A/N :
Here is the last part to the five year arc! Hope, you all enjoy!
Chapter 39: Part Five
Going to the only person he could in regard to Kya's 'condition', Ozai sat in his office eye to eye with Hama. He honestly didn't realize how little he's seen of the woman all these years. It had been a while. He'd make for light conversation but there was a pressing issue at hand here.
"I knew something was wrong when she had her cycle years ago." Hama scoffed as she folded her arms. "Sure, it stopped but it meant the doctors were wrong."
Sighing as he ran his hand over his face, "Can you check?" He nearly begged.
Hama snorted as she stood up from her chair and started making her way to the door, "Take me to her."
Kya eyed Hama as the woman looked over her body to examine it with waterbending and sighed as she looked over her shoulder at Ozai. "You really should not let human doctors oversee the health of us inhumans." She scoffed.
"What is it?" Ozai seemed a bit anxious.
"She's not pregnant." Hama informed them both.
Ozai felt more relieved than ever while Kya was a bit disappointed.
"But she can get pregnant. The person would need to be another inhuman. Any kind would do." Hama added. "Her body is just going through the motions because she wants to be, if her partner were inhuman, she'd definitely be pregnant."
As much of a relief as it was to hear his daughter was not pregnant, Ozai realized there could still be the possibility in the future. Agni, he needed to marry his daughter off soon. Another slip up like this and he would lose his freaking mind. He was getting far too old to be dealing with this. Next winter he'd be sixty. This shit had to stop. Their family had too much to worry about than some stupid petty squabbles over a dumb peasant boy and his children resenting him for the past.
"I need a drink." Ozai waltz out of the room, leaving Hama to play mother with Kya as the woman had done before.
Placing her hands on her hips, "What are you doing that's got you old ass father about to have a stroke?"
"I didn't do anything. He's just mad that I won't let him control me anymore." Kya folded her arms over her chest.
Not buying it, Hama scoffed. "Look missy, I get your father is an asshole, trust me, I have my own issues with him but out of everyone that isn't your mother, you're the only person he puts effort into. Stop being a little brat and do as he says. He wouldn't tell you anything if he didn't know better."
"And he knows better?" Kya raised a brow.
"When it comes to no good men, your father knows better than anyone. He had to force both his wives to marry him because no one is stupid enough to marry him of their own accord. So he knows shitty men like the back of his hand." Hama snorted in laughter.
Rolling her eyes, "All I want is him to allow me to make my own mistakes! If Toshi was terrible, then I'd like to find that out for myself!"
These kids were really spoiled. So much so that it was annoying as hell to not slap them. She didn't blame Ozai. He might have some bullshit excuse for why he didn't want his daughter screwing around with a commoner but Hama trusted him when it came to his disdain for a person. Naturally, Ozai didn't like people. It was just who he was but he didn't make it a point to target specific people unless there was something wrong.
Going to see Ozai as Kya didn't want to speak with her, Hama entered his sitting room and he poured her a glass of whiskey. She sat beside him and took the glass as he handed it to her.
Pressing it to her lips, "When you sent her to the South Pole, we all saw she liked that boy. They were inseparable." Hama told him.
Ozai side eyed her as he scoffed, "Are you going to try and tell me I'm wrong for my opposition?"
"Absolutely not. You're her father and I know how much you love that idiot girl." Hama drank the whole glass before Ozai refilled it. "But she's as stupid as her mother. Loving a man that can do nothing for her and is not even on her level." Hama sucked her teeth. "Toshi seemed like a good kid but that was it, what does good do you when we have enemies like ours? Toshi would be dead if we were ever attacked again and then her heart would really hurt then."
"I'm glad you agree with me on this."
"You only want what's best for her. Which is why you let her court a Totomi. One of the few noble households in the Fire Nation with inhuman blood. He's not just wealthy and noble, he has the blood you want in the family." Hama smirked as she looked at him.
Smirking back, "I've missed you, Hama."
"Wish I could say the same but these years of not being your maid, babysitter, and part time whore have been splendid." She looked away. "You were my boy when you were just three years old and I raised you with all the love in my heart. My Fire Nation prince. And while I did enjoy our many times together under your sheets, it felt like I was fucking my son."
