Part 8
The Fire Nation's capital was certainly a terrifying city. It had a reputation like no other. It has housed the tyrannical Fire Lord for centuries and counting. It's where the center of inhuman behavior and mercilessness dwells snuggly in its hollow volcanic crib. But now, what it is most famous for is being the very spot where the war ended. Since then it has been opened up to the public and now citizens can come visit the capital and if they're lucky they can catch a glimpse of the Fire Lord.
The capital city has become overpopulated now that citizens and foreigners were allowed to come in and out as they pleased. Before, there was the inner city which was in the hollow volcanic crater and a smaller city which sat on the edge of the bay, now the city stretched out for countless miles. The pale buildings with bright red rooftops looked like a poorly made sandwich; they were just stacked on top of each other. The streets had become narrow from the shops that were set up right there on the side of a building.
It was a city that never slept. There was always someone awake, whether it was the smiths staying up late making tools, or cooks trying to feed every starving customer. Mostly, during the summer it was teenagers running about pulling pranks on the unlucky passerby. During the war and under Ozai's strict rule there had been a curfew and only soldiers were allowed to walk the streets at night. So the citizens of the Fire Nation were enjoying their new freedoms given to them by the new Fire Lord.
Apparently the capital had become a tourist attraction, so there were loads of foreigners pouring in now. The Fire Nation after all was warm and there were no finer beaches in the world. It was the ultimate vacation for those who cherished warmth and stunning sunsets. Still, this was a city trying to get back onto its feet since the war ended.
The death of Fire Lord Ozai had nearly sparked a civil war. Not everyone was willing to go the good way and listen to everything the Avatar said who was twelve at the time. It's been years since the war ended and there was still work to be done. The Avatar and his companions had been settling disputes that popped up all over the Fire Nation, trying to stop another war from forming. They'd been working hard nonstop without a break, so the Fire Lord had taken pity on them and invited them to come stay at the palace for awhile.
While he was at it he decided to invite some other old war friends so it turned into a big reunion ball. Old traditions like dancing were beginning to come back now that the new Fire Lord allowed it. This would be the first ball the Fire Nation has had in over a hundred years. And it was another opportunity for the nations to be friendly to each other. Everyone seemed to like the idea of a ball that was except for one.
She was a tall lean woman in her early twenties. Her long raven colored hair was almost always pulled back into a bun except for two long strands of hair which framed her face. Her eyes were a sparkly gold which used to reflect anger and hate, now held wisdom and maturity. Now that she wasn't a teenager anymore one couldn't help but see Ursa in that face, only a more cruel and evil looking Ursa, still she wasn't her mother's twin. She still looked very much like her own person. The woman was like a fine wine, the older she got the more gorgeous she became. This woman went by a thousand names, fire bending prodigy, Fire Princess, even general now, but the name her parents gave her was of course Azula.
The idea of a ball had been utterly ridiculous to her probably because she didn't know how to dance and didn't want to look like a fool. And because she didn't want to be forced to meet with a bunch of people who tried to kill her and stick in prison for the remainder of her life. Their father would never approve of this. She was constantly reminded that times were changing and Ozai's way of ruling didn't matter anymore, which only pissed her off because no one would listen to her opinion.
The prodigy had managed to survive the end of the war. She didn't get to be Fire Lord because no one trusted her. She didn't get killed because she was just too great of a fighter. When her father lost so miserably to the Avatar, she was forced to surrender and do whatever they said or else be sent to prison. Half the nation is still trying to lock her up. Still, no one could truly trust her, she'd been watched constantly by guards, and the only time she wasn't watched was in the bath and when she went to sleep. So her days of evil plotting were pretty much over, as well as her days of freedom.
The Fire Lord had dragged her from her military camp on some remote island to attend this dumb ball since she refused to go. She didn't want to be here, she had things to do! Well not really, for the last five years she'd been sitting around playing board games in her tent waiting for orders, or at least a damn fight. But the good little Avatar made sure she was bored to death. The only reason she didn't try running off or locking herself up in some tower to be alone was because she heard a certain water bender would be coming.
