A/N: Well, don't really have much to say, so let's get started!
Disclaimer: Don't own. Thanks for the reason for an inferiority complex, jerk!
Special shout-outs go to: Reviewers Katie T., Darth Riven (thank you for your encouraging words, btw!), Artorius Rex, internal dance, LadyoftheHouseofMoon, and Blue (thank you for your support and further reassurance that I'm not writing anyone OOC. It means a lot!)
And to those who have favorited this story and set it to their Story Alerts: Artorius Rex, LadyoftheHouseofMoon (double kudos for you two!), toby7400, Alika Jones, ArrayePL, MewmewInuSailorHeart, Unknown Chocolate, and UrsulaArtemis.
Now, let us continue to boldly go where no Avatar story has gone before!
Ch. 4: Alliance
Katara stomped her way angrily all the way down the prison steps and to the front doors of the palace, kicking rocks away from her in rage whenever any crossed her path. After shoving past the immense double doors and handing her tray to a passing servant as Iroh had instructed her to do, she stormed through the corridors lit only by torchlight, not paying much attention to where she was going. She was only focused on her destination. Several guards or servants that happened to be traveling near her quickly veered out of her way, each of them sensing the aura of fury that seemed to cocoon around her form. Having lived with Ozai and his volatile family for years now, many were used to their sudden violent mood swings. As a means of survival, they learned early on to make themselves scarce.
The Waterbender was so transfixed on getting to the private quarters of the palace that she didn't even notice it when she passed the war room, now suddenly being emptied of people. As she passed the doorway, the crimson curtain in front of it constantly fluttering back and forth as people passed through it, Mai emerged from the room in time to see her best friend march forward down the hallway agitatedly, seeming not to perceive anything of what was happening in front of her. Immediately, Mai sensed that something was wrong.
"Katara!" Inwardly, Mai was apprehensive to not even get a sign of recognition from the girl. In fact, Katara didn't even break her stride, and her hands continued to clench and unclench themselves at her sides.
Without wasting a second's thought, Mai quickly followed her, refusing to run to her so she would not draw attention about the delicate situation to the surrounding nobles lingering to mingle here and there. Instead, she would wait until they were in a more secluded location before she caught up with her, much less call out to her again. Mai saw her chance to do so when Katara pushed almost violently through another set of double doors into the inner sanctums and private quarters of the palace, the very place where Mai had found Katara resting her weary mind all those weeks ago. Picking up her pace so she was able to slip through the doors before they closed completely, Mai broke into a light jog as soon as she heard the doors boom shut behind her. After five long paces, Mai finally drew level with her distraught friend.
"Katara! Answer me!" Mai grasped the girl's right arm, spinning her around gently to face her. In the first time in a long time, Mai's cool and collected mask slipped off her face as a loud gasp slipped past her lips and a horrified, stunned expression clouded her face. On the left side of Katara's forehead and jawline were two large bruises beginning to fester, ugly blue, purple, and black spots already taking up and marring nearly half of her face, but those weren't the only things Mai was disturbed to find. Everything about Katara at that moment was wrong, distorted, warped. Confidence and tranquility no longer radiated from her like an appeasement, like an anchor in a storm. Instead, chaos and confusion had taken their place. Imprints of rage and hurt were found in her countenance, in her posture, and in her eyes, and there was something else that Mai had never seen Katara reveal before, whether she had been her enemy or her friend: deep within her ocean-blue eyes, beneath and yet overshadowing everything else, was a supreme and unyielding look of being lost. It was like she had lost her faith in everything she had ever believed in, and that revelation shook Mai to her core. Katara always had an answer. She always had hope even if it wasn't logical to possess any! This wasn't right! What had happened?
And that's when Mai remembered.
Ozai! She had taken her first trip to deliver a meal to Ozai shortly before noon, hadn't she? She was perfectly fine before then; a little unnerved but fine. So, that could only mean...something had happened while she was up there. What did that bastard do to her?
Mai comfortingly cupped Katara's face in both hands, forcing the girl to look at her. "Katara? Are you alright?"
"Hmm?" And just as suddenly as Mai has seen it form, Katara's uncharacteristic behavior transformed and melted away before her eyes into being her usual positive and assured attitude though anger still lined her features. "What did you say? Sorry, Mai. I kinda spaced out there for a bit."
Mai's hands dropped from the Water Tribe girl's face as she looked at her with a troubled, disbelieving expression. The golden-eyed young woman was suddenly under the impression that Katara was probably even more skilled at hiding and masking her emotions than she was...and that thought intensely bothered her. "I asked you if you were alright."
"Well...of course I am! Why wouldn't I b-?"
"Don't. Lie. To me, Katara," Mai ground out gradually. "I've been watching you ever since you passed the war room, and the entire time, you never had the look of someone who was completely fine and at peace in their mind. The way your eyes were narrowed and focused in front of you, you looked like you were about to march onto a battlefield and fight to the death with someone!"
Katara hesitated, wanting to avoid the subject at the moment. "I don't know what you m-"
"The hell you don't!" Mai snapped. "Don't you try to feed me that! And don't push me out, not when I'm only doing what a friend is supposed to do, not when I'm showing that I care about you."
Silence permeated the air between them, Mai wanting to wait so that her message would sink in, Katara having nothing to say as guilt seeped into her. She didn't want to shut Mai out, she really didn't, but her emotions were too unstable right now to discuss what had just happened to her rationally. She needed to let all these feelings out of her or she'd lose it, she knew it! Which reminded her of why she had come here in the first place: Toph. She needed to find her. When it came to resolving and working out negative feelings, no one was a better sparring partner than her. Before Katara could continue her search, though, Mai began speaking again.
"It was Ozai, wasn't it? What the hell happened up there, Katara?"
