Hello! Yes, I'm back. Trying to finish this one and Subturfuge.In this chapter, you learn a little more of what happened in North Pole and see some more of Azula, (who in this iteration, is quickly becoming my favorite character). Enjoy.
As always, Read and Review!
Chapter 8
Katara lifted the water, reveling in the freedom of enjoying her element for herself. As the Avatar's teacher, water had been her weapon. As his wife, water was her duty. As the Waterbending teacher, water had become her knowledge. But now, as the soon-to-be-Fire Lady, water was just her element. No one expected her to use it for anything else. She felt a stab of guilt at her line of thought, but she brushed it aside.
"I'm not going to feel guilty about the past," Katara said, whirling a strand overhead, making it ripple in the air.
"Admirable resolution," a familiar voice started Katara and she almost lost control of the wave. Hitching it back up, she sent the stream into a barrel and turned to face her former enemy turned sister-in-law standing at the gate of the arena. The princess was dressed in maroon slacks, a red sarong skirt, and red bindings. Her hair was tied in a ponytail. Katara, dressed similarly in bindings and slacks, grabbed her tunic in a self-conscious act.
"Azula."
"Katara."
The Waterbender eyed the princess as she walked into the arena, her hands clasped behind her.
"Are you here for a spar?"
Azula shook her head. "I don't fight these days."
Katara's jaw dropped in disbelief, "Really?"
"Ask Zu Zu if you don't believe me," she said as she lowered herself on the bleacher along the perimeter. Perhaps it was a survival instinct, or maybe it was caution, but Katara made it a point to always face her.
"What brings you here then?"
"I came to talk."
"What?"
"Talk. Chit chat. Gab. Gossip. I don't know what it's called in Water Tribe."
Katara resisted the urge to roll her eyes and took a couple of cautious steps towards her. "Talk about what?"
"Things," Azula said as she leaned back and put her weight on her palms. "Things I could not really say in front of my darling brother."
A part of Katara wanted to bolt and keep running, get away as far as possible. Another part was curious. A small inner battle later, curiosity won. She took three more steps, such that she was close enough that they could have a normal conversation, yet far enough to give herself time, should Azula choose to attack. Azula, meanwhile, dismissed the guards with a wave.
Katara waited till they were completely alone, making sure she was perennially aware of the water barrel nearby. She kept her voice steady and asked, "Such as?"
"For starters, I would like to know what really happened at the North Pole."
Katara crossed her arms across her chest, tapped her left toes on the ground, and said, "You know it. I was facing a trial on some trumped-up charges and Zuko came in and saved me."
"Yes, yes. My brother has a savior complex, I know," Azula said waving a dismissive hand, "That's not what I'm talking about."
"Then what are you talking about? You will have to be a little more specific."
"Adultery," Azula's words brought a bitter taste and Katara opened her mouth to protest when the Princess overrode her, "Why adultery? Anybody who knows anything about either of you would know that that's the most ridiculous charge they could come up with."
Katara frowned, not sure of what to say. Reading her expression correctly, Azula leaned forward with her elbows on her knees, "I have fought against you. I know that you are loyal to the point of being suicidal. And Zu Zu?" she chuckled, "Zu Zu doesn't have a dishonorable bone in his body. They could not find two more unlikely people in this world to levy this charge on. Even the thought of it is absurd. And yet, the charges were imposed. Not only that, they ran with it. The tribunal would have killed you had it not been for Zuko's last-minute stunt."
Katara sighed, "I'm flattered to know that you hold us in such high regard."
Azula tsked. "That's not the point. I've been thinking and riddle me this, where did this ludicrous rumor start from? No one in their right minds would start a malicious rumor about the Fire Lord and the Avatar's Widow just out of spite. No. For this to have reached the fervor that it did, the rumor had to have originated from some credible source."
Katara's heart hammered wildly as the implication of Azula's words hit home.
"Think about it, Katara. Any random person saying such things against two of the most powerful and influential people would be, at best, dismissed as a conspiracy theorist, or at worst, put to death for sedition. Someone close to either one of you had to have started the rumor."
Suddenly, Katara felt as though her legs had turned to jelly. Unable to stand, she stumbled over to the bleachers, and collapsed next to the Princess, holding her head in her hand. Impossible. No. No.
