For Peace's Sake
AN: Well I must say Chapter 1 was an opportunity for me to show everyone how I saw Katara as a character when I first saw ATLA. She is a devoted member of her tribe that goes above and beyond to help those that need her, even if it means breaking a few rules and guidelines because there was a greater benefit that way. Yes the Avatar in here hasn't been discovered by Katara and Sokka. That doesn't mean Aang won't show up though. I just wanted to see an alternate universe- Well not completely, more like different dimension- if Aang wasn't found yet like a year from when he was originally found and in a different location. That would make Katara around 15-16ish, Sokka 16-17ish and of course Zuko 17-18ish. Now I know that would mean that the Day of Black Sun and Sozin's Comet would have already kinda passed or will be approaching very very soon. Sooooo with the power of creative (halfassed) writing let's say that those haven't occurred yet. Okay? Good! Now on with the story!
Disclaimer: I own nothing…. Seriously, like maybe a credit card and copies of all 3 seasons of ATLA…. That's it. Sad. I know.
Chapter 2: Unfortunate Circumstances
Katara was in her bed. She knew that. She didn't know how she got there. She remembered being on the forbidden ship and a big explosion. Katara barely remembered hearing a man's voice and more than likely being carried. There was a dull throbbing in her left shoulder. She tried to lift it but cried out in pain. That's right, it was dislocated from where she landed. There was a rustle outside the flap to her room and Gran Gran popped her head in.
"Oh good you're awake" she said calmly before entering with a tray of sea cucumber soup and what looked like some kind of salve.
"What happened?" Katara asked still in a slight daze.
Gran-gran stared pointedly at Katara.
"I think I should be the one asking that," Gran-Gran said tersely. "What were you doing there Katara? You know no one from our tribe was to EVER go near that ship."
"We needed supplies," Katara said "I was trying to grab some coal for everyone before we ran out of oil. The supply ship won't be in for another few weeks."
"Katara," Gran Gran was exacerbated now. "You put not only yourself but your entire tribe at risk by doing reckless things like that!"
"Did you get the prawns in the ice box?" Katara asked wearily.
"Yes but-"Gran-gran answered not appreciating the subject change.
"And the coal in my pack?"
"Yes, it was brought in with you. Now Katara-"Gran-gran tried to get back onto what she was scolding her for before Katara interrupted once more.
"Who brought me in?" Katara asked.
"Someone I certainly wasn't expecting to see so soon." Gran-Gran in a huff. And On that note a familiar face popped around the flap of Katara's doorway. Sokka.
Katara nearly jumped from her bed of furs. Her excitement and glee almost exceeding the pain in her shoulder. Almost. Katara layed back down breathing heavily, her left hand clutching her right shoulder. Tears were forming in her eyes as she watched her brother approach her bedside.
"I can't believe you're here" Katara choked out.
Sokka smiled fully as he hugged his sister as gently as he possibly could without hurting her.
"And in the nick of time too," her grandmother said slightly irritated from all the interruptions. " I need you to help relocate her shoulder, Sokka."
Both Sokka and Katara replied with.
"What?"
Gran-Gran shoved a small length of strong rope into Katara's mouth before she could interrupt or protest further.
"Bite on this. Sokka"
And without further instructions, Sokka left his sister's embrace, grapped her upper arm and gave a firm yank. Wincing as he felt his sister's joint pop back into place and hearing her scream through the rope in her teeth. This wasn't his ideal way of spending his first moments back home, but it kind of made up for all the times Katara soaked him and froze him with her water bending. Sokka pulled the rope from her mouth and let her cry into his chest as he stroke her back trying to determine if they were tears of joy from his arrival or pain.
Katara hugged her brother's chest and started to calm down. He grew much taller from when she last saw him. Probably almost as tall as their father now.
"Well..."Sokka said awkwardly "I'm home."
Katara let out a watery laugh which seem to assure her brother of her wellbeing.
