Stormbenders

Disclaimer: ATLA is the property of VIACOM, Nickelodeon, and Paramount. No profit is made by this story.

Notes: I apologize for not replying to my reviews! Trust me -- I read your reviews, and they meant the world to me. Please keep them coming! Also, I don't know if I mentioned it before, but thanks to AKAVertigo for the storm quotes!

Why, what's the matter,
That you have such a February face,
So full of frost, of storm and cloudiness? --William Shakespeare

"Katara."

She slapped the hand away.

"Katara." Gentle fingers closed around her shoulder and shook it. She curled away. He made a displeased noise. "Katara, come on, please…" Despairing, he resorted to the magic words: "I have tea?"

Grudgingly, Katara opened her eyes and sat up. "It's still dark, Aang."

"Actually, it's a little bit light out," he said. He lifted one palm. A ball of fire hovered inside it. "I just didn't want to trip on anything."

"What's going on?" she asked, scrubbing sleep from her eyes.

"Uh, well, General Iroh and the others got to talking and they decided you should be part of morning practice," he said, wincing. He braced himself, possibly expecting an onslaught of pillows. "I guess they want to teach me stormbending right away, and they said you should learn too."

"Great. Stormbending. Let me guess: Mistress Hatchet-face and Akna the Healing Hussy sent you."

"Zuko will be there, too," Aang said. She sent him a look that said he had grown a second head, and Aang grimaced. "I guess that doesn't help much."

She sighed. "As long as you're happy, then I'm happy. May I please have some of that tea, now?"

"Sure," Aang said, and held it out. "I'll, uh, see you outside."

Katara took the tea, mustered a smile, and watched him go. Then, wincing against the soreness from yesterday's match with Zuko, she very calmly picked up her pillow and screamed into it.

The morning air carried a hint of cool, dewy dampness, but Katara sensed the heat underlying it. They had only a little while before the sun really started to climb. Then standing outside would become unbearable unless she clothed herself in water or ice. Which Katara suspected might be a good idea, if Xiao Zhi indulged in her weird need to have them all fight each other.

"Jook?" Iroh said, handing her a steaming bowl of porridge. The mixture smelled sweet and was studded with nuts and odd little pieces of what she guessed were fruit.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"I learned this recipe in Ba Sing Se. Of course here we don't have those delightful green grapes. They make the most delightful raisins…"

"Just eat it," Zuko advised, before tipping the whole bowl in his mouth and drinking it.

"I'd like a spoon, please," Katara said.

"No time," Xiao Zhi said. "Eat now or don't eat at all. We don't have time for dawdlers."

"I'm not dawdling, I just want a civilized breakfast!" She pointed at the kitchen. It was crowded with Stormbenders in black, all of whom ate standing up, or took bites between drags on their pipes. Only a few of them spoke. "You know, before you got here, we all ate together as a family."

"You're soldiers, now," Xiao Zhi said calmly. "You can have as many family meals as you want when the Avatar has defeated the Fire Lord."

"Yeah, Katara, it'll be great," Aang said, positioning himself between the two women. He hove into her line of sight as though to distract her. "We'll have great big family dinners! I'll show you how to make fruit pies!"

Katara briefly pictured Xiao Zhi's face covered in gooey fruit and pastry. She grinned. "Sounds great, Aang." Smiling as she further imagined her revenge, she drank down her jook, and discovered it was actually good -- Iroh knew his stuff. His porridge was sweet and spicy and interesting, filled with juicy little morsels and crunchy toasted nuts. (She suspected the old man had candied them somehow; she'd have to ask.) When she tipped the bowl back down, Aang broke into a fit of giggles. He pointed at her. Katara frowned. "What's wrong?"

"You look like Haru!"

"Huh?"

"You've got…" Zuko gestured at his face.

"Get a move on, kids," Xiao Zhi said. "That sun's just getting hotter."

"Oh, for…" Zuko rolled his eyes, swiped a thumb across Katara's upper lip, and sucked on it. "Jook-stache," he said, and hastened after his uncle.

Katara felt a familiar twitch in her eyebrow. She scrubbed at her lip with the back of her hand. "Did he just put that in his mouth?"

"Toph must really be rubbing off on him," Aang said, eyebrows lifting. "Let's go."

The stormbending lesson began with neither storms nor bending. It began with meditation. A special kind of meditation, according to Iroh, who stood before them with his hair neatly tied back. They had moved to another tier of the temple. Behind Iroh, Katara saw a rainbow forming in the mist. "Miss Katara, you will recognize these forms as your own," he said. "They are based on the Northern Water Style, but they move much more slowly. All three of you may find it difficult at first to slow down and focus. But when you do, your mind will be open to learning a new method of bending."

