A/N: Hey guys! Welcome! *pushes welcome mat on chapter* Welcome my first Avatar story (I know, something nobody wants to hear)! This story has a lot of AU qualities, but most things are kept from the actual series. This story doesn't follow any sequence of events to the series. Katara and Zuko do not meet the same way as in the series, and a whole lot of other stuff too doesn't happen the way it does in the series. Ya' know. After a while I got bored of the whole: Katara is traveling with Aang when—oh noes!
A wild Evilseasonone Prince Zuko appears!
Evilseasonone Prince Zuko uses Capture on Katara!
It's super effective!
…O.O *sanitycheck*
ONWARD.
Signed,
-Oten
Warning:*OOC, OCs, AU, violence, gore, swearing, sexual implications
*Because, damn it, it has been a while since I've last watched ATLA. Please, feel free to correct me when things get OOC to a point it's unbearable. I will try to keep them as in character as I can muster.
Disclaimer: I totes own Avatar: The Last Airbender…in my head.
Tightrope
Act One: I
The First Act
A good fortune may forbade bad luck, which may in turn disguise a good fortune.
"Come on girls, let's get ready! I do not have all day!"
Madam Hui-Fang's loud, commanding voice and clapping hands gained the attention of the young Waterbender. Bright blue eyes lowered in exhaustion before getting up out of the ornate stool and stretching. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of her muscles flexing before Madam Hui-Fang's voice interrupted her.
"Katara! What part of 'we are on a short time limit' do you not understand?"
Katara resisted a retort and settled for clamping her teeth on her tongue. She briskly walked over to the door in the far right corner of the small dressing room. Girls, dressed in more than revealing clothes, bustled past her wearing similar ornate costumes. Their faces were all done the same—bright red lipstick, soft blush over their cheeks—and their hair—a traditional Fire Nation topknot with many hair decorations—was also identical. They looked like clones with their pale faces, bone-straight black hair and golden eyes. Katara was the only one that stood out like a sore thumb.
That, of course, being because was the only Water Tribe person who worked for Madam Hui-Fang's Traveling Circus. Her tanned skin, wavy brown hair and blue eyes didn't fit in with the rest of the people in Fire Nation Province One. It was for this very reason Katara wasn't a performer in the circus. Of course not—being Water Tribe was a disgrace in this world. Having an element opposing Fire, the dominant element, was something to be ashamed of, even though this was well out of one's control.
So Katara was assigned to sit around in the shadow of each circus act, hidden below the lights, where she would serve as some type of marionette. She had the ability to bend blood,—one of the few pros to being a Waterbender—to correct and make the dancers move just as Madam Hui-Fang wanted them to. The blue-eyed girl was the very main reason why Madam Hui-Fang's circus has been excelling and gaining popularity in the past 9 years she's been there. Not that Madam Hui-Fang admitted this—she never admitted anything to anyone.
"Katara!"
A thin, bony hand clutched the red, cottony material that was Katara's shirt. Madam Hui-Fang, despite being an aged, old woman, possessed the strength of a hundred Master Earthbenders when she was irritated. Madam Hui-Fang's wrinkled face twisted with frustration, black-painted lips curling back in an animalistic snarl.
"You're holding up the show, Waterbender!" she hissed, releasing Katara's shirt with a push. The elderly woman straightened out her sleeves before turning on her heel and walking out the dressing room door.
Katara balled her fists together, glaring holes into Madam Hui-Fang's retreating back. Only if looks could kill…Agni, how that ungrateful, old hag irritated her! She barely resisted bending the blood in Madam Hui-Fang's arms so that she let go of her shirt. Brushing off her anger, she slipped out of the door and went outside, the dry, brittle grass crunching underneath her feet. Katara let out a breath of air, trying her best to enjoy the short walk from the dressing room tent to the biggest tent in the area where the dancers would perform. There was loud chatter everywhere, nobles and commoners alike flooding into the bright red tent. The smell of fruit tarts and cinnamon wafted into the air, making Katara's mouth water.
When was the last time she ate? She cleared her mind, recalling the breakfast she had that morning and the leftover scraps from last night's performance she had in the afternoon. Her stomach rumbled at the thought of the cream-filled pastries. Yes, they were a little stale, but it was better than the cheap slop-for-food Madam Hui-Fang always had shipped in for them.
'Food from boxes…that's not even food anymore.' She thought, reminiscing on the stomach ache she got the first night she ate the mysterious foods in the packages.
A stiff wind blew long, brown tresses over her shoulder and into her face, reminding her of the slap Madam Hui-Fang was sure to give her if she took any more time getting to the tent.
She let her feet carry her over to the large, red tent where music, up-beat and cheery, played loudly. She went around the back entrance and opened the flap. The performers were quickly rehearsing their acts, some chatting endlessly, others sitting down and brooding over the fact their life goals has been condensed to living and traveling in a circus with a witch for a ringmaster. The sweet smell of baked bread and sweets wafted strongly around the small area, leaving Katara's mouth to water again.
'Spirits,' she thought, unconsciously placing a hand over her growling stomach. 'I hadn't eaten since this afternoon.'
Katara cracked her knuckles and stretched her fingers, preparing for a long session of Bloodbending. She thanked Agni it was a Full Moon that day. Her Bloodbending would be superb compared to the other days where she was forced to Bloodbend without one.
She raised her arms in a fluid motion, watching as the water in all of the cups and small fountains rose accordingly. Some performers stopped what they were they were doing to watch her exercises, but most others could care less. In Katara's nine years of being in the circus, they found her Waterbending to be dull and boring after watching her do it before every show.
She moved the water around in small circles before spreading out fingers, watching as the clear liquids moved accordingly. She moved her hands around again and the water began to loop around each other, doing neat Figure Eights.
"Katara!"
The floating water splashed to the ground as the young, 19-year old bender jerked back in surprise. She turned around with wide blue eyes before relaxing. She held a hand against her chest, sighing heavily. Bright eyes stared into even brighter ones.
"Ty Lee, you scared the crap out of me!" Katara breathed out, steadying her breath.
Ty Lee, the professional acrobat and expert contortionist, smiled apologetically, giggling softly. She scratched the back of her head.
"Sorry, Kat."
Katara shook her head before putting on a smile of her own, resting her hand on the taller female's shoulder. She could never stay mad at Ty Lee for more than a couple of moments—her childish smiles were contagious.