The one thing the fire bender could never forget was the water bender from the Southern Water Tribe. If she focused she could recall the sweet scent coming off of the water bender's clothes, the feel of her soft tan skin, even the gentle beat of her heart. Oh she had not forgotten. It was her best memory, her time in Ba Sing Se in that little cell. Those feelings for the water bender had never left her, if anything they had gotten stronger. If Katara was coming, then the fire bender would not miss this ball for the world. Now she was actually looking forward to it.
When she woke up this morning and somehow ran into her brother, the first thing she did was ask him questions. The man told her that he was going down to the bay to meet the Avatar and his companions. Azula almost passed out from the shock. Sure, she'd been counting down the days but she didn't know what specific date they would be arriving. The woman scrambled to get dressed and forced him to drag her along. The eager look on her face convinced him to bring her.
The bickering siblings stuck out quite plainly as they made their way through the city streets. Somehow in all their arguing they made it outside of the inner city and were nearing the bay. They were making their way hurriedly towards the plaza to see the arriving ship which would look something like a Southern Water Tribe sail boat. They were too busy rushing through the streets to notice everyone was staring at them.
"Didn't I tell you not to sleep in?!" The woman said, giving her brother a harsh glare. His sister had been pressuring him about how they shouldn't be late, that it was crucial to always be on time. Jeez if he'd known better he could've mistaken her for Ursa who was always lecturing. The only difference was if you didn't listen to Azula she'd burn your face off.
Was it him or was his sister a little tense today? He watched as she continued to brush off her armor, mumbling to herself probably rehearsing what she was going to say. His sister was constantly in motion it was impossible for her to stand still. It was funny to see her like this. It was like she was trying to impress a king and even she didn't get nervous like this when she did meet one. So he had to wonder why she got this way when they were going to meet the people she had despised since she first saw them.
"Would you calm down already?" he chuckled. "It's just Aang." He placed a firm hand on her shoulder but she simply shook her head in disagreement. Like always she never settled things, she always felt the need to argue with him, even when she clearly lost the fight a long time ago.
"Not just the Avatar, but that earth bender, and…and Katara." His sister said with a hint of a smile on her face. Azula's smile was no longer a rare sight; occasionally the woman couldn't resist and was no longer ashamed of showing that she could be happy. But he began to notice she only did it when the Avatar was mentioned or one of his friends. That seemed always bring out the wide smiles.
"Since when did you start calling her Katara?" He asked in shock, he was always used to hearing "Water Tribe Peasant" and if she called Katara by her name why didn't she call Aang by his? His sister was caught off guard quickly. The woman cleared her throat nervously.
"I meant to say water bender." The woman replied brushing the question off quickly. His sister walked on her tip toes to see over the crowd and into the bay. Good, the Avatar and his friends hadn't arrived just yet. She wanted to be there so that she was the first thing Katara's eyes came across. Again, she began to dust off her armor. She hadn't worn it in so long but it wasn't like she pulled it out of closet this morning. In fact, she had it cleaned every day for an entire month, it was far from dirty but in her eyes something could always be perfected. And she just had to show Katara how much she had changed.
"You know you can go back to the palace if you're so nervous, it's not like I promised you'd be there." He said in his deep voice, but still kind. Her gaze moved from the ground to him in less than a second. She acted like he had insulted her. The woman gave him an irritated expression.
"I'm fine." She insisted and straightened as she walked through the crowd still acting like she was superior as usual. Since the war's end little by little she had gotten better about her attitude towards the world. She was still manipulative and often times a little controlling but she was bearable now. He knew that it certainly wasn't him that changed the fire bending prodigy, no it was someone else. Someone, he guessed, they would be meeting today.
She hasn't seen the water bender in almost five years. They'd been so busy lately, with Katara trying to keep the Fire Nation from splitting apart and the fire bender becoming a general since she could no longer reach her goal as Fire Lord. It has been so long and there was so much buzzing through her head. Did Katara remember what happened in Ba Sing Se years ago? Did the water bender still have feelings for her?
