Southern Lights

by colourwhirled

The Avatar faded from memory and the Fire Nation won. A new hope rises when an enigmatic waterbender is recruited to the imperial army alongside a carefree air nomad, a blind heiress, and the fire lord's brooding son. Unexpected friendship meets battle lines, court intrigue, and slow burning attraction. [AU Zutara, rated for smut & general darkness]

20. falling so slow (pt v: moments)

disclaimer. atla & all its derivations are property of bryke. i'm just a girl who needs a better hobby.

author's notes. and here it is: the titanic, long-winded, light-heartedish, teens-will-be-teens, tying-up-old-loose-ends, wannabe tales of ba sing se nonsense chapter you've all been waiting for! (with some elements of the waterbending scroll, the beach, and the headband sprinkled in as well, because i am nothing if not a glutton for punishment)

…just kidding. this is so radically outside of my comfort zone, i'm almost relieved to jump back onto the angst train next chapter when the plot returns. almost.

a strong mature content (and cringe) warning as this chapter contains several rather frankly detailed (though sorely needed imho) discussions about sex, sexuality, and sexiness...in case that sort of thing makes you uncomfortable. some parts are so far gone they may even be considered downright trash. such conclusions i leave for you, discerning readers, to draw on your own. i apologize in advance...but also am not sorry.

thanks to everyone who's been following along and commenting with your feedback, comments, and guesses! i should also probably mention that the different stories that appear here are thematically inspired by (and named after) the music of rem, queen, oasis, the beatles, the who, cyndi lauper, simon & garfunkel, and david bowie. (a bit of a retro throwback soundtrack, if you will)

anyway,

i give you...

southern lights.

chapter xx. falling so slow (pt v: moments)

---

this is for the ones who stand
for the ones who try again
for the ones who need a hand
for the ones that think they can

"it comes and goes (in waves)"/greg laswell

---

THE TALE OF: AANG

or,

(losing my religion)

"Right, let's take that from the top. Again."

Aang sighs as he trudges over to the scuffed spot of earth in the clearing, the site of the target. He stretches his arms out up above his head, feeling the joints in his shoulders and elbows pop and groan.

Yeah. I feel you too, he thinks glumly.

He tries not to focus on Zuko who's taken up his spot directly across from him, several feet away – partly for accuracy's sake ("if someone's going to attack you with lightning, they'll probably do it from some distance away, not point blank"), and partly because he just doesn't want to think about it.

"Remember," Katara is saying to him tersely, bundled up in layers and layers of oversized uniform in the biting cold air, "to not let it hit your heart, Aang."

"Yup," he nods briskly, "got it."

"You need to direct it to the next closest chakra," she continues her instruction, tracing the line of the path for him to see, "probably your stomach, or even lower, if you can –"

"I'll try the stomach," Aang says quickly, outlining the pathway with his finger for her to see, to help him visualize the flow, "I don't know if I'll be able to hold onto it longer than that."

"And remember to just let it flow," she reminds him, "don't fight it and don't run from it. Just let it flow through the pathways in your body. And if you feel uncomfortable or like you're going to lose control, just drop your palms to the ground and let the earth do its thing."

"Yup, I got it," Aang replies automatically. Mentally, he is a wreck of nerves.

Sounds like a piece of cake. No problem. I can definitely stand my ground and be okay with lightning being passed through me. That's not scary at all.

It's felt much longer than a few weeks since Katara first accidentally redirected lightning. Somehow in that time, a new focus has gripped the four of them. Zuko works twice as hard as before to practice manipulating lightning with increasing dexterity. It took him the better part of a fortnight before he was confident enough in his skill to let Katara try redirecting it again.

Aang doesn't know how Katara was able to pin it down – the exact motions to redirect lightning. But soon enough, she'd walked the General through the motions, enough for him to try it too. And since it worked for General Iroh, and then for Toph, he supposes that it should work for him too.

In theory.

"Ready?" Zuko calls from across the clearing, settling into his lightning-generating stance.

"As I'll ever be," Aang calls back, fighting the gulp that belies his nervousness.

"He's scared," Toph observes loudly, from where she stands in the corner with General Iroh. Her face is scrunched into a frown. "Maybe go easy on him, Sparky."

"No, don't," Aang insists, holding his hands out at the ready. "I'm ready when you are."

After all, General Iroh had survived with only a couple of hairs standing on end and Toph had said that redirecting lightning felt exhilarating, and Katara was able to do this in her sleep by now, so he supposes that it can't be that bad.

As long as he is able to guide the lightning away from his heart. The largest pool of energy in his body.

It's like trying to put out a lit match on a pile of dry kindling, he thinks uncertainly. There's no way this is going to end well.

"Okay. Remember, it looks like a lot but I won't be shooting that much lightning at you. If you mess up, it won't hurt much more than a bad static shock," Zuko assures him, and he begins to go through the motions, separating the energies within him, charging. "Ready in three…two…one…"

Aang takes a deep breath and braces himself as, at his mental count of zero, Zuko lunges forward.

The current of lighting blossoms from his fingertips, almost as beautiful as it is feral, stretching across the air, heading straight for him –

His heart quails, sings to his instincts, to run –

But instead, he holds his ground and throws his hands out to meet the onslaught head-on.

The force of it pushes him back, his feet digging parallel tracks into the soft earth as he struggles to ground himself. The lightning hurts his hands, like a fire that is both present and absent, that freezes and burns at the same time –

He tears his focus away from the physical sensations and back to the flow of energy. His face scrunches shut as he tries to remember Katara's instructions.

Through the fingers, down the arm – so far, so good – into the core, away from the heart, away from the heart –

That proves to be a tall order for Aang. He struggles to maintain control, the lightning shuddering unsteadily within the confines of his chest as he realizes how little room there is –

Firebenders store their energy in their stomach, waterbenders in their pelvis, earthbenders in their spine. This is much harder for me.

But he channels every last ounce of his focus into it anyway, and surely enough, the lightning ricochets off his lower chakra and flows out of him harmlessly, like water bouncing off a rock.

"You did it!" Katara exclaims delightedly, clapping her hands together.

"Without running away like a sissy airbender, either," Toph interjects, a teasing grin spreading across her face. "Way to go, Twinkletoes!"

"That…" Aang gasps for air, feeling like his insides have been forced through a vacuum, "was really unpleasant. I'd rather not repeat it, if you don't mind."

"Are you okay?" Zuko asks quickly, straightening out of his stance. "I tried to make the current as small as I could without losing it –"

"No, it was fine," Aang assures him, with a nod. "Any more and it probably would have burst right into my air chakra, though. What do you think, Katara?"

"I thought you did really well," she tells him warmly. "Both of you."

Her eyes flicker over to where the firebender stands. The smile she gives him is soft.

There's an uncertain pause.

"Well," Zuko tears his gaze away with some difficulty, turning back to face Aang, "there's always room for improvement."

His voice is steady but his pale face flushes.

Aang doesn't blame him. Controlling something as unsteady and volatile as lightning must be hard.

"No, you were great," he insists. He lets out a shaky breath and smiles uneasily at him. "I just don't think lightning and I were meant to interact."

"It's that hard for you to redirect it, huh?" Toph observes, tilting her head curiously.

"Yeah…" Aang trails off. "We're not all like you, Toph. You carry all your energy down low." Watching the earthbender try it, Aang had thought she was a walking ground, the way she effortlessly redirected it through her body and into the earth. "Lightning doesn't have a chance to hit your heart that way. But for airbenders, that's where all our energy pools. It's way more unstable."

"Well," Katara reassures him, looking away from Zuko and back at him, "this is all purely theoretical, right? Let's hope we never have to use this in an actual battle."

"Yeah, this is just theoretical," Toph agrees, waving a hand vaguely. "Except the whole getting electrocuted part, that's all real life. Anyway, how many people do we know who can actually bend lightning? And of them, how many are actually going to want to attack us?"

Zuko's face darkens, but he says nothing.

"I guess you're right," Aang confesses, his face brightening. "Hey but at least I don't have any hair, otherwise I'd look ridiculous right about now…"

---

THE TALE OF: CHAN

or,

(another one bites the dust)

"…and then, I woke up later and saw that Ryu's bunk was still empty! That sly fox must've slunk back into bed at first light!"

"Ryu? The fisher boy? Really?"

"That's what I'm saying, aren't I?"

"Who'd want to get boned by the fisher boy? When there're prime cuts like us walking around?"

"That's what I'm saying. Something doesn't add up –"

"Chan. Buddy. Look!"

Ruon-Jian and Hide break off from their intensely pointed discussion immediately once the former spots Chan walking slowly into the mess hall.

"I don't believe it!"

"Chan, my man. You're out of the healing tent, then?"

"Took you long enough!"

"Glad to see you walking around!"

"Hey guys, look, Chan's back."

Chan fights the urge to avert his gaze as Ruon-Jian and Hide rouse half the mess hall's worth of firebenders and soldiers. After being in the solitude of the healing tent for so many weeks, it feels jarring and almost uncomfortable being back among the ranks again.

But he hasn't seen his friends in what feels like forever and so he puts on a brave face and his even-toothed grin as he approaches the table.

"Hey guys," he greets them. "Anyone sitting here?"

"No way, man, make yourself at home," Ruon-Jian assures him, shoving another soldier a couple years' his junior off the bench. "Hey, move. Chan's sitting here now, find your own damn spot."

"Uh, that's fine," Chan tries to call after the hapless young soldier as he scurries away, "there's enough room for…oh, forget about it then."

And feeling just the slightest bit uncomfortable, he sits down at the table with his friends.

"So tell us," Ruon-Jian urges him, leaning over his tray, "how bad was it?"

"Yeah," Hide echoes, "how bad was it?"

"Uh…" Chan reaches for his chopsticks, his motions still a little delicate for the bandages wrapped around his chest, "I'm fine, guys. Really."

"Yeah, no way," Ruon-Jian dismisses, "you can tell us."

"Yeah, way," Chan counters with a bit of a nervous laugh, "a couple of sprains and tender spots, but apart from that, I'm fine, guys. Really."

"That's bullshit," Ruon-Jian argues, his voice rising and Chan can see that he's drawing the attention of half the mess hall. "You nearly died, Chan. I saw you, we all saw you. That bitch waterbender went savage, nearly killed you, and then got away with it!"

To Chan's dismay, he hears a rumble of assent: generalized whispers, murmurs, and voices chorusing their agreement with Ruon-Jian's words.

A feeling like guilt works its way into his stomach.

"I say we teach her a lesson," Hide crows, jumping up and facing the rest of the room, "show her what happens when you mess with fire."

"Guys," Chan tries to defuse things nonchalantly, "I don't really think that's necessary…"

"Of course it is," Ruon-Jian speaks up over him. He flashes Chan a sympathetic grin. "Look at him, guys. Good guy Chan. Just wants to be merciful and let things slide, right? It's okay, buddy, you don't have to lift a finger. We'll do it for you."

"We'll show her that the Fire Nation remembers an insult," Hide calls out, raising a fist in the air to cheers from the room. "Who's with me?"

Chan sighs, pressing the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

I started this.

In spite of their bravado, he's never felt more small than he does now.

"Guys," he tries again, his voice a bit stronger now and he can see the generalized euphoria shifting to surprise and suspicion among the faces in the room as he continues his faint protest, "guys, it's fine. Seriously. It's not worth getting into trouble. She got a fortnight in solitary for it, I think that's good enough."

"Good enough?" someone calls back at him. "There's no such thing."

"Is that what you're going to tell the General, then?" Chan retorts, getting to his feet. "Seriously, guys. You're acting like little kids. It's embarrassing."

"We're just sticking up for you, buddy," Ruon-Jian points out, his face crestfallen.

"Yeah, we know you're afraid of her now and we want to show you that you shouldn't be," Hide explains, his tone rather affable.

"I'm not afraid of her," Chan groans, "you're getting this all wrong –"

"Getting what all wrong?" Ruon-Jian echoes, clearly taken aback.

Chan pauses, feeling very on the spot.

This was not how he envisioned returning back to his day-to-day life.

He expected things to be simple, to slide seamlessly back into his old life like nothing had changed. That he could carry on with his careless, thoughtless existence as one of the most popular boys in the division.

He didn't expect the thought of it all to taste like ashes in his mouth at the first mention of the waterbender.