Katara waited only a beat before asking, "What was Ozai?" Noticing that Mai was staring pointedly at her face, Katara reached up to feel her forehead, instantly wincing when her fingers pressed on the bruise found there, it being extremely tender. "Oh, that? Haha, no, no, you misunderstand. The Loser Lord didn't do this. How could he? He's behind bars for goodness' sake! Believe it or not, I lost my balance on the last step at the bottom of the Prison Tower-the tray got in my way, I couldn't see-and I ended up falling right on my face! I must have hit the tray against my jaw, ow!" Katara exclaimed as she felt that bruise as well. "Must have hit the ground harder than I thought, too. Is it really that bad?"
At Mai's confirmation, Katara groaned lightly. "I guess I'll just have to heal it as soon as I get to my room, so no one gets any ideas. You know how people think the worst about things like this." Mai looked unconvinced but remained silent. Katara didn't know why she was lying to her like this. Mai was only looking out for her, she knew, but Katara knew that it could also mean the last time she would confront Ozai if word about the true cause of her injuries got back to Zuko or Iroh. Katara was extremely grateful of the fact that the bruises and slight cuts on her arms were covered by the sleeves of her Water Tribe clothes-which she had changed into before going to see Ozai-since they would only cause further problems and be much harder to explain away. She would live the rest of her life as a swamp rat in the middle of the marshes of the Earth Kingdom before she would let their battle of wills end like it had earlier that day. He would not get the better of her again, and he would not keep the advantage. She had subconsciously underestimated him before and had paid for it; it wouldn't happen again. And knowing Zuko or Iroh, they would force her to rebuke her new volunteered duties and unwillingly assign them to someone else if they were aware that she had gotten hurt and on her first day, no less! That was unacceptable. Not only because it would spell out the doom of another innocent servant girl, but because, if she didn't return to bring his supper that night, Ozai would think that he had won, and that she was as weak, no, weaker than the other girls that had served him in the past. After all, she hadn't even served a full day yet! That would not happen, not while she still drew breath.
"Actually, I came here looking for Toph. You haven't seen her, have you?"
"She was in the meeting with me," Mai stated slowly, trying to figure out what direction Katara's mind was going. "She said she was going down to the training grounds to work out all the tension she built up."
"Oh! Of course! I should have known she'd be there! The least I could have done was look there first!" Katara exclaimed, moving to walk back through the way she had come before she found her path blocked by Mai.
"You haven't answered me, Katara, so as far as I'm concerned, this conversation is not over."
Katara's lips curled in distaste at how confrontational their discussion was becoming. "Look. I'm fine, ok? Nothing happened, and in case you can't tell, I'm really irritated right now, so I'd rather just be left to my business, alright?"
"That's not an acceptable answer," Mai said, taking a step forward, likewise forcing Katara to take a step back to maintain her personal space. "Look at how you just contradicted yourself! You're fine, but you're suddenly 'really irritated' with nothing to explain for its cause? And don't even try to blame your annoyance on me. I know you well enough to know that you don't get annoyed over people asking you if anything's wrong, which something is. Stop being in denial with me!"
Katara snapped. "Would you just shove off? Everything's perfectly peachy at the moment, and even if it wasn't, mind your own business! Uagh!" Why didn't she understand? She needed to find release and peace before she could talk about what had just happened with Ozai. Otherwise, she'd blow up at all of them because she simply wouldn't register them and their feelings in her mind. No, if she told any of them her Ozai fiasco right now, she wouldn't see them in front of her as she told her story, she would see him! She would be back in that godforsaken cell, staring him down helplessly as he tore her defenses down and ruthlessly abashed her. She would be a wreck before she finished, all rage and hurt and sorrow, and all of them would get the wrong idea, that it was unbearable being in his presence, but it wasn't. She knew it wasn't. She knew it wasn't impossible to endure; everything was just too fresh right now. To have to relive it all again so soon, feeling as strongly as she did, would be like pouring lemon juice on a cut. She wouldn't receive any benefits from it, but he certainly would! She would apologize to Mai later for her abrasive behavior; her top priority was centered on finding the one Earthbender that not only got under her skin like no other person-though she now certainly had competition with the oh-so-charming Phoenix King-but also could challenge her in a fight and keep her focused on what tactics could beat her. For as Katara was now one of, if not the, strongest Waterbenders in the world, Toph could also claim that same title not only in Earthbending but Metalbending as well.
Katara shuffled past Mai, fully intending to leave the argument behind and focus on her own pursuits, her hand raised to begin pushing against the door. However, Mai had other plans. With reflexes mostly reserved to wielding her deadly knives, Mai's hand shot out in a blur to firmly wrap around Katara's upper arm and yank the girl back around to face her, only her molten eyes showing how furious she was.
"Where do you get the nerve to tell me to mind my own business, Waterbender," Mai hissed vehemently, "after you spent weeks butting into my life and trying to get me to open up to people, telling me that I didn't need to be afraid of getting hurt if I showed others I care? Now, you've just proven how much of a lie that was, how much you lied to me! I showed concern for you, and now...you spit in my face! Well, I don't need this, and I refuse to take anymore of your crap!" Spinning stiffly on her heel, Mai commenced to storm off towards her room, refusing to look back, and Katara knew she couldn't wait until later to apologize to Mai. If she did, the damage of her stupid, selfish behavior could not be undone. Mai had a lot of pride, but she also had a lot of fear. If she believed Katara had purposefully lied to her to hurt her, she would never be trusted as her friend again. Katara wouldn't let that happen!
"Mai!" No change. "Mai! Wait!" Not even so much as a look came Katara's way. Unknowingly, the brunette mimicked Mai's earlier actions and gave chase to her friend, trying to get her to listen. "Mai, please! Listen to me!"
