A/N Ok, you are never going to guess what I am about to do in this chapter now!
I forgot to add one more thing...
Dai in Katara's little flashbacks is...
Dai: 15
Sorry if this story had OOC or w/e, if you'll point it out NICELY! Then I'll redo it.
Srry if this chapter too a long time too! The fanfiction thing upload doc thing wasn't working.
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1 year later...
Dear Diary,
It's been a year since the incident, back at the Fire Nation. I won't go into detail, since I fear I may become sullen for the whole day. The South Pole was ruined when I got back, luckily Gran Gran and Sokka were still alive. I have learned that my father has gone to fight in the war, along with the other men in the tribe, as for the academy and the instructors? No one ever spoke of them, rumor has it that they were all killed in the second raid of our beloved village. Now our great city is now reduced to a few igloos and a meeting room.
I hoped, everyday, that the Avatar would someday return, to take us away from this horrible nightmare that is our life. The Avatar will return and nudge us awake, so that we can all know that it was just a horrible dream...just a dream...
Luckily, me and Sokka stumbled upon Aang, an airbender. Who also was the next Avatar the world had been awaiting. Along the way, we met various others, who's lives were sabotaged by the ruthless Fire Nation. We also have found a waterbending master, where I got to also learn waterbending from, although it took a while and a battle to convince him to teach me.
Toph, a blind earthbender, has joined our group recently. She is the earthbending master that we've apparently been looking for. Sure at the beginning it was a very rough start for her to adjust to the group and for us to adjust to her, but it all came out right in the end.
But, before all that happened, after we got Aang out of the iceberg, the South Pole was once again under attack, but luckily it was only one ship from the Fire Nation. Unfortunately, the leader of the ship, humiliated Sokka in front of us by easily defeating him. But what got me the most...was that, I didn't even know...that the man who fought Sokka was Zuko. Yes you heard me, Prince Zuko, the very one I was trying to assassinate a year ago.
I wouldn't have even thought it was him until he told us his name. So much has changed over the last year, the area around his left eye was severely burnt, so that now it was a scar.
We're in Ba Sing Se now. Well, actually, I'm in Ba Sing Se. Sokka is going to Chameleon Bay with Aang, who is going to drop him off to see our dad. Toph is off seeing her mom, who was apparently looking for her. So basically I'm alone in Ba Sing Se, helping the Earth King plan the battle against the Fire Nation...
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Katara sighed, rolling up her parchment. It was really boring without Sokka, Toph, or Aang around.
"Excuse me, Master Katara?" A guard knocked on the door.
"Uh, y...yes?" She involuntarily stuttered.
"Word from Toph Bei Fong."
Katara walked over to the door and opened it. "Thank you." She took the scroll from him and closed the door, thanking the guard once again. Quickly, she scanned the scroll, her blue irises scanning the words hastily.
Dear Katara,
My mom, wants me to go back home. Tell Aang I'm sorry that I can't travel and teach him more earthbending anymore. I guess this letter is to say goodbye. I will miss you all.
Sincerely,
Toph Bei Fong.
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Katara raised her eyebrow at this. First off, Toph, she couldn't have written this, considering she was blind. Then again, she could've asked someone to write it for her.
Second, no matter what how hard she tried, written or spoken of, Toph cannot, kepp sarcasm out of her systems like this letter had done.
Sensing something suspicious, she took the scroll and tucked it away in a little knapsack, along with various other objects like another jug of water for reassurance.
She lastly, slipped on the vial of oasis water that Master Pakku gave her, back at the North Pole. Touching her mother's necklace that Aang gave back to her, a while ago, she remember how she kissed his cheek lightly. Aang reminded her so much of Dai.
Energetic, determined, brave...
A breeze flowed through the room from the open window. She loved him as a brother, like Sokka. But after the fortuneteller told her future, she began to think differently of him. Less like a brother, but more of...something else, but after she gave him a kiss on the cheek goodbye, there was no magic, no...nothing. That was when she realized, she only liked Aang because he reminded her of Dai.
She knew it was wrong to love someone for that reason, just because they remind her of another person. So, she gave up.
My love life wasn't meant to be anyways...
Katara knew Jet would've died down in Lake Laogai, and Aang was just a little brother to her. Then she thought of him.
Don't be stupid Katara, he doesn't know you. He doesn't even remember that I was the one that was suppose to kill him. Why in the heck would he waste time with a stupid girl like me?