"It's alright. For a moment there, I thought you were Madam Hui-Fang." she added on a lower note. Ty Lee's smile widened.
"I'm not exactly sure when I started looking like a rhinopotamus, but okay."
Katara grinned comfortably. Ty Lee was one of the very few people in the circus that actually saw her as an equal, not to mention a friend. Everyone else seemed to just see her as 'The Water Tribe girl' rather than Katara, the "Bloodbender" rather than the human, teenage girl she was. Since the moment Katara joined the circus nine long years ago, Ty Lee's never called her "Water Tribe scum" or "dirty Waterbending peasant" or anything alike, she was immediately accepting of Katara and her deteriorating cultures. Ty Lee was one of the few reasons Katara hadn't left Madam Hui-Fang's circus yet.
Well, that and she didn't have anywhere else to go.
Ty Lee's gleeful face softened, but excitement sparkled in her eyes.
"Guess what I heard!" she exclaimed suddenly. Katara slid her hand off of the taller woman's shoulder and tapped her finger on her chin thoughtfully.
"Am I finally going to be able to go to sleep for a full nine hours without being waking up by a screaming rhinopotamus?"
Ty Lee shook her head, a smirk plastered on her from Katara's jibe.
"Nope. It's something great, but not that great."
"Huh…I don't know. Tell me."
Ty Lee leaned in close to Katara, their shoulders brushing. "Well," she drawled. "I heard from the grapevine that some of the Fire Lord's advisors were in the audience. Not to mention two noble families that is close to the Royal Family."
Katara raised an eyebrow and folded her arms. She looked up to meet Ty Lee's big brown eyes with a questioning stare m.
"…And?"
Ty Lee looked at Katara with a blank expression, an expression that was foreign to Katara when it came to Ty Lee.
"'And?'" she repeated, throwing her arms up into the air. "Katara! You silly head—" Ty Lee pressed her hands against Katara's forehead. "—if these nobles like our show enough, they can suggest it to the Fire Lord! Maybe the Royal Family will come and see us! We'll be a bigger hit than we already are!"
Katara blinked.
"Well, if you say it that w—"
"Ladies! Gentlemen! It's time for the First Act!" Madam Hui-Fang's shrill voice interrupted their conversation. She clapped her manicured hands together. "Hurry up! Hurry up! We have a show to run!"
Ty Lee quickly gave Katara a hug before following the rest of the people into the main flap. Katara sighed, suddenly tired, before trailing a couple of feet behind the group. She waited until the group of performers assembled together in a straight line—they only did that to obscure her—before walking out and traveling behind the pathway of backs and onto a platform behind a red curtain. A single, worn, wooden seat was in the middle of platform. That was where she bended.
Katara ran her tanned fingers through the muss that was her hair. She didn't have the time to fix her hair before the performance.
Not that they'd be seeing her anyway.
Loud drums clashed in unison, acoustics booms echoing throughout the full circus tent. This would be the fourth time all week that the circus was completely full, to the point where people began to sit on the floor due to the lack of seats. Madam Hui-Fang said she would invest in more seats when Katara had brought to subject up a few weeks ago, but the Waterbender knew that was utter komodo rhino shit. The old hag was unbelievably cheap and left all possible luxuries to herself.
There was a loud applaud before the drums rolled. She scurried over to her seat, stretching her fingers one last time before closing her eyes. Bloodbending was like her sixth sense. She quickly picked up the flowing blood from the set of 20 performers. Madam Hui-Fang was really planning on taxing her that night, most of the time Act One only held ten or less people—today's one was double.
'No big deal,' she thought reassuringly. 'I can do this.'
Recalling the choreography she's been forced to sit through, she replayed each fluid movement over in her head. Her fingers moved in spidery motions, dancing along with the performers in front of the curtain. Whenever she felt someone was out of synch, she would quickly move a single finger in the right direction, correcting the dancers mistakes before anyone in the crowd could notice. Sometimes she felt as if they hardly even practiced—it had been the first 3 minutes and already she had to correct over fifteen mistakes!
The time ticked by, and the end of Act One—which mostly consisted of interpretive dancing, acrobats, contortionists and trapeze artists—neared. Up next was Act Two, and she would then be able have a break. Act Two was made up of benders who used their powers to put on beautiful performances and lightshows, there were comedians and music and small skits. Katara was usually able to sit throughout Act Two with Ty Lee, seeing that the young acrobat was only needed during Act One and Act Three.
The drums sounded, indicating the end of Act One, and Katara let her tired arms drop at her sides. She pressed her sweaty back against the wooden chair, letting out a tired breath. She was taxed, and despite the moon being full in the sky, she already wanted to throw in the white flag. Loud footsteps grew closer, and a happy squeal let Katara know that Ty Lee arrived. Not missing a beat in her stride, Ty Lee did a front flip, ending in a split with her hands outstretched. She flashed Katara a smile.
"Ta-da!" she chimed, motioning towards the small bag of fruit tarts in her hand. The Waterbender readily took it and popped the flakey pastry into her mouth, savoring the apple and cinnamon taste. After putting about two more in her mouth, Katara paused, realizing that she hadn't offered any to Ty Lee. She wiped the sugar off of her mouth with her hand, looking down at the one pastry left.
"Oops…" she muttered under her breath. She rubbed the back of her neck, embarrassed at the way she guzzled the snacks down. She half expected a "Water Tribe peasant" joke, but she quickly remembered this was Ty Lee she was talking to. "Uh…did you want some…?" 'Not that there's much left…'
Ty Lee shook her head. "Uh-uh, that's alright. I ate before I came here."
Katara then picked up the last pastry and put it to her lips, taking small bites in hope to redeem herself for the way shoveled her food down like a wild animal.
An hour passed, and Act Two was over. Act Three flew by just as fast, and Katara was exhausted. That was an understatement. But her underpaying job wasn't done yet. She stood unsteadily by the circus flap's main entrance, next to a giddy Ty Lee and the somber-looking boy who tamed the tigerdillos and boar-q-pines.
She watched the people go, relieved that after the last customer left, she would be able to flop down on the not-so-soft mat waiting for her in the sleeping tents. Just the very thought made her drowsy. She leaned forward, slowly closing hers eyes before jerking awake. She rubbed her heavy eyelids, cursing the excessive amounts of Bloodbending she had to do that day.