"We saw flares from your location and then a giant explosion. I had no idea that it was you who pulled such a stunt! I was expecting to find penguin otter parts everywhere! Not-"Sokka choked up a bit and hugged Katara tighter "N-not you." Katara winced at the pain, but didn't complain. She knew what she did was so-
"S-stupid! What if something happened?! You knew that the shipments were due in a couple weeks! This village needed all the capable hands it can get Katara. Why did you do it?"
Katara really felt ashamed now. She thought she was doing what was best for the village. To survive the next coming weeks of winter before the shipment.
"I-I thought I could find more supplies on the ship," Katara stated truthfully. "I was in the engine room, where the coal was, and there was an accident, I lost my torch and the coals started to catch on fire… I didn't know about the canon powder. We were using up too much tiger seal oil; I thought that if I could get some form of fuel we could last until the shipment."
Sokka nodded his head understanding her logic.
"Well if you didn't need to wash so much it would last longer." Sokka stated teasingly. Katara scoffed.
"I only wash an extra week out of the month compared to everyone else! I can't help it for feeling grimy! Besides I remember someone else trying to use the seaweed and seal oil to style their hair every month!" She started to argue back.
"Hey!" Sokka said offended. "I was going through a phase!"
"Oh really?" Katara mocked. "Which one was that?"
"Well," Sokka said matter-of-factly ", the one where I realized I was the most attractive man in our village and had to keep up appearances." Sokka smoothed his hand over his hair to accentuate his statement.
Kanna (Gran-Gran) looked over at her grandchildren arguing as if nothing has changed a smile graced her face.
"I'll go tell your father that you're awake, Katara."
That snapped Katara's attention away from her brother and his argument about the necessities of his personal indulgences didn't inhibit the village at all.
"Dad's here too?" Katara asked incredulously. Her grandmother confirmed with a smile.
"Everyone's here."
Katara tried to bolt to the door before Sokka caught her good arm and pulled her back. His reflexes have gotten better. Dammit.
"Katara, Dad's busy talking to somebody-" Sokka tried to explain.
"But everyone just got back!" Katara practically yelled ", whoever he's having a meeting with can wait!"
Everyone else must want to see their families too. Why couldn't she see her father now?
"Katara," Gran-Gran spoke calmly ", He's thanking the man who found you as well as discussing business.
Now Katara was confused.
"But… I thought that Sokka found me," Katara said trying to make sense of the situation.
"I saw the flares and fire from the water," Sokka explained "The ummm other man's ship was faster. So he got to you first." Katara studied Sokka's face, he was holding back information and she didn't like it.
"The other man? You don't even know his name?" Katara asked trying to instigate Sokka.
"Of course I do!" Sokka defended, "It's just that he's not from our fleet so you wouldn't recognize him-"
"Is he from our sister tribe up North? How did they make it all the way down?"
"No Katara," Sokka started to correct her.
"Oh! Is he from the Earth Kingdom?!-"
"Katara-"
"We should welcome a foreign guest to our tribe! Even though it's not as culturally expansive-"
"Katara-"
"I'm sure they would love to see who's been helping fight the Fire Nation's Navy!-"
"KATARA!" Sokka practically shook his sister to get her attention "It's not the Earth Kingdom's battalion either!"
"Oh…" Katara said as she tried to piece everything together then looked at her brother and simply smiled. "Well if it's just a no nation merchant ship we'll greet him in kind as well."
Sokka and Gran-Gran stared at Katara silently unsure of what to say. Katara typically didn't like no nation merchants as they tended to ask a lot from those who desperately needed supplies and didn't care whose business they dealt with, but Katara wasn't going to show ill will towards those that saved her life.
"Come on Sokka," Katara stated to lighten the mood. "It's not like the Fire Nation's fleet is sitting outside our home right?" Sokka laughed nervously. Katara heard it clear as day. She looked at Gran-Gran for confirmation of her statement.
"Right?"
