Getting dressed was an awkward affair. The dresses that Shui picked out were fine, but none of them made enough room for Katara's cast. Shui ended up draping the dress over her before tying it loosely, making Katara look more lascivious than intended. The hastily pinned hair and fraying red bracelets added something more desperate to the look.
Riku watched, disgusted.
"This is exactly how she wants us, you know." She commented as Katara sagged onto the crutches.
"Where she wants me, Riku. She has no idea who you are." She replied, already sounding tired.
"Her daughter is going to know you're here." Iroh said.
They had closed up the shop. While not explicitly said, Shui insisted that she go along as well. Having more of the non-essential players would make it more likely that they would all actually leave the dinner alive. Plus, Shui and her sons were Ba Sing Se residents; it would make it harder to cover up.
But now, they all gathered together at one of the empty tables. Shui looked nervous, but not regretful. Her sons seemed even less sure, but didn't say anything.
"We'll have to find a way to leave, though I doubt Ruan will like that." Katara said and vigorously rubbed her face with both hands.
A knock sounded at the front door and the group froze. Haoran, the oldest of the two brothers, got up and went over. As he opened it, he was almost barreled over by Xai Bao and Kanda as they headed inside.
"Oh thank the spirits you're still here." Xai Bau said. Kanda's face was tight with worry and Riku straightened as the woman looked at her.
"Is there any way you can get out of this dinner?" Xai Bau asked as he walked with purpose to the table.
"One cannot say no to a queen Xai Bau." Iroh said carefully. Xai Bau stopped at the table, seemingly yanked by invisible reins. Katara had forgotten that both men were part of the White Lotus, and Xai Bau was clearly Iroh's junior.
"Iroh, you must understand that none of what happens tonight will be good." Xai Bau said. Kanda walked up and put her hand on his arm. Silver flashed at her wrist and Katara stared at the wide bangle; it's odd markings making no discernable pattern.
It almost looked like something clipped onto it.
"That's why I need you to contact the other members in the city. We're going to have to get Katara and Riku out of here." Iroh said.
"I can take them." Xai Bau replied hurriedly.
"That's fine, but you'll still need a way out." Iroh said.
"And the ship still needs to be refueled." Kanda added gently.
"Sounds like something that can be taken care of while we're at dinner." Shui said and the others looked at her.
"Right." Xai Bau said, slinking back. "Of course."
Another knock came, pushing Xai Bau and Kanda out of sight. The rest of them moved to the front, opening the door and seeing a palace guard just outside.
The uniform was so close to the Dai Li's that Katara felt her throat close. Certainly, there were very few citizens of Ba Sing Se that knew about the Dai Li's betrayal, and it felt like the city was attempting to brush it aside. If it looked like the Dai Li and talked like the Dai Li, who would care if they weren't the Dai Li?
The man bowed and stepped aside, gesturing for them to come out. A trolley car sat in the street without the rest of the trolley. Seeing the other massive Earthbenders, Katara knew what kind of ride she was in for.
One of the Benders was decorous and helped her up, holding onto her crutches until she was settled on the rock slab that acted as their bench. She sat between Haoran and Jiro, having them act as ballast while she stretched out her leg. Riku sat uneasily at the end of the other slab, fidgeting as she sat next to Shui and Iroh.
Katara wondered if it would have made Riku feel any better if she knew who she really was, and who Iroh was in her life.
The palace guard stood in the door of the car and the Earthbenders pushed it forward.
It was getting late, but the sun was still firmly entrenched in the sky. It was coming to summer then, and the summit was now only a few weeks away. Zuko would marry and Ozai would be executed; and the whole world would start to fall to the Earth Kingdom pressures.
Toph's parents - having inherited half a dozen industries through the generations - were everywhere. City kingdoms looking to recoup their losses from the war looked ever eastward. The patches of oil fields had proven to clarify into something more useful than coal, and larger pools of the substance had been found in the South Pole. Without the help of the Fire Nation, there wouldn't be enough for them to hold out from the insistence that the Earth Kingdom be allowed to drill.
All it took was one marriage and the whole world would topple into Ruan's hands.
"We probably shouldn't drink the tea." Katara murmured. Riku had given her another dose of pain medication and it made her head feel like it was stuffed with cotton. Shui leaned forward and patted her knee.