"It's all right if you don't get it at first," Xiao Zhi said, in a rare display of humanity. "General Iroh wasn't so hot at it to begin with."

"Must you give away all my secrets?"

"This is where you learned how to re-direct lightning," Zuko said, leaning forward. "You said you learned from watching waterbenders."

"That is correct, my nephew," Iroh said. "When I was a younger man, I did not have the benefit of a flying bison to carry me over the jungle surrounding the Sun Warrior lands. The Stormbenders were charged with patrolling those jungles to protect the Sun Warriors from intruders. I met them along the way."

"We trapped you like a hogmonkey in a cage," Xiao Zhi said.

"And I fought my way out admirably," Iroh said. A smile tugged at his lips. "I also recall charming a certain squad commander into letting me pass through the jungle."

"That's funny, General, because I seem to recall you begging."

"Kneeling may have been involved," Iroh conceded.

Zuko's palm connected with his face. "Can we please just start meditating?"

"I think it's a nice story," Aang said.

"You would," Zuko said.

"Let this be another lesson to you, Avatar Aang," Iroh said, raising one finger. "No woman can resist a man who can play the suungi horn."

"Girls like suungi horns?" Aang glanced at Katara. "Because in school-"

"Honestly, General Iroh," Akna said, striding to the center of the room. "I'm going to have to keep you two separated!"

Katara folded her arms. "What is she doing here?"

"Akna is a master waterbender like yourself," Xiao Zhi said. "She is also a healing bloodbender. If something goes wrong, we need her."

"And I can't do my best if I'm not properly relaxed, so let's get the meditation started." Akna stretched one leg out and leaned deeply into the stretch, moving her center of balance and then stretching the other leg. As she moved, her hands crossed one another before curving outward, palms up. Katara recognized the form. She watched as Akna continued the movement, connecting forms like the water whip and the tidal push into a slow, intricate dance.

"It's like the Dancing Dragon," Aang said. "Only a lot slower."

"And with different steps," Zuko said.

"This motion will help familiarize you with the blood in your own body," Akna said, breathing deeply as she began the steps again. "Soon, you'll begin to feel more connected to the water that is all around us and inside us. Fire is energy, but water is life. Without both sun and rain, we would have no trees, no flowers, no fruit."

"And that is the essence of stormbending," Iroh said. "Balance."

"Now you try," Akna said, resuming her starting position.

Reluctantly, Katara stood and faced Akna while the two boys stood up behind her. The other woman smiled at her serenely. Katara didn't return it. She had no desire to learn anything more about the blood inside her body or the water in the air. When she watched Akna's fingers tracing the air she imagined them coated in icy talons, and when she saw Akna sweep her bronzed arms across her body she remembered the surprising strength in Hama's limbs, a strength born of madness and hate. What were these waterbenders doing in the Fire Nation? They had been there since Iroh's time -- what business did they have living on someone else's land? They had two whole Poles to choose from! Why-

"Katara, is your stomach okay?" Aang asked.

"My stomach's fine, Aang."

"'Cause you look like-"

"Cut the chatter, Avatar," Xiao Zhi said. "Focus on the steps."

"Yes, ma'am," Aang said meekly.

"These old bones could use some exercise, too," Iroh said. He moved into step beside Akna. If possible, he moved even slower than she did. Katara felt warmer just standing near him; when he breathed out she was surprised not to see sparks flying from his nose. The thought made her giggle and break her concentration; she missed a step.

"Focus," Xiao Zhi said in a stern voice.

Katara caught Aang's eye and made a sour face as she tried to catch up. Aang couldn't suppress his laughter. He shook with it, silently, before popping like an overfull dumpling. "I'm sorry," he said. "Katara was making this really funny face…"

Silence. Xiao Zhi sucked her teeth. "Since the Avatar is so good at watching his waterbending teacher, perhaps he would learn better by sitting this one out and letting the big kids play," she said. "Katara. Zuko. Up here."

"That's not necessary," Katara said. "Aang can focus. Right, Aang?"

"Right," Aang said.

Xiao Zhi blinked. "I wasn't asking your opinion," she said. "Our job is to teach the Avatar. You can either help me, or go."

"You don't need to be so harsh, Xiao Zhi," Akna said, putting her hands on her hips.

"The war is harsh, Akna. The Fire Lord is harsh." Xiao Zhi turned to Zuko. One sparse eyebrow arched. "Isn't he, Prince Zuko?"

Katara had the feeling she had missed something from the way Zuko stiffened. His good eye narrowed and his jaw set. Katara recognized that look. She had been on the receiving end of it, once, before he sent her crashing into a glacier. Do it, a wicked part of her urged Zuko. Burn her to a crisp! But he didn't. He exhaled loudly, nostrils flaring, and turned to Aang. "You have to learn to re-direct lightning."

