Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs purely to Mike and Bryan. This is just my vain attempt to live past the series finale.
Chapter 10: The Slip-Up
Summary:As the daughter of the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, Katara must and will do whatever it takes to keep her people and her nation safe, even leaving it in order to become a servant in the home of the Fire Nation's Royal Family for infiltration. Instead of the war and destruction she expected, she finds beauty, life, and love, shown to her by the Fire Nation Prince himself.
Last Time…
"The Water Tribe?"
Katara had a sudden case of dry mouth and her heart dropped. Of course. How could she have forgotten?
A jolly, elderly voice broke through the tension. With a hearty chuckle, Iroh's voice boomed, "Lieutenant Jee, you are very logical, but you understand, the Avatar must have learned in the past century to not hide in such obvious places. Of course we should look everywhere for him, as my brother sought to do, I'm sure."
Katara smiled softly at the mediator and his happy demeanor, even in such a tense atmosphere, remembering him as the old man from the previous night. She peered out behind the pillar, trying to get a glimpse of him.
"Oh, yes. I understand completely now, General Iroh."
"Now, the Western Air Temple is completely empty, and we're now sure of the Eastern Temple, as well. Only that damned mechanic and others live there. We all know that there are certainly no Airbenders in the Southern Air Temple, so we have to assume that in my grandfather's destruction of the Air Nomads, the Avatar had no time to flee far and he must have traveled somewhere close," Iroh reasoned. "Therefore, the closest location that would aid him would be the Southern Water Tribe at the South Pole."
"But there's really nothing there."
Zuko shrugged. "It never hurts to look. And the Southern Water Tribe's been growing in recent years. They may have strengthened enough to be able to harbor the Avatar. I mean, he'd be an old man by now. Not like he'd really impose on resources. If we're quick at the air temple, we should be at the South Pole within the next two weeks."
A foreboding sense of dread filled Katara.
Katara sighed as she watched Zuko pace back and forth, irate with the most recent news from the Fire Nation Capital City. She saw the crumpled up scroll in his right fist, his left fist suspiciously steaming with the beginnings of a fire punch. She raised a dark eyebrow at that.
"Zuko?"
He froze turned his amber gaze on hers and she gulped nervously. She could have sworn that there was fire in the liquid gold. At her expression, Zuko attempted to soften his own, but he gave up when it did not happen immediately. He began to pace back and forth in his small room once more.
Katara's face fell into a pout. "Forget it, then."
"I heard that!"
"Right. I forgot you have superhuman dog-like hearing," Katara muttered under her breath.
"Then you should know better than to mutter under your breath like that!" he yelled.
"Zuko, just calm down—" Katara stopped when she saw the murderous expression on his face. "— all right, don't calm down. Can you at least tell me why you're in such a foul mood?"
The atmosphere in the banished prince's room was not this tense fifteen minutes ago. In fact, the two teenagers were enjoying a quiet game of pai sho. Or at least, as quiet as it could be when Katara sighed or grumbled in annoyance at being beaten by Zuko and Zuko's accompanying chuckle. A servant presented the message to Zuko and interrupted their game indefinitely. He nearly flipped the pai sho table after reading the scroll.
Katara prayed to the spirits that it wasn't a message about the factory explosion that she and Sokka had caused several months back. Her most recent correspondence with Haku demonstrated that Fire Nation officials still had no idea how the explosion occurred and who could have done it. Katara was hoping that they would give up soon and attribute it to something harmless like equipment malfunctions.
"It's a message about that factory explosion that took place a week or two before we set sail. Apparently, they feel that they've investigated thoroughly enough and ruled the incident an accident. Something with the machinery malfunctioning and the abundance of explosives causing the blast."
Katara almost wanted to kiss the Fire Nation officials who wrote the report. Almost. She noticed as he spoke, the steam in his fist turning into an orange glow. She widened her eyes and asked innocently, "Well isn't that good? No real harm, no foul?"
Zuko pursed his lips. "It doesn't feel right… these bastards are just too lazy or too stupid to figure out what happened and they're going for the easiest explanation!"
"So you think it was an attack?"
"No, there were no injuries or casualties… it was done at night, there's no way that the perpetrators intended for any injuries… No, this was sabotage." Zuko almost growled. "And they're too fucking arrogant to realize it back home. They think that the all mighty Fire Nation is too strong, too good to have been sabotaged." The flames of the candles in the room flared.
"What are you going to do about it then?" Katara asked, somewhat used to Zuko's mercurial mood and his temper. She'd be lying to herself, however, if she didn't admit that his mood swings were trying on her patience.
Zuko glared at her. "That's the thing— I can't do anything about it!"
Katara easily returned his glare. "Then shut up about it. If there's nothing you can do about it, then quit wasting your time and energy fuming about it!"
Zuko stared at her with wide eyes and his mouth slightly agape. Sure, he had been used to someone yelling at him— he grew up with his father and Azula, after all. He was even getting comfortable to the arguments he might share with Katara on occasion, but he never thought Katara would blow up at him like that.
Immediately, she seemed to regret her tone and words. "I'm sorry, Prince Zuko," she said in a slightly clipped voice.
Zuko winced. They were back to formalities.
Katara stood up and made her way to the door. "I think I've been cooped up too long. Cabin fever is getting to me. I'm sorry for my behavior," she muttered.
Before Zuko could stop her, before he even found it to get over his shock and move, Katara slammed the door closed behind her and he heard her stomping footsteps fade away. He stared at his closed door, still quite in shock. He questioned whether he should even be angry. Whether he should go after her.
'No… I don't want to deal with an angry Katara.'
He scowled at the fist of paper he had clenched in one hand and released it into the air, simultaneously releasing the fist of fire he had kept clenched in his other hand. The paper burned and turned to ash, the sight slightly satisfying the young prince's temper. It didn't do enough, however. He groaned and threw himself onto his bed, his hands covering his face in exasperation. Zuko knew the new reason for his annoyance, but he really, really did not want to admit it or try and alleviate it.
