Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA.

Chapter Six: Remember

Katara stepped into the Foundry and looked around, wary of what she would find. It was fairly busy for this type of establishment at the time of evening, seeing how the sun had set a little more than an hour ago. Raggedy men of all sizes took up tall tables, all carrying various weapons that appeared to have seen a fair amount of action. There were a few women hanging around, scantly clad and hanging on the arms of a burly man or two. The stench of alcohol and burning herbs filled the air, along with thick and heavy smoke that hindered Katara's vision just enough where she couldn't see the back of the room.

She made her way to the bar, where there was a single seat that was open. She hoisted herself up, and almost immediately she garnered the attention of the bartender.

"Well, hello there, little lady," he practically purred, leaning onto the bar and flashing her a gleaming smile. "What can I get for you on this fine evening?"

Katara dug into her pocket and set a gold coin onto the bar, pushing it towards him and returning his smile with one of her own. "Some information."

He stared at the coin for a second, then snatched it up and stuffed it into his pocket. He glanced around the tavern for a moment and then leaned his elbows on the bar so he was closer towards her. "What would you like to know, sweet thing?"

"What can you tell me about the Xi Lang?"

He smirked and shook his head. "That you shouldn't get yourself tangled with a group like that. They like pretty girls like yourself, but they won't treat you any kinder than some bum off the street."

Katara frowned, but shrugged and replied innocently, "I don't want to get involved with them. I've heard about them, and I just want to know more."

The bartender studied her for a long moment, then sighed and pulled out a two glasses and a bottle of a dark amber colored liquor from underneath the bar. He poured them both a glass and took a sip out of his before taking a deep breath and saying, "The Xi Lang are a group of highly trained mercs. They answer to no one, and they're really pissed off right now. Since the war ended, they've been trying to rile up people to get some trouble started. Mainly in the former colonial area, just to get the people to fight back against the Fire Nation colonists that haven't moved back to the homeland."

"Do they have a leader?"

He laughed- a deep chortle that reminded her of Zuko in a way- and took another drink. "Curious one, aren't you?" He swallowed then shook his head. "Every militarized group has a general. And from what I hear the Xi Lang answer to one man around here: Yura. In fact, he comes in here every time he's in town to recruit. The man is sadistic but he's a genius charmer. I think he leaves with at least two more people interested in his cause."

Katara leaned closer. "And what exactly is that?"

The bartender grinned, leaning closer as well- close enough that she could smell the liquor on his breath- and whispered, "I think I might need a little more incentive to tell you anything else."

There was a feral look in his eye that made her skin prickle and a shiver to run down her spine. To hide her reaction, she groaned and leaned back, taking her glass with her. Digging into her pocket, she procured another gold piece and placed it in front of him. "Fine. But you're going to tell me everything I want to know, deal?"

"Sure thing, honey," he replied in a velvet tone, sliding the gold piece into his pocket and pouring himself some more drink. After another sip, he answered, "They want to start up the war again, I'm sure you've figured out by what I've already told you. I'm not exactly sure how, but apparently Yura wants to frame the Earth Kingdom for an attack on the colonies so that the Fire Nation will retaliate. There's also a rumor that he's been planning on assassinating the Fire Lord in order to jump start it all. But, like I said, I'm not entirely sure."

Katara narrowed her eyes, tone accusatory as she stated, "You sure know a lot for a simple bartender."

He shrugged and gave her a sincere grin. "You hear a lot in places like this. But it's all hearsay. Like how the Fire Lord had actually been here just about two weeks ago, looking for someone."

Katara perked up at this, but tried to feign disinterest. "Oh, really? You happen to know who he was looking for?"

The bartender was silent for a moment, obviously deciding if this information was worth telling. She could see it in his eyes, the way he was weighing his options. Deciding if this bit of information was worthy of being told, or if she was worthy of it at all. Katara silently slipped one more gold coin towards him, and after a few moments of deliberation he closed his eyes and nodded once. As he pocketed the change, he murmured, "From what I gather, he was looking for his sister. He was pretty secretive about it, too, but followed her trail soon after getting here. The thing is, she does come in here. But she doesn't quite have a 'trail', more like a cycle."

One of Katara's eyebrows arched. "What do you mean?"

"She goes from town to town, hiding, and then comes back a couple weeks later. I noticed a woman coming around here every once in a while and then disappearing for a month at a time. I recognized her after her third visit, but didn't think it was worth starting a fuss. She just eats and gets a drink, then quietly leaves afterwards. She stays out of the way, and she does this so she doesn't get caught."

"When do you think she'll be back?"

