Chapter Four: Breakable

Katara's Point of View

It never occurred to me that people of the Fire Nation were human beings to. Or at least, not in the sense that they could hurt and get sick and suffer like Azula was right now. Then again, it also never occurred to me that I'd end up in some little Earth Kingdom village lying naked next to the princess of the Fire Nation, while there is a fire nearby no less in a desperate attempt to save her from cold-sickness. I think sometimes I'm a little too nice for my own good.

It's gotten me (and okay, people connected to me. . .) in trouble before. I never mean to it's just that I can't stand to see anyone in pain, I really can't. That's why I let Sokka go hunting instead of doing it myself, even though I'd be much better at it. I would never be able to hold the fish in my hands, feel its pulse and just as quickly stop it.

Monster.

The voice came from the back of my head and guiltily I glanced at Azula. She was still now, with some color finally coming back into her face. She breathed quietly, stirring the wisps of around her face with a soft, hot breath. I could feel the up-down dilation and consequential collapse of her lungs hidden somewhere inside her tiny torso. I pulled her closer, trying to pour my warmth into her. She made a small sound in her sleep, a strangled cry and then went limp again, nuzzling my upper arm.

There was something very uncomfortable about being so close to her and whether it was despite or in spite of her being my enemy I wasn't sure. What I was sure of was that the feeling of her back against my breasts felt a little too good. Way too good, really. She was beginning to feel warm to the touch now so I slowly dressed, watching her all the while. Sleep became her.

"Doctor Surresh?" I called, knocking on his door. He jumped and I laughed as papers scattered all over the floor. "Sorry. Was I interrupting something?"

"Not at all. You just startled me, is all,"

"She's doing much better. Feels warm again," I reported. His face flooded with relief.

"That's. . .very good," he said, nodding. "but I am curious about something – though I don't know if you can answer my question,"

"I'll try my best,"

"Well, Katara, daughter of Hakoda, from the Water Tribe one must wonder why you so vehemently invested yourself in saving the life of Princess Azula of the Fire Nation,"

Fuck.

"Wha –" fine, it wasn't the most intelligent thing I could have said but I was shocked (and alright, maybe a little scared) that he knew who I was. "Why would you think that? And if it's true, why help us? She's a firebender,"

"Firebenders are people too. And more importantly, she's clearly been out of the sun for many days. If she can't warm herself, if she succumbed to the cold-sickness she couldn't be a threat to me,"

"Oh. But then. . ."

"How did I know? Your friends came through a few days ago looking for you. And Azula is hard to miss; you might want to consider pawning at least the Zatharna Sun. Really, all that gold and ruby ornament is hard to miss; and beside that anyone educated will immediately recognize it from the most basic of history lessons,"

"What's the Zatharna Sun?" he sighed and I blushed, feeling stupid.

"The Zatharna Sun was originally a necklace. The chain was made up of dozens of tiny golden flowers, each with a set of tiny diamond seeds. A large, ornate rub hung from the middle. It was worn by the female head of the House of Zatharna, who were the rulers of the Fire Nation. Unfortunately, about one hundred years ago there was a Great Schism between Firelord Jhou I and Firelord Atzon II. The Zatharna Sun was divided between them. Firelord Atzon II went on to create his own empire, that of the Sun Tribe, and Firelord Jhou I was murdered, terminating the Zatharnan rule. Jhou's murderer was a man named Sozin. I believe you've heard of him?"

I gaped and glanced over to where Azula continued to sleep peacefully. Small wonder she and her brother were so obsessed with Aang; if you great-grandfather usurped the throne, well, that generally doesn't say good things about your line for the next few generations. Actually, according to Water Tribe legend a murderer curses his family for three generations before the sin is abstained. I shuddered.

"Yes, Sozin I've heard of," I said slowly. "Is she destined to carry his madness?" Could one man from a hundred years ago destroy a girl's life?

"Only time will tell if the demon lives in her too," Surresh sighed. I frowned and walked back over the Azula, brushing the strands of hair off her face.