Peeking through his fingers at his door, he sighed and sat up, his elbows resting on his knees as he hunched over. "What's got Katara so upset?" he murmured.
Beyond the door, Katara slowed her pace and hung her head. "Maybe I might have overreacted…"
Her expression hardened and she raised her head again as she walked through the corridors of the metal ship. 'No! I'm well within reason to be annoyed. Granted, I know he's been through a lot, but Zuko is just… I can't be his emotional punching bag!'
"I can't even vent to him because he'd just vent to me about his frustration with me," she muttered bitterly.
"I am assuming that these irritated grumbles are about my nephew. Would you care to correct me or prove me wrong?"
Katara turned around to Iroh's peaceful, somewhat amused countenance looking back at her. She smiled back at him sheepishly. "You may be correct," she admitted.
"Come, Miss Katara, let us talk over some tea." He smiled cheekily and held up a hand as if swearing an oath. "I promise I will not vent to you any frustration I may have about you," he teased.
Katara blushed at his verbatim promise, but rolled her eyes at him playfully and allowed him to usher her up to the deck where everyone on board the ship knew Iroh liked to enjoy his afternoon tea. He preferred to have a kettle by him right at the bow of the ship.
They settled on the cushions that acted as seats around the low, round table. Iroh was apparently highly predictable when it came to his tea habits and a fresh brew was already placed on the table, steam curling upwards away from the spout of the kettle. He poured a cup for Katara before pouring his own. Katara smiled her thanks and waited for the tea to cool down before drinking it. She had learned her lesson the hard way the first time she had tea with Iroh on the ship. Of course, being one of the most renowned firebenders in the world, as well as the Dragon of the West, Iroh wasted no time in drinking his tea, deeply inhaling the steam before the liquid touched his lips.
"Now tell me, Katara, what has my nephew in such a foul mood?"
"He doesn't believe the results of the investigation concerning the munitions factory explosion."
"Ah, I see. That matter had been discussed heavily during a war meeting before we set sail— we concluded that there was no foul play involved as well."
Katara's eyes turned into saucers at the older man's divulgence. Forget the fact that she was a servant, she wasn't even truly Fire Nation in her persona as a colonist, and he divulged matters pertaining to a Fire Nation War Council meeting?
Iroh's chest rumbled with a deep chuckle. "Yes, I can see your shock at my having said something so 'confidential'. But, as you can see, Katara, that is evident of how much the explosion did not bother my brother nor his generals."
"But it was a huge factory. There were— I mean, I'm sure that there must have been a large amount of equipment housed there."
"Yes, it's true that production has been set back and that there is a cost to the lost weaponry and materials, but the Fire Nation has other factories. This one was merely close to home."
Katara felt disheartened at his comments. Had she and Sokka accomplished nothing then? She hated to admit it but maybe that chauvinist elbow leech Hahn was right— maybe she was a child playing in a game exclusively meant for adults.
Oblivious to her crestfallen expression, Iroh continued, absentmindedly refilling his cup, "It was a rather old structure as well. Something was bound to happen soon enough." He let out a content sigh as the hot liquid traveled into his large belly. "Much like this ship."
Katara's hand nearly lost its grip on her cup. "Hm?" she asked.
"My dear, we're still immobile."
Iroh gestured behind him to the vast expanse of ocean water. The waves lapped against the sides of the ship, but not due to anything other than their own natural motion. The ship had been still for nearly three days now. It was also not the first, nor the second, nor even the third time that this happened. The ship had been suffering malfunctions and other setbacks soon after their course named the Southern Air Temple as the desired destination.
Katara willed her body not to blush as she remembered her correspondence with Sokka weeks ago.
Katara,
It's really not that hard to sabotage a ship. There are a lot of moving bits and pieces. You just need to loosen something or wedge something where it doesn't belong and the machinery will take care of the rest. Make sure whatever damage you do is small and inconspicuous— this will make sure that the engineer trying to fix the problem will take longer to fix it, buying you more time and ruining Zuko's plans. If you're worried about them noticing, try using your waterbending to create waves to push the ship off course. But that's kind of a desperate last resort. Stay safe. Keep me updated.
Sokka
PS: I'm showing Dad your last letter and what you called me.
Regaining her composure, Katara peered at Iroh over the rim of her cup. "I'd forgotten all about that." Making a face, she grumbled, "I'd been stuck inside for too long."
Iroh let out another hearty chuckle as Katara redirected the conversation back to the haughty banished prince.
"My nephew is not an easy man to deal with," he agreed.
"Especially when he's constantly gossiped about," Zuko growled.
Although Iroh paid no heed to Zuko's anger, Katara nearly dropped her tea once more at the sight of Zuko hovering behind her with a dangerous expression on his face. He scoffed and dropped himself onto one of the cushions surrounding the small table. Katara couldn't help but admire how he did so while maintaining grace. The spirits know that if she were angry, she'd be stomping around and plopping herself into seats.
His eyes turned to hers and she hastily averted her gaze to her tea, her cheeks turning pink from embarrassment. Noticing the color tingeing her face, Zuko raised a dark eyebrow at Katara. He opened his mouth to ask when the ship groaned and shuddered, lurching into movement. On deck, Iroh comically fell over, off the back of his cushion, his mouth shaped in a large "O" before tipping over. Zuko steadied his balance, managing not to fall over. Katara wasn't prepared and nearly fell to the side but Zuko grasped her upper arm, keeping her upright. The cup of hot tea she was holding sloshed over and Katara, not wanting to be scalded, instinctively used her waterbending to put the liquid back in the cup.
She gasped at her actions and looked at Zuko, worried that she might be caught. It was in that instant that Zuko turned his attention from the ocean waters to her, alerted by the sound of her gasp. He looked over her in concern.
