CHAPTER 2: COUJUE THE DREAM GIVER
Later in the evening after dinner and after the kids were already in bed, Katara and Zuko went to Iroh's rooms. They sat on the two cushy chairs next to the desk Iroh was sitting at. Iroh was in scarlet dressing robes, pouring over the book. "Have you read anything interesting Uncle?", asked Zuko. "Yes. Several things", said Iroh pleasantly. "Like this". He pointed at the page he was on. Katara and Zuko leaned in closer. "This is the Fungi Spirit, Jun Wu". It looked like a giant mushroom. "I didn't even know there was a Fungi Spirit", said Katara interestedly. "It would seem that there are many spirits we never knew existed", said Iroh. "What are these?", asked Zuko pointing to little pieces of scarlet ribbon sticking out of the book on various pages. "I have made markers of some of my more intriguing finds", said Iroh. "Why's this one silver?", asked Katara pointing to another ribbon closer to the back of the book. "Ah. This was one spirit that I have never heard of, and it has a most amazing ability". He handed the book to Katara and she opened to the page. "The…Dream…Creator?", she read questioningly. The old symbols were so difficult to read. "Yes", said Iroh. "The Dream Giving Spirit, Coujue". "What does the spirit do?", asked Zuko. "According to the book, this spirit allows people to live their dreams".
Katara and Zuko shared a glance. "What do you mean?", asked Katara. "The book says that Coujue is the spirit that allows us to dream. But also, if you visit Coujue in the Spirit World, she can allow you to live your dream…or deepest wish. "That sounds…too good to be true", said Zuko cautiously. "If this spirit can let you live your deepest wish, why wouldn't more people know about it? I would think people would've been going to Coujue for centuries". Iroh rubbed his chin. "Well it says that Coujue will allow you to live your dream, but only for a time. It also says that visitors to Coujue should exercise caution because she will try to entice you to remain in the Dream World". "The Dream World?", asked Katara. "It is a part of the Spirit World", explained Iroh. "But according to this, Coujue is the only one who can open the gateway". "What else does it say? Why does Coujue try to get people to stay in the dream world?", asked Katara. "It says that although Coujue is the Dream Giving Spirit, she also draws power from our dreams", said Iroh underlining the words with his finger. "When a person chooses to enter their dream in the Dream World, the dream is more powerful". Iroh looked up and smiled at Zuko and Katara's equally intrigued and bewildered expressions. "The Dream World is but a shadow of our world", he continued. "When we wake, our dreams have no consequence on our reality. However, if you were to visit the dream world, your dream would be reality".
"What happens if you decide to remain in the Dream World?", asked Zuko. Iroh scanned the page before responding. "It says that if a person chooses to remain in their dream, their spirit will never find peace when it is time for them to move on". "So that means a person can…die in the Dream World?", asked Katara. Iroh nodded. "Everyone will reach the time when they must leave the world", said Iroh wisely. "But that doesn't make sense", said Zuko thoughtfully. "When you die in your dreams, most people simply wake up". Iroh smiled at Zuko. "Ah, yes. But when you have physically gone to the Dream World, what would you wake up to?". Zuko nodded at the logic. "So since the Dream World is your new reality, you have nowhere else to wake up to", said Katara. She shook her head. "I don't know why anyone would risk it, especially if Coujue will try to convince you to stay there. We all know how persuasive spirits can be". "People can live out their deepest desires as if they were reality. Desire is a powerful thing, wouldn't you agree?", said Iroh with a twinkle in his eyes. Katara and Zuko both felt their color rising. "But-But the danger!", exclaimed Katara quickly changing that subject. Zuko nodded in agreement although his cheeks were on fire. "You would be trapped until you died and your soul would be trapped forever. Is it really worth it?", she asked.
"People have their reasons. Some dream of their ambitions, some dream of their regrets. I think that there is probably a lure for people with regrets", said Iroh evenly. "But why take the risk?", asked Katara. "Regret can be a prevailing and ongoing issue in a person's life. Everyone has moments where they wonder how things could have been if they had done one thing instead of another. I think that the more a decision alters the course of your life, the possibility and strength of regret is heightened". Katara and Zuko exchanged glances. Their lives had been drastically altered when they chose not to be together so many years ago. When they chose duty to the world over love. They had made the right decision…or at least they made the decision for the right reason. It had been a struggle from the beginning. At times, Zuko had felt like they made a grave mistake. So many times he had thought about how things could have been if he had waited to announce his betrothal to Katara. And of course, he often found himself caught in a daydream, fantasizing about what life with Katara could've been like. He loved his wife, but he yearned for Katara in a way he could never yearn for her. It always felt like a part of him was missing. Granted, Izumi brought so much joy into his life that he could not complain of unhappiness. Even his wife brought him joy. But he always had a sense of unfulfillment lingering inside.