When this ploy didn't work, Katara became desperate. She abruptly halted in her tracks and braced herself for, perhaps, the most meaningful apology of her life. "Mai!" she called out. "I'm sorry, ok! ...I'm sorry..." As Mai stopped in her enraged gait, though still not looking at the Water Tribe girl, Katara trailed off softly with her repentance.
"You were right. You were right, ok? The reason I've been acting so strange," she took a deep breath, continuing, "is because of Zuko's father. He, well, it-ooh! All of it! It was horrible! A complete disaster! But, I didn't want to tell you because, well, obviously, I'm not thinking straight right now, and I'm just so...angry! I didn't want to take it out on you, on any of you, because it isn't anybody's fault but his, but it looks like I went ahead and did it anyway. I'm so sorry!"
Mai remained silent for the longest time before letting out a heavy sigh, turning to face the tanned girl as she did so. "It's alright. Don't worry about it. I should have realized..." Mai stopped her statement, looking thoughtful before scowling lightly. "Well, no, you should know that I can't read minds, Katara. You should have just told me from the start that something did happen, but you weren't ready to talk about it yet instead of pretending that everything was fine. I would have believed you and left you alone until you were ready to tell me."
Katara had the grace to look sheepish as she replyed, "I know, I know. I really am sorry. I'm not thinking clearly at all right now."
Mai nodded in understanding. Katara's outburst reminded her of the way she herself had reacted on the last trip to Ember Island. Hers had been the result of bottling her feelings up for years, so she clearly recognized the signs of Katara's own attempt to ignore what she was feeling. For someone as passionate as Katara, it was a bad combination.
"So, I take it, then, those bruises... They really were caused by Ozai?"
Katara was suddenly sick at herself for the answer she felt she had to give. "No. I wasn't lying before. I really did slip off the step." God, she had never been so disgusted at herself than at this moment, but it was necessary if she wanted to prove her mettle against Ozai's intimidation tactics. She would prove him wrong about his assumptions about her if it was the last thing she did, but that would be rather hard if she was forbidden by the Fire Lord to go near him. She only felt worse when she saw Mai give signs that she accepted and, even worse, believed her answer.
"Fine. We'll talk more later in my rooms when you're more like yourself. Now, I believe you were looking for someone?"
"Toph. Right, um, I'll see you in a few, Mai."
Turning away from Mai to walk back into the palace, Katara leaned against the stone doors in distress as soon as they closed. She knew one thing for certain: no one, especially not Mai, could find out about the true source of these bruises. So many things would go wrong that it made her almost ill to think about it. Her only fear was Ozai. Had he seen the results of his brutality, and if he had, would he keep his mouth shut about them to other people? If word got around in a small town, then it flew and thrived in a palace; Katara had never seen a place so dominated by gossip before than here in the Fire Nation capital. On the one hand, it would be a wonderful thing to boast about, him being locked in prison yet still able to cause harm to a war hero. Yet, because she was a war hero, and a well loved one at that, he could also get into even more trouble than he had already landed himself in. Her only option was to hope that he wouldn't say anything...and to remember to properly treat the bruises before she saw him again.
Katara found Toph at the training grounds just as she was finishing her stretches. When she told the young Earthbender that she wanted a fight, Toph was instantly gleeful, for it had been awhile since they had faced off to see who was the stronger bender. Of course, they both agreed that no battle was really conclusive since they were so even in skill and power... Nevertheless, the victor was still granted bragging rights until the next spar.
Toph immediately leapt into action, throwing taunts and confident words whenever she could at Katara and taking full advantage of the earthen terrain the training area offered. The Blind Bandit soon grew amazed at the level of ferocity Katara was fighting her with, and, after focusing more closely on Katara's vital signs through the tremors in the earth, Toph knew that something was bothering Katara immensely on the inside. She didn't need much more incentive to pick up her own level of attack as a means to distract her friend and keep up with her assualts. Before long, all the two could focus on was the fight. If either bothered to let themselves be distracted by anything other than that, it would most assuredly mean defeat for them and possibly a large amount of pain. They fought nonstop for an abnormally long hour and twenty minutes during the hottest part of the day before Toph swiftly ended the battle with a well-conceived Earthbending strategy that left Katara pinned to the ground by her feet and her water pouch soaring to land a good thirty feet away from her. She could have used the sweat she built up during the fight as a means to free herself, but at that moment of pause, Katara realized how exhausted she was. Instead of retaliating, she collapsed to the floor, her back against the hard ground and her knees bent up since she could not move to stretch her legs out until her feet were freed. Toph, seeing that her victory was achieved, released Katara immediately but not without a fair bit of gloating.
After the Waterbender caught her breath, she got up to retrieve her water pouch. As she was refastening it at her side, it didn't take long for Toph to remember the state Katara had been in before the fight began. Now, Katara was her normal, calm self; everything about her seemed at peace, her anger a thing of the past. As they walked back into the palace, Katara expected Toph to question her about it, and it didn't take long before the interrogation began, but unlike Mai's, Katara was ready to handle it. The questions eventually led to Katara's state of mind before, which instantly made their way to Ozai, which twisted into questions about her "visit" to him. Katara really only wanted to tell her account once or twice at most, so she told Toph to wait until they came upon Mai's chambers which they were currently heading towards.
Raising her hand to knock politely against the glossy mahogany door that spelled the entrance to Mai's rooms, Katara barely knocked once before the door was wrenched open by an anxiously excited Ty Lee. The young acrobat had so many emotions flashing across her face at once that Katara could not positively identify any one of them, and before she could ask what was going on, she found herself being drug along behind the spastic girl into the living room area of the suite, Toph sharing a similar fate with the door shutting behind them.