"Are you hurt?"
Katara blinked at him, her mouth agape. "No," she finally answered. "Just shocked."
'And relieved. Good thing that didn't require anymore than a flick of my wrist.'
"Are you sure?"
"I'm fine, Zuko."
Zuko nodded at her and then turned his head towards Iroh when he rolled his eyes before purposely keeping his gaze away from his uncle, turning Katara away from him as well. "Uncle! Fix yourself!"
Iroh's legs still dangled in the air as he toppled over and his robe could not resist the pull of gravity, revealing his hairy legs. Zuko had turned away before his eyes saw anything he might regret.
"I'm trying, Prince Zuko! It is much harder for an old man to pick himself up than it was twenty years ago."
Forcefully exhaling through his nose, Zuko stood up, taking Katara with him, dragging her towards the railing. She hadn't even noticed that he still hadn't relinquished his hold on her arm.
"Unbelievable," he muttered.
Katara scowled at him. "Your uncle's sweet."
He scoffed. "'Sweet'?"
"Endearing, even," she insisted.
"You definitely hit your head on something."
She snorted. "On what Zuko? Air?" Katara lightly swatted his arm. "Be nicer to your uncle. He means well." She ignored the pointed look Zuko threw her way but after a few moments, she saw out of the corner of her eye that his face softened.
"You're right; my uncle's acted more like a father than my real father the past few years."
Katara stopped and because he was holding her, Zuko stopped as well. She smiled at him. "Then go help him up!" She couldn't help the laugh that burst out of her when she pictured the great Dragon of the West, bottom up.
Making a face, Zuko grumbled, "He can take care of himself."
"Zuko!"
Zuko scowled at her. "Fine," he ground out before turning back around.
Katara smiled at his retreating figure, rolling her eyes and leaning against the railing as she watched Iroh's legs disappear once more underneath his robe and his bright red face appear, fresh with the rush of blood. Zuko came back to her, a sheepish look on his face.
"Happy?"
Katara playfully rolled her eyes at him and Zuko couldn't help but be drawn to her sapphire-like eyes. "Ecstatic."
Katara lay down on her bed, leisurely swirling a ribbon of water above her as the ship continued its rhythmic swaying. Her face was tense, her brow furrowed in deep thought and her usually full lips pursed into a thin line.
'I don't know what else to do. How many more times can I just slow down the ship? No matter what, we're still going to end up going to the Southern Water Tribe… I'll be caught for sure. I'll… I don't know what's going to happen to me.'
A knock on her door caused Katara to immediately still the movement of the water and throw it into an empty basin. It made a loud splash and she grimaced.
"Sorry… Are you busy?" Zuko's voice was quiet, embarrassed. 'Was she in the middle of a bath?'
"I can come back later, if you want."
Katara froze. 'Do I want him to leave?'
"No it's fine!" she called out. "I was just… uh… washing my face?"
Zuko raised an eyebrow and Katara scrunched up her face in self-loathing.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'll be out in a minute."
Zuko laughed quietly and Katara stilled to enjoy the sound. "I meant are you sure that you're washing your face? Because you didn't sound sure."
Katara opened the door to glare at him. "I'm sure," she hissed. She closed the door behind her and found herself walking into Zuko's chest. "Oomph!" She rubbed her nose and looked up at him accusatorially, eliciting another quiet laugh from him, causing her expression to soften for just a moment before returning to a glare.
"Sorry."
Katara maintained her glare, narrowing her eyes at him even more. It didn't sound like he was sorry.
"We're stopping again."
Katara raised an eyebrow at him. "What? Why?"
"All the problems with the ship have delayed us significantly. We're going to head into a port and get it checked out thoroughly to make sure it won't happen anymore and to stock up on supplies." He cast a glance down the hallway. "I personally think that we could have held out a little longer— at least until after we paid a visit to the Southern Air Temple."
Katara leaned against her door, crossing her arms. "Then why the hurry?" It wasn't until she backed away from him that she realized how close he was to her— how close he still was.
"Prince Zuko! Hurry! We are docking soon and I must resupply the tea inventory!" Iroh yelled down the hallway.
Katara smiled and looked back at Zuko in dawning comprehension, an "Ah" expression dancing in her bright blue eyes.
"I was going to ask if you required anything?"
"I'm fine," she waved away the notion of buying anything. She looked up at him in a way that made him wary. "But I was wondering… could I leave the ship, too?"
Her question had much more of an impact on Zuko than either of them could have predicted it would. Zuko's face fell and he felt all of his energy drain from him. A heavy feeling settled at the bottom of his stomach and he couldn't believe that he had to fight what felt like the beginnings of a pout.
"You want to leave… the ship?"
Katara had seen how his entire posture slacked and his bright gold eyes dimmed to a disappointed topaz. She stood straight and leaned towards him, frowning. Her hands itched to take one of his but she kept them fisted at her sides. Katara saw how his frown pulled at the damaged skin of his bandaged eye.
"Zuko, I'm not going to run away." Sometimes, she forgot that she was still technically his servant and would— should— desire to run away from her so-called master.
"Really," she assured him. "I miss being on solid land," she joked lamely. At his lack of humor, she sighed. "I told you, you're stuck with me."
She smiled at him and he slowly returned the gesture. As if proving her point, Katara took a small step towards him. With a pointed glance down the hallway towards the ladder that led to the deck, she began walking. She hid her next smile as Zuko matched her pace, stride for stride. She was also hyper aware of how close their hands were to brushing each other as they walked. The realization set her on edge, but Katara grudgingly admitted that it wasn't an entirely unpleasant feeling. Zuko paused and let her climb up the ladder first.
Midway up the ladder, she reached for the next rung and asked, "So where are we docking?"
"Whale Tail Island."
