Note: The divine Chapter 11 graces us all with his/her magnificent presence that is unparalleled to the universe. (o_O) *what in the name of Agni Kai is this leechi nutcase talking about?*
Ahem*puts on serious face… Well. Like the first sentence says. Chapter 11 is finally upon us! GAH. My classes are starting again…(sobs uncontrollably) so I'll probably be really, unbelievably slow in updating.. But please do bear with me and be patient! Writing FF's is really starting to get very…jolting. If that makes sense. (Doubt it.)
Hopefully ya'll enjoyed the Chapter before this… And remember, they all continue from the version of Chapter 8.2. (Just a friendly reminder.)
Oh and there's a teeny bitty surprise appearance here! Guess who? *winks.
Zuko cursed the fact that the Palace was so big. Why did it have to be so big again? Besides meeting halls, throne rooms and ballrooms aside... What was the need of having such a large abode? He searched through each room, each corridor, behind each door… No one.
'They also plan to kill the Avatar and his comrades…'
Kahn's words rang in his ears noisily as he desperately tried to find his friends. And most importantly, Katara. No way was he getting her hurt again. Not under his roof. Not in his Nation. Heck, not anywhere on the map for that matter!
His thoughts clouded his head as he kept thinking of what to do… His legs aching with all his running… He was so busy looking into each door and room that he didn't even pay attention to the view in front.
"AGH!"
"HEY!"
Zuko crashed onto the floor after running into something...or someone. His rear slammed against the hard marble floors, hitting his spine hard. The impact knocked a breathy grunt out of him. He then turned his focus to who or what he had bumped into. His golden eyes then met vacant, clouded ones.
"Ay Sparky! Watch it will ya!" Toph yelled, her voice stained with annoyance as she stood up and rubbed her back, wincing every now and again. "What's up with you? You're like all over the place! You have eyes, aren't you supposed to not bump into people?"
" Sorry," Zuko muttered, standing up and brushing some invisible dust off his clothes. "Toph, where are all the others?"
"They're around…" Toph mumbled, shrugging slightly. "I was looking for the kitchen to get some water. Suki's hiding somewhere around the courtyard resting. We had a bender vs. warrior duel just now. And whoa, hey, Zuko! What's up with the heart rate? You're a nervous wreck! And what's with the heavy panting? What in Fire Nation have you been doing?"
Zuko groaned and grabbed Toph by the shoulders, shaking her slightly, his topaz eyes growing wide.
"Toph. This is serious. There are rebels attacking the Fire Nation," he said firmly. "Their loyalties lie with Ozai and Azula. They're planning to attack the Palace at any time. They want to kill Aang and all of you. All of us!"
Toph's milky eyes widened as well, as Zuko released his grip on her.
"Well. Judging from all the vibrations… I can pretty much tell where they are right now… Let's just round them up and tell them," Toph said calmly. "Jeez, you're really hyped up about this, aren't you?"
Zuko sighed. He just didn't want anyone else to get hurt. Not uncle… Not Aang… Not Toph… Not any of his friends… Not Katara… Oh Spirits, definitely not Katara… If she was in any sort of danger... He would never forgive himself.
Toph then nodded, as if she understood the firebender's sudden silence. She then grabbed his arm forcefully, tugging at him.
"Come on. I found Aang and Suki. Sokka's probably with Katara. He went looking for her when I was dueling with Suki," Toph urged, and started running with Zuko in tow.
Seconds later, they found Suki and Aang in the courtyard, chatting as they lounged on the smooth, heated ground.
"AANG!" Zuko called, waving his right arm wildly at the two as he and Toph approached them. Aang immediately shot up from his seat, his eyes innocently wide.
"Zuko! What's up?" he asked coolly. The Avatar then saw how the Fire Lord was huffing and puffing crazily but the Palace was still not blown down. Sweat dripped off his forehead as he leaned against his bent knees, gasping for air due to all the running and thinking. "Is…everything okay?"
"NO," Zuko gasped, before straightening up and clearing his throat. "Aang, where are Sokka and Katara? We need to talk… NOW."
"ZUKO!" An all too familiar female voice called from behind him. Zuko immediately turned around, and felt a partial weight lifted off his shoulders when he saw Katara, alive and running towards him, with Sokka following closely behind. But something nagged at him painfully.
Katara's blue eyes were wide and worried. The expression on her face meshed with worry and questioning. Something told him that Kahn could've told her first. Without even caring about his little audience or his aching legs, Zuko then raced forward towards Katara and immediately enveloped her in a tight embrace as her arms flung themselves around his neck, her face buried in his shoulder. Sokka stiffened slightly at their sudden intimacy, and Suki quickly went over to him, eyeing him cautiously with a reassuring hand on his arm.
Once Zuko had inhaled his fill of Katara's wintry scent, he pulled back, relieved that she was okay… And nothing had happened. Yet.
"Is it true?" she asked him immediately. Zuko frowned and nodded.
"Great. We finally get some peace and quiet and now a whole bunch of rebels are after our necks!" Sokka exclaimed, throwing his arms into the air.
"Rebels? What are you talking about?" Suki questioned, raising an eyebrow at Zuko.
