A/N: I hope everyone is enjoying their summer! I was finally able to finish the chapter. Enjoy!
Chapter 25 - Love and Loss
At first, no one seems to really notice. Then slowly, realization starts to settle in and the murmurs begin, and they get louder and louder and heads start to turn, peering up at our box until I feel the weight of thousands of eyes on me. Joo Dee gasps closely by, but at least she says nothing to me.
My face feels warm, a blush creeping its way onto my cheeks. It's almost a twist of irony, since I openly kissed Zuko back in the arena, knowing the entire world was watching. But it was out of sight and out of mind. It makes a huge difference when those eyes are right here, staring at you, and not hundreds of miles away behind a Watcher. I don't even know what to do. Part of me wants to shrivel up and blend into the stone benches, but another part of me wants to smile.
Let them talk, I think suddenly. I'd rather be talked about for this than for the things I've done in the arena that still haunt me.
But I can't shake the feelings off completely when I glance across the arena toward the Fire Lord. He is so lethally still, regal and powerful in his long burgundy robes as Zuko and Bowen bow to him. A long stretch of silence follows. I can feel the audience—and myself included—holding their breaths. Finally, the Fire Lord nods once. I can't quite see his expression from here, but his eyes are blazing.
Zuko and Bowen then turn to each other and bow. A second later, the gong rings, and Zuko leaps forward with a fist full of fire.
Bowen dodges the attack. He's at the disadvantage until his sponsor gifts arrive. He's fast though, fast enough to avoid Zuko's flames. In no time at all the packages begin floating into the arena. Bowen is buying time, waiting for them. The packages are almost to his end of the arena when Zuko turns his gaze upon them. He punches forward, and the packages are a hit with a gust of fire. The fabric takes aflame, crisping into black ash. Then the contents fall to the ground. The prince sends another wave of fire and whatever fell—it looks like knives—is surrounded by burning flame.
The crowd gasps, awes, and makes sounds of crazed cheer. My mouth is slightly open and even Bowen looks surprised—and maybe a little amused—at the prince's attack.
I never even considered this tactic. It's so clever, something Sokka might have thought up. I don't know whether to be impressed or irritated that I didn't come up with the idea myself. I settle for a little of both, and continue to watch as Zuko effectively burns the second and third packages. But one of them is a giant rock, so when the fabric burns, the rock just thumps to the ground and Bowen is able to use it. He sends a huge chunk flying at Zuko. The prince quickly jumps and twists in the air out of harm's way.
The crowd is on their feet, shouting such muffled sounds that I can't tell who is the front runner. Bowen does a complicated motion with his hands, splitting the chunk into smaller pieces. He sends them rapid fire toward Zuko. The prince punches one after another, shattering them to bits, but each one sends him backward just a little. Bowen continues forward, pushing Zuko toward the wall. But when he's close enough, he runs up the wall and backflips over Bowen. When he hits the ground, he punches bright flames forward. Bowen dives out of the way and fire singes the wall. The crowd sitting directly behind the fire shrieks back in alarm.
There is a deadly grace about both of their movements, the way they bend and dodge and attack. I know Bowen is from Province 6, but they must have had similar training somewhere down the road. Zuko has the upper hand of power, while Bowen has a little more speed and precision. They move in a way I can only associate with a solider or warrior—someone born to fight.
Zuko eventually closes in, close enough that he's able to swing a kick and connect with Bowen's chin. But the Earthbender just grins and quick as lightning, kicks up two swords from the ground that I hadn't even noticed were there. Zuko hesitates, and it takes me a second to realize why—those are his Dao swords. They must have been hidden under the debris. I saw a few packages for him sent in earlier. Zuko tore into one, but cast it aside so quickly I didn't see what was in it.
Bowen tosses one to Zuko and falls into a half arrogant stance. Challenge is etched into every line of Bowen's posture. He points his own sword at the prince, taunting him. Some of the crowd snickers.
I almost want to laugh. Zuko isn't going to stoop to Bowen's level. He'll toss the sword aside and continue fighting the way he has been—
Suddenly Zuko lunges forward, sword in hand, the sound of connecting steel reverberating in my ears.
