All right I have not recognized my fans recently so here goes, also FYI: the tune comes from 'The Waterbending Master'
atla lover: yeah who forces their daughter to marry such an ass?My hazel eyes: seriously? YAYZ!
tfobmv18: shall do and I have the next chappie planned
v-fawkes: It may take a few more chaps but yeah it has to end eventually.
AnnaAza: or is it?
Kimberly T: definitely on the Sangkok and there will be a talk, I have one planned for ZUko, not this chapter but the next one.
THe Jabberwock of oz: hopefully you can stay awake lol
Gaara's plaything: glad you liked
Little Weasel Girl: I always love the humor but you gotta have the serious talk
FireIce: Yes I'm back, hopefully for a little while. If I can find time between the classes then I will stick around a little better. I have a B+ average at the moment. and would I seriously kill off Katara…..actually….
4evacharm3d: no I'm still here, just really busy lol. hopefully another chap soon
unknowlingly'inlove: yes to wedding. yes to wedding night…..eh on 20 years later, I'm thinking if I'm going to do an epilogue it's going to be five or ten. I'm still debating because I may just leave it open so I can toss a few storied alonside of it.
xAlternativexMusicxGirl: and more you shall have
a fan: all things must come to an end. though I have a few more things up my sleeve.
Kitsa: I AM SOOOOO SOOORRRY! I will try soon to have the next chapter up!
KENZIIKENZ79: lol this story started out being a ten chapter deal. so I'm thinking it will last longer than I expect lol
love me: wedding night: check and I have netflix sending me spirited away as we speak, I haven't seen it yet. will probably do megamind in a more adult setting.
Eternal Eyes: apparently everyone loves that line, I'm glad you liked it so much I hope this chap was worth the wait. I tried to put in as much as possible.
JEss: I pictured him with the smirk :D, also I won't rush. I like this story too much to rush.
libblyloo: I love your name. and thankyou.
ohzuzu: speaking of names I like: yeah I looked up the whole suki and katara thing and I was astonished that there were like almost none.
lalachik123: coolness and here is more for you to read
Reverie Wilde:thanks and I even had my guy laughing at Iroh's interjections :D
cowgirl137: yeah, it took me a while to think of a way for Arnook to be stuck dealing with this marriage but I think It works out.
BrooketheDreamarina: must have twists and turns or ppl get bored…like me lol
RenAyameAmaya: lol I promise that most of the characters in here are actually people in the original series. they just have really minor roles.
CelestialElegy: hopefully this makes it a smiley face :D
Arnook frowned at the other nobles. "I wish for my healer to check Katara of the Southern Water Tribe." He crossed his arms. "And as soon as possible so nothing will change." He eyed Zuko who rolled his eyes.
"You have a healer?" Aang beamed. "Any chance on fixing this?" he pointed to his nose that began to bleed slightly with his recent prodding.
"I always travel wih a healer," Arnook frowned. "Pakku will you have Yugoda accompany Miss Katara?"
Pakku nodded and left the room to find the healer.
"My sister is unconscious," Sokka growled. "I'm not letting anyone touch her until she is awake, healer or not."
"As long as she is checked soon after waking," Arnook frowned. Pakku reentered the room with an older woman. Sokka recognized her as the woman who had taught Katara healing so long ago.
"Sokka," Sokka turned to look at his father. "Take Katara to her room and stay with her." Hakoda gently placed Katara into Sokka's arms. Katara groaned and curled up slightly, her eyes fluttering gently before resting again.
"Have Suki stay with you." Zuko walked up. "So she will be there with that healer."
"I recognize Yugoda. Katara trusts her." Sokka smiled.
"Oh I'm going, so I can talk about this premarital sex thing." Suki frowned at Sokka.
"Just keep her safe." Zuko said as he eyed the northern chief who was talking to the healer. Aang walked over to the healer pointing to his nose.
"Hey don't worry about it." Sokka grinned. "How's that eye of yours?"
Zuko smirked at him, "You're dad sure can punch."
"Yeah, but that's only if you piss him off." Sokka shrugged. There was a blue glow coming from the healer.
"I'm assuming having-" Zuko smirked.
"Please don't say it again." Sokka groaned. Suki shook her head and steered her husband from the room and they were followed by the older woman.