Aang sighed. "I know, but I just started firebending. Shouldn't I master that first, then move on to the more complicated stuff?"

"You're best at firebending when you remember to concentrate," Zuko said. "And you'll have to concentrate in order to learn this." He smiled. "But you're already a better bender than I am. You just need practice." He locked eyes with Katara over Aang's head. "Right?"

She blinked. Zuko only increased the intensity of his stare. "Oh, right, absolutely!" Katara said. "You'll pull it off in no time. Remember how I could barely do the water whip, but you got it right away?"

Iroh smothered a snicker behind his hand. Katara shot him a dirty look and he straightened up. She turned back to Aang. "You won't know until you try," she said.

"And neither will you," Xiao Zhi said. She jerked her head toward the balcony. "Get outside."

"Would it hurt her to say 'please'?" Katara asked under her breath.

Zuko rolled his neck. Katara heard a distinct pop and he winced. "We can only hope."

"Hey, you made a joke!" Aang's eyes went shifty. "Don't tell Sokka."

"Sometime today would be nice," Xiao Zhi called from her position on the balcony. Grimacing, Katara trudged over to her. "Get your water out."

Gritting her teeth, Katara uncorked her skins and let the water free. She bristled as Akna took a position beside her. "What are you doing?"

"Just follow me," Akna said. "Try to bend a whirlpool. No, no, not so big. Try smaller movements. Otherwise the energy might get away from you."

"Should I try?" Aang asked, flitting over and preparing his hands.

"No," Akna said. "It's important that the lightning only have one place to go. If there is too much water, the lightning will escape from Zuko."

"If I can even generate it," Zuko said.

"Just practice the motion, Aang," Katara said. She focused on shrinking her whirlpool. Right now it looked like a big messy ball of water, but when she dipped her hands inside it narrowed, like the clay she'd seen on a potter's wheel in Ba Sing Se. When her hand pulled up, so did the water, and for a moment she had a vase-like shape.

"That's good," Akna said. "But you won't be able to touch the water like that. You have to tighten it with bending, like this."

Akna extended her hand toward the railing. Katara watched as mist from the crevasse twined up her arm like a cool, translucent snake before collecting into a single lump that Akna split into two thin ribbons of water. They twined about one another like two fish -- like Tui and La, the fish at the Spirit Oasis. They never touched, but spun faster and faster, closer and closer, until Katara had to squint to see the thread of air separating them. Abruptly, Akna split them into a series of watery threads frozen to her fingers. They flashed upward to catch a falling leaf; the leaf shredded into tiny pieces that fluttered slowly to the stones at their feet.

"Showoff," Xiao Zhi said.

"Jealous," Akna said. She flashed Katara dazzling smile. "One day you'll learn how to do that, if you can focus your bending enough."

Katara looked at the ice coating Akna's fingers. "I think I'm fine without it," she said. "Can we just work on the stormbending?"

Akna's smile faltered. "Of course. Try to make the whirlpool a little smaller this time. Zuko, follow Katara in reverse. Don't try to create the lightning right away, just concentrate on learning the form."

Katara tried forming the whirlpool under Zuko's watchful gaze. With that scowl and the way his eyes focused, he looked like a little bit like the assassin he'd sent after them. Sparky Booming Explosion Guy, or whatever Sokka called him. But then he moved into a bending posture and he was himself again, fingers out as his hands moved in opposing circles. Satisfied, Katara concentrated on her whirlpool; she tightened her hold on the water and wove it tighter, remembering the ball of yarn form she'd used at the Spirit Oasis, remembering the way the water told her about Zuko struggling under all those cold skeins of fluid and tension, refusing to be tied down.

"Katara, have you ever seen a storm at sea?" Iroh asked.

Katara pushed air past her teeth. "Of course I have." She bent the water even tighter, spinning it until it wobbled and went ovoid. "I lived by the ocean until you two showed up."

Iroh didn't rise to the bait. "Then you know that lightning is naturally attracted to water," he said. "In order to create lightning, firebenders separate the positive and negative aspects of the energy around them. But those two aspects aren't meant to be apart. They need each other. When they come back together, they're like two lovers finally embracing after a long separation." He winked. "There's some heat."

Xiao Zhi snorted. Zuko rolled his eyes, but kept stirring the air. He moved with greater certainty now -- how come he was so good at stealing her moves? -- and the first fingers of each hand stroked the air as though skimming custard off the top of an unattended dessert. "That heat needs somewhere to go," Iroh said, as they moved. Zuko followed her better, now, he leaned when she leaned and wove as she wove. "Firebenders who have achieved the proper peace of mind can help direct it. But because of the natural attraction between water and lightning, waterbenders can channel it even further."

