Riddles of the Overactive Female Imagination
Disclaimer: Avatar, Escaflowne – not mine.
NOTE: Third of four, non-sequential one-shots. Just some ideas and plot bunnies I couldn't get out of my head so please don't expect anything remotely good.
This one is a slight crossover between "The Vision of Escaflowne" and "Avatar". Actually only one character from "Escaflowne" is involved and he's only alluded to the whole time. The focus is more on Zutara. And by the way, my OC from "Vae Victis", Diana Argos, has special participation in this story. You don't really have to read "Vae Victis" to get this story but it will help a lot if you know the basic plot of Escaflowne or at least you must know the main antagonists of the series. And don't worry, Diana isn't a Mary Sue (or at least I tried very hard not to make her one). This story is set in Ba Sing Se between "The Guru" and "The Crossroads of Destiny."
Warning: This is completely and utterly random, a "paper bullet" eating at my brain that won't leave me alone. This did not undergo quality control or anything so it may not be up to par and I'm just saying this so that I don't get any unnecessary flames for how weird or useless this story is. It's random and funny for me so I hope you all somehow enjoy it too. Thank you.
--
"I believe there's been a misunderstanding," the golden haired girl said gently.
The three of them sat around the table staring at each other for a few moments of awkward silence. Katara was blushing with embarrassment, Zuko had raised his eyebrows in puzzlement, and Diana was merely looking at the two with amusement.
Katara couldn't believe how stupid she had been. And now, because of her bad habit of jumping to conclusions, she had placed herself in this utterly embarrassing situation. Why? she asked herself exasperatedly, Why did she have to go ahead and misinterpret her dream?
It was clear that waterbending master she may have been; she was no dream-reader. All the trouble had started when Katara first had that strange dream.
There had been a strange-looking girl weeping, in the midst of an empty plaza. The girl had golden hair, very pale skin, and garnet eyes. She didn't look like a member of any of the Four Nations.
Concern for others being in her nature, Katara had approached the girl in her dream and attempted to comfort her. The girl had looked up at the waterbender curiously before smiling with gratitude.
"What's the matter?" Katara had asked gently.
"He's gone," the girl had replied sadly, "the one I love is gone. Taken from me by Fate. Torn apart."
Katara had looked sympathetically at the girl and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. The girl had said nothing but she seemed to calm down somewhat. And then, as if driven by the madness of grief, the stranger began to ramble, blurting out, almost enumerating fragments of a single idea. Katara, on her part, was so transfixed by the other girl's manner and speech that the waterbender couldn't help but listen intently.
"He," the girl began with glassy eyes and a nostalgic gaze, "born of noble lineage I was told, with a fiery gaze, intense and fierce, a quick temper, imposing stature, military prowess, and an arrogance that not everyone can deal with…"
The peculiar girl paused and seemed to be smiling with amusement. Katara continued to watch her carefully. The description of this so-called lover seemed vaguely familiar to the waterbender.
"And with a passion unsurpassed," the stranger continued, her features growing dark and grave, "fuelled by his rage, he relentlessly pursued that one person…"
Katara's blue eyes grew wide and she stared shocked at the girl beside her who continued to ramble. Indeed, the description was uncannily familiar and Katara was also getting worried about the unstable state her companion was in. The waterbender's shock was exacerbated when the bizarre girl gave the last part of her description.
"He who loves fire," the stranger muttered, "the face I will never forget, pale skin, blazing eyes, and that scar…"
Katara awoke with a start. Panting heavily, the waterbender took stock of her surroundings and with a huge sigh of relief, she found herself once more in her bedroom in the apartment in Ba Sing Se. She was all alone now, except for Momo's presence. The group had split up to finish specific tasks. Aang had gone to the Eastern Air Temple to learn how to control the Avatar State from a Guru. Sokka had proceeded to where the Southern Water Tribe forces had their camp, to finally see their father again. And Toph had gone to meet her mother somewhere in the city. So now, the apartment was all Katara's.
"Maybe the pressure of helping with the invasion plans is getting to me," she told herself, clutching her aching forehead, "that's why I have been plagued by this dream."
She sighed again, remembering with peculiar clarity, the girl's face and every word the stranger had uttered to the waterbender during the dream. The girl with long, golden hair, a pale complexion, and purple eyes. Katara didn't know that there were such girls in the Fire Nation, or even anywhere in the Four Nations. But then again, if there was anything this journey taught her, it was to always be ready to be surprised.