Zuko turned to see that everyone had already cleared out except for the leaders of the nations and the Avatar who was wriggling his newly healed nose.
"What is this all about?" Arnook asked the Earth King.
"As soon as the war ended I took it upon myself to look through our library's extensive collection." The King started. "I ran across several exerpts of something called The Council."
"The council of what?" Hakoda frowned.
"The Council of Five." the King beamed. "It was a council of the four nations and the Avatar, together they were five."
"Um," Hakoda frowned. "There are two Water Tribe nations so wouldn't that make six?"
"No, not with the Air Nomads missing." Arnook said thoughtfully.
"Why not just call it the Council?" Zuko asked.
"It should be six because of the Air Nomads," Aang argued.
"There hasn't been any Air Nomads in years." The Earth King reasoned.
"I think it should be the Council of Four, for the four nations." Arnook said.
"I liked the sound of the Council of Five." THe Earth King pouted.
"But there will be more than five people." Zuko forwned.
"But that's not the point." Aang stated. "It's just stating that there are the four nations and the Avatar."
"So Council of Five?" The Earth King grinned.
"What about the Air Nomads?" Arnook tilted his head in question.
"There will be a leader for the Air Nomads." Aang stated. Zuko rose his good eyebrow.
"You cannot be the leader of one nation and be the spot of the Avatar, you have to choose." Arnook frowned.
"I'm pretty sure he's stuck being the Avatar." Hakoda shrugged.
"No I'm talking about Tam." Aang looked around at the other four men. "He's the leader of the Air Nomads." Silence followed the statement. "I found them."
Katara turned slightly, her brow furrowed as she realized the warm arms holding her were gone. Her eyes slowly opened, the blurs began to focus. she was in a room that looked familiar. She turned her head slightly and saw Suki and Sokka arguing.
"Are you telling me that you and the moon…"
"She wasn't the moon yet and we only discussed it, that's all."
Katara smirked to herself. She tried to rise but hands pushed her back down.
"That may not be a good idea," An older woman said soothingly. Katara squinted at her. Why does she look so familiar?
"Hey sis, you awake?" Sokka moved next to her. "You sure missed a lot."
"I think now would be a good time." Yugoda said quietly.
"Can we have a second to explain what's going on?" Suki frowned.
"I need to check soon." Yugoda sat down in a chair next to the bed.
"Check? check what?" Katara turned her head to look at her sister in law and regretted it. The small motion made her head spin.
"What's the last thing you remember?" Sokka asked.
"Starting from this morning." Suki broke in.
"I woke up. Went to the meeting." She looked away from Sokka. "I was on the beach and a pirate hit me in the head."
"You're forgetting about your running away, aren't you?" Sokka rose an eyebrow.
"Ok, I ran away and then a pirate hit me in the head," Katara winced as she prodded the scabbing flesh. "Can you heal it?"
Yugoda nodded. "In a moment."
"Well then I woke up in chains. and the Captain was saying something…he was going to collect money or something. He took my bracelet." Katara peered down and fiddled with the thin bracelet. "I guess I got it back."
"Aang got it for you." Suki smiled.
"I….I broke the chains and I was mad so I went to the top deck and everyone was laughing." Katara frowned. "I just remember pain and that someone wasn't there…."
Zuko.
Katara sighed. "I was so angry and wanted to get away I didn't even think about waterbending, I just sent him to the ground."
"How?" Yugoda tilted her head.
"Blood bending." Sokka said quietly.
"Then I saw that he was coming…" Katara's voice trailed off. "He wants to take away my bending, Sokka I can't lose my bending!"
"It's okay." Sokka said quietly.
"No, it's not okay I can't marry that man." Katara looked down. Her mind was still swimming.
"He's not marrying you." Sokka said. Katara looked up at him confused. "What else do you remember?"
"After that everything went black. I had the strangest dream though. I was standing in our old home and mom was telling us a story. I was trying to listen but someone kept yelling for me. I began running toward it but it was so hard and then everything…" Katara gestured her hands throwing them outward. "I don't know…pulsed?"
"And this was when you were heading back?" Yugoda tried.
"I was heading toward…" a flash of Zuko's face went before her eyes. "…someone."
"So jerkbender did save you." Sokka sighed. "I guess I won't kill him."
"I don't think you should talk about assassinating the Fire Lord in his own country." Suki smirked.
