Hi everyone! Sorry I was late in uploading this chapter! Everything has been super crazy with the whole pandemic going on.
I very much appreciate the reviews I have received so far and thus, felt an obligation to get this chapter done and up before I forgot about it!
As I have mentioned before: I do not own A:TLA! If I did, well, I wouldn't be writing this!
Hope you enjoy this chapter and feel free to leave a review! Comments and constructive criticisms are always appreciated!
"Zuko.."
At the sound of his name, Zuko spun around, scanning the dimly lit room. On the bed in the corner lay Katara, turning in her sleep. He was paralyzed, afraid that if he moved she would wake from her slumber. Zuko paused; she had just said his name. His gaze moved over the sleeping water bender, dressed in only her undergarments, wrappings that she must wear under the water tribe garb. She was definitely asleep, but he knew what he heard; was she having a dream about him? As she rolled onto her side with a moan, the split in her skirt exposed her thigh and hip. Zuko felt heat rising to his face.
Her chest rose and fell rhythmically with each slow breath she took. Silently, he stood watching her for what felt like an hour, admiring the long eyelashes that tickled her cheeks; following the curve of her hips as they met her slim waist; noticing how she glowed as the candlelight seemed to reflect off her smooth tan skin. Something inside him wanted to go to her; to wake her up, lose himself in her lustrous cerulean eyes and apologize; to hold her and tell her that he would never betray her trust again.
The rational part of his brain, however, realized that doing such a thing would likely result in her screaming, attacking him, and his capture; he was sure to lose his honor that way. He expelled the ridiculous thoughts from his head and reminded himself of his purpose. He was there to warn the ship that the Fire Nation was onto them, and then he would finally take out the Avatar. He reached slowly into his shirt, careful not to move too quickly as to wake her, retrieving the rolled up note.
He glided silently towards her bedside and placed the rolled up piece of paper on the the table, next to the blue tunic she normally wore, which lay in a crumpled heap. Without thinking, he reached for it. The material was rough, compared to his silk clothes, and clearly well-worn. Threads hung loose near the hem where it had been ripped. In that instant he had an idea; an insurance policy, if anything. He grabbed the tattered hem and ripped some of the fabric off as quietly as he could manage, eyeing Katara's motionless form while doing so. He placed the torn fabric into his pocket and backed away.
As he turned toward the window, the boat rocked suddenly, knocking Katara's water skin onto the floor. She groaned and her tired eyes fluttered open. She blinked rapidly as her gaze fell on the strange masked figure in her room. A gasp escaped her mouth as he saw her gaze shift to her water skin, preparing to attack. Without thinking, Zuko was on top of her, one hand over her mouth and the other grasping her wrists above her head. One of his knees rested on her thigh, effectively pinning her to the bed.
Panicked blue eyes met his shadowed ones as she began to struggle.
...
Katara flew down a flight of stairs and found herself in a garden, striding along a covered walkway. The sun was setting over a distant mountain, bathing the gardens in a warm amber light and casting long dark shadows that reached out towards her. She followed the walkway until it opened up to a large weeping willow tree, swaying in the breeze. Something drew her towards the willow, a feeling of curiosity laced with a sense of comfort and repose. She ran her hands along the rough bark of the tree until she noticed a presence nearby.
"You're welcome to join," A familiar voice interjected. On the other side of the tree, leaning against the trunk, was the Fire Prince, reading a book. As she approached, he turned and his amber gaze, as warm as the setting sun, met hers. He reached a hand out to her and, wordlessly, she took it. Zuko pulled her towards him and caught her as she collided with his chest, wrapping his strong arms around her waist. She looked up to him and placed a tender kiss on his scarred cheek. In response, he held her tighter, placing his palm on her lower back, deepening their embrace. His fingers caressed her cheek and lingered below her chin before he raised her face to his-
Katara's recurring dream was interrupted by a jolt of the ship and the sound of something falling off the table in the corner. Before she even gained consciousness, she could feel another presence in her room. Not 5 meters away from her bedside stood a dark-clad figure in a blue and white mask, a toothy, wicked smile painted across its face. She expelled the grogginess from her mind. Her first reaction was to pull water from her skin across the room and attack. However, before she could do so much as lift her hand, the man was on top of her, pinning her to the bed. A primal fear set in as her heart rate increased and her breathing quickened. Who was this person and what were they doing in her room? How did they get on board the ship? Questions flew through her mind as she simultaneously prayed this wasn't going to end like she dreaded it would.
