Chapter one: Costumes
Hi everyone! This is my first fanfiction EVER, so please be nice (But I am a tough girl, I can take the flames! BRING IT ON!!!!!!). Anyway! Welcome to my Story: Forbidden Unknown! Its a story about passion, truth, beauty, but above all things...Love.(Moulin Rouge anyone? lol)
The setting is that it takes place RIGHT after the crossroads of Destiny. They have escaped on Appa and are now in the woods by a fire nation town/village thingamabob. :D
I DO NOT OWN AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER OR ANY THING ELSE FOR THAT MATTER! What I have written here is what I would have thought would make a cool story :p
ENJOY!
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She didn't want to get up this morning, but of coarse, had to, being the responsible one in the group. There was still a lot to be done ... So, with a heavy sigh, Katara shoved herself up from her snowmonkey sleeping bag.
"Get up, Aang, Sokka, Toph." She moaned, and started preparing what was going to be a light breakfast. After everyone finally got up, Sokka being the last one, they all sat around the small fire that cooked their breakfast.
"Good morning everybody!!" Aang cheered with his happy smile plastered across his face.
"Hasn't anyone ever told you that you're just to happy?" Toph yawned in response.
"Why shouldnt I be happy? I'm sitting with my friends, i've finally healed, and it's a nice day out."
"Oh, I don't know, maybe facing the fire lord, and the arrival of the comet have something to do with it... I'd say you've got a lot to be upset about." Aang frowned at her comment.
"You know Aang, she's right. You still need to finish mastering Earth Bending and find a Fire Bending 's still a lot that needs to be done in the next couple months." Katara said.
"I know... It's just that, I was kind of thinking that I had a Fire Bending teacher in mind...But..."
"Who?" Toph and Katara asked.
"Well, it wouldn't matter anymore, so anyway, never mind." Aang put on another way to happy smile. This was the one that sort of said 'I dont want to talk about it' or 'I'm lying'.
"Just spit it out already Twinkle Toes."
"Okay, okay. I was thinking, before the cave's, that somehow... Zuko could be my fire bending teacher...."
"WHAT!?!"
"Oh, good morning, Snoozles." Toph grinned.
"You we're thinking about letting HIM join our group?! Are you CRAZY?!"
"Chill out Sokka! I know! It was a bad idea... It was a passing thought.."
"A bad one at that..." Katara mumbled. Ever since she was stuck in the caves with zuko, who ended up betraying her, she couldn't even hear his name without cringing. Aang looked at Katara and sighed. At first, when Iroh and him we're making their way to find her and Zuko, he was worried. He thought that either she'd be hurt by him, or worse, they would become friends! But, to his luck, Zuko had been the idiot that Aang sort of expected him to be, and betrayed Katara, permanently scaring her image of him. This made him smirk.
"...What..?" Katara asked when she noticed Aang was looking at her and smirking... again. It was sort of creepy....
"Oh, nothing, sorry." He blushed, rubbing the back of his now hair covered head.
"Come on, Twinkle Toes. We've got some training to do!" Toph grinned as she stretched her arms towards him and cracked all her knuckles.
Aang sighed, and got up following Toph to a small clearing. "I'll let you know when breakfast is ready." Katara yelled after them.
She looked down at the soupy stew she had cooking over the fire and took in a deep breath. How was she ever going to tell Aang she didn't like him the way he liked her? She didn't want to break his heart, but all the dreamy looks we're getting annoying. Sure, she wanted love... but not with someone younger or especially shorterthen her! She just didn't feel the same... Looking into her reflection, she sighed. Why couldn't she just find prince charming already?
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"It's so good to have you back, Prince Zuko."
"It's an honor to be back, Father." Zuko bowed deeply to the Fire Lord. When his Father waved his hand, Zuko straightened up, then kneeled to the floor and bowed his head to listed to what it is his father had called him into the war chamber for.
"There is an... unfortunate issue we must deal with. I was not expecting you to ever complete your mission of killing the avatar and returning home, so I waved the issue. But now that you have returned, it has become utterly un-avoidable." Zuko felt a small stab at his chest when his father said he had never expected him to come home.
'Does he not want me here? Azula said he'd be more then pleased with me...' He thought. "What can I do to help you, Father?"
"As you know, you are, as oldest and my only male son, heir to the throne. But, you are also turning 18 in three months. In order for you to acquire the throne, you must be married by the age of 18."
