A/N: So! This takes place... sometime. After the end of the series, for sure, but I have no idea when, exactly. I tried to get the details right, but it's such a big series that I probably screwed something up. So take it with a grain of salt. :P
Pairings include Katara x Aang, Sokka x Suki, one-sided Toph x Sokka, and Zuko x Mai. Although honestly, Suki doesn't actually show up in this fic. So yeah. That's happening.
Anyway. Enjoy!
I'm Better With You
Part One
Mai tilted her head and said, "You're going back on that?"
Katara glanced at the Water Tribe vessel docked before them. It wasn't grand enough to be a "ship." Really, it barely managed "boat." But it was a piece of home, and Katara was never worried about sailing the oceans.
"It's what I came in, Mai," she replied. Her tone was dry, amused.
The older woman squinted at the boat and shrugged. "Well, if you insist. Really, I think our airships could get you home faster."
"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to get rid of me," Katara replied, one eyebrow raised.
Mai didn't even look embarrassed. She just smirked.
Katara waved in dismissal and patted her bag. "All right, all right. I'm going. Thanks for these, Mai. I'll show them to Aang and we'll get back to you. The rebuilding is going to take a little longer, but hopefully we can keep the Fire Nation from going broke paying everyone back."
"Hopefully," Mai drawled. "I rather enjoy my life of luxury."
"I'm sure," Katara said, eyeing Mai's gold-woven robes. She stepped onto the boat and motioned for one of her men to raise the gangplank. "Hopefully the next time I see you, you'll be engaged."
"Zuko likes to take his time," Mai replied, examining her nails. Katara caught the disappointment in her voice, though, and she couldn't really blame the woman. Aang was only 14, but Zuko really had no excuse. She gave Mai a sympathetic smile and turned from the Fire Nation.
She only had a crew of three this trip, and they hoisted the sails with practiced ease. She pushed her hands to the deck and felt the water surge beneath them, urging the boat into the open ocean. When she glanced over her shoulder, Mai was already walking back to her entourage.
The Fire Nation was perfectly peaceful towards the Avatar and his "ambassadors." (It was the name Sokka had decided for their little team after the war's end, as a way of garnering respect wherever they went. It worked decently, but Katara still thought it was a bit pompous. The Avatar's ambassadors.)
Still, Katara was glad to be leaving. Years of hatred for the Nation felt engrained in her bones, and despite logic telling her otherwise, dismissing it wasn't so easy. She was fine with Zuko, and she could tolerate Mai, but sometimes the Fire Nation just overwhelmed her.
It was good to be heading home.
"With the currents, it shouldn't take us more than a day to arrive at the Earth Kingdom," one of the men said, approaching her with a bow. It was a Water Tribe boat, but these were Earth Kingdom citizens, on loan from the King himself. They all bowed when they saw her.
(Something else she thought pompous, but she'd given up trying to tell them otherwise.)
"With me, it shouldn't take half that long," Katara replied with a grin. "Are you anxious to get home, Charan?"
The man smiled slightly, "Yes, Ambassador Katara. My wife just had a baby, and being away from them has been difficult."
Katara gave him a reassuring grin, "Well, I promise we'll be in Ba Sing Se before the week's up. I told my boyfriend I'd be back today, so I'm already late." She laughed, and the man smiled wider. "How old is your baby?"
"Turned a month two days ago," Charan said proudly. "He's going to be an earthbender. I can feel it every time I look at him."
Katara beamed, "I'm sure he'll be a sight to behold. When he's old enough, be sure to send him to Toph Beifong's metalbending school. He'll be a legend."
The man straightened importantly and bobbed his head, "Of course!"
Katara patted his shoulder and strolled past him, stopping at the front of the boat. The bow rose before her, inhibiting her sights, but she could feel the water pulsing beneath them, the waves breaking as the boat glided across the ocean.
Okay.
She began a smooth, circular motion with her arms, imagining the water parting around them, pushing to the stern and propelling them forward. The muted conversation of the other two men stopped as all three turned to watch her. She ignored them, focusing only on Aang.
Coming home, Sweetie.
The wind caught the sails as they pulled away from the Fire Nation, and that helped. Katara lost herself in the motion, closing her eyes as she swayed with the waves. Aang's beloved meditation was fine, but nothing soothed her like waterbending.
Until the water didn't part. Something stopped her progress. Something big and round and—
"Duck!" she screamed, diving away from the bow just as their boat plowed into the mine. The explosion echoed. Fire destroyed the soft wood, eating the deck and snaking its way to the sails. Katara watched in horror.
"Ambassador Katara!" Charan yelled, skidding to a stop beside her. He looped his arms under hers and dragged her from the fire, yelling commands to the other two.