"Well I'm sure they'll make an exception seeing as he slept with my sister." Sokka frowned.
"…what?" Katara stared at him bewildered.
"What else do you remember." Yugoda prodded.
"I didn't sleep with Zuko." Katara turned a brilliant red.
"About that." Suki blushed. "We kind of have to prove that you did, and Yugoda is here to check."
"Check what?" Katara whirled around at the healer who had just stood. Katara's head began to spin faster.
"To make sure that Zuko's claim holds." Yugoda said quietly.
"Claim?" Katara stared at her.
"According to Northern tribe law, if a guy sleeps with a girl and neither is married, he's stuck with her." Sokka grinned.
"He's paraphrasing." Suki smiled.
"Who…how…." Katara stared at them.
"It's okay, sis." Sokka sighed. "Everyone knows."
"….Dad?" She stared at her brother.
"He punched Zuko in the face." Sokka grinned.
"How many people know?" SHe stared at Suki.
"Oh just Zuko…Sokka, me, Toph, Aang, your dad, Chief Arnook….the Earth King, Iroh, Zuko's mom, Sangkok, Pakku…..oh and Yugoda." She smiled cheerily.
Katara slumped on the bed and covered her face with her hands.
"The good news is if you're impure you get to marry the jerkbender." Sokka grinned.
Katara peered between her fingers, "You're not mad?"
"I already punched the jerkbender." Sokka grinned.
"Sokka, if you'd please leave the room," Yugoda pointed to the door, "I think it's time we checked."
"You found them?" Arnook gaped at the Avatar. "How?" "I have been looking through old files that Zuko found and been searching through them for the last couple of years." Aang grinned.
"Old files?" Hakoda asked.
"My father's, grandfather's and great grandfather's files on all the activities that could be linked with the Air Nomads. I found them when going through my Dad's old stuff." Zuko explained.
"One of the latest files mentioned some sighting of huge birds in the eastern Earth Kingdom. I was actually going to be relocating them to the Eastern Air Temple soon. Though I wish to keep that quiet as much as possible." Aang looked at the leaders. "They don't trust people and they really don't trust me. they still blame me…"
"Blame you?" The Earth King asked. "How could they blame you?"
"I deserted them when they needed me the most." Aang sighed.
"It's normal," Yugoda stated quietly as Katara put on new underbindings. Yugoda tossed the bloody old ones into the trash. "Sometimes when a Woman is under a huge amount of stress her body resets."
Katara stared at the bloody rags. Guess that means I'm not pregnant. She felt a slight sinking as an image of a blue eyed tiny Zuko came to mind. She shook her head to rid her mind of the image. I didn't want to be pregnant so why should I care?
"So, I guess I'm good to marry Zuko now?" Katara sighed wearily as she tugged on some waterbending robes. They greatly resembled the ones she had worn as she toured the world before the comet. She looked around for the pants that went with them, she shrugged when she couldn't find them.
"Should be." Yugoda smiled at the young woman. "That is, if he's the one that-"
"Zuko's the only man I have ever, or will ever be with." Katara frowned.
"The last thing I wish to check is your bending, just to see how you reacted to the unleashment." Yugoda brought over a basin of water. "Do you remember anything else?"
"Just blurs, I can hardly remember anything. Just Zuko holding me." Katara sighed. "I'm probably doing as good as any other person who's had an unleashment."
"Well that the thing." Yugoda frowned.
"There's never been a case where the person has lived before." Suki stared at her.
Katara stared back at the two women and then dipped her hand in the basin. She flipped her hand outward. She stared at her hand as the droplets fell short. Katara dipped her hand into the water again and flipped her hand outward. Again the droplets fell short. She dunked her hand in again, splashing water on herself in the process. She couldn't feel the water, couldn't control it.
"Maybe you're just weak from the whole ordeal," Suki offerred.
"Yeah," Katara sighed. "Maybe I will feel better with the full moon later." She looked up at the two silent women. Suki turned her head to the window and Katara's eyes followed. The full moon floated in the sky.
Katara couldn't feel it's pull.
Yugoda pushed through the doors into the meeting. The men turned to see her quick pace, her sense of urgency.
"And the verdict?" Arnook asked.
"She will be marrying Fire Lord Zuko." Yugoda told them hastily.