"I brought extra Katara. You didn't drink all of the tea." She said. As she sat back, Katara saw her motherly smile and relaxed.
"The queen has exquisite taste; I think she'll be very pleased with what we've picked out." Iroh went on, leaning against the wall of the cart and stroking his beard.
The pair started to talk about tea and Katara glanced at Riku. She looked tense and her gaze darted, never lingering on one spot for too long. Moving her head over slightly, Katara looked at the guard. He only stared straight ahead, looking out of the open window cut into the stone wall.
Sighing, Katara leaned back and stared up at the ceiling of the cart.
There were certain things she was going to have to accept.
The cart was held at the inner ring and the guard stepped off to deal with it. He spoke to more guards and walked back onto the car, pulling the wall of stone closed behind him. As the Earthbenders pushed the car into the wall, everything went dark. Being disoriented, Katara couldn't help the small yelp as the cart shot upward instead of continuing forward.
When it breached the top of the wall, Katara blinked in the dusky light. The car went racing along the top of the rin wall, and Katara craned her neck to look out the window beside her. Holding back the strands of her hair that ripped free in the breeze, she gasped softly at the sight of the palace.
After circling around to the west side of the palace, the car stopped and sank into the wall again. As it lowered, everyone started to adjust their positions, knowing they were soon to arrive.
The light behind the wall was darker and Katara's eyes adjusted more quickly as they emerged at ground level. The Earthbenders now pushed them down the street, around the edges of a walled estate. When they reached the front, the car stopped with a new finality and the guard opened a door in the wall.
Haoran and Jiro helped Katara off as Riku stepped down holding her crutches. They all waited while Katara perched on them, taking in the massive gate in silence.
When she was done, the guard went to the door and, through a series of unseen bending, unlocked it. Pushing it open, Katara was stunned to see the garden twinkling with firelight.
Large crystals jutted up from the earth with greenery exploding at the bases. Both Ba Sing Se and Omashu were mineral rich, thus being the major reason they were the largest of the city-kingdoms, and the crystals were nearly flawless despite their size. These also had a wider array of colors than the ones in Omashu; Katara could see pinks and oranges off in the distance.
As they walked toward the main house, the settling evening brought a cool breeze. As it brushed through the garden, Katara could hear the gentle tinkling of hung crystals.
They sounded like bells.
The sound unnerved her, despite not understanding why. Xianji wore bells, which made sense now as Katara looked at the various sculptures and hanging designs of crystals. But the melodic crashing was abrasive nonetheless.
At the entrance to the main house, the wide doors were already open and Katara could see someone standing in the lit archway.
"Good evening your Majesty." Iroh said as he reached the steps first, pausing to bow. The others followed suit, with Katara teetering forward on the crutches.
"We've brought you some tea, Majesty." Shui said and held up a box, tied up in a beautifully printed handkerchief. Ruan didn't move but the guard came around and took the box from Shui as he walked up the steps to the porch.
"Thank you. Would you do me the honor of preparing it? I've heard nothing but praise for your expertise on the subject." Ruan asked and Iroh bowed again.
"Nothing would please me more." He replied.
They all walked in, with Jiro unceremoniously picking Katara up the short steps. Ruan seemed to finally notice this, having decided to ignore her hobbling down the walk, and regarded Katara coolly.
"Should I send for a chair? My last husband used one shortly before he passed." She questioned.
Katara remembered seeing the woman at Zuko's engagement ceremony. She remembered the disdain Ruan had held for Rin. Never before had Katara wanted to punch someone in the face just for simply existing.
"No, thank you, I should be fine." Katara answered. Ruan turned and they all walked into a sitting room at the front of the building.
"Dinner isn't quite ready yet, so I think tea would be lovely, don't you?" Ruan asked as they entered.
Iroh started saying some empty words while Katara made a beeline for a couch. Riku was at her elbow, helping her down. She then leaned the crutches low against the front of the couch, making a sort of ramp to elevate Katara's foot, which had begun to swell.
"I didn't think you had a servant Master Katara." Ruan commented from the other side of the room. Katara glanced down but Riku's face didn't change.
"Riku is a friend. We met in Republic City." Katara said.
"While you were fleeing from the palace, correct?" Ruan made a sound that attempted to pass as mirth. "You've certainly worried my daughter sick."
"I'm certain you'll be the first to report my health and well-being." Katara said crisply.
