A/N This is the former chapter 14! A new one was inserted on 12/25/19 to deal with a plot hole so please check it out before continuing!
When the ship docked in Republic City, Katara was awakened urgently. Her body was stiff from sleeping on a sack of rice, but the sailors jostled her upright. They were not unkind, but there was a tense uncertainty among them. The cargo was due to be unloaded and the buyer was already at the docks. It was early yet, and the buyer was well-known to Captain Thuy, so there was no sign of a guard. Yet time was never assured so they pushed both women up the ladder to the deck.
Katara's fingers could barely bend around the rungs and the muscles in her shoulders were tight. Once on deck, and blinded by the morning light, she stood on the deck shifting uneasily. The stench of harbor salt water made her head swim and the choppy waves in the port threatened to topple her. It wasn't until Riku sighed with frustration and grabbed her that they made their way to the ramp.
"We have to get out of here." Riku said impatiently. Rubbing the sun tears out of her eyes, Katara looked out at the buildings along the deck.
"I know where we can go. My friend has a metalbending school in the city." Katara said.
"Are you an idiot? The palace is going to be looking for you in places like that." Riku retorted.
"No, we have to get out of the city." She went on.
Katara yanked her arm back, making Riku stop.
"You said we had to get here." Katara stated. Riku made a noise in her throat and rolled her eyes.
"Republic City is a massive hub. There are ships, trains, and airships pouring in and out of here every day." Riku said. Still, she took a moment to look around. "We need to get to a safe place and plan our next step."
"Or to formulate a plan at all." Katara retorted.
Riku whirled back to her, her amber eyes blazing.
"My side of the bargain was to get you out of the imperial city. I did that. Anything else you need help with, you're going to have to figure out." Riku shot back.
Katara bit back her retort. Azula had been a master strategist. Both her and Zuko actually. They had been raised with war, on how to conquer an entire world. While Katara had been dealing with her trauma, Riku had created no less than three plans to get them to this point.
Whether or not Katara liked her, she was at least going to have to trust Riku.
"We're too close to Avatar Island here, though I'm desperate to know if Aang has been around." Katara said and turned, looking for the bay.
"I assume they're familiar with you on that island." Riku said, her voice flat. Katara nodded.
"I need to think. I was here almost three seasons ago; I don't know if people will remember me." She said.
"They might remember Katara, but not some dirty colonial bastard." Riku said.
"You really have to stop calling me that." Katara remarked dryly, facing Riku again. The other woman shrugged.
"I will when it stops being useful." She said.
Katara's stomach grumbled and she placed a hand over it. Riku's shoulders sank and she looked around.
"Okay, food first." She said.
Katara took the lead this time, making sure they stayed away from the streets that went to the boarding house. She hadn't been back to this part of the city since leaving to see Zuko and was shocked to see how much had changed. Where that had once been rows of scaffold covered buildings were now just buildings. The main road had been paved with mismatched flat stones; still temporary but it lessened the amount of muck in the area. People ran stores that sold more than just daily necessities or rough clothing. There were more people in general.
Sign posts stood at every intersection, keeping Katara from getting lost in the confusion. She heading toward a construction site, knowing that any food stalls would be too used to constant churning to notice the pair of them. Especially since they both looked like filthy urchins.
Katara pointed out a small teahouse and they walked toward it. It was a permanent building and seemed to be original to the city itself. The sign about the door had been stripped away and a board nailed overtop. "Teahouse" was painted neatly across it, with no other attempt at a business name.
Inside, Katara took in a sharp breath. The decor was Water Tribe.
Furs hung on the wall and the mantle of the fireplace had carved images of sea animals. Cooking somewhere in the back was a pot of seaprune stew; the sharp scent of the prunes was the first thing she noticed.
At the tables were construction workers from both the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom - with a few colonials interspersed - but in the back corner was a large group of Water Tribals. Comparatively, it was easy to see the difference between the darker Earth Kingdom people and the Water Tribals. Only the people from the steppes matched their features, but their complexion was fairer. Similar, but not quite.