Ty Lee gave Katara a concerned, questioning look. Too tired to even speak, Katara just blinked her eyes at her friend and went back to waving people goodbye. Soon, the crowd that had once filled the circus thinned out, the last few people being those who stayed back to give compliments to the owner. Katara watched from glazed eyes as a man, probably around thirty or so, chatted ardently with Madam Hui-Fang, in which who—surprisingly—talked back with equal enthusiasm. Katara rose an eyebrow at this, her drowsiness soon forgotten. Madam Hui-Fang was seldom caught talking to anyone in a civilized manner, let alone caught enjoying that conversation.
Katara glanced beside her, looking at Ty Lee. She, along with the stable boy, too were entranced by what they assumed was a polite conversation from Madam Hui-Fang that didn't involve a screaming fest. Katara turned back to the odd scene before her, and then—great Spirits—Madam Hui-Fang laughed.
There was a small chortle from her partner, and then he glanced her way.
'Oh, sweet Agni.'
It wasn't a normal glance and by far, it was not innocent. She's seen people look at her that way before, and she did everything but enjoy it. She resisted a small shiver.
'Too old,' she thought, looking at his face when he turned away. '…I'll be damned.'
Madam Hui-Fang pointed her way, and he nodded. She heard Ty Lee snicker beside her.
"Kat, looks like you've got an admirer." Ty Lee teased, a mischievous grin taking over her bubbly features. She flicked her long braid out of her way before putting her hand on Katara's shoulder. "You should totally go for it."
Katara's mind reeled and she visibly paled. He looked like one of those snobbish Fire Nation Mainland nobles who went to the Provinces to look for another whore to add to his harem. A small pit of fire started at the pit of her stomach. She'd fight him, tooth and nail, if he thought she was some cheap slut that he could just waltz in and buy.
Madam Hui-Fang led the younger man in Katara's direction and she noticeably stiffened, dismay written all over her face. The stable boy snorted and walked out of the tent, his laughter loud in the night sky.
Madam Hui-Fang was in her usual attire—a black, silken robe, black paint around the top lid of her eyes, and black painting her thin, caving lips. White etched Madam Hui-Fang's hairline and small amber irises peaked underneath black lashes. Her sunken, wrinkled cheeks had a white powder on it, making her look more hollow than the elderly woman did on a daily basis. The man beside her, as Katara now confirmed, was indeed the noble man she suspected he was. He wore black, red and gold robes, and his black hair was thrown up into a top knot. A black beard covered his jaw and his amber eyes made her feel uncomfortably smothered.
Madam Hui-Fang cleared her throat. "Katara," the younger girl noted that she didn't call her 'Waterbender scum'. "I would like you to meet Zhang Qiang of the Fire Nation Mainland and successor of the Qiang family fortune." Madam Hui-Fang brushed imaginary dust off of her shoulders. "His father, Lee Qiang, is an advisor of the Fire Lord and they hold close relations to the Royal Family." A ghost of a crooked smile crossed over her elderly face. "Zhang here mightily enjoyed our humble circus's performance and would inform the Fire Lord of us in…exchange…for your acquaintance."
Katara bristled at 'exchange". She wasn't some object to be exchanged! She was a human being! She bristled, but decided to keep her mouth shut. Bringing the Fire Lord to Madam Hui-Fang's Traveling Circus was honor, and from the slightly peeved look Hui-Fang held, she could guess she had to use her horrible negotiation skills to convince Zhang to speak to the Fire Lord about something as trivial as a circus.
Zhang bowed just the slightest to her. Katara stood still for a couple of beats, her brain still trying to process what the hell was going on, and wouldn't have moved hadn't Ty Lee forced her to. It was an awkward bow, but a bow nonetheless.
Zhang grabbed her hand a pressed a kiss onto it. Katara nearly died and resisted the urge to snatch her hand away. Ty Lee struggled against bursting out in laughter. Her face was red from the strain. Madam Hui-Fang threw Katara a nasty glare, silencing any protests she had about Zhang's actions. He released her hand, amber eyes flicking upwards to meet hers. She inwardly cringed.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Katara."
Katara discreetly wiped her hand on her blue robes.
"Uh…it is a pleasure to meet you, too, Zhang."
He seemed pleased by this.
Agni, take her now.
"Ladies! Gentlemen! Up, up, up! We've a long journey ahead of us! Up, now everyone!"
Distinct clapping arose Katara from her much needed sleep. She grumbled, rolling over to her side, nuzzling into her pillow.
…Which turned out to be another woman's breast.
She jolted awake, rapidly apologizing and gathering the things from the crowded sleeping tent. The sun just began to peek over the horizon line—barely casting any light onto the grassy clearing where a great circus had been last night— and the sky was heavy with clouds. She quickly ran her fingers through her long, brown locks, trying her best to untangle them while slipping on her wooden sandals and packing her little personal items at the same time. Long story short, she haphazardly fell to the ground and had to repack everything.
Ty Lee, already bouncy and cheery, bounded up to Katara, flashing a great big smile. Katara tried to flash one of her own, but she ended up looking constipated—as Ty Lee so sorely put it—and decided against it. She just wasn't a morning person and her bed hair was getting on her last nerves.
The stable boy from last night, Katara had yet to learn his name, looked just as bad as she did, and Katara found some comfort knowing that she wasn't the only person that looked like they've been attacked by a herd of badger moles.
"Which—" his voice cracked from disuse. Embarrassed, he cleared his throat. "Which Province are we traveling to today?"
"We're not going to any of the Fire Nation Provinces." She said, her voice laced with unbidden pride.
He raised a brown eyebrow, a small look of disgust evident on his face.
"We're going to the Fire Nation Regions, then?"
"How about the Fire Nation Mainland?"
His eyes widened.
"But we can't—how did we—The Mainland—we have to—ugh."
He threw his hands up in defeat and continued packing.
Katara would rather not think about what happened the night before. It had been one of the most awkward hours she's ever lived through. She never thought she would wish death upon someone—let alone herself—until yesterday. Her night was made up of a thirty year-old man continuously trying to touch her breasts, that same thirty year-old man suggestively bringing up concubines and harems, and this thirty year-old man getting kicked in the balls "on accident" the moment he sent the messenger hawk to the Fire Nation Mainland, inviting the Fire Lord to their not-so-humble circus.