Katara suspected that Mai would have invited Ty Lee and even Suki to hear her account of what happened in the Prison Tower, a supposition that was confirmed when Katara spotted Suki sitting cross-legged on the end of one of the vermilion couches positioned strategically around the room's fire place. What she didn't expect was to see Zuko, Iroh, Sokka, and Aang waiting for her there as well. Suddenly, this had gotten a lot more complicated than the Waterbender originally anticipated, and she soon found herself wishing that she had taken that trip to her room earlier so she could have tended to her injuries in private. There was no doubt in her mind that they were going to cause a huge, unnecessary, headache-inducing mess.
It all began with a greeting from her overprotective brother.
Which abruptly interrupted itself as he realized that almost half of his sister's face was much darker than the other.
"I'M GONNA KILL THAT BASTARD!"
Over five minutes were used to restrain Sokka from hurtling himself through the door to carry out his threat while Katara used every opportunity she could to convince him that she didn't receive the bruises from Ozai (a lie she was steadily learning to believe herself as a half-truth. After all, technically Ozai didn't give her her injuries; the cell bars did). Once Sokka was properly seated in between Suki and Aang on the couch, still seething but otherwise under control of himself, the explanation began.
"Well, Katara," Sokka ground out impatiently, "we're waiting."
Katara sighed heavily. "As I was saying before, though, none of you could probably hear me over all of Sokka's yelling," she glared at him lightly, "about these bruises... I know they look suspicious, and I know they obviously weren't here this morning, but all of you can relax. I got them through my own stupidity of not paying more attention to where I was going when I was coming down the steps of the Prison Tower. I ended up missing the last step, lost my balance, and ended up falling forward. Next thing I knew, I was face first in the dirt. I'm sorry for not tending to them before this, especially seeing at what an outburst it caused, but I was a bit preoccupied earlier. Ozai had nothing to do w-"
"And what was so important earlier that you forsook tending to yourself before now?" Sokka was still suspicious and adamant about what his instincts were practically screaming at him: that Ozai was at fault for everything.
"I was with Toph," Katara replied shortly. "I needed to blow off some steam. Not against the law, is it?"
"Well, no, but-"
"I believe," Iroh interrupted, sensing an argument stirring between the siblings and working swiftly to derail it, "Katara, that your brother is just expressing the concern we all have felt since sending you on your assignment to Ozai. Now that we are actually paying attention and inquiring about how the servants were treated before you, many stories that we have heard are much worse than we first anticipated. We all are the same here in wanting to know that everything went alright. And, Sokka, though your passion for your sister's safety is admirable, the anger that comes with it is, I'm afraid, misplaced. You are angry over something your sister claims did not happen. You do trust her word, do you not?"
"Of course I do," stated the young Water Tribe man intensely, though his instincts still didn't let up in his original feelings on the subject. Iroh nodded in acceptance. No one else in the room could sense how disgusted Katara was at herself at that confession.
"Then, there is nothing that we need to argue about further, I think. Katara, my dear, have a seat, please. You seem very tired, and this discussion will probably be trying enough without you standing all the way through it. This will be the first news we've gotten about it."
Katara nodded slowly, slightly confused by Iroh's last statement. Did Mai not tell all of them about the horrible state she had found her in earlier? Did she not relay to them how much she, Katara, had insisted on what a disaster it was? Taking a glance at Mai's position next to Zuko on the couch directly across from Suki, Sokka, and Aang, the Fire Nation woman sent her a piercing, significant look which Katara took to mean that, no, Mai hadn't told them anything. Anything at all. Katara walked around to the center couch that was positioned to almost connect to the ends of the other two couches at a right angle and was the only couch directly facing the fireplace. Taking her place between Toph and Ty Lee, Katara smiled thankfully to Iroh, who was seated on the other side of Zuko, taking an appreciative drought on his Gingseng tea, before she turned to apologize to Sokka for her curtness.
"It's fine, Katara," Sokka said in a much more subdued tone than what he had previously shown that afternoon. "I shouldn't have overreacted like that. I was just worried about you."
"I know, Sokka. And thank you," Katara smiled, "for caring about me." The cyan-eyed girl paused briefly, quickly running over in her mind everything she wanted to tell them and, more importantly, everything she didn't. "I suppose, overall, it went...about the same as I expected. I was on edge the entire time, my nerves got the better of me, so everything probably seemed more unpleasant to me than what it really was. So, just keep that in mind through all this. I won't lie. He did insult me. He did goad me, but it wasn't like I wasn't expecting that kind of treatment. Before you interrupt me, Sokka, I'm sure that you, none of you, were expecting anything different, either."
"What all did he say to you?" asked Aang in a soft but concerned voice, remembering firsthand how the Phoenix King had tried to humiliate and weaken him through psychological warfare during their fight. Aang remembered how horrible it was to endure while under all the pressure that he was. While Katara hadn't been about to fight him to determine the fate of the world, she had still been under stress of her own, and that made him wonder how harsh it was and how she had handled it.
"Well," Katara hesitated, suddenly finding the structure of her hands to be very interesting, "he just found normal stuff to criticize, I guess. He talked down to me, as if he was still better than me even after everything he's done, everything he is, or really in his case, isn't anymore. He said some condescending little comments about my homeland, my culture, and about me in general. I admit that they bothered me at the time, but... It doesn't really matter. He can talk all he wants. At the end of the day, I'll still be me, well-respected and free to do as I please, and he'll still be him, public enemy number one, destined to rot away in his little cell until the end of his days."