The fire bender spotted the bay, still no sign of their ship. She took deep breathes trying to keep her excitement hidden from the crowd but most of all from her brother. Leaning over to whisper, so that people couldn't hear her words she asked, "Did you have to leave the royal escorts? Some of us like making a big appearance." She said out of the corner of her mouth.
He just laughed at how uncomfortable it made her to not feel like she was important. Unlike his sister, he found the royal escorts to be annoying and in the way. Ever since he lived as a refugee in the Earth Kingdom he was never able to get back into the hang of being royal again. Of course the people found that to be a good trait.
He turned to her and merely shrugged. "Who in the world are you trying to impress so much?" he asked. She had never gone this far to try and impress someone other than herself. It was such a sudden change too; it was hard not to be suspicious. "It's not like you've ever really gotten to know them."
A sneaky smile crept onto the woman's face and he started to feel uneasy. "You don't know that." She replied acting absentmindedly. He chuckled slightly before turning his attention back towards the bay waiting to see the ship arrive.
"I know I haven't been very fair to you, you know with all of the surveillance, guards constantly watching your every move, but I think I can trust you now." he smiled at his younger sister. "I'm going to dismiss them from their duties and give you a little freedom, you're not going to try and take over world right?" The prodigy grinned in amusement.
"You can sleep safely tonight, the world won't be burning when you wake up." The woman answered. She stared out at the shimmering water, the breeze caressing her flawless skin. "Besides, I've got more important things to do right now."
The two of them broke through the crowd and came to the docks which were less busy. The only ones coming and going were people unloading precious cargo and annoying tourists. Their boots tapped along the cement walkway as they came to the reserved spot for the Avatar. She swallowed deeply, her uneasiness growing as she got closer and closer to the meeting point. They were a little early since she had insisted on moving at lightning speed to get down there, alls they had to do was stand there and wait.
Her foot tapped on the ground, her fingers wiggled at her sides, she chewed her tongue, and she even paced back and forth. It was too hard for her to stand in one place and wait. She couldn't even sleep last night knowing that one of these days she'd see that memorable face again. The face she'd been dying to see for five years now.
"Would you stop fidgeting?" He said getting quite irritated now. When he looked away from the woman who refused to stay still, he spotted the boat with a blue sail with the Water Tribe mark on it. "Look they're here." He stated happily. It'd been a very long time since he gotten to see them, especially his old student Aang.
The prodigy turned around quickly and stared at the boat as it sailed closer bringing the woman her heart beat for back to her. This was her big chance to impress Katara and she wasn't goanna mess it up. They both had been waiting for this. With the war over, there was nothing separating them, they could be together. Of course there were still a few things they'd have to face but finally after so long, the wall between them would be broken.
The large sail boat came to a slow halt, she could see the Avatar in his bright orange and yellow clothes bending the wind so they stopped. She spotted another woman also tall with black hair wearing deep emerald clothing, toss the anchor over board. Now she found herself on her tip toes searching for the water bender who couldn't be seen from where the princess was.
The Avatar had certainly grown but he certainly wasn't buff nor was he a stick. The man's eyes were still big and grey despite how old he was which wasn't that old to begin with. Aang waved down to her brother with joy. "Sifu Zuko it's so good to see you!" The Avatar jumped down from the ship slowing his jump with air bending. Aang came over to Zuko and the two of them shook hands with wide smiles.
She was too busy waiting in anticipation for the water bender, she hadn't realized that the Avatar acknowledged her presence. "Princess Azula, you look…" Aang grasped the back of his neck as he searched for a word. "…tame." It was taking Katara forever to come off the boat so she brought her gaze to the bald man.
"You can call me general if you like." She responded. "The only thing I have power over are the soldiers really." She clasped her hands behind her back and stood in a relaxed stance. "You made sure of that remember Avatar Aang?" she said but not in a cruel tone but certainly showing the remains of her frustration.