"Apparently there's a growing rebel group that is still very much loyal to Ozai and Azula," Katara explained, before Zuko could. "Some of their riots managed to kill and injure a lot of the Fire Nation citizens. They're planning to invade the Palace and kill us all. Revenge and loyalty, you know? But they're still recruiting… Spirits know when they're planning to attack…"
"Did Advisor Kahn tell you this?" Zuko asked Katara. She nodded.
"Just a few minutes ago actually…"
"Me and Suki are getting on great… I'm planning to go with her back to Ba Sing Se as she continues all that Kyoshi Warrior thing with that…circus girl… Ty Mee? The one that used to be one of Azula's cohorts…" Sokka told Katara, as they walked through the Palace foyer. They had stopped by Katara's room for a while so that she could heal herself, and had decided to just talk a walk and have a nice, much needed sibling-to-sibling talk.
"It's Ty Lee," Katara corrected him. "And wow that's great! I really haven't figured out what I want to do yet… Maybe help Zuko's uncle in the tea shop or something like that… Get a job?"
Sokka nodded. "Why don't you train with Master Pakku? I'm sure our new Gramps-Master would love to train you. You could be the next Master Waterbender! From the Southern Water Tribe!"
Katara grinned at the thought of being the first Master Waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe… It had a nice ring to it too. And she bet that Pakku…or Grandpa Pakku would be quite shocked that she'd learned two new waterbending skills… Unless of course, he already knew about them… That would really ruin the surprise.
"Anyway… Sokka… I need to tell you something… Something else," Katara mumbled, rubbing her arms with her hands heatedly. She knew she just had to get over it before she exploded or something.
"What?" her brother asked. "You can totally join me and Suki back if you want."
"No it's not that…" Katara muttered, looking at Sokka straight in the eye. The Water Tribesman suddenly grew nervous. Why was his sister looking at him like that? Did something happen?
The waterbender fiddled with a small strand of her hair nervously, before taking in probably one of the deepest breaths she'd ever taken.
"What do you think about me…and…Zuko?" she asked, her eyes darting from the hall in front of her to Sokka, and back again.
The young man was silent for a second, but managed to keep walking. Katara…and Zuko? What was going on between those two? In the earlier times he would've literally been stunned into oblivion. But the hotheaded prince had come a long way. His trust had been tested and proven several times. He'd helped them. He'd saved his little sister…
"Why do you ask?" Sokka finally replied, keeping his eyes straight. It felt…odd, in a way. He also worried, ever since the whole incident with Jet. The very mention of the former Freedom Fighter's name left an unpleasant taste in his tongue.
Katara bit her lower lip, wondering how this conversation would turn out.
"Well… I…like him, Sokka… I really, really like and care about him. And well, the thing is. It's mutual…" she mumbled, trying to put in words that sounded more intelligent.
"When did this start? I thought…well… I thought you and Aang…" Sokka trailed off, not wanting to dig into the details. Talking about his little sister and relationships were most definitely not his best. These were one of those particular times when he really wished their mother was still here with them.
Katara sighed, knowing that Sokka would immediately question about her relationship with Aang.
"Well, things change, Sokka… I just realized…that I just didn't feel that way about Aang… But I do love him as a best friend. Or a little brother. Plus recently he told me that his feelings for me have diminished anyway…" Katara explained slowly. "I think he likes Toph now… And I also think that is mutual for him. With Zuko…it's different. We're like opposites… From our elements to our social status even though dad is Chief. But we have similarities besides having lost…mothers…" The last memory of her mother during The Southern Raiders then flashed through her mind like lightning. Katara then bit her lower lip harder, until she tasted the rusty flavor of blood. Tears started forming in her eyes as they threatened to spill over.
Sokka saw the sadness in Katara's eyes when she'd mentioned their mother. He then stopped and pulled her in for a hug.
"It's okay…" he said softly, but Katara was still determined not to cry, despite the fact that her body had started shuddering violently. "Mom's not gone… She's proud of you. All of us. Look at what we've done so far. If she was with us right now, she'd probably tell you to just follow your heart. Follow your instincts. I…know you're not my baby sister anymore Katara. You're more than capable in making your own choices. You know I totally believe in you. If you're happy, I'm happy."
Katara stopped shuddering instantly as her eyes suddenly widened, letting some of her unwept tears spill over. She then pushed her brother away slightly to look at him. Sokka had a brotherly smile on his face, which made her heart jump with happiness.
But then Sokka's face crumpled into what looked like a playful frown.
"But if Mr. High and Mighty Fire Lord does anything kooky or hurts you in any way, you have to let me know. Or Aang. Or Toph. Me and Aang and Toph. We can kick his royal butt out of here anytime," Sokka said, waving his finger in the air. "Me and Aang and Toph and Suki. We can all bust his firebending tuckus no problem!"
Katara giggled and hugged her brother. "Thank you, Sokka," she whispered, before quickly pulling back again. Sokka then grinned and placed his arm around his sister again.
"Just ease up on any mushy stuff between you two, 'kay?" Sokka asked. "I might need some getting used to… You know… Former enemy and now Fire Lord chasing after you and all…"
She was about to answer Sokka until she saw one of Zuko's trusted advisors, Kahn approaching them quickly. Something about him worried her. The way Kahn panted and ran… The way a bucket-full of sweat was dripping off his face. His dark-ochre eyes slightly bloodshot and wide.