"Stop being such a…a guy!" I shout angrily. It reminds me so much of Sokka, the way his pride got in the way of his fight against Suki. And that wasn't the first time I'd seen that happen.
I should have expected this, for Bowen to use Zuko's pride and honor against him. Bowen has a huge upper hand with his daggers. Without them, and with limited earth, he's had to defend himself more than attack and I know how tiring that is. Airbenders and Firebenders are definitely at an advantage in this arena.
I look at June incredulously, but she just shrugs and says, "Testosterone. They all have it, you know."
Zuko's strikes are deadly, but Bowen moves with that same impressive speed. He counters each attack, and a few more years of experience shows slightly in his movements. I find my gaze dropping to the prince's wrist every so often, terrified for the worst, but my necklace remains in place. It also keeps me a little calmer, but not enough to shut away my worry. The crowd is even louder now, excited by the closer combat. I close my eyes for a moment just wishing it would end and listening to the sounds of baffle and steel connecting.
I miss something big though because gasps echo around the arena. When I open my eyes, I see that Zuko now has both of his swords. The sleek steel ignites with fire and he runs forward—only to be thrown backwards as the ground cracks and a piece of earth juts out to knock him on the ground. There's more gasping from the audience. The Elites rush into the center of the arena. As Zuko gets up, snarling, two of the Elites grab him by the arms to secure him.
"What is the meaning of this?" cries Sen. "Let them fight!"
Everyone is on their feet. Guards pull out their whips to keep the crowd at bay, but it still takes the Fire Lord to rise from his throne to silence them. Slowly, he walks to the center and stands before the amplifier, Zhao at his side.
"You have violated the rules and will be disqualified for your actions," says the Fire Lord, clearly addressing Bowen. The crowd goes into uproar, shouting and waving fists of outrage. Ozai lifts a hand to silence them.
"And what action was that?" Bowen asks loudly, sounding tired and exasperated. "Earthbending?"
"You cannot destroy the arena, Tribute," snarls Zhao.
Bowen stiffens, as though the name "tribute" is a great insult. "The ground is made of earth—"
"The rules clearly state your weapons must come from your sponsors," Zhao interrupts.
"And who sent in the fire for Firebenders? Or the air for Airbenders?" He pauses long enough for the crowd to start stirring. "Perhaps your rules are not as clear as you think."
My mouth nearly falls open at his boldness and even from here, I can see Zhao's face burning.
"You arrogant, insolent—"
"Enough." Ozai's cold voice slices through the tension. For a moment, they just stare at each other. I look at Zuko, but he's looking at Bowen too, his back to me so I can't see what he's feeling. Not that I usually can anyway. "It would seem you enjoy dancing along the line of laws and rules, would it not?"
Bowen says nothing and to my surprise, Zuko steps forward.
"Father," he says, "in an Agni Kai, an opponent can—"
"Forgive me," Ozai interrupts quietly, "but I am very confused as to why you, of all people, are lecturing me on the rules of an Agni Kai." The words must carry a heavy weight, because Zuko's back stiffens and he goes so still I'd swear he was carved from stone. "Are you challenging the Head Elite, Prince Zuko?"
Zuko hesitates. A full minute passes before he shakes his head once, sharply.
"Speak up, boy!"
"No," the prince grinds out.
"I thought not," says Ozai, somehow sounding both disgusted and satisfied. He turns his burning gaze back to Bowen. "I will leave your verdict to Head Elite Zhao."
Zhao doesn't even hesitate. Even from here, I can see the satisfaction a single word gives him.
"Disqualified," he says proudly.
A small part of the crowd shouts in delight, but mostly all I hear is booing. The row below my box is no exception.
"We paid good money to see this fight!" one man yells.
"You can't disqualify Bowen!" says another.
"Let the prince finish him off!"
"This is ridiculous!"
"Rematch, rematch, rematch!"
"The prince got a lucky break!"
This catches my attention and before I can help it, I lean over the railing. "Hey!" I shout at the man. "He was winning the duel anyway so just...just shut your mouth!"
"Katara!" Joo Dee shrieks. Strong arms pull me back before the man can retaliate. To my surprise, it's Jeong Jeong who has hold of me.
"Do not be foolish," he scolds. I feel like a pet as he shoves me back in my seat. "Sit down and stay."
