Broken Mirrors

Previously on Superstition:

Aang and Sokka realize that Katara has been taken by the Fire Nation. A sleeping Katara is found by a chef, who takes her to Prince Zuko. She has a fever and many injuries, and a ship healer bandages her up. Katara learns that she is on Prince Zuko's ship, but after a bit of a hissy fit, she is relieved that Zuko doesn't believe in hurting women, so she's safe. The healer notes that Zuko and Katara are around the same age, which will make things… interesting, to say the least.

The next thing Katara knew, she was waking up on the bed of the sick ward, trying to remember exactly when she'd fallen asleep. She tried to recall the events of the last two days, but her head began to spin, so she decided to taste the cold soup and biscuits she found sitting on the small wooden stand next to her bed. A small note, scribbled on a piece of scrap paper, told Katara that the chef who had found her gave her his best wishes, and he would make something special for her once she woke up. She smiled widely, genuinely glad to have someone that cared for her even amidst her enemies.

I wonder if Aang and Sokka know I'm gone yet, she wondered to herself. Are they worried about me? Do they even know what happened to me? I hope they're getting along okay without me—I mean, I hope they're eating and bathing and feeding Momo stuff. Honestly, those boys…

She took a sip of her soup. After no food in over 24 hours, she was ravenous, and the soup was delicious, cold or not. Katara shoveled the soup and biscuits into her mouth, making a mental note to thank the chef who'd made it for her.

And what about me? What's going to happen to me now? Prince Zuko said he wouldn't torture me, but that doesn't mean he won't threaten me. Or feed me. Am I really that safe here? On an enemy ship, can I ever really be safe?

"Hungry much, Miss Katara?" Asked the healer, smiling gently in amusement. Katara blushed and began eating in a slower, more ladylike manner. "Oh, don't let me stop you from eating, my dear. You must be starving; how long has it been since you last had food?"

Katara paused for a moment, thinking before answering.

"That depends. Edible or not?" She asked. This sent the healer into fresh peals of laughter, and Katara bit her lip as she tried to hide her smile.

"M-Miss Katara," the healer began, still laughing. "General Iroh wishes to have tea with you after you've freshened up. I've brought you a clean pair of clothes, and there is a hot bath waiting for you in another room, if you would just follow me there. You are able to walk now, no?" Katara nodded, getting off the bed and following him out of the sick ward, down the hall and up some stairs. "This is the upper level of the ship, where only the higher-ups get to sleep and bathe and eat. The rest of the crew and soldiers do so in the lower decks of the ship. General Iroh requested that you bathe up here, where it is more… private," he finished, opening a door for Katara.

"Thank you," she said, stepping into the room with a small bow. "For everything."

"You are most welcome, Miss Katara," the healer replied, closing the door behind her. Katara quickly stripped down out of the few clothes she was wearing, and was relieved to find that most of her wounds were healing. Fortunately, there were very few places where the skin had actually been broken, and the rest was just bruising, so it was okay for her to take most of the bandages off. She stepped into the hot bath with a sigh of happiness. Rarely in the Water Tribes did you get a hot bath. Katara decided that this was definitely a perk of being held captive by the Fire Nation.

After a thorough soaking, Katara scrubbed herself clean and washed her long, dark hair. She stepped out of the bath—which was getting cold by now—and wrapped herself in a fluffy red towel, rubbing her nose against the fabric. It felt nice against her face, so soft and comforting. She dried herself off and unfolded the clothes that the healer had left for her, wrinkling her nose at them.

Really, Katara knew, she couldn't blame the poor healer for it. The chances of a Fire Nation ship being supplied with women's clothing was slim to none, true. But she thought that the white boxers might have been overdoing it a little.

