A/N: Hello friends, this is another one of those random ideas bc I really really REALLY wanted to write a story about college Zutara, but I didn't want it to be modernized, I wanted them to still have the war to worry about and I wanted Zuko to still be a Prince and Katara to still be well a Southern Water Tribe girl and I don't know I could've done this in a way easier way, and I'll probably think about how to properly do it whenver I'm like 12 chapters deep. Haha oh well! This is just what my mind came up with! Lol sorry if things don't add up! Nonetheless I hope you guys do enjoy this story, I think it'll be a sweet and funny one!
For now rated for Teen and Up Audiences, just bc bad words and sexual things will most likely be implied, I mean they are in college...
Enjoy! :)
"I have to what?"
Katara had just finished her daily duties as an instructor to young waterbenders, and right as she was packing up her stuff to leave her lovely brother waltzed into the training tent to tell her the worst news she had heard all year.
"You have to go to this new academic college in the Fire Nation."
"But… Why?"
She turned back to her things and started to place them back in her bag, but Sokka stopped her and snatched up one of her scrolls before she could place it back into her bag.
"Because they want to start including other nations to attend there and since WHEN has the Fire Nation ever been inviting." He tossed and fiddled with the scroll between his hands and Katara glared at him with hands on hip, not amused.
"It's suspicious Katara. Even though right now the war is at a stalemate, we still need make sure we have the upperhand just in case Ozai decides to blind side us and continue to try and take over the freaking world." He waved his hands dramatically with the scroll still in hand.
"Hey!" She snatched the scroll away from him, and placed it in her bag. "That's an ancient relic of our people, if you damage this you're ruining something that has been kept alive for centuries, and I'm sure our ancestor's spirits wouldn't be to pleased with you if that happened." She threw her bag over her shoulder and proceeded to walk out the tent as Sokka followed behind her.
"Besides Sokka, I thought that's what his brother was for. Didn't he agree to work alongside Ozai to help regulate the power in the Fire Nation?"
"Yes but, he is his brother… For all we know they both might be plotting against us, even if he does seem like some jolly old dude who loves tea, he still once tried to take over Ba Sing Se. He's probably really good at putting up a front, so we don't expect anything... like this new school! Seems innocent at first but it could be a means to devise battle plans and raise up more soldiers in secret, or worse to lure us into sending our people over there only to be imprisoned or forced to join their side."
"...Yeah… or he's actually just a 'jolly old dude who loves tea', and wanted to better education in his land."
"Eh. Maybe, but we won't know for sure unless you go. Plus, you might be able to find out more information about the Fire Nation that could be beneficial to us if they do decide to turn against us."
"So then that would make us the ones who are deceiving them in order to gain the higher power… Kinda hypocritical dontchya think?"
"Yeah yeah yeah… but it's different because we're the good guys and they're the bad guys! Deceit is perfectly fine as long as it's the good guys doing it!"
Katara rolled her eyes and sighed. She stopped her walk towards home, and turned to face Sokka.
"So, you can't do it?"
"Nope, I have to go help dad train recovering soldiers in the North Pole, along with discussing more plots on how to advance if the war does continue."
Katara nodded along. She understood what she needed to do, she just didn't want to do it. Although, as much as she hated the sound of even stepping foot in the Fire Nation Capital, she knew it still would be beneficial to her own knowledge and training to learn and know more about a different culture and people. After all, who knows, maybe Sokka's right and the safety of her people relies on whether or not she's able to attend this school. If the Fire Nation gains any more power than they have now, it's over for not just the Southern Water Tribe, but the world.
"Fine, but I swear Sokka if I end up staying any longer than I need to there, for whatever reason, I don't care what's happening in the North pole, you better haul your ass over to the Fire Nation and bring me home."
Sokka cackled at the thought, "Katara it's not like you're about to become the new Fire Queen or whatever they call it, plus who knows you might really like it there after the years over."
"Doubt it." Katara scoffed and began heading home again.
~o~
The boat ride to the Fire Nation, was a smooth and easy, Katara spent most of her time reading up on the Fire Nation and what their culture was like, and found some of their customs to be highly intriguing, and that maybe just maybe the Water Tribe and Fire Nation weren't that much different. Katara grew confident more and more with each passing day to be able to walk and talk amongst the very people she grew up hating. Some resentment towards them still resided within her, but she was 18 going on 19 now, and what happened over 10 years ago to her mother though extremely painful as it was, she eventually had to come to terms that there was nothing she could do to bring her back and what had been done was done. All she could do now was try to save anyone she could from the evil caused by the Fire Nation. That is why taking on this mission was no problem for her if it meant helping or even saving those whom she loves most.
Katara was cool, calm and collected, up until the very last moments of her stay on the ship. Right up until she had to actually step off of the port onto the dock that was of the Fire Nation. Because she knew as soon as her foot touched Fire Nation soil, there was no going back, and the success of this mission will depend on her actions from there on out.
The second Katara heard the port close she wanted to turn on her heels and sprint back towards the ship, and plead with them to let her back on and to take her home. The desire to retreat was swiftly crushed by Katara's motivation to complete the task at hand. Standing firm with shut eyes and clenched fist, she inhaled deeply through her nose and released a long slow breath as she took her first step to follow her guides.
"C'mon Katara. Let's not make this year any longer than it has to be."