"Wow," Aang said quietly.

"It's just the law of-" Iroh stopped and stared at his nephew. "Oh." He smiled. "That's very good, my nephew."

Katara watched Zuko's hands. Soft shimmers of blue light trailed from them. "I didn't mean to," Zuko said. Sweat had bloomed along his hairline. He kept moving but watched the lightning warily with his good eye. "What do I do?"

"Add it to the water and shoot it," Xiao Zhi said.

"How am I supposed to add it? I can't just-"

"The water will do the work," Akna said. "Just move closer and let nature take its course."

Iroh's bushy eyebrows lifted. "I couldn't have said it better myself, my dear."

Zuko's eyes lifted. The world seemed to shrink suddenly, and the way he bit his lip made Katara remember that what they were about to do was dangerous, that this very lightning had nearly destroyed Aang, that Aang still bore that scar and that she would have one just like it if they weren't careful. "I don't want to hurt you."

It's under my control this time. I can direct it. It won't be like with Azula. I won't let it. "You won't."

"Are you ready?"

"…I think so."

"Are you sure?"

"Zuko, just do it already-"

But then he did, he darted in close and the lightning snaked down like it had a mind of its own, and for a moment they held a glowing ball of liquid light between them like an enormous, luminescent pearl. And then Zuko was moving so she had to move, too, and his hands became fists and so did hers and she thought of fireballs and snowball fights as sparking, glittering balls of ice shot away from them. The cold, fiery bombs arced slowly through the air and fell, intact, into the crevasse. She and Zuko leaned over the railing to watch them fall. The mist obscured their descent. No sound echoed up to them. Birds called to one another from tree to tree. She heard the rattling of Teo's chair on the stones below.

"That's it?" she asked.

Zuko's head swung in her direction. "What, you weren't impressed?"

She shrugged. "I just thought it would be…bigger." She frowned. "You know, harder."

Zuko's good eye popped. "It wasn't hard enough for you? Do you have any concept of how difficult it is for me to maintain control for that long? I could have-"

"Well, I'm sorry I'm too slow for you, Sparky, you're the one who was pussyfooting around-"

"I was holding back! Because he wouldn't shut up with his stupid metaphors!" He pointed at his uncle.

"Show your uncle some respect! His metaphors are very sweet and-"

"Well you can bend with him next time-"

Iroh cleared his throat. They stopped and turned slowly to look at him. The general gave them a level stare. Instantly, they straightened up. "Sorry," Zuko said. "They're, uh, great metaphors."

"Thank you, nephew."

"I want to try," Aang said, raising a tentative hand. "Now that I've seen it, I think I can do it."

Katara smiled. "That's great, Aang. Let's give it a try."

Aang assumed a position across from Katara. He smiled brightly, brought up his hands, and began the proper stirring motion. Katara borrowed some water from Akna, and wove the whirlpool once more. Aang did a good job of following her. She wasn't surprised to see streaks of fire following his fingers. His frown of concentration soon deepened into a real scowl. He stood up and the fire dissolved. "Why isn't it working?"

"Just keep trying," Zuko said. "If I can do it, you can do it."

Aang nodded, then resumed his stance. This time the fire flared in his hands almost immediately; Katara saw it turn from gold to blue to almost violet before a small explosion knocked both of them to their feet. Katara quickly raised a shield of water before skidding backward and into Akna's waiting arms. Aang coasted through the air and slid back on his behind. Zuko bent down over him and helped sit him up. He dusted him off as Aang searched Katara's face. His gray eyes had gone terribly wide beneath a fine coating of soot. "Did I hurt you?"

She shook her head. "I'm fine. I had my water with me."

"Are you sure?"

She stretched her hands out. "See? No harm done."

"I can't do this," Aang said, turning to Zuko. "I shouldn't even be trying."

"That's not true, Aang," Katara said. "You just haven't practiced enough yet."

"I can feel the energies, right there!" Aang said, pointing at the air. "They're right in front of me, and I can't reach them!"

Xiao Zhi gestured with her pipe. "Maybe if you watched Zuko and Katara-"

"No! That won't help!"

Silence. Katara knew that tone -- Aang had made his mind up. He wouldn't budge. Any attempt to persuade him, to remind him that this was necessary and useful, would be met with increasingly Toph-like resistance. Iroh and Akna stared at Aang. They had never encountered this side of the Avatar before; they probably had some stupid idea that all Aang ever did was meditate on what was best for the world and how to improve his bending. He's a normal kid when he's not glowing. Reminding him of everything he has to do only makes things worse. Why can't everyone see that?