Among her people, it would be difficult to pretend to be anything else. The thought made her heart ache.
After the war, when the men returned and villages disappeared, a lot of families were out of work. Coming from an area where they had to contend with large beasts, hauling fishing nets, and plowing through deep snow, many of the Water Tribe men were large compared to their non-Bender counterparts in other countries. It made them favorable among hard labor companies and so Katara wasn't surprised to see them employed in construction. She was just surprised to see them here, and now.
"It's like you people have a homing beacon." Riku muttered.
Katara shook herself, unaware that she was growing emotional. A server had spotted them and approached, smiling.
"Would you like a table?" He asked. Katara blinked just as Riku stepped forward.
"Yes, please." She said. The server nodded and turned, so Riku leaned in to hiss at Katara.
"Get it together."
With a sniff, Katara turned her gaze from the Water Tribals and followed the server. He sat them at a small table and handed them both a menu. Riku smiled at him as he walked away before looking down at the menu in disgust.
"Is there anything other than soup here?" She asked.
"Dried meat doesn't do well outside of soup." Katara replied. "But it looks like they've got plenty of seafood."
"Out of that filthy bay I assume." Riku skimmed over the menu and set it down with a sigh.
"I think we need to go to Ba Sing Se." Katara said. Riku raised an eyebrow and laced her fingers together.
"Go on." She said, leaning forward.
"I need to understand why the Earth Kingdom got involved in the first place. Ba Sing Se is the best place to figure that out, plus," Katara hesitated. "I know someone there."
"Someone useful I hope." Riku said and leaned back.
"The Fire Lord's uncle." Katara clarified. At the word, Riku's face changed for a moment. Blinking rapidly, Riku shoved a hand into a pocket.
"That might work." She muttered. Pulling her hand out, Katara saw a number of capsules.
"Headache?"
"Shut up." Riku snapped and looked around. "Where is the server?"
Katara waved the man over and ordered for them as Riku slouched in her seat. The man nodded and stepped away for a second before returning with a tray. Setting down two cups, Katara thanked him and stared at her own when he left.
She really didn't like being handed beverages anymore.
Riku ignored her, tossing three capsules in her mouth and drinking deep from her cup. Nervous, Katara picked up her cup. The water smelled clean, but that didn't really mean anything. She drank and hoped for the best.
Over their breakfast of soup, Katara and Riku created the best plan they had available. They needed better clothes and Katara needed a haircut. Then they needed to book passage to Ba Sing Se, which they may or may not be able to afford. Riku was the one to bring up the spread of the purple in Katara's body, but there wasn't much she could do about that.
Inwardly, Katara cursed herself. By sulking for so long, she had missed out on numerous opportunities to work on what was happening to her. Amaq had written about his time spent at the Oasis, but she had never engaged in the conversation. Aang had offered to take her to various places in hopes of finding a cure, but Katara had only wanted to stay in her bed.
Back then, it hadn't been killing her.
On the recommendation of the server, Katara got the name of a barber that had daughters. While Katara, still known as Mizu, sat under the barber's ministrations, Riku spoke with his wife about buying old clothes. They were Earth Kingdom citizens and built more inline with Katara's own body shape, so there wasn't much they needed in alterations.
Now washed and changed, Riku shook out the last of their stolen money.
"I had a thought." Riku said, still looking at the heavy coins.
"What's that?" Katara asked.
"Is it more noticeable if you wore a necklace or just kept walking around with that ugly scar on your neck?" Riku questioned. Katara put a hand to her throat and frowned.
She couldn't even remember when she had last worn a necklace. Her mother's had been packed away what seemed like ages ago. All this time it had just been her scar.
"I don't think the princess noticed that I ever wore a necklace." Katara said. "I might need to cover the scar."
"That's what I thought." Riku put the coins back into the purse before shoving that into her pocket. When she removed her hand, Katara could see something red.
"Here." Riku handed over a strip of fabric and Katara took it.