She had been caught completely off-guard and given little to no time to react to the intruder's presence before he rendered her limbs immobile. Out of desperation, she struggled against his weight, trying to pull a wrist loose from his grasp, trying to knock him off of her by jerking and twisting her hips underneath him, but to no avail. Panic set in and a whimpering noise unwillingly escaped her throat, as she continued to struggle. Then the man above her made a noise. She paused. He was shushing her. Carefully he removed his gloved hand from over her mouth. She was prepared to scream, but couldn't muster one. She just silently gasped for air, watching as the man placed his finger over the lips of his mask, shifting his weight off of her and releasing her wrists. Relief washed over her when she realized she safe. She watched him back away with his hands up.
When she finally spoke, her voice was shaky, "Wh-who are you?" She asked, receiving no verbal response. Something about this person seemed familiar, although she could not put a finger on what. The man only nodded to the note on the table.
"What do you want?" He pointed to the table again., his hands out in front of him as if to say he meant her no harm.
She reached for the letter, never taking her eyes off of him. Katara unraveled the letter and he nodded. She frowned and read:
'The Fire Nation Fleet is on the way here, they know this ship has been captured. They are half a day away, coming from the Southwest. Change course to the North once you reach the sea.
A friend.'
She finished reading and looked up to the masked figure, a puzzled look on her face.
"Ok… but who are you?"
...
Zuko cursed internally; none of this was going as planned. Hands still up, he walked towards the table and pulled out another piece of paper, glad he had brought extra just in case. He contemplated for a moment, unsure what to write; he had to be vague. After a moment, he scribbled something down and handed the paper to her.
She took the note and read:
'I'm wanted by the Fire Nation. I didn't mean to scare you, just to warn you. If anyone asks, I was never here. Go North.'
Katara looked back to the masked man, "Ok, but what am I supposed to tell everyone?"
He shrugged and took the paper from her, striding across the room to the flickering candle where he proceeded to burn the note. Katara watched him intently, so many questions unanswered.
"Th-… Thank you." She said finally.
He nodded, heading back towards the window. Zuko turned to take one last look at her before slipping back out into the night.
Landing silently on the platform outside of the window, he looked to the east. A faint light was spilling into the dark sky over the horizon; he was running out of time. He had to find the Avatar. Back against the wall, he side-stepped to the next window, jumping to peak inside. Katara's brother slept on his back with his mouth open, limbs splayed across the bed, snoring. Zuko continued around the corner, certain that he was close. He approached the next window that was closed. Inside, the Avatar rested, his burnt clothes in tatters around his unconscious form. His black hair had grown in, obscuring his arrow tattoo. Realizing he would have to pry the window open, Zuko reached over his shoulder for one of his broadswords. When his hand closed around the hilt, he heard footsteps around the corner ahead of him.
Zuko cursed under his breath. He had to make a decision. He looked through the window towards the sleeping Avatar and sighed, releasing his grip on his broadsword. He slipped around the corner, checking the level below to ensure no one would see him, then he cleared the railing, landing gracefully on the deck of the ship. Before the footsteps rounded the corner, he was diving into the water below.
He could only hope that Katara would pass on the message and then at least they wouldn't be captured by the Fire Nation Fleet. He would have to deal with the Avatar later.
...
Miku stood alone at the temple. She walked out into the sunlight, realizing she was back once more in the physical world. Rubbing the sun from her eyes, she frowned. She hadn't expected Aang to disappear so suddenly; she had questions she wanted to ask him, things she wanted to tell him.