"So she's awake?" Zuko asked. "How is she?"
"There seems to be a problem." Yugoda frowned, both Hakoda and Zuko stiffened.
"What's wrong with my daughter?" Hakoda asked.
"She can't bend." Yugoda looked between the men.
"That's impossible, there's never been a case in which the bender lost their power." The Earth King crossed his arms.
"I was able to take away Ozai's, so it can happen." Aang shrugged, he looked worriedly at Yugoda.
"I'm pretty sure that's an Avatar thing though." Hakoda said wearily.
"Maybe she is just weak?" Arnook suggested.
"She can't feel the water, the pull of the moon or even tell what cycle it's in." Yugoda frowned.
"It's just not possible." Hakoda shook his head. "The Earth King's right, this has never happened before."
A slam made them all turn toward the door. It took them a moment to realize that Zuko had gone missing.
"There has never been a person who has lived through the unleashment." Yugoda sighed. "She explained to me what she remembers and it sounds as if she was well past the unleashment when Zuko brought her back."
"How on earth did he bring her back?" Arnook crossed his arms.
"She said that he called for her." Yugoda's lip twitched in a small smile.
"Zuko was able to get close to her because of his own bending and he wouldn't leave her side." Aang explained.
"Does anyone want to attempt to go get the Fire Lord back here?" Arnook glared.
"Just let him go." Aang sighed.
"Oh yes I forgot he's friends with most of the people here, so what does it matter." Arnook growled.
"You think I like the fact that my daughter was with him in this way?" Hakoda growled back.
"Me and Zuko are not friends." Aang frowned.
"But you and Fire L-" The Earth King started.
"We were once friends." Aang sighed and turned to Arnook. "You may want to be angry about this whole thing but one thing stands out. They love each other and he just braved an unleashment to save her. She just went through an unleashment because she thought Sangkok was going to find a way to take away her bending and then take away the man she loved."
"So you want them together." Arnook frowned.
"No." Aang stated. "But they should be together. I wanted them apart more than anyone here. And I kept them apart. When Mai broke up with Zuko and wrote to Katara, I tore the letter to shreds and sent a fake in return. When Hakoda came to Ba Sing Se I sent him straight to her. When Zuko went after Katara to save her from the pirates, I tried to beat him into the earth."
"You what?" Hakoda's fists were clenched and shaking.
"I loved her. And I couldn't let her go, and because of that we may never be friends again." Aang turned away from the accusing eyes.
"I'm just hoping that nose was from Zuko and not the pirates." The Earth King looked down on the Avatar.
"He's got a mean punch." The Avatar stared at the floor.
"So this is what it comes down to, children deciding the fate of the world." Arnook scoffed. "First they save it and then try to burn it back down with childish squabbles."
"I'm quite sure that a woman is no childish squabble." Hakoda continued to glare at the Avatar.
"And I wouldn't call the Fire Lord or the Avatar a child anymore." The Earth King stated. "They have been immortalized in legend in Ba Sing Se."
"Legend?" Hakoda asked.
"People still whisper about whether Ozai really exists without his bending, and I always hear about the latest daring escape the Fire Lord makes from assassinations." The Earth King grinned.
"It's absolutely ridiculous." Arnook frowned.
"You haven't heard the stories." The Earth King grinned with childish glee. "There was one saying that this man tried to poison Zuko and Zuko just calmly stuffed the whole tea cup in his mouth! Another one is where a man tried to jump off a roof to slit his throat and Zuko pushed him away like he was a fly."
"Just stories." Arnook shook his head.
"My favorite was the one where a man succeeded in running a sword through Zuko and Zuko pulled the sword out and killed the man with the very same sword."
"He didn't kill him." Iroh's voice rang out from the doorway. "Is there a reason my nephew ran away so quickly?"
"Oh so the story was a fake?" Arnook smirked as the old general walked into the room.
"No, the story is true, it's just Zuko only held the sword to the man's throat before having him sent to the dungeons. My nephew doesn't like to kill these men." Iroh shrugged.
"I think Zuko went to check on Katara." Aang offered.
Zuko quickly strolled through the hallways, still receiving strange glances from his people. He may have his crown on now but he was still walking around dirty in nothing but his pants. He spotted Suki and Sokka standing outside a doorway and rushed toward them.