Katara jogged up beside Ty Lee, helping her strap the circus tent onto the backs of the badger mole. In a matter of an hour, she and Ty Lee sat on an ostrich horse behind the long line of people, animals, carts and cages with wheels. They were moving away from their stay in the Province One Capital, Ba Sing Se, and all the way to Rèdài Harbor.
The journey was long. The sun had drifted high into the sky, and then sank below the horizon twice before the group of circus folks made it close to the harbor. As they neared the dock where they would embark on their journey to the Fire Nation Mainland, the crowds of people in the towns became denser. Katara relished watching the adults and children cheer and hoot at the animals and acrobats that passed through their humble village. On top of the white ostrich horse, next to Ty Lee, Katara smiled shyly, not used the rapt attention people were giving her. Her partner, on the other hand, grinned broadly, waving her hand and occasionally shouting "Hi!" out into the crowd.
Some kind circus folks went as far as juggling on the backs of other animals, just to see the children smile, but Madam Hui-Fang would have none of it. She quickly quelled the kind performers, threatening their jobs if they didn't stop. Since nobody was tossing any money at them, she didn't want any of her performers monkeying around for the joy of it.
By the third sunrise, Katara could feel the soft push and pull of the waves from the harbor. She closed her eyes blissfully, the salty smell of the sea drifting into her nose and her lungs. She stretched her arms and her legs on the back of the ostrich horse. The animal nickered gently in protest of her movements. Katara ran her tanned fingers down the side of its face, silencing the elegant creature.
The sun was just a little above the horizon, a magnificent golden-orange glow casted over the small houses and dirt roads of Rèdài Harbor. The only sounds of life, the tiny birds squawking in the peach sky and the rhythmic footsteps of the badger moles, soothed Katara into an idyllic trance. Her hands repeatedly smoothed over the ostrich horse's white feathers, the creature letting out soft neighs of pleasure and content. Gradually, the line of animals came to a halt. Katara snapped her attention away from the animal beneath her, staring at the looming darkness wading in the ocean. It was a large Fire Nation Mainland ship, and from the elegant red and black colors and hefty size, she could deduce this ship was sent from the Fire Lord himself for the animals and performers.
Well, that and the reputable Lieutenant Jee standing at the head of the ship, waving at the merry band of circus folks.
After tapping Ty Lee's sleeping figure gently, Katara hopped off of the ostrich horse, her companion joining her on the ground moments later. The young Waterbender stretched her legs and yawned, closing her eyes in delight as a warm mid-summer breeze blew messy brown locks in different directions.
Ty Lee, as usual, took no time in returning to her bright mood, almost as if she were never sleeping just a minute ago. She lightly shook her head, wondering how Ty Lee could fit so much energy in her petite body. She slung her small bag on her back and began walking slowly, staring at the Fire Nation ship the whole time. The ship looked so…off in the serene harbor. It was like an ugly black stain on a beautiful picture, and the more you tried to wipe it off, the more it smudged until it just flat out destroyed the whole thing.
She huffed just the slightest, her eyes still trained on the ship. She's never been to the Mainland before and she could well admit she was a bit intimidated by the thought. The people out in the Provinces were already prejudice enough against Water Tribe people, and the Provinces were a melting pot of half-breed citizens. But in the Fire Nation…she could already feel the stones pelting into her tanned skin. In Province One, people disliked Water Tribe people because they were thought of as unlucky, the very equivalent to a black spider-cat. It was because in the long 85-Year battle—the 85 years it took for the Fire Nation to conquer the other continents (now Provinces and Regions)—Waterbenders were the first race of people the Fire Nation wanted to wipe out. The other nations took pity on the Waterbenders and allowed them into their homes with open arms. An enemy of an enemy is friend, right? But it didn't exactly work that way for them.
'A Fire Nation soldier is always just a step behind a Waterbender,' she remembered a rickety, old man—probably traumatized by war—saying once. 'And where there's a Waterbender, there's trouble. Leave'em behind and you'll be alright. Leave'em behind and they'll leave ya' alone.'
Sweat gathered in her palms, her skin feeling clammy. Goosebumps dotted her arms, a cold shiver running up her spine despite the welcoming warm breezes of summer. She didn't feel so keen on meeting the Fire Lord anymore. The image of him melting her right on the spot flickered through her mind. She'd be defenseless. All the water in the ocean couldn't help her win a fight against the Fire Lord. She wasn't properly trained, and it was illegal for people to practice any other bending besides fire.
'I'd just sit there,' she thought, swallowing a lump in her throat. 'And he'll burn me into a crisp for being Water Tribe.'
She was already at the mouth of the ship, but she unconsciously stopped in her tracks, fiddling with her fingers. Ty Lee gave a Katara a soft push, probably noticing how out-of-it Katara was, and led her into the ship. Katara quickly thanked Ty Lee, trying to ignore the stare Lieutenant Jee was giving her.
'Oh, Agni…please don't stone me, please don't stone me, please don't stone me…'
She couldn't imagine where he'd find a bundle of stones on a metal ship, but she wouldn't be surprised if he kept a stash underneath his mattress. Mainlanders were weird like that.
Madam Hui-Fang waddled up onboard and moved next to Lieutenant Jee, nodding her head at his words before shuffling over to the pair.
"Your rooms," she began once she reached the two. "Are below deck. Since there is only so much space on this ship, you will be sharing your rooms with the other ladies," She stressed, her eyes narrowing at Katara. The young Waterbender felt her lips pull down in a frown. "I don't know how they do it in your backwards, primitive iceberg, but I won't have any of my workers knocked up."
Katara's mouth opened, ready to snarl something back, defending her honor and the Water Tribe when Madam Hui-Fang lifted her chin, turned right around, and walked over to the next group of people as if nothing had ever happened. She let her mouth hang open. In the nine years she's known Madam Hui-Fang, she could never grow used to her pointless retorts.
Ty Lee rested her hand on Katara's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze.
"C'mon," she said gently, watching as the last of the people and animals climbed on deck. "Let's just go below deck, and you can vent all of your anger in the bathtub."
Despite herself, Katara smiled.
Katara had agreed to sleep on the floor so Ty Lee could share a bed with two different girls. They had insisted the Waterbender sleep on the floor, and the Fire Nation people sleep where only civilized people belonged—on a bed. Worn from Madam Hui-Fang's jibe and from the over exertion in the tub—it surprisingly helped a lot, she was planning on doing this more often—she didn't give them the cutting reply they deserved and just laid a blanket out on the floor. But Ty Lee would have none of it. In place of her friend, Ty Lee put the two in their places—the look on their faces when Ty Lee started cursing like a sailor was priceless—and snatched the covers from underneath them, laying it out on the cold floor beside Katara.