But then again, he hadn't expected her to heal him, work with him, day in and day out with an unnerving level of discipline and dedication that nobody's ever given him before, so…

"There she is," someone calls, and there's a rippling motion as heads turn to the entrance of the mess hall.

Chan sees the instant alertness that grips the waterbender and her companions (the blind earthbender, the Kyoshi Islander, and the cute Fire Nation girl who used to work in the circus) the second they enter the mess hall. He watches as the waterbender's bright blue eyes scan the hall quickly, the earthbender's shoulders tense up in preparation –

Fix it, his mind urges him, even as the rest of him wonders why he should care at all, his friends are right, after all, she hurt him first, she'd deserve it –

Instead, he slides out of his seat and runs, as fast as he can without straining his recovering injuries (which isn't too fast, which probably makes the whole thing look very silly to an observer, he reflects) –

When he stops to face the waterbender, hands braced over on his knees as he pants heavily from the unexpected exertion, he can't say who the most surprised person in the room is.

"I – " he wheezes, turning around to face the rest of the hall in exhausted defiance, "I have to say –"

A pace behind him, the waterbender's eyebrows have shot up to the level of her hairline, she's that taken aback –

Catching his breath, he turns and grabs one of the waterbender's wrists and he feels her recoil in sharp protest as he jerks at her arm weakly.

"This girl," he gasps, winded, "this girl saved my life. Okay?"

"What?" Hide blurts out in confusion, from halfway across the room.

"What?" says the waterbender, probably equally confused at his unexpected outburst.

He should be embarrassed at the scene he's making, but it doesn't matter. Maybe he's only acting so that he can stop feeling guilty over it all and maybe that means he's still just a selfish bastard, but damn it all –

"You heard me," Chan declares resolutely, his voice a thread of sound but growing stronger with every word. "This girl – this waterbender – saved my life. I was in awful shape and she could have let me die, but she saved me." He faces down the rows and rows of his friends and peers, now staring at him like he's turned into a komodo rhino – and maybe he has, for all he knows. "She spent hours of her own time healing me. Did you know waterbenders could heal? I didn't. But they can and she did. It's exhausting and she probably can't stand me – the way I couldn't really stand her – and she still did it." He pauses, heart hammering away nervously.

"But Chan," Ruon-Jian fights back thickly, clearly confused, "buddy, she wouldn't have had to heal you if she hadn't attacked you first."

He tosses a glare at the girl.

"He has a point," he hears the waterbender mumble under her breath in resigned acquiescence.

Chan swallows instead.

"She wouldn't have attacked me," he admits, fighting to keep his voice from wobbling, "if I hadn't picked on her. If we hadn't picked on her."

"So – so you're saying it was your fault?" Ruon-Jian counters hotly, also jumping to his feet. "What sort of Air Nomad pacifist bullshit is this?"

"I'm not saying it's my fault," Chan says sharply, desperately, needing them to understand. "I'm saying that if you poke a sabre-toothed moose-lion, expect to get trampled."

He drops the waterbender's wrist and turns to face her.

She still looks surprised, but her face has softened a little bit now.

"Chan," she begins wearily, shaking her head, "you really don't need do this, it's fine –"

"No, it isn't," he cuts her off, "and yes, I do."

His conscience won't let him sleep at night if he doesn't, at any rate.

"Her name is Katara," he announces, turning back to face the dumbfounded crowd in the mess hall, "and I'm apologizing, right here, right now, for all the shitty things I said to her and did to her and said about her and – uh –"

"That's fine," she replies quickly from behind him, very clearly uncomfortable, "really –"

"And if it wasn't for her," he continues doggedly, facing down his peers defiantly and finally starting feel some of the guilt going away, "I wouldn't be standing here right now, so I'm also going to thank her for not letting me die."

"You're welcome," she mutters behind him with a sigh, "but this is really unnecessary –"

"I don't know," giggles her friend, the cute one in pink, "it's not every day you see Chan with more depth than a straight-razor's edge, I swear he's getting cuter by the second –"

Score, his mind mentally notes, and Chan is amazed at his capacity to be such an ass even when he's trying to do the right thing –

"Unlike you guys," he accuses, crossing his arms across his chest gingerly, "you didn't even visit me, you assholes."

"We weren't allowed in!" Hide retorts defensively, but everyone in the room now looks nervous.

"Bullshit!" Chan calls out Hide's bluff, and he straightens his back to draw himself up to his full height. "You didn't visit because it was inconvenient. You don't care about me; you just care about making yourselves feel better! Don't bother denying it either," he says quickly, pre-emptively holding up a finger at the swell of chatter that follows his words, "I'd do the same thing if I was you. I get it."

"So…like…what are you trying to say?" Ruon-Jian asks, and his tone is no longer combative but merely curious.

Chan breathes a couple of short, shallow breaths before he glances back at the waterbender.

Then, he takes a step to the side, planting himself directly in between her and the rest of the room.

"I'm saying," he declares firmly, "that if anyone's got anything against Katara, they'll have to go through me, first."

A blank silence greets his words.

"Fair enough, buddy," Ruon-Jian says at last, clearly at a loss for words. "Why didn't you just say so? Man, I forgot how dramatic you were."

And with that, the tension in the room instantly dissipates, as everyone else loses interest and resumes eating their dinners.

Chan's face falls.

"Hey," he protests to deaf ears, "I'm not dramatic, I'm just trying to be the good guy here!"

"I don't know if anyone told you," the blind earthbender observes with a smirk, "but nobody gives you brownie points just for doing the right thing."

"Oh."

Chan slumps.

"But they can thank you," the waterbender interjects gently, and to his surprise, she gives him a smile – not the uncomfortable, slightly sarcastic one she usually wears around him, but a real one. "So…thanks, I guess."

She holds out her hand.

"Uh…" He takes her proffered hand and shakes it. "You're welcome. I guess."

"Yeah." She pauses, before withdrawing her hand. "Well, I guess I'll see you around, Chan."

"Yeah," he echoes, his mind drawing a blank on what to say to her next. "Right."

But as he walks away, he feels a million pounds lighter.

I did it. I fixed it.

"Man, Sugar Queen," he hears the earthbender drawl as she shakes her head in amazement, "how on earth do you do this to everyone?"

---

THE TALE OF: SUKI

or,

(don't look back in anger)

"This is going to be so much fun!" Ty Lee sings, leaping onto her hands briefly before somersaulting back onto her feet daintily, as though it was nothing. "I'm so glad we're getting a girls' day out!"

"You guys have been working way too hard," Suki agrees, smirking a little as they take the path into the nearby town. "It'll be fun to take a bit of time off to ourselves!"

"I have to say," Toph admits airily, crossing her hands across her chest, "it's nice to not be surrounded by the empire's most dramatic guys for a change. You know, considering that it's socially acceptable for them to resolve their issues with violence, they're uselessly melodramatic."

She rolls her sightless eyes affectionately.

"Really?" Suki frowns at Toph's emphatic outburst. "But you're always with Aang and Zuko. Surely they're not that bad?"

"Ha!" Toph's derision is palpable. "Well, Twinkletoes isn't too bad, I'll grant you – all that internalized air nomad discipline – but Sparky's a mess. Holy badgermoles am I glad to get my seismic sense away from that one for a day!"

"He can't be that bad," Ty Lee gasps, her hands flying to her mouth. "Or maybe he's still heartbroken over losing Mai –"

"Yeah, it might just be his raging teenage boy hormones," Suki suggests wryly, her smirk widening. Her eyes shift to Katara, who has been unusually quiet during the whole exchange. The waterbender walks silently alongside them, but her eyes are trained elsewhere, scanning the area around them intently. "Are you looking for someone, Katara?"

Katara starts abruptly at the mention of her name.

"What? N – no," she stammers, shaking her head and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She smiles apologetically at them. "I zoned out for a bit, what were you guys saying?"

"We were saying –" Ty Lee begins eagerly, but Toph holds up a hand.

"Nope, I'm vetoing this topic," she says firmly, shaking her head. "I am not spending my one day off dissecting Sparky's hormones with you guys."

"Fair enough," Suki agrees, still amused. Beside her, Katara shakes her head a bit, but Suki notices the girl's ears are redder than usual. "This day couldn't possibly come at a better time. We can check out Wong's and see if he's got anything decent in stock!"

"Huh?" Katara asks, confused.

"Yeah, what language was that?" Toph prods, cupping a hand against her ear. "Apparently Sweetness and I don't speak Fancy Dancer."

"Or teenage girl, for that matter," Suki teases. "C'mon, it's Day of the Dragons next week."

"You guys need to buy something new!" Ty Lee pipes up. "It's tradition."

"I thought that was only for Conquest Day," Katara points out, somewhat crestfallen.

"Well, where do you think they came up with the idea for that holiday? They were obviously inspired by Day of the Dragons!" Ty Lee explains, her eyes brightening. "You know? Dragon mating rituals? New dragons, new year, new clothes! It makes much more sense, if you think about it…"

"Shopping," Toph says sceptically as they walk into the bustling town square. "You're taking us…shopping."

Suki exchanges a look with Ty Lee.

"Well, we thought it was worth a shot," she confesses.

"Because last time went so well," Toph retorts witheringly.

"Well, last time we didn't take you to Wong's," Ty Lee points out. "We went to that crappy marketplace in that rinky-dink village."

"Yeah, this town's got much nicer stuff," Suki agrees. "Even you'd probably like it, Toph."

"Um," Katara says, somewhat uncomfortably. "Does this seem a little…frivolous to anyone else or is it just me?"

"Yup," Toph replies serenely, while Ty Lee gasps.

"You are the last person to be talking about frivolous, Katara," she declares firmly, poking Katara in the shoulder to emphasize her point. "None of your clothes even fit. For Agni's sake, could you please stop being responsible and sensible for one day and find yourself something to wear that isn't made to fit three of you?"

"She means no offense," Suki follows up apologetically. "She's only got your best interests at heart, Katara."

"My allowance isn't nearly enough to buy a whole new wardrobe's worth of stuff," Katara complains. "You guys know that."

"We know," Suki concedes, nodding sympathetically. "That's why we're taking you to Wong's. Not only does he have some great wares, but you can't beat his prices!"

"Yeah! Last time I walked out with four whole outfits, and only paid eight silvers!" Ty Lee beams. "You can spare eight silvers, can't you, Katara?"

Katara sighs.

"Why do I get the feeling that I'm going to regret letting you guys take me anywhere?" she asks, somewhat forebodingly.

"Probably because you will," Toph answers sagely, crossing her arms as well.

"Oh, shut up, you two," Suki tells them kindly.

---

"This is it?" Katara asks, raising an eyebrow at the homely wooden storefront.

"It doesn't look like much," Suki admits. "But there's something for everyone! Look," and she points at one of the dresses hanging in the front window, "there's even a Water Tribe dress you could try."

"What?" Katara's eyes follow to where Suki points, and then they widen. "Hey, you're right." She frowns. "I've never seen Water Tribe clothing sold at a market before. Not in the Fire Nation, anyway. That's so weird."

"We did try to tell you," Ty Lee chirps, pulling the door to the store open and holding it for the others to pass through. "Wong has everything."

Suki leads the way, pausing to describe some Earth Kingdom-style outfits to Toph, who nods in approval.

"That doesn't sound too bad," Toph admits, as Suki pulls at one of the tunics and holds it out for the earthbender to feel. "Doesn't feel too bad either."

"Good morning, ladies!" greets the vendor from behind the counter. "What can I help you with today?"

"Morning, Wong!" Ty Lee returns with a beaming smile. "We're doing some shopping for Day of the Dragons!"

"Ah, of course!" the shop's eponymous Wong nods enthusiastically, his eyes sweeping across the four of them. His gaze falters on Katara momentarily before he directs it back to Suki. "And just so you know, all of our wares are half off until the end of the week!"

"Ooh!" Ty Lee exclaims, clapping her hands together. "This just gets better and better!" She pauses, scanning the shelves behind the vendor briefly. "Could I take a look at that pink ensemble there?"

"Pink. Real original," Suki quips dryly, reaching for a yellow dress. "How much for this one?"

"Nine copper pieces, sweetcakes," Wong replies with a quick wink, pulling Ty Lee's pink outfit from the top shelf.

Suki's eyes light up.

"Ooh, that's a bargain!" she states in satisfaction, holding it against her. "I think I'll go try it on!"

"Trial rooms are just in the back there," the vendor says, pointing to a doorway in the opposite wall. He smiles thinly at Katara, who has begun to parse the small collection of blue Water Tribe clothing, and jabs a finger in her direction. "Is this one with you ladies?"