Although they had never met before this day, she had heard of the Avatar's return from one of the fisherman in the village. It didn't take her long to put the pieces together; just months ago, she had discovered the truth of her spiritual powers. Grandmother, or Mimi as she called her since childhood, had told her of the powers that the Miyuku possessed, though she only knew through stories passed down to her by her own grandmother. Miku's grandmother was a Miyuku in name, but not in practice. Mimi lacked the spiritual power of her own grandmother and the Miyukus before her. In Miku's youth, Mimi often told her the story of her great-great-grandmother and the day she lost her connection to the spirits and ancestors; just days before the air nomad genocide.
Miku had been on her daily walk up the mountain, thinking of Mimi and singing the Song of the Ancestors, when her great-great-grandmother appeared on the path before her, a spectral figure surrounded by a purple aura. She immediately recognized her from a painting in their home. Dumbfounded and sure she was having a heat stroke, she blinked, rubbed her eyes, and felt her forehead; but the vision of her great-great-grandmother did not fade. The old woman smiled and turned, gesturing Miku to follow, as she glided up the mountain. When they reached the top, overlooking the basin that contained the temple, Miku's breath caught in her throat; the temple was surrounded by spectral beings. Meadow spirits, green bipeds with long, delicate limbs and luminescent yellow eyes, frolicked in the tall grasses that covered the slopes of the basin, giggling as they hopped and skipped. Tiny, iridescent spirits with bodies that resembled snakes sprouting butterfly wings nestled in the flowers that protruded from the swaying meadow grass, writhing and jostling the stamen of the flowers, releasing clouds of pollen to the wind. Along the shore of the lake, a handful of blue and green amphibious creatures with the appearance of salamanders with only two legs which bifurcated at the shoulders and ended in webbed feet, rested on the sandy shore, long tails swishing back and forth in the water to create an ebbing and flowing motion.
Miku was speechless. Grandmother had told her tales of the land and water spirits, the spirits of earth that resided in all natural settings, but never once had she imagined actually being able to see them. It was as if she could feel the life around her in the flora and the fauna; as if she suddenly formed an intimate connection to every living organism in the vicinity. Then there were the ancestors, hundreds of them, wandering in and out of the temple, weaving between the standing stones, mumbling and chanting, which merged into a cacophony of otherworldly sound. Miku's senses were being overwhelmed and she started to feel light-headed. Her great-great-grandmother turned and reminded her to breathe. Realizing she had nearly forgotten how, Miku filled her lungs and exhaled.
They made their way towards the temple and as they approached, the ancestors took notice of her; one by one they began to turn, gliding towards her. When she reached the entrance to the temple, the cacophony had faded into whispers, as the ancestors converged on her, their ghostly hands brushing against her arms and shoulders.
Miku finally found her voice again. "What are they doing?" She had asked her great-great-grandmother as they entered the temple.
"They have been waiting for a long time, Miku," The old woman replied, "They haven't been able to connect with their descendants, to peacefully move on; they have been waiting for the Miyuku to return, as have I."
That day had changed everything. As Miku shielded her eyes from the sunlight and rounded towards the front of the temple, she decided it was time to commune with her great-great-grandmother once more; perhaps she could provide her with the guidance she sought and the answers to her questions. As she entered the temple, she removed the animal-skin drum from over her shoulder and placed it in the center of the room. Miku went to a chest in the corner and opened it, removing 8 candles, a piece of flint, and her stick of brass bells. She placed the candles on the floor in a circle around the drum. From another chest in the opposite corner, she retrieved a long, apricot colored robe and a crown of antlers, adorned with brass embellishments that coiled around the bones; she draped the robe about her shoulders and placed the crown upon her head. She returned to the center of the room and lifted her skirt, retrieving a dagger that had been strapped to her thigh. As she lit the 8 candles with the flint and dagger, she began to hum. When all of the candles were lit, her hum had progressed to melodious vocalization, as she picked up her drum and the brass bells. Her eyes closed, she tapped the drum with the bells and twirled around, the volume of her voice increasing with every turn. Before long, the candles flickered and her surroundings faded as if obscured by a cloud of smoke.
