Silence always seemed heavier following a storm. It had raged and bellowed for what felt like hours, and now a quiet calm had fallen. Katara steadied herself, grabbing the back of the chair before lowering herself down into it. She slowly put her hands in her lap as she surveyed the damage.
Dishes had gone crashing to the floor, and the small sitting table in the living room had been slammed against a wall. Thin rivulets of water fell down the others. Petals and stems were strewn about the floor in a romantic gesture done by the psychotic.
Both of their bending got out of hand when they argued.
Sighing, Katara cradled her cheek in her hand. It was sad, but she was almost getting used to the fights. Especially this one, as it seemed to be their new favorite.
She knew Aang would be gone for at least a week, off to have his emotional wounds licked by the ever adoring Air Acolytes. Katara scowled. Emry would probably be eager to please.
"Aw, don't be like that Katara. She's just really passionate."
"Yeah well, maybe passion should be just for us." Katara muttered as she straightened her seat. From the corner of her vision, she spotted the offensive letter that had brought them this maelstrom. Reaching over, Katara snagged a corner and dragged it over to examine the contents again. She sighed heavily.
From time to time, Katara wished that she had had the wisdom to recognize the signs from the outset. But they had been children at the head of a violent struggle for the world. Nothing made sense and they all had been left feeling like gods. Zuko had warned them, being the only one out of the group who knew what ego and power did to people.
After the battle, there was so much that needed to be done in a very short amount of time. Zuko, Aang, and General Iroh had to deal with a very real threat from the Earth Kingdom due to the Fire Nation colonies. A lot of powerful people were angry and held Zuko responsible for the sins of his father and forefathers.
Suki had to return to her village to help rebuild. Toph wanted to go anywhere but home and decided that creating a metalbending school was the perfect excuse.
Sokka and Katara simply wanted to be with their father.
And Aang had not been so understanding.
Katara closed her eyes and focused on her heartbeat. She had to remind herself, again, that no matter what they had all been through, they were still biologically children.
Only this year in fact had Katara herself become an adult, though her legal identity was tangled up in the Water Tribe patriarchy for the next two years.
Gran-Gran had called the time between eighteen and twenty the "Wedding Years."
Katara felt herself frown again and just decided to put her head down on the table with a sigh. She couldn't figure out which frustration to give into.
"Knock knock." A familiar voice called from the front room. Katara stood abruptly, the letter stuck to her forehead. She angrily plucked it away and slammed it onto the tabletop.
"Watch out for the shards Toph." She called back as she walked out toward the front room.
"I noticed. Did a storm blow through or something?" She asked as Katara entered and grabbed the broom by the front door.
"You could say that. Hurricane Aang has left the building." Katara swept the broken shards into a pile and pushed it into the corner for the time being. Toph walked in and shut the door behind her. Katara moved into the sitting room to set it straight as Toph followed her.
"Ah. So Twinkle Toes isn't here?" Katara pushed the small table back into the middle of the room. Unassisted.
"No. Did you need him for something?" She got small red cushions out of the closet and used her bending to move the water and plant remains into an empty pail in the kitchen. Toph sat down with a heavy thud and Katara stood over her, cushions in hand.
"Nah. Got any tea?" Katara threw the cushions into Toph's face and stomped into the kitchen.
Katara muttered to herself as Toph's laugh rippled through the rooms.
"What are you even doing here Toph?" Katara asked as she stoked the kitchen fire back to something respectable.
"I have some good news."
"Oh?" Katara carefully lifted the lid to a small wooden crate that sat on the far end of the counter. Among the straw were a number of small, sealed clay pots.
"I'm opening the Beifong Metalbending Academy." Katara stuck her head back into the sitting room. Toph was laying down, an ankle resting on her raised knee, and a red cushion on her face.
"I thought you did that years ago." Katara watched as Toph sat up, the cushion sliding off of her.
"Nope. See, you have to actually master a bending style before you can teach it." Katara rolled her eyes with a smile and went back to the tea. That had been her criticism when Toph first had the idea of creating a school.
Carefully bringing out one of the clay pots, Katara examined the wax seal that kept it closed.
"Blooming Water Dragon." Katara cracked the seal to lift the top and wondered what the blooming meant. Inside were a number of tightly rolled balls.