Other than that, there was a strip of clean white cloth for a breastband, a pair of silky-feeling red pants, and a golden shirt of the same material. Katara put everything on (including the boxers, which she debated on putting on or not for a few minutes, and when she did, found they were surprisingly roomy and comfortable), and wondered at the fit. For not being her own clothes, they fit surprisingly well. The pants fit loosely around her waist, flaring out a bit, almost like gypsy pants. The top fit fairly tightly, almost skintight. She figured this was due to the breastband, which seemed to be making her a little more… busty than usual, since the fabric was so thick, and so therefore took up more shirt space. Katara wondered for a moment just whose clothes these were, but didn't dwell on it as she marveled at the fantastic feel of the fabric on her skin. Feeling elated, Katara turned and took a look in the mirror across the room. And promptly gasped.

"I look horrible!" She whispered to herself. "I look like I got trampled by Appa or something!"

And it was true. Katara's face was bruised from Zhao's slaps, and her neck was exposed, baring her necklace of bruises. She knew her torso was beat-up as well, but those bruises were hidden under the fabric. Her hair was messy, since she hadn't yet combed it out after her bath. She looked… terrible. That was the only word she could think of to describe herself. She searched wildly around the bathtub for a brush, finally finding a thick wooden comb underneath another towel. (She hadn't wanted to seem rude by using more than one towel, so she'd left it alone.) Sighing in relief, she began to gently comb the tangles out of her hair. After a few minutes, her hair, made even darker by the wetness, hung almost stiffly from her head. She wished desperately that she had a ribbon to tie it back with, but beggars can't be choosers, after all.

A sudden knock on the door stunned her out of her thoughts. "Miss Katara, are you decent?" Came the healer's friendly voice from the other side of the door. "General Iroh is ready to see you now."

"I'm coming!" Katara said, nervous. The retired general had seemed like a cheery enough fellow last night, but who could tell with Firebenders? Like their element, they were often quick to change opinions, emotions, and temperaments. As she walked up more stairs and halls towards the waiting general, Katara asked what the healer what the general was like.

"He's very… eccentric, I suppose one might say," the healer said politely. "He is a good person, and likes jokes and tea. He also loves his nephew very much, though neither of them would ever admit it."

"How do you know?" Katara asked.

"Why else would the retired general follow his nephew in exile? Iroh has always acted like more of a father figure to Prince Zuko than the boy's own father ever did, that's for sure." The healer paused for a moment, looking scared. "Not that it's my place to say, though. That right there was treason against the Fire Lord, so kindly don't mention that little slip-up to anyone, please." He winked at Katara, who nodded understandingly. "And here we are! Good luck, Miss Katara." He opened the door, ushering her into the room and closing the door gently behind her. Katara gulped, not knowing what to expect.

"Please sit down, Miss Katara," said General Iroh from across the room. The old man sat at a small, low-to-the-ground wooden table, which was adorned with intricate carved patterns and had candles lit upon it. A teapot and two teacups, one empty and one full, sat on the table, along with a tray of delicious-smelling food. Katara sat down slowly across from the old man, never taking her eyes off of him. Iroh picked up his cup and sipped at it, then set it down.

"Would you care for some tea?" He asked, holding up the teapot. "It's my favorite kind."

"Yes, thank you," Katara managed as he poured the tea into her cup. Katara politely munched on her food, her eyes widening at the taste. Iroh noticed her frowning.

"Is the food bad? Is something wrong?" He asked gently, setting his teacup down again.

"Oh, no!" Katara exclaimed, shaking her head frantically. "The food is very good! Thank you!" She gave him a small bow, and continued to eat.

"Something is wrong, Miss Katara, I know that much. Whether or not you choose to tell me is solely your decision." Iroh began sipping on his tea again.

"It's…" Katara began. "It's just that I don't understand! Why are you treating me like this? I'm a prisoner! Yet you bandage my wounds, feed me, bathe me, clothe me, and drink your favorite tea with me! Why?"

"Well, there are many reasons." Iroh looked thoughtful. "For one, Prince Zuko has his honor, and that honor would not allow for a woman to be mistreated aboard his ship. He probably also feels bad that you were abused by Admiral Zhao, one of his own people, and might be trying to make up for it. For another, you're a kind, innocent girl, and nobody has any business dragging you into this whole Avatar business." He paused, sighing. "I suppose he might also be thinking that you are his key to capturing the Avatar, too." Katara's lips twisted into a grim smile.