Katara paused at that statement, becoming incredibly thoughtful about that morning's events. This meeting of theirs was actually proving to be a wonderful reflecting period for her, more so than she would have ever guessed. She hadn't really had the time or the means to think about it before now, though there was that brief time in the prison when she had yelled at him about it. She had only wanted to hurt him then. She had thought that it was just her rage talking, but... Was that really it? Was that the true reason for all the harsh words he threw at her and anyone else that found their way into his domain? He would be in that cell until the day he died, there was no question about it. He had everything once, absolutely everything the world had to offer him, all in the palm of his hand... And, then, just like that, it was stripped away from him in under a minute by some teenager with Air Nomad tattoos. All that power, all that glory...gone. It really was no wonder that he was bitter about it, and in true Ozai fashion, he took his bitterness and his anger out on other people, no matter who they were. Although, if she really thought about it, by Zuko and Iroh's accounts, this really wasn't anything new about him and his behavior towards people. And to think, for a brief moment, she almost felt sorry for him. Almost.
"And, you mean to tell us," said Toph, brushing Katara and everyone else out of their thoughts, "that you just stood there and took all that? I'm sorry, Fussy-Britches, but that just doesn't sound like you at all."
Katara smiled fondly at Toph, and even though the young Earthbender couldn't see it, she knew her statement had brought Katara a small bout of joy in this otherwise somber conversation. "Well, no, not exactly. After everything he said, I'm ashamed to admit that a fair bit of yelling did take place...on my part. My temper got the better of me, I'm afraid," Katara said, looking apologetic as if she expected to get scolded for her actions. What she found instead were looks of intrigue, respect, and amusement.
"You yelled at my father? I wish now that I could have been there to see that," Zuko laughed slightly, halfway disbelieving and halfway impressed. "I guess it really shouldn't be that much of a surprise to me, being familiar with your temper and everything." Zuko smiled, recalling all the times she had stood up to him when he was trying to capture the Avatar, and even more importantly, how she had threatened to kill him if he betrayed them as an ally. Katara really could be scary sometimes... But all the same. "I guess that it's the fact that it's my father you yelled at that's hard for me to picture right now. Do you realize how many people have even gotten away with scolding him, much less shouting at him, in his lifetime? I can tell you right now, everyone who has managed it is sitting in this room."
Iroh nodded, all seriousness on the outside but was inwardly amused at the thought of the fervency the young woman before him no doubt buried his younger brother with earlier. "It's true. Even as a child, I don't remember my brother ever accepting criticism from anyone, except from our father, Fire Lord Azulon, of course. All the guards and servants soon learned to watch what they said around him and about him for fear that it would get back to him. Even now, they mind themselves about him. You can imagine that it got even worse when he became Fire Lord. And, once the entire palace witnessed the brutality he used to discipline his son with simply for speaking out of turn," Iroh glanced at Zuko, saddened that he couldn't have protected his nephew who was more like a son to him and angry that it had even happened in the first place, "Ozai experienced less open opposition than ever. And, for all her cunning and ambition, Azula never challenged him-"
"Well, of course, she wouldn't," Zuko stated, strangely bitter. "She was the poster child for his actions and beliefs."
"Yes, she was," Iroh agreed sadly. "But even so, not even Ursa, whom at one point I believe Ozai loved dearly, could voice her mind with him."
"Ursa?" Suki asked interestedly. "Who's Ursa?" Several other people in the room were also very curious about the identity of the woman who had apparently held a monster like Ozai's affections, Katara reluctantly being one of them.
"My mother," said Zuko bluntly. A universal sense of comprehension dawned throughout the room, followed quickly by feelings of sheepishness, embarrassment, and humbleness at the obvious fact. Despite how close the whole group had gotten in the past couple of months, there weren't many who heard Zuko or Iroh speak that name aloud before, but regardless...
I mean, really now, Katara reasoned with herself, who else could it have been?
"Well, Katara," said Iroh, "is there anything else that happened that you need to tell us?"
Katara had a brief recollection of an ironclad grip around her arms, the feel of cold metal against her face, and the look of steel amber eyes freezing her in place before replying, "No, nothing much really happened besides me going in there, us exchanging words, him eating, us exchanging more words, and then me leaving." She shrugged, examining her nails. "Like I said, it was about what I expected." Looking down, she missed the sharp glance that Mai threw her way as well as Toph's deep frown. If Toph could see, she and Mai would have exchanged knowing looks, neither believing what Katara just said but choosing to remain silent anyway. "Nothing" wasn't a good enough explanation for how she had acted when she came back, but both figured that all the male presences in the room was enough reason for the girl to be vague. It was only more motivation for the girls to have their own cross-examination later.
"I do have a question and a request to ask of you, though, Iroh," Katara said, suddenly remembering the decisions she had reached in the cell. "Am I right in assuming that you're already looking for a replacement for me? I mean, you know I can't do this for very long, right?"
Iroh smiled in reassurance, knowing where the Waterbender's mind was going, but it was Zuko who replied, "We haven't began looking yet, but trust me when I say that Uncle and I have already had similar thoughts. If it will make you feel better about the situation, we'll begin searching for another candidate for the job starting tomorrow. Don't expect us to be able to find a replacement right away, though. Despite what you may think, you are unique, Katara. It will be really hard to find someone who can match your credentials."
Katara beamed at the compliment, not expecting it. Sentiments like that were very rare coming from Zuko. "And what was your request, Katara?" questioned Iroh.
"Oh, um, well, if it's not too much trouble, I was wondering if a chair could be put in the cell tomorrow for my use. If I have to be there at all, I may as well be somewhat comfortable."
"That is an easy enough request to see to," Iroh laughed. "We could have it put there for you before you return tonight if you wish."
Katara thought for a moment. "No, no, that's ok. Tomorrow's fine. I'd hate for it to be too much trouble at such short notice."
Mai shook her head in exasperation. "When will you figure out that that is the whole point of having servants: for them to jump up and work for your comfort at a moment's notice."
"Sorry, Mai," Katara laughed. "I'm just used to doing things for myself."