"Lady Katara!" he gasped, finally slowing down as he came closer towards the siblings. Sokka frowned and stepped protectively in front of Katara.
"Advisor… Kahn?" Katara mumbled, pushing Sokka away. She then looked at the exhausted man. "What happened? Is everything alright?"
But Kahn shook his head. "No, Miss. I'm afraid I have bad news that is to be delivered to you and the Avatar very urgently. From Fire Lord Zuko." Kahn explained, taking in short, ragged breaths. "Rebels, Miss. Rebels in the Fire Nation. They're ruthlessly skilled firebenders who remain forever loyal to the former Fire Lord Ozai and Lady Azula. They plan to kill you and your friends. Especially the Avatar and the Fire Lord. Some of their riots managed to cause quite a small amount of deaths and injured people. You must either leave immediately or stay in the Palace where it is safest in the Fire Nation. They are recruiting more firebenders now. It's extremely dangerous for any of you to be here right now."
Sokka was about to speak until Katara quickly cut him off.
"Are you su…?"
"No. We will not leave the Fire Lord and his people here to battle these…rebels alone," Katara said fiercely and firmly, stepping in front of Sokka completely. "Neither will any of us leave. We won't abandon anyone here. Thank you for telling us this, Advisor Kahn. I appreciate this very much."
Kahn then bowed before walking away, relieved that he told some of his Fire Lord's companions. He then exited the hall to gather more information about the current matter.
Katara quickly swiveled around to face Sokka, nearly shocking him in the process. Her expression was hard but worried at the same time.
"We have to find Aang and the others," she said, before grabbing her brother's arm and dragging him off.
"So what's the plan?" Suki asked, folding her arms across her chest. "I don't think we should just sit here and wait for them… We don't even know who they are or what they look like!"
Zuko pondered on it for a moment. It was extremely risky to leave the Palace…unless they had spot-on disguises… But that would also be quite difficult…
"I had Kahn help me gather more information about these…rebels…" Zuko said, eyeing the group. "But Suki is right. We can't just sit around. But leaving the Palace is very risky. It also leaves us more vulnerable. And disguises aren't that simple…"
"What's so scary about a bunch of rebels?" Toph huffed. "They're just firebenders. Twinkle Toes here took out your dad! The apparently not-so-great Fire Lord Ozai! What's so dangerous and risky about tackling some rebels to the ground? Finally, we get some after war action around here!"
"Yeah, but we knew about Ozai's plans…" Aang said, placing a hand on the earthbender's shoulder. "Now we only know that there are rebels. And like Suki said, we don't know who they are or what they look like."
"But we can try disguising ourselves and going into the town," Katara piped up. "I'm sure there are ways to hide our identities. We can just find out from the civilians there. It's better than being a sitting duck, waiting and egging them on to come and strike. And it's also clearer for us. Just in case."
Zuko immediately stiffened when Katara had suggested that. That was one of the last things he wanted her to do. Katara and Sokka were the ones that mostly stuck out like a sore thumb. Their mere skin color was a dead giveaway. That and he might not be able to protect her… Even though he knew that the others were far more than capable in doing so. Not to mention that she was no damsel in distress.
"I'm with Sugar Queen with this one," Toph said, nudging Zuko's side. "We should at least sneak in and out for a short while. Whenever we're here we should train. Just in case."
Zuko sighed and pressed his thumb and index finger against his nose bridge. He knew he couldn't let his personal feelings get in the way of his judgment. It wouldn't be right as Fire Lord.
"Alright," he agreed finally. "Is anybody here a master at disguises?"
Suddenly, all eyes were on Suki. Since she was a Kyoshi Warrior, she had to wear the traditional make up as part of the whole role. Suki had to know at least a little on disguising one's self with those things.
The Kyoshi Warrior's eyes widened. "What? Me? Kyoshi Warrior make up is just white paint on the face and color around the eyes! I'm not exactly some sort of…appearance witch or something."
"Yeah but you're our best bet!" Sokka exclaimed. "We don't need drastic makeovers… Just a little to let us slip by unknown rebels!"
After a few minutes of pleading, Suki finally relented. She then grabbed Katara and Toph by the arms enthusiastically.
"Come on! All the stuff's in my room!" she said, and dragged the two benders off, darting towards the direction of her room, leaving the three males standing by, watching them leave.
Aang, Sokka and Zuko then looked at each other almost awkwardly, wondering what would be the outcome of this. And who was Suki's next victim... They might as well disguise themselves on their own instead of just waiting for the girls.
"Oh well, this'll be interesting…" Aang mumbled, scratching his head, shooting the other two guys a meek smile. But Sokka and Zuko weren't all too excited about being 'face-painted', even though it was to protect their identities…
Zuko was about to say something until he saw a tall, thin, familiar yet poker-faced figure walk towards them. An almost stick-like silhouette dressed in brown and black.
"I know I don't seem like the kind who would do it… But...need any help?"
"Hold still, Toph! You're wriggling too much!" Suki chastised, gently brushing the earthbender's dark black hair. She struggled with the younger girl's hair since she didn't really put much care into appearances. Her comb now held knotted strands of Toph's hair, who simply winced and twitched about with each comb.