"Hey." Zuko crouched. "This happened to me too, at first. It happened over and over."

"What did you do?" Aang asked.

"I made up my mind to join you," Zuko said. "After that, my heart was clear."

"My heart has to be clear?" Aang frowned. "Isn't it clear enough already?"

"No one can answer that but you," Iroh said. "In order to create lightning you must be like the eye of the storm -- calm and untroubled." He smiled. "But don't worry. Perhaps the breakfast I made simply didn't agree with you!"

"Well, there was a lot of it…"

They all laughed. Even Xiao Zhi shook her head and smiled. Zuko sort of smirked and helped Aang up. Katara felt a touch on her shoulder. "Good job," Akna said in a conspiratorial voice. "You two bent the storm on your first try!"

Katara shrugged. "It wasn't all that-"

Someone shouted above them. Sokka. "Help! Somebody! Katara!" She ran to the railing and looked down. Sokka stood only two tiers above but in a tower far to the left. Beside him, Suki jumped up and waved her arms. He carried a small green bundle in his arms -- Toph.

Zuko growled. An answering signal flare jetted from his lips. "Aang-"

"I'm on my way." Aang stomped his foot. The stones at his feet jumped and sent his staff pinwheeling through the air. He ran past Katara, spinning his arms and generating his air-scooter. Hopping on, he coasted up one pillar and kicked off it before snapping open his glider. He looked down at her. "Grab my ankles!"

Katara didn't need to be told twice; she bent Akna's water into an ice slide and ran straight up the middle and over the ledge. Only then, as the crevasse yawned open beneath her feet and the ice at her toes began to crackle, did she think to feel fear. For a single terrible moment she entered freefall. Her stomach flipped over and her hands grasped empty air. But then Aang was there and she gripped one foot then the other as he corrected for her new weight. They coasted down into mist and she caught sight of Teo's glider and he and the Duke pointing at Sokka's shape. "Hang on!"

They lifted and she squeezed her eyes shut and she tightened her grip on Aang's slim ankles. A moment later there was stone on her shin and she tumbled over and into Suki's steadying hands. Sokka pressed Toph out to her. Thin black needles studded Toph's legs and right arm, as though she had covered her face with it at the last second. Katara's heart froze. "Are those…?"

"We don't know," Sokka said. "She can't talk. I think they're poisoned."

Aang floated to the ground beside them. The breath caught in his throat. "Oh, no."

The nearest door exploded open; it came right off its hinges and fell flat. Zuko charged through, fists still flaming, a thin sheen of sweat on his face and his breath coming as fast as she'd ever seen it. He took one look at Toph and his whole face changed; the blush of exertion turned to pale fear. His mouth hardened and his posture straightened. "Who did this?"

"We don't know. We were-"

"You were supposed to be gathering food with her."

"I know, but Suki and I…" Sokka blushed and faltered. Zuko's glare held its old strength; he looked ready to knock Sokka down and keep him from getting back up. But he didn't. He turned to Katara. "Get the others into the stable. If I'm not back soon, leave."

"Can't I go with you?" Aang asked. "If it's Azula and her friends-"

"If it's Azula and her friends, then there's no way he's going alone," Katara said. Her eyes narrowed. "The last thing we need is him telling them everything."

Zuko's jaw fell open. "You still don't trust me? After everything that's happened, you still think-"

"I think you'll go a lot further to proving yourself if you quit arguing and help me," Katara said. She turned around. The rebuke on Aang's face was impossible to miss; she did her best to push the shame it caused aside. "Aang, take Toph to Akna. If she's half as good as she thinks she is, then she'll know what to do."

Sokka reached for his sword. "I should come, too."

Zuko was already on his way out. His shape evaporated into shadows made darker by bright morning sunlight. "You've done enough already." She heard his steps pause. "Let's go. Azula doesn't like to wait."

An hour later, Katara had begun to suspect that maybe this whole "make sure Zuko isn't Azula's spy" thing wasn't such a good idea. That was after the rhino-fly bites, the seemingly-endless hike through thick, humid cypress forest with Zuko swinging effortlessly and silently above her head, the realization that she was desperately thirsty and had brought no water -- she was a waterbender, what was she thinking? -- and the deepening dread that if Azula, the circus freak, and the needle girl did attack them, she wouldn't be of much use.

She looked up at Zuko's shape in the trees. "Wouldn't they have attacked us by now?" she asked.

"Not if they were trying to trick you." He grabbed a vine and slid down; for a painful moment she remembered Jet. "If this was just one step in Azula's master plan, she'd lure you out here and destroy you."