Katara missed the rung and slipped. Squeezing her eyes shut to brace herself for the pain of impact, Katara let out a breath of relief when she felt a large, warm hand on her hip, moving her back towards the ladder. Granted, the ladders weren't tall but she still didn't want to fall. Kagome tightened her hands on the rung while her toes found their footing once more. She looked down and saw Zuko looking back at her with worry.
"I'm fine," she breathed.
He nodded and waited for her to continue moving up the ladder. Katara hurried up the ladder as fast as she could, feeling thoroughly embarrassed by her clumsiness and foolish for her obvious physical reaction to the mention of Whale Tail Island. After climbing onto the deck, Katara moved towards the railing, the sight of land coming into view and details becoming clearer as the ship approached it.
"Whale Tail Island," she whispered.
"It was the closest settlement from where we were stopped."
Katara was no longer startled by the silent way Zuko could move. She had come to accept that as another part of him that she both admired and was wary of.
"Have you ever been?" he asked conversationally.
Katara shook her head. It was one of the few truths she had spoken in a long time. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "This area… this group of islands used to be Air Nomad territory, am I right?"
He nodded. "The archipelago belonged to the Air Nation until they were…" He shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat. "Until they were gone."
"So who lives there now?"
"A mixture of Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation citizens. We're pretty close to the southwestern coast of the Earth Kingdom. There's also a station for a division of the Fire Nation military."
"Oh."
Zuko gave her a peculiar stare before he sighed. "I have to go oversee the men who are going to fix up the ship and make sure that my uncle doesn't go overboard with his tea supply. You're free to leave the ship but make sure to come back within two hours. Sundown." His eyes bore into her. "Otherwise, we're leaving without you."
Katara nodded. "I'll make sure to be back in time," she promised.
"I'll hold you to that," he murmured before walking away.
Katara took one last look at the prince's back before she made her way towards the area where the crew would lower the plank to allow her onto the island.
There really wasn't much to Whale Tale Island. It definitely wasn't a tourist spot like some of the other Earth Kingdom villages. No little street stands decorated with souvenirs for visitors to take home. No special skits by street performers hoping to get some tips. It was a quiet town… tense due to the forced co-existence of Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom citizens, but quiet nevertheless. The market had small booths where farmers, craftsmen, artisans, and merchants hoped to sell food and tools.
Katara ventured to the stand filled with displays of colorful fresh fruit and vegetables. She smiled kindly at the elderly woman in charge of the stall. She reached for a Moon peach, handing the woman a handful of coins in return. Katara held a hand to refuse the change the old lady was trying to give her and walked away, amusing herself by glancing at the other stalls. She took a bite of the pale, round fruit, relishing in its tangy sweetness— a refreshing change from the salty and spicy taste characteristic of Fire Nation cuisine.
Just as she was perusing a stall of handmade jewelry, Katara felt someone tap on her shoulder. She turned around and found herself face to face with a girl who seemed about her age. The girl smiled shyly at her, her cheeks turning a light pink.
"Excuse me, are you Katara?"
Katara frowned in confusion. "Yes, that's me," she hedged, her voice becoming vague. "I'm sorry, is something wrong?"
The girl's round eyes widened. "Oh no! Not at all. I'm Aiko."
Perhaps it was foolish of her to let her guard down so quickly, but Katara smiled warmly at her. "Nice to meet you, Aiko. Can I help you with anything?"
"Actually, I meant to thank you."
"Thank me?" she echoed incredulously.
Aiko nodded bashfully. Katara appraised the girl once more. She had a small button nose. Her face was round, kind, as were her eyes. Her eyes were also a light ocher color— familiar. They were too dark for Fire Nation nobility but Katara knew she recognized the color. Realization finally came to Katara and she cried out happily.
"You must be Asha's daughter!"
Aiko smiled and let out a small sigh of relief. "Yes, I am. Forgive me for bothering you, but I saw you in the market and I thought that you looked so much like the girl my mother described." Another light dusting of pink appeared on her cheeks. "It's not very often you see eyes like yours."
It was Katara's turn to blush as she chose to shyly ignore Aiko's latter comments. "It's not any bother at all!" She sighed happily. "So you found your mom? Where is she?"
"She's at home, preparing to make our dinner. She sent me to get some more food." Aiko grasped the handle of her basket tightly. Katara noted that it was filled with food. "Please, you have to join us! It's the least we can do! I don't know how I could ever repay you for bringing back my mother! And I'm sure she'd want to see you, too!" she insisted.
Katara glanced nervously at the sun. It was still relatively high in the sky but she noticed that it was starting to begin its downward arc towards the horizon.
'I still have plenty of time. I'm sure I can make it back to the ship in time. And I do want to see Asha again and check up on her…'
Katara looked back into Aiko's pleading ochre eyes and smiled. "I have to be back by sunset, but I'll go back with you. But only if I get to help you as well!" Katara's voice rose to a yell as Aiko grasped her wrist and hurried from the marketplace and onto a path that led to the nearby cluster of small homes and huts. Katara couldn't help but laugh.
Katara managed to get the girl to slow her pace to a walk and insisted on carrying the basket since their dinner tonight was supposedly in her honor. Aiko had gripped the basket with vice-like strength but bashfully released it at Katara's insistence.
"When did Asha arrive here?"
"About four, maybe five weeks ago. The young man who escorted her… he's your brother?"
Glancing at Aiko from the corner of her eye, Katara noted a glint in her ochre eyes and a rosy tint to her cheeks.
"I wouldn't exactly call my brother a man…" Katara muttered.
"You're his sister. It's your obligation to act that way."
Katara made a face but then smiled at Aiko apologetically. "You really like Sokka?"
Aiko shrugged though the growing intensity of her blush betrayed her feigned nonchalance. "He's smart… brave— brave enough to go with you to the Fire Nation and then escort my mother back here." Aiko smiled wistfully. "I think he's sweet. And funny."
