A/N: Thank you, thank you for all the love, you guys! Every review is like fuel in my tank – it seriously recharges me and spurs me to keep on writing. I guess that's what you call a symbiotic relationship :) Please keep 'em coming and I'll be sure to update as frequently as humanly possible for a mother of a 15-month-old toddler (aka the Tasmanian devil). Haha. But seriously… -_-
In response to reviews from Chapter 24:
nephertiri: This is a really good story, and I'm really impressed by how you made the pairing Katara/Ozai interesting and insightful...all things ATLA considered :P I like your writing style and the flow of the style is great. I can really feel Zuko and especially Sokka's frustration with the "hunt", and Toph's horror/disgust with her discovery. I'll most definitely will continue to keep a look-out for updates, and please keep up the great work! :) Also, that forest sounds eerily like the Japanese Aokigahara Forest. *shudders*
= = = Thank you very much! So glad to know you enjoy my writing style – always nice to hear that. And as a matter of fact, I did use Japan's Aokigahara Forest as inspiration for the Bashou Mountains. For whatever reason, I'd never heard of that place until very recently and it has haunted me ever since. I knew even before I learned of that place that I planned to do something like that, and it was the perfect inspiration. What a horrific place though :(
SerenaPotterSailorMoon: Wooow, the story behind that forest is freakin scary! I just know something is gonna happen to them soon! Loved the chapter!
= = = Yeah it's definitely not a happy place :) Thanks so much for the review!
TPizzle50GK: Why do you do this to me?! I wanted two weeks! Or was it a week and a half? Anyways... I almost died! Lol nah I didn't I actually was preoccupied the past week sooo yeah... And the stories kind of freaked me out... And I really don't want Zuzu and the gang to go into the mountains because I'm afraid they won't come out. A part of me wants Katara to be recued and another part of me wants her not to be and another part of me is telling me to shut up and do my homework... Anyways update soon!
= = = Ahh, well I'm so glad that you didn't die on me, I'm not sure I could deal with the guilt :) But yeah, it is definitely a harrowing situation for everyone involved. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing – I hope you got your homework done on time ;-)
guest: I liked the spooky story! I do anticipate to see if "something" is going to happen during the travel through the mountains to Katara and Ozai or Zuko and the rest. I loved Sokka's comments ( in the real story and the imaginery scenario by Katara).
= = = Thank you very much! Glad you liked Sokka's comments – he's been fun to write lately.
JuiceKingBlah: Oooooohhhh! I sense trouble and some drama that is going to happen in the mountains! Don't tell me the spirits of the mountains are going to devour them?! I can't wait for your plans! REALLY looking forward to it!
= = = They are all going to get devoured, how did you know? Now you ruined the ending for everyone! Haha :) Just kidding, of course. However, I do have a feeling stuff's about to get real. I guess you'll have to keep reading to find out what happens. Thank you for reviewing!
Zutara fan: Ohoho. I smell trouble! I was really creeped out about the backstory of the Bashou mountains. But for one moment there, when katara felt she was being watched, I really thought the Gaang had finally found her, and she and ozai would have to part. So thank goodness that didn't happen..There isn't much katara x ozai romantic scene in this chapter, but it's okay. Just add some more romantic scenes in the future chapters! Please! As always, I'm eagerly waiting for your next chapter! Write some more! You can do it! You're the best! :-)
= = = No you're the best! Haha thank you for the encouragement! I'm glad to hear you were creeped out by the backstory – that was the point ;-) And don't worry about the romance – it's coming. Patience, young grasshoppah. Thanks so much for reviewing!
The path was dark as obsidian, bitter as the grip of winter uncoiled. The evening dew on the trees had died to frost overnight. As Ozai and Katara trekked over the frozen ground, a sudden frigid wind stripped the trees of their white shroud, blowing it through the air like powder. The naked branches appeared eternally heavy, weighed down with the sorrow of a thousand lost souls, as they leaned toward each other, black and ominous in the muted light of dawn. A vast silence reigned over the mountains so desolate, so lifeless and lone and cold that the spirit of it filled the corners of Katara's soul with dread.