Katara swallowed. "I've learned some new tricks since I last faced her. So she should just watch out."

Zuko threw his hands in the air. "She's not here! She's not listening! She-" He paused. His eyes searched the surrounding forest.

"She's what, Zuko? She's crazy and vindictive and-"

"Bequiet!"

Her heart plummeted. "Is it her?" She cast her gaze all around. Moving her arms like a scythe, she summoned water from a tree and circled it around her. "Come out, Azula!"

Something above them rustled. In unison, they looked up. Then it moved and she finally saw it. She had to dig her toes into the moss underfoot just to keep from backing away. Why does everything have to be so big in the Fire Nation? It had a long, wart-ridden snout and its skin bristled with the black needles she'd seen embedded in Toph's skin. Long claws curled around the branches in the forest canopy as it moved slowly from tree to tree.

"Whatis that thing?" Her voice had shrunk to a whisper.

"It's a senbon sloth." They watched as a slender pink tongue snaked out and tasted the air. The needles on its back shivered. "It sees us-"

Katara converted her water whip to a shield; hairline fractures appeared as the sloth's needles thudded into it. Zuko pushed ahead of her and punched clean through the ice shield with a flaming fist. A ball of fire shot straight for the sloth's tree. Zuko raised his hands like summoning a great tide, and the fire raced up the tree's trunk. The sloth squealed and tried scrambling to another tree. Its claws slipped and it fell belly-up on the ground. It shrieked and twitched. As one, they took a step back.

"It's in pain," Katara said. Her throat closed.

Zuko sighed. "So is Toph." He drew his swords.

"No, don't." She closed her eyes and forced herself to think past the sloth's visible shape and see the blood and water inside. Her hands wove through the air and the sloth stilled; she felt the hurt place inside it like a broken bridge. Mend, she told the bones and sinew. You know where you belong; just go back there. Her fingers plucked the air and she sensed the bones shifting as though she had moved tiles on a pai sho board, as though she had pulled the right strings. When she released the sloth it trundled away, a little wobbly on its feet but no longer hurt. She saw it leave through a field of stars; the ground moved closer suddenly and roots bit into her knee.

"Hey!" Zuko. He stopped short of actually touching her, but crouched down. "What's wrong?"

"I did it…" She sighed. "I bent its blood without the full moon." Pain thundered inside her skull. She rubbed her temples. "Uh, maybe not such a great idea…"

"It was amazing."

She squinted at him. Zuko's good ear was a little pink. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean, maybe you could be a veterinarian."

Katara almost relished her palm slapping her face; then it actually happened and she winced. "Let's just go home, please."

"Uh, sure." He stood. She followed slowly. Her field of vision had narrowed; she saw the forest floor as though through a spyglass. Her stomach roiled in protest as she traversed the bumpy terrain. Zuko seemed to get further and further ahead. How utterly humiliating. It was bad enough that she'd been completely wrong about Azula -- not that she wanted Azula to show up, no, she just liked being right, and so did everyone else even if they never admitted it -- and hadn't thought of something smarter to defeat the sloth, but to try fixing things by attempting fancy combination bending without the full moon…

"Hey." Zuko stopped and turned around. His shape blurred at the edges. "Are you really sick?"

"I'm fine." She blinked hard and forced herself to move three more steps. "I just have to get back." Why was it so hard to string words together? It's only a headache. It's only a headache. "It's only a headache."

"Okay." He turned around again and started walking. Two steps later he stopped. "Um, I want to get something nice for Toph. A get well gift."

"Oh," Katara said, nodding. "Right. Sure. Good idea."

"Thanks."

"Uh, Zuko?"

"Yes?"

"We're in a forest. They don't have shops here."

"I know that." He paused, then jerked a thumb vaguely east. "There's a sugar-wasp hive…"

"Honey," she said.

"Yes? I mean, yes. Right." He pointed at the roots of an especially broad tree. "You, can, ah, sit down. I'll be right back."

With difficulty, Katara sat down in the roots of the tree. She closed her eyes. And then time seemed to narrow down to a single pulse that was her headache, and when Zuko returned the heat was stifling and it felt like noon. She heard his steps beside her and opened her eyes to see him holding out a gourd. "Here, drink this."

She took it carefully from his hands and slid the top off the gourd. He'd hollowed it out roughly. Inside was a thin white liquid. When she sniffed it was sweet and a little sharp. But her throat and her head and her bending cried out for hydration and when she drank it was too warm but she didn't care, it was delicious and it was necessary. It dribbled back into her hair and down her neck. She pulled the gourd away and smiled. "Thank you very much."