Katara and Toph had been dragged into Suki's room, which was just the typical dark red Fire Nation guest bedrooms, but being more ornate than what they were usually used to. Even Toph. Suki had decided to work on Toph first, since she was the tomboy of the group, hence, needed more help. Her rugged personality would definitely give her away.
"YOW!" she shrieked, tears threatening to spill over her cheeks. She felt her hair literally being ripped out of her scalp. "WATCH IT! GENTLY! I MAY BE HARD AS ROCK BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN… OW!"
Katara couldn't help but chuckle at how Toph looked getting combed by the Kyoshi Warrior. Suki's face crumpled into one of determination as she yanked gently at all the tangled up hair.
After a few long, painful minutes, Toph's hair was finally at a manageable state. Toph melted off her seat, rubbing her throbbing scalp while groaning. The girl's once messy hair now lay straight and sleek, reaching down to her shoulders.
Suki sighed, wiping some sweat off her forehead, before turning to Katara. She then gestured to the seat.
"Go on. Your turn," she said. But Katara simply shook her head. Suki looked almost...scary at the moment.
"I don't need help in that department," Katara said almost slyly, smiling. She then pawed through Suki's dresser, that had most of her Kyoshi Warrior make up. There was a large jar of white face paint and a covered bowl of powder to match. A few small jars of pigments laid scattered around and some floral oils that were also tinted with the slightest colors. Katara was quite surprised to see Suki had so much. And some of them bore typical Fire Nation colors.
Suki nodded, knowing that Katara could be really girly when she wanted to. She then turned towards Toph, who cringed when she felt Suki move.
"Now what?" she groaned.
"Well…all of us need Fire Nation attire. We should at least wear something slightly regal… Or whatnot..." Suki mused, eyeing Toph up and down, taking in her perfectly combed through hair to her dirt covered feet.
"You girls need help?" A monotonous voice suddenly called at the doorstep. Instantly, the three girls' heads spun around to face the person.
"Mai?" Katara gasped, her eyes widening at the ever-expressionless girl that leaned against the doorframe, her arms folded neatly across her chest. As usual, her face looked like it was carved from stone.
But the way the three girls had responded to the girl's presence shockingly made Mai crack a grin. Her presence wasn't all that shocking, but the fact that Mai was grinning really stunned them.
"What are you doing here?" Suki asked sharply, still having a hard time trusting her ever since the Boiling Rock. She didn't care how close she was to the Fire Lord or to Ty Lee, she didn't like it one bit.
Mai then straightened up and approached them, her hands raised slightly, letting her loose sleeves fall to her elbows. Katara and Suki then could see that her arms were completely bare. No weaponry, no daggers… Nothing.
"Look, Zuko said you girls needed some help. I know about the rebels…" Mai explained. "No need to get all hostile." She then turned to face Katara. "I don't bear any hard feelings towards any of you."
Katara felt her stomach churn. It was awkward just thinking about Mai…let alone be in the same room with her.
"How do we know we can trust you?" Suki nearly snapped, obviously not afraid of expressing her discomfort for the taciturn girl.
But the knife-thrower simply shrugged and walked over to them, pushing her long sleeves up as if she was about to get her hands dirty.
"Then don't," Mai simply told Suki dully. "I don't really have much of a reason to subdue you anyway…" she then turned to Katara again. "Like I said, I don't have any hard feelings. For any of you. Besides, I'm a governor's daughter. I would know a thing or two about looking fancy."
All three girls squinted at Mai, even Toph, despite her blindness.
"Well, the one with the drawl ain't lying that's for sure," Toph piped up, her feet sandpapering the floor. "I'm fine with having her around if she isn't throwing knives at our heads."
"Are you sure?" Suki asked the earthbender, still scowling slightly at Mai, who simply examined her long, sharp, red-painted nails. Toph nodded silently and Suki turned towards Katara, who just shrugged.
"Fine. You can help with Katara then. I'll handle Toph," Suki said, and quickly dragged Toph into the bathroom. Once she'd closed the doors, the muffled sounds of Toph's wails and complaints started to pierce the air.
Help with Katara? The waterbender thought, panicking silently. But she strained to keep herself totally composed and put on a totally stoic façade on her face, mimicking her…stylist.
"Where do we start?" she asked Mai, a little awkwardly. To her surprise, Mai simply eyed Katara up and down before cracking a tiny grin.
Within minutes, Katara had found herself being led into another room. But it was much larger and more ornate than any of the other rooms she'd seen. The dresser was complete with everything a vain girl could imagine. The large, full-length windows allowed generous amounts of sunlight to beam through, lighting up the entire room beautifully. But there was something about the room that bugged her. Maybe it was because of the large mirror that had been shattered as if someone had smashed through it.
"This was Azula's old room," Mai explained, her voice dripping with boredom as always. She then rummaged through the wardrobe. "That would explain the mirror…"
Katara's jaw nearly dropped to the ground as she continued looking around. This was her room? It was…gorgeous. But then again, Azula was royalty…
Once Mai had finished rummaging through 'Azula's' wardrobe, she swiftly pulled out a kimono-style dress. The entire frock was deep burgundy with ink-black trimmings and long, wide sleeves like Mai had. The waist was tightly cinched as if there was a corset compressing the area. But instead it had a bright, blood-red sash tied firmly around it.