But there was one thing Katara felt absolutely certain of: the girl in her dream loved Zuko. There could be no mistaking it. Based on the description of his character, his determination to pursue one person, and most especially his scar, Katara knew right away that the girl was referring to the very same prince who had hunted Aang down for so long.
"Why would anyone mourn losing him?" Katara wondered, trying to understand how her enemy could be one worth so much love. After all, he was a terrible person, always chasing them, and trying to capture the world's last hope for peace. And he was the Fire Lord's son, one of the most notorious enemies of the free world. How could anyone possibly love him?
After her incredulity had died down, Katara thought more about the matter and decided that perhaps she was being rather unfair.
"After all," she thought, "even the best of us are blinded by love." So maybe the strange girl did see something in that Zuko that many people didn't. Maybe the girl was the only one willing to give that jerk a chance and to see the good in him.
The more Katara thought about it, the more it seemed plausible for some strange girl to like Zuko. Maybe, the waterbender thought, the girl didn't know about Zuko's true nature before and now she regrets loving him because "fate" has taken him to the wrong side. Maybe.
Katara tried to recall every encounter she had had with the banished Fire Nation prince. She remembered him being rough and somewhat violent, easy to anger, relentless, and stubborn. He was always determined to capture Aang no matter what it took and he never stopped trying no matter how many times he failed. As Katara thought about this, she realized that those traits were not necessarily bad. After all, she too was a determined person and she too persevered to achieve her goals no matter how many times she failed. It was just too bad that Zuko was on the wrong side.
She also recalled their last encounter with the young man, in the deserted village that Azula razed to the ground. He had seemed so different then (although still stubborn) from the prince she had known before. He wasn't chasing Aang any more and he and his uncle seemed to have become wanderers and refugees. He had also seemed genuinely concerned about his uncle although he was too proud to accept the help she offered. But that was an event she never forgot.
Zuko had said something once to her about the reason he was so determined to capture Aang.
"I need him to restore something I've lost – my honor."
"But maybe it was more than that," Katara surmised, "maybe capturing the Avatar was the only way he would be allowed back to the Fire Nation to be with the one he loved."
Katara blushed slightly at the crazily romantic scenario. She had never pictured Zuko in such a heroic light but the dream had distorted her vision and her overactive female imagination was now jumping to all sorts of conclusions and theories.
And then, she realized, that Zuko and the girl's little love story was doomed. The girl was probably still trapped in the Fire Nation somewhere, mourning her loneliness, while Zuko was on the run, and now nowhere to be found. Katara felt her heart break at the thought of such a hopeless scenario. The story just seemed so tragic.
The longer she thought about it, the more Katara realized that she knew so little about Zuko. Maybe he really was a good person, albeit extremely confused and highly misunderstood. After all, someone seemed to love him so much. And, Katara added with a hint of hesitation, had circumstances been very different, maybe…
Katara shook her head violently, driving the thought away. It was just too absurd.
Sunlight filtered through her window and Katara suddenly realized that she had to get up. She still had to help the Earth King's generals with the planning for the invasion on the Day of Black Sun. Sokka was depending on her to make sure that nothing went wrong. With a determined look on her face, the master waterbender prepared for the busy day. She would set aside all these silly fantasies and dreams because right now, she had more important things to attend to.
But, much to her dismay, the dream was not so easily forgotten.
--
Later that day, after long sessions of invasion-planning, Katara decided that she and Momo would take a break. They walked along the paved streets of Ba Sing Se, trying to decide on how they would leisurely spend the rest of the afternoon. After looking around for a while, Katara noticed a lovely and new-looking tea house that a lot of people seemed to frequent.
She thought for a moment and then approached the front door of the tea-house. The waterbender looked up at the sign of the shop; it read:
"The Jasmine Dragon. Grand Opening Today!"
Katara and Momo looked at each other and then nodded.
"This place looks promising," the waterbender told the lemur. And then, everyone knows what happened next.
--
After getting over the initial shock of seeing Zuko and Iroh, Katara and Momo fled from the Jasmine Dragon as quickly as they could. It didn't matter where they were going for as long as it was as far away from the tea house as possible. It seemed to Katara that destiny was playing a very crazy game with her.
They made their way along the paved streets, heading in any direction that seemed open to them. Momo wasn't quite sure what the fuss was all about but he wasn't about to question the waterbender's judgment when she was this agitated.