Aang's face went red from being put in an uncomfortable position. "Well, you weren't really into the idea of joining our new plan were you?" He said with a nervous smile. The prodigy simply nodded knowing he was right about that part. She was about to say something when her attention was suddenly torn away and brought to something else.
She heard a woman talking, she knew it wasn't Toph, that voice was too gentle and too loving to be an earth bender's. The sound was soothing and it reminded her of a mother's. Yeah there was no mistaking that voice, she remembered it all to well. Which meant the water bender was coming off the ship. Her gut went tight and her mouth went dry, adrenaline for some odd reason started pumping through her veins. Again her foot started tapping on the ground rapidly. She prayed she didn't have something in her teeth.
The Water Tribe woman was beside Toph talking about something that didn't seem too important, though the prodigy never saw the earth bender. Her eyes stared at Katara and her alone. The water bender looked almost exactly the same only more matured, finally her appearance caught up with her wisdom. The woman's eyes were a bit narrower and her sapphire irises were even deeper blue. Her long wavy chocolate colored hair fell in a river down her back, some of it was tied back to keep it away from falling onto her beautiful face. Height wise, Katara hadn't grown that much. The woman's body remained elegant and curved just as Azula remembered. Like always the woman was covered in blue fabrics. The water bender barely changed.
The tan woman came onto the cement walkway and looked at the princess with surprise. Katara had a wide smile across her face as she noticed she had to look up at Azula now, before they were only an inch apart. The woman stood there her mouth wide open, completely speechless. "I can barely recognize you." Katara chuckled as she moved towards the fire bender who tried with all her might not to blush. Azula stared into the woman's eyes with such longing, the only other thing she looked at were water bender's lips which she automatically wanted to…
"I knew it was you the second I saw you." The fire bender whispered, her silky seductive voice soared through the air without trouble. "I haven't slept in years because of you." The princess admitted with a bit of a smile. The water bender's grin couldn't be torn away now. Azula had partly wished the woman would react differently.
"Hi Azula." The water bender replied laughing slightly. "So, uh, how do I great you? Do I bow or something?" Before, the second their eyes caught sight of each other they greeted each other with water whips and fire balls. But now they could actually act civilized around each other, even in public now.
"The only one who deserves a bow is you, Katara." The princess answered with a grin. Why was it that everything she said sounded so stupid?! The fire bender was just humiliating herself the longer she stood there and spoke. The tan woman's warm smile only grew from hearing the fire bender say her name.
"Well in the Water Tribe we usually greet each other with a big hug." The fire bender froze in place about ready to pass out from the joy as she felt Katara's arms come around her shoulders. The woman squeezed the life out of the princess but Azula felt no pain she enjoyed the embrace, probably more than she should've. "Oh I forgot how warm you were." The water bender whispered into her ear so no one would hear. Katara couldn't hold onto the princess as much as she would like, they had to seem like friends.
Azula chuckled as she felt the woman begin to let go. They separated and just kind of stared at each other now. "And I forgot how short you were." The fire bender teased. Katara punched the princess' shoulder lightly not trying to bruise the prodigy in anyway. The fire bender glanced around. "So where's you're annoying brother?" She asked, usually Sokka wouldn't be too far behind them unless he was busy eating meat. The water bender now let out a tired shrug.
"He's at home, taking care of Gran Gran for me since I'm not able to go back just yet." The tan woman explained. The prodigy, unlike Zuko, didn't need to ask who Gran Gran was; she remembered every detail about the Southern Water Tribe since Katara told her. Azula's stomach sunk a little, the woman was planning on going back to the bottom of the world, far, far away from her once more. The princess nodded a bit upset now.
"Are you going there to, you know, live?" The fire bender asked as casually as she could, trying to hide her feelings from Katara. But the water bender could see straight into the prodigy's inner thinking within moments.
"Well it is my home." The woman giggled. "Don't think I don't know what you're trying to do." The water bender eyed the princess closely. Azula gave an uneasy look. "You're trying to keep me here aren't you?"