"When did you get this?" She asked. The collar was a nice one, but clearly worn.
"You would be better off not asking so many questions." Riku replied.
"I'm just wondering if you stole it from the barber's wife or back in the Fire Nation." Katara said blithely. Riku huffed a laugh as Katara tied on the necklace. The cloth rubbed over her scar and she tried to stretch her neck enough to move it.
"Keep wondering." Riku said but smiled pleasantly.
"I think we should head to Avatar Island." Katara said. Riku's smile disappeared.
"I told you, the princess is going to look first at the places that you're familiar with." She said.
"I know, I know. But look, we don't have enough money to get to Ba Sing Se and the acolytes will help me." Katara said. As if she could feel the gaze of the acolytes coming from the island, Katara set her shoulders. "They won't betray us."
"Why's that?" Riku asked.
"Because the Avatar loves me." Katara admitted. Riku sputtered and Katara felt her face flush.
"Well, aren't you the most special thing in the world? Beloved of the Avatar, friends with the Fire Lord, what next? Are you a conduit of the spirits?" Riku asked.
Thinking of Aivilayoq, Katara scuffed a foot along the dirt, making Riku groan.
"Blazes, that was supposed to be a joke." She muttered.
It was difficult for Katara not to point out Riku's own ridiculous history. How this woman had sat on the Earth Kingdom throne and shot down the Avatar with lightning. How she had ended up with a new face and no memories in order to have a chance at peace yet still stood in a foreign country with her sworn enemy.
"Fine, we'll go to the island." Riku paused and looked askance, suddenly shy. "Do you think they'd send a letter?"
"I don't see why not." Katara replied softly. "Your father will be worried."
Riku nodded and then sniffed. "Let's go."
Winding through the lower part of the city, Katara once again went to the ferry docks. The statues Toph had erected were long gone, washed away naturally or through the Avatar's intervention. His statue was still in waiting; Sokka had explained to her that Aang was waiting to look more distinguished before committing his image to stone.
Katara's original ferryman wasn't immediately visible but she still sent Riku down to hire a boat. An older woman was ready to go and Riku called her down, explaining to the woman that they were going to become acolytes.
When the woman launched them away from the small dock, everything inside Katara lurched. The brackish water smelled like rotting vegetation and silt, but there was still water. Her throat dried as she tried yet again to reach out and the water didn't respond. They only moved as the woman rowed smoothly through the dark water. Ahead was the island that Katara detested so much.
Toph and Aang had built it in just a few days after Sokka had finalized the blueprints. The spire and connected towers resembled the Air Temples, while the green hills were small emerald pools around the sandstone. The new Air Bison moved lazily both on land and in the air, and Katara could see the large bodies moving around the towers. The acolytes managed everything about the place from landscaping to maintenance.
Everything had to be kept ready in case the Avatar returned.
When she was there, Katara was treated like another holy relic or empty room to be kept ready. Ready to be filled with the Avatar and serve a purpose.
It took her longer than she cared to admit to notice. While most of the meals were strictly vegetarian - despite the fact that not all Air Nomads had been vegetarian themselves - occasionally Katara would get something with meat. At first she assumed it was out of respect that she ate meat, but then she noted how these meals were served with joy. The joy would continue to build until Katara had her monthly bleed. Then the acolytes shrank away from her.
As the got closer, Katara regretted her choice more and more.
There were acolytes at the dock when they arrived and Katara thanked the spirits that none were ones she knew. They all had their heads shaved and wore long robes of the ancient monks. When they saw Katara, they got excited.
"Mistress!" One exclaimed but Katara glared at her.
"Yes, I've returned with another potential acolyte." Riku said as she stepped out of the ferry and onto the dock. The acolytes helped her up and then reached out for Katara, taking her gently.
"Thank you for your services." Riku said to the ferrywoman, who grunted and pushed back from the dock. Not waiting for her to get very far, Katara marched down the dock.
"Is everything okay Master Katara?" An older acolyte questioned softly.
