ZUTARA WEEK 2017, Day 1: FIRE LADY
She Who Finds the Banished
DISCLAIMER: Avatar: the Last Airbender belong to Bryke, but Zutara Week belongs to all Zutarians.
NOTE: It's that time of year again and I can't believe this is the 10th Zutara Week ever. So excited and proud to be participating as always. Really great prompts this year too.
My first one-shot is set sometime in Book Two, after "The Chase." More details on the setup will be revealed as you read the piece. It's not very shippy but definitely the start of some significant development.
Enjoy!
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"They won't look for you in here," the woman said reassuringly as she ushered the waterbender into a small cottage and with a final glance at the patrolling soldiers, closed the door.
"Thank you for helping me," Katara said gratefully, as she stepped into the room.
She had been trying to avoid capture by some Fire Nation soldiers when the strange woman had spotted her and pulled her aside. Katara got a better look at her rescuer and saw a tall, dark-haired lady with a certain melancholy air. There was something vaguely familiar about her but the waterbender could not place it. Whatever it was, Katara felt that she could trust her though she would not let her guard down completely.
Carefully, the lady glanced outside through the curtains and when she was satisfied that no soldiers were approaching, she relaxed and turned to her guest with a smile.
"Now, let me get you some tea," she said warmly, "It will help calm your nerves."
"Thank you," Katara said again. Her host gestured to a chair by a small table and the waterbender took her seat while the lady busied herself heating a kettle of water and bringing out some loose tea leaves.
Katara sighed as she took stock of her situation. The group had been separated after Princess Azula and her allies launched another relentless pursuit of the Avatar and his companions. And this time, there were joined by Zuko and Iroh, the latter still recovering from his injuries from the last confrontation with his niece.
Zuko had been reluctant to join them but he had also realized that his uncle needed help and so he did not turn down Katara's offer to heal the old firebender. There had been tension in the group at first since they were not sure if their former enemies could now be trusted but with Iroh's persuasion and Toph's vouching for him, Aang, Sokka, and Katara eventually welcome them.
The young firebender did not say much but he acknowledged the debt he owed them, one that he was honor-bound to repay in time. And when they learned of the drastic change in his and his uncle's circumstances since they last faced each other in the North Pole, Aang grew sympathetic. The Water Tribe Siblings remained on their guard but they saw little to worry about in the coming days. And Aang was just excited to finally have teachers for both earthbending and firebending.
But then, Azula resumed her pursuit and after days of trying to evade her forces, they decided to split up and then meet at a rendezvous point near Ba Sing Se in a given period of time. It had been a difficult parting but they managed it somehow. And so Katara found herself here, in a remote Earth Kingdom village, just a day's journey from the rendezvous point, having tea with a helpful stranger.
"You're traveling with the Avatar, aren't you?" Katara's host asked, interrupting her thoughts.
"How did you know?" she asked in alarm.
"There are posters of him and his companions all over the place," the lady explained, "If the soldiers or bounty hunters saw you, they would recognize you immediately."
"Then, I'm lucky you found me when you did," Katara said appreciatively. She smiled at her host and noticed the color of the lady's eyes. And there was also the way the tea remained remarkably hot in the cup, something she had only seen Iroh do.
"Are you.." she began hesitantly.
The lady nodded. "There's no use hiding it from you. It is true that am a firebender, though no friend to the Fire Lord, I assure you."
"You're a defector?"
"You could say that. Officially, I've been banished for several years."
"Banished," Katara repeated, remembering another person in similar circumstances, "That seems to be the Fire Lord's preferred form of punishment for his own people."
The lady raised an eyebrow. "You seem very well-informed."
"It's just that," the waterbender began, and for a moment she hesitated, but then, she decided to trust her judgment and she felt strongly that this firebender could be trusted, "I know someone in the same situation."
The lady sighed. "The Fire Lord is always eager to send away anyone who opposes him," she said somberly, "And I sometimes believe he would prefer these opponents dead, but there are still some appearances to be maintained, after all."
"It's one thing for him to continue this war against the world," Katara remarked, "But after seeing the cruelty with which he treats his own family, I can't imagine what kind of person he is."
"The Fire Lord is…complicated," the lady said carefully.
"You sound like you know him well?" Katara was half-teasing but she noticed her companion's expression turn grave.
"You have no idea."
Katara did not know what to make of this so she just sipped her tea in silence. But despite the enigma of the lady before her, Katara felt at ease in her company. And since she still needed to stay hidden before continuing her journey, she began to talk more freely.
"Once I equated all firebenders to the Fire Lord," the waterbender admitted, "but after meeting all sorts along our journey and even befriending two members of his family recently, I've begun to revise my opinions."
"Members of his family, you say?" and the lady could not hide her curiosity.
Once again, Katara hesitated and wondered if it would be safe to divulge more than this. But she sensed genuine concern in the lady's tone and some inexplicable force compelled her to say more.
"Yes, they've been banished too, his brother, General Iroh, and his son, Prince Zuko," the waterbender said and before she could say another word, her companion gasped loudly and held a trembling hand to cover her mouth.
Katara looked at her in alarm, and she could not ignore the raw emotion expressed on the woman's face. The latter regained her composure after a few seconds but her eyes were already shining with tears.
"What was your name again?" she asked.
"Katara of the Southern Water Tribe."
"Well, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe," the firebender said with a smile, "It seems that you have a knack for finding banished members of the Fire Nation Royal Family. My name is Ursa, and once I was the Fire Lady."
It was Katara's turn to gasp and stare as the realization dawned upon her. But Ursa said the words just the same.
"And I am Zuko's mother."