"You're welcome." He pawed at his own neck. "You have…"

"Oh, right." She tried scrubbing her neck with the back of her hand but it only smeared everything. She sighed and a damp lock of hair lifted weakly from her forehead. "I'll just take a bath when we get back." She stood up. No pain, now, and no nausea, just pleasant warmth all through her and a curious lightness, like she'd had a very nice rest. Maybe this is how Twinkletoes feels. Did I just call him that? She giggled. "Let's go home."

"Home," he said.

Home was easy to get to. At least, the trip back felt a lot shorter than the trip out. Maybe it was the attitude adjustment. Her fear and suspicion had evaporated. She didn't jump at every little thing, now, expecting Azula to come flying out of the trees. And she had done good work today. Stormbending. Bloodbending. Healing. I wish I could still be the Painted Lady. "I wish I could still be the Painted Lady."

He snorted. "You're the Painted Lady?"

"Don't laugh at me, Jerkbender! I'm the best Painted Lady you've ever seen!"

"The Painted Lady isn't real. She's a myth."

"That's not true! I saw her!"

"Had you been drinking cactus juice?"

"No!" She poked him in the back. "And stop being funny. If Sokka finds out he'll be really mad."

"Are you sure you're feeling all right?"

"I'm fine! Stop worrying! I'm the one who worries, not you." She poked him again. When she got him between the ribs like that he seemed all soft and fleshy and not at all threatening. "How come Toph never yells at you for being all motherly?"

"…Motherly?"

"Fatherly. Whatever." A vision of a horde of tiny Zukos filled her mind; she imagined him chasing after them and grabbing them by their teeny little topknots. In her head he smoked a pipe and had big fat sideburns like his uncle. Junior! You have lit your sister on fire for the last time! Laughter bubbled up out of her.

"We're here."

She tamped down her giggles. The effort distracted her and she walked straight into him. "Hey, who put this wall here?"

"Very funny." He knelt down and checked the vine.

Katara stared down at him. He looked like a sneak-thief preparing for a job, not a soldier. "It's not much of a wall. You're smaller than before."

"I'm not smaller. You just got bigger."

"Are you calling me fat?"

Zuko pinched his nose. "No." He stood. "It's the shoulder-guards. You're just remembering what those looked like."

"No, I remember without the shoulder guards, too. I remember at the Spirit Oasis you had those weird clothes and you were bigger, your shoulders were all big and you threw me into a glacier." She brandished a finger at him. "That wasn't very nice, you know. I had bruises."

"Bruises."

"Uh huh. And when you tied me to the tree I was all red right here." She rubbed her wrists. "And after Ba Sing Se…" She frowned. "Azula hurt me. Not you. Well, physically."

"Physically?"

"Right. Just, the part where you betrayed us. That was bad enough. But then Azula slammed me against those crystals and I had this big lump." She pointed at her head. "I couldn't sleep on that side at all."

"You've suffered terribly," Zuko said. "Can you climb down?"

Katara peered down the rock face. She pouted. "I wish I were Toph. Then I could make a little lifting thing."

"An elevator?"

"One of those."

Zuko ran a hand over his face. "We'll go together." He picked up the vine and handed it to her. "Stand right here."

"I don't take orders from you, Mister Former Fire Prince," she said, gripping the vine. He stepped behind her and he was warm and his hands rested above hers. "Hey, your hands are different, too."

He let go and she fell a little and the descent was awkward and not at all graceful. She didn't land so much as fall. He swung in behind her with a red face. He licked his lips and smoothed his hands down his legs as though to wipe his palms clean. "Let's go see Toph."

For some reason she couldn't quite remember where Toph's room was. Her feet got away from her a little. Zuko had to remind her: "It's over here." Toph lay on her stomach. Akna sat beside her, using waterbending to work the sloth's needles free. The water surrounding each needle glowed before the offending weapon popped free.

"Sparky, Sweetness," Toph said tiredly.

"Hey there, champ," Zuko said, and entered the room. "Guess what I've got?"

"Sloth's head on a platter."

"Almost. This tastes better." He reached inside his shirt and brought forth a carefully-folded leaf. Inside was a whole section of honeycomb. He pulled some free. "Open the loading dock…"

Toph stuck her tongue out. "You're such a wuss, Sparky." She opened her mouth. He put the little bite on her tongue. "Mmm. Melty." Toph turned it around in her mouth. "Everybody thought it was that girl with the needles."

"Mai," Zuko said. "Her name is Mai."

"Needles. Right. Everyone thought it was her." Toph yawned. "But I kept telling Snoozles I would have felt the footsteps." She picked honeycomb from her teeth. "Needles has big feet."

Zuko stifled a laugh. All three women stared at him. "You can laugh, Zuko," Katara said. "She did have big feet. Not Kyoshi-big, but big."