"I need some assistance." Katara said. "The Avatar has sent for me."
The manic energy rippled through the small group and Katara pushed down her disgust.
"We haven't heard from the Avatar in a few weeks. Is he well?" The older acolyte asked.
So Emry hasn't heard anything either. Katara smirked but didn't say anything about it.
"He is, but I'm not." She said and stopped, turning dramatically to the group. "You must swear that you will not forsake me."
"Never!" The acolytes said in unison.
"There is a plot in the palace that has put me in great danger. I have much to do but first I must answer the call of my," Katara nearly choked on her borrowed words. "Beloved."
The joy that erupted on the acolytes's faces was terrifying and she stiffened.
"What can we do?" The woman who had called out to her asked softly.
"I need to book passage to Ba Sing Se for myself and my friend, but we don't have any money. I fled from the city as quickly as I could, rushing to be with Aang." Katara paused for effect, pulling her hands to her breast. "And with villains after me, I came to the only place I knew we could be safe."
By the freezing depths, the young woman was dabbing tears from her eyes.
"We will gladly help you Master Katara." Another acolyte said.
"We can get you onto an airship."
"We'll fly you back at night so you won't be spotted."
"We'll keep you safe."
The acolytes spoke over each other and Katara motioned with her hands to quiet them.
"Please, we must hurry inside. No one must know I'm here." She said. With a clamor, the acolytes moved, carrying both Katara and Riku inside the temple. Now there was a flurry of activity and Riku looked alarmed.
"Are they always like this?" She asked.
"It's one of the reasons why I don't like coming here." Katara answered.
"What else could there be?" Riku retorted.
"Katara?"
Katara felt bile shoot up her throat and she had to swallow it back. Turning, she looked at the small woman who approached them.
"Hello Emry." She said coldly. A string of emotions flew over Emry's face and Katara almost felt an ounce of pity.
"Did Aang really send for you?" Emry asked.
"Of course. He is doing something I asked of him after all." Katara said. Emry flinched but looked angry.
"He hasn't written to me." She stated.
"Did he tell you he was going to the North Pole?" Katara questioned. Emry flinched again.
"Is there anything I can do to help you, Master Katara?" She asked.
"Sure. Stay out of my way." Katara said and walked past Emry.
"That was delightful." Riku remarked as she caught up with Katara. Furious, Katara strode with purpose deeper into the temple.
Emry was from the eastern part of the Earth Kingdom and had been raised on stories of the Air Nomads. When Aang and Katara had made a trip to the Eastern Air Temple, they had stopped in the Earth Kingdom on a whim. At random, they had picked Emry's village, having heard that it boasted a volcanic spring that had healing properties. It was a sham of course, but a harmless one. The minerals in the water were good for the skin and Katara enjoyed bathing there. As it was a tourist spot, Aang enjoyed showing off.
During one afternoon, Katara had watched as Aang pulled some maneuver with his bending, using both water and air. As always, the crowd was in awe, and even Katara had felt her heart swell with love. For all of Sokka's awful puns, it was true that adoration was Aang's element and he was always at his best in a crowd.
Emry had been there, watching with the same swell it seemed.
As Aang and Katara flew on to the Eastern Air Temple, Emry had headed west to be one of the first acolytes in Republic City. She was waiting for them when they returned. And remained a pain in Katara's side ever since.
"Don't feel too sorry for her. She'll be the Avatar's wife someday." Katara said darkly.
"I'm not interested in romance but I'll admit to some curiosity about all of this." Riku said.
"All you need to know for right now is that I'm manipulating my ex's fanatical followers into helping me while lying straight to their faces." Katara said.
"Sounds fun." Riku said.
It definitely was something more in Azula's wheelhouse than her own. Katara shook her head to clear out the thought and kept moving. She led Riku to Aang's private study.
Another memory hit her.
It wasn't fair that she was constantly weighed down by all of these memories. It was as if life had tied them up in chains before dumping them into the depths of her mind. They sank, only to emerge when Katara made the mistake of disturbing their resting places.
