahn through the halls beneath Lake Laogai. Along their paths, they only stopped to relay information to the other members of the resistance before racing on…
Aang sat atop Appa's head and watched the others file out of the forest without him. He would meet them later, after taking Appa to a secret hideout Haru was supposed to have set up along the Inner Wall. It was down to the final hours now… it was down to the wire, and even he had no idea what lay in store for them behind the wall of the city…
Toph flinched for the twentieth time in the last quarter of an hour. Katara looked over at her, concerned, for the same. "You ok?" She placed a hand on her young friend's shoulder.
"No…" She twitched slightly, but it wasn't as violent as before.
"What's wrong?" Sokka looked over his shoulder at them, grinning at Suki momentarily as he did so. She smiled back from behind Iroh and Zuko.
"That storm is powerful." She said quietly, "It's all around us, like it's waiting…"
"What do you mean?" Zuko asked, looking around the clear night sky above them.
"It's weird… like the we're in the eye of the storm." She told him, "It's not moving anywhere, either. But it's powerful." She stressed the word again, "I can feel the lightning strikes even from here."
"It's no ordinary storm." Iroh looked to the horizon, where just the slightest hint of storm clouds could be seen billowing ominously against the inky sky. "This is a Spiritual Storm, created by the disturbances here. The fabric of destiny is unweaving around this area… and it will only restore itself if we set things right."
"How do you know this, General Iroh?" Kuei asked, stroking Bosco's head. He was to be hidden with some of the Resistance until the battle was over
"I have been in the Spirit World." Iroh's voice was solemn as a roll of thunder, "After my son's death, I felt as if there was nothing left to live for. My wife had died long before, when Lu Ten was still very young, so I had no family of my own to go home to. I fell into a deep depression, and found myself in the Spirit World one night as I slept here in the mortal world. There, the Spirits spoke to me. They said a special thread had been woven for me, the first and only general to successfully break through Ba Sing Se's great wall. It was a thread of Fate… of Foresight. They told me, showed me, many things I cannot repeat about the fate of the world if the war was to go on, if the Avatar was never found… I saw many events that must happen, or must be averted… I know the Spirits' wills, and our place in the web of life. But even the Spirits cannot truly see the future, only predict what may or may not happen. Destiny changes like the weather… we must mold it to our will and make things balanced. That is how I know about the nature of this storm, your Highness."
"Amazing!" a few of the Kyoshi girls tittered, staring in awe at the wisened old general.
"You never told me…" Zuko and Toph whispered, almost in unison.
"You never asked." He grinned softly, "But now, you know."
Overhead, the edges of the sky were quickly turning an ominous, inky black.
After hiding Appa with Kahn, Aang disguised himself in Earth Kingdom garb and rushed down the edge of the wall to where he was to meet Haru and the others. He arrived just as they were escorting Kuei and Bosco to a safe hiding spot.
"Everyone make it all right?" He placed a hand on Katara's arm, his wide gray eyes questioning.
"Yeah, we're fine." She nodded as they continued through the pitch black alleys of the lower ring to the safehouse. They would stay there until tomorrow night, awaiting the full moon and their opportunity to strike. It was to be in the old tea shop where Uncle and Zuko had worked for Bao, which was fairly abandoned now due to the success (even in Iroh's absence) of the Jasmine Dragon. Bao had agreed to hide them, and Iroh had in turn bequeathed the management of the Jasmine Dragon to him.
"Welcome, welcome." The man greeted them, showing them to his back room and basement. It had been completely cleared out, boxes of supplies and furniture pushed to the walls so there was plenty of room ready for them. As soon as they were sure that they were all safe, they immediately set to plans with Haru.
"So," He and Sokka looked over a detailed map of the city. "You guys will come into the front of the palace by tunneling here." He indicated a spot on the map.
"Yeah, and then you and Kahn will move in behind us and head off the Dai Li while we apprehend Azula." Sokka pointed to two more places on the map where the Resistance leaders would lead in part of the rebel army.
"And then Kori'll lead the others in… here." He pointed to a final spot as light stared coming in the small windows of the back room. The others had long since retired to the basement to sleep, but Katara, Aang, and Zuko had stayed up with the two in order to finalize the attack plans. Katara pulled the curtains across the windows with a yawn to keep their presence a secret. Haru stood and rolled up the map. "Good. And we'll start towards the palace promptly at dusk, right?"
"Right." Aang nodded, "But for now, we're going to get a good ni- day's rest." He laughed a little, and Katara had to admit that seeing the smile on his face was encouraging.
Haru nodded. "I'll get a couple of the guys to keep an eye on this place so you aren't disturbed. I've got to go now… I've got a little present for Kori." He grinned, tossing something sparkling and deep fuschia playfully in one hand.
Katara gasped as her quick eyes caught sight of the object. Then, a giddy smile on her face, she ran over and threw her arms around him. "You are?"
"Yep, tonight." He laughed at the confused looks on nearly everyone else's faces. "You think she'll like it?"
"She'll love it, I'm sure. Good luck." She released him with an encouraging grin, and he left the room quietly to find Kori.
"What was that all about?" Zuko asked as she passed him to go down to the basement and sleep.
"Oh, I think you'll see soon enough…" She hinted mysteriously.
Her hand unconsciously rose to the cobalt ribbon about her neck.
The black clouds that had fringed the horizon all night had now imposed themselves over the city as Haru made his way over the top of the inner wall. Only one little corner of the sky to the east was clear with the pink and orange streaks of sunrise. He found Kori staring out at this, a distant look on her face. But as soon as the sound of his footsteps reached her keen ears, she turned to face him. She grinned angelically for a moment, then noticed that he seemed to be hiding something behind his back. She put her fists on her hips, cocking her head to one side inquisitively. A sly, almost knowing smile spread on her lips as he approached.
"Hey."
"Hey…"
"So… Is everything ready?"
"Yeah. You let everyone know about the plans?" He continued to try and beat around the bush, his heart pounding loudly in his chest.
"Yep. Everything's all set on my end. Kahn's too." She waited, but he didn't reply. They stood there in an awkward silence for a few more moments before Kori cracked.
"Ok, I can't take it anymore. Something's up and I want to know what!" She pursed her lips, eyes critical.
He laughed. "Kori, I know we've only known each other for a short time, but I feel like I've known you my entire life…"
"Yeah…" She was listening closely, but still clueless.
"And I can't even imagine a day when you aren't part of my life anymore… You've become such a huge part of me."
She nodded, her heart thundering now as well as, slowly, she started to realize what was going on.
"So, I want to make sure that I don't have to worry about what my life would be like without you around, because you're always there next to me…Kori… would you…?" He pulled out the object he'd brought for her, a pink, star-shaped crystal on a deep fuschia ribbon. She gasped, breathless, as he continued his question, "Would you marry me, once this is all over?"
She caught her breath and took the ribbon from him, letting the warm silk rub over her fingers. "Oh, Haru, I'd be honored to become your wife!" She threw her arms around his neck, tears of happiness streaming from her deep green eyes.
They kissed there in the morning sunlight, beneath the dark clouds of the storm overhead. When Kori finally pulled away, her face flushed and glowing, she had only one thing to say.
"What 'till I tell Kahn!"
A/N: Aww! Well isn't that just so cute! Kori and Haru are gonna get married! And for those of you who are wondering how he got a PINK crystal for her necklace, you'll find out during the battle scene (-wink wink- ;D). I hope to have 26 and 27 up really soon, so keep an eye out for those. And don't forget to read and review, people! Reviews Love!
Kori