Her head spun and her ears rang from the explosion, but aside from some minor burns, she wasn't badly injured. She pulled from his grasp, wobbled a bit under the sinking boat, and bent water to douse the fire.
"What was that?" the man demanded, covering his eyes from the seawater raining on them.
"A Fire Nation mine," she replied roughly. "Probably leftover from the war."
The men exchanged glances. They didn't believe that. She didn't really blame them—it seemed pretty unlikely for her too. But she knew it wasn't something Zuko would endorse, so what else could she think?
Without the front half of the boat, it was sinking fast. She grit her teeth and clenched her hands to her chest, pushing them outward in a forceful movement. Under the deck, the water expelled from the boat. She quickly pulled her arms upward and clenched her fists, freezing a sheet of water over the hole.
It wasn't a perfect fix, but it would have to do.
The men sighed in relief. Charan craned his head around the back of the boat. "Ambassador, we have another problem. A Fire Nation ship is headed this way."
"That's not a problem," Katara said in relief, spinning to see for herself. "That's our rescue!"
The ship bore the Fire Nation symbol proudly, and as it pulled alongside her limping boat, its horn bellowed welcome. On their deck, a soldier waved for their attention. "Need a lift, Ambassador?" he yelled.
"Please," she replied. The man called for rope, but she waved a hand. "No need," she told him. "I can get us aboard." With a wave of her right hand, she stepped towards the ship. A bridge of water froze between the vessels. Another flick, and stairs etched themselves into the ice.
She motioned, and Charan took the first step. His men followed. Katara cast a wistful glance at their poor boat, but nothing could save it this far out to sea. With a sigh, she left it behind, climbing the steps to rescue.
And at the top, she found an ambush.
"She's not here?" Aang asked, unable to hide the disappointment in his voice. He snapped his glider shut and dropped to the ground, leaning miserably against the stick. "She promised she'd be back by now."
Sokka rolled his eyes and shoveled another helping of rice into his bowl. "Oh, stop whining. You can survive a few days without Katara."
"It's been two weeks," Aang replied.
"Which means that a few more days shouldn't really matter," Sokka said. He swallowed a pile of rice and wagged his chopsticks at his friend. "And don't think I don't know where your mind's at, young man. I won't tolerate the way you're taking advantage of my sister."
Aang's cheeks burned, and he stuttered, "T-taking advantage? I don't—" his voice cracked—he'd take Firelord Ozai over puberty any day—and he hastily cleared his throat. "I would never—"
"Yeah, yeah," Sokka rolled his eyes. "Don't hurt yourself. Just remember that I'm onto you, and next time you two get all oogie, I'll be watching."
He meant it as a threat, but Aang just blinked. "Really? She's your sister, Sokka. That's kind of—"
"Oh, eww. That is not what I meant!" Sokka looked at his rice with disgust, as if he'd suddenly lost his appetite. He pushed the bowl away, and Aang couldn't help but laugh. "Whatever. Subject change. How's Republic City coming along?"
Aang slouched against the table, "We established a high council to make governmental decisions. We still need a representative of the Southern Water Tribes." He stared pointedly at Sokka, who gainfully ignored him. Aang heaved a weary sigh. "Come on, Sokka. Please reconsider."
"I'm not moving to Republic City," Sokka exclaimed. "I mean, come on, Aang. I barely get to see Suki as it is, and that's just as your 'ambassador' in Ba Sing Se!"
"You're the only one I really trust to manage that council! Combining all the settlements is bound to have its bumps, but it's really, really important that this city works. You can solve their problems better than anyone."
Sokka rubbed the back of his neck, "I can't, not yet. I'm sorry, Aang. Maybe my dad?"
"I thought about that, but I don't think he'll want to leave your tribe again."
"I'll talk to him. We'll…" Sokka sighed, clenching his eyes shut. "We'll figure something out. Even if it's Bato." He grinned, but the motion was exaggerated, weary. Silence fell over the room, and Aang twirled his glider staff between two fingers.
"When did life get so complicated?" he wondered aloud. "I almost… I miss the days where all I had to do was learn bending."
Sokka laughed. "Me too, buddy."
Katara struggled against the shackles that bit into her wrists. Her shoulders ached from hours in this position. Her legs were curled underneath her, bound at the ankles. A thick, short chain bolted the two pairs of shackles together.
Unless she figured out how to bend with her face like Bumi, she wasn't getting out of this one.
She glanced around. They were sailing somewhere, but the room had no windows, no access to the body of water just outside. The air was humid, so she could pull from that if she needed to, but again came the issue of movement.
Katara pulled against the restraints again. And again, all she got was a sharp, throbbing pain up her shoulder. She wondered if that damn soldier had dislocated it during the fight. Now that would make bending difficult.
"Okay. Not good," she muttered, blowing hair out of her eyes.