Chuckling as he shook his head, "I didn't mind."
"Of course not. You men never care. As long as you have a sheath to put your swords away for the night, you don't care where it came from." Hama said morbidly.
Noticing the woman seemed much more melancholy than he was used to, Ozai asked what was wrong with her. Hama simply shook her head and told him that her heart was breaking. She had a terrible dream about Katara. It was her siren's special ability to know when hard times were coming and her heart was not at ease after Hakoda and Sokka told her about the North Pole.
Holding her arms around herself as she stared somberly at her glass, "I never got to hug her and tell her I loved her. I wasn't much of a grandmother to her. I admit. And I grew jealous of her plenty of times. But I loved the daughter my Kya gave me. I'm scared I will lose her forever and never get to do what I've always wanted."
Ozai, also, stared at his glass.
"My heart tells me she won't make it pass this year, Ozai. I'm never wrong about these things. You need to save her."
"It's not that simpl-"
"Then make it." Hama picked up her glass again and downed it as she stood. "You're the La damn Phoenix King. More powerful than anyone on this earth. Your children's mother is in danger! Save her!"
Ozai watched as Hama threw the glass at the wall before bending water out of thin air and opening a portal in his sitting room.
"Even if you have to burn the entire North Pole to the ground, make it happen!" Hama told him as she disappeared into the portal, leaving a mess on his floor.
Groaning, Ozai rubbed his temples and sighed. He had a similar feeling. After seeing Katara for a brief moment and then what Zuko said, he felt like her life was on the line. But honestly, he didn't know what to do. If he took her, he'd have another war on his hands and he'd be putting the entire family at risk. Besides, Katara wasn't entirely helpless...but if his possible twin brother was anything like him or worse, then could she defend herself against him? In her current state?
Shaking his head as he took a sip from his glass. No, he had doubted Katara's power before and she proved him wrong. Katara was strong. Stronger than him even. He could admit that. She would be fine. He just had to take care of Kya and the Empire.
…..
Holding her father's arm as they arrived for Zhiar's party, Kya clenched her teeth, hating to have to be doing this for the sake of not ruining her brother's engagement party but doing so anyways. She saw many come to greet them and she was pleasant because even her father was pretending to be in a good mood. So if he could do it, so could she. The beef between them had dampened some but it was still there. Kya just bit her tongue more and her father was king of pretending like nothing had happened. Spirits, she envied that about him. The selective memory stuff.
"Wonderful, you both made it." Iroh greeted his brother and niece.
Both of them mirror each other's expressions as they no longer hid their true feelings at the moment. Kya let go of her father and distanced herself as Ozai rubbed his arm that his daughter had been clawing the entire time.
Seeing this, Iroh tried not to falter in his smile. "Zuko wants you both staying in the royal wing as you all are family. Please, come this way."
Following his brother, Ozai decided to make some conversation to ease the air of animosity that his daughter was emitting.
Clearing his throat, "Surprised that Zhiar will be becoming a husband and father all at once. Must say, it's not exactly ideal but it could be worse."
Chuckling, "that, you are right, brother."
"Seems pretty ideal to me." Kya chimed in as she stared straight ahead as they walked the halls, "He's marrying someone he loves. Someone he chose. What could be more ideal than that."
"Also very correct, my dear. Your brother and Jin Su are very much in love. Something many royals don't have the opportunity to experience in their lives." Iroh told her.
Nodding her head as she side glanced at her father, "But thank the spirits, Zuko would be willing to put Zhiar's feelings first despite the way it must look to have a disgraced noble added to the royal line."
Rolling his eyes, "There isn't much worse Zuko could do to ruin the image of the royal line. This is child play for him. Besides, better a disgraced noblewoman than a slum rat."
Iroh paused and turned around to look at the two, finding them both glaring at each other. He cleared his throat and offered them both smiles as they redirected their attention back to him.
"All in all, this is a joyous time for our family. Zhiar has become a man and we've earned two wonderful additions to our family. Let us think of that, shall we?"
Yes, shall we? Ozai looked at Kya.