"That sounds so horrible and...ridiculous."
"Whatever, Mai."
"Well, now that this issue has been dealt with, I suggest that we must be off. Zuko, Sokka, Aang, I regret to tell you that we are expected to attend an audience with several noblemen over the matter of further reparations they believe they deserve related to the damages done to the palace on the day of Sozin's Comet. It won't be pleasant," Iroh declared, grinning widely at their less-than-enthusiastic faces. "You ladies have the rest of the evening off. Do enjoy it while you can."
"Actually, Iroh," said Mai, "I was thinking that the girls and I could have the evening off together, with a private dinner with just us later tonight. Is that acceptable?"
"I don't think anything could sound lovelier at the moment. I'll see it done."
As the girls chorused their words of thanks to Iroh, the general led the way out of the room, expecting for the boys to follow him. After giving their girlfriends a kiss goodbye, Zuko and Sokka followed Iroh, Sokka only stopping to give his sister a hug he felt was warranted "because they hadn't really seen much of each other for so long." Aang, however, hesitated in departing and warily approached Katara.
"Is it still open for us to talk about...you know, us tonight?" asked Aang timidly.
Katara stared blankly at Aang for a moment before it hit her all at once. Oh, my God! With everything going on today, I completely forgot! "Of course it's still fine, Aang. Um...let's see. How about you meet me right outside at the turtle duck pond after I finish taking dinner to Ozai? I'm not sure how long it'll take, though, so you may be waiting for a bit." Katara wasn't entirely sure how wise of a decision it was to see Aang about a touchy subject right after dealing with the the king of touchy subjects, but she didn't see any other option. She would just have to remember to subdue herself a lotbefore she saw him.
"That sounds ok. I'll see you, then," Aang smiled lightly at her before leaving the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.
"Alright, Katara," Toph's voice resounded loudly from behind her. "Let's hear about what really happened up there."
Katara sighed tiredly, before turning around to walk back to the couch, every eye of her female friends trained on her. The way the lighting was, she almost felt that she was in an interrogation cell, and for all manner and purposes, she was. Before beginning anew, though, she had a bargain to make.
"Can't get anything past you, can I?" smirked Katara, feeling very fortunate of the fact that she was so confused internally that Toph wouldn't be able to truly indicate a lie from the truth. "Before I start, though, I need you four to promise me that nothing I say here gets back to Aang, Sokka, Zuko, or Iroh. If they find out, it should be because I tell them, not any of you."
"Wow, Katara," stated Ty Lee worriedly, "was it really that bad?"
Katara smiled. "You all trust me, right? Well, I promise you all that if anything truly horrific happens, I'll go to Iroh straightaway. I chose not to tell the boys everything that happened because, well...can any of you guarantee that they would be calm about it? You saw how Sokka acted earlier, and all of that was on an assumption! Once you've heard all I have to say, there's no way you'll be able to say that they wouldn't go berserk. So...you promise?" She really needed their alliance to her wishes before she would tell them anything more.
Ty Lee agreed immediately, trusting Katara's judgement, followed by Suki, who couldn't honestly see anything unreasonable about Katara's request, knowing the girl would keep her word and tell somebody if things got too bad. Toph and Mai, however, were far more tentative about agreeing, but eventually gave in at seeing (or feeling in Toph's case) how much it meant to Katara. Regardless, they would keep close tabs on their friend in the future.
Taking one last moment of preparation, Katara opened her mouth and began to retell her story, going into much more detail than before, but as always, was careful to leave out Ozai's moment of violence for obvious reasons. When she was finished, a moment of silence so thick a lone passing servant could be heard treading lightly past the door greeted her before the dam of sound broke, and all the girls' questions, comments, and concerns hit her at once. She sighed again. It was going to be a long day.
She couldn't believe she was doing this again. She really couldn't.
"I believe I told you to not come before me looking as pitiful as you did this morning."
That was the first thing Katara heard when she took the plunge into Ozai's cell that evening for dinner, still in her Water Tribe attire but her bruises and cuts effectively healed with the use of her special brand of Waterbending powers.
"I don't cater to you!" Katara sneered vehemently. She hadn't been in here for five seconds, and already he was starting in on her! When she saw his eyes trained deliberately to the new bronze tray in her hands, a smug look on his face, and a retort already coming to his lips, she reiterated the meaning of her last statement. "I meant that I don't cater to your desires!" The smug expression never left his face.
"As if you'd have anything I'd want," he smirked, eyes gleaming at the new direction their conversation was going and all the humiliation it could mean for the newest participant in his mind games. Katara, however, wasn't going to have any of it. Not tonight.
"Oh, whatever!" she grumbled, walking only so close to the cell to put the tray down before she returned to her new favorite place against the door. The tanned girl crossed her arms in front of her, already annoyed, and looked away from him intentionally. She was going to play a little game with him called the Quiet Game. She didn't really care if she was the only contestant or not. All she knew was that, the last time she was here, the more he talked, the angrier she got, and the more she felt that she had to retaliate, the more the situation worsened. She needed her mind to be as clear as possible if she was going to talk sensibly with Aang later tonight. If they were going to break it off, she didn't want Ozai to be in any way a part of it or be behind any of her words or actions. Thinking of all the consequences and scenarios that could happen, she knew that she didn't want that kind of burden weighing on her conscience. So...no talking to Ozai period. This...was going to be a lot easier said than done.
"What's wrong, girl? Did my little threat scare you into submission already? How disappointing."
The scathing sarcasm of his words crashed into Katara from across the room, but she managed to hold her tongue and remain unmoved. Yes, this was good, this was good. As long as she could keep up the act of ignoring him, she'd be fine. Of course, she was really paying very close attention to his comments, filing them away to analyze and create defenses for later. Oh, no, she wasn't out of the game yet, just a brief time out, but he didn't need to know that. She smiled grimly. She would be sure that he paid plenty for it in the morning. He'd better turn into a morning person if he wasn't already because she was going to make sure she was as much of a nuisance as possible.