Married?! Marriage had never crossed Zuko's mind before! ... But it was for the throne, and it would appear to help put him in his fathers good graces... But who? He sort of had a thing going on with Mai, but she was so gloomy. Maybe there was someone else? Somebody he'd actually fall in love with? Was there even TIME to find a woman to make him happy and glad to spend the rest of his life with? Sighing, he knew the answer was 'no'...
"I'll have a messenger send a letter to Mai that we are to be wed as soon as possible." Zuko started to stand.
"No. Sit back down and wait until I have finished." Zuko sat. "The law states that you must marry a Princess. Mai is not a Princess." There was a small, but sadistic smile on Ozai's face. "Unfortunately, there are no other Fire Princess', the Earth King never got around to having children, the air benders are finally completely wiped out, and the Northern Water Princess is dead."
As Ozai finished his statement, Zuko finally knew what this was all about. His Father never intended for him to have the throne. In fact, his father probably passed this law so that his precious little 'prodigy' could have the throne all to herself. "What am I to do then, father?" He asked while grinding his teeth.
"There is nothing I can think of at the moment. As for now, I will tell you to go and relax and get ready for your coming home party in two days. Surly we will think of some way to abide by this law. You may go."
When Zuko got up and started to walk away, he didnt get far enough, and heard the tiny laugh that escaped his fathers smile of triumph.
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"I'm so hungry! Where is the food?!" Toph grabbed her aching stomach. Aang wasn't as good as her at Earth Bending yet, but he was still better then most of the people she'd ever sparred with, so their training sessions were becoming more tiresome.
"Look I'm sorry breakfast was light, but we have almost no supplies. Besides, Sokka should be back any moment with food from that town we saw before we landed." Katara reassured her.
No sooner had Katara spoken when Sokka came running up the pathway to their camp. "Guys! Guys, look at this!" He yelled.
"OH WOW!!!! That's so cool!" Toph exclaimed.
"I know! I just saw it lying on the gro-... You know... I really shouldn't fall for that anymore." Everybody laughed.
"So what is it?" Aang asked as he walked next to Katara and stood a little to close to her for her comfort. She slowly moved away.
"It's a flyer for the "Welcome home Prince Zuko!!!" party that's going on at the palace the day after tomorrow!"
"...so?" Katara stated.
"So, it says that everyone will be there! Including Fire Lord Ozai!" One by one, their faces lit up as they were starting to grasp what Sokka was saying. "I say we disguiseourselves, party it up a little, enjoy all the free food, and Aang can slowly make his was up to the Fire Lord and BAM! Get him while he thinks you're dead! It's perfect!"
"We're going to need formal attire... we dont even have enough money for food... how are we going to buy fancy Fire Nation clothes?" Aang asked, trying to avoid the subject of him making anything go BAM!, anytime soon.
"Don't you worry about that, Twinkle Toes. I've got it covered." Toph lightly laughed.
"Alrighty! Let's get this train on the tracks! Toph, go do you're thing, Katara, go with her so you can pick out outfits for us all, and Aang and I will.... well, we'll do manly things."
"Riiiiiiight. And I can tell you the colors in the rainbow. Let's go Katara."
"Oh! One more thing!"
"Today Snoozles! While I'm still young!"
"Sorry. Anyway, I don't know exactly what it means, just that the flyer said that they're introducing a new type of party called a 'masqurade' where everyone at the party wears masks to hide their face! It's almost like they're trying to make this to easy for us!" Sokka raved.
"Maskes, got it. Bye guys." Katara waved goodbye.
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"I can NOT believe you stole from all those people!!!" Katara waved her hands above her head.
"It's not stealing, it's gambling." The blind girl countered smugly.
"IT'S CHEATING!"
"Oh whatever! We've got enough money for our costume disguise thingies now, so chill, sugar queen." Katara took a deep breath. Toph was right. They did need authentic costumes, and they weren't cheap.
"Alright fine. But promise me you'll never do it again, okay?"
Toph kept walking.
"Toph! I said promise me you'll never do it agai-"
"Oh look!" Katara was interrupted, "A costume shop!"
Katara looked up, expecting there to be a food stand or anything buta costume shop seeing as how they hadn't even made it into town yet, and the fact that Toph was blind... But to her amazement, there it was - 'Hama's Costume Shop'. Katara stopped and stared first at the shop, then at Toph's eyes, then back at the shop.
'How did she..?...Nevermind' Katara thought. Toph smiled even wider and started walking in the general direction of the shop. When they walked in, Katara stopped and stared in awe. There we're so many costumes! How was she ever going to choose?
"What is it?" Toph asked. It took a minute for Katara to pull her brain away from la la land and turn to look at Toph.