Warmth swelled in Katara's stomach.
"You really didn't have to do that, you know. I'm used to it." The girl said softly, after the two other women found another companion and went to sleep.
Ty Lee still looked a bit riled up, a small frown evident on her pink lips.
"I know," she said, taking in a small breath of air. "But they deserved it. You've done nothing wrong to them, and they don't like you just because you're Water Tribe. It's not fair."
There was a comfortable pause. Katara closed her eyes, a small smile on her lips.
"Ty Lee, where would I be without you?"
"Absolutely nowhere."
The next morning had been a hassle. All of the girls fought over the bathroom, and had been stepping all over each other getting out of the beds. The stable girls had to rush down to the very last floor beneath the deck to wash and take care of the animals early in the morning and they've been taking their precious time in the bathroom. Ty Lee decided to stick around until the bathroom was open, but Katara decided she'll wait until the problem cleared up before bathing. She stepped up on the deck and walked over by the rail. She peered down into the ocean, watching the waves slosh along the sides of the ship. After about thirty minutes, she went back inside to go bathe, and then lunch and supper were served later, seeing that she missed breakfast earlier and someone ate her portion.
The next nine days followed in the same routine: wake up, eat breakfast, fight over the bathroom, practice Waterbending, lunch, more Waterbending (much to Jee's displeasure), talk with Ty Lee, supper and stay up late into the night, thinking about the stones and racism she was sure to see once she made it into the Mainland. The more and more she thought about it, the more and more her cruel mind got creative. Maybe they wouldn't just pelt her with stones. Maybe they'd tie her up with a rope, connect the rope to an ostrich horse and then let the animal drag her around the Mainland Capital until she bled to death. Or would they cram her in some metal box and Firebend it until she cooked like a piece of chicken over a fire? Would they chain her to a wooden pole and then set the pole on fire? Would the Fire Lord do this himself? She know he could do this without effort. She heard of his legendary white flames somewhere in the grapevine. One blast of those and she was dead. Charred. Nothing but a black skeleton. Ashes even. One more Waterbender dead by a fire. One more Waterbender reduced to embers—
'Not now Katara,' she said, taking in even breaths, wiping the sweat away from her brow, rubbing it on the pillow beneath her. 'I'm going into the Mainland tomorrow morning. I'll see what happens then.'
She closed her eyes, letting her mind fall into a disturbed sleep. She tossed and turned in her bed, her usual nightmares consuming her mind once again. She always connected these dreams with being a war orphan. She only knew she was Water Tribe from what people told her—for all she knew, she could be mixed with Province One or Province Two blood—and the little memories from her days back in the Water Tribe she could recall.
Not that there was much memories to recall anyways, since she was a toddler around the time when she escaped the Southern Water Tribe (now Fire Nation Region Two).
Hell, she didn't even know when her birthday was, let alone how old she was. Ty Lee made up her birthday for her (January 3rd) and just settled for any age she looked like when she arrived in Province One. She wasn't exactly clear on how she made it to Province One (though she guessed someone must've smuggled her in with cargo or exports of some sorts) or how she managed to even make those seven years alone in Province One after the war had ended (any Water Tribe people found were either executed or imprisoned after the war).
Katara didn't know much about her life in the Water Tribe. She knew she had a mom, a dad…and a brother? Or was it a sister? A pet? It was unclear to her.
A loud, but distant, bell woke Katara out of her rest. She slowly awoke and rubbed her eyes, yawning tiredly. She felt drained, like she had no sleep whatsoever the night before. She glanced over to the line at the bathroom. It was short, and from the looks of it, it must've been early morning. She slowly sat all the way up, being careful not to wake Ty Lee.
'I should bathe now.' She thought while rising to her feet. The line would be long later, and she didn't have the patience anymore to wait for thirty minutes just to pee. She shuffled over the bathroom door and opened it, stretching her arms and legs with each stride. Katara hopped into the shower, enjoying the exceptionally warm water and scented soaps and shampoos, before stepping out with a towel wrapped around her shapely body.
She got dressed—throwing on a green Province One shirt and skirt—and sat back down on the floor, waiting for Ty Lee to wake up. An hour later, the acrobat did. An hour later, breakfast was served. An hour later, they arrived at the Fire Nation Mainland.
Extravagant. Beautiful. Elegant. Complex. Fancy. Expensive. Luxurious.
Katara didn't possess the knowledge of enough words to describe the Mainland's beauty. The streets were paved with cobblestone, the buildings' rooftops lined with gold. Each house and store held a rich red, brown or black color to it, beautiful designs carved into the sides of the walls. The architecture was just plain beautiful, every little structure looking like a mini-palace compared to the run-down homes and straw huts she was used to seeing in Province One. The sky was tawny and a light gold from the rising sun. The houses seemed almost built to reflect the dawn's sunlight in the most painfully beautiful way; her eyes were watering from the sparkling gold that lined the building.
But never mind the buildings, the people in the Mainland were remarkably ornamental. They were all adorned in black and royal red silk, besides the guards that walked about, of course. The women wore long dresses and skirts that reached down to their boots while the men wore loose robes. Mainland commoners made Province One nobles look like peasants.
Katara glanced beside her only to see her companion's bored face. She was slightly perplexed at how one could just ignore the sight before her so easily, but then she had to remember that Ty Lee was born in the Mainland, only running away because of arranged marriages and the search of freedom and individuality. Ty Lee wasn't very fond of the Mainland, and Katara was silly for forgetting this fact.
"Ladies, gentlemen!" a loud clapping noise followed the raspy voice. Katara didn't even have to turn around to know that this was Madam Hui-Fang, but she did anyways. Hui-Fang, as usual, was dressed in all black. Her lips coated in black, her eyes lines with black, and her razor sharp nails repainted in black. The only difference between Hui-Fang-being-fancy and Hui-Fang-being-casual was the black flower that rested in her hair, and the shimmering black shawl she threw over her narrow shoulders. She looked like walking death and stood out even more than Katara, which the Waterbender thought was impossibly.