How about you shove this joyous time up your ass? Kya gave him the fakest smile she could muster. Then maybe you'd fix that ugly mug of yours.
Iroh sighing as he wished he didn't hear them going back and forth.
Keep talking and I'll give you something to be upset over. Ozai faked a smile back at her.
Try me, bitch.
Ozai had grabbed Kya by her collar and raised her off her feet about to shove her against a wall when they were interrupted by Zhiar showing up in a gleeful mood with his fiancé on his arm.
"Hey, you guys came!" Zhiar smiled.
Ozai and Kya looked at Zhiar and tried to play it off like everything was fine.
Putting her down on her feet, Ozai pretended he had been trying to help Kya with her clothes while Kya thanked him for helping her. It was so obvious but Zhiar was getting a look from his uncle that warned him to play along.
"Hope your travels were pleasant." Zhiar continued to be pleasant.
"It was a swift trip. We flew here." Ozai told his son.
"Airships have gotten faster, haven't they?" He chuckled.
"No, we literally flew here." Ozai reiterated for him.
Zhiar made an 'o' like shape with his lips and looked down at his fiancé that looked very very confused.
"You're going to have to get used to some very weird stuff, Jin Su." Ozai told the young woman.
"Like him, for example." Kya coughed into her fist.
Zhiar watched with shock as his father slapped her in the back of the head. Jin Su looked up at him as if to ask him what was going on when Iroh broke into an uncomfortably forced laugh. Kya eyed their father as if she was going to pounce him and gorge his eyes out, his father's gaze daring her to. It was pretty clear that something was going on here.
"So...how about we had to-"
"I'm tired. I want to rest." Kya said as she walked up to Iroh and took his arm. "Take me to wherever it is I can lay down."
Iroh looked at Zhiar as if to tell him to deal with his father.
Rubbing his fiance's hand, "Umm, Jin Su, how about you help my sister unwined?"
"Of course." Jin Su smiled up at him as he kissed her cheek.
When she was gone, Zhiar sighed and walked over to his father, grinning at him. "So, looks like you and Kya are finally fighting. What did you do?"
"Why is it assumed that I did something?"
"Because we know Kya and we know you and out of the two of you, you're the one that starts shit with people." Zhiar chuckled as he shook his head. "But then again, I know my sister and she might have a calm demeanor most of the time, she might as well be a cobra lying in wait. So, I don't doubt she's proving to be quite the nuisance. Once you get her started, she never backs down."
Scoffing as he reached into his robes to pull out his flask, "And you know this how?"
Shrugging, "Kya and I fought all the time. I might have started conflict with her every time but she has a way of standing her ground and raising hell."
Ozai was finding that out for himself and while he 'might' have started them down this slippery slope, Kya always took things to the next level. Forcing him to go there with her and show her little by little where she got her ways from. Honestly, it annoyed the hell out of him but she surprised him every time with what crazy shit she'd whoop up next.
The Phoenix King had a little idle chatter with his son as they headed towards where the royal wing was. Seemed Zhiar made good conversation. Discussing with him things that Kya used to discuss. Honestly, Ozai had missed his conversations with Kya. He missed their relationship before that boy confused her and ruined things.
Arriving in the royal wing, Ozai noticed he hadn't seen Zuko. He asked Zhiar and was told that Zuko was likely still making last minute arrangements. Zuko was definitely going out of his way for this event. No doubt.
"Uncle Zhiar!" Ryu screamed as he ran up to Zhiar's leg and pulled on his pants leg. "I saw a bug on that flower over there!"
The two looked down at the boy and saw he was trembling.
Crouching down, Zhiar assured the little boy that it was alright because the bug was outside like it should be.
"But they're scary. You gotta kill it."
Chuckling, "You don't kill things because they scare you."
"I'll kill it, damn it. Where is the bug?" Ozai said and watched his grandson look up at him and then quickly grab his finger as he pulled him along to where the bug was.
Pointing at the spider-lily flower, "It's right there."
Ozai smashed the whole flower with his boot, killing the beetle with the flower. Ryu's eyes widened.
"But the flo-"
"Killing things because they're scary, you'll end up killing something beautiful at the same time." Ozai told him. "Now go have a servant clean this up."