"I thought that was it," she said, staring at the plate of food in front of her. "The Avatar wouldn't come to collect a body, after all. It'd be much better to keep me alive, am I right?"

Iroh said nothing, but stared into his teacup.

"If you don't mind, sir, I'd like some time to myself now, to think this all over," Katara said, politely excusing herself. "And thank you for the food and tea. It was very good."

"Don't thank me for the food. It was all the chef's idea," Iroh admitted. Katara bowed again and walked toward the door. "And I don't know if this is of any condolence to you, but I for one would have liked to see you treated well even if it weren't for… you know, the whole Avatar business. You are a very kind and beautiful person, Miss Katara."

"Beautiful, huh?" Katara snorted gently, raising a hand to touch one her bruised cheeks. "That wasn't really the word I would have used." She turned and gave one last wry smile to Iroh before exiting the room. She found the healer waiting to take her away. "Where am I going to now?" She asked.

"Back to your cell. We didn't have any rooms available, so we decided to take you back there. It's been refurbished, of course. I hope you will find it more livable than before. You will still have to be guarded, though. To make sure you don't pull another amazing escaping act like you did to Admiral Zhao." She nodded at him, and continued to follow him. As the pair rounded another corner, Katara found herself standing in front of none other than Prince Zuko. All three stopped suddenly, staring at each other. Prince Zuko was wearing a funny expression on his face, one that Katara couldn't figure out.

"What?" She said finally. "What are you looking at?"

"Uh—eh?" Zuko said, blinking as he seemed to snap out of his trance. "I was just wondering if those were mine…" He trailed off, staring at her funnily again.

"What!" The healer stammered. "I'm so sorry, Prince Zuko! I couldn't find anything that would come even close to fitting her that was clean of the crew's, so I tried to find something on the upper levels, and I just came across these, and they looked like they would fit Miss Katara and—"

"Quiet," Zuko said simply, holding up a hand to cut off the healer's babbling. "It's fine, I don't mind. It's just that…" He trailed off, still staring at Katara dazedly.

"It's just that what?" Katara urged.

"Those are pajamas."

Everyone blinked at this.

"Um, I can take them off, if you want," Katara said sheepishly. "Ah! Not here, I mean, but you know, I can wear my old clothes again, and it would be okay, and—"

"I said it's fine," Zuko said. Even his voice sounded a bit strange now. "They look good on you."

Everyone blinked again. The healer tried desperately to hide his grin at this comment, knowing that it would probably cost him his head if the Prince saw it. Suddenly, Zuko snapped out of his trance for good and continued walking past the pair. After a minute of standing there stunned, the healer spoke up.

"Let's continue, shall we?"

"Uh, yeah..."

Using the sun as a clock, Katara could tell that it was early afternoon when she returned to her cell. I must have taken longer in that bath that I thought, she thought to herself. The day certainly has gone by fast. I wonder how Aang and Sokka are doing… She spent a few more hours in thought on her new bed, thinking about a lot of things.

Aang and Sokka… I miss them. And Momo and Appa, too. I wish Momo were here, he'd keep me company. I hope Zhao didn't capture Aang, too. I hope they're eating okay. I wonder if they're thinking about me? I hope they aren't too worried. I wonder if it's really okay for me to be wearing these clothes, anyway? They're Prince Zuko's! And the way he was looking at me… he said I looked good! I wonder if he really meant it. He was probably just saying it to be nice, like his uncle. But is he even that kind of person? I wish I knew him better so I could tell.

Wait, do I really want to get to know Prince Zuko? He's my enemy! He's trying to capture Aang! His people are the ones that killed my mother!

So why was I so happy today when he said I looked good?

Katara turned around suddenly, alerted by a jingling of keys. She expected it to be the healer, or the chef, or maybe even Zuko or Iroh, and got up to go see him. But she didn't know this man. He appeared to be a common Fire Nation soldier. So why was he here?