"Ordinarily, I'd suspect me, but I was not involved in this. I swear."
"I know, Azula," Katara said weakly. A patina of sweat covered her face and a shiver ran down her spine. Lost in her inner turmoil, she did not see her sister-in-law glance at her with a frown on her face.
"You know who started it, don't you?" Azula said, in a strangely sympathetic voice.
Taking a deep breath, Katara sat up straight and with a swift flick of the wrist, bent her sweat from her face. Don't show weakness. "I have my suspicions. But no way to confirm it."
"That's easy," Azula said. "Get that blind Earthbender friend of yours to interrogate people… unless you think she is the one –"
Katara let out a bark of laughter. "Toph? No. If Toph wanted to hurt Zuko or me, she'd drop the ceiling on our heads. Not this."
"Then who?"
"Azula… I know I have no right to ask this of you… but can you please drop it?"
The princess raised a perfect brow in askance, "Why?"
Katara rocked back and forth, trying to decide what to say. Finally, she said, "Because it's over. I want to move on. My children are safe here, behind these walls. All I want to do now is give them the stability and security they deserve. And hopefully, one day, become a mother for Izumi."
The other woman looked like she wanted to argue but then sighed, "If anyone else had asked me to drop it, they'd be in a world of misery."
Katara looked at her in surprise, "Huh?"
"I'll drop it."
"I don't understand. I am… was… your enemy."
Azula's lips twitched into a faint smirk. "No. You were just someone on the other side of a war."
"That is the very definition of an enemy," Katara deadpanned.
At that Azula threw her head back and laughed. Not a manic guffaw, a genuine laugh of hilarity. Once her mirth subsided, she said, "No. What I mean is, for me you were just a soldier. Like a fly to be swatted. Nothing more. My real fight was with my mother."
Katara's jaw dropped, her previous caution of the woman ebbing away a little, "What?"
Azula's eyes held a faraway look, as though she was seeing something that was visible just to her, "We had shitty parents. Just like Zu Zu was never really chasing the Avatar, just our father's approval, I was seeking our mother's. Neither of us ever got what we wanted, though. Zuko… he was lucky he had Uncle to hold his hand when father failed him. Me? When our mother abandoned us, I was taken under father's wings. And if you want to know what happens to a troubled child raised and indulged by a homicidal maniac, I'm the case study."
She had said all of this without a shred of self-pity. Her words had been calm, controlled, and precise, yet Katara could feel the pain behind them. For the first time, she saw Azula not as the manic princess but as a damaged human being. Her nurturing and caring persona wanted to reach out to her, hold her.
Unaware of Katara's thoughts, she continued, "When you defeated me… I completely lost control of my mind. It took seven years for me to even start healing. It was hell inside my head."
When she did not elaborate, Katara ventured tentatively, "Azula, why are you telling me all this?"
"Because it takes one to know one."
"What?"
Azula turned to face Katara and looked straight into her eyes, "You're broken, Katara. Just like I was. You're hanging on by the sheer force of will. I can see it in your eyes. Something terrible has happened to you since we fought. Don't make the same mistakes I did. I too buried my head in the sand and refused to face my demons. Look what they did to me."
Saying so, Azula lit a flame in her palm. It took Katara a moment to realize what was wrong. "Your flame. It's not blue."
"It hasn't been blue in years," she said in a quivering voice.
"Does Zuko know?"
Azula shook her head and extinguished the flame. "No one knows. Apart from you, that is."
Tears welled into Katara's eyes. She wondered what she would do if something like that happened to her. The mere thought of losing her bending to the point that it was a shadow of her current prowess doused her in fear, "Why didn't you tell Zuko? Or General Iroh? I'm sure they'd help."
"No," Azula said, her lips thinning. "They'd give me pity. I don't want pity."
"Do you want me to try and heal you?"
"No."
"I can try to realign your chakras and –"
"Drop it, Katara."
The Waterbender opened her mouth to protest but then sighed. This was Azula's bane. Her pain. Her undoing. Her sore spot. When she had inadvertently hit upon Katara's sore spot, Azula's had backed down when asked. It was her turn to return the favor. Katara felt her lips draw into a genuine, if sad, smile, "You're right. It takes one to know one."