The bartender turned around, looked at a calendar that was on the wall behind him, and then glanced back to her with a grin. "If I'm thinking right, she should be here later tonight. Why don't you come back later and see for yourself, Master Katara?"

She blanched and then reached for her water pouch on her hip, but the bartender shook his head and gave her another smile. "Don't worry, I won't let the others here know who you are. But you need to do a better job of doing it yourself. The tribal clothes aren't very well hidden under that cloak and if you're trying to find Princess Azula, you probably shouldn't be so obvious about your appearance."

Katara stared at him for a moment, flabbergasted, and then stood up from her spot, finished her drink with a grimace, and gave him a stiff bow. "Thank you for your help."

He winked at her without another word and went to attend to another customer as she turned on her heel and left the Foundry. The streets of Suta were vacant now, and her walk back to the inn was completely undisturbed. As soon as she slipped inside, however, she was surprised to see she was standing face to face with an irate looking Aang.

"Imagine my surprise when I go downstairs to find you," he began, brows furrowed with frustration and anger, "and you weren't here. And then, how shocked I was to hear you went to the Foundry! What were you thinking? You could have gotten hurt!"

Katara rolled her eyes, took off her hood, and put her hand on Aang's shoulder. "I went there to find some leads. Lan had said Zuko went there, and I didn't want to leave town and possibly miss something. And I'm glad I went there."

Aang tilted his head to the side and an eyebrow quirked to his arrow. "Why?"

With a smile, Katara replied, "I might have found Azula."

The familiar green glow was all around him, emanating from the crystals jutting out from the ground. He had been here before, a time long ago and tucked away in the depths of his worst memories. Something ached inside of him- another thing that was familiar- and Zuko dreaded and loathed how much it made him yearn. And the sight of her approaching him made his heart tighten and his stomach to flutter. He knew what she was offering, her mauve lips moving but no words coming out. She held up the vial, and her other hand lifted to his face.

Even now, he flinched at the absence of feeling and the juxtaposing knowledge of her touch. But he could feel her thumb on his lips, something he savored in his darkest and restless nights, and felt himself melt all over again. The soothing nature of her spirit calmed him down to his treacherous bones once more and all he wanted to do was take her face between his palms and kiss her until he couldn't breathe.

And this time he did.

Her lips parted for him, soft and yielding to him as he caressed her. He poured every ounce of pain and love he could have ever felt, plus any he knew he could feel at her hands. She melted into his body, pressing herself against him and vibrating with a hum of satisfaction. Though he couldn't hear her, he imagined the angelic sound of her voice as she broke the kiss and held him tight, like if he let go she would drift away into oblivion. He was sure that if he did and opened his eyes, he would too. He had to stay anchored, had to hold onto her like his life depended on it. He just had to. His heart was racing, his mind was whirling, his stomach was flipping. For once, he was happy. Happy enough to gather the strength to declare his undying devotion to this girl dressed in blue.

And when Zuko opened his eyes to do just that... the world around him had changed. The room was dark, and the ground beneath him was wet and cold as ice. There was no one in the room with him. He was all alone.

For the first time in years, Zuko cried.

Katara slipped inside the tavern later that night, inconspicuous and searching. The bartender said she would be here, but there was no sight of her anywhere. Most of the patrons here were still just the large men, chugging ales and laughing boisterously over a shared joke. A lithe figure like Azula's would stand out like a sore thumb in this place, unless she was making a sure effort to not be seen.

Or, she gulped at this thought, Azula had recognized the waterbender and bolted before they could talk.

She felt a little defeated. It was her task to find and save Zuko, but if she had the chance to finish the task he had set out to do in the first place, she would take it. It was the least she could do for him. But it seemed as if fate was not her friend, because the tavern appeared to not have Azula in attendance. Just as Katara turned to leave, downtrodden, her eyes landed on a figure in the back of the room- once blocked by a laughing man who had been flirting with a waitress. Though hidden in the shadows and by a black cloak and hood, Katara would recognize that regal posture and air of affluence anywhere.

She had found the Fire Princess.

After walking over, Katara slid into the booth, staring right at it's other occupant. Oddly familiar golden eyes seem to simmer under her drawn hood, and she appeared to be as touchy as a startled catdeer. Katara knew she needed to approach this with caution, just like a battle during the war. How funny was it that she was facing down someone she had to maintain that mindset with all the time, but for a different reason now.

"Azula?"

The person in question flinched, then she tilted her chin upwards to pin a fierce glare on the girl across from her. "It's Princess Azula to you, peasant."