"This was hers?" Katara gasped, fingering the silky fabric. The sash felt thick and stiff, but up-close Katara could see that there were some large, flowery designs printed onto the sash. The top was like a semi-hard, almost protective vest, with very slightly pointed shoulders. The skirt of the dress also had two slits at the sides, probably for easy movement. But the slit was enough to not bare too much skin.
Mai nodded. "Azula was always demanding for nice dresses and things, but never really got to wear them. She'd only wear them during formal occasions. I think this would suit you just fine."
Katara smiled and took the dress gingerly, still admiring it. Mai watched as the water bender kept fingering the fabric, as if it was one of the most wondrous things she'd ever seen.
"It's just a dress…" Mai muttered uninterestedly, raising an eyebrow. She then walked over to the intricately carved dresser, going through the objects that sat on it.
Katara gazed at Mai, her back towards her. "Well… It's a lovely dress…" Katara said slowly, taking off her mother's necklace after placing the dress onto a large bed. She never liked taking it off… But it was risky for her to go out with it. It was one of the things that would give her identity away. "I don't live a life like Azula's. Or yours. You're probably used to getting nice things like this often."
Mai's hands froze over the dresser momentarily. It was true… Her father and mother had managed to give her nice things all the time… Both her little brother Tom-Tom and herself had often been surrounded with those luxuries.
The impassive girl then swiveled around quickly, nearly surprising Katara.
"You're right," she said firmly. "I've been given material items pretty much all the time growing up. I wouldn't know how people…like you would react to those things. I wonder if Zuko found that endearing."
Katara frowned. So much for being okay with the whole thing… But surprisingly, Mai's eyes had widened and she shook her head slightly, causing her thick black bangs to shake.
"Sorry. I shouldn't act like this. It isn't proper," Mai said quickly. "I still have my pride, after all."
Katara bit her lower lip and averted her gaze. Maybe the knife-thrower didn't seem so bad after all… Perhaps it was just…instinctual?
"You know I am sorry if you feel hurt in anyway… Mai…" the waterbender said quietly, meeting Mai's almond-shaped eyes. "I don't know what sort of relationship you and Zuko had… But I didn't mean…"
"Spare me the sympathy, Katara," Mai said, smirking slightly. Katara would always feel surprised whenever Mai cracked a grin, a smirk or even an actual smile. It was odd to her. "Yes, I do feel a little…stung by the ordeal but I don't control his emotions. Nor do I control yours. I'll get over it… It's really not a very big deal."
Katara then tilted her head to her side and smiled crookedly. Maybe…just maybe…she could actually befriend the knife-thrower.
"Now let's not waste any time…" Mai drawled, back to her expressionless self. "You all wanted to go undercover, no? I think it's extremely smart but unbelievably risky as well…" she then took a tiny vial from the dresser. It was dark purple with a pointy cap. "Azula got this from some weird witch-lady back in Ba Sing Se. She's got a whole lot of them. They change the color of your eyes temporarily. Your blue eyes really are a dead give away. Totally safe. I even let Ty Lee experiment on me once."
Katara flushed slightly as she hid aside her mother's necklace safely that she'd been clenching onto. Mai then led her towards the dresser again, sitting her down on a padded chair. The black-haired girl then leaned a large, circular mirror in front of Katara as she combed through her dark brown hair. Her small, quick fingers working through the dark chestnut silk.
"Mai… If you don't mind me asking…" Katara began, her voice low and curious. She looked at the older girl through the mirror. And blue met golden brown.
"Sure. Whatever," Mai mumbled, her eyes darting back to combing Katara's hair, as if it was the most important task ever. She then swiftly grabbed a gold headpiece that had a small Fire Nation insignia on it before securing it around a half-topknot that she'd done on Katara's head. Without a moment's hesitation, she grabbed the two large pieces of hair that framed Katara's face and pinned them back. The speed of her work impressed Katara.
"How come you're so… Why don't you…" Katara stammered, trying to think of the right words. But all the suitable words seemed so…harsh.
"Why am I like this? All bored and dull-like?" Mai asked calmly. "It's alright, Katara… I know I'm like that. There is a reason behind it as well…"
"It's alright if it's personal," Katara said quickly. "I don't mean to pry… I was just curious 's all."
Then something spilled out of Mai's thin lips that literally stunned Katara. She chuckled. It was a low, throaty chuckle but it still counted. The waterbender then eyed Mai through the mirror, who had a wide smirk on her face. Mai then grabbed a small pot of what looked like pale, almost white powder and started dusting it all over Katara's complexion, creating a slightly paler canvas since most Fire Nation women were quite ashen-faced.
"It's okay," Mai said coolly. "I should…know more people… Get myself new friends… Or choose better ones at least… You seem alright. After all, you managed to get the hard-headed Zuko to fall for you. Or maybe I was just bored..."
Katara felt her face heat up, much to Mai's amusement as she gently brushed the powder over her face and neck.
"I was always raised to be…proper," Mai began, and Katara listened intently. "The whole 'no pain, no gain' motto was really what I had to live through. Showing weakness or vulnerability was the most easiest through facial expressions and body language. The whole knife-throwing thing was developed out of boredom really. I wasn't always like this… I guess I just grew into it. You and your…people probably had more…freedom than any of us did. Especially Zuko. My parents always raised me to be one suited for noble blood. Royalty maybe, someday, they had thought. I could have anything I ever wanted as long as I behaved like a proper lady. I guess it really did a number on me."