Raising her eyebrows, Katara deadpanned, "Funny."
Katara immediately felt guilty and winced at the embarrassed look that came over Aiko's face. "I'm sorry, I'm not trying to make fun of you or anything, but you're right. He's my brother. I really can't see him in any way except as an annoying, overprotective older brother."
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made this awkward for you."
Katara laughed gently, waving away the notion. "Don't worry." She sighed. "I hate to break it to you, Aiko, but I have a strong suspicion that my brother might be spoken for already."
She frowned at the disappointed expression on Aiko's face. She stopped and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Aiko, I'm sure you'll find someone a lot better and worth your time than my bonehead of a brother."
"I guess… I just thought by now that I'd have at least met the person I'm supposed to spend the rest of my life."
"If you don't mind my asking, how old are you?"
"Fifteen."
"And you don't think that maybe you're still really young?"
A soft smile appeared on Aiko's face, along with a contemplative glaze to her eyes. "My mom met my dad when she was fifteen. They fell in love and married by the time she was eighteen." Aiko shrugged. "I guess I just wanted to know if I'd ever find something like that."
"You will," Katara insisted. "And believe me, I know the feeling. My parents grew up together and they'd tell Sokka and me stories of how they fell in love." She frowned and hesitated before asking, "If you don't mind my asking, what happened to your dad?"
The corners of Aiko's mouth were tugged downwards into a slight frown. "He was killed the night my mom was taken." Her eyebrows knit together. "I don't remember much. I was probably around three or four when it happened. The next thing I knew, I was being put on a ship to come here. I haven't been back to the Fire Nation since."
"My mother…" Katara blinked to avoid the tears that threatened to spill over. "She was killed when I was younger, too."
The two girls walked the remainder of the way in companionable but melancholy silence. Aiko paused in front of a quaint home. A soft glow came through the house's windows and the hint of something delicious being cooked wafted from it.
"This is our new house. It was built shortly after my mom came back. It's just the two of us." Aiko smiled at Katara. "She'll be happy to see you."
Katara followed after her, into the house and then through the homely living space into the tiny kitchen where a familiar dark haired woman was bustling around. She quietly held the basket of food while waiting in the threshold as Aiko walked to Asha's side.
"Hey Mom, I got the ingredients you wanted. I also managed to pick up something extra."
Asha sighed. "Aiko, you know our budget's tight. I'm sorry, darling, but we can't afford any more extravagancies."
Aiko grinned. "It's okay, Mom. It was free."
"Free?" Asha repeated skeptically.
Gesturing for her to turn around, Aiko nodded at Katara. "Meet my new friend, Katara."
Asha made her way to Katara and ignored the basket of food she held out, choosing to embrace her tightly. Still gripping her shoulders, Asha pulled back and stared at Katara with wide eyes, as if in disbelief.
"Katara! What are you doing here?"
Holding out the basket once more, Katara gave Asha her food and followed her as Asha moved to set aside everything. "I should be asking you that. I thought I told you and Sokka to take you and Aiko to the Southern Water Tribe."
Asha smiled patiently. "I understand that you and your brother were doing what you thought was best, but Aiko and I are safe here. And Aiko's friends are here and she's lived here most of her life. I couldn't bear to take her away. I hope you understand and don't take this as my being ungrateful for what you and your brother have done for us."
"I understand completely," Katara agreed with a slight grin. "You're just a mother doing what's best for her child."
Asha briefly touched her hand to Katara's cheek before returning to cooking. "You still haven't answered my question." She nodded at the table and Katara took a seat.
"Well… I'm here with Zuko. We stopped here to repair the ship and restock on supplies."
"Repair the ship? What happened?"
Katara bit her lip. "I might have intentionally broken the ship… multiple times." Katara caught sight of the grin on Aiko's face and smiled back at her. "We were forced to dock and I managed to get some time to wander around on my own."
Asha turned away from her cooking, a hand on her hip and a dark eyebrow arched. "I'm surprised Prince Zuko let you off the ship."
"He almost didn't."
"That sounds more like what I expected," she laughed.
Asha handed a large bowl filled with a stew to Aiko, who brought it to the table. Asha reached into a cupboard and pulled out three sets of tableware. She poured the stew into each bowl before serving the two younger girls and taking her own seat. Katara brought the spoonful up to her mouth but paused to inhale the hearty aroma and sighed in contentment. She closed her eyes happily after the first spoonful.
"I take it that this is more appealing than whatever food the ship's cook provides."
"You have no idea."
The three women spent the rest of dinner eating, laughing, and telling stories in complete contentment. At the meal's end, Katara refused to let Asha and Aiko clean up and stubbornly made sure that both woman stayed away from the dirty dishes as Katara washed them. Of course, the process was expedited when Katara used her waterbending.
"It's very freeing, isn't it?" Asha asked knowingly.
"I've had to stifle the urge to use my waterbending for so long. It feels amazing to use it."
"I'm sure it's extremely difficult to repress something that's a part of you."
Aiko suddenly grasped Katara's hands. Katara raised her eyebrows at her.
"Aiko, I told you that it's the least I can do—"
"No, it's not that. Look!"
Aiko lifted a hand to point out of the kitchen window. The sky was a rich mixture of orange, purple, and midnight blue but the darkness was already vast and quickly overtaking the fading light. Katara could see that the sun had already disappeared beyond the horizon.
"It's past sunset! They'll leave without me!"
"So stop washing dishes!"
She immediately stopped and water splashed into the sink and onto the kitchen counter and her feet. Katara winced and made to apologize but Asha immediately held up a hand to hush her apology.
"There's no time for that. You need to go and hurry and hope that they're still docked."
"But—"
"Katara, go!"
Asha quickly hugged the Water Tribe girl before gently pushing her in the direction of the front door. As she opened the door and moved through the threshold, pausing as she pulled the door behind her to glance once more at Asha and Aiko. Asha stood behind her daughter and had her arms draped over her shoulders in a loose embrace. Aiko gave her a friendly smile and wave.