She sighed and straightened out. Her mission was clear now. She had to find Toph and bring her back. Obviously, Toph wouldn't go this way. She wouldn't leave the gang even if her life depended on it.
Katara opened the rustic doors of the palace and walked out, towards the Earth King's throne room.
She walked through the doorway that used to hold two very large doors, but those were knocked down by Aang's airbending.
"Ah! Master Katara!" The Earth King lowered his head slightly while he was on the throne.
Katara bowed humbly and spoke, "Would you mind, your majesty if I left on a little errand?"
"Not at all, besides, you deserve your rest Master Katara, after all the planning you helped us do." The king smiled warmly.
"Thank you," just as Katara was about to leave, she asked him another thing, "um, excuse me again your majesty, but I was wondering if Suki, one of the Kyoshi warriors was availiable?"
"Why do you ask?" The king replied, brightly.
"Well, I was wondering if she could help me on my errand."
"I'm sorry Master Katara, but the Kyoshi warriors denied anyone from entering or visiting their rooms or themselves."
"Oh, well, thank you." She bowed once more before leaving.
How odd, why would Suki deny anyone from coming to visit her?
She shrugged off the idea and walked out of the palace, the wind blowing at her face.
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Zuko grimaced at the mirror. His hair was really starting to get on his nerves, it would always sting his eyes whenever he opened his eyes or it was always in the way of his line of vision.
"My nephew you look fine, I'm sure the minute we open those doors, the ladies will flock over to you." Iroh chuckled.
Zuko just looked at the old man as if he were drunk. He shook his head and again the black locks on his head fell down onto his eyes. Growling, he put on a white apron and wiped the countertops once again, just because he was bored out of his life.
They were in their new tea shop, The Jade Dragon. Although Iroh insisted on a better name, Zuko just wanted to get the name of their shop over with.
The sickness he had three days ago had left him thinking a lot about his past, and his future. Was he meant to be Fire Lord? Was he the one to put the war to an end alongside the Avatar? Was he the one that had to find out if his mother was alive or not?
While these thoughts ran through his head, a group of girls, a few noblemen, and other high officials came in and got seated.
Iroh came up to him and shook him out of his trance. "Zuko, can you go and attend to those ladies? I will go and serve the noblemen."
Zuko glared at his uncle's back. It was all a horrible setup, just so that he could get with one of those idiotic girls.
"Can I take your order?" He mumbled, pushing his black locks, once again, out of his eyes.
"Yes please." The, apparently, leader of the girls replied. "We would like three cups of jasmine tea and three cakes."
"Coming right up." He muttered, writing all of it down on rice paper.
He sighed and went into the backroom, shifting through the tea powder and tea leaves and cake powder.
He got the jasmine tea leaves and dumped some of the dried leaves in a porcelain teapot.
Zuko poured some water into it and then set it to boil, while he pulled out three of the already made cakes from the oven.
Afterwards, he put all the items on the tray and walked out.
"Here. Anything else you would like?" He asked dully.
The girls giggled and the girl next to the leader of the girls nudged her.
"Hi, I'm Star."
"How nice." Zuko said, sarcasm starting to creep up his throat, just itching to get out.
"So..." The girl continued, a bit taken back that he was still dull as ever. "How old are you?"
"I don't think it's my place to tell you..." he replied, finishing up setting down the cups and cakes on the table.
Star glared at him and turned towards her friends whispering.
Zuko started to walk away when she blurted out, "Wait."
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Katara groaned as she walked around the whole upper ring. The heat was intense and she sweating like crazy. She asked every person she knew about where the Mistress Bei Fong was staying at. By the hundredth person, she thought of giving up.
No, Katara, you have to find Toph. She could be in danger.
Straighten herself up, she walked on, away from the residential area of the upper ring and towards the businesses and merchants that sold things in the upper ring.
As she walked past a shop, she caught a whiff of tea. She sighed and realized that she didn't even have breakfast.
"Well, I guess I little break wouldn't hurt." She mumbled, turning to her heels towards the shop and walking towards the entrance.
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A/N XD I'm so evil on stopping there aren't I?
Oh yeah, and for those of you who don't know who 'Star' and her little gang is.
You know in the 'Tales of Ba Sing Se'? Those biz-natches, who teased Toph and stuff? Yeah it's them and didn't make up the name 'Star' it's on the Avatar page on nick dot com.
XD
R&R!