"Ahem." Toph called catching their attention. The two women remembered that the others were just standing a few feet away. "I don't know about you two, but heading to the palace seems like a good idea to me." The two of them reddened from embarrassment.
"Uh good idea Toph." The water bender headed over to the earth bender leaving Azula standing frozen in place. The fire bender stared at the tan woman as she walked away. Katara turned around at last second. "We can talk later." The woman whispered with a smile before wheeling around and heading towards the city.
Azula let out a great sigh of relief once Katara and Toph were out of earshot. It seemed like she'd been holding her breathe the entire time. Her stomach was leaping for joy and a rush of jubilance flowed through her. The princess wiped off her forehead because it had gotten damp from being so nervous. She spotted her reflection in the water and shrugged. "You're such an idiot." She muttered before heading towards the city.
Part 9
Her mouth fell open as she saw the room she was going to be staying for about a week. This room was five times the size of her room in Ba Sing Se. She could even hear her footsteps echo in the room. It had a solid iron floor dotted with large fur rugs. There were, on both the right wall and the left wall, tall narrow windows overlooking some of the courtyards, long crimson curtains stood at their sides to block out light whenever needed. The walls were painted tan with giant red Fire Nation emblems on each wall. The emblems were framed by dark maroon almost black banners. On the furthest side of the room on the wall that had no windows was the oversized bed, covered in a million decorative pillows.
"Excuse us M'lady." One of the servants said. She jolted back into awareness and moved out of the servants' way as they set her belongings down near the small leather chair in the corner. It felt so odd having someone else carry her things for her. The royal treatment was certainly an alien experience to her. She didn't know exactly how to handle it. Once they set the things carefully on the floor they turned to face her. "Are you sure you don't want us to unpack for you?"
Again she felt strange, she would've let them but would she just sit there and watch them do a job she was capable of doing? "Yes, I'm sure; you've already done so much. Thank you." She said and the servants seemed a bit cheerful. It was probably rare that they heard a thank you from the people they were serving. She felt a bit upset about that, they did all the work; they should at least feel appreciated. They bowed and she wasn't sure what to do in respond to that, so she simply waved goodbye. As they headed out they closed the large doors behind them.
Now that she was alone, she was able to look at the room and soak in every detail. This wasn't the first time she's stayed at a palace. If you could call it a palace, she had stayed up at the snow castle in the North Pole where Yue and her father lived. The Water Tribes grandest buildings were made of snow and ice; they had graceful curves but a homely feel even in the cold weather. Because all the buildings no matter what size looked the same, it didn't really feel like a palace at all, just another building to go into for shelter. Then there was the Earth King's palace, which was an actual palace, but it was made with more dirt that stone, she had to question if the servants ever cleaned it once and awhile. It had bold architecture and a squarish feel to it. It was a palace fit for someone like Toph but not her. But the Fire Nation's palace was different than those. It had a strong and aggressive look to it but it had elegance as well. Certainly a place she would not prefer to live if she had a choice but it wouldn't be such an eye sore either. It just screamed Azula that was for sure. She let out a small laugh, Azula. She could think of that woman for days and not be bored.
She came over to the suitcases the servants had left near the comfortable chair; she'd better unpack before she relaxed a little. And boy was she looking forward to this little vacation, for more reasons that one. It seemed like the last chance she truly had gotten the rest she needed was before she found Aang in the ice burg. Since then she'd had to help others constantly, which was something she would've done even without joining the Avatar. It just felt nice to give back to others.
Still, a person needed their rest, especially someone like her who had pretty much raised her older brother. It felt so odd to not have him around bugging her to wash his socks. But he was old enough to take of himself besides he had Suki to do all of his laundry now. Any day now she was expecting a letter from home declaring her an aunt. Seeing Sokka and Suki with a child was a little scary though. Sokka knew nothing about how to raise a kid and Suki…as mature as she was, she was still a warrior at heart. Already she could see that she'd have to go home and look after the kid because spirits knew what those two would do to it.