"Nothing really, just that I cant even count how many costumes there are crammed in this tiny store! I'm never going to be able to pick one out... I know! I'll start by color! Okay, do they have anything blue?" She ranted.
"Why are you asking me? I don't even know what blue looks like. But I do know that it's associated with the Water Tribes, and seeing as how we landed in a Fire Nation area, I'm sure they don't have anything in blue." As she said it, Katara kept looking around, and sadly, Toph was right. Not a blue thread in sight. Looks like shed have to deal with a boring green or yellow. Red was definitely out of the question.
"You're sighing to much, what's wrong? There isn't any blue is there?"
"Not even a thread. Oh well... I guess I could just wear green, or something."
"Why don't we look in the back? Stores always keep the good stuff in the back. Let's go." Toph started walking forward, toward the direction of the door with the big "Workers only" sign on it.
"Toph," Katara said, grabbing her upper arm, "It says 'workers only'. We're not allowed back there."
"Okay, but i bet there's a LOT of pretty blue costumes behind that door with 'sugar queen' written all over them." She didn't actually think that, she was just curious as to what was behind the door. She couldn't feel any vibrations besides Katara's.
"You know we really shouldn't..." Katara sighed, stareing helplessly at the door.
"Ya know what? You're right. I bet Aang would love to see you in something yellow anyway... You wouldn't want to upset him..." Toph turned around and headed in the opposite direction of the 'workers only' door, smirking. If this didn't hook Katara, then nothing would.
'Three... Two.... One...'Toph counted.
"I guess a little peak won't hurt anybody, right?" If there was one thing she didn't want more then being arrested for trespassing in a shop on Fire Nation land and being caught and probably killed for traveling with the Avatar, it was giving Aang another reason to stare at her.
'Just like Clockwork.'Toph grinned.
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Sokka and Aang sat at the campfire, staring off into space.
"Hey Sokka?" Aang asked.
"What?"
"Does... does Katara ever talk about me when I'm not around?" Oh no. Not this talk. If it was clear to Sokka, then it was clear to the world that Aang liked Katara. But, Sokka also knew that Katara didn't like Aang and that she didn't tell him that yet because he wouldn't continue his training and defeat the Fire Lord, so he went with the best that he could think of.
"Yupp. Why?"
"Really?!? Wow! What does she say about me?" The smile on his face was tragic. He was so happy, only to later be so sad.
"I don't know. Girl stuff. I'm going to go find some meat, want to come?" He knew full well Aang was a vegetarian and wouldn't go and watch while he hunted and attacked a 'poor defensless' animal.
"Umm, no. I'm good."
"Alright, I'll see you in a bit then." Sokka waved back at Aang.
"Oh! Hey, Sokka?"
"Ohmygod...!" He muttered under his breath before turning around and yelling back, "Yeah?"
"Toph and Katara have been gone for a while, should I go look for them?"
"No. Just stay there. They're big girls and can take care of themselves. Now sit. Good Avatar. You stay there until I get back, alright?" Aang nodded in response. "Good."
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"Only a peak though! That's it. We're not going to even step into the room, just open the door."
"Excellent. But you'll have to describe what's back there, if we're not walking in."
"Got it." And with that Katara took hold of the door knob and opened the door. "Oh my god!" Was all Toph herd before she could see because of the vibrations Katara's feet we're making as she stomped through the small back room. But, there it was. A supposed beautiful gown on a pedistool in the middle of the room.
"Is it blue?" She asked.
"Like the ocean back home..." Katara stared in awe at the most beautiful piece of clothing she had ever seen in her life. It was a full length, strapless ball gown. The bottom was dark cerulean blue, that faded to white as it went up towards the intricate design that decorated the bodice. The design and the elbow length pair of gloves that were next to the costume we're the same shade as the bottom of the gown.
"No kidding?!? I am SO good!" Toph did a little victory dance.
"So you like it?" Said an aged, raspy voice from the door. Katara and Toph both turned to look at who the voice belonged to. What they saw was an old woman, a little hunched over, and smiling an eerie smile. Her face was covered in wrinkles and her gray hair was long.
After the three seconds it took her to analyze the old woman, Katara started reaching down to her snowlepord skin pouch for water, but her hand stopped about halfway across her torso. She tried really hard, but couldn't move her arm!
"Katara, I can't move! What's going on?!" Toph screamed. She had never felt so helpless before! She had been blind all her life, and was used to that, but why couldn't she move?!
"I - I don't know! I can't move either! What are you doing to us?!"She spat at the old woman.
"You've seen to much. I'm sorry but I must keep my identity a secret."