'Count on Hui-Fang to make a scene,' she thought, watching Madam Hui-Fang clap her hands in one of her performers' faces. The wrinkled old lady sighed and pushed her way to the front of the group. She stopped at the head of the circus folks, and with one hand, she halted them.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to the beautiful Fire Nation Mainland's Capital!" she threw her hands out beside her and did a swirl, her black dress swaying around her. Not very surprisingly, the Mainlanders paid the bat-shit crazy woman no mind, beside the occasional glance. Of course, the richer people did not concern themselves with those below them. They were not worthy of their time.
…But they'd be worthy of Katara's fist pretty damn soon if they didn't stop staring at her like she was some type of caged bear lion!
'They've probably never seen a Water Tribe person before.' the logical part of her brain tried to reason. This was highly likely since most of the Water Tribe people were either dead or held behind bars where they would rot for being born. The irrational part of her brain wanted to Bloodbend their faces to the cobblestone and make them walk that way until their faces bled.
Or tore completely off, whichever came first.
Ty Lee laid a calming hand on Katara's shoulder, her absence of a cheerful smile making Katara uneasy.
"Just ignore them," she said emotionlessly. Katara nodded slowly, walking ahead, trying her best to ignore the whispers and fingers pointing in her direction.
Hui-Fang continued talking.
"We'll be performing at night, so I'm giving you all a chance to explore the city. To those who are not helping set up the tents, be back in the Capital's Square by the very beginning of sundown. Or else."
Hui-Fang's threat was left in the air as she briskly paced away, leaving the circus folks to wander around. Ty Lee walked first, Katara following at her heel. The Mainlander girl glanced back at Katara, a smile consuming her face, a mischievous glint in her brown eyes.
"We should go shopping."
Katara looked away. The last time she had gone shopping with Ty Lee, she had spent all of her money in a couple of minutes. Oh no, Katara needed her money to buy some food later because Hui-Fang's slop-for-food had been assigned to be shipped to the Fire Nation Mainland. And by Agni she swore, she was not eating that, and she was not going to bed hungry. Not after a long session of Bloodbending she was sure to ensue.
Reading her thoughts, Ty Lee shook her head.
"Don't worry, I'll pay for our stuff."
This would only make Katara feel bad for spending Ty Lee's money.
"Oh no, Ty Lee—I can't just prance around the market and just spend all of your money."
"You wouldn't be spending all of my money to begin with," she pulled out a sack from her pink tunic and poured out its contents. It was gold coins. Her expression read: 'Noble, remember?' "And two, we won't be prancing around the market, I used to live around here and came to the market all of the time. I know all of the best places!" she let out a girlish squeal, leaving no room for argument as she dragged Katara off into the square.
They stopped by nearly every vendor open during that hour.
'"We won't be prancing around the market"…' Katara thought humorlessly as they stopped to the nineteenth clothes vendor. The brunette squealed feverishly over a dark red skirt decorated with gold jingly-things around the waist band. She handed the man a gold coin and all but ran to the next one. Katara snorted, irritated, but amused at her hyperactive companion. 'Yeah right, Ty Lee. We're just a skip and hop away from prancing around the market!'
"Katara! Com'ere! Looketdis!" an excited shriek came from the other side of the market. Katara ducked her head low, trying to attract the least bit of attention from the people around her and failing miserably.
'Oh, this better be good, Ty Lee.' She thought darkly, hearing a couple of people gasp and whisper "Water Tribe!" on her journey to the next merchant.
Ty Lee turned towards Katara and grinned brightly, showing off the object in her hands. It was a silver bracelet with a small, blue gem hanging off of it. It sparkled and shone in the golden sunlight, nearly as blinding as the houses there. Katara's hand flew to her mouth while Ty Lee attached the bracelet to her thin wrist.
"Ty Lee, you didn't have to…"
"I know," she grinned lopsidedly, handing the trader a good portion of her spending. "But I wanted to."
Katara took Ty Lee in a big bear hug, saying "thank you, thank you, thank you" for Agni knows how long. That is, until she felt a small tug on the bottom of her skirt. She pulled away from her friend, turning behind her to meet her interrupter. Blue eye's flickered downward at a small Mainland girl openly staring at her. But it wasn't one of the open stares she's gotten from the teenagers and adults, the one's filled with malice and disgust. Her stare was rapt and filled with adoring fascination. Her small mouth even hung open just the slightest.
"You have really pretty eyes, ma'am."
Katara slightly flinched. The last thing she expected from any Mainlander was a compliment. Maybe a backwards compliment, but never an innocent one. Regaining her composure, Katara smiled down at the little girl.
"Thank you."
"I wish I had blue eyes," she continued, a small pout evident on her face. Katara inwardly sighed. If only the girl knew the consequences that came from having these blue eyes, she wouldn't have let the words leave her mouth. "But my eyes are yellow. I don't want yellow eyes. Everyone has yellow eyes. But you have pretty blue eyes. Why? Aren't you Fire Nation?"
"Not exactly, but—"
"Oh my spirits! Great Agni, Hoa get away from her!"
Katara's mind reeled as a thin lady stormed over to Katara and snatched the girl's hand, a horrifying mad face screwing up her sharp features.
"Hoa! What did I tell you about talking to strangers! And a Water Tribe peasant at that! She could've killed you o-or robbed you!"
"But mommy, she has pretty—"
"Nothing about a Water Tribe person is pretty!" she retorted bitterly, glaring at Katara the whole while.
Katara wanted to scream at the lady and tell her she could go somewhere and warm her feet. She wanted to shake her and tell her that the girl wasn't doing anything wrong, and that Water Tribe people are beautiful, and that she wouldn't have robbed anyone—let alone an innocent girl admiring her—because it was wrong and Water Tribe people knew right from wrong, but she was utterly silent. Completely and utterly silent. All words locked themselves in her throat as she turned on her heel and ran away from the square and the whispering voices and stares and the little girl and her mother.
Katara hadn't been in too swell of a mood since the commotion at the Capital's Square. So when she walked into the tent around dusk, the last person she wanted to see was Madam Hui-Fang, who was a Mainlander herself. Even worse than seeing Hui-Fang was hearing Hui-Fang, and what she had to say was worst of all.
"Katara! You're almost late!" she hounded, folding thin arms over one another.
Katara turned to face Hui-Fang, her sour mood boosting her bravado.
"I'm sorry Hui-Fang, but after being harassed by a group of Mainland guards mere minutes after being screamed at by a prejudice bitch, my sense of time seems to loose me."
Hui-Fang was silent for a beat.