As they walked to there next stop Katara was in complete awe. It was beautiful. More beautiful than she could have ever imagined, and whether she would admit it or not, it was one of the most beautiful places she had ever seen, even including more than her home, the South Pole. She loved her snowy fields, and the clear blue skies, and the crystalys and icy structures that laid about the land, but it was something about the bright colored trees and the soft lush grass, and plants that filled the Fire Nation that were just breathtaking. The smell of oaks and pines and other pleasant smoky like aromas were all too wonderful to not enjoy. Her expectations were far exceeded. She thought it would be dull and dark, but no it was bright and beautiful. She had also expected it also to be blazing hot, so hot that it would be part of the battle of living there, yet the weather was perfect. The feeling of sun's warmth over her skin felt so tender and sweet like a warm hug from a friend. She hated it. She hated that such a cruel place that has caused so much distraught to so many people could be so utterly gorgeous.
After walking for some time Katara and her guides boarded a carriage ride that was waiting to take them to the school's campus. The ride there they talked about all the high praises the school had been receiving since it began classes about two weeks ago.
"It's one of the first colleges made for both men and women! How delightful!" Said the woman guide in the front. Her name was Diu, and she was a native to the Fire Nation, but had been involved with Water Tribe for some time now. Mainly because her husband, Shen, who was the second guide sitting in the front of the carriage alongside of her, was a native to the Water Tribe, but he was also scholar in intercultural studies, and he specifically specialized in the studies of the Fire Nation. The two were clearly meant for each other, Diu had a passion for people and their academics, and Shen had a passion for cultures and was an academic scholar, it was like two halves of a moon cookie, perfect complements.
"You're pretty lucky Miss. Katara, you should be thanking the spirits for this remarkable opportunity! If Diu and I had this when we were your age, we would be able to do so much more than being some tour guides and grade school teachers." Shen pitched in.
Diu shot Shen a questioning glare. "There's nothing wrong with being tour guides and grade school teachers! We still have an impact if not greater on this world and in people's lives!"
"Well yes but.." the two began to banter back and forth with each other as Katara peered out the curtain of the carriage's window.
She scoffed as she thought to herself, "Lucky? Ha, to think that any part of this has to do with luck… If I'm able to make it out alive and well then maybe we can talk about luck." This whole idea left her stomach tied in knots, and gave her headaches. It was true though, the fact that this was one of the first schools to offer an education to both men in women was pretty remarkable, and the fact that Katara will be one of the first few to experience it is an even greater accomplishment in itself. Maybe she was a bit lucky.
"Hey! Look there's the front gate!" Shen shouted as he pointed out the window, and wiped the sweat from his brow having dodged the bullet from further arguing with his spouse.
The front gate was this huge looming metal wall with the fire nation emblem engraved a dark red on it. In front of it was a little check in building where two fire nation guard dressed in full armour stood beside it. As the carriage approached, one of the guards stepped forward and stopped the carriage.
The coach of the carriage told him that they were there just to drop Katara off, and he proceeded to hand him a stack of papers. The guard flipped through them and then handed them back to the coach.
"Show us the girl." The soldier demanded.
Katara gulped quietly and lifted the curtain with a slightly shaky hand as she showed them her face. The guard looked at her and then back over to the other guard in the check in spot, who then stepped out of the little building and handed the guard standing near the carriage a card.
"Here," the guard handed her the card, "Don't lose this, and keep it handy at all times, because if you're caught without it at any time, you will be restrained and held captive until we send you to be intensely investigated by our officials to prove your identification. Are we clear?"
Katara shrank down a little bit at the commands of the guard, and nodded without saying a peep. She then took the card into her hand and read it. "First Year Student: KATARA; Residency: Ursa Hall, Room 205; ID NUMBER: 0827"
"Follow the road straight as you head inside, and then at the first stop you're gonna take a left and your hall will be on your right." the soldier grinned grimily at Katara. "Welcome to The Academic College of the Fire Nation", he spoke as he waved for them to be passed through.
With a loud rumble and creak, the wide metal wall, split down the middle a slowly opened itself up to allow them inside. The campus was quite smaller than she imagined, but then again it was stil fairly new and still in the makings. Katara could see the Fire Nation Palace off in the distance, and it sent shivers down her spine to know she was that close to the cruelest person she had heard of, the Fire Lord. They continued on, following the instructions given they eventually pulled up to this long stretched out building that had a stone post with black letters that stated "Ursa Hall" on it. Dui and Shen hopped out the carriage, and Shen pulled out all of the luggage and helped Katara out of her seat.
"This is where we must part ways Miss, Katara… But every now and again you will meet with Dui and I to discuss your time spent here, and help you with anything that you need. Dui will help you unpack your luggage into the residency. Sadly I'm not allowed to enter a girl's hall without a special pass, which is how it should be, hopefully the boys hall is on the other side of camps." Katara laughed. It was nice to see Shen filling in the shoes of her father since he couldn't be there.
"So until I believe two weeks from now." He reached over and gave her a hug. Even though he'd been living in the Fire Nation for years now, Katara could still smell that water tribe scent on him as she embraced him. She hoped that she too would smell the same and act the same as her people throughout her time spent there. Feeling the tears beginning to develop, she quickly let go and released him from the hug.
She bowed and thanked him, and he returned to the carriage. Dui eagerly picked up two of Katara's bags and smiled widely at her.
"Come on Katara, let's go see this room!" She skipped on ahead of her up to the doors of the dorm.
"Don't take over and waste your time Dui! Let the girl enjoy this experience too!" Shen shouted from the window of the carriage.
Dui ignored his comment as she hastily opened the front doors to the hall. And that's when it all became really real.
"Ah La damn it." Katara muttered.
One would think that getting past the soldiers would be the most terrifying thing, but no walking into a room filled with 18-21 year old Fire Nation girls, was roughly a thousand times worse.
A/N: yep that's all I got for a first chapter, the second chapeter is already done I should have it up sometime tomorrow! Please LIKE, FOLLOW, and REVIEW