Gran-Gran looked at her granddaughter sadly and shook her head. Katara moved from her brothers side, grabbed her parka and walked out of her room and then the hut. She could see her father's entire fleet docked ; stationed further out were three enormous battleships ship with flags flying the Fire Nation emblem proudly.
Katara ran towards the docks, she could only assume that's where her father was. Her eyes were searching left and right frantically, she didn't notice her brother catching up with her but she did spot her father. He was at the very end of the deck talking with an older man wearing an elaborate red outfit and smiling. This caught Katara off-guard. He was smiling, having a pleasant conversation with this man who was obviously from the fire nation. An esteem figure, Katara had no doubt in her mind. She heard her brother behind her panting after finally catching up with Katara. She looked at Sokka dumbfounded.
"W-who is he?" Katara asked suddenly feeling dizzy. "What's going on?"
Sokka held up a finger signifying he was still catching his breath.
"That man," Sokka said while pointing at the man in red, "is the man who saved your life. That man," Sokka pointed to their father, "is our father; he's also the chief of the Southern Water Tribe- OW!"
Katara hit him; she noticed he was starting to joke around and didn't like it one bit. Why was the enemy off their shores? Why was everyone so damn calm? Why was her father smiling at this man?
"Stop messing around Sokka," Katara exclaimed on the verge of becoming delirious. "What is going on?!"
Sokka stood up straight looked at his sister completely serious.
"I'm not messing around Katara, that man is the man that saved you from the burning ship and is also the current acting Firelord." He smiled at her, his eyes practically brimming with tears. "The war is over."
It was on that note that Katara's mind felt over stimulated and decided that an appropriate reaction was to faint, thankfully her brother was there to catch her while calling out for her father.
"I think that is enough excitement for one day," a deep calming and eerily familiar voice broke the silence of Katara's daze.
"Yes, we shall continue peace negotiations later on," said a voice Katara knew to be her father's.
She was once again in her room, on her bed of furs but this time being watched over by her father and her enemy/ savior.
"So the war really is over," Katara spoke trying to sit up.
"Ah! So the sleeping beauty awakens! Let me get some tea. Oh thank you Kanna, that is most helpful! Here you are my dear" Said the older gentleman holding out a simple porcelain cup of warm fragrant tea. Katara took it from him with a very quiet thanks and sipped it slowly. It was good, whatever it was.
"Jasmine," the man said as if reading her thoughts. "It's one of my favorite brews."
Katara looked it the old man. He was older than her father for sure but maybe a few years younger than her grandmother. He was pale, his beard and hair completely grey like the winter clouds above the pole. He was shorter than her father and a bit rotund but he looked strong. His eyes were the color of rich honey and his smile was warm and genuine. This was the man who carried her from the wreckage, for sure. This man was the leader of the most treacherous nation Katara has ever known?
He must of saw her confusion on her face and decided to ease her mind, even just a bit.
"Forgive me dear Katara, I know it must be very strange to receive such wonderful news in such a strange way but I will confirm it. I am current acting Firelord Iroh, head of the Fire Nation until the Fire Council sees fit to establish my nephew as the official Firelord and the war is indeed over. I'm sorry we had to meet in such unfortunate circumstances."
He gave Katara another warm knowing smile as she looked at him slightly perplexed then at her father who also smiled and nodded his head as a way of confirmation. Katara couldn't hold back the tears from her eyes and covered her face as she cried in her hands. Her father embraced her shaking form holding back his own tears. It was finished. The war was over, and Katara's family was back home. Nothing could take away from Katara's joy.
A/N: Well we know that won't last long. Why do we know? Because you must have read the summary of my story before clicking on it. No? You were just expecting shameless Zutara smut? Well I don't exactly blame you . but we're not at that part of the story yet! It takes time to build a relationship, regardless of what Disney or alcoholic beverage commercials tell you. Lies like those will give you the herpes. Anyway, y'all know shits about to go down when it comes to the peace negotiations. Please feel free to review and post opinions/ideas. Much love!