Ryu's wide blue eyes stared up at him and watered.
"Dad, Ryu is sensitive. You can't just-"
Grabbing the boy from off his feet and lifting him to his side, Ozai looked eye to eye with his grandson.
"Do you think I'm scary?"
Ryu shook his head.
"Why not?"
"Be-because...you're my grandpa." Ryu sniffled.
"So you do know who I am." Ozai smirked.
Ryu nodded. "Daddy says you're mean."
Zhiar tried not to laugh at how the little boy was able to tell who his grandfather was simply because he was mean. That was just sad.
Laughing, "Is that all your father told you about me?"
Shaking his head, "Daddy says you're the devil and you took my mama from him. Says you're a bad guy but you try to be good when she's around because she'll slap you."
"Anything else?" Ozai was amused.
"And you're a wee-wee head."
"What?"
"He obviously means dickhead." Zuko finally showed up and walked right up to his father, taking his son from him.
Ozai smirked as he looked at his oldest son, "Teaching your son to hate his own grandfather."
"Teaching him to be careful around you. You're a bit of a monster at times. I rather him know now than have to find out for himself like the rest of us."
Scoffing, Ozai reminded his son that he was the only one that saw him like that. The others got off lucky. Though, he was beginning to question that.
Ryu looked at his grandpa as he rested his head against his father's shoulder. "Grandpa doesn't look like a monster."
"Trust me, he can be."
"But I like him." Ryu said.
Zuko sighed and looked at his father, "You're not going to hurt him, are you?"
"And why would I?" Ozai didn't seem to understand the fear Zuko had in him watching after Ryu. "He's my grandson. Cute little devil. Looks entirely like his mother. Nothing like the rest of you."
Zuko set Ryu on his feet to see where the boy would go and to his surprise, Ryu took his grandfather by his hand, tugging him.
"I need you to kill something else, grandpa." Ryu tugged Ozai along.
…
Dressed casually in the clothes that most highborn males would wear, Kya fixed her hair up in a single topknot and let the rest cascade down her back. She went out to the courtyard to take a look up at the sky. Last time she was in the Fire Nation, she didn't take a chance to admire the view of the stars at night. Her mother always said the stars were more visible here than anywhere else in the world. Her mother would know. She traveled a lot. Once told her about all the places she saw and their adventures of escaping her persistent older brother and the rest of the Fire Nation.
"Going somewhere?" She heard Zuko's voice and turned around to see him walking up to her with his hands clasped behind his back.
"Are you going to tell, dad?"
Coming up to her side to look up at the stars with her, "If you ask me not to, I won't."
"Then please," Kya sighed and shook her head. "Don't tell him. I just want to be alone right now."
Zuko glanced at his younger sister and raised his brow, "Something wrong?"
"You know as much as I do that there is always something wrong."
Chuckling as he nodded and turned to face his sister, "Want to talk about it?"
"Trust me, if I do, it'll only make me angrier and I hate being angry."
Placing his hand on top of her head, Zuko smiled at her. "If it was something important, you'd tell me, right?"
"Important like?"
"If dad did something to you." His tone became serious as he furrowed his brows at her.
"Sure, Zuko." She sighed. "I'd tell you."
Flicking her in the head, "You lie like your mother."
"Ow!" She held her forehead. "You sound like dad."
"Because we know her best and she was a terrible liar. Stop lying." Zuko smirked.
Rolling her eyes, Kya told him how sometimes he got on her nerves and she had to bite her tongue to keep from hurting his feelings. Zuko snorted and told her if she was running off somewhere that she needed to go now before their father woke for his middle of the night snack.
"I wonder how he's not morbidly obese." Zuko laughed.
Giggling, "Who are you telling?" Kya said as she got ready to leave.
"Be safe, sis."
"I will."
…..
Kya got back just around noon. Being carried in by Lord Totomi as she was just barely conscious. Zuko met him so that their father wouldn't see Kya this way. He took his younger sister in his arms as Uhara explained what happened. Seemed Kya went over to his estate last night since she knew he would be in the Fire Nation. She just wanted to talk and he entertained her for the night but then she started drinking. He let her rest there for the night as he was afraid to send her back.