Her mind already working rapidly about what kinds of things she could do to get back at him, Katara's face broke into the first true smile she had ever displayed before in this place.
Revenge really was sweet, the more she thought about it.
Even now, she discovered, she was working her vengeance splendidly. After all, the undoubtably pampered, spoiled, former Fire Lord before her probably wasn't used to being ignored to the extent she was inflicting on him. She was dealing a great slight to him by not even acknowledging that he existed, and she had to bite the inside of her mouth in order to keep herself from laughing at how much it was clearly maddening him.
Now who can't control their emotions, my Lord?
Ozai was steadily growing more and more infuriated as the minutes ticked by, him using more thought to what kind of game this little chit was playing at than what kind of slop he was forced to shovel into his system. Was it really possible that she had cracked under the pressure already? Somehow, he doubted it. Besides, if she had given in so soon, then she was far more boring than what he had originally thought. What sounded too good to be true usually was. Then, what was it? She didn't actually learn from her mistakes and was just trying a different approach, was she? That route seemed a little too advanced for her primitive race and upbringing. He couldn't see how she'd manage it. It was then that something very crucial entered his thoughts.
If he really had done anything to damage her earlier, she would have gone to Iroh and his wonderful mistake of a son about it, just like all the others were beginning to do, the weaklings. This meant that either one or both of them would have been gracious enough to pay him a visit and "discuss" his deplorable actions with him. As if it'd make a difference, as if it'd change him. He smirked to himself. No, she hadn't done anything. She hadn't changed, either. She was bluffing, and he knew it.
I've figured you out, girl, and you're about to suffer for it.
It was only mere seconds before the atmosphere in the room changed again, and just as suddenly, as if they both could sense it, Katara's nerves were back, and Ozai was as cool and confident as ever. The remainder of the evening was spent by Ozai directing every negative comment and observation he could think of at the Water Tribe girl, hardly caring that the conversation was one-sided as Katara struggled to maintain her vow of silence. In his eyes, it was serving its purpose if it got her to utter even one syllable at his person.
Finally, when Katara thought she could stand no more without screaming out a retort at him, he finished his meal, and she retrieved the tray from its position on the floor with barely a second passing from when he placed his utensils down.
She almost made it out, almost, before he spat out, "You know, peasant, I believe you've finally figured out your true calling in this world. After all, someone belonging to such a base society as you should be seen and not heard like the slave you would be were I still in power. Nevertheless, I'm sure that if you decided to carry on this little silent streak of yours, your family, friends, and your dear Avatar would probably prefer you this way. I know I do, and they will, too, if you were as much of a pain in the ass to them as you were to me this afternoon."
"I wasn't not talking to you to please you, you jackass!" the Waterbender snarled, regretting that she hadn't followed through with her impulse to spit in his food earlier. "I wasn't speaking to you because, honestly, I've got better things to do than to bother associating with some pathetic excuse for a man like you! You're not even worth it, and I-!"
She cut herself off, realizing with growing horror and frustration at how her actions from the entire night had just been wasted, just like that, over one little comment. His growing smirk of triumph didn't help matters, either.
"Dammit!" she yelled, slamming the door behind her, the loud sound helping to keep his gloating laughter from entirely reaching her. He's not supposed to be this good!
On her descent down the prison steps, she almost did make her former lie into reality as she ran headlong into someone ascending the steps, nearly hitting the ground from losing her balance. Fortunately, though, that someone caught her and her tray before both started their fall, and that someone happened to be Yutakira.
"Oh, God, Katara! I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying any attention to where I was going."
Katara sighed. She'd been doing that a lot lately. "It's alright, Yutakira. I wasn't looking, either."
"Are you just getting done?" Yutakira inquired, concerned and fully taking into account the dinner tray still in her hands. "Do you realize how late it's gotten?"
She hadn't. After all, there were no windows in the areas of the Prison Tower she was instructed to venture. Looking around her now, she saw with a slight feeling of shock that night had completely fallen, the bright lights around her only being the result of a few intensely radiant torches. And, then, she really felt a bout panic hit her.
Aang! How long has he been waiting for me? Oh, I need to get back.
She began to walk along the long, winding path to return to the palace's front gates when Yutakira stopped her. "Wait!"
She looked back over her shoulder in time to see him step into pace beside her. "Let me at least walk you there, ok? I know that the palace has some of the top security around, but all the same, that won't stop some sick freak from assaulting a pretty girl if they really want to," he stated, glancing guardedly to every side of them as they walked.
Katara felt rejuvenated feelings of gratefulness at the display of chivalry Yutakira was showing her. It had been a while since she'd seen someone perform it so honestly before. "Thank you."
"Heh, it's no problem. It's part of what I'm trained to do, after all." They proceeded in silence for a moment, but all too soon, Katara's curiosity got the better of her.
"Uh, what were you doing at the Prison Tower so late, if it's not too personal to ask?"
Yutakira smiled. "Not at all. I was going to relieve some poor soul from guard duty up there at the request of General Iroh, and before you ask, no, I don't really mind the night shift. It was actually what I was used to while serving in the war."
Katara nodded in acceptance, feeling thoughtful and not a little nosy...but she had to ask. "I've never really talked to a Fire Nation soldier before now. I mean, sure, I've had Zuko and Iroh to talk to, but they're different... I've never asked a, you know, tried and true soldier their reasons for fighting in the war, their beliefs. So, I was wondering...why did you decide to serve?"