"Thank you for everything, Katara. Be safe and good luck," Asha said.
Katara returned her sentiment with a quick smile and a nod before closing the door and rushing out onto the dark path that led back to the docks. In her haste to run, she collided with someone else on the path. She muttered an apology as she steadied herself and made to run before the stranger clasped a hand over her wrist.
"Hey! Let go!"
After unsuccessfully trying to tug her arm away, Katara promptly dropped to a squat, surprising her assailant with the quick movement. When her assailant lost his balance and took his time to steady himself on the ground, Katara swept a leg at his ankles to knock him over while pulling her wrist back. He fell on his back and Katara ran, the sound of her feet pounding on the ground matching the thumping of her racing heartbeat.
It felt like the wind got knocked out of her when a strong arm wound its way around her waist and pulled her back. At the same time, Katara gasped violently and thrashed her legs in the air, but stopped when the hold tightened. She grimaced at the pressure and her assailant loosened his hold on her waist only to place his hands on her shoulders and turn her around. Her eyes turned to steely cobalt, refusing to show any sort of fear.
Despite the fact that the sun had now sent and the night's inky darkness obscured her vision, Katara could still make out the bright golden gaze glaring at her, the anger within them causing them to almost glow in the night.
"What the hell do you think you were you doing?!"
Zuko sighed in exasperation and fought the urge to once more bring his palm to his face as his Uncle Iroh changed his mind and brought a hand to his chin to ponder his decision, his head swiveling around the teashop to look at the other varieties of tea leaves.
"Uncle!" he hissed. "We need to get going!"
"What's your hurry, Prince Zuko? It's not as if the Avatar is aware he is being hunted. I'm sure that wherever he is, he'll still be there whether you rush me or not."
Narrowing his eyes at the old firebender, Zuko groaned and stormed out of the teashop. The ships repairs had been dealt with quickly enough. He had the engineer's word that any future malfunctions would be a sign from Agni himself that this journey was cursed. Zuko snorted at his thoughts.
'Of course this journey is cursed. It's mine, after all. And Uncle's wrong; the quicker we get off of this damn island, the sooner we can find the Avatar and return to the Fire Nation. To my place at my father's side.'
Zuko slowed down, his stomping turning into a wandering gait. He glanced up at the sky and scowled.
'Damn Uncle and his damn obsession with hot leaf juice. Why doesn't he understand the urgency behind this journey? Why can't he understand that I need to redeem myself? He threw away his chance for glory but there's no way I'm going to let him take mine away!'
Zuko came to an abrupt halt, stunned by his train of thought.
'No… he's not trying to sabotage my journey. He's here to support me and offer help. Even if it's in the most misguided way. And he didn't throw away his chance for glory… He was being a good father to Lu Ten. He was mourning his son. He was showing his love for him… just like…'
The sound of a crash jarred Zuko from his thoughts once more. A young boy had just dropped a crate of cabbages as he helped his father pack up their stall and load whatever they didn't sell onto a rickety wooden cart.
"Dad! I'm so sorry!" He ran, trying to pick up as many heads of cabbage before they rolled too far in the dirt.
The boy's father placed his hand on his son's shoulder and Zuko felt the pang of pain in his left eye as he winced in preparation of the boy's scolding.
"It's okay, son. It was an accident. I'll clean this up. Why don't you go home to your mother? She must have dinner ready by now; it's nearly nightfall."
Zuko's brow furrowed at the man's words. Before he could dwell on the manner in which he acted towards his son, his last few words echoed in Zuko's mind. He turned his gaze upwards and he saw that although it was still light out, the sun was no longer visible on the horizon and darkness was beginning to overtake the orange and pink hues of the sky.
He sighed. "Uncle better have finished. We have to leave now. I gave the crew orders to be prepared to leave at sunset," he murmured to himself.
Making his way back to the ship, Zuko was pleased to see his Uncle laughing jovially with one of the crewmembers on deck. He signaled for them to lift the walkway and begin to set sail. As the crew began to carry out his orders, one man hurried towards Zuko, bowing clumsily.
"Speak."
"Forgive me, Prince Zuko, but we can't just leave yet."
Glaring at him, Zuko demanded, "Why not?"
"Your highness, your servant has failed to return to the ship. The girl."
Unprepared for the myriad of emotions that raced through him, Zuko's jaw clenched in annoyance as his brow furrowed and his stomach dropped in confusion and fear. He had explicitly told her to return to the ship by sunset, hadn't he? And Katara had assured him that she'd be back, hadn't she? She promised that she'd come back and that she wouldn't run.
'Of course she'd say that. What person in their right mind would admit that they're escaping to their captor?' an evil, snide voice whispered in his mind. It sounded, at least to him, eerily similar to Azula.
Zuko growled in anger and turned to march back down the walkway to see that they had already lifted it completely. "Lower it again!" he roared.
Iroh came to his side. "Prince Zuko, what's wrong?"
Zuko ignored him and brushed off the hand he put on his shoulder, waiting impatiently for the crew to follow his orders. As soon as the ship was once more connected to the dock, Zuko stomped down and back through the village. Back at the clearing full of vendors, he was irritated to note that nearly all of them had managed to pack up and go home. One of the few who remained was an elderly woman who was taking her time to pack up her fruit stand.
"You! Old woman! Have you seen a girl with dark brown hair and blue eyes pass by here?"
The woman glared at him and as Zuko's glare intensified, she relented. "I may have. She was very pretty… you don't forget eyes like hers. She bought a Moon peach from me and last I saw her, she was wandering down that pathway."
Zuko grunted at her in acknowledgement before tearing down that pathway. 'Is Katara crazy? She has no idea where she's heading and she blindly wanders away from public areas? How could she be so reckless? I should have just left her to teach her a lesson…'
His pace slowed and he ran a hand through his hair in exasperation. "No," he murmured. "I couldn't have."