"If someone wanted to…visit Coujue, how would they?", Zuko asked carefully. Katara turned a stunned expression to him, but Iroh just smiled his small all-knowing smile. "They would have to enter the Spirit World". Zuko frowned. "And…how do you do that?". "Why do you need to know?", asked Katara hotly. "I'm just asking!", Zuko replied calmly. Katara was eyeing him suspiciously by this point. "Well Sokka was abducted by an angry forest spirit once that took off into the Spirit World with him. Maybe you could try that". Zuko smirked at her. "I'm just asking for curiosity's sake Katara! How did you do it Uncle?". "After I lost my son, Lu-Ten…I felt like I had no purpose in the world", said Iroh, emotion creeping discreetly into his voice. "Uncle, you don't have to explain if it's too painful I-". Iroh put his hand up to stop him. "Please, I am alright". Zuko nodded. "At one time my greatest aspiration was to conquer Ba Sing Se", Iroh continued. "But when Lu Ten died I did not know what life there could be for me without my son". Zuko remembered. Iroh had forsaken the siege of Ba Sing Se and had not returned to the Fire Nation for some time. At that point he hadn't know that his uncle had actually visited the Spirit World. "I felt like I needed to go on a spiritual journey. I toured many sacred areas of the world and learned the true meaning of firebending. I had always felt a connection to the spirits ever since I was a boy so I sought to find solace and guidance with the spirits. I was told that there was a very spiritual place southwest of Ba Sing Se". "You must mean the Foggy Swamp", Katara injected. Iroh nodded. "Yes". He turned to Zuko. "I know you have never gone, but if you did you would feel the great amount of spiritual energy that is concentrated there".
Katara nodded her agreement. "Uncle Iroh, Huu told us that he sat under the giant tree at the center of the swamp and reached enlightenment through meditation. Were you able to meditate into the Spirit World?". Zuko cursed under his breath. (Z) If that's how he got there, I doubt I'll be able to follow suit. Iroh shook his head and smiled. "No, I am afraid not. It was much simpler than that". Zuko ears pricked up at that. (Z) An easy way into the Spirit World?!"You see, the Spirit World and the physical world are more connected that you think. The reason the Foggy Swamp is such a spiritual place is because it is the physical world reflection of the Tree of Time". "What's the Tree of Time?", asked Zuko. "It is a tree at that is at the center of the Spirit World. The Tree of Time holds the entire history of the world". "So what happened that you were able to enter at the Tree of Time?", asked Zuko. "Was there some sort of portal at the tree in the swamp?". "A spirit guided me into the Spirit World through the tree". Zuko felt his anticipation die. "But you will never guess which spirit". "We know of the spirit that guided you to the Spirit World?", asked Katara. "Yes. And very well I might add", said Iroh. "It was Avatar Roku".
Katara and Zuko could not hide their shock. "But how? Aang was trapped in an iceberg at that time? How could it have been Roku?", asked Katara. "The physical body of the Avatar was trapped, but until such a time where Aang could connect to him, Roku's spirit was in the Spirit World". "What did he say to you?", asked Katara. "He showed me the Tree of Time. He showed me my son's life and all he did, the good and the bad. And he spoke of you, my nephew". "Me?", asked Zuko, confused. Iroh nodded. "He told me that you would face great danger in the near future, that your life was threatened. He also told me that there was promise in you but you would need guidance because you would soon lose your only protector. It was then that I realized, I did have something to live for. I had to be there to protect and guide you. You were already as dear to me as my own son, but I was blinded by my grief for Lu Ten". Zuko smiled at his uncle. For a few moments at least he forgot about his fixation with entering the Spirit World. "So then you went back to the Fire Nation?", asked Katara. "Yes", said Iroh. "But Roku suggested that I travel in the Spirit World. It's faster, you know". "So you were able to travel to the Fire Nation…while in the Spirit World?". "In so many words", replied Iroh. "I had to travel to a place where there was a portal to the physical world".