She opened her eyes to see the old woman once more, hovering before her.
...
By the time Zuko arrived back on his ship, the sun was rising and his clothes were almost dry again. He brushed past the Captain on his way inside, ordering him to set off for Ember Island and insisting he take a Northern route. When he reached the door to his room, he was stopped by Mai's voice from down the corridor.
"Late night?"
Zuko grunted, he was exhausted and in no mood to explain himself to Mai at the moment.
"Yea, I guess you could say that," He responded.
"Zuko, what is going on? Where have you been?"
"It's nothing. Like I said, I needed to… run an errand."
Mai frowned, pursing her lips; he could tell she was annoyed.
"Why did you have to drag me along? You don't need to lie to me, Zuko. I get it. You're using me as cover for whatever it is you've been up to so the Fire Lord and Azula aren't suspicious."
His eyebrow twitched, she wasn't wrong so he remained silent.
"It would just be nice if you told me what was going on upfront."
"Nothing is going on, Mai! We're heading to Ember Island now. I'm going to bed." Not wishing to talk anymore, Zuko opened his door and slammed it behind him. Through the door, he heard Mai let out an exasperated sigh as her footsteps receded down the corridor. He pulled his shirt over his head and strode across the room to his bed.
Zuko fell back onto his bed, not bothering to remove the rest of his clothes. He wondered what Katara was doing now; had she delivered the message to the ship's captain and crew? Had she fallen back asleep after he left? Her voice filled his ears, mumbling his name in her slumber. Zuko's mind drifted to the curvature of her hips, exposed through the slit in her undergarments. Heat rose to his cheeks when he remembered how he had pinned her down on the bed, how she had struggled underneath him, twisting and jerking her hips which clumsily collided with his own. At the time, he refused to admit it to himself, lest he allow things to get even more out of control, but the feeling of her hips bumping into his had aroused him. He hadn't intended to pin her down, it had been a hasty reaction to the fear of being caught. But thinking back on it, their closeness, the feeling of her warmth, the sensation of her writhing under him, was turning him on again. Finally, he decided to remove his pants and proceeded to think of Katara until exhaustion caught up to him and sleep took over.
...
"What is it, my child?"
"A lot of… strange things happened recently and I have so many questions. I thought perhaps you could help me."
The old woman nodded.
"Well, I met the Avatar," Miku began, "I was walking up the mountain, singing, like I always do, and I saw a boy nearly fall from the cliff. I saved him, thinking he was an ancestor spirit or something, but when we shook hands, we both saw… a vision."
"What was this vision?"
"It was more than a vision, really. Everything faded around us, like it does when I call on the spirits, but it seemed like we were spinning and images flashed by us; images of the past or maybe the future. I saw the temple garden… the walls were crumbling and weeds were growing through the cracks. I saw a busy city. I saw the sun hidden by the moon. I saw an air temple and airbenders and the glowing eyes of avatars. But when I let go of his hand, the vision was gone and I was in the spirit world. Then he airbended in the spirit world."
"Very strange indeed," Her great-great-grandmother agreed.
"How did I travel to the spirit world… and why?" Miku asked.
"You are a Miyuku," The old woman said, "You were born with a connection to the realm of spirits. The Avatar is the bridge between the two worlds. When you two touched, you were able to cross the bridge into the spirit world. I'm sure you have figured it out by now, my dear: the Avatar is part of the reason the Miyuku can commune with the spirits and our ancestors. Without the Avatar, the Miyuku's bond to the other realms is severed and her power is lost."
"And that is why I suddenly gained spiritual power and the bond to the other realms, after 100 years of nothing; because the Avatar returned?"