Ozai stopped briefly to examine his map, glancing up to in an attempt to gain his bearings and then down again. Katara glanced back over her shoulder. It was the morning after their second night in the mountains. She had not seen anything strange since the first evening gathering firewood. Still, the foreboding clung to her like a wet blanket. She was certain nothing good could come of a place racked with so much darkness.
A gnarly old twisted tree caught her eye, standing guard at the foot of a still pool of water. Dark trees frowned on either side of the frozen pond. Katara felt herself shrink back at the sight. But her mouth parched and she remembered suddenly how thirsty she was. The forest was dry and dead; there was very little to draw water from and their supply was running low. It would only take a moment to walk there, melt the water, and bend it into her water skin. She could not risk passing it by. It could be their only source for days.
Katara gulped a breath and glanced at Ozai. He was still studying his map.
"I'm going to get some more water in that pond over there." She pointed in the direction. Ozai did not respond or glance up. He was mumbling something that sounded like curses under his breath as he labored over the map. Katara tried to press down the feeling of dread at Ozai's behavior. They weren't lost. He was just meticulous. Everything would be fine. He had said it himself.
With a deep breath, she turned toward the pond and started dragging her feet in its direction. Her muscles were rigid, her every nerve ready to fire as she crept closer. She shot a quick glance over her shoulder to reassure herself of Ozai's presence.
Katara reached the water's edge and felt the shadows of the forbidding trees like a tangible weight upon her. She knelt slowly down to the bank and untied her water skin. With her hand splayed out, the pond transformed gently from its frozen state into softly rippling water. In any other moment, it might have been beautiful. As she reached down to bend water into the skin, she noticed her hand was shaking. She clenched her jaw and tried to steady it.
Beneath the quiet ripples, something dark caught her eye. She stilled the waters and squinted to look more closely. A cluster of dark wispy tendrils, like long black grass, sprouted from the pond's muddy floor, swaying gently in the waning current. Katara had never seen such a strange aquatic plant. It seemed even stranger to see one in such hostile temperatures.
Out of curiosity, she grabbed hold of the plant's vines and pulled. It seemed to be attached to something larger. As she exhumed the plant, something else emerged with it. Katara examined the shape for a moment. Most of it was still buried in the muddy floor, but what she could see looked pale and wrinkled. As she cleared away some of the mud, her heart stopped. What looked like two eye sockets stared back at her inside what had once been a human face. The plant she held in her hand was black hair.
Katara threw herself back and scrambled up the bank, struggling to breathe. Darkness edged in around her as the world began to spin. Barely on her feet, she lunged over and vomited.
As quickly as she could, she stumbled back to where Ozai stood waiting for her.
"Where have you been? You can't just–" He stopped short at the look on her face, her labored breathing. "What's wrong?"
Her whole body was shaking and at first she could not form the words.
"Dead…" she managed through ragged breaths. "A dead body. In the pond over there. I… I touched it. Oh, gods…" She thought she was going to vomit again and tried to force it down.
Ozai's eyes shifted in the direction she pointed and then back to her.
"Probably some poor fool who got lost and ended up there," he said, as though to comfort her. "I wouldn't worry about it."
"You wouldn't worry about it?!" She could hardly believe him. "There is a dead body. Right there." Her despair was growing with every word. "I knew this place was cursed…"
"Ugh, I never should have told you," he growled. "Forget about all that. It's a myth. A legend. It's not real. And what's one dead body? People die, all the time, everywhere, and this is hostile territory. It's to be expected if you're not prepared. Dead bodies are hardly a threat to us. What is a threat is the cold weather and how quickly our supplies are going to run out if we don't concentrate on the task at hand."
"How can you be so sure?" She envied his confidence. She wanted to believe him but her instincts held her back. "What if you're wrong?"
Ozai squared his jaw and looked down at her sternly. "I'm not."
He gazed at her a moment longer and then turned and started walking. "It's this way," he said over his shoulder, pointing.