Someone knocked on the door. Mocking her. She glared as the locks were undone. The soldier strolled into the room. Another man behind him slammed the door closed, and the locks clanked back into place.
Trapped.
"So," the soldier said, removing his helmet. "Having a lovely vacation, Ambassador?"
"It's not the one I'd have picked," she replied, narrowing her eyes. Did she know the soldier? He seemed to know her, but he didn't look familiar. "For one thing, I wouldn't be chained in a metal ship."
"Would you rather be chained in a wooden one?" he replied, and laughed, obviously thinking himself very witty. "Ah, never mind. Old habit, making fun of prisoners. It dies hard."
Katara had to refrain from trying to strangle him. Or drown him. Actually, the latter sounded more fun. But any movement would remind him that she was chained and he wasn't, and she wouldn't give him the satisfaction.
"Where are my men?"
The soldier considered her for a moment, smiling complacently. "Oh, I imagine they're enjoying the same treatment you are. I haven't been to see them, of course. You're my only concern." He paused, tilting his head. "Hmm. Maybe I'll have them thrown overboard. It'd be less work."
"No!" Katara exclaimed.
The soldier laughed.
She clenched her teeth. Drowning wasn't enough for this guy. Drifting in a block of ice for a year would be more fitting. "What do you want with me? Hurt them, and I swear I won't cooperate."
"A threat? Cute," he replied, shaking his head. "Not that you're in a position, but I can respect the defiance. You would have made a good firebender. You have that spark."
Katara nearly cringed in disgust.
The soldier knelt beside her, grabbing her face with soot-covered fingers. He forced her to meet his gaze, his smile growing malicious. "I'm not an unreasonable man. I'll make you a deal. You write a letter to your boyfriend, the Avatar, and I promise I won't throw your friends overboard."
Katara saw her opening. All she needed was to get rid of these chains. She forced herself to look conflicted, suspicious. "Why do you need me to write it?"
"Well, to prove you're still alive, of course," the soldier replied lightly. "Otherwise the Avatar might not cooperate, and I do so love cooperation. Do we have a deal?"
She regarded him warily and said, "Fine."
"Excellent," he said, and banged twice on the door. The locks opened and his lackey stepped inside. This guy had muscles to put the Boulder to shame, and Katara had to steel herself. Nothing in her life could ever be easy.
"She's agreed. Unlock her left hand. I assume you're a lefty?" the soldier said merrily, reaching into his bag. He produced a brush, an inkwell, and a thin sheet of parchment. The Muscle Man did as ordered. The shackle clanked to the floor.
Katara clenched her fist, drawing the water from the air, and shot it at Muscle Man's face. It froze, and he stumbled backwards, flailing for air and orientation. Katara swung her arm around—it screamed in protest after so many hours being bound—and another ball of water slammed into the soldier.
He shot a blast of fire at her, and Katara barely had time for an ice shield. Bending was tough with one hand, and without actual water nearby, it took even longer. She used the ice shield as splinters, skewering anything in front of her.
Take that, she thought nastily.
Suddenly, someone grabbed her arm. She glanced sharply to the left. Muscle Man had melted his ice-helmet, and he wasn't happy. He clenched her skin hard enough to bruise. Katara narrowed her eyes and closed her own fist, pulling more water from the air.
And then the soldier slammed his foot into her arm. The crack of bone snapping echoed in the small metal room.
Katara screamed.
Muscle Man let go of her, and the soldier stepped backwards, shaking his head sympathetically. "I told you to cooperate, Ambassador. I thought we had a deal."
The pain was overwhelming. She'd broken bones before, but none had snapped quite so cleanly. Her arm flopped to the ground, useless. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she glared at her oppressors.
The soldier jerked his head, and Muscle Man unlocked her right hand. The soldier smiled coldly. "I knew you were right-handed, Katara. Now, if you don't want that arm broken as well, you'll write my letter."
She stared at him, numb. He knew she was going to fight back. He knew how, knew her moves well enough to defend, and countered her swiftly. She never stood a chance.
Defeated, she took the brush with trembling fingers and wrote Aang a letter.
"Avatar," the Earth King said in surprise. He hastily waved away an advisor and stepped from his throne. "I didn't expect you! Such a pleasure." He bowed in respect, beaming brightly.
Aang returned the gesture. Beside him, Sokka glanced at Bosco and groaned. The bear was wearing a headdress that would put a royal lady to shame, and he was eating fruit from a bowl on a pedestal.
"I see Bosco has a new… uh… wardrobe," Sokka said drily.
The Earth King leapt backwards, stroking his beloved bear's nose. "Isn't it lovely? It's designed from a scroll of old-Earth attire. But of course it had to be embellished." He gestured to the tassels adorning every free inch of the thing.
Sokka wrinkled his nose. Aang smirked.
