Rumour Has It VII

New prisoners arrive and with them Sokka's father.

And news from the Earth Kingdom.

While Sokka is disguised as a guard and sneaking into Hakoda's cell to plot escape, Zuko is bound to a chair, guarded by two of the worst gossipers in his father's employ.

'Did you hear what that that new prisoner with the nose ring said? About the string of refugee murders in the Earth Kingdom?'

The second guard— older and rounder than the first— rolls his eyes. 'You watch too many Ember Island Player's shows, Chan.' The man's next words make Zuko as cold as Katara's ice disks. 'Besides it's not murder when we're at war.'

The younger man looks affronted at the slight. Not the murders themselves, Zuko notices. 'So? Killing's killing, ain't it?'

'Yeah, killing's killing. Too bad for the dirtswine their precious Blue Spirit seems to have abandoned them.'

Zuko glowers at the older guard through the slit in his cell door while unease swirls in his belly.

'You don't like the Blue Spirit?'

'You do? Grow up, Chan. That scum's a nice bedtime story for children but he's a criminal. Him and that heretic masquerading as the Painted Lady.'

Chan is silent for long enough that Zuko silently begs the weedy man to ask—

'But it's refugees that're being killed, isn't it?'

'Well shame on the criminals for not sticking by their people. Shame on that Blue Spirit for abandoning them.'

Shame arrives, thick as the blood of dead refugees. No one opens the door to let it in, but Zuko's new visitor makes itself comfortable in the familiar cracks on his soul.


Rumour Has It VIII

It's the trip to the market, the day before Sokka and Zuko return with gifts of friendship and fatherhood, that it happens.

Katara, Aang, and Haru fly Appa to the edge of the forest and walk to the nearest fishing village for supplies. It is a bustling town, the centre of the local peninsula's trade. For Katara, after so long in the quiet of the Western Air Temple's ruins, the onslaught of people is less than—

'Amazing!' Aang shouts, fist pumping the air as he runs from the hog-monkey stall to the puppet show across the plaza laughing.

'He doesn't really do subtle, does he?' Haru asks stiffly, glancing between the vendor's side-eyeing Aang.

Katara opens her mouth to respond when she is distracted by her name on a stranger's lips: Painted Lady.

'Thirteen?!'

'That's what the merchant told Gako last night.'

The first speaker, a frazzled woman with two babies in arm, is stone. 'Not the colonies, surely?'

'I'm telling you, Mi, ever since the Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit stopped showing up in the Earth Kingdom, there's been more violence than ever. Those thirteen villages aren't the only casualties…'

Mi grabs the second woman harshly. 'Please, you know my boy's over there fighting.'

The women clasp hands; desperation grasping compassion. 'I know, Mi, I know. But it's the girls I pray for. The men of the village were slaughtered but their girls… they say the old family syndicates have begun selling them for their… flower.'

Sickness swirls in Katara's stomach. No…

Aang bounds over to wrestle coins from her money pouch. 'Come on, Katara! There are melons and papaya and—'

'No!'

Her shout makes the young monk flinch but she's beyond caring. We weren't there for them. People need us and we're not there. How many young girls raped and sold to the highest bidder? She shoves the purse into Haru's hands. 'Can you— Will you—?'

The earthbender takes the pouch, nodding firmly. 'It's okay, Aang and I can finish up here.'

Katara doesn't argue. She flees the market place.


Can I just say: the readers and reviewers of this story must be some of the best on the whole wide internet. I asked for your thoughts on Fire Nation customs and Katara as Fire Lady + the challenges she'd face and boy did you guys deliver! I've been reading over your comments and you guys raise some great points. Drawing parallels between historical and current socio-political trends, metas on my metas, critiques of storytelling and realism I'm freaking loving it! Special shout out to comments by BellaOfTheTower, Mauve_Avenger, TheCost_OfArt, and Guest (are you the same Guestie whose been cheerleading for me from the reviews? If so: heck yes! If not: welcome!). Also, born as a nebulae I haven't had time yet to reply to your review but I have like a thousand things to say!

You guys never fail to make my day at least 3 shades brighter each time an email drops into my inbox with your thoughts on the story. Much love from me to you 3