Even though she was still bewildered at Mai's words, Katara couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She'd never been raised the way Mai had been raised. Mai had been raised in nobility, so it was expected of her to always be on her best behavior. But she'd never expected it to be the reason she was so…stoic.
Once again, to her astonishment, Mai started to chuckle again. At one brief moment, Katara had thought of asking Zuko for a physician to check on her.
"Getting what I wanted made me easily bored by other things, no matter how small or trivial they might seem," Mai continued, putting the powder away and taking the vial that she'd showed Katara earlier. She then had Katara tilt her head back, before catching sight of the doubt and fear that was clear in those blue eyes. "Don't worry, you'll be completely fine. In a few hours the effects will wear off. I won't blind you. You can trust me… I…hope you can trust me. I think I really should get back to trying to be…normal for a change… I think it'll be a nice change… Something different. My mother would like that as well."
Katara smiled and nodded, before letting Mai drip the contents of the vial into her widened eyes. Katara then felt the discomfort of having water in your eyes. But as she blinked, it started to melt away. Relieved that she could still see clearly and that there was no pain or numbness, she straightened her neck and looked into the mirror, a gasp escaping her lips when she caught the sight of her…reflection.
Instead of her usual tan, Katara's complexion had faired greatly with the use of cosmetics. The shade of her skin had lightened incredibly, probably two shades lighter than before. Her dark brown hair had been secured into a neat topknot with a simple headpiece. The rest of her unpinned hair spilled over her shoulders, ending in gorgeous waves.
But what she could not get over were her eyes. Or, the color of them to be exact. Instead of her once bright, sea-blue irises, they had completely taken the color of dark, yellow ochre. Almost gold, but with tiny flecks of brown in them. One part of herself truly felt like she was part of the Fire Nation. It was the most unbelievable sight she'd ever seen.
"Oh…S-Spirits!" Katara breathed, stroking her powdery skin, taking in the ochre-gold hue of her eyes… "Mai… This is… This… I…I look..."
Mai chuckled again. Katara was really getting used to her tiny outbursts. "You know, you could really pass off as a Fire Nation noblewoman," she stated. "I don't really give compliments but you do look nice, Katara. If your face had a few tweaks to it and if your hair was dyed black you could look like…" Mai trailed off, her eyes widening as she realized what she had nearly said.
"Look like who?" the reformed Katara asked.
Mai hesitated before replying. "Zuko's mother."
A small pang stabbed through Katara's body. Really? His mother? She didn't even know what she looked like…
But Mai quickly shook out of her stupor quickly, and reverted back to her impassive state. "Ahem. Well. Looks like we've got you covered… Let's get you into that dress… Time is of the essence if you want clear details about those rebels…" She then smoothly walked over to Azula's old bed and picked up the dress, undoing the sash so that Katara could step into it.
Katara then stood up after taking one last look at her new reflection. Mai then held the dress out towards her. A confused expression masked the knife-thrower's face when Katara didn't take it.
"Thank you, Mai…" Katara said softly, smiling at the older girl. "For all this… You know… I actually think that we can be good friends…"
No longer surprising or stunning Katara, Mai actually smiled genuinely. A faint tint of pink staining her pale cheeks.
"I should thank you as well," Mai replied. "But like I said… Time. Let's just get you in the dress before things turn too…emotional. I don't really go well with that..."
"YUCK! I can't believe you people can take this smell!" Toph shrieked. "UGH! So much…phew! FLOWERS!"
Suki chuckled as Toph practically stumbled out of the bathroom, fragrant steam wafting into the room. Toph was actually dirt-free and perfumed for once. Suki then held out a red tunic with shiny gold trimmings and carefully helped Toph into it. Secretly Toph liked the whole experience. It was like getting pampered. As if she truly was royalty.
"How do you think Katara is?" Suki asked worriedly as she tied a glimmering gold sash around Toph's tiny waist that she envied. "You know…with that…knife-thrower and all… Doesn't she have a thing for Zuko?"
Toph shrugged. "When she was talking to us just now I didn't sense any lies from her. She was totally honest. Plus I don't think she'll have a reason for spearing our butts! Plus if she's here she must've spoken to Zuko... Who knows, she might be hawking on some other royal pain-in-the-butt."
Suki chuckled and quickly worked with Toph's now shiny black hair, gently combing through it before fitting a gold and red headband on her head. She then secured a few ornate hair accessories into Toph's hair, making her look as if she was a noble's daughter.
"So how're you and Sokka doing?" Toph asked, as she sat comfortably on Suki's well cushioned chair, her legs dangling off the sides. Her toes only brushing against the ground.
Suki blushed at the earthbender's words and just focused on giving herself a good disguise. She simply decided to look like a simple Fire Nation commoner, since she'd really had enough of make up on her face as a Kyoshi Warrior. But working on Toph was quite amusing. It was like having her own living doll.
"We're doing great… Once everything's settled, we plan on going back to Ba Sing Se with Ty Lee and the other Kyoshi Warriors," Suki said, fitting herself into a simple, cropped vest. "But we have to make a quick pit stop at Kyoshi Island. Our new recruit is training there for awhile before we really can settle in Ba Sing Se."