"That's not fair,"

"Life rarely is," he turned to the distance, pensive for a moment before coming to. "but that's enough of that. Might I interest you in some tea, Miss Katara?"

"Thank you," I said as he poured the steaming liquid into delicate china cups. I sipped it quietly and afterwards I attempted to read a book and spent every few minutes checking on Azula. She began to get chills again as the day bled into night and I finally put her clothes back on, even though it was so nice to run my hand along her soft bare shoulders. You would think she smelled like smoke, but it was actually more of a cinnamon.

Um, not that I care or anything.


"Hi," I said as her eyelids fluttered open. She frowned and glanced out the window where sunlight was streaming through. "How are you?"

"How long did I sleep for?"

"Two days,"

"Oh," her eyes widened slightly and she whistled under her breath. I smiled and raised some water to her lips.

"Drink. I'm afraid of you getting dehydrated,"

"I'm fine," she protested. But she took the ladle from my hand anyway and drank greedily before grabbing the entire bucket. It sloshed and dripped and when she was done she let it fall into a corner and curled under her blankets again, shivering. I put my hand on her forehead to check for a fever, but I couldn't feel one. The shivering would pass then; I didn't need to worry.

Sometime later she awoke again, this time weak with hunger. She wouldn't let me feed her and Surresh protected her from my force method. So I scowled and with some difficulty she fed herself. Her hands shook a little and I wanted to help, but held myself back; she was the princess of the Fire Nation; I was just Katara of the Water Tribe. I was no use to her at all.

"My friends came through this village not too long ago," I said, picking at the hem of my dress. Azula frowned.

"So you're leaving, then?" her tone was hard, shutting the door.

"No – "

"It's fine," she snapped, cutting me off. "Go back to your friends. That's where you belong, right?"

"I wouldn't leave you alone! We still don't know who kidnapped us, or for what purpose? Did that never occur to you?"

"I can handle myself!" she snarled. She threw her hand out as if to blast me with lightening, and I winced before remembering that her powers weren't back yet. She flinched (in fear?) and pulled the covers up. A physical barrier.

"Azula . . . don't be like that. Come on," I said, coming over. She rolled away, eye tightly shut. "I know you're not sleeping,"
"Go away, water witch," she barked. "I don't want your pity," I left, and the last thing I saw was a tear rolling down her cheek.


"She hates me," I sighed, staring into my tea. Surresh frowned.

"Don't worry – you still have few days left to work on her. She's still too ill to leave," he comforted me.

"Yes, but. . . I don't know. This is too complicated," I knew that I was empathetic, but this was just getting ridiculous. It was like the Fire Nation was forever destined to crawl under my skin and into my heart.

I collapsed on a roll of blankets, ignoring Surresh's raised eyebrow. Why couldn't I save Azula from herself? In these last few days I had seen a new girl, a different side; and I had liked it. War was like a virus, eating away all that was good and precious until nothing was left but a fragment of a person. Only when you left the virus behind could you breath again, could you live again.

I wanted her to live again.

War had taken my innocence, and now I wondered if it hadn't taken hers as well. It had seemed from Zuko's stories that Azula was just a little she-demon and irredeemable, but sometimes with Iroh's prompting remembered the good times from when they were very little. Eight was the magic number; the division between Azula, Zuko's sister and playmate, Iroh's angelic little niece and Azula, demoness, monster, hellion.

I knew her mother had died at a young age (disappeared?) but I doubted that that was what made her so cynical. After all, Zuko and Sokka and Aang and I had turned out alright, hadn't we? We hadn't known our mothers so well either. And it wasn't because Azula was a girl.

Or was it?

It bolted up and gasped, trying to deny the theory forming in my mind. Incest was forbidden across the nations, but that didn't always stop it from happening. Was that one more tag that needed to be worn? Azula, the victim? Was Ozai (anyone?) so evil that they would utterly decimate her like that?

It wasn't fair. She was only a girl. . .


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