"What are you talking about?! I know nothing about you! The only thing I've seen is this dress!" Katara, trying really hard craned her head back to the dress, and, in doing so, her necklace could be seen. All of a sudden she could move.
"You - You're from the Water Tribe?" The old woman asked. Katara didn't hesitate, she undid her pouch and shot all her water out at the woman.
The woman raised her arms and the water stopped before it reached her. It just sort of floated in mid air.
"You! You're a Water Bender!!!" Katara smiled, straightening out of her fighting stance.
"And I'm blind! Why can't I move yet?!" Toph yelled, trying hard to to blink.
"Oh, I'm sorry, young girl." The woman said, waiving her hand toward Toph, who fell to the ground. "I shouldn't have reacted so harshly! But I thought you were Fire Nation, and had discovered that I was a Water Bender."
"All because of a blue costume?" Katara questioned. How would that accuse her of being a Water Bender?
"No, child, take a look around you." And for the first time, she looked around the dress and into the room.
"Oh my god!" She clasped her hand around her mouth.
"What is it?" Toph mumbled, getting up off of the ground. She didn't like this woman. Not only could she not sense her presence, but she was ready to kill anyone who wasn't Water Tribe...Okay, so Katara and Sokka were safe...Possibly Aang cause he could Water Bend... But where did that leave her?
"Water Bending scrolls and Water Tribe items! Oh! These must be so old! We don't even use kayaks anymore!" She smiled. "I can see now why you would paralyze us... " Her sentence trailed off and her gaze had a questioning look to it.
"We have a lot to talk about." Was all the woman responded.
"I am so lost..." Toph sighed.
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Sokka walked back to the camp empty handed, for the second time that day. He knew he'd probably catch hell for it, but come on! Does anybody appreciate how hard it is to hunt? Jeez. Over worked and under appreciated.
"Oh good you're back! I was starting to cramp up sitting there like that for so long!" Aang laughed.
'Did he seriously sit there the whole time? Part of me wouldn't put it passed him... unfortunately.' He thought to himself.
"You need a hobby." Was all he said to Aang before he picked up his shiny black sword. "And I think that it should be mastering the sword, like I did."
"Only because the Earth King sent you there before he left..." Aang muttered.
"How did you..? You were out like an old campfire and healing the entire time I was gone."
**"Toph is an excellent source."**Sokka sighed. Was he ever going to catch a break?
"Just go find two long sticks since you don't have a cool sword made out of -"
"The Space Rock we put out?"
"Wha..?! How'd you know..? Never mind. I don't even want to know. Now find the sticks!!!" Sokka yelled.
"Yessir!" Aang saluted him, and ran off to find two sticks to practice with.
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"So you can control the blood in another persons body only on the full moon night, but if you're strong enough you can do it whenever? I don't know if I want that kind of power..." Katara tailed off.
"It's alright if you don't want to accept it, but it is a handy trick to learn if you're in a pinch and can't escape." Said the old woman, who they had learned was Hama, the owner of 'Hama's costume shop', Go figure? "Besides all that dark and dingy talk, I noticed you we're quite interested in that dress I have in the back?"
"Oh, the one that fades?! Yes! It's lovely! It's the exact color of the oceans back home!" Katara Exclaimed.
"That was the goal," Hama smiled another eerie smile. "I spent months trying to get that color right."
Toph sat there, not saying a word. She was taking in as much about this old woman as she could. There was something wrong about her.... Something that screamed "WARNING! TURN AROUND NOW!" in her gut ever since she appeared out of thin air behind them...
'I couldn't even get one vibration from her... it's like she's walking on clouds or something...'
"It's absolutely perfect! But I don't suppose it's for sale, is it?" Katara sighed. It was too good to be true.
"Unfortunately, no, it is not for sale." Hama answered. "Why are you looking for formal costumes anyway?"
"Oh, well, we're traveling with the Ava-"
"KATARA!" Toph stood, yelling at her friend, who stared in shock back at her. "Can we talk outside for a minute?"
"No, because I already know what you're going to say, and yes, it is okay to tell Hama. She's just as much against the Fire Nation as we are, if not more. It's alright Toph." She stood as well, and tried to reassure her. Toph slowly sat back down. Something was wrong here... Very wrong.
"As you were saying?" Hama ushered Katara, staring coldly at Toph when Katara slightly turned to pull her chair in, but put on a fake cheery smile when Katara looked back towards them.
"I was saying that we're traveling with the Avatar, and we are planning an attack on the Fire Lord."
"Oh my! When are you planning to do that, and how does my dress come into all of this?"