The Elites are glowering at me—well, the Firebender's are. I want to scream at them all. The crowd is raving, shouting all sorts of things, and I'm the bad guy for saying one thing?
Joo Dee smooth's things over quickly. Every time I try to speak she sends me a death look to keep silent. I keep my eyes trained on the commotion below.
"Bowen of Province 6, you have been dishonorably defeated by disqualification," says Zhao into the amplifier. Zuko appears to be arguing with the Elites. He must lose though because he turns and jerks Bowen's arm into the air, the same way Hama did with Vachir.
"The defeated." Zuko's voice is nothing but contempt and anger. I know him, and I know this "win" won't feel earned, even if he was fighting so well. The crowd, expectantly, echoes shouts of "live, live, live!"
The Fire Lord raises a hand and all is quiet. "Bowen of Province 6, today the Capital has spared your life," he says, with as much dishonor and contempt as he can.
Zuko drops Bowen's arm and storms out of the arena, fury radiating off him in waves. Bowen on the other hand is escorted out by four Elites. He doesn't look mad at all. He waves and bows as he leaves, the dramatic gesture appeasing the crowd just a little.
It takes a good half hour to fix the arena and calm down the crowd. I don't feel prepared for Pakku's round at all. But when the next round begins, it isn't Pakku. Chit Sang and Sage enter the arena. I look at Joo Dee anxiously, but her head is bent as she furiously flips through a stack of parchment. I push my way over to her side.
"Why isn't he out there? He was supposed to fight in round two."
"I—I don't know," says Joo Dee, shaking her head. She glances up at the Elites. "Has there been a change in plan that I was not informed of, Master Ju Long?"
His response goes in one ear and out the other. I'm too focused on the smirk hidden under Elias's hood. Furiously, I spring across the box and grab him by the shoulders, shaking him so hard his hood falls back.
"What did you do with him?" I demand. Instinct takes over and before I realize what I'm doing, I have Zuko's dagger pressed to his throat. I realize my mistake a second too late.
Joo Dee screams. Elias moves the same time I drop the dagger. The result is me getting shoved backwards, slamming into the railing. A second later, we're surrounded by Guards. One has June, and another has Sen. Two have Jeong Jeong, though it looks more out of precaution than anything else. He isn't struggling against them. Nina and the artists cower in a corner and Joo Dee just watches, eyes wide, with a hand clamped over her mouth.
The Elites order the Guards to remove June, Sen, the artists, and Jeong Jeong. June hesitates and digs her feet in, but I shake my head imploringly at her. No need for her to suffer for my irrationally stupid stunt. She gives in begrudgingly.
I'm jerked to my feet and come face to face with the Elites. Two Guards grip either arm tightly and force me down so that I have to look up at them. I can hear the battle below, the cheers from the crowd who are oblivious to what is going on in here. I struggle against the Guards.
"Be still," says Hao sharply. "You have attacked an Elite."
I want to deny it, to find the words to avoid consequence, but there is nothing I can say to change the fact that I put a dagger to his throat. I'd hardly call it an attack, but it was definitely a threat. A year ago I would have never dreamed of acting out like this. A lot changes in a year. A lot changes after the Black Games.
"Master Hao," Joo Dee begins desperately, "I don't think—Katara didn't—"
"I do not hold it against her," says Elias. This surprises me so much I nearly break my neck to look up at him. His dark hair falls past his shoulders, pulled back at the temples with two small braids entwined in the locks. I trust nothing in his indifferent gaze.
"One might even say it was illogical," Elias goes on. He turns to Ju Long, the Airbender. "Master, I am not quite sure Katara is fit to mentor with this stage of mind."
Stage of…
"What?" I croak.
"Attacking an Elite without provocation…she is either dangerous or unstable, neither of which have any business mentoring. As a threat to—"
"I'm suddenly a threat now?" I say incredulously. Not to mention at least half the mentors are dangerous or unstable. "Unbelievable."
He ignores me. "I believe it is in the Capital's best interest to remove her for the day, possibly for the rest of the tournament."
My jaw drops. "You don't have that kind of power!"
"I assure you, we do," says Elias coolly.