"What's Sokka going to do in Ba Sing Se?"
Suki simply shrugged. "He said that he preferred just playing it by ear," she mumbled. "I tell you, Sokka is wonderful and everything but he really has to do something for himself. I heard that he was interested in training the younger warriors in the Southern Water Tribe. But not yet apparently…"
The spunky Blind Bandit rolled her milky eyes, smirking. Typical Snoozles… Always darting from one side to the other…
"Great. Every one of you has their post war future planned out except me!" Toph exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air exasperatedly. She then hopped off the chair, her feet planted onto the floor again. "What is with you people? Isn't there one person here who is lost for choices?"
The Kyoshi Warrior smiled sympathetically and placed two soft objects on the floor in front of Toph, much to the earthbender's confusion.
"Here. They're shoes without soles in them. You're known for seismic sense," Suki explained. "You should at least remotely hide that fact."
Toph then hesitantly slid her feet into the 'shoes'. Once she'd felt the floor beneath her feet, she relaxed comfortably. Shoes never really did do any good for her. She'd be completely blind with them.
Suki then took Toph's place on her chair in front of the dresser, taking the little time to make herself as unrecognizable as possible. Perhaps making herself dirtier? Mud? Soil?
"Hey Toph, you really don't know what you want to do or where to go? I always pegged you as a traveler." Suki said, eyeing the girl through the mirror as she teased her hair slightly.
Toph shrugged and started pacing around the room, her hands behind her back. "I did think about joining Twinkle Toes on his 'travel around the world and see new things' plan but…" Toph then quickly slammed her lips together, realizing what she'd let slip out.
Suki quickly turned to face Toph, her face meshed into an expression of shock and glee.
"You? And Aang? Traveling?" she questioned, grinning playfully. "Ooh, Toph!"
Toph quickly flapped a hand at Suki hurriedly. "SSH! Can it, Suki! It's not like that! He simply offered… I don't know if he was really serious about it…"
Suki rolled her eyes. "Oh please. For someone who can detect lies through the ground. If I don't know any better I'm sensing some opposing elements interest going on like Zuko and Katara!"
Toph felt her heart race against her ribs again, making the earthbender nervous. Did she really feel that way for the Avatar? Was this how it was supposed to be like? All over one night? Really? No… It couldn't…
"Chill, Toph… I was kidding…" Suki said slyly, grinning silently to herself as she stood up, all ready in her 'peasant-glory'. "Come on… We can't let the guys wait. I got a way to hide Zuko's scar. We'll pick this up later. And we have to get Katara too. I don't feel comfortable leaving her for too long with little miss-two-hidden-buns-in-her-head."
Toph chuckled before nodding enthusiastically and followed Suki out of her room. All the while the Blind Bandit's heart thumped noisily in her chest, refusing to pause. She then clamped her hand over her heart as a million questions flew through her mind.
Her? And Aang? Really? Did she like him that way? Did he? Could they? Maybe? Did he? Would he?
"You're really going to wear that?" Zuko asked Sokka skeptically, pointing to some sort of fake beard that clung onto Sokka' face quite unattractively. For some reason Sokka had decided to emerge himself in the world of false hair. But the Water Tribesman simply flaunted it, while in his Fire Nation nobleman attire. The heavy, multi-layered clothes hung on the thinner teen quite like an oversized sack.
"Hey, this baby worked wonders when me and Katara disguised ourselves as Aang's 'parents' one time!" Sokka exclaimed, stroking his 'beard'. "Wang Fire will make his grand entrance once again!"
Wang Fire... Zuko rolled his eyes as he straightened out the wrinkles on his beggar's clothes. He already looked slightly scruffy with his shaggy black hair, why not emphasize it by looking like a simple peasant?
Aang was busy trying on a very peculiar black-haired wig that Sokka had convinced him to wear. He was posing as a Fire Nation kid since he looked younger. But he had to hide his tattoos somehow. The Avatar carefully positioned the mop of hair on his head, trying to make it look like as if it was his own hair. But it felt weird and unbelievably scratchy against his scalp. Not to mention the odd odour...
Zuko watched as Sokka modeled in front of his full-length mirror, admiring his beard proudly. He wondered if Katara had told him about their becoming relationship… Whether Sokka would accept it.
"Hey Sokka can I ask you something?" Zuko asked, scratching his head nervously. Even though he knew that having Katara accept him was enough, there would always be…Sokka.
"Ask away, Your Beggar-ness." Sokka replied in a deeper voice, mimicking an adult's tone.
"It's about Katara…" Zuko mumbled, and Sokka immediately stopped posing in front of the mirror and turned to face him. His expression had turned hard and solemn. Even Aang had stopped to look at Zuko. The Fire Lord turned and caught sight of Aang. Great. Two in one. This was brilliant.
Knowing that he would have to deal with it one way or another, he sighed and opened his mouth to speak. But Sokka quickly raised a hand to stop the Fire Lord.
"I already know, Zuko," Sokka said calmly, but Zuko could see his right eyebrow twitch slightly. Sokka then turned to face Aang, who was just pressing his lips together into a straight line. "And I'm pretty sure Aang knows as well…"
"Well, I just hope you're okay with it. I really do care for her, Sokka." Zuko said seriously, meeting the Water Tribesman's eyes. "Truth is, I don't care what anyone says. I only value Katara's opinion and feelings in this. But I still feel that you should know. It's only fair. You are her brother after all."