His question catches them off guard. Suki, too preoccupied with Toph and the yellow dress, barely registers Katara's confusion as they make their way over to the trial rooms.

"Yes, I'm with them," she hears Katara reply, somewhat bewildered as she pauses her browsing.

"Ah," Wong replies and there's a funny tone in his voice now, like he's working very hard to keep his voice level. "Well…no running off now. I've got my eye on you."

Suki is barely paying attention as she leaves the main room with Toph. She enters one curtained stall, while Toph uses the one next to her. She strips off her brown tunic and shimmies into the bright yellow silk, doing up the ties at waist and neck.

"Why would she run off?" Ty Lee's voice is curious as she makes her way back into the trial room too, pink ensemble in hand.

"Oh, you know…" Wong trails off uncomfortably.

"Know what?" Katara's voice is sharp now.

"Oh, nothing." Wong clears his throat and tries again, his voice falsely bright as though speaking to a small child. "You speak our language very well for someone from the Water Tribes! I wasn't sure if you understood us, but you barely have an accent!"

There's a pause before Katara scoffs quietly.

"Right," she mutters, ostensibly returning to browsing the section of Water Tribe clothing. "Well, how much for this dress then…?"

Suki doesn't hear the rest of their exchange as she rustles the curtain back and examines her reflection in the polished looking-glass.

"What do you think?" she asks brightly, angling herself one way and then the other as Ty Lee emerges from the stall next to her.

"Ooh!" Ty Lee gasps, clapping her hands appreciatively. "I like it! The yellow does wonders for your aura, Suki!"

"Yeah, I think I like it," Suki decides, appraising her reflection. "It's a super flattering cut too."

"Isn't it?" Ty Lee runs a hand along the smooth yellow silk. "I love the cutouts! It's cheeky, without being too sexy!"

Another rustle and Toph exits from her stall too.

"Toph, what do you think?" Suki asks, before mentally smacking herself. "Wait – my bad –"

"Yeah. Your bad," Toph snorts, tying up the gold sash of her emerald green dress. "Well, I think this fits okay and I don't really give a shit about what it looks like, so I'll probably just take it and the other one, too."

"Well, in case you were wondering, it looks nice," Ty Lee offers. "Brings out your eyes."

"What doesn't?" Toph retorts, turning on her heel and returning to her stall.

In the other room, Katara's voice rises sharply.

"Are you kidding me?" the waterbender asks, clearly exasperated. "Well, what about this one then…"

"What's up with her?" Suki inquires, raising an eyebrow and glancing at Ty Lee.

"I don't know," Ty Lee admits, shrugging and looking at her own reflection in the mirror. "But Wong was acting a bit weird around her, I thought."

"Yeah, but why?" Suki presses, frowning.

Ty Lee shrugs.

"Beats me. She didn't do anything, not that I saw." She twirls in front of the mirror. "What do you think of mine, Suki?"

---

Suki and Ty Lee leave the trial room stalls a little while later, satisfied with their wares.

"I'll take it!" Suki announces, walking up to the counter and slamming the yellow dress onto it. "That was nine coppers, right?"

"That's correct," Wong nods.

"So," Katara speaks up, and there's a funny sound in her voice like she's trying really hard to keep her calm, "hers is nine coppers, and hers –" she points to the pink ensemble in Ty Lee's hands, "is a silver, and both those outfits combined –" a gesture at the pile of Earth Kingdom suits draped over Toph's shoulder, "are a couple of silvers…"

"That's correct," Wong nods, his long face creasing into a quick smile. "My, you're certainly good with numbers!"

"But one Water Tribe dress," Katara continues sceptically, picking up a cotton blue dress and shaking it slightly, "just the dress, is forty silvers?"

"What?" Suki lets out a laugh. "That's ridiculous." She faces the vendor with a disarming smile on her face. "That can't be right."

"I'm afraid it is," the vendor shrugs apologetically.

"But –" and now Suki is confused as she glances at the small selection of blue garments alone on their shelf, "but – that's kind of expensive, no?"

"Expensive? That's a bargain," Wong corrects her, his back straightening. "Water Tribe styles are really popular in the capital, you know? I have royals and officials and all sorts of really wealthy people coming in and buying them! They're a status symbol now, see? Very trendy! And I have to make a living too, you know."

"But forty silvers for a dress is a little ridiculous," Suki laughs. "Especially in this town. We're all soldiers and merchants here, nobody has that kind of money to throw around."

"It's not even that nice," Ty Lee declares, pulling the dress from Katara's hands and examining it critically. "I mean, yeah sure, it's a pretty dress but it's kind of old and not exactly designer or anything –"

"Old?" Wong's eyebrows shoot up to his hairline. "I'll have you know that it's vintage. Lifted it off a real person from the Water Tribes, you know! That makes it authentic."

"Authentic?" Katara echoes, her face scrunching up in distaste. "What the hell? My people didn't go through everything they did so that a greedy little man like you could profit off of their culture." She takes a shaky breath and flexes her fingers dangerously. "As though you're pricing out the people who actually wear these just because some airhead royals back in the capital think it's trendy."

"Yeah," Suki agrees, crossing her arms and shifting her weight now, frowning. "That's kind of a dick move."

"It's absurd," Ty Lee complains, "and besides, you can't sell thrift store merchandise at designer prices, that's literally not how this works."

"Actually, that's exactly how this works." Wong smiles at them, only this time it doesn't make him look friendly at all. "It may surprise you, my dears, but business is all about profit."

What an asshole, Suki thinks darkly to herself, outraged at the ashen look on the waterbender's face. How dare he try to rip Katara off like that!

"Yeah well," Toph speaks up, her face darkening, "since you basically admitted that those clothes were stolen, you could basically give them away for free and still make money."

"I could," Wong concedes, his smile widening a little. "But sadly that's just how business works, ladies."

Suki's eyes narrow at his tone. Her blood begins to boil.

"Could you explain that again for me?" she asks, forcing her face into a sweet, innocent expression, "Being a lady, I didn't quite follow."

He falls for it hook, line, and sinker. He leans a bit closer to her, his hands flat against the counter.

"Of course, sweetcakes," he replies affably, eyes bright. "It's quite simple. The strong take," he flashes an unpleasant glance at Katara's aghast face before turning back to face Suki's guileless one, "and the rich pay."

He winks conspiratorially at her.

Suki senses Katara stiffening behind her in indignation, Ty Lee putting a hand on her shoulder, Toph crossing her arms threateningly –

"Oh, okay," she says, tilting her head and flashing him a quick smile. "I see. Thanks for explaining it like that!"

"No problem," the vendor replies, leaning back in satisfaction. "Sometimes it's hard for pretty young girls like yourselves to wrap their heads around the realities of business –"

He doesn't finish his sentence because Suki slams her fist into his mouth, sending him flying back into the wall.

"No, not at all," she replies, leaping over the counter effortlessly and landing a step away from where Wong lies crumpled and dazed on the ground.

"Suki," Ty Lee gasps, rushing over to her side.

"Now that's more like it," Toph declares, nodding with approval.

"Just a minute," Suki commands, holding up a finger to silence the other girls. Then she grabs Wong by the lapels of his coat and hoists him to his feet before slamming him bodily against the wall.

He gasps in surprise and outrage.

"What are you doing?" he squeaks out, terrified, eyes darting across Suki's unusually stern face.

"What am I doing?" Suki repeats, raising an eyebrow. She chances a glance back at the girls – anxious Ty Lee, stone-faced Katara, impassive Toph – before turning her head back to face Wong, her wry smirk back on her face. "Why - I'm doing business with you."

Wong's face drains of colour at the unsettling levity in her voice.

"What?" he protests, staring at her with a hint of anger. "No you're not – you're robbing me."

"Mm." Suki's voice is sweet again and she pretends to think about it. "I might have understood you wrong – you know, it's so hard for a young lady like myself to wrap my head around it, but –" her hands tighten around his coat, the fabric bunching tightly in her fingers as she presses him against the wall, "–I could have sworn I heard you say that business is when the strong take and the rich pay."

She winks back at him.

"This is just the taking part."

He just gapes at her, struggling to find the words as she turns back to face the other girls.

"Katara," Suki says rather firmly, "help yourself to anything you want. Wong won't mind, will he?"

She presses a hand into his windpipe threateningly. He coughs and shakes his head in terror.

"Good." Suki nods. "You see, my friend here doesn't deserve to get ripped off on her clothes because she happens to be Water Tribe. Got it?"

He nods again. Satisfied, she removes her hand from his throat and he sucks in a breath of air.

"I don't know…" Katara falters uncertainly behind Suki. "This seems a little…wrong, don't you think?"

"Yeah," Toph admits, shrugging. "But he was wrong too. Anyway, you heard him, those clothes were basically stolen from Water Tribe people – you think they ended up here peacefully? You probably deserve them more than he does!"

"Yeah, but…" Katara agrees, trailing off.

"We're just playing by his rules," Ty Lee explains earnestly. "You know, sometimes you just have to beat them at their own game?"

"Yeah. I know." Katara steps forward, crossing her arms across her chest. She casts a dark glare at the helpless vendor, still pinned to the wall. "You're a despicable person, you know that? But the last thing I want to do is give you another reason to think badly of people like me. So –"

She turns on her heel and walks back to the rack with the Water Tribe clothing. She sifts through the items methodically, plucking an item here or there as she sees fit: a grey overcoat, a navy blue tunic, a long violet dress with an embroidered white sash –

"Whoa," Ty Lee comments as Katara finally finishes rifling through the collection and walks back with a small pile of clothing in cool-coloured cotton and linens. "Good haul."

Katara places her pile on the counter and sorts through them, counting and folding them meticulously.

"That's four ensembles," she says at last, reaching for a bag and sliding everything into it. "Ty Lee, what would you pay for that?"

"Uh." Ty Lee taps her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe eight silvers? Ten if I felt like splurging."

"Right." Katara withdraws her pouch at her side and counts out her money. She meets the vendor's eyes as she places her coins on the counter. "I'm paying you twelve silver coins. That's more than what you'd charge my friends. I'd say that's more than fair." She glares at him. "I won't rob you but I won't let you steal from me, either. You can keep the extra silvers as a token of my generosity. For the excellent service I got from you. Maybe it'll remind you to be nicer to the next Water Tribe person who walks through your door."

"Because if you're not," Suki finishes sweetly, dropping the vendor to the floor vehemently, "we'll find out. And we'll be back."

Wong gulps, wide-eyed.

---

"You know, in retrospect," Ty Lee remarks as they leave Wong's store with their bagged purchases, "it was kind of stupid of Wong to talk to us like that when he knew we're from the army."

"He probably thought we just served tea and gave the boys hot stone massages," Toph yawns, thoroughly unconcerned. "Great store, wouldn't go back."

---

THE TALE OF: ZUKO

or,

(here comes the sun)

The division base camp is quiet, as most of the girls (and no small number of the boys) have taken advantage of their rare day off to head into the closest nearby town. Zuko decides to take advantage of the emptiness first by meditating in his room and then, when that's done, heading over to the deserted clearing and practicing his lightning-bending some more.

He is tying the sash cinching his overtunic when a knock sounds at his door.

"Not today, Aang-" he begins wearily as he opens the door a crack and falling silent. Where he'd been expecting the young air nomad instead stand Chan, Ruon-Jian, and Hide. He raises his good eyebrow, unsure of what this is all about. "Uh…hi?"

The three of them shuffle awkwardly in their places, but it's Chan who speaks up first.

"Hi," he returns and if he feels uncomfortable at all, at least it isn't detectable in his smooth, steady voice. "Er, good morning, Your Highness."

Zuko rolls his eyes at the feigned attempt at deference.

"Stop that," he orders, before starting to shut the door.

"Wait!" Chan's foot sticks out, wedging itself between the door and its frame in the wall. Zuko is confused now as the other firebender continues. "We – we just wanted to say we're sorry."

"Sorry?" Zuko frowns in confusion, but he opens the door just slightly to see them better. "Sorry for what?"

"Well…" Chan struggles, shifting his weight uncomfortably. He is taller and quite a bit broader in the shoulder than Zuko, but he quails before the prince nonetheless. "We sort of gave you a hard time, earlier, for sticking up for that waterbender – for Katara, I mean."