She picked up the first suitcase she saw and dragged it across the room. She was more than capable of lifting it properly. Her arm was just too tired to lift it off the ground. So she dealt with the screeching sound as she walked over to the bed. With one great heave she lifted it onto the bed. Letting out a great sigh she opened it. A burst of blue entered the Fire Nation guest room. Taking out the neatly folded clothes, she placed them into the walk-in closet which was probably more spacious than it needed to be. Even in the unfamiliar closet she made it organized and placed each shirt, bottoms, and pajamas in their own little spot. Just because she'd been traveling didn't mean she was a slob. She guessed old habits die hard.
The main reason she was so organized was because she was a fan of cleanliness. But mostly it gave her an opportunity to sort through her thoughts. She could spend hours upon hours folding, cleaning, and washing or whatever, simply because she was thinking. Back home she used to do it a lot after her mother died. During the war, she mostly did it because she was up all night worrying about a certain fire bender.
She lifted one of the wool shirts up to her nose taking in the fresh smell, it seemed like yesterday that she'd smelled it to remember the princess' scent. It was long gone by now after washing the clothing so many times. It still surprised her that she could fit her old clothes. She placed it in the closet neatly. When she stepped out she didn't grab another piece of her wardrobe instead she sat on the foot of the bed staring out at the sunset as it sent orange light over the island.
No wonder people liked coming here. That sunset was amazing. The sun was a bright half circle of gold sitting lazily on the horizon. The deep orange rays soaked over every building, plant, and rugged hill. The shimmering ocean reflected the warm light perfectly. It was so much different than the cold rare sunsets back home. She liked the Fire Nation, it wasn't freezing and it didn't have the annoying feel of snow whipping your face, it was warm and lush. The plant life and the mountains surrounded by the ocean just took you far from your troubles in less than a second. There was no better place to come and relax.
She had been in the Fire Nation for the past five years but she was never able to enjoy it. The places they had gone to were usually poor towns that weren't too pretty to be in. The cities of the Fire Nation were certainly the last thing that made her fall in love with this place, it was the countryside. The vast green fields, the towering volcanoes, and the dense rain forests were exotic, often times she felt like she'd walked into another world. There was just so much around her. It was so different from the emptiness of the South Pole.
Funny, she had been staring out a mountain valley as the breeze swept over it, watching a group of Dragon Moose cross the open space when the news arrived. It had been sent by messenger hawk who found Aang while was gliding across the skies because he'd gotten bored. She watched as the Avatar swooped down, making a rough landing. He spun his glider in one hand and clutched the letter in his fist. The excited expression on his face still made him look like a twelve year old. He called her name three times even when they were five feet apart. The Avatar waved the letter in front of her face joyfully before he let go so she could read what it said.
The tan paper had gotten crumpled in Aang's hand so it made a crunching noise as she opened it. The familiar hand writing belonged to Aang's fire bending teacher Zuko. A smile came over her face, it was always nice to hear from a friend after so long. Her eyes went wide as she realized they were invited to some grand ball being held at the palace. The new Fire Lord promised that he would try to get some old friends to attend, even if he had to drag them there himself. She laughed at that part of course.
There was one old friend she knew wouldn't be there. She didn't think the Princess of Fire would dare come, after all the prodigy had become a general hadn't she? Since the fire bender probably wouldn't go it made her feel like not going. But Aang and Toph wanted a break from rescuing the Fire Nation. She had not choice but to be dragged along.
So you could only imagine how caught off guard she was when she saw Azula standing on the walkway as she came off the ship. If it even was Azula, the fire bender looked so different than she had before. The last time she saw the prodigy she had the face of a teenager now she had the face of an adult. Seeing the princess again proved that it had certainly been five miserable years apart.