Katara, on her part, found herself torn between telling the Earth King about Zuko's presence in the city and keeping it secret. Somehow, the dream had given her cause to doubt that the firebender had bad intentions for being here.
The waterbender clenched her teeth in frustration. If it hadn't been for that crazy dream, she would have had no second thoughts about turning Zuko in. But now, she found herself confused. Why did this have to happen now?
So engrossed was she in her moral dilemma that she failed to watch where she was going and she accidentally bumped against a hooded figure. When she realized her error, Katara began apologizing profusely to the person who waved away Katara's excuses with a small smile.
"Don't distress yourself about it," the person said with an accent Katara couldn't place, "it is of no consequence."
It was only then that Katara took a good look at the one she had bumped into. And when Katara saw the other girl's face, the waterbender knew that indeed destiny was playing around with her.
The girl adjusted the dark hood that hid her unmistakably golden hair, a few strands of which strayed across her pale face. Purple eyes returned the waterbender's blue gaze and both pairs of eyes widened. There was the uncanny flash of recognition and the eerie silence. Momo chirped at the two girls.
"You're," Katara and the other began to say simultaneously, "the girl from my dream."
--
After the two girls had recovered from the shock of the first meeting, they made the proper introductions and found that they both liked each other exceedingly. Katara learned that the girl's name was Diana Argos (a strange name, even for someone from the Fire Nation.) The waterbender wasn't sure though if Diana was really from the Fire Nation since when she asked the strange girl where she was from, Diana had only replied ambiguously, "some distant land." Katara respected the girl's secrecy and didn't pry. Seeing Diana acting discreet and wearing a dark cloak and inconspicuous clothing, Katara figured that the girl was probably in hiding. And when Katara asked Diana if the latter was a bender, Diana's confused expression told the waterbender that the foreigner was not a bender.
They conversed easily with one another and Diana found that she rather enjoyed the company of the young woman from her dream. She only hoped that Katara had forgotten all about what she had rambled on.
But Katara had not forgotten, not in the least. And her meeting with Diana only served to improve her memory of the dream's details. Katara realized that the peculiar-looking girl before her loved Zuko.
Perhaps the dream had been given to them to serve a purpose, after all. Katara now realized, with an odd, unfamiliar pang in her chest, that she was meant to bring the two lovers back together. The romantic and sentimental notion now that it was possible didn't appeal to her as much as it did when it was still far-fetched. But the waterbender knew that she had no right to deny two people their happiness.
"I'm glad that I've met you," Katara told Diana gravely. The girl looked at the waterbender curiously and smiled.
"Likewise, Katara," Diana replied.
"Because I know where the one you love is," Katara cried emotionally and excitedly taking Diana's hands, "he's here, in the city."
The yellow-haired girl stared wide-eyed at the waterbender for a few, silent minutes.
"That's impossible," Diana said at last, "he can't be here. You don't even know who he is."
"Oh, I know very well who he is," Katara replied confidently. Diana stared at her again.
"But how…" muttered the foreigner.
"It doesn't matter," Katara cut her off, "it's too long a story and there's not a moment to lose. The two of you will finally be reunited. You must come with me now."
And with that, Diana was not allowed to protest, and the stranger found herself being dragged by the enthusiastic waterbender towards a small tea-house. Diana looked questioningly at the lemur flying above them but Momo simply gave a small shrug.
Then, there they all stood, at the threshold of the Jasmine Dragon.
--
Katara had left Diana at a table while the waterbender approached Iroh and Zuko who looked very surprised to see her. She excitedly told Iroh about the arrival of Zuko's "girlfriend" to which the old man gave a surprised but pleased reaction. He agreed to let his protesting nephew go to see his "girlfriend" while Zuko continued to ask Katara what she was going on about.
Zuko and Diana's meeting was the clincher. Their reactions to each other were completely unexpected for Katara.
The two had merely stared at each other curiously, both with raised eyebrows. There was not the slightest hint of recognition in their faces and there was no indication that they were acquainted at all.
Zuko just stared with puzzlement at the strange-looking girl, wondering what had induced the waterbender to even suggest that such a person was his girlfriend. He had never even seen this girl before.
And that brings us back to the beginning of our story.
Diana stared back at Zuko as well, noting that he did indeed have a scar on his face and fiery eyes but he certainly was not Dilandau Albatou. Perhaps he did have the other characteristics of Dilandau which she had enumerated in the dream and this caused Katara's mistaken assumption. She sighed with disappointment. Although the prospect of ever seeing Dilandau again after he had turned back to Celena had been highly improbable, Katara's claim had given Diana the slightest hint of hope. But she refused to wallow in her grief just yet, sensing that there was an interesting story behind these mixed-up circumstances.