"Oh." Zuko remains perfectly still, not letting his surprise show on his face. "Uh…"

"Yeah, we thought you were, like, really weird," Ruon-Jian speaks up, and his voice is just the slightest bit penitent. "But we figure she's alright, right?"

"And if she's alright," Hide takes up the strange dialogue, "then you are too. Right? I mean, you're the prince. We should've listened to you."

"Exactly," Chan nods, smiling tightly. "So uh, what do you say? Let bygones be bygones?"

He holds out his hand non-threateningly.

Whatever Zuko had been expecting from them, it certainly wasn't this.

"Um," he struggles, trying not to mentally choke on the fact that they're sucking up to him and more importantly, they're admitting that he was right. "Um, sure."

He accepts Chan's proffered hand and they shake on it.

"It's water under the bridge already," he says quickly, thinking that if even Chan and his spoiled, stupid friends could change, maybe there's hope for the rest of them.

Chan brightens.

"Great!" he exclaims. "Then as a token of our friendship, want to come into town with us? We're all going out for a pint and we're not taking no for an answer!"

The part of Zuko's mind that is capable of rational thought observes that their newly forged truce didn't necessarily mean that they were friends, yet.

"Yeah, you should hang out with us more, Prince Zuko!" Ruon-Jian urges earnestly. "Spread some of that wisdom you get from your uncle!"

"Ruon-Jian," hisses Chan, elbowing his friend sharply in the ribs. "Be cool."

Zuko can scarcely believe it. He isn't stupid. He knows a sycophant when he sees one. But there's a sincerity to Chan and his friends that he doesn't recognize from earlier.

Maybe this time, things will be different.

"Actually," he hears himself say, "maybe I could use a drink after all."

---

If someone had told him when he woke up that morning that by lunchtime, he'd be in town and halfway through his second pint with Chan's friends of all things, he would have thought that he was running a high fever.

Instead, he raises the cup to his lips and listens in silence to the cacophony of interspersed conversations surrounding him.

"No way," Hide is saying disbelievingly to the tall, boy-faced son of the fishmonger. "How in the name of Agni did you swing that?"

"Swing what?" asks another firebender, Malu, who's joined them at their table.

"Ryu over here," Hide splutters, jabbing a thumb at his companion's direction with emphasis, "this fisher boy – managed to bone one of the hottest girls in the division!"

"Oh yeah, the other night," Malu nods approvingly, grinning and raising his cup in a show of a toast. "Well played, Ryu."

"Thanks," Ryu replies, rubbing a hand against the back of his head somewhat bashfully. "Uh, it's not that big a deal, guys –"

"Not that big a deal?" Hide splutters, going somewhat bug-eyed at Ryu's nonchalance. "She's dynamite! Solid ten out of ten, man!"

"Yeah dude," Ruon-Jian advises sagely, "she's way out of your league."

"I don't know," Malu wavers, contributing what he can to the conversation, "I think Ryu's got a bit more game than he lets on. Look at that face, that smile – with the dimples."

"So?" Hide is clearly unimpressed.

"I don't know," Malu shrugs, swigging from his cup and wiping his mouth. "Chicks cream themselves over that stuff, no? They care more about your personality and whether there's room for improvement."

Chan snorts.

"Well, that explains Ryu then," he remarks with a bit of a drawl. "Anyway Hide, what're you so worked up over? I thought you were all googly-eyed for that other chick –"

"Who? On Ji?" Hide retorts scathingly, though his ears turn red. "No way, man. She's only like a six or seven, tops – and what's more, I saw her getting awfully chatty with that tattooed airbender the other day!"

"Aang?" Zuko interjects disbelievingly, choking on his beer. "Someone was flirting with Aang?"

"That's the one," Hide nods stubbornly, crossing his arms. "So I say fuck that, there's plenty of other girls ripe for the taking. That Jin, for example –"

"The one from the Earth territories?" Malu raises an eyebrow. "Over On Ji? Really?"

"Hey you know what," Hide points out defensively, "she's not much to look at up front but she's actually pretty low-key sexy, alright?" He smirks. "Plus that girl knows what she wants."

"Eh, still though," Malu says dismissively, "if I had to pick an Earth territories girl, I'd go with the Kyoshi one. What's her name again?"

"I keep forgetting," Chan admits, scrunching his face up. "Sukka, was it?"

"Suki," Zuko corrects, his stomach churning slightly as the conversation starts to tread familiar territory.

"Right yeah that's it," Malu nods and flashes a grin at Zuko. "Suki. Man, if we're talking about low-key sexy –"

"Really? Her?" Hide raises an eyebrow. "I don't really see it. Plus she kind of wears a bit too much makeup for me –"

"Not all the time," Malu argues, and then he smirks, "and then, you know. She's sassy. Got a wicked sense of humour. Witty, you know? Like she could keep up with you and knock you out at the same time."

"That turns you on?" Ruon-Jian demands skeptically. He shakes his head. "Why not go for the blind earthbender while you're at it? Man, you've got some weird taste in women, Malu."

"Speaking of weird taste in women," Malu says meaningfully, quirking an eyebrow up, "what do you make of the waterbender? Personally, I think she's pretty sexy."

Zuko narrowly winds up inhaling the rest of his drink at Malu's cavalier assessment of Katara.

He's been getting better at keeping his thoughts about her at bay – and considering just how much she's been warming up to him recently, it's taken more self-control than he believed he had in him. He's probably just gotten used to it by now. But the last thing he'd expected was for her to become the subject of the male gossip mill – which was probably his own fault, in a way, he should've seen that coming…

"That's only because you have a hard-on for girls who could kill you while fucking you at the same time," Ruon-Jian interjects savagely. "Weird fetish, dude."

"I'm telling you, it just makes it more exciting," Malu assures him lightly. "Anyone else? Hot or not?"

"Hot," Ryu admits with a cursory nod.

"Hot," Chan grudgingly agrees, "definitely hot in a I could kill you now and heal you back to life sort of way."

"Oh yeah, she healed you," Ruon-Jian comments significantly, wiggling his eyebrows. "So? Anything happen between you guys?"

Zuko suddenly feels sick to his stomach.

"No," Chan insists and for once the levity has slipped off of his face. "And shut up about her, guys. I mean it."

The day I walk into a crowd and find Chan the most sensible of them all, Zuko marvels privately as he closes his eyes. Unbelievable.

"Ooh," the others chorus mischievously as Chan's face reddens. "Somebody's got a thing for the waterbender, looks like!"

"I do not," Chan maintains, crossing his arms across his chest defensively. "Fuck off, you guys."

"Hey no need to get defensive, man," Malu reassures him. "We get it. We literally all said she's hot."

"For a waterbender," Hide supplies.

"Well yeah, for a waterbender," Malu agrees with a nod. He raises an eyebrow. "And you know what they say about Water Tribe girls, right?"

He and Hide snicker, even as Chan shrugs and Ryu looks vaguely uncomfortable and Ruon-Jian just wears a look of distaste, barely visible through the hair covering his face.

"That's just propaganda." Zuko feels the need to speak up and he feels their eyes settle upon him curiously. "You know that's all made up, right?"

"Well, it can't all be made up," Malu counters. "I mean," and he leans toward them, his voice lowering a bit, "I heard from my cousin who knows a guy who's got an uncle who works in the red light district back in the capital. Owns a brothel, you know, specializes in women of all types. Anyway." He smirks. "He says the Water Tribe girls he's got working for him make him the most money – more so than the hottest Fire Nation girls! The patrons just go crazy for them. Why's that, you think?"

"Because they're rare?" Ryu guesses bluntly.

"Well, that's part of it," Malu acknowledges. "That and –"

"C'mon dude, have you ever seen one?" Ruon-Jian parries witheringly. "The waterbender's pretty, but you can't tell me that all the rich guys back in the capital are into that exotic look - y'know – dark skin, blue eyes, long crazy hair –"

The sickening feeling in the pit of Zuko's stomach intensifies, but only partially out of discomfort at Ruon-Jian's words.

"I don't know, all that hair seems like it'd be fun to pull on," Hide muses with a grin. "If y'know what I mean?"

"Exactly," Malu concludes, as though explaining something very simple to a child. "Plus they're total nymphos too!"

Ryu frowns.

"I don't know about that. The waterbender seems a little frigid to me," he points out uncertainly.

"That's my point. It's all a front," Malu emphasizes. He nudges at Ryu, sitting next to him, with a meaningful gesture. "That's why they're so popular. They pretend to be all cold and frigid with that icy exterior, but secretly they're always up for it. After all," he winks significantly, "you won't find a girl wetter than a waterbender!"

"Ugh." Zuko all but spits his drink out of his mouth back into his cup. "Can you stop that?" He is gripped by revulsion at the firebender's crude suggestions, and by something else altogether that has everything and nothing to do with his own interest in their resident waterbender. "Katara's a person, okay? She's not a bunch of stereotypes for you to jerk off to."

Something that feels a little bit like hypocrisy leaves an ashen taste in his mouth.

"You seem pretty defensive of her, Prince Zuko," Malu observes serenely. "Any reason why?"

"Of course there's a reason why," Zuko bites out imperiously. "She's a friend and you're being creepy and gross."

"Yeah dude," Ryu agrees, his face wrinkling. "You might just earn yourself a trip to the healing hut if you say that too loudly."

"I'll say," Chan supplies, shaking his head. "Not cool, man."

"I don't know," Ruon-Jian comments scathingly, "maybe he wants to get beat up by the waterbender. That's what gets him hard, after all."

"Really, guys?" Malu taps his chin thoughtfully before turning to face Chan. "I mean, you were the one who brought up those handprint burns she's got, Chan. If that's not proof that she's into some freaky shit, then I don't know what is."

"You –" Zuko has to actively stop himself from lunging at the ignorant firebender sitting across from him. Instead, he forces himself to take a deep breath and continue, in as measured a voice that he can muster. "You know that she probably got those scars at a colonial school, right?" He gives them a moment, so that the implications of his statement are not lost upon them. "And then," he looks Malu right in the eyes as he continues nonchalantly, "come to think of it, I'm pretty sure she killed the guys who did it."

He calmly takes a drink from his cup as Malu gulps nervously across from him.

"You're joking, right?" he asks, sweating a little.

"I never joke. So if I were you," Zuko advises him solemnly with a voice that is warmer than he feels, "I'd keep my voice down when talking about her like that. If she heard, there's no telling what she'd do to you."

"I'll second that," Chan quips in agreement, before chancing a quick look around. "Speaking from personal experience and all, maybe… Malu, uh… maybe you should just shut the fuck up, man."

---

THE TALE OF: TOPH

or,

(teenage wasteland)

"You've got to be kidding, Circus Freak," Toph exclaims with a hearty laugh. It deepens when she realizes that the girl across from her isn't lying. "You hooked up with Ryu? As in the fishmonger's boy?"

"You did? When?" Suki demands, shooting her friend an accusatory stare. "And how have I not heard about this before?"

"You're hearing about it now, aren't you?" Ty Lee says patiently, fussing with the knot of her bathrobe. "Anyway, why wouldn't I? He's pretty cute, you know!"

"Well…I guess," Suki admits, somewhat reluctantly. "But…like…"

"I wouldn't know," Toph declares with a smirk. "His features aren't anything to write home about. Looks like you're settling, Circus Freak."

"Well, you're one to talk! You're blind!" Ty Lee huffs, crossing her arms in a bit of a sulk.

She senses the girl bristle defensively, and she leans back, smiling in satisfaction.

Following their eventful trip into town, Toph had yawned and declared that she wanted to unwind in the steam room. So naturally, everyone else insisted that they join her, too. Except Katara, who required some coaxing to join them. Eventually, she caved but insisted that she'd keep her bathrobe on.

Toph finds that a bit strange. If she hadn't known the waterbender to be rather comfortable changing around her, she would have thought her to be quite the prude. But Katara sits with them, hugging her robe tightly to her body as though to hide from prying eyes and Toph's curiosity wanes.

"I'm so jealous you guys get your own steam room," Ty Lee changes the subject, probably sick of being picked on for being a bit of a wild child. "Agni, I'd be in here every day if I had one!"

"That's what Sweetness and I thought, too," Toph snorts. She turns her head in Katara's direction, who still feels tense and uncomfortable to her seismic senses. "But we don't really have time for it a lot of the time. Right, Sugar Queen?"

Katara starts, as though she's been zoned out this whole time.

"Uh yeah," she agrees half-heartedly. "What Toph said."