"Well I'm glad to see that you're being reasonable for once." Katara said as she put one of the tea balls into a surprisingly unbroken tea pot. The kettle on the stovetop started to whistle.
"Tell me about it. I just bought the building and the responsibility made me sick to my stomach." Katara poured the water into the teapot and went to bank the fire. When she went back to put the lid on the pot, she saw why it was called blooming.
In the hot water, the leaves loosened and unfurled. Katara could smell rose hips and black tea. At the center of the ball however, was one perfect, white hibiscus flower, looking vaguely like a white lotus. Katara put the lid on softly and gathered up two chipped cups. She would have to ask if that blend had been created by Iroh or Zuko.
Katara brought out the tray and set it on the table before sitting down. Toph absently collected herself and sat up, still ignoring the cushion.
"I am really glad to hear that it's happening. I think it's going to be a great thing for people to learn."
"Thanks. I'm really excited about it." They paused as Katara poured the tea. "Too bad your special flavor of bending is taboo." Katara hmm-ed in resignation as she picked up her cup.
"I've been working with my grandmother on a few theories on how it can be used in a healing capacity, but there's still so much risk involved."
"I'm sure you'll think of something. Everyone knows you don't stop until you get your way."
Katara snorted and took a sip of the tea. The black tea was a lighter variety and she could taste the hibiscus and rose hips.
"Oh bleh. Is this another one of Zuko's herbal blends?" Toph blanched and put the cup down.
"Zuko's? Another?"
"Yeah, I stop by the tea shop whenever I'm in that area. Zuko's been doing weird junk with garden clippings."
"I'm surprised he has the time."
"I know right? You'd think running a small imperial nation would keep him busy."
"Did you go see him? After Iroh's regency was formally ended?"
"Nah. I can't stand the Fire Nation cities. Too tempting to destroy." Toph curled her hands into fists as she broke into maniacal laughter. Katara chuckled. "What about you?"
"I didn't either. After Sokka left to go after Suki, I needed to stick around to help my dad with tribe stuff."
"I was wondering about that. How long are you staying in Republic City?"
"Aang and I were going to spend the winter here, but I've been called back to the North Pole. My ship leaves in a month."
"Ah. So I can guess what the storm was about."
"Exactly."
"So are you going to stay and wait for him to come back from that island of his?" For the first time in all the years they'd known each other, Toph kept her voice purged of all emotion. But much like a noisy child suddenly gone quiet, Katara knew she was hiding something.
"You know what? No. Not this time." Katara put her cup down a little too forcibly and the tea sloshed up the sides. She caught the splash with her bending and put it back where it belonged.
"Good for you. No one said that saving the world with him meant you had to marry the guy." Toph took her cup back into her hands and sipped it demurely.
"You will marry a powerful bender." Aunt Wu's voice echoed from the years past and Katara shook her head.
"Who needs marriage?" Katara spat the words out. Toph raised her cup.
"Here here!" They clinked cups and drank.
"I've been named my father's successor. I don't need a husband in my life."
"Yeah! And I'm a metal bending master; I don't need some guy telling me what to do!"
"To never bowing to a man!"
"To freedom!" They clinked their cups again and started laughing.
"Do you have any rice wine or something?" Toph asked as their laughter subsided.
"I haven't had a chance to do any real shopping. I only got in a few days ago."
"Well let's go get some then! And food, while we're at it. Since Twinkle Toes isn't around we can eat a real meal." Katara chuckled as she stood up.
"Sure. Let me change and we can head out. I found a really lovely ramen shop on the way in."
"I don't care what it is as long as there's wine!" Toph replied as Katara walked away.
Her mirth and her smile vanished as she entered the bedroom. The mattress and blankets had been tossed around the room. Thankfully the coal brazier had been unlit when it had been knocked over. Clothes were strewn about but all of them were blue or white, not an orange cloth was to be found.
Katara stripped out of her water stained clothes and carefully picked through the objects on the ground. Warm woolen leggings, an embroidered tunic and matching woven belt, a short cut fleece jacket, and tall boots made out of a special bark that had been hammered flat. Gone were the water resistant animal skins, the shell adorned leather, and the warm fur lining. The "murder free" clothing had been a concession but it was almost impossible for Katara to live at home during the Dark Months. And the sun didn't shine at the South Pole for seven months out of the year.
Katara fixed her braids and touched a finger to the emblem on her necklace.