Zuko's eyes widened. "There's a portal?!". Katara raised an eyebrow. "Uncle said that he came out of a portal, Zuko. He didn't say you could enter through it as well. It's possible it only works one way". Zuko grimaced and turned away from her piercing gaze. "What are you thinking anyway Zuko?", she inquired. "You can't want to visit this Coujue?". His grimace deepened before he turned to her. "Of course I want to Katara! I want to know what life could have been like if we-!", he cut of abruptly. It wasn't as if Iroh didn't know all about their secret love affair, but he still felt uncomfortable mentioning it in front of him. "If…things had been different. If we made different decisions". "Zuko, that Dream Giving Spirit would try to get you to stay in the Dream World!", exclaimed Katara. "Think about it Katara!", Zuko cried in earnest. "Don't you want to have a taste of what could have been? I dream about it all the time….I think about it every day! Katara, we forsook our destinies…our dreams! We could actually live them for a short time!". Katara shook her head unbelievingly. "Do you not understand the danger Zuko? We could be trapped there! We'd die there and our souls would be stuck forever!". "That spirit could never convince me to stay in the dream and I know it could never convince you either", said Zuko. "If you think you're going to make a joke about me being stubborn-!", Katara waved a warning finger at him. "No, no", said Zuko waving the idea away. "No, it's because we're parents Katara. We have children that need us. Our love and bonds to our children will keep us planted firmly in the physical world".
Katara considered him for a moment. "Zuko…it's still dangerous. And we don't even know if the portal works both ways. And we don't know where it is". "Well we can solve at least one of those now". He turned to Iroh. "Uncle, where was the portal?". "It was on a long forgotten island at the south of the Fire Nation", replied Iroh. "And is home to a tribe of a very spiritual people called the Bhanti". Zuko and Katara gaped at him. "The Bhanti? That's the tribe Aang said he found!", said Katara. "He said that they even had sky bison". Her excited bewilderment diminished and her stomach slowly dropped thinking of the rest of Aang's letter. Zuko put a steadying hand on her shoulder and she took comfort in his warm touch, as always. "Does the portal work both ways?", he asked. "I would not know", said Iroh, stroking his chin. "But the Bhanti Tribe are very knowledgeable about the Spirit World. If there was a portal somewhere, I believe that they might know the location. Whether or not they will tell you is a different matter". Zuko made a dismissive gesture. "We could deal with that when we have to. But you think that visiting the Bhanti Tribe is the best bet?". Iroh nodded. "Hold on just a minute", said Katara. "I didn't say I agree to going. We have a lot to discuss….like for example, what will we tell the kids?".
Zuko thought for a moment. "Why can't we just tell them the truth? That we're going to the Spirit World?". Katara eyed him incredulously. "Did you hit your head?! They'll have so many questions about what we're doing. They aren't stupid Zuko. Bumi and Kya are sharp and Izumi is the brightest in her class! They'll know something's up". Iroh stood up from the desk. "I think I will go to the kitchen to get some tea". He left the room in such a hurry, there was a tiny gust of wind. "We'll tell them we have to go on a secret mission", suggested Zuko. "We learned something in the Tome of Spirits that requires immediate attention". "Don't you think the kids will wonder why Aang wouldn't take care of something like that? He is the 'bridge between the two worlds' after all". "Aang's got Tenzin doing airbender training in seclusion- who knows where they are and how long it would take a message to get to them! We did say that it required immediate attention". "Okay, and what will you say to your Council, Firelord?", asked Katara, hands on hips. Zuko shrugged. "The same thing". Katara tutted. "You don't think this is a bad idea?". "Katara, think! We always wondered how it could've been- now we can actually live it". "For a short time!", Katara retorted. "Don't you think we'll feel worse after? We'll live our dream and then we'll have to leave! You don't think it'll be more painful?". "Isn't that what we always said?", asked Zuko. "We always said that we would have to stay apart or it would be painful, but I always cherished our stolen moments. When I didn't see you it was always worse than when I did see you. Never mind that I knew you had to leave again! I was just so overjoyed to see you".
Katara's face softened and she sighed. "You're right. Every time we were together over the years, even for just seconds, I felt happier because I had another moment with you to commit to memory". Zuko moved closer to Katara and stroked her cheek softly. Katara felt herself melting from his touch. "Maybe this would give us some peace, Katara. It won't be like dreaming, it'll be an actual experience". Katara smiled weakly. "I….I suppose we could go", she said hesitantly. Zuko snatched her to him and held her close. Katara folded easily into his arms. "Are you sure? If you have any doubts, we'll stay", he whispered in her ear. She pulled out of their embrace gently to look him in the eyes. "Of course I have doubts, Zuko. We're venturing to a place we've never been- the Spirit World no less. But I think it could be good for us".