"It doesn't seem as though you've recovered greatly from your illness. I heard you entered the city on death's doorstep." Ruan remarked.
Gripping onto the edge of the couch, Katara could feel Riku watching her from the corner of her eye.
"My travels were more perilous than I had first expected them to be." Katara then tilted her head with a smile. "I wanted to ask, Queen Ruan, before we got much further, do you happen to have any jennamite in your garden? King Bumi introduced me to it, and I can't find it anywhere outside of Omashu."
Ruan was unphased in the topic switch and only laid her hands neatly in her lap.
"In the garden? No. Xianji did have a plant in her room that she pruned like a bonsai tree. I believe the servants have been tending it in her absence. Shall I have them cut a piece for you?" She asked.
"Oh, I wouldn't want to damage the princess's own crystal." Katara replied.
"Nonsense." Ruan said and held up a hand. There was no snap, no bell, but suddenly there was a servant. She bowed low behind Ruan's shoulder and the queen didn't move as she spoke.
"Please find someone who can handle gems to collect a piece of Xianji's jennamite for Master Katara." She said. The servant said nothing, but backed out of the room.
By this time, Iroh finished with the tea and Shui passed out the cups.
"Can not all Earthbenders manipulate crystals?" Katara questioned.
"No. Just as how only certain Firebenders can bend lightning, only a few Earthbenders can bend crystals. My daughter and King Bumi are rarities." Ruan said. Taking a sip of the tea, she smiled before lowering her cup.
"Xianji had wanted to be fostered in Omashu actually. She was rather fond of Bumi when she was a child." She said.
"Fostered?" Katara repeated.
"Children of noble or high ranking families are often placed in other households to curry favor." Iroh explained. "It was how-" He cut himself off and Katara could tell he was resisting the urge to look at Riku.
It was how Mai and Ty Lee had come to stay with Azula in the palace.
"The practice dates back to feudal times, and was more often than not used as punishment." Riku added, her mouth forming a thin line when she was done speaking.
"Where did Xianji foster?" Katara inquired.
"Here in Ba Sing Se." Ruan replied and took another sip. "I was unable to join her, as I had my own kingdom to run, but I know Long Feng took care of her."
"I know that name." Riku said absently. "Why do I know that name?"
"Well, he was the head of the Dai Li, dear." Shui said and Riku frowned. "They were the cultural defenders here."
Riku's frown deepened and Katara drank uneasily from her cup.
Another servant entered and this time, he whispered into Ruan's ear as he bowed. Ruan nodded and then waved him away.
"The table is ready." Ruan said and stood. They all rose, Katara holding onto Riku as she came to her feet shaikly. As she fumbled with the crutches, Riku leaned in close.
"This is bad." She whispered.
"I have an idea. You'll have to follow my lead." Katara whispered back.
"You better not get me killed."
"Not tonight."
Riku smirked and walked beside her as they trailed after the others.
Ruan's estate was large but not palatial. The dining room housed a long table that could easily seat twenty, and so they all ended up at one end. It was awkward, seeing the vast expanse of empty surface, and Ruan only peered briefly down the length of the table.
"I apologize for the setting. I hadn't expected such a retinue when I sent out my earlier invitation." She said and Katara watched as Shui's face reddened.
"It's for my own comfort, Queen Ruan." Katara said and paused to smile at the servant who deposited a plate before her.
"How does the honorable Iroh's mistress bring you comfort?" Ruan questioned. Shui's face grew even redder and Katara made a show of her astonishment.
"Yong Rin is one of my closest friends and had told me long ago that if I was ever in need, that I should go to her mother." Katara said and put a hand out on the table, reaching toward Ruan. "Because of course, you know why I had to flee the city."
"No Master Katara, I cannot say that I do." Ruan replied dryly.
Katara shook her head and slid her hand back, sitting back in her seat.
"Surely you've heard of Ozai's Army?" She questioned.
Iroh's face went blank, stunned as he was by her question. Ruan only looked mildly intrigued.
"A group of disgruntled noblemen if I recall." She said.
"They seek to depose Zuko and I don't want to imagine what they would do to his bride." Katara forcibly shuddered and Ruan's brow tightened.
"How could you possibly know more about that group than I do?" Ruan said.
Katara stilled, becoming more serious. "So we are to speak plainly then?"