"Not that big feet are bad," Toph said. "Just. You know. Wow."

"Mai has very good balance and posture," Zuko said.

"And big feet," Toph said. "Stretch and Crazy have little feet."

"Stretch and Crazy?" Zuko's palm hit his face. "Please don't ever call them that to their faces."

"Pfft." Toph waved his concerns away. "I can take 'em." She reached out. "More honey, please." Zuko held the leaf out and placed her hand on it. "Katara, you should try this. It's all warm."

"He carried it in his shirt, Toph." Katara looked at the honeycomb again. "It does look really good, though." She swooped down on the honeycomb and pinched some free. Just as Toph had promised, it was warm and melty and sweet. Her tongue drifted over the grooves of the comb. "This is really good, Zuko. It doesn't taste like you at all."

Akna coughed suddenly. "Katara, maybe you should eat some lunch."

"Yeah, Katara, are you okay?"

"Why does everyone keep asking that? I'm fine! I feel great!" She pointed. "You just want all the honey for yourself!"

"Lunch is a good idea," Zuko said. He pulled Katara's elbow gently. "Come on. If we don't eat something now, Sokka and the others will get it all."

"Ooh, that Sokka, I'm gonna get him," Katara said, as he led her out the door. She swerved and almost made Zuko trip. She leaned back and waved. "'Bye, Toph!"

"Later, Sweetness."

"Let's go." Zuko started walking. "Katara, it's this way."

She turned around. "Right. I knew that." Katara ran ahead and entered the kitchen. The others looked up. Her father, Iroh, Aang, and Sokka frowned up at her. She beamed and put her hands to her hips. "Mission accomplished! We showed that boss who was sloth!" She frowned. "I mean, the other way around."

Her father's frown deepened. "Katara, are you feeling well?"

"I'mfine! I keep telling you!" She sighed and sat down. "I just had a headache. But it's all gone now."

"It is?" Zuko appeared behind her. "Well, that's good…"

"What headache?" Aang asked. "What happened?"

"Yeah, Sparky, what happened?" Sokka asked.

"Well, there was this sloth-"

"And we totally nailed it," Katara said. "I was all whoosh and he was all fwah and the sloth was all eek so I had to fix it."

Iroh lifted his teacup. "That sounds very…intense."

"It was! But that's not even the best part! I did healing bloodbending!" She gestured with her fingers, as though manipulating a puppet. "I reached right inside him and put all the bones back in place. And I did it without a full moon!"

"That's very tough to do," Xiao Zhi said. "Did you tell Akna about this?"

"Akna. Please. Like I'd tell the Healing Hussy anything." Her eyes widened. "Sorry, Dad. I know you have a major crush on her and everything."

Her father winced, and hunched forward. "You said you were feeling better?"

"Oh, yeah! Zuko gave me this great drink and now I'm good as new!" She held her arms out. Her skin tingled as she stretched and fell backward. Her limbs suddenly felt pleasantly heavy and her eyes drifted closed. "I want a nap…"

"Nephew," she heard Iroh say, "where did this drink come from, exactly?"

"Kallu tree," Zuko replied. His weight settled beside her on the stone. She smelled pickled plums and heard him slurping noodles.

"Ah, the kallu," Iroh said. "A plant known for its medicinal properties."

"You always drank its sap when you weren't feeling well," Zuko said. "You know, after you stayed up too late on music nights?"

"Iroh plays the suungi horn," Katara said. "Girls like it."

"Oh, right," Iroh said. "Music night. Well."

"Sparky, did you get my sister drunk?"

Katara giggled. "He's not that stupid, Sokka."

"Exactly," Zuko said. She heard more slurping. "Besides. That would be wrong."

"Wrong, wrong, wrong," Katara said. "Sparky's bad at being good."

"You're tired," Zuko said. "You did some tough bending today."

Katara slit one eye open. "We got it right our first try." She spoke in a stage whisper. "We're super special secret hero stormbenders."

She heard a collective slap of palms on foreheads.

Notes:

Kallu is a variety of palm wine that is drunk in Sri Lanka and parts of India. It comes from the sap of the palm flower, and due to natural yeasts in the containers used to carry the sap, it can ferment to four percent alcohol in as little as two hours. (According to Wikipedia.) When Zuko says that Iroh drank the sap of this tree after music night, he's referring to the fact that Iroh would drink too much on those evenings and needed a little hair of the dog, as it were, to get himself back up to speed.

Some of you may notice similarities between this chapter and certain parts of both the Three Drinks and Three Chores series. They're intentional -- I like those stories a lot and this was a fun way to play with the same themes. More plot next time, I swear!