Desperately, I look at Joo Dee, but she just meets my gaze with defeat, staring at me helplessly.
"The rules pertaining to the Quarter Duels under the Cooperation Clause between the Elites and Mentors state that should any mentor deem violent, mentally unstable, or disruptive of the peace, they will be relieved of their duties and replaced by their escort for the duration of the tournament."
I have read the rules so many times that I remember this part clearly. I just haven't remembered that the Elites have the power to make that determination.
I open my mouth, and then close it. Don't I want this? To find a way out of mentoring? And yet now…I have to see this through. I have to help the ones I love. Only a little bit ago, I was chastising Zuko for not sucking up his pride. I should be able to do the same if I expect anyone else to.
"I—I shouldn't have reacted so threateningly," I say, with some effort. "I was upset and acted before I realized what I was doing."
"The Games, and the Duels, can be traumatizing," says Ju Long understandably. "You have gone through quite a bit, given the Black Games and now this, in such a short amount of time. I can't help but wonder if young Elias is correct."
My stomach drops. "No," I say quickly. "No, he's not. I'm fine. Really. I just—"
"First you provoked a guest in the crowd, and then you raised a blade to an Elite," says Master Hao. "You are either not in the right state of mind, or you are acting against the Capital. Either way, you will be coming with us."
I hear my name, as if from a great distance. I'm too comfortable in my warm cocoon to respond. It isn't until I'm prodded in the side, none too softly, do I begin to stir.
"Katara, get up," a voice commands. Familiar and foreign, like someone I've known but forgotten. "Get up!"
My eyes flutter open. The colors blur, until slowly my eyes begin to adjust to the fuzzy figure in front of me. Tall, wide, and lots of gold. I blink, trying to focus, but the figure turns away from me. My ears seem to be adjusting more slowly as I pick up bits and pieces of dialogue. It takes me a moment to hear properly.
"You have no authorization to remove her."
"I am a prince of the Fire Nation and that is enough authorization. I also have a sealed scroll for her release from General Iroh."
"Long Feng has not spoken to—"
"This is no concern of Long Feng."
My head throbs too much to sit up, but I tilt it ever so slightly. I blink to make sure I'm not mistaken. Nope, that's definitely Prince Lu Ten. What on—where am I? It takes some strain to remember a clear memory, but I do. The confrontation with the Elites. The struggle I made when Master Hao told me to come with them, even getting a few punches in—before the sharp jabs in my neck, and then total darkness and hazy, odd dreams that I don't remember.
"Release her now, or I will send the General here and you can kiss your job goodbye, Si. You had no right detaining her and keeping her on valerian root."
"I have orders—"
"You have new orders now." Lu Ten's voice is coldly firm, leaving no room for argument. "There has been a misunderstanding and I am here to return her. Any issue, you may take it up with the General."
The prince turns to me, notices I'm awake, and bends down to my ear. "Can you walk?" he asks quietly.
"I don't think so," I say, my body still feeling half asleep.
He nods once—is that annoyance in his face?—and scoops me up. Awkwardly, I put an arm around his shoulder. We pass a man dressed in familiar green robes—a member of the Dai Li. I flinch when the gate slams shut. The draftiness should have given it away, but I was too dazed to notice.
"We're still in the prison," I say.
"Perceptive, aren't you?"
I decide to ignore his attitude since he—clearly begrudgingly—helped me. "I don't even remember how I got here."
"You were probably knocked out." We turn a corner too tightly and my foot clips the wall. "Sorry. To keep you asleep, the Dai Li gave you valerian root."
Knocked out. Dragged down here. Valerian root to keep me asleep.
Hearing all of this, I have to salvage some bit of strength to compensate for my weakness. "I think I can try to walk," I say.
"You sure?" He doesn't sound eager to keep carrying me.
I nod and Lu Ten puts me down gently. My legs are still wobbly, but with a little of his help, I'm able to walk. "Why wouldn't they just keep me here? Why go the extra mile with valerian root?"
"You weren't cooperating."
I don't remember that, but that sounds about like me. "How'd you know I was here?" I ask.
"Jeong Jeong." At my surprised look, he adds, "Forget he's a member?"