"Your acting skills are not preferable as an alternative."
Katara paused to look at Iroh, who only stared openly back at her.
"I know a lot more about the city because of the reason why I had to leave it." She began and turned to face Ruan again. "I'm very close to Zuko and they don't like that. I have reason to believe that the Hirasawas were trying to frame your daughter by causing injury to my friends and me. Luckily, I was able to escape, though not unscathed."
"That would be very uncharacteristic of the Hirasawas." Ruan stated.
"Why, because they've allied with Xianji?" Katara scoffed and shook her head again. "Because they've never acted in their own self-interest before?"
Ruan was silent, as was everyone at the table.
"Where are the Hirasawas now?" Katara asked.
Ruan stared at her.
"We don't know." She finally admitted.
And there was the gambit. If Ruan knew about what Xianji was doing, was in fact the reason behind it, she would know that the excuse of Ozai's Army was completely false. If not, then it was completely feasible. Either way, she wouldn't be able to do anything about it.
"Once I reach Aang, we'll head back and clear out the dissenters. Just in time for the wedding." Katara said and then looked down at her plate. "This looks delicious, Queen Ruan, what is it?"
Ruan was reserved for the meal but didn't bring up any needling questions. That wasn't to say she was polite, and they all managed to come under fire for some infraction or inadequacy. Neither Riku nor Katara bothered over it; Katara because she couldn't afford to get riled, and Riku because she probably didn't care what anyone else thought of her.
They just focused on finishing the meal and getting out as quickly as possible.
When the meal was over and Iroh managed to free themselves from after dinner conversation, they all hurried to the front door. A servant stopped Katara, handing her a green shard. As she took it, it grew with a loud groan and Katara jumped, almost dropping it.
"Thank you." She said as she pocketed the jennamite. The servant only bowed and stayed still till Katara awkwardly turned and went limping after the group.
It was another stone car that took them back, though the Benders and guard looked different. They were all quiet on the trip and, in the darkness, allowed themselves to look as they felt. Pulling the jennamite out of her pocket, Katara snapped off a piece and leaned over, handing it to Riku. She took it absently while Katara reclined, slipping a shard into her own mouth.
Creeping crystal tasted like an ice cube made of sugar and without the chill. It was hard, but escaped feeling like a rock by the sheer fact that it started to dissolve as soon as it hit her tongue. Instead, it gave the sensation of a melting ice cube, but obviously held no other similar properties.
Katara thought about crystals, and the smooth,poreless crating of each shard. It's how she escaped without any stickiness from Bumi's trick, and how she hadn't even been able to smell the sugar.
She also thought about the crystals she couldn't eat. The ones formed under the city by high heat and shifting pressure. She remembered Zuko there and the first moment she believed he actually had a heart.
Katara leaned back in her seat and looked at Riku.
Azula had ruined everything in that moment. She had pushed Zuko into an impossible corner and had nearly killed Aang. Now she sat with a round face, and neatly cropped hair, pensively turning a shard of jennamite in her mouth.
Exiting the car was done more hastily than when they arrived at Ruan's manor. Shui's sons once again trundled Katara off while Riku grabbed her crutches. Now, they just continued into the tea house, only stopping to set her down at the same table they had occupied a few hours earlier.
"Kanda will come for you at dawn. So rest and we'll pack everything up." Iroh said, his voice a low whisper.
"The queen will be watching us by then." Riku said, setting the crutches against the table. "If she's not set one on us already."
"Kanda will ensure your escape, don't worry." Iroh said and then went on with a smile. "I trained her myself."
Riku frowned and Katara knew her view of the woman was tainted. Whatever the Mother of Faces had taken, traces of Azula's hatred ran far deeper than expected.
"Where do we go from here?" Katara asked. Iroh sighed heavily as he sat down across from her.
"You need to go somewhere safe. The White Lotus can protect you, and I think Bumi would be your best option." He said.
"She's running out of time and you want to send her further inland?" Riku questioned, moving to stand behind Katara's shoulder.
"This will require resources that you simply do not have." Iroh stated. "The entire capital city is shut down and not even Piandao can get in to see what's happening. The princess is gathering her strength and you are crippled."
"Which is why we need a healer." Riku said. She then slapped lightly at Katara's shoulder. "Where's that Avatar you were talking about?"
"I don't know." Katara replied.