Toph doesn't exactly blame her for drifting off. Suki and Ty Lee, while fun in their own way, are a little too much girl for her to stand sometimes. And Katara, who's about as far gone from a teenage girl as you could get for a seventeen-year-old, probably feels a bit the same way.

Idly, she wonders if the waterbender would be zoning out if Aang and Zuko were here instead. With a bit of a mental smirk, she thinks not.

"Excited for Day of the Dragons?" Ty Lee presses, crossing her long, slim legs luxuriously. The hem of her robe rides up, but she pays it no heed. "It's only a week away!"

"Yes, you did mention that," Toph replies blithely, scratching at her nose nonchalantly. "One or two thousand times all day today, I think."

"I can't help it," Ty Lee defends herself, flipping her long braid over her shoulder. "It's the new year already! We get days off and spend it all eating and drinking and partying–" her face splits into a grin, "and dancing –"

"Oh yeah." Toph senses Suki perk up too. "The Dragon dances are the best."

Toph is privately inclined to agree. If for no other reason than that the booze served during Day of the Dragons was the strongest and therefore made the dances that much more fun.

"Why?" asks Katara, somewhat hesitantly.

Ty Lee's face spreads into an expression that Toph can imagine is curious.

"You've never celebrated Day of the Dragons before, Katara?" she inquires, wide-eyed.

Katara recedes a bit more into herself, tucking her folded legs closer to her chest.

"Not really," she says, her voice masking her bitterness well. "They…didn't exactly invite us to join in." A beat while the other glance at her in confusion. "Y'know. Waterbenders."

"Oh." Toph's head hurts from sensing how vigourously Ty Lee is nodding. "Right. Sorry. I – I forgot!"

"It's okay." Katara shrugs indifferently, before her spine straightens a bit. "So enlighten me. What's so special about these Dragon dances?"

The grin is back on Ty Lee's face as though it had never left.

"What's so special about them?" she repeats with gusto. "Why – Day of the Dragons is more than just our new year! It's the first day of the dragons' mating season. It's all about celebrating fire and life and light and –" she wiggles her eyebrows suggestively, "y'know?"

"Uh…" Toph can feel Katara's apprehension growing from the other side of the room. "Not really?"

"Well," Ty Lee continues, stretching out her arms above her head. "The night of, there's supposed to be an all-night celebration. Lot of bonfires and booze and dancing, till the crack of dawn!"

"How's that different from any of your other holidays?" Katara inquires dubiously. "There was dancing during Conquest Day."

Ty Lee waves a hand dismissively.

"That wasn't dancing," she scoffs, "that was some pale anemic copy that doesn't even come close! Anyway, the ones that we do for the new year are much more fun!" She starts ticking off items on her fingers. "There's the firefly, the tigertrot, and…" she exchanges a loaded look with Suki, "the dragon's waltz."

Suki squeals in excitement.

"What's that?" Katara asks, clearly nonplussed. "I remember Aang taught me a waltz for Conquest Day, is that –"

"No," Ty Lee cuts her off, her voice excited. "That's just a boring stuffy-person's waltz. That's not the dragon's waltz." She pauses. "I can teach you it though! Friend's honour!"

"Uh…" Katara recoils in slight apprehension. "That's very generous of you –"

"The dragon's waltz is based off a bunch of drawings in the old dragon temples," Suki takes up the explanation, her face set with her usual wry smirk. "Because it's all about celebrating the start of mating season, it's pretty…" she searches for the word, "steamy?"

"The actual variant that they did in the fire sages' temple was called the forbidden dance," Ty Lee explains, eyes shining. "It was part of the dancing dragon movements. They had specific instructors for it back at the royal academy! The dragon's waltz is a bit more accessible."

"But just as fun!" Suki finishes.

"Why would that be fun?" Katara asks slowly, a bit nervously.

"Because, Sugar Queen," Toph speaks up, no longer convinced that the other girls are selling this properly, "between the booze and the generally celebratory ambiance, everyone just uses it as an excuse to hook up with whoever they want, no questions asked."

Her words ring a bit in the hot, steam-filled air.

"Well yeah," Ty Lee admits.

"What Toph said," Suki concedes.

Katara continues to stare at them blankly. Toph can sense the girl's heart pounding away slowly, increasing in pace every so slightly –

"Erm," Ty Lee tries, a little awkwardly, clearly confused by her complete lack of reaction, "you know what that means, right?"

She reacts to that.

"Of course I know what it means," she gripes, rolling her eyes. "I'm not a maiden, you know."

"Really?" Ty Lee blurts out, before clapping a hand across her mouth. Katara scoffs and shakes her head. "Sorry! I didn't mean anything – I was just surprised!"

"You don't really give off that impression," Suki supplies, a little more helpfully. "That's all."

"Nope." Katara shakes her head but her tone is curt. "I've had sex before, same as you guys." She shrugs. "I just don't find it something to write home about."

Toph scrunches her face up and jams her hands into her ears as Suki and Ty Lee gasp intolerably loudly.

"Really?"

"That's awful. Nobody deserves bad sex!"

Katara shrugs, a little defensively in Toph's opinion.

"It wasn't that bad," she counters unenthusiastically, "I just…wasn't really into it."

Toph is all too aware of the girl's nervousness: her pulse quickening, her palms growing damp with sweat (that had nothing to do with the steam room), the slow churn of her stomach –

She wonders. She's teased the waterbender a bit over Jet being her old boyfriend, but had given up after the boy's body was cold in the grave. She always thought Katara's steadfast denial was a prudish way to save face. The way she tensed up and reacted to him, Toph always assumed that there was a physical element in her relationship with Jet that she was embarrassed by.

It's never occurred to her that perhaps she denied it because she hadn't wanted to be with the guy. That if the choice had truly been hers, nothing would've happened at all.

Suddenly, Toph feels a little bit guilty. She's never been in a position where she's had to be with a guy she didn't want to be with. It surprises her that Katara of all people – so forthright and powerful and defensive – could be coerced into such a situation by a guy who couldn't even bend. She can't even imagine what it must've felt like to be that powerless –

"Well that's your problem right there!" Ty Lee points out, as though stating the obvious. "We're not like guys. You have to be into it, otherwise what's the point?" She taps at her chin thoughtfully.

Except she's lived through a few weeks without her bending and knows exactly what being powerless feels like, in her own way. She knows what it feels like to crawl on the ground, living step for step, constantly wary of what would come next. To take strength from whatever small thing helped her along, unsatisfactory as it was, knowing that she deserved more, was capable of more.

Suddenly, Toph finds a part of her regretting the fact that Jet's dead in the ground. Because if he was the one taking advantage of her while she was blind and helpless, she'd enjoy beating the living daylights out of him.

It's a mark of just how big Katara is that when she'd laid eyes on Jet that time, her first instinct was still to help him. By the badgermoles, Toph would've pulverized him. But no. Instead, Sugar Queen in all her royal glory felt sorry for him and tried to save him and even felt sad when he died. There's a complexity there, a weighty maturity that is totally beyond her grasp and it makes Toph feel like, even though she can read the truth of everything Katara says and feels, she still doesn't truly understand her.

But that's not enough to dissuade her from trying. After all, Katara is the first girl her own age she's respected enough to be an equal. And that's a lot, coming from Toph Beifong.

"Is there anyone you're into now?" Ty Lee asks, still curious, still tapping at her chin in thought. The even rhythm of it ripples through Toph's senses somewhat distractingly, tearing her from her thoughts.

Katara shrugs.

"No, not really," she answers noncommittally, shrugging and casting her gaze down to the stone floor.

Toph is not nearly distracted enough to miss the fact that she's lying. Or at least, not being entirely honest.

"No one?" Ty Lee repeats incredulously. "Come on, we're surrounded by shirtless, hot sweaty muscly guys all day! There has to be someone!"

Katara shrugs again but doesn't say a word. Her hand comes up to brush a wayward strand of hair out of her face and behind her ear.

Toph can't read minds, but she'd be willing to bet a rather large sum of money that Sugar Queen over there's thinking about someone very particular right about now.

Talk about loose ends, she thinks to herself, fighting to keep the smirk from spreading across her face. She can't risk giving them away after all, not now anyway…

Because as much fun as it'd be to tease the living daylights out of the two of them, clearly there is way too much baggage involved and she is nowhere near ready to subject her seismic sense to that much drama.

"Well," Ty Lee continues, leaning forward and fixing Katara with a very knowing smirk. "My advice is to pick someone – anyone – and just bone."

"Wha-?" Katara seems rather taken aback by Ty Lee's forwardness – as though she hasn't noticed by now that Circus Freak gets around.

"What what?" Ty Lee smiles brightly at Katara's embarrassment. "Seems to me like the only cure for bad sex is good sex."

Suki giggles.

"She's not wrong, you know," she offers. "And – as Toph so accurately pointed out – Day of the Dragons is literally the perfect time!"

"You guys are really open about this sort of stuff," Katara mutters in amazement, the blood rushing to her face.

"We don't value being prissy here, Sweetness," Toph tells her, her voice gentler than normal. "If there's one good thing about the Fire Nation, it's that nobody's repressed."

"Gee thanks," Ty Lee says sarcastically. "But she's right, Katara. Nothing good ever came out of not getting laid when you wanted to! Why, men start wars over that kind of stuff!"

"Right. As though the Fire Nation didn't start every war in the last hundred years or so" Katara retorts sceptically.

She's putting on a good show of being dismissive, Toph notes, feeling the girl start to pay attention in spite of her reservations.

"Yeah, but Emperor Sozin was single for years! Think about it! If he'd just focused on finding a wife, he'd have been too busy channelling all that pent-up frustration into pleasing her!" Ty Lee rattles off. "Meanwhile, Azulon got married early and things were peaceful! Iroh, married early, kept things peaceful! Ozai, married early –" she pauses, frowning, trying to do the mental arithmetic to keep on proving her point.

Across from her, Katara's eyebrows have shot up in a you've-got-to-be-kidding-me tone of face.

"Yeah, maybe that wasn't the best example," Ty Lee concedes, scratching the back of her head. "Guess there's a weirdo in every bunch."

Katara snorts and rolls her eyes.

"My point is," Ty Lee continues enthusiastically, "who needs that sort of negativity in your life?"

"Of course," Katara snarks back, "nothing like an accident or two to keep you young."

"Pshhh." Ty Lee waves off Katara's reservations with a gesture of her hand. "Nothing a cup of dandelion tea won't fix, and they serve that with breakfast every morning. There's nothing to worry about! And anyway, if you don't, it just muddles up your aura and then you're in real trouble!" She pauses, frowning a little. "Actually, your aura is pretty grey, now that I think about it. You need to start taking care of that, you know!"

"I don't even know what you mean by that," Katara sighs, rubbing her forehead.

"Well, if you're going to take up her recommendation," Suki advises earnestly, "I'd say go for a firebender. Don't waste your time with an Earth colony guy, they're pretty lousy in bed."

"Hey," Toph feels the need to speak up. "Don't give them a bad rep, Fancy Dancer. There's a place for earthbending guys. They're pretty fun in the sack if you're up for a bit of a rumble."

She feels three pairs of eyes descend upon her blankly before she shrugs nonchalantly.

"But knowing your speed, Sugar Queen, I very much doubt you'd be up for that," she concludes wisely. "Given how well things went with Jet –"

"Toph," Katara hisses warningly as both Suki and Ty Lee perk up in interest.

"Jet, who's Jet?" Suki asks, intrigued.

Toph bites her lip, wincing.

Shit. My bad.

Katara sighs in resignation.

"He was Mr. Lousy-In-Bed," she explains briefly, clearly reluctant to revisit that chapter of her life in any great detail. To the girls' credit, they don't pry any further either. "And he happened to be from the Earth colonies too, so…"

"My point exactly!" Suki exclaims. She smirks at Toph. "Sorry girl, looks like you're outnumbered!"

"Whatever. Different strokes for different folks. That just means more for me," Toph waves it off. "You ladies have fun fighting over all the firebenders –"

"What's so good about the firebenders, anyway?" Katara asks stiffly, almost distastefully. If Toph didn't know any better, she'd think the girl was absolutely repulsed by the idea. Knowing her, part of her probably still is. And given her turbulent history with them, Toph doesn't envy that internal struggle.

"Well, you know what they say about Fire Nation guys," Suki says conversationally, arching an eyebrow. "They're the best lovers!"