She was going to have meat for dinner.
"Alright, I'm ready to go." Katara stepped back into the sitting room and shut the door to the bedroom.
"You look great Katara." Katara smiled and ran her hands down the front of her tunic.
"Thanks Toph, I-" She stopped abruptly and glared over at the now howling Toph. Katara stomped to the door and flung it open, trailing the howls after her.
"How do you people keep forgetting that I'm blind?" Toph asked as they stepped out into the hallway. Katara took a key from her purse and locked the door.
"Maybe because your blindness is not how we define you." Katara shot back as she tied up her purse.
"And that's why we're friends Sugar Queen." Katara rolled her eyes with a sigh.
"I'm going to need a drink if I'm going to deal with you all night." She winced as Toph punched her shoulder.
"That's the spirit!" The pair walked staggered as they moved down the hall to the common room of the boarding house. Aang had tried to get her to stay at Air Temple Island but Katara had not wanted to deal with Emry for an entire season.
"Oh, uh, Mistress Katara?" Katara stopped as the landlord approached her looking frazzled.
"What is it Mr. Chang?"
"I, ah, saw that the Avatar left a few moments ago. Will he be, er, returning?"
"Not for a few days I should think."
"Ah, um, yes. Well, let me know if you need anything." The landlord bowed before quickly scurrying away. Aang was always fierce when in a temper, but she wondered what had frightened the man so.
"That old man was quivering in his boots." Toph whispered.
"Let's just go." Katara muttered as they walked out of the common room.
The front door led to the house garden where one of the other residents was sitting on a bench in the dying afternoon light. Katara raised her hand in greeting as they approached the front gate. The man returned her wave and the pair slipped out the tall door and into the street.
Republic City was not as bustling as Aang was hoping for, but it was still in its infancy. Zuko had taken the massive Fire Nation military industry and put it toward innovation. A company called "Fire Eye", and built by a non-bender, had perfected and streamlined the steam engine. Now there was a train, but it mostly brought in metals and stone instead of passengers.
"You know what would be amazing? A city of metal." Toph said after stomping her foot onto the ground.
"And I'm sure you'll be the one to make that happen." The pair walked arm in arm as they moved into the city proper. Teams of rhinoxen pulled large carts of building material down unpaved roads. The cart was emblazoned with the Earth Kingdom symbol, but it was headed to a Fire Nation construction site.
They had all been very pleased with the peace treaty. Katara remembered Zuko and Aang standing side by side, their young faces flushed with pride.
"You should have seen it Katara: two generations of mixed benders in families all over the city." Zuko had related. The first treaty signed in Ba Sing Se was an agreement to dismantle all Fire Nation colonies and emigrate the Fire Nation citizens back. But when they had gone to Yu Dao, the first established colony, they had found mixed families everywhere. Earth bending sons born to Firebending fathers. There was no way to end the colony without destroying a family.
This led to the Treaty of Yu Dao. All Fire Nation colonies were automatically nationalized, their administrators either had to return to the Fire Nation or become a citizen of the Earth Kingdom, and all families – mixed or not – were offered dual citizenship.
As a symbol of this new relationship, the Earth king ceded the Yue province, where Yu Dao was located, to the United Republic of Nations. The URN was devised by Zuko and Aang with the whole thing being headed by a council. Aang had a seat while Zuko wisely did not, calling in his uncle to represent the Fire Nation. The Minister of International Affairs - a thin, mouselike man from the Inner Ring of Ba Sing Se - represented the Earth Kingdom. Surprisingly, the North Pole agreed to have Katara's father sit as an equal representative with the adopted prince, so that the United Tribes of the Poles (UTP) stood for the waterbenders. The prince was allegedly a "nice young man" as Gran-Gran referred to him, and stayed quiet on most political matters. His name was Amaqjuaq, who went by Amaq, and Katara was told that she would "like him in an instant."
She had put off meeting him for years because of the unnecessary descriptions of his appearance.
"Yo, so where's this ramen shop?" Katara shook herself and looked around.
"We'll turn here. It's down Market Street."
"Guh. It's bad enough that this place is laid out like a grid, couldn't they have named the streets better or something?"
"Since when do you care about Feng Shui?"
"It's not about aesthetics okay? It's about class. Those two walnuts make a whole nation and the capital has roads like Main and Market Street."