"Look—it doesn't matter now—" Katara scoffed at this. "—our dearest Zhang Qiang made a last minute proposition for you, and just told me a couple of minutes ago that he informed the Fire Lord that you would be performing during the circus acts."
Katara blinked.
"…What?!"
Hui-Fang growled, throwing her hands into the air and pacing rapidly.
"I know! He's such an idiot!" she kicked the leg of a small table. "What was he thinking?! That idiot! That stupid, inferior, noble, idiot!" She stopped pacing and looked at Katara, urgency written all of her black-stained face. She fisted raven hair and hollered a plethora of curses into the air. "And I can't even tell what your performance really is going to be! It is just a performance for the entertainment of the Fire Lord, or just evidence that I've been housing a Waterbender with me for years?! I can be executed for this!"
"Well, then how about I just don't Wa—"
"You have to. Zhang already told the Fire Lord all about your little Waterbending and Bloodbending hullabaloo!" she sighed heavily. Hui-Fang began walking over to her luggage, which was strewn all over the floor, and digging rabidly through it until she pulled something black out. She turned and faced Katara. In Hui-Fang's bony hands was a short black dress. The ends of the dress were frayed and laced, looking like mini spider webs. The back side of the dress dragged all the way down to the floor, and one's back would exposed from the cut in the fabric. Black pearls hung loosely around where the neck would be, and two black feathers was stitched onto one shoulder. It looked like something death would wear.
"This—" she shook the dress. "—is the dress I wore when I used to perform in the circus. I always carry it around with me for good luck. Since we don't have anything else for your solo performance tonight, you're going to wear this."
The excessive amounts of black threw Katara off. Black wasn't her color. It was the color people turned once they were burnt to a crisp by the Fire Lord for Waterbending right in his face.
"Madam—"
"Hurry up and get in the damned dress, Waterbender!"
Hui-Fang threw the dress in her direction. Katara caught the black fabric with one hand and began taking off her clothes with the other. Once she was undressed, she slipped into the dark garb. The dress was a little tight—Hui-Fang really must've been a toothpick during her glory days—but after some discreet tearing of the dress, she was able to fit her hips in. She smoothened out the wrinkles with her hands, and moments later, Hui-Fang left. She returned seconds later with black and red paints.
She patted to the seat next to her, and Katara quickly sat there. The instant her bottom touched the leather of the stool, Hui-Fang skillful, bony hands went to work. Cool black paint glided over her eyelids and then arched at the ends. She dabbed red paint over her lips before dropping the brushes on the counter. She walked behind Katara and began combing through dark brown tresses. She paused for a second, calling out the name of two girls. The hairdressers took Hui-Fang's place behind Katara, skilfully working through Katara's hair while Hui-Fang resumed making over her face.
The girls plaited her hair into one long braid before winding the hair into an elegant chignon bun. They added red, orange and yellow ornate hair combs and artificial fire lilies into the mix.
"Stand up," she commanded. Katara quickly did as she said. She watched as Hui-Fang circled her like a hawk would do its prey, admiring her work.
"You're ready for the First Act." She said, pleased with her creation. Katara looked down and waggled her toes.
"No shoes?"
"I know you've been a tightrope before, correct? You don't wear shoes on tightropes."
"I have been on a tightrope before, it's just tha—wait, what?! A tightrope?!"
"Yes!" Hui-Fang clasped her hands together. "I can just see it now—only I envisioned myself in that dress—you on a tightrope, basins of water surrounding the clearing. Animals…bear lions and leopard wolves…angry animals, lunging at you as you descend from the rope gracefully. Nobody's in the spotlight…nobody on stage, just you and a bunch of angry animals. And then…Bloodbending! Just when the animals are about to claw your little Water Tribe face off, you use that witch magic—"
"Waterbending."
"—and then push all of the animals back at once!" Hui-Fang continued rambling on about her last minute solo, and Katara honestly couldn't care less about what she would being doing in the act. She was more concerned about the death sentence she was sure to get once the Fire Lord witnessed her Waterbending. The last Fire Lord, Fire Lord Ozai, had been certain to wipe out as many Water Tribe people possible. There were many stories about the raid he had ordered upon the Northern Water Tribe (Fire Nation Region One) that wiped out all of the people there. He was aiming at genocide to the Waterbenders and Airbenders, the Airbenders getting the lesser extent of Ozai's wrath, and nearly succeeded wiping out the Water Tribe people hadn't he fallen ill from an incurable disease and died. But now his son, Fire Lord Zuko, would carry on his father's legacy…right? He would burn her to a crisp with those white flames of his, and she'd be bee nothing but a blackened skeleton. Ashes even. Just a big pile of Waterbender scum ashes that would blow away in—
'Focus Katara! This is not the time!' she chided herself, feeling her stomach doing flip-flops. She'd have to find some type of escape if the Fire Lord was feeling rather murderous that day.
She got no further than 'run out the back flap' when Madam Hui-Fang started clapping loudly in the faces of her performers, her piercing voice screaming "Ladies, gentlemen! Act One! Act One!"
Katara would have the last Act to perform; that much she was sure of. Act Three usually consisted of special performances, and was only there during special nights. Oftentimes, it was just Act One and Act Two. One could say the arrival of the Fire Lord was a special enough for an Act Three.
Katara absently fiddled with her fingers, watching as the performers for Act One bustling past her, their usually plain looks spiced up for the Fire Lord. She saw Ty Lee amongst the group, and the Waterbender threw her a quick apologetic look for storming off earlier. Whether Ty Lee saw it or not, she didn't acknowledge it as she disappeared behind the flap. The crowd exploded in a cheer, their hoots and hollers loud enough to make the floor beneath her reverberate.
Time ticked by too fast for Katara. She paced around several times, nearly stepping on the dragging part of the dress with each step, contemplating her genius escape plan. But no matter which way she designed her plan, it always ended with the Fire Lord ordering his guards to capture her, and like each ending, he always succeeded. It was sick loop that went on in her head. She'd think she'd found the perfect escape, play it over and over again in her head until she realized her flaw, scrapped the idea and started the process all over. It was maddening.
She glanced at the exit hundreds of times within the two hours that quickly passed. If she just ran away…but she knew she couldn't. The Fire Lord could easily catch her, and she wouldn't allow anyone at the circus to be hurt because of it. Especially Ty Lee and even Hui-Fang (she was a bitter, prejudice, old hag, but she still took her in during her time of need).