"So, you're the little girl everyone's been talking about, huh?" The man said, eyeing her hungrily. Katara shuddered. She didn't like the way this man was looking at her. She backed up a bit from him. "The one who's been traveling with that Avatar kid. Funny, you don't look like anything special to me. You'd think they'd pick a prettier girl to be their traveling whore." The man had closed the barred door to her cell, and was slowly advancing towards her. Katara stopped backing up, knowing she'd fall backwards over her bed if she kept going back. She held her ground and showed the man a stern face, refusing to show him how scared she was.

"Go away!" She said loudly. "You have no right to be in here!"

"Oh, don't I?" He said menacingly, coming closer. Katara tried to back up again, but suddenly the man lunged forward and grabbed her wrists. She screamed, and he pushed her down onto the bed, covering her mouth with his own. Katara wriggled about, trying to get out from under him, but knew she didn't have a chance. Her squirming only seemed to amuse the man on top of her. He moved slightly so that they were completely on the bed, and sat on her legs. Then he forced both her arms above her head, holding onto both of her smalls wrists with one of his large, rough hands.

"G-get off me." Katara whispered, then repeated louder with more force. "Get off me!"

"What if I don't want to?" He breathed in her ear. He kissed her again, so harsh and hard that she knew her lips were going to be bruised soon. Katara's eyes watered and overflowed. He forced his tongue into her mouth, he tasted so bad, and she wanted to throw up just to get rid of his taste. She twisted and turned, trying to get him off of her, but it was of no use. She began crying harder, tears pouring from her eyes and muffled cries coming from her mouth. Finally, she stopped struggling, just as his hand slid up under her shirt and under her breastband. She knew she had no chance of getting this man, who was twice her size, age, and weight, off of herself. But though the movement and struggling had stopped, her crying sure hadn't.

"That's better, little girl," he whispered. "Better not to fight it, just enjoy it. C'mon, you should be used to this. Show me what you do when you're with your little buddies!" Katara laid there, motionless except for her shaking and crying as he touched her. And then, as he reached for her waistband, she screamed.

"NOOOO! GET OFF! HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME! HELP!" She scrunched her face up and screamed as loudly as she could, tears running unrepressed down her cheeks and her voice cracking.

"Shit!" Whispered the man on top of her. "You're gonna pay for that, you little bitch!" He slapped her violently, then thrust both his hands around her small neck. He squeezed, cutting off her air. She tried to push him away with her freed hands, but it was no use. He kept squeezing and can't breath suffocating no air suffocating noaircan'tbreathe—

"Get off her!" Someone yelled from behind her. Katara's eyes were too blurry with tears to see what was going on, and her mind was swimming from the lack of oxygen. She was vaguely aware of the weight of her attacker disappearing, leaving her unrestrained on the bed. She sat up, holding her throat and trying to catch her breath. She wiped her eyes, seeing various people now in her cell. The healer, Iroh, Prince Zuko, and several other crew members that she didn't know were there. The crew members were holding down her attacker, who was struggling and yelling angrily.

"How dare you attack our prisoner?" Zuko hissed at him, clearly enraged. "How dare you attack a woman! How DARE you!" Iroh stood behind him, glaring at the man on the floor. The healer's eyes were full of hate towards the man.

Katara was terrified. She didn't really know what was going on in, still confused from the strangling and shocked from her recent encounter with a near-rapist. All she knew was that there were even more men in her room now, more people, more to be afraid of. With her back against the wall, she pulled her legs close to her body and hid her head. She was still crying, and a small wail directed the room's attention towards her.

"Miss Katara?" The healer began, extending an hand towards her. She looked up and her eyes widened, flinching at the touch.

"D-don't touch me!" She whispered frightfully. Why wouldn't all the bad men just go away and leave her alone? What had she done to deserve this? What had she done?

"You!" Zuko barked at the healer. "Take the girl up to my room. She'll be staying there for awhile." The healer nodded, picking up the sobbing girl in his arms. She fought it, but was too weak and drained to do anything. Soon, she lay limply in his arms, barely aware of what was going on. "As for that," Zuko said, referring to the man on the floor, "take it to the dirtiest cell we have. I'll deal with him from there."