Katara released a ragged breath and looked down at her hands. They were still wet. And they were trembling.
"Watch out, Suki!" Sokka cried, cutting through the mountain's thick silence like a knife. Suki gasped as he yanked her back by the arm. The others froze and turned to him. He cupped his hand to his mouth and narrowed his eyes in an exaggerated whisper. "That's a scary tree. It might get you."
The group grumbled in unison and continued on. Zuko gritted his teeth and tried to block out his friend's obnoxious banter. He had been mocking Genshi off and on for hours now and he was ready to blow a fuse.
"Ooh, I think there's a ghost behind that boulder. I'm afraid." He cupped his hands to his face, pretending to cower.
"Cut it out, Sokka," Zuko snarled. "Leave her alone."
"What? That is a legitimately evil-looking boulder."
"Enough!" Zuko spun around and glared at Sokka. The warrior's contrived innocence faded with a resigned sigh.
"Fine," he mumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets.
Their journey was quiet for a while then, save for their footsteps and labored breathing as they climbed higher up the mountains. It seemed almost too quiet. Where were the birds? The wildlife? Surely even in the mountains there should be some form of critters scurrying from their path. Zuko didn't believe in Genshi's nonsense any more than Sokka did, but he had to admit the place seemed to exude an unwelcoming vibe.
Toph was the first one to break the silence. "Umm, guys?" Her voice sounded strained, tight. "Please tell me that isn't a noose swinging from that tree."
"What?!" Suki yelped, spinning around and grabbing hold of Sokka.
Zuko clenched his fists and shot daggers at the blind girl. "I thought I made myself clear. I don't want to hear any more of this–"
"No, she's right," Hakoda said grimly. "Look."
Zuko followed the direction of his stare to a nearby tree. There, hanging from a tall branch was a frayed, moldy rope with a noose at its end, swaying gently in the wind.
"Oh my gods…" Suki whispered, covering her mouth.
"This is what I was talking about." Genshi shook her head, her voice quivering. "I tried to tell you–"
"Oh, come on!" Sokka snapped, flailing his arms. "It's one rope with an empty loop at the end. It doesn't mean anything."
"You're right, it's just one. But there will be more. Just be glad this one's empty. I'm telling you, this is child's play compared to what's out there."
"I really don't think that's going to help, Genshi," Hakoda chastised. "There's no need to panic about something like this. Sokka's right about one thing – it doesn't point to anything. Let's all just stay calm and focused. I think it may be time to regroup and summon another vision. What do you say, Genshi?"
"We may not need to," Zuko interrupted. "Look."
Just ahead of where they stood, on a muddy side trail, lay two distinct sets of footprints.
The afternoon brought with it the first snow Katara had seen in years. The flakes fell sparingly at first, soft and feathery on her face, but before long the ground and trees were coated in a thin layer of white.
An emptiness gnawed at her belly. Ozai was determined to stop as little as possible and Katara's body was growing weary from exhaustion and little food. What sustenance they had left had to be rationed to ensure it lasted the journey through the mountains. Her head was reeling and her limbs trembled under the weight of her satchel.
Katara's foot dragged over an exposed tree root and she stumbled forward. She could not keep up much longer without something to eat. Maybe she should say something.
To her relief, Ozai came to a stop below a tall ledge on which stood a giant tree. Its roots were coiled entirely above ground, snaking out from the ledge to form a woven awning, as though it might get up and walk away at any moment. He reached into his satchel and handed her some of the dried meat and fruit. Katara's stomach grumbled at the site and she could barely contain her dignity as she scarfed down the first bite.
Ozai brushed the dusty snow from a log before sitting down but then hesitated, his eyes cast down as though inspecting something. He picked up what looked like a tiny scrap of paper.
"What is that?" Katara asked.
Ozai turned it over in his hand. "I don't know." Glancing down to where he found it, he gestured toward the ground. "There's more."