"You're school is literally just your name."
"A school is a little different than a city, Katara." Katara made a loud noise in exasperation while Toph chuckled.
"You are impossible."
"I'll stop talking once we start drinking."
"I doubt that very much." Katara said darkly, which set Toph off again.
"I was going to call it 'Test Your Mettle' but the property manager wouldn't sign the papers." Now Katara laughed.
"Sokka would have approved." She tugged on Toph's arm toward the left and they walked under a row of cloth flags to enter a small shop. Like most of the businesses in the area, it was small and built for short visits. The front end was completely sectioned off by a counter, the corner of which was taken up by two construction workers.
Behind the counter was an open kitchen, where the husband and wife owners were working.
"What kind do you want?" Katara asked as they sat down. Toph shrugged and hooked her feet around the legs around the legs of the stool.
"Whatever you're getting."
"Two daily specials. And some rice wine please!" Katara called out and the husband raised his hand in confirmation. The wife bustled over with a squat stone container and two small drinking cups.
Katara poured the wine and they each grabbed their cups, holding them aloft.
"To friendship." Katara toasted.
"To patience." Toph added and they drank. The cool liquid burned and they both coughed a little. The two construction workers glanced over and Katara felt her face warm.
"So how is your brother? Still proposing to Miss Independent?" Toph asked as Katara refilled their cups.
"Yeah. Suki is still putting together a guard for Zuko while also preparing the town for her absence."
"For how bad you guys wanted to go home, I'm surprised he left so quickly."
"Sokka felt out of place since the men returned. And, knowing he wasn't going to take up the chiefdom, he decided to leave."
Katara finished her drink as Toph held up the bottle. She poured as Katara made sure the liquid actually made it into the cups.
"So is that why you're heading to the North Pole? To take up your dad's mantle?"
"I guess so. I'm just hoping they don't try to set me up with the prince."
"Just tell 'em you're still with the Avatar."
"I am still with the Avatar." Katara threw back the rest of her drink as the ramen arrived.
"More please." Toph said as Katara emptied the bottle into their cups.
"Aang just expects me to follow him around. But he's not the only one who has important work to do."
"We already saved the world, what more do you want?"
"To make it better." Katara stirred her ramen and tangled the noodles around her chopsticks.
"And what's Aang's deal?" Toph tried to speak around a mouthful of noodles and Katara sputtered.
"He wants to rebuild the Air Nation while also being lauded as a hero."
"Such a drama queen."
"Tell me about it. I told him about having to go to the North Pole and the very first thing he said was 'I can't believe you're ending our vacation.'" Katara waved her hands as she parodied Aang's voice. Toph snorted and choked on the broth.
"Okay but, how's the sex?" Now Katara choked and Toph howled.
"I don't, I mean, we haven't. That is…" Katara stuttered and felt her face burn even more.
"What, are you saving yourself for marriage?"
"No!" The word came out louder than anticipated and Katara clapped a hand over her mouth. The owners shot them a look and the construction workers stood up, dropping some coins on the counter before leaving.
Slightly sheepish, the pair spent a few quiet moments eating. The rice wine was replaced as the wife cleared away the worker's dishes.
"It's nothing about purity or whatever. I just don't want someone else making decisions about my body. My choice isn't based on the expectations of others but from a conversation."
"I like that we both have the same basic idea but got to them in wildly different ways." Katara filled their cups and they clinked them together again in a salute.
"You know we're totally messed up right?" Toph idly stirred her ramen as Katara sipped her wine.
"Yes." She put her cup down as softly as she could.
"When do you think it's going to catch up to us?"
"At the worst possible moment."
"Well, until then, let's pretend none of this ever happened." They went quiet again and Katara could feel her thoughts become more malleable.
"Hey, want to help me piss off Aang?"
"Do pig-pigeons fly?"
After they had finished their meals and two more bottles of wine, Katara and Toph walked to the shoreline. Off in the distance was a large rock that towered over people even from miles off.
"So what's going on?" Toph asked as she shifted her weight uncomfortably on the sand.
"A few miles out in the bay is a huge rock. They're gonna carve a statue of the Avatar on it." Katara said as she watched the water lap at her feet.
"Well isn't that fancy."
"Yeah. I want one, don't you?"