So Katara decided to suck it up, once and for all. She would go out there and Waterbender or Bloodbend or whatever, because she wasn't going to run away from this as she did at the Square. She heard the drums sound for the end of Act Two, and the crowd cheer loudly, half of them laughing themselves unconscious from the exceptionally humorous skits performed. She took in a deep breath, bending away the sweat forming at her eyebrows so she wouldn't smudge her makeup by wiping it off.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the wonderful, exceptional Act Three! Our performance today is starring the wonderful, magnificent, Katara of Province One!"
Katara stepped out into the cleared area, trying to ignore the shockingly silenced crowd. They had all been clapping mere seconds ago until she had stepped out into the spotlight, tanned-skin glory clad in black.
'Ignore them, ignore them, ignore them…'
She sucked in a small amount of air, forcing herself to breath. It was almost as if she could feel the hundreds of amber eyes staring down at her. Almost as if she could hear their thoughts saying "Why? Why did they bring out this scum before the eyes of the Fire Lord?" She asked that question herself.
She took careful, graceful steps, climbing up on the latter that was connected to the tightrope swiftly. Nimble brown hands lifted herself onto the thin but hard rope, lifting her body weight onto it. Agni, it's been such a long time since she's been on a tightrope. Hui-Fang was crazy for insisting it.
She carefully stuck her hands out to each side of her, calling water from basins below to swirl around her body. The crowd nearly screamed in astonishment and wonderment. Katara was just surprised she hadn't been shot down yet.
Graceful step after graceful step, she moved across the rope. After being on the rope a couple of minutes, she became comfortable with the risk of falling over and snapping her neck. She'd rather that than being burnt to death. She span around, flipping and using the daring acrobatic skills Ty Lee taught her during their free time. The water was a nice touch, it moved around her like a comforting water snake. It was also a nice distraction from the Fire Lord's piercing golden eyes.
She decided to step out of her comfort zone and began going Act One on the crowd. She cartwheeled on the thin rope, ending in a split before balancing her body in the air with her arms. She span around in restrained circles, using poise and flexibility that would make Ty Lee jump in joy
The audience, despite their prejudice, bigoted ways, gasped in fear and suspense. Was the Waterbender girl going to fall over? Was she going to tumble down onto the floor and be devoured by the leopard wolves and bear lions? They watched her performance with open mouths and wide eyes, resembling to the dead fish she bought in the markets.
Somewhere along the way, Hui-Fang must've gotten particularly pissed—or bored—for some reason. In the corner of her eye, in the shadows not touched by the spotlight, she saw the faintest hints of the stable boy she's seen earlier in Province One. He mouthed what she assumed was "sorry" before he pulled out a long scissor. Her eyes flew open.
'Oh no, oh no, oh Agni pl—"
She plummeted to ground like heavy sack of rocks. If it wasn't from her quick reflexes, she would've died mere seconds after the rope was cut. She formed a long ice slide from the water provided and slid down its length, landing shakily onto the ground. The crowd clapped and applauded madly before quieting down the instant the deadly growls of the bear lions and leopard wolves sounded.
'HUI-FANG!' she cursed that woman's name, watching as the large, lithe and dangerous creatures stalked from the shadows, their tails raised and ears flattened. She knew quite a lot about animals, and these ones weren't asking for a belly rub or a pat on the head.
She collected her mind, trying to follow Hui-Fang's senseless ramblings from earlier. Katara needed to be more than careful about her timing. If she Bloodbended too early, they'd be able to take their bodies back under their control and tear her to shreds. A moment too late, and…well. That'd be the end of Katara-the-human and the beginning of Katara-the-brand-of-jerky-strips.
She glanced at her surroundings. They encircled her, calculatingly moving forward. She imitated a sloppy excuse for a battle stance. The first one moved forward, and then they all leaped. Katara counted how many steps it would take for them to reach her. Three. Three freaking steps.
They were there in an instant, and Katara's heart thumped madly. They closed in the light from the spotlight, plunging her into darkness. Reacting on instinct, she moved her hands in quick spidery motions, holding the creatures back. They were far enough so that their claws couldn't harm her, but close enough so that the crowd couldn't see her body. There were screams and shouts of outrage and horror, the people going mad with witnessing the Waterbender fall to her "death" and being eaten alive. She waited ten seconds before spreading her arms out, lifting the animals into the air and pushing them back into the shadows.
The audience gasped, but other than that, it was utterly silent. The Waterbender moved her fingers, making the bear lions step from the shadows where they'd been cast and bow down before her, their right paw out and heads dipped. With her other hand, she made the leopard wolves pad out next, and next to the bear lions, they bowed just the same. Using the last of her adrenaline, she bowed down herself, and the lights went out. In the blackness, the crowd cheered and roared loudly, impossibly pleased at the Waterbender's performance.
She used to the darkness to run back to the flap she came from.
"Hui-Fang! HUI-FANG!"
Katara was pissed. No, pissed was an understatement. She was infuriated, traumatized, mortified and enraged. Her fists balled at her sides and tears threatened to leak out of the corners of her eyes. Her nose and cheeks were red from anger.
How…how could Hui-Fang do that to her? Making that poor boy cut the rope, sending her to her death? What if her reflexes was a bit too slow? What if she panicked and just let gravity take place? What if she hadn't Bloodbended that animals back? What if one of the bear lions escaped her Bloodbending and was loose while she was distracted?
She'd be dead. She'd be dead, she'd be dead, she'd be dead. That was the answer to all of her questions, and Katara knew that. Hui-Fang knew that when she ordered that boy to cut the rope.
"HUI-FANG!" she screamed, her voice ripping the soft tissue in her throat. She called Hui-Fang's name again, and her voice cracked. She bit her lips, forcing back angry tears as she whipped the flap aside.
"HUI-FA—oh my spirits!"
There, in front of her, was Hui-Fang pinned to the floor, her hands tied around her back with two people restraining her. One of their cold, yellow eyes bored into her shocked blue ones.
"Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, you are sentenced for execution under the word of the Fire Lord."
A good fortune may forbade bad luck, which may in turn disguise a good fortune.
A/N: Bwahaha. I know. I'm the worst.
CHAPTER ONE….ends in a cliffhanger. So how do you feel about it so far? Please do give me your honest opinion, it really helps out.
Kthnxbai.
-Luna