"That's," Yutakira said slowly, "a very personal question. One I don't mind answering, but all the same... You must know that some of us were forced into it, with the draft and everything, but I wasn't one of those unfortunate beings. Since I was the only son of my father, it meant that I was the only one to continue the family line. If I died without an heir, my name would have gone with me. So, for that reason, it was my father who had to serve, not I. That story I told you about him this morning is one of the few memories I have about my father, and the sad thing is, it isn't even my memory."
Yutakira paused here, seeming troubled about how to go on. Katara took the time to look, really look, at the young man's face for the first time. For all his handsomeness, there was also an underlying ragged look to him, the look of someone that had seen too much, a look one can only acquire through the barbaric nature of war. His hazel eyes, instead of shining with mirth and coyness, had suddenly developed a haunting look about them, and Katara had the impression that, at that moment, she was finally seeing this young man as he actually was. Everything he had shown beforehand was merely a mask, a defense mechanism to keep the pain and the memories he experienced from the war at bay. It was all an attempt to get some of his childhood back, to get things to go back to normal.
"Dad was away for a long time," he continued on. "Too long. He didn't leave us with much protection, either. To make a long story short, my mother was killed in a crossfire between a small group of Fire Nation soldiers and a ragtag team of Earthbenders. I barely made it out myself. At that point, I was on the brink of destruction. There was no one else who could care for me, and I had no means to care for myself. My father was practically unreachable. Joining the military was really my only option if I wanted to survive. I had hoped to maybe, someday, meet up with my father again on assignment, but...no such luck. I actually haven't seen him in ten years. I don't even know if he's still alive, and if he is, he probably thinks that I was long ago deceased along with my mother. The rest, as they say, is history."
"Oh, God, Yutakira. I'm sorry!"
"Hey, it's alright. If you asked around, I'm sure you'd find out rather quickly that mine is a common story. Besides, if the rumors are true, you and Sokka's mother met her end by a group of Fire Nation soldiers, am I right?"
"Yeah, it-" Katara choked briefly before controlling herself, "it was a long time ago, during the raids on the Southern Water Tribe. I'm sure you heard about it at some point. They, that is, Ozai, was looking to eradicate all of the Waterbenders in the Southern Water Tribe. Eventually, I was the last one, but I wasn't aware of it at the time. The last time they came, they captured my mother, and in order to protect me, she told them that she was the one they were looking for. I never saw her again after that."
Yutakira's eyes shown with sympathy under the moonlight. "That's...truly horrific. You're right, I have heard about it before, but it was only from a detached textbook that was only concerned about the facts, not the people involved, not the experience. I really am sorry for your loss." He stopped to laugh bitterly. "Though, I guess, that's probably a rather callous apology to you seeing as how it's coming from a run-of-the-mill soldier who only knows how to follow orders, huh?"
"No. I don't think that at all, and I accept your apology even though you had nothing to do with it. I know exactly who killed my mother, and it wasn't you. But, I appreciate your sincerity all the same."
Their conversation was cut short once they reached the gates. Katara slipped through, bidding a goodnight to Yutakira, and entered the palace's front doors. Yutakira had given her a lot to think about, but it would have to wait until later. First, she needed to get to Aang!
It didn't take long for the young Fire Nation soldier to make his way back to the Prison Tower, and it took even less time to ascend all the steps to his final destination. He was conditioned to endure things like that with relative ease. As he came to the cell he was newly assigned to watch, the guard he was replacing nearly gave him a kiss out of happiness at finally getting reassigned. Personally, the young soldier couldn't have thought that things would go any smoother for him; not only did he evade the kiss, but he got assigned to the one person he had come so far to seek, to help. To help avenge. As soon as the guard had slipped around the corner at the far end of the hall and began descending the steps, leaving the entire floor deserted save the young soldier, said soldier withdrew the set of keys he had recently received and deftly slipped one into the lock. Once the lock gave way, the young man pushed the door open slowly, reverently. Without thinking twice, he crossed the threshold and closed the door behind him.
The room wasn't impressive in the slightest, but the man before him, no matter the wear and tear of the rags he was forced to wear, was. He possessed that presence that commanded the attention of the whole room, forcing you to pay it due respect.
He waited until he was nearly at the edge of the bars before he stopped and kneeled in reverence.
The amber-eyed man behind bars stared at the young man blankly, one fine eyebrow raised at this sudden spectacle. "Well, well... What is this?"
"Forgive my impudence, my Lord, but I have a message for you, and I must be able to speak my mind in order to express it fully."
"Granted. Speak." His tone was almost bored; he would never admit that he was intrigued.
"I have come, my Lord, to assist you," the young man glanced up from his position on the floor, and seeing that his Lord's eyes held approval at the action, he commenced to sit up fully. "You probably have no knowledge of me, but I was once trained to be the successor of Admiral Zhao before he passed away. When word reached my ears that you had been defeated by the Avatar, I was completely disbelieving, but when I heard that he robbed you of your Firebending power, I was completely outraged! I'm convinced, my Lord, that without that little trick of his, that child would have never been able to defeat you in the first place, and this world would still be as it was supposed to be: under your reign and no other's.
"Well, I know how we can fix that little problem, my liege. My predecessor, Zhao, discovered it and passed the knowledge onto me in the event of his death. If you say the word, I'll tell you how to gain your power back, and then this world will belong to the Fire Nation again!"
Ozai's golden eyes burned into the young man sitting so eagerly before him, the thought of revenge finally giving them life again. He stared at the man, considering him and his words, long and hard. Finally, he came to his decision. ""What is your name?"
"Yutakira, my Lord."
"Yutakira," Ozai began, testing the name out. "Yuta" meaning "very helpful" and "Kira" meaning "dark." "Dark help," how appropriate. "Tell me everything. Everything you know."
A/N: Gasp! Mystery! Scandal! Intrigue! Review!