Katara let out a heavy breath as she ignored the barb and folded her hands together on top of the table. With a sigh, she gave Azula a warm smile. "I'm glad I found you."

"Why? Did Zuzu send you to take me out? He was always too weak to get his hands dirty..."

"No," Katara replied honestly, looking away as she frowned. "I'm actually looking for him. He... got captured by mercenaries while looking for you and... I thought finding you would possibly help me get to him."

Azula smirked- in a way eerily similar to how Zuko did in his darker days- and flippantly flicked her wrist to grab the full glass in front of her. "Seems like something he would manage to do. Getting captured on his noble quest. Always unprepared."

"I just want to bring him home," Katara paused as she glanced down to her hands, then looked up at the princess thoughtfully, "like he wanted to do for you."

Azula winced again, then look a long drink before setting down her cup with surprisingly delicate control. She glared at Katara, and the waterbender became aware of the bone-white grip Azula had on the glass. "What? So he can throw me in that mad house again? He won, I'm no longer in the picture and he can soak our mother's love with his new sister. I don't care anymore."

"He cares. He wants to help you."

"Why would he?" the firebender snapped, her voice gaining enough volume for a few patrons of the tavern around them to turn and stare before going back to their own business. Even under the shade of her hood, Azula's eyes were sharp, focused right on Katara like a hawk's. The madness that had been there a year ago when she ran away was absent, but something was still off. Like she was afraid. In a low voice, Azula said, "I tried to kill him more times than I can count on both hands... He won. It doesn't matter anymore."

"Azula, he never saw it as a competition. You're his sister, and he loves you." Katara laughed a little, "He has a weird way of showing someone that he loves them, and you should count yourself lucky that he still cares enough for you to bring you home."

The princess snickered as she looked into her glass, murmuring, "You would know about him showing his love, right? Does your precious Avatar know?"

Katara's brow furrowed and she frowned. "Know what?"

"About what Zuko did for you during our Agni Kai?" Azula snidely replied. "No one would be that foolish to sacrifice themselves- especially if they're significantly more important- just for a friend. I'm surprised Mai didn't leave him sooner knowing about what he did."

"I don't understand..."

Azula's laugh was controlled, melodic in a manipulative and charming way that just made Katara shiver. "Right, I forgot you're the idiot in love. You wouldn't have noticed someone else's affections if they slapped you in the face."

Katara's scowl deepened. "What are you even talking about?"

Golden eyes narrowed and Azula leaned forward. "You must be really obtuse if you don't see it. I only saw you two together twice and I could see it. But then again, I'm a people person. You, on the other hand, probably worry too much about babying your boyfriend than to notice when another has an eye for you."

"Excuse me?"

Azula rolled her eyes and took another drink out of her glass. "If it's so hard for you to understand what I'm saying, then there's no point even trying to explain anymore..." With a sigh, she set down the glass and folded her fingers under her narrow chin. "So... what exactly are you going to do with me? It doesn't seem like Zuko would be willing to let me roam around the palace after what happened."

"I'm not sure," Katara said with a shrug. "He never told us he was going to look for you. We found out through Iroh, and he's going to figure out what to do with you if you decide to go back to the Fire Nation."

The princess stared at her for a while before setting down her glass and clasping her hands together on the top of the table. Her voice was small, and very uncharacteristic of the once mighty leader. "Do you think Zuko will lock me up again?"

Smiling, Katara said sincerely, "I don't think so. He just wants you to get better, that's all. He probably is still wary of you, especially what both of you have been through, but I'm certain that if you both worked out your issues with each other, things might get better."

The silence between them stretched on, the sounds of the tavern mere background noise that didn't deter their stare-down. It was broken when Azula looked down to her glass and drank the remainder in one long gulp, a gesture that would have be undignified on any other person but was miraculously elegant when the princess did it. She stared at the empty cup for a long moment before pulling her hood off, revealing cropped hair pulled into what looked like a wolf's tail, and looking back into Katara's eyes.

"So when do we leave?"

tbc.

A/N Found her! I had this part written almost before every other part of the story except the end. And for some reason, I just really yearn for some more Katara/Azula interactions. Especially after reading The Search, I felt they had so much potential for a great "relationship" of sorts. In a dysfunctional way.

Zuko had a hallunciation, if you didn't already guess. He's so out of it with his injuries and blood loss that he's imagining things. And if it wasn't plainly obvious yet, we're getting into the more shipping part of the story, where each half of our OTP is realizing/having it pointed out to them that they have feelings for each other. Next chapter will touch on it a little more, too.

Until next time!

Updated and revised on 10 May 2017.