By member, I know he means White Lotus. It's easy to forget when he spends most of his time ignoring my team's existence. Still, I'm impressed he found a way to tell Iroh and Lu Ten so quickly. He must have known I'd be in trouble. And he had been an Elite, so he must know protocols for this sort of thing.
"Heard you punched one of them," says Lu Ten. Is that almost a little humor in his voice? "And drew a dagger."
I feel deflated. "I need to get that dagger back."
"I'm sure it was confiscated. The only reason you won't be punished for carrying a weapon is because of the incident in the palace. You won't be allowed to carry anything again though. Zhao said you will have more Guards for protection."
For once, the palace attacker is an ironic blessing. I don't like the idea of Guards as extra security though. Just more ears I have to worry about. And Zhao acts like my safety is an issue. Hah! Still though...
"I don't see how I'm going to get out of this one," I say with a sigh.
"Surprisingly, one of the Elites made some claims in your defense. Not just about today, but for previous accounts." Ju Long, maybe? He seems the most rational. "It also might help that I had some dirt on one of them. He was removed from your team."
"Please tell me it was Elias."
"It was."
Relief swells inside me. Good riddance, jerk! My relief doesn't last long though; something worse lingers in my mind.
"Does the Fire Lord or Zhao know?" I ask, dreading the answer.
"Zhao does. As Head Elite, it's his duty to know these things."
"Great," I say with a groan. "He hates me. It's only a matter of time until he tells the Fire Lord."
We pass a few Guards, but none stop us or ask questions. "I don't think he will," says Lu Ten, once we're out of earshot.
"You don't?"
"He wants to keep his job too badly. He wouldn't want my uncle thinking he didn't have everything under control. You'll probably be watched closely though."
I feel like I have been already. I just need to behave smarter next time. Maybe Ju Long was partially right. Maybe the stress from everything just made me snap. I make a mental note to control myself better next time. I won't have a second chance and it's only because of my connections that I do.
We finally reach a set of stone stairs lit with bright sconces. I stare up at them like they are my enemy. "Is there any other way?"
"No. And if there was, you would not be so privileged. Do remember I don't like you very much."
"How can't I when you make it so clear?" I look at the stairs again and groan. "Let's take it slow."
"If I must, I could just carry—"
"No, thank you." I hold up a hand before he can make a move. "My pride has been damaged enough for the day."
Lu Ten shakes his head. "You and Zuko both…your pride will get you killed someday."
"Not today though," I say with some strain, inching my way up the stairs. The next time I see valerian root I'm going to run the other direction. "I've got to get back to my team for Pakku's round."
Lu Ten hesitates next to me.
"What is it?" I demand.
"The rounds are over."
"What?" I choke out.
He hesitates again. Too long. I try to bolt up the stairs, but he grabs my arm and says, "The reason his round was delayed was because his opponent was sick. Too sick to fight and barely able to stand, and he had no gold token to call for a Waterbender. Master Pakku said he would not fight a dying man. Zhao called a forfeit, but allowed the crowd to vote."
I lean against the cold wall, dreading what I know is the outcome.
"They voted for his death—Pakku had to kill him."
Later I learn that Gyatso was not the only death today. In a surprise upset, Sage defeated Chit Sang, and the crowd demanded his death. Chong Li had to kill Xin Fu, but Tyro must have done something right because he got to live despite his loss to Mina. Three deaths, two sparred, and one disqualified. Two more rounds before the final.
Later I visit Pakku, knowing I have to tell him about the incident earlier, but I just can't find the words. I can't be another disappointment he has to face. Seeing him so down, so mentally drained, I just can't do anything other than sit by his side. The sadness isn't that Gyatso was a White Lotus member—he had been Pakku's friend.
I learn just how cruel these people can be to demand death of a man too sick to fight. Is our world really coming to this? Maybe they saw him as a weakness, or maybe the Fire Lord has taken humanity away.
I curl toward the wall in my bed, wrapping the thin sheet closer to my jaw, praying to the spirits that he will never be able to take away mine.
A/N: Thanks for reading! Whenever I wrote Elias, I pictured Daario Naharis from the show Game of Thrones, lol. Best show ever, in case you don't watch it, YOU NEED TO!