Seeing Kya was hungover, Zuko sighed and thanked Uhara.
Rubbing his head with the palm of his hand as he stared with worry at the princess, "Tell her, I'll forget about last night if she promises to take better care of herself."
Zuko was confused as Uhara walked away and he looked back down at his sister, who went on to throw up on him.
Taking her to his chambers, Zuko had let his sister get herself together in his bathroom while he had to completely change out of his robes that she ruined. He heard her sobbing and talking to herself. Yelling and cursing at herself. It made him a little concerned. Kya had never been very...expressive. She had never been to begin with. So, to see how much she had changed and to have changed in a not so positive way, it worried him.
Knocking on the door of the bathroom, "Kya, are you okay?"
The door opened and Kya looked up at her brother with tearful eyes, "Can I talk to you, Zuko?"
Zuko nodded his head.
"I did something bad last night."
"I can see." He chuckled. "I didn't realize you were drinking too. But since you're around dad all the time, it makes sense."
Shaking her head as she sniffled back more tears, "Not that. I did something else."
"Like?" Zuko tilted his head.
"I tried to force myself on Lord Totomi."
Zuko's eyes widened. "Umm..wha-why?" He tried to act cool about it.
"Because dad would want me to be with him." Kya cried. "Uhara likes me anyways and I sort of like him but...he stopped me. Told me I wasn't thinking right. I feel embarrassed and ashamed...like, am I not good enough?"
Without missing a beat, Kya felt her brother pull her into his arms and hold her to him. She felt him press his lips to her forehead and his hand run over her back.
"Of course, you're good enough." Zuko told her.
But she didn't feel like it. She hadn't felt like it in a long time. Ever since going to live with her father, Kya felt like she had to always work hard to be something...someone her father would be pleased with. Be better than her brothers and her sister. She couldn't be too expressive or too cold. She had to be just right or nothing at all. Even when she desired affection from her father, she couldn't force it on him because it wasn't his way. She tried to play her mother's part with him or at least how she would perceive her mother to be with him. Caring and always playing her role at his side. Always an asset for him to use when needed. She worked hard and diligently to be of any use to him.
But when Uhara asked her about her happiness...it changed everything. Her happiness was all she could think of. She no longer felt responsible for her father and it was a weight lifted off of her shoulders...she felt more and more like who she was meant to be. Cold and reserve wasn't her...it was who she forced herself to be. Sure, she loved her time alone but she loved the people in her life and she wanted to express it more. This immediately made her father cringe even though she had always wanted to be this way towards him. She was more affectionate to Zuko and Zhiar and her father lectured her for it. Wanting her to repress that itching longing she had already bottled up for so long.
Toshi and Uhara were the first and only people that she got to be herself around. They made her feel normal and she felt accepted. That's why she cared so much for Toshi. She got to express her feelings most with him and Uhara, she could be completely honest with him. It might have been the attention that she loved but people had their eyes on her all the time. She was just finally happy to have someone actually see her. But her father got rid of Toshi and she might have ruined her friendship with Uhara. Now, she had no one and she felt so miserable. She didn't want to go back to being that shell of a person she had been. She would rather be hated by her father forever than be who she forced herself to be. His love wasn't worth the self-loathing. It wasn't worth crying to herself every night, knowing her arms were the only ones she could run to. It wasn't worth ignoring all his faults as a father and as a man.
"I don't have anyone now, Zuko!" Kya cried as she clung to her brother. "I'm alone again!"
"I'm always here, Kya." Zuko whispered to her. "Whatever is happening, I won't say anything to father, I won't say anything to anyone. You can tell me."
And as much as she wanted to...Kya always felt her issues with their father paled in comparison to Zuko's. She felt guilty for wanting to hate him more than Zuko and Zuko had been through far worse. So she never told him too much. She swallowed the hurt and the words down, nearly choking on them but never telling him more than she felt was necessary. She only shook her head and told Zuko that all she wanted from him was to keep holding her like this.
….
Later that evening preparing for the engagement party, Kya sighed as she applied her lip paint and eye liner herself. She didn't want anyone touching her unless she knew they cared about her. Her emotions were high tonight because her brother was getting to celebrate his happiness while her's got crushed and stomped out.