Trying to put what she had felt just before she greeted the fire bender into words was like trying to explain the best day of her life and her most terrifying one. Spirits knew how long it had been since she'd actually gotten to speak to the fire bender. They had been secretly hinting their affection, every burn mark, every scar from ice daggers, they had proved just how much they loved one another. Shouting I hate you every other second, their friends never knowing the true meaning of those words. The very last glimpse she had of Azula was when the fire bender was chained and being led off to prison, which was right after Ozai had been taken down. So to see this tall armor clad woman waiting on the shore was a complete shock to her.
The only thing she was scared about was to find that after so long that perhaps Azula had moved on to someone new. That she gave up on this fruitless quest to be with the water bender. Maybe that is why she treated the fire bender like an old friend instead of someone she secretly longed to be with. She couldn't allow her heart to be broken, if her fear was true it would be anyway but she could at least soften the blow.
She didn't even know how she made it off the ship. Her legs were so unsteady and shaky they felt like pure jelly. She didn't even know how she managed to breathe. It felt like she had run a marathon, her heart was pounding like a hammer on a nail, her blood drove through her veins at crazy speeds. Her entire being was trembling she was so nervous. The water bender had to take long deep breaths to calm down. There was nothing to worry about, it was just the princess after all.
Her heart beat only sped up when she saw the way the princess looked at her. For second she tried to convince herself that the glance was nothing. Azula always analyzed someone before speaking to them. There was nothing in that glance just curiosity, frustration, and…and longing. I knew it was you the second I saw you. The words weren't anything out of the ordinary. She just hadn't changed a lot in five years that's all. I haven't slept in years because of you.
Okay so that caught her by surprise. Maybe it just meant she had been so irritating to the woman the fire bender couldn't sleep. Or maybe the princess had been up late thinking of her because she still cared. The proof that the princess still loved her was staring right at her. Everything from the long stare, to the nervous laugh, and the wide grin were more than friendly. Still she was trying to convince herself it was nothing. She just wanted to ask the princess the question eating her brain but she couldn't because they weren't alone. Jeez could she even handle being alone with Azula?
After that she just couldn't keep her distance, she had to do something, she didn't care how odd it looked, she had to hold the fire bender again. The prodigy's hug was different than the last time. It was firm and gentle, the princess wasn't unsure about how to hold another woman this time. She certainly knew the right way to hug the water bender so that her heart melted. She hated the fact that she had to let go so soon. But she had to look on the bright side, at least she could hug the prodigy in plain sight.
Before she could get another clue that Azula could possibly still love her, they had to separate. She felt like a kid again. Alls she wanted to do right now was get out of this room and follow the princess wherever she went, just to see what the woman was up to. It was like she was back in that cell pressed against the door listening in on Azula's conversation with the Dai Li agent. The princess was so close yet still so far. Damn it if only she got the courage to move and go searching for the fire bender. They certainly had a lot to talk about.
Katara sighed as she looked down at the half full suitcase. She lifted a blue sock and let it fall back into the case. She was too tired to do this herself. It would just have to wait until later. Leaning back, she fell onto the cushy covers and mattress. "Mmmm…" She smiled widely as her nerves were able to calm down for the first time that day. This bed felt like paradise! No wonder the princess thought she was so superior, no body slept on a bed like this. As she lay there her thoughts, without her able to stop it, dwelled on the fire bender as usual.
The water bender did not know what it mean to live until that moment in Ba Sing Se occurred, when her dream became real. For once the pain of her mother's passing had been replaced with something new. Something she could not feel with anyone else. They lived separate, divided by land and sea, still they were closer than anyone else she knew. Years had passed and they had not seen or heard of one another. Hope had almost run out.
Her heart would forever beat for the fire bender but how long would she have lasted? Day after day of loneliness, the closest thing to seeing the princess was a faded memory. She had been holding on to a tiny string that at any moment could've been cut and forever lost. She felt emptier than when she was before Ba Sing Se. She had to live for five agonizing years waiting and wishing, knowing the one she wanted couldn't be hers until the time was right. It was the harshest punishment ever given to her heart. But fate had been kind and like they knew a time had finally come.