He kept walking along the path, the realization dawning on him that it led to a cluster of small homes, their windows gently lit by the soft light of candles and torches and with the occasional sound of a child's laughter. As Zuko stood to ponder why Katara would have wandered here, a familiar looking blur collided into him and was thrown back from the collision, muttering a quick apology.
"Sorry!"
Katara steadied herself, her arms splayed out to regain her balance. Just before she took off again, Zuko lunged and captured her wrist in his hand. She immediately recoiled and jerked her hand back, but his grip held fast.
"Hey! Let go!"
Before Zuko could explain to her that it was him, Katara dropped low to the ground and when the change in levels took him by surprise, he nearly toppled over. Katara took this moment of instability to sweep her leg across his ankles and knock him over, jerking her hand away from him successfully. Zuko finally did topple over and landed onto his back with a hard thud that took the wind out of him. He groaned and saw her take off, running down the path. He groaned once more before getting back onto his feet and chasing after her.
He was able to catch up to her quickly and reached out his arm to wrap around her waist and tugged her towards him. He heard her harsh exhalation as she was pulled back. She thrashed against his hold and kicked her legs up in the air in an effort to struggle out of his arm. He tightened his hold but immediately loosened it when he heard her soft grunt of discomfort. Before she could run again, he took hold of both of her shoulders and spun her around quickly, locking eyes with her, his angry glare meeting her steely gaze.
"What the hell do you think you were doing?!"
The animosity in Katara's gaze vanished and she gasped. "Zuko?"
"Answer me, Katara! What were you doing?"
"What?" She was flustered and blinked rapidly up at him in confusion. "What was I doing? I was on my way back to the docks! I lost track of time and then when you grabbed my wrist, I just reacted!" She sighed. "I didn't know it was you," she whispered.
Katara was unsettled by the hard look on Zuko's face. "Are you sure you aren't trying to escape?"
"Escape?" she scoffed, "You make it sound as if I'm your prisoner. And no, I wasn't!"
Zuko loosened his grip and his expression turned sorrowful. "But aren't you?"
"No, I wasn't!" she insisted.
Zuko frowned. 'That's not what I was asking, Katara.'
A speculative look appeared on Katara's face as she furrowed her brow in a mixture of bewilderment and anxiety. "Zuko?" she asked meekly. "I wasn't trying to run away," she repeated. "I've told you. I'm not going anywhere. I hope you think of me as a friend, not just your…" she made a face, "… servant."
Turning away from her, Zuko released her shoulders and strode away from her purposefully.
Katara was frozen to the spot, her confusion growing. "Zuko?"
"We're late," he called back tersely. "We need to hurry to even try and get back on schedule."
Slowly shaking her head, Katara looked behind her to see a small group of people who had come out of their homes to investigate the noises and yelling. She smiled at them reassuringly and most of them reentered their houses except for two figures that Katara knew would be Asha and Aiko. Katara gave them a short wave before making her way towards the dock.
"What do you mean we can't set sail?!" Zuko shouted. "You said yourself that there would be no more malfunctions!"
The ship's engineer winced and slightly shrunk away from the young prince's temper. He nervously wrung his hands together.
"Your highness, the ship is in perfect condition, I assure you. The issue at hand is the upcoming storm—"
"You're telling me that this ship can't withstand some rain?" Zuko snarled.
"Prince Zuko."
Iroh's voice cut through the tension and he stepped between Zuko and the engineer, forcing Zuko away. "This man is not a fool and he is acting in the benefit of everyone on board. Look for yourself! Look up at the sky and tell me if you still think it wise to set sail."
His jaw clenched, Zuko pushed past both his uncle and the engineer and made way towards his cabin below deck. "I don't need to look at the damn sky. Get us moving!"
Katara sighed and shook her head, turning her gaze upwards and frowning at the ominous, overcast sky. Even in the darkness of the evening, Katara could make out the darker spread of clouds approaching in the sky.
"It's really not a good idea to set sail."
"No," Iroh agreed. "But Zuko has the last word on the ship." He hid his arms in his large bell sleeves and closed his eyes. "The best we can do is hope that the spirits are on our side and that the crew is able to handle the storm."
Katara pursed her lips and nodded absently. "I don't understand why he's in such a foul mood. It all started with the message he got this morning."
"My nephew is not the type to move on quickly from such large… developments such as that. Especially when it does not agree with his plans and ideas."
Raising her eyebrows, Katara replied, "He's grasping at straws."
Iroh nodded sagely. "He's desperate for his father's approval and his return home."
The rumble of thunder echoed across the expanse of sea and both Katara and Iroh broke off their conversation to frown at the incoming storm. It wasn't long before rain fell down on them in thick sheets.
"You should retire to your cabin for the night. It will be a very long journey… if we are even able to travel through the rough waves."
Iroh nodded to her before turning towards the worried crewmembers that kept glancing up dark clouds and at each other, hushed whispers being exchanged among them. Katara took one more look at the blackness spreading across the sky and looked back at the shore, her frown deepening with worry for the inhabitants of the small village, including Asha and Aiko.
"Don't be ridiculous, Katara," she muttered to herself. She began to make her way down the ladder to return to her room like Iroh suggested, wringing out her long braid. "They'll be fine; the worse that could happen is some flooding." Katara continued her nervous rambling as she absentmindedly walked through the dimly lit hallways to her room. "The only ones who should worry are the people on this ship because some stubborn bonehead is too arrogant to consider anyone else's safety. He might be okay with risking his life but why risk the lives of thirty other people… no, there have to be more than thirty people on the ship right?"
"Actually, there are forty-eight."
Katara jumped and threw herself back against the wall, her eyes wide and her heart racing.
"Zuko?"