"She's not seeing anyone," Sokka tried as Zuko opened the door and slammed it behind him.
Zuko stopped as he saw Katara. She sat in the tub on the far side of the room, water all the way to her waist. Her robes darkened where the water had splashed. Tears stained her dirt smudged face, her fingers drifting on top of the water's edge. She breathed in and slammed her fist into the unresponsive water.
"I told you, get out!" She cried without looking up.
Zuko swallowed and moved to her. He climbed into the tub with her and pulled her into his chest. She sobbed as he held her close.
"Winter, spring, summer and fall." Zuko sung the tune. The tune his uncle used to sing on the ship all those years ago. "Winter and spring. Summer and fall. Four seasons, four loves. Four seasons, four loves."
He intertwined his finger with hers and pulled her closer as he sung. Zuko leaned his head into hers and rocked her side to side, whispering the soft tune into her ear. She turned to look at him, a single tear rolled down her cheek. He wiped it way, leaving a wet smear from the bath water. She smiled wearily.
"I have something for you." Zuko smiled at the woman. He pulled at the pocket that was underwater, after a few tugs the necklace pulled free. Katara smiled at the her mother's necklace but then her smile fell short. Her mother: the woman who sacrificed herself for her little waterbender. Katara felt the tears come again and hugged her knees to herself.
Zuko's arms wrapped around her, letting her cry. He began to hum the tune again as he rocked her. "Just let it out." he said between tunes.
There was a click as the door shut and Zuko turned his head, still letting it rest on Katara. Hakoda stood with Arnook in the doorway. Zuko sighed and gave Katara a bigger hug and made to get up but Katara gripped his hand.
"We have discussed it," Hakoda said. "If you wish to, you may marry Zuko."
"She has to by our law." Arnook frowned, he sighed and looked at Zuko. "We have been discussing the reason for this marriage and Hakoda has brought up some valid points. We will try to keep the impurity of this relationship down low."
"If I may, I wish to speak to Zuko alone." Hakoda looked to his daughter. Katara held tight to Zuko for a moment before letting go.
Zuko stood and stepped out of the tub, water splashing everywhere. Hakoda nodded toward the door. Zuko stopped at the bed and gently placed the necklace down on it before following Hakoda out the door.
"Hakoda brought up an excellent point." Arnook sighed as he sat on the bed, looking over the wet necklace. Katara tilted her head slightly in his direction. "I hate Fire Lord Zuko because he is Fire Nation and I hate the Fire Nation because of Yue." He rubbed his temple. "When I think of people doing the right thing I always think about how Yue sacrificed herself for her people and I believed that's what other people should do. But your father…." he sighed again. "He was right, I saw my daughter as a smiling person and am able to think of her like that always, but if I were to force this marriage on you, he would be stuck with an unhappy daughter who he would forever see thus way."
Katara turned to look at him.
"What you did was wrong," Arnook frowned at her. "But between what the Avatar did and what was happening with the world…." Arnook breathed in. "I will keep silent about the circumstances that led to this marriage."
Zuko left the room and noted that Sokka and Suki had left, turning he saw two guards following him.
"Guards," Zuko said loudly. "Can you please make sure to stand outside Katara of the Southern Water Tribe's door? If she needs anything please make sure she gets it." he turned to follow Hakoda and then stopped. " I'd make sure not to upset her, she's busy practicing her bloodbending." He smiled at the guards who's faces became ashen.
"But she can't bend," Hakoda whispered as Zuko caught up with him.
"Katara helped overthrow Azula and my father, she's as hated by my assassins as I am, I can't let it be heard that she's weak right now."
okay, my hubby is bugging me to clean our room, something about being able to see the floor. lol. anyway I have the next chapter in my head and I will do my best to get it up by next week (I have a western civ analysis to do and sorry but it takes priority.)
Next time on Avatar:
"Where is she?" Aang burst into the room.
"My name is Toph Bei Fong." Toph bowed elegantly to Tam. "I am here to lead you to the Eastern Air Temple."
"Do you know who I am?" The large man laughed at the petite blind woman.
Realization dawned on Toph. "You're the guys who have been attacking the Fire Nation colonies."
"And you have led another one to us." The man laughed.
"They're not Fire Nation!" Toph clenched her fists
"Do you know who I am?" Toph gripped the man's dirt ridden hand and forced him to the ground.