The old woman nodded in response.
"But that doesn't explain why he was able to bend."
Her great-great-grandmother smiled, "It was you, my child."
"Me?"
"Yes, you. Your connection to the spirit world strengthens the Avatar's ability. I think it is time that you learn the true history of the Miyuku."
"Mimi told me the stories," Miku replied.
"Not this one," the old woman interjected, "This story is only told to an awakened Miyuku. It is the story of how the Miyuku came to be and the origin of our spiritual power."
Miku was listening intently.
"There was a beautiful spirit of fertility named Saoisei. Every 58 years she would travel from the spirit world and live amongst the humans for a year, taking on the appearance of a young woman with emerald eyes. There, she would visit families and couples, ensuring the health of their unborn children, and blessing unions with her gift of fertility. A dark spirit, Huosu, lusted for Saoisei. He had once been a nature spirit that kept balance in the forests with fire, but when humans settled in the forest and suppressed the natural balance, he became corrupt, causing fires that would burn villages and devastate the forests. Before her descent from the spirit world, Huosu kidnapped Saoisei and trapped her in the forest, intending to keep her for himself. Saoisei was able to free herself with the help of tree spirits, but when Huosu discovered her missing, he burned down the forest in a rage. Saoisei made it to the edge of the forest, reaching the ocean, but she was overcome with smoke and fell into the water. She washed up on the shores of our people's island, tens of thousands of years ago, only to be found by a herbalist, named Mal-Shik. He found Saoisei in her human form, on the verge of death. Mal-Shik was a lonely man, having lost his family to illness, he had devoted his life to herbal medicine. He brought her to his garden on the mountain and nursed her back to health. Saoisei fell in love with Mal-Shik and he fell in love with her, not realizing that she was a spirit in human form. Together, they had a child that they named Miyuku."
Miku's eyes widened, beginning to realize the implications of this story.
"But Saoisei could not stay in the human realm forever. When her year was up, she had to return to the spirit world. She left Miyuku with Mal-Shik, unable to return for another 58 years. While she wasn't able to see Mal-Shik or their daughter, she gave away a piece of herself to Miyuku during birth. The piece of Saoisei linked her daughter to the spirit world and allowed her to commune with spirits; She was the first Miyuku. When 58 years had passed and Saoisei returned to the human realm to see her daughter once more, Huosu had learned of her relationship with the human man. As she climbed the mountain to Mal-Shik's home, Huosu set the forest around her ablaze. Miyuku was performing a fertility ceremony on her own daughter, who was preparing to give birth, when she realized what was happening. She ran into the burning forest, intent on saving her mother. They both perished in the fire. Miyuku's granddaughter was named Miku, your namesake, after her grandmother. Miyuku's spirit, and thus, Saoisei's spirit, lives on in you, as it did your grandmother. Every 58 years, Miyuku is reborn into a woman from our bloodline, as Saoisei's spirit returns from the spirit world."
Miku was speechless, her mouth hanging open. It all made sense. No wonder why Mimi was always stressing the importance of fertility rituals, why she had meticulously instructed her in herbal medicines; she was supposed to continue Saoisei's work.
"Now you know the origin of the Miyuku," the old woman continued, "Your grandmother prepared you well."
"I- I don't know…" Miku stuttered, "If only she were here. How am I supposed to do this alone?" Tears welled in her eyes at the thought of her grandmother; She still missed her every day.
"You are not alone, Miku." Another voice announced behind her. She spun around to meet Mimi's gaze as the tears spilled down her cheeks. Miku rushed into her grandmother's welcoming embrace.
"Mimi, I've missed you so much! I've felt so alone," She sniffed. "I tried to call on you so many times but to no avail."
"You are never alone, my little badgerfrog," Mimi said into her hair, "I have been watching over you. You are growing into a capable young woman and I have no doubt that you will take on this position with vigor and handle it with grace. I am so proud."