"Haven't you guessed already? The 'welcome home Prince Zuko' Party. We need disguises and proper attire for the party." Toph answered in a bored, but harsh tone. Katara frowned at her for being so rude.
"You would use my dress as part of a disguise to get in to attack the Fire Lord?"
"I know, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't come here and try to use your work as part of our plot to overthrow the Fire Lord." Katara apologized sheepishly. Clearly she was embarrassed.
"No no no! In that case, take whatever you like! Please, help yoursel-" she looked at Toph with a frown, "-ves to whatever you need. On the house." The old woman looked away from Toph and smiled at Katara.
"Really?! Wow! Thank you so much! I'll absolutely treasure that dress for the rest of my life! Thank you!!" Katara got up and threw her arms around Hama. Toph didn't like this one bit. And the fact that all of her hard work at getting the money to pay for what was now free was a wasted effort didn't help her mood any, either.
In the end, Katarahad gotten the dress from the back, the gloves, and a matching mask that had two light blue feathers sticking out of the right side of it. The eye holes were lined in Rhine stones.
Toph had gotten a simple full length green dress with a small sleave. Her mask was just like katara's, except for the nose piece on the mask went over the bridge of her nose, while Katara's was cut out. Sokka and Aang got the typical male Fire Nation suit - black pants, a red over shirt, and plain black masks.
"Good luck! I'm glad that I could be of service! I'll miss you, Katara, Toffee!" Toph cringed.
"Yeah, i'll miss you too, you old witch..." She muttered.
"What was that Toph? I didn't catch it." Katara asked as they turned and continued walking back to camp.
"Nothing." She said bluntly. "Let's just hurry up and get home before that body controlling witch can get us. Besides, the boys will be wondering where we are."
"Be nice! She was nothing but overly kind to us! What we have here would have cost triple what you got us today!"
"Well sor-rry!! Let's just get back, okay?" Toph almost whined. She was sick of being under minded for doing nothing, so she picked up the pace, clutched her share of the clothes tighter, and they walked in silence the rest of the way.
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They got back to camp after dark. Sokka and Aang normally would have been worried, but they were so focused on training that they barely noticed when the girls got back.
"Umm, Hello?" Toph spoke. "Earth to boys? We're back."
Sokka looked over for a split second and got hit in thte stomach with Aangs stick. "Ow! Crap!"
The stick fight broke up and the boys came over to the fire to talk about what had happened and try on their costumes. It didn't go unnoticed to Toph that Katara didn't mention being paralyzed and controlled and the whole blood bending thing. In fact, when Katara first started the story and got to the part where Hama appeared she looked at Toph, almost saying 'Please?' in her eyes, and said that they turned to see a defenseless little old lady, who recognized Katara's necklace.
When the story was over, the boys had changed out of their formal wear, said their good nights, and went to sleep. Toph followed shortly after. They all needed their rest if they were going to fight for their lives the day after tomorrow.
Katara stood up, brushed off her skirt, and slid into her sleeping bag.
'Can I do this? Am I really prepared to give up my life, or worse, to save the world?'
With that strange final thought, Katara rolled over and watched the forbidden dances in the flames, until she fell asleep.
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Zuko laid in bed, staring at his ceiling. He had betrayed his Uncle, lied to his Father about killing the Avatar, was told he was forced to marry to keep his throne, and then discovered it was all an impossible plan to keep him off the throne.
'There has to be a way... I'll do anything to get my birthright back!'
And with that final declaration, Zuko fell asleep, and dreamed of the beautiful blue ocean....
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END CHAPTER ONE
So?! What did you think!?!? Please review! It'll help me write more if I get feedback!!!!! :D (Positive or negative CRITICISM is appreciated, no hating on me though, this IS my first story ever lol) So I sort of made Hama a good-ish character in this chapter. Don't worry though! You'll see mwahahahahaaaa! And I kinda sorta a lot changed the story line so that they could have all their special abilities that they learned in the third season, without it actually being past the third season :D cause I'm special like that ha-ha. I will have artwork up of Katara's dress. If you want to make pictures too, that would be SO FREAKING COOL!
So important stuff -- Zuko and Katara WILL meet for the first time in this fic next chapter (so that obviously means that the ball/party/thing will be next chapter too lol). Also, I cant guarantee that all my chapters will be this long or short. It all depends on my spare time or if I even get a review.
IF I GET ONE REVIEW, I'LL POST CHAPTER TWO!
Thanks!
**Stolen from zutara4lyfe 's fic "Whatever It Takes" except that Toph say's it about Iroh :D
/rant