In other news, I am currently collaborating with a talented friend for the book 3 trailer! It will be revealed in the final chapter of this story, woo! I've also started a drabble series featuring Bolin and Jinora from Legend of Korra, which is called Brightest in the Dark. I'm planning on it being only about 5-6 chapters, each told in Jinora's POV as she gets a year or two older in each chapter. It's a glimpse of Jinora and Bolin through the years. I know the age difference exists, so no worries. It remains platonic until Jinora gets much older.
Next up for round 3
Duel 1: Hama vs Pakku
Duel 2: Zuko vs Sage
Duel 3: Chong Li vs Mina
Review Responses:
MHZutaraFanGirl: "Will you incorporate the "wait to strike" into the story, perhaps later bringing up what happened to Toph?" - Hehe, if you go back and look at the Black Games, you'll see some references to Toph waiting and being patient. Bumi was her mentor. :P
kataang21: "And OMG I LOVE Vampire Academy (fangrlish scream)" - Yay! VA is one of my favorite book series. Note to everyone: if you like badass couples, read this! I'm excited for the movie but the trailer is a wee bit sketchy. :/
Monkey Lover: "When did the Botara kiss happen?" - It was in the April Fool's version of chapter 23 I believe? The one titled Healer. :D I've moved that scene to my drabble series Rubik's Cube if you want to read it!
charolottekos: " I wish it was possible for you to publish this as a book, I would totally buy it!" - Aw thank you! I'd LOVE to write my own book someday. Hopefully I'll be able to!
kankle19: "i was just wondering how you plan out your story and how far ahead you work out the lot and what not!" - I have like a thousand files in Word for each story lol. For the Rise of One, some examples I have are: bracket (literally like March Madness style with the tributes), dialogue, tributes, outline, etc. If I have an idea, I write it somewhere and come back later. Sometimes bits of dialogue hit me, or a certain scene, so I'll save it in it's folder.
As far as planning, I try to plan the first 10 or so chapters before publishing anything. I usually outline a chapter by plot points. For example, this chapter the points would be: Zuko and Bowen fight; Bowen is disqualified; Katara is taken by the Da Li; Lu Ten rescues her; recap of round 2. Then I just write each scene, and how we get to each plot point. I do think it's important to know where you want the story to go. The journey to get there is partially planned, partially going with the flow. :P
Schizma: "Oh, oh! Is Bumi Bo's mentor?" - Nope! Bumi is from Province 8 and Bowen is from 6. :)
twicesouffled: "This fic and its prequel are the first multi-chapter Zutara fics that I've read on this site. And it blew me out of the water." - Thank you so much! I'm very glad you enjoyed it. :)
Delilah Evenstar: "WRITE A GAME OF THRONES AVATAR FANFICTION, PLEASE!" - Lol! I have considered it. Zuko and Azula inspired loosely by Jamie and Cersei minus the incest because I just can't go there. :P I'm just not sure how much I could tie the two series together. This would take A LOT of planning, haha.
dani: "but something about Bowen makes me remember Adrian: and, in a way, Zuko reminds me of Dimitri, even if less frequently then the other one." - Love VA! Bowen does remind me of Adrian a little too, haha. Zuko has some Dimitri qualities. I think he'd be envious of Dimitri's calmness. Zuko is prone to explosive behavior haha.
Dialogue of Discord: "But I want a good story. I want a developed plot. I want you to keep enjoying writing this so it keeps being awesome. And I don't want you to George R.R. Martin-off all of the beloved characters and not leave at least a sort-of happy ending." - Let me first say your review was very sweet and I appreciate your kind words. I can't say I know what dyslexia feels like, but I admire how you've tackled it. Secondly, I think everyone will feel satisfied with the ending. And by ending I mean the final ending, the ending of the entire trilogy. :P This story kind of ends on a cliffy. Mwaha. I don't like the kill characters just for the heck of it. I only kill characters when the plot calls for it and it makes sense for the narrative. So hopefully that puts you at ease. :)
KaidaThorn: "This story, that story, I can't get enough of it! My phone had even died on me, so I couldn't read anymore." - You are a real trooper reading on your phone! lol I've done that before too though. :P I'm glad you're enjoying the stories!