"Grandma, I think I know what I have to do…" Miku looked up at her grandmother, wiping the stream of tears from one of her cheeks.
"Yes, I think you do."
...
Katara sat on her bed, holding her knees to her chest. She had delivered the message to her father on the bridge. When he asked where she received the information, she had lied. Katara told him that a messenger hawk flew through her open window. She hadn't even thought about it before the lie came spilling from her lips; why was she protecting the masked man? Sure, he was apparently wanted by the Fire Nation, but did that really make him her ally? Did she really have any obligation to him, to protecting him? For all she knew, he could be leading them into a trap. She shook her head; Despite his initial mishandling of the situation, she did not get the impression than he was trying to deceive them. After all, he took a great risk to sneak aboard the ship to deliver the message. But who was he?
She couldn't shake the air of familiarity she felt. Perhaps they had previously bumped into him during their travels. She racked her brain for possibilities but only drew blanks; Anyone that they knew probably wouldn't feel the need to conceal their identity. Katara sighed. Maybe the sense of familiarity she felt was just her mind trying to put the pieces together.
She lay back down on the bed, having decided it wasn't quite morning yet; but every time she closed her eyes, her thoughts drifted to the masked man. Her face flushed when she remembered him on top of her. While she was thankful that his intentions were not nefarious, she cursed herself for being completely at his mercy; had it been someone else with more criminal intentions, she would have been entirely unable to stop them. She rolled over onto her stomach, still bothered. What was wrong with her lately? She was well aware that she was reaching the age of sexual maturation, but was it really supposed to manifest as a constant, involuntary attraction to any male who gave her the time of day? She considered this and realized that the attraction hadn't been to any man, rather to a distinct subset of males who were contemptible to some degree.
First it had been Jet; she knew that her attraction to Jet had initially been fueled by physical attraction, but even when she discovered the truth of his personality, the attraction hadn't subsided, it just made her angry. Katara covered her face. Even if the masked man wasn't a contemptible male, their initial interaction had been disreputable to say the least; and yet, thinking back to him on top of her, pinning her down on the bed, she couldn't subdue the surge of lust that permeated her mental filters. Then there was Zuko.
Remembering the dream she had been having before she woke to the presence in her room, she blushed a deep crimson. Why was her subconscious insisting on reminding her of these lingering feelings for Zuko? She recognized that she had indeed felt something in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se when she held him; when he had taken her chin in his hand and tilted her face towards his. She was certain that they had nearly kissed. But why? Was she really so fickle in her conviction that a couple sweet words and gestures would perturb her deep-seated feelings towards Zuko; the Prince of the entity that had been plaguing the world for the last 100 years? Even so, surely his subsequent betrayal should have been enough to put those feelings to rest, to remind her of the kind of person he was. Katara was still angry and upset, mostly at herself, for believing he had changed. She felt foolish; More so now that even weeks after the catacombs, Zuko still appeared in her dreams and her reaction to him was, more often than not, at least amicable. She huffed; amicable was a poor descriptor. In her recent dreams she had been relieved to see him, delighted to fall into his arms, and often found herself desiring him in the brief moments between slumber and waking.
Realizing now that sleep would not be possible, she got up from bed and decided to meditate and practice some waterbending, hoping to clear her mind. When she finally felt like she had reached a state of tranquility, the door to her room flew open.
"Aang! Aang is awake!" Sokka yelled.
I told you there would be some Zutara action, didn't I?! Although I guess Katara wasn't exactly aware of the Zutara action... Zuko certainly was ;)
So I went into my OC, Miku's backstory a little bit here. What do you think? I took a recent interest in shamanism after taking a class that explored Evenki culture and I was surprised to find that in many cultures across the world it was a rather common profession for women. I take lots of liberties here, but my main inspiration for the Miyuku is some combination of Evenki shamanism, Korean Mudangs, Shinto Priestesses, and Banduri, essentially female druids.
Please please please let me know your thoughts! What do you think about the return of the blue spirit? How do you feel about Miku?