Katara walked over and stooped down to see what looked like faded paper, ripped up into several pieces and scattered across the area. On one she could see what looked like half a face, smiling. She picked up a dozen others and laid them beside each other. Fragments of smiling faces, all resembling each other and wearing earth kingdom clothing, began to materialize. Her heart sank as the realization hit her.
"It's a family portrait," she whispered. "Or it was, before someone tore it up." She could not tear her eyes from the faces that smiled back at her. "Why would someone do that?" A knot was forming itself in her stomach.
"Leave it," he said, kicking the scraps of paper away. "It's not important. Finish eating so we can keep moving."
Katara's arms fell limply to her sides. "You're not even a little bit weirded out by this?"
"No," he stated with blank expression. "Why should I be?"
"Oh gee, I don't know," she huffed. "I'm thinking someone doesn't just rip up a family portrait with a heart full of rainbows and sunshine. Plus, this entire mountain is synonymous with death. Hello, I just exhumed a dead body earlier on a harmless little trip for water." She gave a sardonic laugh and threw her arms in the air. "Make fun of me all you want. Yes, I'm a little creeped out. Why? Because, as I've mentioned before – you may recall – I've had a really terrible feeling since the moment we entered here, like a thousand eyes watching our every move."
Ozai stared at her with a condescending smirk, clapping his hands slowly. "What a compelling argument," he said with mock admiration. "I guess there's no disputing that evidence. You know, it requires quite a bit of talent to take such giant, hasty leaps to one's conclusions. Bravo." He took a bite from the dried venison. "Your emotions are running high and your imagination's clouding your better judgment. I've seen nothing yet that validates any of those old rumors or gives cause for such worry."
Her hands curled into fists and she took a breath to speak, but let it go with a sigh. She sat herself down and stared at her food. Her appetite had weakened but she forced down the rest of her portion in silence. Katara wanted desperately to believe she was wrong about all this. Maybe Ozai had a point. Why did the presence of one dead body and a ripped up portrait, eerie as they were, suddenly translate to evil spirits? He was right, her emotions were running high. Maybe this was exactly how the stories got started. She felt embarrassed, but she couldn't stop thinking that there was more to this than he gave credit for.
What if he was wrong? He would never admit it until he was staring evil itself it in the face. It would clearly take more than just a few strange coincidences to convince him. Katara shuddered. She hoped against hope that he would never have to be convinced. She could tolerate Ozai's egomaniacal gloating on the other side if it meant escaping the mountains with their lives.
They walked again until darkness claimed the mountain. Ozai and Katara set up their sleeping bags and ate the evening meal by the warmth of the fire. Ozai did not say much. A few times she thought she caught him staring at her from the corner of her eye, but when she turned he had glanced away. Eventually he mumbled something under his breath and climbed into his sleeping bag for the night. Katara watched the flames dance until they lulled her into a deep sleep.
.:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:.
Darkness. All she could see was darkness. She tried in vain to blink away the shadows. Was she dreaming?
Katara took in a breath but it felt labored, heavy, like her lungs were made of lead. As she tried to sit up, she realized to her horror that she could not move. Her body was completely paralyzed, frozen. Only her chest moved with its shallow, hampered breaths. Her heart began pounding in her chest as a wave of panic crashed over her. What was happening?
A dark form began to take shape over her. A broad, muscular body. A long, pointed head. Whatever it was, she realized, was sitting on her chest, holding her down with its enormously long arms and legs. Its red eyes glowed, illuminating the grotesque perversion of a smile as the thing grinned down at her. She wanted to scream but she could only lay there, utterly helpless and vulnerable.
Out of its gruesome mouth slithered a forked tongue. Claws dug into her skin through her cloak, tightening its grasp on her arms, as its face inched closer to hers and stopped a hair's width from her nose. The thing glared pointedly into her eyes with that evil grin as it slowly, torturously licked its serpentine tongue up the length of her face and back down again. It studied her then and released a guttural growl that morphed into a cackle so sinister her hair stood on end. And then slowly it faded into the night until the only thing that remained was the echo of that spine-chilling laugh.