"Yeah!" Ty Lee agrees, nodding enthusiastically. "Earthbenders are only fun if you like it rough, Water Tribe guys are really more forever guys, and good luck trying to sleep with an Air Nomad! But firebenders really bring the heat, you know what I mean?"

"Uh…" Toph can feel Katara's heartbeat hammering as she tries to keep up her cool front. "Unless you mean literally…not really?"

"Well they're really passionate and have loads of stamina!" Ty Lee elaborates. "I think that'd be a great option for you, Katara! And since Chan just extended the olive branch to you, I think you've got more doors open to you than you realize! You should really take advantage of it while you can!"

"I'd really rather not –" Katara stammers. Toph feels it start to grip her, whatever personal demons rear their heads at the first mention of firebenders, and she opens her mouth, ready to tell Ty Lee to shut up and mind the line –

"Or what about Zuko?" Ty Lee prattles on, changing the subject quickly, though clearly oblivious to Katara's increasing discomfort. "You guys spend so much time together now! And it's obvious that the guy needs a rebound romp, stat! Win-win situation here, it's perfect!"

"No way," Katara protests, and the crushing tension gripping her disintegrates abruptly. Toph relaxes and backs down, noticing that the waterbender seems a little more comfortable with the trade in uncomfortable subjects. Her senses sharpen over the girl's perfectly manufactured indignation, so much so that even she finds herself starting to buy it… "Zuko's a friend, that'd be too weird…"

On that last bit, she's telling the truth. But even if Katara seems confused and a little anxious to her senses, she's relinquished the paralyzing terror of moments earlier. Toph is relieved.

"Why would that be weird?" Ty Lee inquires, perfectly curious again.

"Yeah, if anything, wouldn't that make it easier?" Suki asks, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, that way there's an obvious connection in place already! You know you don't hate each other – unless that's what you're into, of course." She shrugs. "I'm not knocking hate sex."

Toph lets out a hearty chuckle, partly at Suki's words and partly at the expense of Katara and her increasing consternation, which, now that the danger's passed, is a little endearing.

"How does that make it easier?" Katara argues. "You can't just turn friends-feelings into more-than-friends-feelings at the push of a button, that'd make everything so awkward."

"Have you ever met a teenage guy, Katara?" Suki smirks and shakes her head. "They do that all the time."

"It's literally their number two reason for existing," Ty Lee agrees.

"Hormones," Suki whispers, nodding sagely. "They'll knock us girls for them, but good luck meeting anyone more hormonal and confused than a teenage boy."

"And anyway, even if you were worried about the whole being-friends thing getting in the way and making you awkward," Ty Lee continues, redirecting her focus back to Katara's earlier reservations and evidently misinterpreting their roots, "I'm pretty sure he'd make you forget about it pretty quickly." She cocks an eyebrow. "I know for a fact that Zuko's amazing in bed."

"Spirits," Katara groans, covering her face with her hands, "will you give that a rest already? It's not going to happen."

But Toph suspects that Katara's increasingly evident embarrassment is the primary reason why Ty Lee isn't giving it a rest. She can't blame her, after all. In spite of her better impulses, it is pretty entertaining. And she knows Katara well enough by now to know that if she really wanted Ty Lee to shut up, she'd have bent her inside out by now.

"How do you know that, Circus Freak?" she interjects casually. "That's an awfully specific area of knowledge."

After all, if it's harmless, it's all in good fun. And moreover, in Toph's opinion, she thinks Katara could use a bit of encouragement...

"Well, do I have to remind you that one of my best friends was his girlfriend for how long now?" Ty Lee retorts, batting her eyelashes. She grins wickedly. "And let me just say, I did not sit through Mai telling me all the dirty details to just keep it to myself now!"

"Oh do tell," Suki encourages, her grin equally wicked.

"Well where does a girl begin," Ty Lee begins, needing little encouragement to continue. In spite of it all, Toph issues a quick apology to Katara in her head. "But according to Mai, he's really attentive, you know? And then he changes it up a lot too – from gentle to intense in a flash –"

"That's hot." Suki nods approvingly.

Toph is convinced by now that there is steam literally coming out of Katara's ears. She still hasn't told Circus Freak to shut up, though…

"Right? And what's even better, he's apparently got the stamina of an ostrich-horse," Ty Lee informs them with relish, before pausing briefly. "And he's hung like one too!"

"You guys," Katara whines. Toph thinks she sounds a little mortified but not traumatized and concludes that all in all, no harm done.

"Still having second thoughts?" Ty Lee inquires innocently.

Katara hands drop from her face.

"I am so uncomfortable right now," she seethes at Ty Lee, "I don't think I can even look at him the same way anymore. Thank you for that."

"You're welcome!" Ty Lee sings, clearly satisfied. "My work here is done!"

"Not in a good way," Katara warns her darkly.

"Oh." Ty Lee hangs her head. "Well, I tried."

"You're saying that Mai," Toph speaks up, her voice doubtful, "told you all that?"

"Mhm!" Ty Lee nods vigourously. "Why do you ask?"

Toph shrugs.

"Dunno," she remarks. "She never pegged me as the extra-talkative TMI type."

"Well, there's hidden layers to everyone you know!" Ty Lee quips, fluttering her eyelashes. "Speaking of hidden layers, what about you, Toph? Anybody caught your eye, recently?"

Toph lets out a hearty chuckle.

"Circus Freak, the last thing I need is sex advice from you." She shrugs. "I'm good."

"You know," Ty Lee continues thoughtfully, "I just remembered – you were awfully cozy with Zuko at music night! You guys spent forever talking about something! Looked pretty intense. Is that why Katara here isn't interested? Because there's something going on with you?"

Toph laughs even harder at that idea, preposterous as it is.

"Now you're asking if Sparky and I…" She snorts and shakes her head. "Good grief, girl, you're out of your mind. Maybe you should just boink the guy and get it out of your system."

"No can do." Ty Lee shakes her head. "I have to live vicariously through you guys. He dated my best friend you know, that makes him out-of-bounds forever..."

"That sounded like a classic deflection there, Toph," Suki points out slyly as Ty Lee pouts mournfully. "Are you sure you're not interested?"

Toph rolls her sightless eyes.

"Yes, I'm sure," she insists nonchalantly. "Look I'm sure he's gorgeous and perfectly capable in the sack and whatnot but frankly, he's a little too emotional and way too much of a gentleman."

"Emotional?" Suki asks dryly. "Him? Are we talking about the same guy here?"

"Personally," Toph concludes, barrelling over her, "I prefer a guy I can slap around a bit without feeling bad about it."

"Hence the earthbenders," Katara mutters, as though to herself.

For once, Suki and Ty Lee have been silenced by their surprise.

"Well…" Ty Lee stammers, and Toph smirks as she senses the blood rushing to her face now, "…I guess you do learn something new every day after all!"

"No kidding," Suki comments with a swift wink. "Careful, Toph, you're turning into some real jailbait here…"

---

THE TALE OF: TY LEE

or,

(girls just wanna have fun)

"Is this really necessary?" Katara asks, a little nervously.

They're gathered in the room that Suki and Ty Lee share, a building over from where Katara and Toph stay.

"A promise is a promise, Katara!" Ty Lee sings. "What sort of friend would I be if I backed out now?"

"One that respects boundaries?" Katara mutters under her breath. "And to be fair, you never actually made that promise."

Ty Lee catches the jibe but chooses to ignore it.

Her need is greater than mine, she thinks with a sigh.

"Well, you can't just wander into the Dragon dances without even learning the basics," Ty Lee points out, jamming her hands onto the exposed skin of her waist. "Okay, so now you're dressed for it. But you're going to make a fool out of yourself if you can't keep up."

"I was actually hoping to just maybe sit this one out –" Katara begins, tucking one loose strand behind her ear. She touches her new violet dress – high-collared, cap-sleeved, and more fitted than she's used to – nervously.

"Not a chance," Ty Lee insists, holding up a finger. "You're going to the dances and by Agni you're going to enjoy it."

"That's the most romantic thing I've ever heard," Toph remarks sarcastically, sitting cross-legged on Ty Lee's bed. "How much time do you spend working on your lines, Circus Freak?"

"Not much," Ty Lee admits, her face slightly crestfallen. "I happen to be a natural."

"Sure," Toph nods vaguely. "Yeah, keep telling yourself that –"

"Keep that up and she'll take it upon herself to tutor you too," Suki points out, elbowing the earthbender in the ribs.

"Yikes. Even I can't afford that," Toph quips, piping down.

Ty Lee closes her eyes and exhales long and slow. Usually things don't really get her down, but sometimes Toph really grates on her nerves. It all comes from a good place though, so she lets it slide.

But still. Sometimes the girl ought to be a little more grateful that someone wants to hang out with her at all!

But there's no time to dwell on that because right now, Ty Lee has a much bigger challenge at hand.

"The first step," she says brightly, opening her eyes and smiling at Katara, "is to just relax!"

The resulting frown and tightening of the girl's shoulders indicate to her that Katara is far from relaxed.

"It'll probably be easier with a couple shots of fireball," Suki calls out, somewhat reassuringly. "Damnit, we should've snuck some back from the marketplace…"

"Fireball?" Katara appears somehow even more nervous, which Ty Lee didn't think was possible.

How on earth can you be so wound up? She wonders idly to herself.

"New year's drink," Toph supplies with a nod. "Tastes like honey but goes down like fire. Nothing quite like it."

"And you drink it by choice?" Katara asks skeptically. "I don't know if this whole Day of Dragons thing is for me…"

"Well, you're not trying very hard, are you?" Ty Lee presses, raising her eyebrows. She steps up to the waterbender and extends a hand. "I'm going to walk you through the motions now."

Now it's Katara's turn to exhale through her teeth and grumble under her breath. But she complies, accepting Ty Lee's hand and stepping forward.

"That's the spirit!" Ty Lee exclaims in approval. She straightens her back, places Katara's hand on her shoulder before settling her other hand around Katara's waist. "This is an open position. It's good for ballroom dances that are a bit more impersonal, but if we're going to go through the dragon's waltz, you're going to need to be a lot closer."

To illustrate her point, she steps forward and closes the distance between them, feeling the waterbender fight a squirm as she presses the line of her torso flush against hers.

"That's a little invasive," Katara splutters, her face turning red as she recoils slightly.

"That's what makes it fun!" Ty Lee explains brightly. She winks. "That's what you'd call a closed position."

"I don't know…" But the waterbender shelves her reservations for now and stiffly resumes the prescribed stance.

"It just feels awkward because we're two girls," Ty Lee reassures her. "It's easier when it's a guy leading."

"You're doing great, guys," Toph says breezily. She turns over to face Suki. "Man, do you have any popcorn or anything?"

"The important part about the closed position is maintaining connection through a long line of contact," Ty Lee instructs, looking Katara right in the eyes. "From the shoulders right down to the hips. This makes sure of two things. One, you can follow your partner's cues through a shift in motion and two, that you have the support you need for the spins and the lifts, but without tripping over the footwork."

"This," Katara begins nervously, "sounds like such a bad idea."

"It's easier when you're not thinking about it," Ty Lee advises. "Just follow my lead and you'll be fine. For example –"

She tugs on the waterbender's hand, the motion somehow forceful yet gentle at the same time. Katara lets out a sharp yelp as Ty Lee swiftly twirls her around twice and drops her into a dip, her arm and bent leg bearing her weight, their faces only inches away from each other.

"See?" she asks, straightening and helping Katara find her feet again. "Just like that! You just have to trust me."

"I thought I was going to die," Katara wheezes, breathing heavily, a hand clutching her chest.

"I know," Ty Lee nods. "But it's fun, isn't it?"

She smirks victoriously as Katara meets her gaze.

"Maybe a little," she confesses. "Only a little, though."

"Fair enough," Ty Lee nods brightly. "Now let's get you familiar with some basic footwork…"

---

"Alright, let's try that again," Ty Lee suggests, fighting the urge to rub at her temples and give away her weariness.

"I can't get it," Katara insists stubbornly, crossing her hands over her chest in a huff. "I keep tripping over my own feet. And yours."

"That's because you keep trying to lead," Ty Lee points out, breathing in slowly through her nose to turn her mounting exasperation into patience and a reasonable tone. "You just need to follow, Katara."

From over on the bed, she hears a snort of laughter.

"Ha," Toph remarks, shaking her head slowly. "No chance there, Circus Freak." She jabs a thumb in Katara's direction. "Sweetness might be her name –"

"It's not, though," Suki interjects in a low voice, as though to herself.