"Have you heard from him at all?" Iroh asked.
Katara hesitated and saw Shui usher her sons up the stairs to the family quarters. She looked small and matronly, tired in a weathered way that only mothers could look. With one lingering look, Shui gave Katara a sort of grimace, her hand resting on the banister.
"Not since he took the egg to the Sun Warriors." Katara said, turning back to Iroh. From behind her, she heard Shui start up the stairs.
"There was a sage," Katara added. "In Republic City. I think she can help."
"It's too risky to send you back there." Iroh said, shaking his head.
"So we have nothing." Riku stated. Iroh regarded her and Katara watched his face.
"You have each other." He said and then looked back at Katara. "You just have to protect each other."
Riku helped Katara back to Rin's room. Standing uneasily on one crutch, Katara stayed quiet as Riku untied the sash to her dress. It didn't bother her, these moments of subservience, and it puzzled Katara.
Until she imagined what her home life must be. Riku was, now, an older sister. There must have been times when she was tasked with helping Kiyi dress. All of these instances of assistance were familial and natural; the sort of thing a normal person would do had they grown up in a loving family.
"Thank you, Riku." Katara said softly as she sat on the bed and tugged off her dress. Riku was quiet as she brought over normal clothes, including pants with a wide leg. They'd have to sleep in travelling clothes. Dawn would come far sooner than either of them would like.
"If you really want to save the Fire Lord, you know you're going to have to stop being so useless." Riku said as she helped slide a pant leg over Katara's cast.
"There's not really a whole lot I can do like this." She snapped in reply.
"You walked with the Avatar, are friends with spirits, and you're really going to say you believe you can't fix this?" Riku stood and gestured down at Katara. "You really are pathetic."
"I am not-" Katara heard her voice rise and snapped her mouth shut. "You don't know anything."
"I know what it's like to want to die." Riku said, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I don't want to die." Katara huffed, yanking her pants up over her hips and tying them.
"This entire time I've only ever seen you whine and cry over your hair, or the Fire Lord, or Waterbenders in a soup shop. Those veins have attached you to a rotting thing and you're just letting it happen because you don't have your boyfriend or your home." Riku retorted.
"What do you care?" Katara shot back.
"The whole world is about to fall apart and you're too busy being useless to even think of a plan. I'm the one that dragged you this far. Without me, you'd just rot into some purple lump and cry about how no one loves you."
"I've lost everything and-"
"And I haven't?"
Katara stopped, feeling the silence quiet her body and she looked away from Riku.
"My mind was taken from me. For good reason, sure, but I'm not getting that back." Riku sat down on the bed next to Katara and they still didn't face each other. "You have a chance to get back what you lost. You need to start fighting for it. I know I would never give up on getting what I wanted as long as there were ways to get it."
Katara scoffed and Riku sighed.
"Your memories make it difficult for me to be your friend." Riku murmured.
Katara sat up, feeling chilled, and turned abruptly to look at Riku.
"You want to be friends?" She questioned.
Her face red, Riku still shifted to look at Katara.
"Of course. People like having friends you know." She said with a huff.
Katara chuckled and Riku glared at her.
"Sorry. It's just," Katara let out an easy breath and smiled. "I never thought we'd actually be friends."
"Well, at least the fat man was right about something." Riku said. "We do have each other."
Katara lay in the bed with Riku breathing softly beside her. The room still smelled like earth and dust, the combative forces of life and neglect. The window beside the bed was open and the cooling night breeze swirled everything together. Katara wondered if Rin had fallen asleep like this; her tea plants happily tended and the smell of sun baked rock wafting in from the street. Rock and dirt, the environment both inert and lively all depending on what was needed. Everything was sculpted in the Earth Kingdom.
It was reflected in their Benders, though it was the same everywhere. The Earthbenders crafted their bodies, the Air Nomads were lithe enough to toss about with ease, and the Waterbenders were liquid pools with heavy centers.
Firebenders were matchsticks. Crackling with molten cores, they were dormant volcanoes at best, a wildfire at worst.
Turning her head, Katara looked at Riku. She had been used, though her flame had been snuffed before it consumed all her. But it left her withered and fragile. A rough touch would leave nothing but a soot smear behind.
With a light hand, Katara lifted a lock of Riku's hair, tucking it behind her ear.
At least they had each other.