This probably the last chapter for a couple of weeks. I'm about to start 12 hour shifts. Note, I hate gas masks.
THE NEXT THREE MONTHS were full of pain as her body healed. She only had use of one arm to heal what she could. The months after relearning to walk were also difficult. She still had to hold herself up with something. She used the time to meditate, and read what she could without the help of the broken spectacles.
Energybending was hard to learn for her, mostly because of the lack of being able to read. Healing the body was the first part she started learning. After she could heal herself, she started reading more into the complicated parts. The fox guides were willing to let her practice locating chi or lack of it. She also had them take off into the deepest parts of the library and then would search for them with using energybending. After nine months, she had the basics of energybending down, but she could only practice it minutes at a time, for she would tire quickly.
When she wasn't preparing for her new role, she was reading. History, literature, and even some philosophy were filling her time. Most of it came from the Earth Kingdom, the Water Tribes and few of the Air Monks' writing. Something on the Fire Nation was hard to locate.
The Knowledge spirit kept close eye on the female human. He noticed that she was not just getting better with the old bending, but was also changing the way she looked. Whether it was on purpose or not, the signs of old age where slowly fading. Brown hair was replacing the gray, and the wrinkles were fading. He didn't know if she was really trying to heal old age, or was too into her training.
"Master bender, you seem to look younger." The owl started, "Are you doing this on purpose?"
Katara shook her head, "No, I haven't seen my reflection since I came here."
The owl nodded, and left her confused. He understood what was happening. She was pushing herself too hard with healing her bones and muscles. He planned on finding something for her to change her focus for sometime.
THE FIRE NATION PRINCE, Datu, took over much of the Fire Lord's jobs. He went to meetings with the Governors, and spoke with the Generals over the recent rise of crime form the Avatar's thugs, and fixed problems with the farmer's revolt. The thirty-one year old convinced himself that if anything happened to his parents, he'd be able to take the Fire Nation down the path it was going in. One thing he couldn't handle was his father's pride on continuing to do all the above without help. Although he wasn't bedridden, Zuko refused to relax when his back ached. When news of Xi Feng's death came, Zuko quickly gathered the generals and admirals to discuss sending some battalions to aid the Earth Kingdom finish the thugs off. The Fire Lady and Princess had to stop him from putting his armor on. Datu then went for his father, for his temper didn't blow every time something didn't go his way.
When a servant interrupted the meeting, Datu had decided to keep the news about his father's waterbending friend's death a secret. He knew his father would even walk to the Earth Kingdom with the entire army to hunt the Avatar down. The secret didn't stay a secret long. The Fire Lord had blown up part of his wing after hearing about Katara's death, much like he did when the last Avatar died. His back was still strong at that time though, and he wasn't forced to stay in bed for a week.
The Fire Lord and Princess were in the garden drinking tea and playing a board game. Princess Eun Mi unlike her younger brother had no interest in politics. She had taken over her grand uncle's tea shop, and continued to run it with her husband and children. They were on vacation to help around when Datu or Fire Lady Mai were out at meetings and trips. She had her father's temper up from beating him at the game.
"Father, don't take the loss so hard. You'll pull your back again." She giggled.
The Fire Lord growled; his daughter was always making fun of his temper and back.
"Come on; stop being a grumpy old man."
"Let me win for a change, and I'll be happier." He snorted.
"That's no fun."
Their game had to stop as Datu came running into the garden.
"Father, the Avatar forced Kyoshi to fall in line. I'm recommending sending the fleet out before the Avatar comes here."
"No, the fleet stays. The Earth Kingdom army hasn't asked for help and we don't want to provoke them to join with the Avatar." The Fire Lord pinched his nose.
"Invite her over." Eun Mi said, "We all know that we used to be friends. Maybe we can remind her, what a real friendship is supposed to feel like instead of being used, she'll stop this."
"Yeah, and while we do that, we should make her express regret to killing her own aunt with tea and cookies." Datu shot back.
"I don't see why not. Maybe that's what she needs."
"What she needs is to be locked up and suffer in a small cell with no light and food, not to have a slap on the hand and then invited to a tea party." Datu growled.
The Fire Lord sighed. The current conversation was all too familiar about another Avatar's problems.
"Datu, is the Fire Lady still up north?" he asked.
"Yes, mother hasn't come back from the North Pole. She wrote saying that the Water Tribes are refusing to let any Earth Kingdom citizens in. They want to increase trade with us." The prince spoke softer.
"Good. Deal with that. I'll deal with the problem about the Avatar."
His thoughts were interrupted when a servant and another person showed up.
"Sire, Gyatso of Ba Sing Se is here."
The professor bowed, waiting for the permission to look up.
"Still doing the half-shaven head thing?" the Fire Lord smile.
"Yes. Every time I go home, Anil makes a joke about me looking more Earth Kingdom than a Southern Tribesman." He smiled back.
"Not many from the Earth Kingdom have blue eyes." Eun Mi smiled.
The professor blushed, having one a crush on his childhood friend, "My children are looking around for yours."
"Ugh, airbenders and firebenders under the same roof." Zuko sighed.
"Fire Lord Zuko, I thank you again for allowing my family to move here while Ba Sing Se is being tormented." He turned to face Zuko.
"It's no problem. It's the best I can offer after the loss of you wife and mother." He spoke, "but please, no formalities. I preferred it when you called me Uncle Zuko."
"If I remember right, I called you Uncle Zuko when I was five."
"Yes, and I still prefer that you would do so." He jokingly ordered.
The non-bender joined in for tea and stories. He spoke about moving his cousins and aunt to the Southern Water Tribe before Kyoshi was taken, and that his little brother finally found a girl friend. He also spoke about Gaoling being completely flattened to the ground. The elder Bei Fong had escaped from there and was going west towards Omashu. Eun Mi had to excuse herself, for her husband needed a break from loud little children. After she was out of sight, they got down to business.
"Kali has the airbending scrolls. She never got a chance to get the energybending scroll." He whispered, "I don't know what my mother did with it, but it's not in the area that Member Sho said the library is. Also, an air balloon belonging to a firebender was found there. I'm sorry about the time it took me to tell you, but I had her thugs following me."
"There's no need. I'm just glad that Kali won't be able to learn from that scroll." The Fire Lord paused, "What's your next plan of action?"
Gyatso frowned, "I'm going back to Ba Sing Se. The Dai Li are going to help me find Kali, and we're going to have a long overdue chat."