The screams that had been bottled up inside her suddenly erupted as Katara bolted upright, flailing violently and scraping at her face, the memory of that demon's tongue burned into her skin. Ozai started awake beside her. He tried to grab onto her but she screamed and struck his hand away. Shrieking, she tore at her cloak wildly as though the evil still smothered her.
Somewhere in the madness of her frenzy, she heard a voice calling out her name. Just an echo at first but growing louder and clearer. She let the sound of it slowly draw her from her tumult. Trembling, Katara looked up and saw Ozai's face. His arms were wrapped strongly around her to still her thrashing.
"Katara," he said, softer this time. "It's all right. It was just a bad dream."
She let out a shuddering breath and could not contain the tears that spilled forth as she rested her head down against his shoulder. Her body shook under the weight of her sobs. Ozai placed a tentative hand on her head, stroking it across her hair.
"It's all right," he repeated, over and over, until she finally drifted off again to the smooth sound of his voice.
.:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:.
Ozai awoke to the faint smell of – was it water lilies? He breathed deeply of the delicate scent. As his eyes drifted open, he realized his face was buried in a sea of brown hair. Katara's hair. His stomach tightened as his mind began racing. He knew he should push away. He should want to put distance between them. But he found himself savoring the smell of her, the closeness of her body as it molded to his. Just one more minute. Then he would forget it ever happened. She would never have to know and that would be the end of it.
Katara stirred and Ozai realized his arms were still wrapped tightly around her. She drew a deep breath and her brow flickered. She was waking up. He did not have time to withdraw his arm, and even if he had, she would have noticed because in the last moments of sleep she turned her body to face his. Her eyes opened slowly and then blinked, widening in awareness.
A startled breath caught in her throat. But to his surprise, she did not push away from him. Her eyes flicked across his face, down to his lips, back to his eyes. He felt something inside him burn at the way she studied him. He needed to get away from her.
Instead he found himself lingering there, his arm still draped over her. He opened his mouth to speak.
"No more nightmares?" he asked in a whisper.
Her face softened with the ghost of a smile. "No more nightmares," she responded, almost breathlessly.
Against his will, his eyes locked onto her lips. She must have noticed because a sudden blush colored her cheeks as her lips parted in a delicate exhale. Ozai was certain a mouth had never looked so tantalizing. The thought was unsettling. He had to get away from her. Now. Break away from whatever sorcery she had cast on him.
Ozai leaned back and pushed himself up to sitting. He tried to think of anything to say that might dispel the thick cloud of tension in the air.
"So…" he faltered and cleared his throat. "Pretty bad dream last night?"
"Yeah…" Katara's deep expression gave way to distress as she sat up beside him. "Except it didn't feel like a dream. It was so real. The demon. The way it gripped my arms. I can still feel its jagged tongue sliding up my face." She hugged her arms over her stomach and shuddered.
"That doesn't sound pleasant," he admitted. "But it's over now. Dreams can't harm you."
Katara bit her lip as though in thought. "I guess not," she surrendered.
Ozai stood and grasped her arm to help her up. She cried out and wrenched herself away.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know. My arm. It hurts."
Katara took off her cloak and pulled up her sleeve. She gasped and covered her mouth as Ozai drew back at the sight. There on her upper arm were four very distinct claw marks.
Ozai felt the blood drain from his face. His stomach dropped. It couldn't be true. They were just folk tales. Fireside stories.
"Oh my gods…" Katara whispered. "My arm. The demon. It wasn't a dream…" She glared up at him, her brows quivering as tears pooled in her eyes. "You said it wasn't real! I tried to tell you this whole time and you wouldn't believe me!" She started to storm off and then whirled back around toward him. "Well, now do you believe me?!"
"All right, just calm down!" He paced away from her and then back again. "Maybe there's another explanation–"
"Are you serious right now?! There are claw marks… On my arm!" She thrust her wound toward him emphatically.
"Shh! Keep your voice down." Ozai sighed and closed his eyes, rubbing his temples. "Okay, fine. Yes, I believe you."