"– but don't let that fool you. Behind that sweet, sweet face is the heart of an absolute control freak," Toph finishes triumphantly.

"I am not," Katara snaps, turning her ire on the blind earthbender, who's now smirking and leaning back on the bed with her arms crossed. Her face falls momentarily and she touches a hand to her neck uncertainly. "Do…do you really think I'm a control freak?"

"I don't know," Toph drawls. "Are you?"

Ty Lee fights the urge to beam at Toph as a newfound determination works its way across Katara's face and posture. Sometimes she could be a brash little sociopath, but if there's one thing Toph's good at, it's exploiting people.

For their own good, of course.

"One more time?" she asks innocently, smiling at Katara.

The waterbender steps right up to her and gets into the closed position without hesitation.

"One more time," she agrees firmly.

---

"…now for a variant," Ty Lee says, once she feels Katara getting a little more comfortable with the basic footwork. "Instead of wrapping your foot around my calf for the twists, you kick it up and wrap it around my waist instead!"

"Your what?" Katara's eyebrows have shot up to her hairline.

"My waist!" Ty Lee repeats brightly. "Here, let me show you –"

Katara's eyes widen in slight fear as she does.

"You have got to be kidding me…"

---

"I'm going to try a lift now," Ty Lee warns Katara.

"What?" Katara asks nervously.

"Now."

Ty Lee shifts her weight swiftly and Katara, unprepared for the sensation of being lifted, lets out a sharp yelp as she loses her balance and tumbles gracelessly to the ground.

"Ow," she complains, winded on her back. "That hurt."

"Sorry," Ty Lee apologizes profusely, hands flying up to her face. "Are you okay?"

She stretches out a hand, which Katara grudgingly takes to pull herself up to a sitting position.

"I think so," she replies uncertainly, rubbing at a spot on her lower back. "I've been through worse."

Having been on the receiving end of many a sparring session with her, Ty Lee is inclined to agree.

"But you could have given me more warning," Katara complains, getting back onto her feet.

"I know. Sorry," Ty Lee apologizes again. She rubs at the back of her head bashfully. "I thought it might work better if you didn't have a chance to overthink it."

Over in the corner, Ty Lee swears she sees Toph mouth "control freak" at Katara.

She shakes her head.

"Maybe if you walked me through it slowly," Katara suggests tentatively.

"Not too slowly," Ty Lee corrects, her face brightening. "But that could work. Here –"

They assume their starting position and work through some variation of the footwork that Katara's worked so hard to pick up.

"So say for example," Ty Lee explains, leading her through the motions, "you're in a step like this and I feel like a lift. I might warn you, but I might just go ahead if the music's too fast."

They rotate in oscillating, half-moon shaped arcs down the length of the room, feet moving in a newfound harmony.

"So, if you feel me start to shift like this –" she demonstrates, "– don't fight it or try to overcompensate, okay? Just like the turns and the dips, remember, you just yield."

"Right," Katara nods, trying to get used to the shift in balance. "Right, I think I get it."

"Ready to try?"

"Mhm."

"Great!"

Ty Lee shifts her weight and lifts Katara clear off the ground, gravity momentarily yielding to the change in balance supported by her surprisingly strong arms and torso and the rotating motion of her feet.

Katara manages the lift well but is so unused the feeling of being weightless that when Ty Lee finally moves to set her back down, she fumbles on the landing, the return of gravity turning her limbs heavy and awkward.

She crumples back down to the ground, bringing Ty Lee down with her.

"That seems like it hurt," Toph observes as besides her, Suki winces. "You guys okay over there?"

"Nggh," comes the groaning reply from below Ty Lee.

"She's alive, folks!" Ty Lee announces brightly, expertly disentangling herself from the crumpled heap of waterbender below her. "And almost made it through a lift too, good job!"

"When this is over," Katara gasps, her voice barely intelligible through the muffle of her clothes and limbs, "I am going to kill you all."

Ty Lee pats her on the head reassuringly.

"That's the spirit, Sweetness," she soothes.

---

"Good!" Ty Lee says enthusiastically, as she and Katara break out of position some time later. "You're really getting the hang of it!"

"That's almost forbidden dance level," Suki comments from where she and Toph are still watching on the bed. "You picked that up pretty quickly, Katara!"

"It kind of feels like waterbending, except with two people instead of one," Katara admits, a bit shyly. She touches her braid, trying to feel for any out-of-place strands. "I didn't think it'd be this fun. I thought it'd be harder."

"The only thing that makes it hard is the speed. Picking up cues and responding to them when the music's really fast can be a lot," Ty Lee instructs, noticing how the waterbender's face is flushed and her eyes are bright in spite of herself. Nothing like a dance or two to get the blood going, she thinks to herself, privately revelling at her handiwork. "But you're a master waterbender, so this is probably nothing for you." She holds out her hand again. "From the top?"

It's been a hard-won effort but the hesitation is almost gone from Katara's movements as they whirl through the motions. Katara's focus is still on the sequence of things – Ty Lee can sometimes hear her muttering them under her breath ("left foot lift-wraparound, one-two-twist, right foot spin…") but she responds to cues a bit more readily and then, sometimes, she thinks she can feel the girl really get into it.

After all, she reflects, the dragon's waltz is all about passion and joy and desire, and there's nothing like a bit of dance to express that. Even for someone as shy as Katara.

"That's my girl," Ty Lee proclaims following an ambitious lift that turns into a bit of a throw and then a dip. "You've got this! I knew you could do it!"

"I've got this," Katara repeats, breathing heavily and almost disbelievingly. She doesn't flinch out of the closed position, her torso firmly in line with Ty Lee's even as she holds her in the dip, her leg hooked around Ty Lee's waist. "I've got this?"

"You're ready," Ty Lee declares, breaking out of position. She feels the jubilance overwhelming her as she pretends to dash a tear from the corner of her eye. "You're the best student I've ever had!"

"Erm." Katara squirms and Ty Lee can see her fighting it, the instinct that makes her act all closed off and prudish against the one that just wants her to be a woman already and own it, "…thanks." She gives Ty Lee a small, sincere smile, wiping the sweat off her brow. "No one's really put that much effort into teaching me anything since my old waterbending master. And even then, he was a lot of work."

"Well, don't let anyone say we neglected you here!" Ty Lee responds, giving Katara a hug and feeling the girl stiffen, taken aback by the sudden show of affection.

"Right," she stammers, her arms awkwardly circling around her to return the hug. "Yeah, thanks."

"No problem!" Ty Lee gives the girl another squeeze before letting her go and taking a step back, hands on her shoulders. "Remember, if you've learned nothing else today, that the dragon's waltz is just a dance. And dance is just a form of self-expression! So you can try to hide yourself in a corner all you want but nobody – lousy in bed or otherwise – can take that away from you!"

"Uh…" Katara looks confused. "Is this a euphemism for something else or are we still on the same page?"

Ty Lee giggles, dropping her hands from the girl's shoulders and stepping back.

"It's only a euphemism if you want it to be," she assures her with a conspiratorial wink. "But sometimes, a dance can just be a dance, and if that's what you're comfortable with, then that's fine too! What matters is that you do what you want. Don't miss out on everything because you were scared!"

"What Circus Freak is trying to say," Toph supplies from her corner, now bored, "is to have fun, but no pressure. Got it, Sugar Queen?"

"I think I understand." Katara nods uncertainly, but the disquiet brimming in her eyes earlier is gone, traded for something else that's just a bit less cautious.

Ty Lee wonders if she'll ever see Katara break out of the walls she's put up so carefully around her. She doesn't really guess too hard at why they're there. Any idiot could figure out why. But life, Ty Lee stolidly believes, is for living and that includes guarded Water Tribe girls with secrets in their eyes and trickles of pink in their grey, grey auras.

---

THE TALE OF: IROH

or,

(the sound of silence)

It is late into the night and the grounds are quiet.

But for the firstborn son of the Emperor, sleep does not come easily.

He wears his comfortable sleeping garments, as though he's thought about climbing into bed and closing his eyes. But instead he sits at the small table by the fireplace, silently placing small round tiles onto the scored wooden surface of the game board.

Often, his gambits come to him in a stroke of midnight inspiration but tonight his thoughts are elsewhere.

He glances at the pattern on the board, trying to make sense of the randomly placed pieces. Flower tiles of alternating colours scattered on the grid. Here and there, other tiles, fewer in number, inscribed with various symbols: a rock, a ship, a wheel, a dragon, a knot…

Almost instinctively, he reaches for the lotus and sets it in port.

I am becoming predictable, he thinks to himself with a sigh. What would another do?

After a moment of consideration, he removes the lotus tile from its port and weighs his options.

He considers the orchid: bold, aggressive, creating chaos and discord wherever it landed. Sifu Katara had thought of it instinctively as a foil to the white lotus. A smile flits across his mouth as he picks up the tile and sets it on the board, watching as it chokes all opposing pieces in its vicinity, stunting their growth. Truth be told, it was not a bad strategy. Clumsy. But not bad.

The problem with it, Iroh muses to himself, is that it neglects the contributions of all the other pieces on the board.

But that is what people forget when they play pai sho. They rely on one-trick gimmicks focusing on special tiles with powerful abilities. Matching an aggressive play with another one, instead of mundanely securing the gates. And in doing so, they forget about the most important pieces.

It's like power.

Ask any fool on the street where the seat of power lay, and they would reply without hesitation. The throne of the emperor, they would say.

And perhaps they would be right, Iroh concedes, except it's far too simple. And anyone who thought that every movement was dictated through the will of the Emperor clearly did not understand the intent of Sozin and Roku when they first constructed the empire.

In the same way, anyone who believes that his skill in pai sho comes from his understanding of the white lotus tile would be making an incredible oversimplification. On its own, the white lotus is next to worthless. It has little inherent aggression and next to no mobility. The only thing that gives it power is its all-encompassing ability to interact with the other pieces.

And the inability of his opponents to understand the first rule of pai sho is what inevitably defeats them.

The problem with pai sho, he thinks, is the same problem with power.

He thinks of the Imperial Court, designed by Roku as a way to consolidate power. By all means, at the time it was a most astounding suggestion. Take the assembly with the most power, he'd suggested, and give it back to the people. Following the comet's arrival and the disintegration of Sozin's initial strike into endless, bloody war, it had positively flown in the faces of everyone around him, running counter to their idea of conquest.

But Roku – with his suggestions of ambassadors and elected representatives and fixed-term ministers – Roku knew.

Roku knew that peace was no old wives' tale, but instead as important to the consolidation of power as war. Perhaps even more so. It had been a visionary accomplishment. By transferring the bulk of the throne's administrative power to the court, and then filling it with those who spoke with the voice of the people, he had done more than safeguard against corruption and keep the power of the throne from descending into tyranny and bloodshed. He'd sown the seeds for nearly a century of stability and balance by ensuring that the recently acquired territories felt like they belonged. That they had a say in their own destinies, and that they even had the power to change it if they felt like it.

Iroh has spent the better part of his life studying General Roku. Having been born years after his death, he has never met him. But even though Sozin had been the first Emperor, Iroh does not doubt who the real father of the Fire Empire is. And if Roku had been alive right now, Iroh doesn't doubt that he would be ashamed of what the empire is becoming. At how bloated and ineffective the court has become, at how it has been infiltrated by self-serving, power-hungry sycophants and allowed the empire to decline into a turbulent era of growing prejudice and violence and, at times, abject savagery.

And if Roku was to sit across from him right now, Iroh doesn't doubt that he would have been a most formidable opponent. He wouldn't have been distracted by the white lotus, but instead recognized that it was everything else that was important.

Without the humble, pedestrian movements of all the common flowers – red and white, light and dark, white jade and lilies and snapdragons alike – and the orchestrations of the grander special tiles – ships to move, rocks to block, wheels to turn, dragons to consume – the white lotus would have nothing with which to create its harmony.

A harsh caw from his windowsill tears through the night air.

At once, he is distracted from his contemplations and turns away from the board.

General Iroh frowns, watching the fierce falcon-hawk beat its powerful wings over to the edge of his desk. It is a powerful creature. Difficult to intercept. Whoever sent a message with this bird must have risked a lot to ensure its secrecy.

He unfastens the scroll tied to its pouch and when he sees the white wax seal inscribed with its plain lotus insignia, all of his attention is focused.

Finally, he thinks to himself, tearing the letter open with uncommon haste.