"Heard you snuck out last night." She paused at her father's voice. "Lord Totomi brought you back this morning. You were with him?"
Refusing to look at him, even in the mirror, Kya cast her eyes low at the hairpin she planned to wear. "Is that a problem too?" She bit out.
"No. I was just curious."
Of course. Her fists balled.
"I'm glad to see you two are getting along again. Who knows, next year we could be celebrating your engagement party." She could hear his delight.
Kya clenched her teeth. "Is that all?"
Ozai's delight was short lived as he could hear her dismissive tone. "You're going to the party with me."
"Why? I asked Zuko to-"
"Zuko's not your father. I told him to go on without you." Ozai cut her off.
Shutting her eyes, "Then I'm not going."
"Of course, you're going. We're here to support your brother. This isn't about you and your petty feelings. Stop being so damn stubborn and let's go. You can be a bitch when we get back home." Ozai bit out for her in a controlled tone.
"Then I need a minute. Please wait outside."
"Fine."
Ozai stepped out and scoffed as he slammed her door behind him. That girl was really getting on his nerves. She had one more time to talk to him like that before he really gave her something to hate him over. Hearing a glass break, Ozai sighed and rolled his eyes. Exactly like your mother. When Kya finally came out, wearing an elegant Fire Nation style dress that was pink and blue, Ozai saw she was wearing a silver hairpin with blue crystal dangling from it and the Water Tribe symbol on it. He hadn't seen that hairpin before and asked about it.
"Arnook gave it to me as a gift." Kya told him. "Back when he was still my stepfather."
Kya couldn't hide how thrilled she was to see his expression as she told him. How she replaced the hairpin he gave her for her birthday with the hairpin of her ex-stepfather. Oh she wanted to go even lower.
"He's given me a few other gifts before leaving the summits. I should probably write him of my appreciation." Kya took her father's arm and smiled wickedly.
Yanking his arm from her as he was disgusted, Ozai told her to walk behind him and she gladly obliged him.
At the party, Kya and her father congratulated Jin Su and Zhiar. But of course, her father had to express his approval of Jin Su as she was a highborn and Fire Nation. A comment that was not only classist but racist as well. She couldn't hide her visible resentment and even Zhiar looked a bit off from their father's remark as he took Jin Su away to dance.
Finding a safe spot to watch the other guests and enjoy a glass of wine to hopefully drown her emotions out, Kya became stiff as her father couldn't seem to leave her alone. He asked her to dance with him and she rolled her eyes, turning her attention from him. He tried to have idle chatter with him and she refused, remaining silent. Offering her one of the desserts, Kya knocked it out of his hands. Eventually, he gave up and she was relieved.
However; her father had a nasty way of expressing himself when he was rejected and he would turn to being crude.
"Don't take your sexual frustrations out at me, Kya." Ozai scoffed.
Unphased, "I'm not sexually frustrated."
"I suppose you took care of that last night."
Kya folded her arms and looked up at him, "I'm not you, Ozai. I don't need sex to feel a void that my father put there. The void you placed in my heart is much rather filled by resentment and loath of your very presence. So, I ask you with what little respect I still have mustered up for you, leave me the hell alone for the rest of the night before I tell everyone here about you fucking Grandfather Hakoda." her voice didn't raise but it didn't make her words any less volatile.
Snatching her by her waist to pull her to him, Ozai leaned down to whisper carefully in her ear. "And that's why I sent assassins after your little boyfriend, Toshi. Slit his father's throat right in front of him and he would have suffered the same fate had he not taken the carriage full of money I bribed him with." Kya's eyes widened. "I know where he is and I can have him killed at any moment. You won't be able to find him in time to stop the attack. So keep testing me, Kya, I welcome it because that boy will be dead and it will be all because you can't shut your mouth."
Kya pulled away and glared at her father before storming off.
…..
Morning after the party, Kya was visited by her twin brother. Seemed he was curious about the situation between her and dad. Zuko had told him what their father had said about it. He wanted to know if it were true. And it was.
Eating one of the sweets, Kya sighed. "I never thought I'd end up jealous over you but I took the short end of the stick by staying with our father."