"Lead on Sugar Queen." Katara smiled and shook out her hands. She began to go through the graceful steps of her bending and moved into the surf.
As the water split before them, the two women began to walk into the bay. Once they got to a point that was roughly midway between the pregnant stone and the shore they had left, Katara spun out a wider circle.
Toph let out her breath in a huff as she took her stance. In quick, sharp movements, Toph brought up two large mounds of earth. Keeping her breathing steady, she moved around the mounds to carve out a few features. Katara watched, amazed, as she saw her face emerge from the earth.
"Hey! Focus Katara! I'm getting wet feet." Katara shook herself and resumed her bending with more focus.
"Alright, I'm done. Let's get out of here." Toph said. As Katara cut their path, she cast a look back at the statues. They were messy, but she could definitely see herself and Toph in them. Toph's was cross-eyed with a tongue sticking out and Katara's was smiling broadly.
"They look good Toph."
"You sound surprised."
"You're blind."
"Touché."
After making it back to shore, Katara noticed that most of their lower halves were caked in mud. The woolen leggings were swollen and heavy, and her boots were ruined.
"It feels like the sun has gone down." Toph said as she stomped her way up the thin beach.
"The light's almost gone." Katara sighed and followed up into the grass.
"Did you want to head back?" Katara turned and looked out into the bay. The statues stood with their backs to Air Temple Island.
"Have you ever tried fire wine from the Fire Nation?" Katara asked, still staring at the figures.
"Lead on Sugar Queen."
The rest of the night was spent meandering through the grid of the unfinished city. After the final shift from various construction sites were released, the energy shifted dramatically. At one corner they found a Firebender doing some sort of impromptu demonstration. An Earthbender was dancing around the edge of the performer's marked out stage and bent underneath him. The pair ended with the Earthbender pushing the Firebender into the air as the latter sprayed fire from his mouth. The gathered crowd applauded, cheered, and skeins of alcohol were passed around.
Then the gambling started.
Katara, even intoxicated, eschewed cheating so Toph was left with conning Earthbenders into feats of strength. Very quickly the others caught on and figured out who they were. Instead of retribution, Toph used her winnings to buy more drinks and food, and the two were informally feted.
At one point, a small girl approached Katara and tugged on her tunic. Katara lowered herself and stared into the girl's glittering gold eyes.
"Do you really know the Fire Lord?" The girl whispered. Katara smiled and nodded.
"I do."
"Is he a good man?"
"I think so."
"My father died. In the war."
"I'm sorry to hear that. My mother died." The girl nodded slowly.
"Okay." The girl turned brusquely and walked away. Katara blinked as she stood up.
"Toph?" She called out.
"Yeah?"
"I'm going to go visit Zuko."
In the middle of the night, the two stumbled back to the boarding house. Attempting to not disturb the occupants, Toph used her metalbending to pull back the latch and push the door open. Too much force was used and the door to the gate went crashing back into the frame. By the time Katara had closed it back up and they walked through the garden, the landlord was already at the porch with a lantern.
"Mistress Katara?" Mr. Chang twisted his hands around the small staff that held the lantern aloft.
"Sorry Mr. Chang." Katara said as they walked up to the porch.
"Did you need anything?" He questioned as he stepped aside to let the women pass.
"I'd like to send a letter." Katara said. Mr. Chang sighed.
"I'll get the stationary." All three of them walked to the small reception desk in the common room. Mr. Chang set down the lantern before ducking down behind it. He popped back up with a box and placed it on the countertop. He pulled out a small pile of paper and a charcoal stick.
"I hope this will suffice." Mr. Chang's voice was thin and restrained to such a point that Katara flinched.
"It is. Thank you."
"And where is this letter going?" Katara picked up the charcoal stick and started to write out the characters as carefully, and as steadily, as she could manage.
"To the Fire Lord."
After Katara finished her letter, she and Toph went back to her rooms. Realizing that she still hadn't cleaned up the bedroom, Katara started to warn Toph. The Earthbender seemed to become deaf as well as blind and simply kicked the mattress flat and fell onto it. Katara peeled off her muddy clothes and put on a clean shift before laying down on the mattress next to Toph.
"Goodnight Toph." Katara closed her eyes and the whole world started to slosh behind her lids.
"G'night K'tara." Toph's voice was muffled by the clothes and linen.
The world continued to pitch.