"It looks great," he said.
The Earth King glowed from the praise.
"Look, can we get back to business?" Sokka said. "I was hoping to leave for Kyoshi Island tonight. I want to get everything settled before I leave."
"Everything?" the Earth King said doubtfully. "Perhaps we can finish the itinerary for my tour of the Kingdom, but I doubt the repurposed Fire Nation colonies will be decided as quickly."
Aang tilted his head, "The Fire Nation colonies were evacuated, except for Republic City. What's the problem?"
"Nothing peace-threatening," the Earth King assured him.
Sokka sighed, "A lot of those towns relied on Fire Nation trades to make money. Without firebenders, they're having a tough time keeping out of poverty."
Aang looked confused. "Why can't they just go back to Earth Kingdom trades?"
"There's a supply-and-demand aspect you have to consider," Sokka said, folding his arms. "Those former colonies set themselves apart by combining earthbending and firebending, and that made them profitable. Look."
He led them into a side chamber off the throne room, where a small table was framed with three plush chairs. A map of the Earth Kingdom framed the table, and Sokka motioned Aang closer.
"See here? That's where the Fire Nation colonial village used to be. They renamed it Taku, after another village destroyed by the Fire Nation armies." He pointed to the colonial village. Aang leaned over his finger for a better look. Sokka continued, "So, before the Harmony Restoration Movement, Taku made a market out of currency."
"They created the coins we use all over the Kingdom," the Earth King injected. "I'm sure they shipped currency to the Fire Nations too, back in the day."
Sokka nodded, "They used earthbending to find the metal, and firebending to mold it into shape. Without the firebenders, their production decreased. And since metalbenders like Toph are few and far between, they're struggling."
Aang frowned at the map, considering Sokka's words. He could see the problem. In this particular instance, he would just recommend they allow firebenders back into the colonies, but judging the Earth King's response in the Battle for Yu Dao, he doubted that would work.
The Earth King rubbed his chin. "It's quite the stumper."
"We've spent months trying to work it out." Sokka glanced at Aang, almost pleading. "Tell me you have some magical Avatar solution?"
"I wish I did," he replied. "I'll think on it for a bit. I'm sure we can come up with something."
Sokka groaned and looked back to the Earth King. "Okay, okay. Let's get that itinerary finished before I grow old." He dropped into the nearby chair with practiced ease. The Earth King retrieved a separate scroll from a nearby shelf and spread it over the map.
Aang could feel his eyes glazing over. He really didn't care where the Earth King traveled on his yearly tour. He edged towards the door. "I'm just gonna go… uh… think on that colony issue."
Sokka rolled his eyes, but the Earth King didn't even seem to notice. "I definitely have to visit Omashu, but do I go there before or after Gaoling?"
Aang ran.
And coincidentally, ran right into a palace messenger.
The man looked infinitely relieved to see Aang. He bowed low and said, "Avatar Aang, a message for you! Urgent, from the Fire Nation."
Aang raised an eyebrow and took the message. "The Firelord is in Republic City. Who's this from?"
The messenger bowed again, "I couldn't say, Avatar." And he sprinted away.
Aang unwrapped the message, looking at the thin parchment warily. He'd just seen Zuko. Did things unravel so fast in his absence? Maybe the messenger had the sender wrong. Or maybe it was from Katara! She was in the Fire Nation!
He grinned and unfurled the parchment. His grin grew when he recognized Katara's handwriting. He'd know that graceful stroke of the brush anywhere. He danced on his toes, almost too anxious to actually read her words.
But when he did, his heart dropped into his stomach. White-hot anger scorched his throat as he stared at the letter. It twisted through his body, igniting every bone, every drop of blood, until he thought he might burn alive.
He felt himself losing control, right there in the Earth King's palace.
It was Bosco who broke his trance, yowling like a cat owl asking for food.
Aang jerked himself to the present. Drew a calming breath. And another, when the first didn't help. Bosco edged away from him, following animal instinct to run from danger. Aang stalked past the bear and threw open the door to the side chamber.
Sokka glanced upwards and blinked. "That was fast. Figure something out already?" he sounded excited at the prospect, and Aang knew he was only thinking about seeing Suki faster. His stomach lurched, and he thought he might be sick.
Sokka noticed. He stood quickly, eyebrows raised. "Hey, Aang. What's up?"
Aang brandished the parchment. Katara's beautiful handwriting, marred by horrific words.
"She's been captured," he choked.
A/N: Okay, wow, so that was angsty. It gets better. Probably.
This fic's already done, and I'll be uploading new chapters Wednesdays and Saturdays. There are 7 "parts," which really meant I was too lazy to upload them chapter by chapter. But that also means you'll have the whole story (20k words) by September 4th! So woot for that.
I love feedback! :)