NaginiRiddle23: "You'll probably kill me, but I haven't read THG :/ (I only saw the movie)." - Totally cool! There's plenty of book/movie adaptions where I've only seen the movie. Pride and Prejudice, for example lol.
The Idiosyncratic Mind: "Okay, so are Zuko and Katara in an actual relationship or is it just 'complicated'?" - I'd definitely say it's complicated.
foxgirl12: "I want to be a writer one day and you make that want 600 times more desirable to me. People who write like you remind me that you don't have to be a famous person to write something worth reading. Gives me more hope." - Well thank you! *blushes* I can say that writing fanfiction has definitely helped my writing skills, just like practicing basketball is going to make you a better player. I'm just glad I can share this story with you guys. Zutara fanfiction is just so fun. :) Oh I typically update twice a month. Lately it's been once due to personal life stuff going on, but hopefully I can get back into the swing of things soon!
Guest: "I don't understand why people are shipping Botara...it's a Zutara fanfic...please don't do a cheesy love triangle thing!" - Hehe I've long stopped trying to understand how people ship certain things. Hermione and Snape...WHAT. As the writer of this story, I can see the appeal of certain ships even if this is a Zutara, which is kind of interesting. I will say that I don't plan on writing ANY sort of cheesiness to any relationship in this trilogy. At least I hope nothing comes across that way. :P
Willowdove: "I never expected to love Bowen as much as I do. OCs tend to be awful, but he is just so complex and dear to my heart." - Thank you! Bowen has definitely become more of a main character than I originally intended for him. He's fun because I created this backstory for him that just kept growing more and more complex, and so he's just full of secrets that slowly seep out. I've found him to be an easier character to write too, which I also didn't expect.
HaideeAlmightyXD: "The thing is, I absolutely hate the zutara ship. I am a hardcore katanga shipper, but when a zutara centric fanfic keeps me reading instead of closing the window, you know it's good." - Wow thank you! I've had several readers tell me they're Kataang shippers but still like this story and honestly it really does mean a lot. I know how difficult it is to read a story that features a ship you don't like. So I'm really flattered you're enjoying this. :)
"A pattern often seen in zutara fics is that for the sake of the ship, Mai and aang are often cast aside,or killed or hated on by zuko and katara" - I don't like that either. I wanted Katara's relationship with Aang in this to mirror canon a little, or as much as it could given the AU backgrounds of Aang and Katara. Mai was a little more tricky since she didn't have any backstory with Zuko (or Azula) this time, but more than anything I was intrigued by her relationship with Azula in canon. I wanted something similar to that in this too. (And totally agree..making Aang or Mai OOC to benefit Zuko and Katara isn't cool.)
akl: "I have read that you dont want to focus on two storys which is why you wont update Changing Fate and secondly that you want it to be rewitten, but i really loved that story and I was asking if you could post the chapters you have already written ( I believe you have already started the sequel havent you?) and rewrite them later because I really really miss it." - Basically, I am in the process of re-writing/editing it to weed out some OOCness and grammar errors. It's easier said than done because I have sooo many files for that story. I'm more organized now than I was back then lol so it takes me awhile to find the chapter then go through and edit, making sure it fits into the new version. The story isn't changing, and neither will the main plots. I'm just making it better, or at least what I think is better. :P I promise to put a new chapter up soon though. I know you all have been very patient and I appreciate it. *hugs*
RosesThatWeep: "Is there a Primrose-like character in this story?" - Kind of...but this character doesn't appear until the third story. This character was loosely inspired by Prim and another character.
"This is based of the Gladiator fights in ancient Rome, right?" - Correct. I knew I wanted to use ATLA's version of Agni Kai's for the duels, but for the first round I wanted something big and grand scale with animals and more than two tributes fighting, so I used the gladiators as inspiration. :) Which also inspired how the original Games of Old were played.
walkindarkness: "I also wanted to tell you that I absolutely LOVE what Katara tells Zuko in the carriage "I'll miss you until I see you again." I think that is brilliant, if it's alright with you I would love to use that line in real life one day when goodbyes are too tragic." - Thank you! And of course you can use it! lol
sparkling unicorn: "Wait. Are they allowed to kill each other in their duels?" - The rules are to duel until an obvious defeat until the last round, but that doesn't mean a death can't happen on accident.