"I wouldn't exactly say that." Zhiar scratched his head. "Zuko has his expectations of me that I don't necessarily like but I guess I don't have to deal with him having psychotic episodes. Heard he attacked you while thinking you were mom."
Casting her gaze down, Kya hated to be reminded of what she had to put up with their father. How she had to be his stability when he was the parent. He was supposed to comfort her but instead, she had to comfort him. After all he put her through, you'd think he'd allow her to take up in the arms of someone that provided her comfort in his stead.
"Dad's sleeping in this morning and Zuko asked that we all eat breakfast together." Zhiar told his twin sister.
Heading to the dining hall, Kya saw a little boy run up to Zhiar and grab hold of his leg.
"Attack!" The boy yelled as he tried taking her brother down.
Zhiar picked the boy up by the back of his clothes and pulled him up to his face.
"You think you can knock me over, you little squirt?" He flicked the boy in the nose.
Kya tilted her head at the sight and realized that this was Ryu...her younger brother and also nephew. Her father told them to regard him as their nephew to make things less confusing.
Seeing the little boy look over at her, Kya saw him smile.
"Who's the pretty lady, uncle?" Ryu pointed to Kya.
Zhiar turned around, "She's your Aunt Kya." He set Ryu down on his feet.
Ryu walked up to Kya and stared at her in a child-like wonder.
"Daddy says you look like mama." Ryu tilted his head. "I thought mama had blue eyes."
Nodding her head, "She does. I get my eyes from my dad. Zhiar gets them from mom."
"Do you waterbend?"
Kya nodded.
"I can do both!" Ryu said with confidence as he placed his hands on his hips.
"Me too." She smirked.
Ryu's eyes widened and he snatched her hand quickly.
"Come! Sit next to me!" Ryu told her as he pulled her along to the dining hall.
….
Zuko provided them with news none of them were expecting. He was going to get their mother and bring her here to allow them some time with her. Kya was so grateful. She squeezed Zuko tight and thanked him. Finally, she'd get to spend some quality time with her mother after so long. Only thing was, she had to keep quiet about this. Her father couldn't know for obvious reasons. Her mother had been through a lot and their psychotic father didn't need to tag along. However...
"Where are you going?" Ozai asked her as he noticed she was putting a few things away.
Kya didn't flinch. "Uhara's."
"So you've grown to like him more, great. Are you two courting?"
Rolling her eyes, "No. I just rather be anywhere but here."
Ozai scoffed, "I'm getting real sick of this attitude of yours."
"Then how about leaving me alone and you won't have to deal with it?" Kya spat as she pulled the draw-string of her bag and threw it over her shoulder.
Eyeing the bag, Ozai watched Kya walk past him to leave out. Shouldn't she be taking more luggage?
After about 2 minutes it dawned on Ozai that his daughter was not headed to Uhara's. The man walked right by him and greeted him with a bow. The Phoenix King didn't even ask a question as he shape-shifted into his bird form and raced after Kya. That lying bitch!
Finally. Kya sighed as she smiled at Zuko after appearing in the courtyard but that moment was short-lived as she was backhanded to the ground. Their father showed up. Damn it! He must have followed me!
Ozai and Zuko argued. He demanded to know why Zuko would ask Kya to come here. The girl was in enough trouble. He made that very clear a few days ago.
"Katara is here. I brought her on vacation so she could see the children. You weren't invited. That's why I told Kya not to tell you anything." Zuko finally confessed.
Letting go of his daughter, "If you wanted to see your mother, you should have said so."
Of course, Kya had to tell him how no one wanted him here and that was pretty obvious by how no one even told him about this. He hit her in the back of the head and told her to go on to find her mother. When she was gone, Ozai stepped up to Zuko.
"You're trying to hide Katara from me?" Ozai stated. Why did they treat him like he was going to hurt her? He wasn't. They knew he wouldn't.
Zuko made it very clear that he felt his presence would cause a disturbance and that may be the case. But Ozai wasn't leaving. He was staying. He needed a break anyways and plus, he had been wanting to talk to Katara ever since Zuko told him the possibility of their real enemy. So the Phoenix King gave the Fire Lord orders for the servants to make his rooms. Maybe he'd finally get to talk to Katara.