"That little whore got what was coming to her!" The attacker yelled as he was being carried to the other cell.

"I'd stop talking, if I were you," Zuko warned.

"That little tramp, going around with the Avatar and that other kid all the time!" The man was dropped none-too-gently onto the hard floor. "You don't seriously think she's a virgin, do you? No way! She's a little whore, that's all she is! And I'm getting punished for doing to her what those two do to her all the time? I bet she'd have enjoyed it!"

Zuko violently kicked the man in the ribs, and he grunted and grimaced in pain.

"You bastard! You don't know what you're talking about! The Avatar is twelve years old, and the other man she travels with is her brother!" Zuko kicked the man again. "How dare you insult Katara like that!"

And for some reason, Prince Zuko, the impassive teenager that everyone was so afraid of, was enraged over the near-rape of a prisoner. Later, he would regret losing his temper so easily, but he couldn't deny that the stupid bastard got everything that was coming for him.

Katara was sitting hunched up on Prince Zuko's bed, no longer crying but still wondering what she had done wrong to be punished like this. Surely she must have committed some horrible crime or something, right? Surely.

A knock on the door came, and Prince Zuko slid quietly into the room. Katara looked up to make sure it was him, then stared at her knees again. She just wanted to go back to the safety of being with Aang and Sokka. None of this would have happened if she hadn't dropped that damned basket in the first place. She made a mental note to burn that stupid basket if she ever saw it again.

"Here," Zuko said gently, surprising Katara and making her jump a little. She hadn't seen him come up beside her. "Uncle Iroh sent this tea for you. He said he hoped it would make you feel better." The young prince tried to hand her the steaming cup of tea, but she didn't move, just stared at her knees again. Zuko sighed, unsure of how to deal with this. He had never been around girls or women, really, in his whole life. He set down the cup of tea on the table beside his bed, and looked directly at the girl on his bed.

"Look, Katara, I'm sorry." He paused, waiting for some sort of reaction from her. When he didn't get one, he sat down on the bed on the other side of her and continued talking. "I had no idea that something like this would happen on my ship. I should have taken better security measures to protect you, but honestly, I was more worried about you trying to get out than other people trying to get in. If it makes you feel any better, the man who attacked you has been severely punished." Katara looked up at him in question, her eyes streaming with tears again. "Let's just say he won't be able to have any more children and leave it at that, okay?"

All of a sudden, he was sitting next to a shaking, hiccupping, sobbing girl. He sighed and draped an arm around her shoulders in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. Comforting hysterical girls wasn't exactly one of Prince Zuko's fortes.

And before he knew it, Zuko found himself being pressed against a warm, shaking body as Katara turned and wrapped her arms around him, sobbing into his chest. His eyes widened in shock, and he was completely clueless as to what to do. After a few moments of stunned stillness, he cautiously wrapped his arms around her as well.

This feels kind of nice, Zuko thought to himself. It's been a long time since I hugged someone. Then he blinked and eradicated those kinds of thoughts from his mind. Or at least, he tried. But the longer he held onto the distraught girl and whispered soothing things to her, the more he wished that he didn't have to let go. Finally, he felt her stop shaking, and realized that she'd fallen asleep. He removed her gently from her grip around him, lying her down on his bed and pulling the covers up over her. She sighed in her sleep, looking peaceful but so sad. He frowned, wiping the tears off of her cheeks with the back of his thumb. Her face was so soft, her skin was so smooth, that he wanted to keep rubbing his hand against it…

Then he blinked and snapped out of his trance. He got off the bed, blew out the candles that lit the room, and crawled back into the bed. Fortunately, his bed was large and could easily accommodate two people. He pulled the covers up over himself and was slightly surprised to realize that he could feel the body heat radiating off of Katara. She was so warm, he just wanted to hold her and get some of that warmth—

Stop it, Zuko! You are not another hormone-driven teen! You are a prince! So start acting like one! He scolded himself. He turned away from Katara, facing the wall, and willed himself to sleep.