He could not believe he was admitting it, even to himself, but he had been wrong. Gravely wrong. And from what Katara had told him, they were up against more than just a bunch of mindless spirits. Dammit. Getting through the Bashou Mountains was no small feat in its own right. But with the added threat of blood-thirsty demons, he feared it would be next to impossible. It was a mistake to choose this route – he could see that now – a mistake that might prove all too costly.
Katara's shoulders sagged. Her breathing slowed as she looked up at him, scared, defeated.
"What do we do?"
"What do you think? We move as fast as possible and get the hell out of here. That's what we do. We can take shifts keeping watch at night. That seems to be the focus of the activity so far. During the day we move. We eat on the go. We don't stop. Understand?"
She nodded, her lip quivering in fear, like a frightened child. Ozai fought back the urge to wrap her in his arms. Why did he suddenly care so much for her?
"Let's go," he said, handing her a morsel of dried meat. "We're wasting precious daylight."
Bickering voices pulled Zuko out of a sound sleep. He cracked his eyes open and saw Sokka and Genshi silhouetted in the pale light of dawn, face to face in a heated argument. Groaning, he forced himself to sit up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Why did he always have to be the mediator?
Zuko glanced around the campsite and drew in a breath at what he saw. Their bags had been thrown open, knick knacks and belongings strewn all over the ground. It was like a small tornado had ravaged their campsite overnight. But their sleep had been undisturbed under the mountain's thick blanket of silence. Even now, the voices of his comrades felt like an intrusion, grating metal in the vast stillness.
Hakoda and Suki had begun picking up the scattered items and placing them by their respective bags. Toph was still in her sleeping bag, snoring away. She could always sleep through anything.
"Why would I do something like this?" Genshi gestured wildly at the clutter.
Sokka erupted in scornful laughter. "To make us all believe your stupid little ghost stories, obviously!"
"Ugh, that's absurd! What could I possibly have to gain from that?"
"You're trying to turn the others against me and get them on your side. Admit it!"
Zuko gritted his teeth and stalked up to them, fists clenched. "Knock it off, both of you," he barked. "What's going on?"
"Genshi went through everyone's stuff and threw it all over the place to make it look like we'd been attacked by some spirit."
"I did not!" she protested, turning to Zuko. "Please, my lord, you have to believe me."
"Enough of this!" Zuko sliced his arms through the air and both of them fell silent. "Ugh, do I have to add babysitter to my list of responsibilities now? Act like adults and help Hakoda and Suki clean up this mess. Then we'll talk." He paused and then added, "And wake up Toph while you're at it."
Zuko heaved a sigh and bent down to pick up a small purse filled with Suki's sewing materials, tossing it next to her bag. Some of the things in her pile seemed out of place for such a long, grueling journey. A small silver mirror. A wooden comb in the shape of entwined dragons. A silver hair pin with a bloodstone head. Women, he thought, shaking his head.
Once the damage had been cleaned up, the group sat down to eat before starting out again. Sokka ate his food by his bag while he started packing. Zuko was glad to trade the bickering for silence once again. But it didn't last long. A few moments later, a voice bellowed behind them.
"Oh, nice touch, Genshi," Sokka mocked. "I'd love to know how got a hold of this little prop. You know, if you're trying to scare me into believing you, you're gonna have to try a little harder."
Zuko looked over his shoulder to see Sokka glaring at the conjurer and holding up a filthy, tattered noose.
"What are you talking about?" she huffed. "I didn't do that."
"Right. You're telling me you didn't stuff this into my bag last night?"
Zuko stopped chewing mid-bite and glanced at Genshi. Her face contorted in a palpable fear that made his stomach turn to ice.
"No," she whispered. "I didn't." Her tone was sincere, unarguable. Zuko saw the color drain from her face.
The young warrior blinked, the anger slowly melting off his face. "Well, then… how did it get here?"
Nervous glances passed between the group of friends. No one said anything. Zuko realized no one needed to. They had all at once realized the same thing. Genshi may have been right.
They weren't alone.
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