"This conversation…. Zu Zu doesn't hear a word of it."
"No. I won't tell him. Thank you, Azula, for coming to me with your hypothesis and not to him."
"My brother and I are barely on talking terms," Azula said standing up and stretching. "Can't say I blame him. If I were him, I'd have me executed. But my brother is much too honorable. He even kept Ozai alive, till that miserable fart bit the dust on his own. Even after everything that happened between us, Zuko still made sure I got the proper care. He's rather stupid with his honor."
"His honor is what saved me so…"
Azula smiled, "Yes. That was one of his better moments."
Despite herself, Katara snorted.
"Any luck with Izumi?"
Katara shook her head, "None. She won't even stay in the same room as me. Any pointers?"
Azula shrugged, "Human interaction isn't my forte."
"You were doing pretty well here."
"This is the exception that proves the rule."
"You seem to be in good spirits," Zuko said, peering over the teacup he was holding.
Katara smiled and reached for a plum shortcake, a desert she had taken a strong liking to. This had become a routine for them, sharing a cup of tea before they retired to their respective chambers. "Because I had a chat with Azula today."
Zuko almost choked on the tea. "What? That improved your spirits? Does your teacup have firewhiskey?"
Katara scowled at him, "I'm not drunk. We had a girls' chat. Something I hadn't had in a while."
Zuko's good eyebrow shot up. "I wasn't aware Azula could do a girls' chat."
"It was nice," Katara said, enjoying the burst of sweet and savory in her mouth. "She's… perhaps not who I thought she is."
Zuko lowered his cup on the table and with utmost seriousness said, "Katara, not to rain on your parade, but this is Azula you're talking about. She's a master manipulator. She will say things you want to hear and reel you in, only to pull the rug from beneath your feet."
On some level, Katara knew that her younger self would have flown into a rage at this statement. Now, however, she simply shook her head, "I know who she is, Zuko. But I have a feeling that this one time, she was talking to me without any ulterior motives."
"Well, I hope you're right. But, just be careful, alright?"
"I will."
"Oh… and… ummm…. Our wedding is in seven days. Hope you're ready."
"Yes, I remember," Katara said, dusting off nonexistent crumbs from her dress to appear nonchalant. Fear and anxiety, however, raised their nasty heads. "Not that my tutors and ministers ever let me forget about it."
Zuko looked contrite. "I'm sorry. I know they can be a little overbearing, but hey, if you can be in a good mood after a chat with Azula, anything is possible."
Katara simply nodded, lacing her fingers together to keep it from trembling. Perhaps Azula was right. Somewhere deep down, she was broken. Not surprising, given what happened.
Meanwhile, Zuko reached for a plum shortcake and said, "I should warn you, at the end of the ritual, we are expected to… umm… kiss."
Katara's heart skipped a beat and she looked up at him, unable to hide her alarm. Spotting her expression, Zuko's brow furrowed. "Surely your instructors told you that?"
"I… must have slipped my mind," Katara said, acutely aware of how weak her voice sounded.
"As a Fire Lord, I can… maybe… try to get the ritual removed if you want."
She considered his words and shook her head, trying not to show her tremors, "No. No, Zuko. As such, your rule is marked by a lot of opposition. Then, you brought in a Water Tribe citizen as the new Fire Lady. A widow and a mother of two, no less. If you start messing with wedding rituals to accommodate me… things will get worse. Don't worry about it. I'm a big girl. I can handle this."
"Are you sure? You can barely stand being touched. How will you handle being kissed in front of thousands of attendees?"
"I'll figure something out," Katara said, not meeting his eyes. "I can do this. I can do this."
Zuko eyed her for a long while before saying, "What happened to you, Katara? The girl I knew could fight the greatest Firebenders without losing her courage. But now… What did they do to you, Katara? What did the Northern Water Tribe do?"
Katara closed her eyes, trying to keep the horrific images away. The loss of control, the feeling of helplessness, the panic, the fear, the humiliation, the pain, the betrayal… it all came flooding back, threatening to choke her. Broken, Azula had called her. She was not broken. No. She was shattered.
So, what did you think of the girl-bonding? What do you think really happened to Katara? Who started the rumor? And why is Zuko so damn awesome? Theories in the review box, please!