Katara could almost see Aang whirl her around the room. It was right after the temple had been completed and Aang spoke about what was next for them. Marriage, if she wanted it, and a life of adventure and learning. Katara could become the greatest Waterbender in history while Aang could work on visiting every village in the world. They were together, the world was safe, and everything seemed bright.
Aang lowered her, kissing her as the sun poured in through the window.
"If you write a letter, I can have an acolyte send it out." Katara said, gesturing to Aang's desk. Riku sat at it, pulling out random drawers.
"It's a mess in here." She stated and pulled out random scraps of paper.
"Aang wasn't the neatest." Katara agreed.
"And he sucks at drawing." Riku said causing Katara to turn. Riku tossed a paper onto the desk, continuing to look for a blank sheet. Katara took the paper and smoothed it out.
He had been sketching medallions for a betrothal necklace.
This was too much and the pain seeped from her, leaving her heavy. They had loved each other and Katara had to accept that. Things may have changed, but it didn't negate the fact that for everything they understood about each other, there had been love.
Katara looked up as Riku set out a sheet of paper and an ink set. Azula was gone and Riku was not only here, but was helping her. She could be both and yet something else as things changed. Katara would have to accept that.
"Is your mother happy?" Katara asked.
"That's a weird question to ask." Riku fired back, focusing on making ink.
"I'm just curious."
"The same way the Fire Lord is just curious?" Riku glanced up for only a moment before returning to the inkstone. "Don't think that just because I'm insane that I'm also dumb."
"What do you mean?" Katara asked.
"I mean that while I know my parents are my parents, the villagers talk about how I came out of the woods. And everyone in Hira'a knows what it means when someone comes out of the woods." Riku explained. Katara shivered, taking a step back from the desk.
"The previous Fire Lord did something horrible, to me. And now the new Fire Lord and all of his fancy friends are worried about me." Riku said. She took up a brush and dipped it into the ink.
"Did we use to be friends Katara?" Riku asked, hesitating before picking up the brush from the stone.
"No." Katara answered. Riku nodded and began writing.
"I think I've always been unpleasant." She said. She did not sound regretful.
"But you are loved." Katara said.
"That doesn't always mean much sometimes, does it?" Riku, not expecting an answer, kept writing. Katara, not required to answer, walked out of the room.
She did not keep a study here. That might have been a sign, had she been paying attention. Every time Aang had pressed her to create a space for herself, Katara had brushed it off. The Air Nomads travelled so much, there wasn't a point in personalizing something she might not see for months at a time. The truth was that she never felt comfortable in the temple. It might have been different if the halls were filled with actual Airbenders and monks, but these people were playacting.
Katara headed back out, moving toward the Air Bison pen. Just as she breached a small hill and the pen came into view, she stopped. Seeing Dawa would be nice, but it felt trite. There were other ways for her to get around, and bonding with Dawa felt more like playacting as well. Turning away, Katara walked to the zen garden.
Aang had commissioned more statues, giving some of the Earthbenders a chance to be artistic while spending most of their time at construction sites. These statues were of Aang's family, with Gyatsu sitting just a bit higher than the other council monks. Behind them was a paved labyrinth; a meditative path that spiralled inward and outward. At the center was another statue, this one of Avatar Yangchen, looking serene.
Someone sat at her feet meditating.
Not wanting to disturb her, Katara moved quietly along the mosaic styled path. Orange stones swirled in, and Katara focused on the oddly shaped rocks that still fit the shape. The labyrinth circled the statue and Katara tried not to look up every time she rounded it to see the woman sitting there.
She was an odd one and Katara doubted she was an acolyte. Her skin was as dark as Katara's and her hair was matted into thick locks. Her mind wandering, Katara tried to figure out where she possibly could have come from.
In the south-eastern part of the Earth Kingdom, there was the city of Bahrat. It was where Guru Pathik had been born and Aang had been curious to see it. Some of the people there, monks of a sort, neglected their hair to show a disregard for the mundane world and it resulted in mats. It was a mark of divine acceptance and the people were regarded as gurus or sages.