He ignored her and continued, "And I have taken into account their welfare. I'm aware of the storm but I'm fairly confident in the ship and in the crew to make it through." The prince stared at her impassively and that was more unnerving to Katara than his usual temper. He looked away from her and walked past her.
"Maybe you would have been happier if I didn't come and get you from the village then. That way you wouldn't have to deal with an idiot such as myself."
Katara's mouth fell, stunned. She hurried to walk with him, but he seemed to quicken his pace.
"No, Zuko, you're taking this the wrong way—"
"Oh am I?" he retorted coolly.
"Don't be like this—"
He stopped and turned to look at her. "Like what? Like a 'stubborn bonehead'? Like a desperate little boy? Like an inconsiderate, arrogant, spoiled prince?" He laughed bitterly. "Newsflash Katara: that's exactly what I am and no matter how hopeful and idealistic you may be about seeing the good in other people, you need to realize that that is the real me so stop trying to understand me because you can't."
Katara stood in silence, watching him march away, too shocked to try to respond or chase after him. She was taken out of her reverie when a crewmember pushed past her, running down the hallway towards where she knew the ship's mechanics worked to maintain the path of the ship. Three other men, moving with equal, if not more, urgency, soon followed him.
'The storm must be really bad…'
Katara looked down at the water droplets still on her arms and hair purposefully. She lifted her right hand and moved it away from her body while bringing all of her fingers together and it was as if she pulled the water off of her body and she now suspended it before her. Immediately, she turned back and hurried to climb up the ladder that brought her up onto the deck.
As soon as she pushed to open the hatch that allowed her onto the deck, a strong gust of wind blew it open and Katara was quickly sprayed with a mist of water and her hair was thrown around her as loose strands were pulled from her braid by the wind. She struggled against the wind to climb out of the hatch and close it. Once she stood upright, Katara crossed her forearms in front of her face to shield it from the freezing raindrops that hit her fast and felt like tiny needles. Moving quickly, she swung her arms around her to form a protective dome around her. Trudging to the edge of the side, swaying and nearly falling several times as powerful waves rocked the ship, Katara took a deep breath before she dropped the dome and felt the water drench her as she used her Waterbending to push back the large waves that threatened to capsize the ship. Just as she had finished successfully thwarting one, she had to turn around and do the same on the other side. She grunted as a wave she didn't catch rocked the ship at its bow, nearly tossing the ship vertically and causing Katara to stop her bending to grab onto the railing lest be thrown down and slide towards the back.
Pulling herself up, Katara froze the water on the deck around her feet to anchor her in place. Determination lit her eyes as she raised her arms to push back another oncoming wave.
Zuko snarled under his breath and cursed as a particularly strong wave managed to roll him off of the cot and onto the floor. He slammed his palm on the floor before getting to his feet unsteadily. A smaller jolt had him leaning on the wall.
"Damn it!"
'Uncle and the others were right. I was being irrational and I put us into danger and now we're stuck. I… I need to go check on Katara and apologize.'
He threw open his door much harder than he meant to, holding onto the doorknob to avoid falling over. He zigzagged between the two walls of the hallway as he made his way to Katara's room, his arms stretched out to their full span in an attempt to grip both walls and avoid being tossed. Finally reaching Katara's door, Zuko knocked and waited.
And waited.
He frowned at the closed door.
'Could she be sleeping?'
He reached out to open the door and hesitated before he turned the knob and cracked it open to peek in. Zuko opened it further and stared at the empty room in confusion.
'What? There's nowhere else to go unless she was reckless enough to go on deck.' Zuko groaned in exasperation. 'Reckless? And Katara? She's definitely on deck.'
He hurried to the ladder, stumbling several times as the ship was thrown about and had to grip the ladder tightly as he climbed. When he pushed against the hatch, the wind would shove it back down. He growled at the metal door and kept constant pressure on it until the wind suddenly changed direction and flung it open. Zuko climbed out before the wind changed direction once more and closed the hatch on him. Constantly wiping his face to see was useless as the rain kept coming and obscuring his vision.
Making his way to the railing, he inched along the perimeter of the ship until he saw Katara standing near the railing opposite him. Zuko was about to call out her name when his blood ran cold and he froze. He watched a huge wave rise on her side and appeared like it would crash on her.
"Katara!"
She didn't appear to hear him over the patter of the rain on metal and the roar of the waves.
"Katara!" he cried more insistently.
Katara finally seemed to hear him and turned her back on the wave just as he was about let go of the railing and run to her. He froze when he took notice of the ice encasing her feet up to her ankles and finally noticed her arms raised up.
Katara's expression turned to one of fear and she turned her body completely towards him and she quickly moved her arms, raising them high above her head before thrusting them forwards, as if she were pushing something away from her. Zuko frowned in confusion since there was nothing in front of her. He turned around and saw the large wave that would have crashed down on him if it wasn't pushed in the opposite direction. Understanding dawned on his expression and before he could react, his own expression darkened since in her effort to save him, Katara forgot about the wave on her side.
The tower of water fell down on her and she went down, disappearing in the flood of water. Zuko immediately let go and did his best to slide his way towards her since he couldn't run over the slippery surface. The water receded and his stomach dropped when he saw her limp frame being dragged with it, nearly slamming into the railing. He dove onto his stomach and reached his arms to grab her and turned them so that he hit his back against the railing. The momentum kept pulling at her lower half, which was able to fit in the space between the railing and the deck.
Holding her securely with one arm, Zuko grunted as he reached his free arm out to pull in her legs and curl them against her body, which in turn was curled against his. He noticed that one of her ankles was bruised and he cursed, realizing that she must have broken it when the wave forced her down while she was still encased in the ice.
Zuko struggled to his feet, carrying Katara and shifting her over his shoulder as he carefully made his way to the hatch and down the ladder with one arm, rushing immediately to the infirmary.
Edited April 2019