It is unlike Jun to be quiet for such a long period of time. He scans her missive quickly, his uneasiness growing with every passing word.

Grandpa,

If this message reaches you, I'm luckier than I thought. You owe me big time for this mess you've put me in.

I investigated the origins of the knife you sent me. Some friend you are. The trail led me right into the Dai Li. You may also find it interesting that the knife appears to have been in the possession of certain acquaintances of mine who belonged to the resistance. I say 'appears' because all of these acquaintances have since vanished before I could find them or ask them anything. Courtesy of the Dai Li as well, I'll assume.

I wish I had more information for you than that but unfortunately the Dai Li are onto me. I had the misfortune of flipping one of them off at a bar a couple of weeks ago – I know, not my smartest course of action, but here we are. I've been waiting on another lead, one of my sources within the Dai Li, before throwing in the towel altogether but I'm being watched. I don't dare send another letter to you, in case they start intercepting my messages. There are only so many trained messenger falcon-hawks that a girl can get her hands on, even one as resourceful as me.

For the moment, I'm lying low in my flat with Nyla. I haven't stepped out in the better part of a week because I can see them camped out by my door, waiting to ambush me or worse. I don't really know what to do and frankly, I'm a bit scared. I hope that this will blow over but I'm worried that it won't. Please let me know what you want me to do. I could really use some help right about now.

Jun

Grand Lotus Iroh's amber eyes widen.

"How dreadful," he mutters darkly. He puts down the letter and rummages on his desk for some blank paper, mentally composing a reply to send back to her.

He's thought through every permutation of get out of there now that he can before dipping his brush into the well of ink.

But before he can lower his brush to paper, he is distracted by a knock at his door.

"Enter," he says, frowning. He glances at the window and the height of the moon in the sky. Who is calling on me so late at night?

"Your Highness, I apologize for the hour," greets his man-at-arms. He holds out a scroll addressed to him, sealed with the royal flame insignia of the royal family. "But there has been urgent news from the capital. It cannot wait."

Crown Prince Iroh gets to his feet. His hands are steady even as he slits the red wax seal open and unrolls the letter.

He knows what it says before he reads the words.

---

THE TALE OF: KATARA

or,

(changes)

Katara takes her time dressing after her bath the next morning.

It's a luxury she usually doesn't have. Usually, they're up at the crack of dawn, trudging bleary-eyed and yawning to the clearing for Avatar training. Half the time, she isn't even awake enough to remember getting ready in the dim light of the morning: throwing on her uniform, dragging a brush through her bedraggled hair, splashing her face and rinsing her mouth out with salt and water…

But thanks to the looming Fire Empire's new year, or Day of the Dragons as they so pretentiously called it, the entire camp's been given a bit of time off from their usual duties. And the break in routine has been, well, jarring to say the least.

It amazes her that by now, she's gotten used to being in the army. That by throwing herself into the discipline of hard work, early mornings, and meditation, she's found a sense of normalcy that's been missing from her life ever since she's left the military academy and Master Pakku. She remembers what he told her before she left, that he had no doubts that she had exactly the abilities that they were looking for here. She recalls her doubts, her aversion, her despair at being torn away from the only familiar thing she'd encountered since Sokka ran away…

And as she raises her eyes to her reflection in the polished looking-glass hanging by the wall in her shared room, she considers how long ago that feels.

It's been nearly half a year since she's arrived here on that hot, midsummer's day and yet, it feels like half a lifetime ago since she's been that person. It feels insane to her, almost a betrayal in fact, to admit that this is the closest thing to peace she's felt since everything began – this unlikely place with her mixed bag of friends is starting to feel like a place called home –

And maybe that's why being a soldier is so easy now, she muses, pulling the comb through her damp hair, recently washed with peppermint and lotus oil. The scent of it relaxes her and reminds her of home, so far away but also here now, a place that she brings with her, a place that in some ways can't be taken away.

After all, it's easy to bury yourself in routine, she thinks, her fingers dropping the comb onto the mantel above the fireplace and deftly beginning to pull the thick, dark strands into their usual braid. When everything you do stays the same, you don't have time to notice anything else.

Like how if she stops for a moment and takes the time to really look, she notices that her face isn't exactly the one she remembers. That the slight roundness of her features has hollowed out, making her look less like the child that she recalls, and more like the image in her mind she has of her mother. Her eyes are still big and blue in her face, but her nose is a bit wide, her cheekbones high and prominent in the soft oval of her face. Her lips are thin and somewhat severe, not full and plump like Ty Lee's, or soft and curving like Suki's or Toph's.

It feels so frivolous, to take the time to look at herself as she really is. As though by being so engrossed by the routine of being a soldier, she can forget that she's a person, too.

Her fingers, almost of their own accord, stop braiding her hair. She tilts her head just slightly, frowning at how the tightly pulled-back hair emphasizes the harshness of her features. She turns her head this way, and then that, her gaze critical.

She runs her hand through her hair, dislodging the braid that she'd started to work on. Her eyes follow the fall of her hair as it frames her face, softening the hard lines, drawing attention to the balance in her features. She's never thought of herself as pretty – and after everything she's been through, perhaps she's been too scared to think about it until now – but after evaluating her face in the mirror, she bravely decides that she likes her eyes, and the way the soft wave of her hair draws attention to them.

And so, she picks up the comb and tries again. It's a little while before she's satisfied with it – she's a practical creature by nature and there's no way she can bend with her hair getting in her eyes – but as she sections off parts and plaits them into a more complex knot than she would usually attempt, she thinks she's satisfied by the result she sees in the mirror.

It isn't frivolous, she tries to convince herself, tying off the knot at the back of her head and evaluating the long, loose waves of hair that cascade over her shoulders and spill down to her waist. It's just self-expression. Ty Lee said no one could take that away from me. Not even them.

The small, terrifying reality that a part of her just admitted that Ty Lee was right isn't enough to quell the strange, silent defiance raging like fire inside of her. Her gaze drops from her hair to her body, sturdy and athletic from all her training but still swelling with a hint of the soft curves her mother had. She's a woman now – not a child, not a soldier, and certainly not a coward. She's spent so much time hiding from those scars, and she's sick of it now.

Some people wear their scars on their faces, she thinks to herself, her heartbeat racing as it usually does whenever her thoughts turn to him, they don't have the luxury of hiding.

And if he could be that brave, then maybe she can be too.

She's been so fixated on surviving that she's forgotten all about living. And she can't even decide if that's a tragedy or not.

"Hey there Sweetness," Toph calls to her, poking her head through the door from the hallway. "You ready, yet?"

Katara takes one last look at herself and nods in satisfaction.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she answers, tearing her gaze away from the mirror and toward the earthbender instead. "Let's go eat."

As she locks the door behind them and they set out through the hallway toward the exit, Toph scrunches her face up in concentration.

"Did you do something to your hair, Sugar Queen? You feel…different."

Katara smiles disarmingly as she touches a hand to the back of her neck, the heavy feeling of her hair still alien to her. A silent rebellion.

"A bit," she confesses. "It's not that big a deal."

"If you say so." Toph shrugs and smirks as they step outside. "I'd tell you that it looks nice but I have no idea if that's true or not…"

---

She almost regrets it as they approach the mess hall. She imagines heads turning to give her a second glance, but truth be told everyone is sullen and preoccupied this morning.

"It's okay," Toph assures her, almost as though she can read her disquiet. "No one's staring."

"Yeah," Katara agrees. "I know."

Her body is still tense though and her heart pounds nervously as she runs her eyes around her surroundings, searching –

"Katara?" an incredulous voice asks from some distance away. A male voice.

She stiffens and turns around to face him, mentally preparing herself – but it turns out to just be Chan and a couple of his friends, trays of breakfast in their hands.

"Oh," she says, swallowing her vague sense of disappointment and trading it for a brief smile. "Hi."

"Hi," Chan nods, his face unusually somber. His eyes widen as he surveys her in her new dress: not the violet one that Ty Lee had approved of the day before, but the tailored navy tunic and its warm grey overcoat instead. "Is that new?"

"It is," Katara tells him, surprised that he'd notice. "I got it in town the other day with the girls. It's quite a story, come to think of it."

"You'll have to tell me sometime," Chan tells her, hoisting a smile onto his face that doesn't quite reach his eyes. "But it suits you. Doesn't it, guys?"

"Yeah," Ruon-Jian agrees, nodding but without much emphasis. "You look sharp."

"Thanks," she forces out, relieved.

"Like a proper girl from the Water Tribes," says Chan's other friend, a good-looking guy that she doesn't recognize. "And you know what they say about Water Tribe girls, right?" He eyes her with interest and she feels her skin crawl.

"Malu," Ruon-Jian hisses through clenched teeth, elbowing the guy sharply in his ribs. "For fuck's sake, man."

"We should go," Chan says bluntly. "And remember - I've got your back, Katara." He winks at her suddenly, conspiratorially, as though they're old friends. "In case you need a hand warding off any unwanted admirers."

"Oh. Right. Uh," Katara stammers, not really expecting that from him. "I think I've got it covered. But thank you."

Her eyes flit around her surroundings again, chancing to see if anyone's watching.

Chan and his friends walk away, somber once again.

She lets out a long slow breath.

"Was that weird to you?" she asks Toph carefully.

"A little bit," Toph admits. "Not Chan. Believe it or not, but the guy was being sincere. Leave it to you to find a way to make him redeemable, Sugar Queen." She pauses, scowling. "His friend, though –"

"Who, Ruon-Jian?"

"No, the other one. He creeped me out a bit. You could afford to be less friendly with that one."

"You and me both. Thanks for the heads up," Katara mutters as they walk up to the counter and grab their breakfast trays.

As though out of habit, her eyes survey her surroundings quickly, carefully, unconsciously searching for a glimpse in the crowd: the sharp jawline, a dark red blotch marring pale perfect skin, thick black hair long enough to pull into a topknot but left wild and unkempt instead…

"Who are you looking for?" Toph prods, raising an eyebrow.

"What?" Katara asks, startled. She shakes her head in denial. "No one."

The lie slips out of her mouth automatically, her hand instinctively reaching up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Her heart pounds uncomfortably in her chest regardless.

She belatedly remembers that Toph can probably tell that she isn't being entirely truthful, but thanks her lucky stars when the blind girl decides not to push further.

In fact, as they walk through the room, something seems a little off to Katara. While mornings aren't generally as rowdy or energetic as lunches or dinners, there's something weighty in the air and some of the more senior officers look downright funereal.

"Does anything feel a little strange to you?" Toph asks uncertainly as they approach their usual table. Suki, Ty Lee, and Aang are sitting there, picking at their breakfast, but there's no one else.

"A little bit," Katara confesses quietly, her face falling a little as they join their friends and seat themselves in their usual spots.

"Morning," Aang greets them, nodding his head. He looks a little pale.

"Morning," Katara replies. Her eyes sweep over Suki and Ty Lee, who also appear apprehensive to her eyes. What is going on?

Her gaze lingers on the empty spot at their table, but nobody mentions anything amiss and so she musters her resolve, putting on a nonchalant front.

"No Zuko this morning?" she asks lightly, as though she's only curious.

The response to her words is striking. Aang faces her, and there's worry in his eyes.

"No, he won't leave his room," he replies, shaking his head.

"Why?" Katara returns, her heart sinking as she starts to piece it together: the somber officers, the subdued chatter of the morning, Zuko's absence…

Ty Lee turns to her and when she speaks, her voice is low.

"You didn't hear? General Iroh packed up and left for the capital early this morning. Emperor Azulon just passed away in his sleep."

---

author's notes. oh and there's the plot, returning from its much-needed vacation.

*cracks knuckles* this is probably the longest single chapter i've ever written. i really hope this doesn't become a trend, because i remember thinking something similar at the end of last chapter too... but if you made it all the way through, kudos for some real fanfic marathoning.

we're approaching the conclusion of the 'falling so slow' mega-chapter arc. next chapter will be the last in that series, to tie off one last thing or two before returning to the regularly scheduled storyline. it'll be rather on the shorter side (compared to the giant slog of this chapter and its predecessors) but no less eventful! i'm hoping to have it up within the next week or so, so keep an eye out for it.

on a sidenote: i think i need a beta? mainly for plot detailing, grounding and restraint, and a general second opinion to make sure things are consistent and sensible.

liked it? hated it? let a girl know! reviews are the only known remedy for writer's block and fatigue!