Zuko faced Katara and began asking her what she meant by this and she merely looked back at him in shock, unable to argue or to give any adequate excuses for her impulsiveness. She now knew not what to say to him or how she was to say it. It was awkward enough for both of them to be on such familiar terms considering their prior encounters as enemies.
Despite Zuko's recent "brightening" of perspective after recovering from his fever, the sight of one of the Avatar's friends slightly reminded him of his past endeavors. And with the arrival of this new person, he was becoming more confused than ever.
At length, it was Diana who broke the uneasy silence.
"I believe there's been a misunderstanding," the golden haired girl said gently.
"I'm so sorry," Katara blurted out suddenly, "I thought… it was stupid of me, and I apologize."
Zuko continued to frown, trying to make sense of it all, while Diana laid a hand on Katara's shoulder in comfort. The girl smiled at the waterbender and Katara knew at once that all was forgiven.
"I believe," Diana announced, "that some explanations are in order."
"I'll say," Zuko finally commented, "but first, would any of you like a cup of tea?"
Katara stared at Zuko incredulously. His amazingly civil behavior was the greatest shock of all.
--
While sampling Iroh's famous concoctions, Diana explained to the two benders (and lemur) that the one she had loved was a young man named Dilandau Albatou, a respected and feared military leader from a distant place called the Zaibach Empire. Zuko and Katara had raised their eyebrows at this and Diana had to further explain that she was not from the Four Nations at all, and neither was Dilandau. He was a fierce and relentless fighter, who was not a bender, but had an affinity with fire. His eyes were not golden like Zuko's but blood-red and his scar was a slice on his cheek dealt by a young king whom Dilandau hated with a passion. Diana's account suggested that her love was unrequited but this did not stop her from nurturing it. But in the end, it seemed that Dilandau had vanished from her world without a trace and thus was she plunged into the despair Katara had found her in.
"I won't burden you with the particulars," Diana commented, "especially since I don't fully understand my predicament as well. All I know is that after Dilandau's…disappearance…I've been wandering through a host of unfamiliar worlds, never staying too long in one place, just aimlessly wandering. Meeting you two has provided a sort of respite from my traveling."
"But what are you going to do now?" Katara asked with concern.
Diana merely shrugged. "I never tarry long," she said, "perhaps I will simply move on, or I may even go back home. I don't know."
"Surely, you must know your destiny," Zuko suggested, "you have to decide what you're going to do with the rest of your life even if the one you love is gone."
"Wise words, and I mark them," Diana replied, "my destiny is currently in shambles and I'm still trying to get a grip. But I appreciate your suggestions and your concern for a stranger in your world."
"What I don't understand," Katara said, "is why we had that dream."
"Don't look at me," Diana teased, "I am just as much confounded as you are. But I'm glad that all this happened."
For in the distraction of meeting Katara and Zuko, Diana had observed that there was a connection between these two individuals that they did not yet realize. From their accounts, they were former enemies but the circumstances were clearly different now. And from the awkward, nervous manner the two had around each other, Diana could sense that perhaps one day Zuko and Katara would come to a very good understanding.
The Asturian girl smiled. It seemed like the overactive female imagination was at work again.
Anyway, a dozen cups of tea later, when the Jasmine Dragon had closed its doors for the night, Diana took her leave of Katara and Zuko. Although the acquaintance had been very brief, the two were reluctant to see the stranger go (and more hesitant about being left alone, although Momo was there.)
"I do not regret having that dream now," Katara said as she hugged her newfound friend good-bye, "I made a lot of interesting discoveries today."
"I'm very glad to have met you, Katara," Diana replied, returning the hug, "and I wish you luck on your future endeavors. You too, Zuko."
Zuko muttered a small "thank you" and scratched his head in confusion. Diana grinned mischievously.
Before finally leaving, Diana walked towards the waterbender once more.
"I really appreciated your concern for me and your attempt to solve the riddles my heart, Katara," she whispered, "but perhaps next time, you would do well to first solve the riddles of yours."
Katara blushed slightly at this although she was not quite sure of what Diana was alluding to. The waterbender blinked, and found that only she and Zuko were left standing outside the tea house. Diana had disappeared. Katara looked at the firebender and he shrugged at her. All they saw was a flurry of large, immaculately white feathers.