This woman was probably one of those sages, come to meet the Avatar but having to settle for a statue of a previous one.
"I don't think your walk is working." The woman said as Katara came around the statue again. She paused and, feeling silly, walked across the stones toward the woman.
"Hi, I'm Katara." She said as the woman stood. The woman's sarong was loose and faded, but she didn't seem to mind the chill for all the skin that was exposed.
"And I am Rani. I am glad to meet you." She replied.
"I apologize for interrupting you." Katara said awkwardly. Rani smiled, but in a way that felt like Katara wasn't there. It was an absentminded smile.
"I was waiting for you."
"For me?"
"Well, for whatever knotted energy has been coming this way." Rani clarified and Katara instinctively glanced at the woman's hair.
"I would be the expert at knots." Rani added and Katara gave a half-hearted laugh.
"I don't know about knots, but I seem to be a bit stained." She replied and held out her hands. Rani took them, turning them over to look at the palms.
"Veins move in lines and energy flows best where runs have been established. Now there is a block, and everything has become a mess." Rani said and let go of Katara's hands. "You cannot bend, correct?"
The sharpness of the question pierced her and Katara wavered on her feet.
"No." She admitted and Rani nodded.
"You must find the source of the block and clear it."
"Can you, help me?"
"Of course. But now is not the correct time. You are too angry." Rani started to walk away and Katara sputtered.
"Wait, what do you mean? When will you help me?" She questioned, jogging over to Rani's side.
"When you are ready." Rani smiled the same faroff smile. "Don't worry, I will be here."
Katara stopped walking then and watched Rani head to the temple.
Maybe Riku was right. Her life was pretty damned weird, all things considered.
Having nothing better to do, Katara returned to the study and found Riku rifling through Aang's bookcase. Her letter was folded neatly next to the cleaned inkstone and brush.
"What are you looking for?" Katara asked.
"Anything. You never know when some random piece of knowledge will be useful." Riku said as she flipped through a book. "For instance, did you know that the acolytes believe Aang has asked for you because you're pregnant and he wants the next Airbender to be born in the Eastern Air Temple?"
"Why not the Southern Air Temple? That's where Aang is from." Katara said. Riku scoffed and shoved the book back into place on the bookcase.
"They're idiots. They want theatrics and so they created a story in their minds."
"For the daughter of actors, you seem to be very disapproving."
Riku leveled an incredulous look at her.
"When you go see a show, you know what you're getting into. When you live your life that way, it's something else entirely." She replied.
Katara handed off Riku's letter to an acolyte before requesting two beds be made for them. Still exhausted from the trip and sore besides, she just wanted to rest. The acolytes moved with alacrity and Riku was swept away into a random room.
Katara was shown back to Aang's bedroom.
The door was shut firmly behind her, and the world was cut off from her. The noise of the temple was gone. Katara moved across the wood floor, moving her feet to avoid the plank that groaned. At the bedside table closest to the door was a box. Her purple hands shook as she opened it, feeling the tears start.
She had always wondered if Aang had taken Emry into their bed. But deep down, she knew that he wouldn't. Katara's things were still here, still marking this place as her own. This was not a place he would violate.
Inside the box were odd trinkets. Aang called it her harmony box. A shard of obsidian from a Fire Nation volcano was wrapped in a ribbon she had gotten at a festival in a small Earth Kingdom village. Shells from beaches all over, as shorelines were not unique to one nation. There was a metal figurine Toph had made years ago. A carved bone figure from Sokka. A whittled piece of wood from Suki. A glass vial containing a tiny red blossom from Zuko.
Taking up the vial, Katara held it gently in her hands as she sat on the bed. This had been a birthday present, if she remembered correctly. It was after Zuko had found out about the things their friends had made. Put off by it, Zuko had taken sand from Ember Island and used his bending to heat it. Katara squeezed it in her hand, hoping to feel some of the warmth from the hands of its creator. There was only glass.