Sokka sighed deeply, his eyebrow twitching again, more wildly this time. He then turned away from Zuko for a second, as if he was contemplating something. And he even had his 'beard' to stroke.
His little sister and Zuko... The Fire Lord. The Fire Lord...
Aang then walked over to Zuko and placed a hand on the firebender's tensed shoulder. Zuko then saw as Aang smiled at him.
"Take care of her, alright?" Aang said softly. Even though he knew that the Avatar didn't have any hard feelings towards him, Zuko could see the pleading and the slight tinge of hurt in his wide eyes. Zuko then returned the boy's smile and nodded.
"I will. Always," he vowed. Zuko then faced Sokka, who was eyeing him carefully. "And I'm not just saying it. If you want the proof then give me the time with her."
Sokka sighed and cracked a small smile. He couldn't really stop Zuko or his sister anyway. And the once 'jerkbender' had definitely proven to be a worthy friend. And hey, his sister was happy and alive... Although he was still curious in what she had seen in the scarred teen. The rugged outlook? His brooding masculinity? The whole mystery of it?
And who knows? He could be a future relative… But Sokka immediately felt something churn in his stomach and shook that thought out of his head.
"You hurt her in anyway…" Sokka began, enunciating his words slowly. "I will not hesitate to send you to an early grave. Fire Lord or not, Katara's my only sister. Mistreat her and you will get it. I don't care if you think I won't even be able to land a punch on you I will simply not allow anyone to hurt my sister. But if she's happy with you… Who am I to stop her? Not to mention that she'd already given me the heads up about this...thing." Sokka then started waving his hands in the air, emphasizing the situation.
Zuko then let out a deep breath that he didn't realize he'd been holding in. His once tightened shoulders then slumped with his exhalation and widened his smile. The way his heart had been beating rapidly slowed down to a more even, normal pace.
Aang then grabbed the two teenagers closer to him, sandwiching himself in the middle playfully, much to their discomfort.
"Okay!" he quipped, lighting up the mood. "Now that the awkward talking's out of the way… SOKKA! How do you fix this…wig thingy?"
Sokka guffawed and dragged Aang off to face the mirror, before groping the odd mop of false hair that sat on the Avatar's head.
Zuko then couldn't help but smile to himself as he folded his arms across his chest, and feel as if someone had unclenched the tightness that had been constricting his heart and lungs.
Finally… He just couldn't wait to share this piece of news with Katara. But a small part of him wondered if it was smart letting Mai tend to the girls… Especially the one particular waterbender… Will he find the person he cared so much about pinned to wall with daggers and sais?
But before he could do or worry about anything else, three soft raps sounded from his closed doors. Without hesitation, Zuko bolted towards it and opened the heavy, red and gold doors, wrenching them apart almost.
"Oh Spirits…" he breathed, his eyes instantly widening when he saw the sight that had been laid before him. The rate of Zuko's heartbeat increased greatly and hammered against his ribs painfully. He felt his breath caught. Something lodge in his throat.
Sokka and Aang took a quick peek at Zuko's doorstep, before having both their jaws slam against the ground.
What in the name of Agni Kai had happened?
Hmm... Quite the chap, eh? Pardon if Mai seemed a bit OOC but I don't know, I can see her acting that way. It's just my POV. Plus... I would actually like it if Mai and the girls of GAANG could get along and stuff since Ty Lee's like, super close with the Kyoshi Warrior(s).
Speaking of OOC characters, seriously-It's just how I visualize them to be. Whether it's Katara, or Sokka...or Aang.. Toph... Suki... Mai... etc... It's just my opinion so I would appreciate it if you respected that fact. Capisce?
Anyway, really hoped you enjoyed it! Haven't touched the computer in over three days(!) *YOU MAD WOMAN?* And I had to edit this in under 30 minutes. PHEW* and in record breaking time! What's GBR for editing? 5 minutes? GAH.
OH! And a little bit of a heads up... I've got quite a few Zutara FF's up my sleeve so definitely stay tuned for that... I think I got 3 in the ready... All drafted nicely... Here's a few hints yeah?
1) AU ATLA with Beauty and the Beast theme. (I know there's quite a few out there but I just wanted my input!)
2) Ember Island. *OOHH...
3) AU ATLA. RIGHT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING WHEN OUR GAANGS WERE LIKE, 3? OR 5?
Now that that's out in the open... I'm also planning to do a few one shots about Sukka... Maybe a FF or two about Taang... And maybe some Jetara? (Yes, I am a small Jetara fan as well. What can I say~The rugged guys seem appealing~)
Do R&R! They are very much welcome except for flamers and their flames. I will burn you with your own flames if you do so. *winks
My dad said that I was a cross between Mai and Azula. REALLY? I mean, REALLY? REALLY? Seriously? Maybe Mai cuz of the whole 'stoic' thing, or so I've been told... But Azula? I admit I can get huffy and nutty but pfft...pssshhtt!
Ahem*
Anyway..
R&R!
TTFN and Tune in for the next chapter!
~Johnsy(Weirdest nickname. EVER.)