….
"Hirotoshi?" Katara smiled excitedly as Kya began telling her mother about the guy she fell in love with. "Tell me, what did he look like? Was he cute?"
Kya giggled and told her mother all about Toshi. She told him about his shoulder length black hair. How he was tall and handsome. Beautiful hazel eyes. Green and gold. He was Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom. His mother was from the Fire Nation and fell in love with his father, a simple merchant. She had passed away last year and...that's when she and Toshi got close. Kya left out the details around how she lost her virginity and the fighting going on between her and her father. She didn't want to upset her mother.
"So why did he move on?" Katara looked at her daughter curiously.
Gazing out at the rolling waves of the ocean, Kya kicked her feet back and forth as they dangled off the patio. "Toshi is a good guy. He was my first love but sometimes, you have to let them go because they're better off without you." She sighed as her brows kneaded. "He would get hurt if I went looking for him and tried to force things to work for us. I can't do that to someone I love."
Kya soon felt her mother wrap her arms around her and hold her tight. She then whispered in a soft voice as she caressed her hair.
"You made a hard decision and I wish I could tell you it felt better knowing they'd find happiness but…-" Katara pulled away to cup her daughter's face and shake her head. "I won't lie to you. It doesn't feel better...it just hurts less."
Nodding her head as she could see her mother knew from experience. Was she talking about her father or Zuko?
"But you're a smart and beautiful girl, Kya. I know love is all we want when we're young but there are different kinds of love out there and if you find the kind that hurts less, please choose it. Because suffering for the kind that might feel strongest is not worth it."
Like you suffered over dad...Kya could see in her mother's tearful blue eyes that the woman felt great heartache as she spoke. Pulling her mother back in for another hug, the young princess let herself see her mother's past and saw her mother falling for her father. Clenching her teeth she felt the pain her mother felt whenever her parents fought and that night when she and Zhiar jumped into bed with them and her father climbed out of bed making her mother feel like he didn't want to be a part of a family with her.
'You don't even want to be a family with me! How is it you want to be with me?!' Her mother argued with her father before they separated. Ozai made it clear to her that he wanted her but not everything that came with her. He wanted her mother, not the package deal of her and her children. It broke her mother's heart. Kya could tell that even if that incident hadn't happened with their father, their mother would still have ill feelings towards their father anyway.
"Love someone that it doesn't cost you who you are to love them back." Katara advised her daughter. "Love someone you don't have to stop being yourself for. Someone who doesn't cost you your family."
Kya nodded her head as her mother kissed her forehead and the two of them got up to their feet. Seemed her mother had responded negatively to Jin-Su being pregnant and Kya could understand why. Zhiar was sterile. He couldn't have fathered Jin-Su's child. But she was just happy her mother wanted to make things right for Zhiar's sake and not her own personal feelings. She knew if her mother had been around, she would have never let her father separate her and Toshi. Her mother wouldn't stand for it.
"I'm happy to be a part of the family. Thank you, Lady Katara." Jin Su beamed at her mother-in-law.
Kya couldn't help but smile. Her mother was here and accepting the new member into their family. Spirits, she loved her mother so much. Even after enduring so much, her mother's heart never faltered. She was loving and compassionate through and through. Kya wanted to be like that. She didn't want to allow pain to corrupt her heart. She wanted to love even if it wasn't always convenient for her. Even if it hurt, Kya wanted to have her mother's heart. But…
"Lady? I thought you were a concubine now."
Sometimes, her father brought this chilling hatred out of her and she could think of nothing but killing this man. She watched her mother freeze up in a state of shock and fear at the sight of her father. Kya immediately stepped in front of her mother and stared down her father.
"You were supposed to leave." Kya said coldly.
"You really do need to get over this phase, Kya. You're eighteen and it's getting to be very immature." Ozai smirked as he stepped towards them.
Fortunately, Zhiar moved her and their mother behind him as he faced their father, managing to get him to back off. Kya was thankful. When he was gone, they checked on their mother to make sure she was okay. She faked a smile and asked if they wanted to go to the beach. They went along with it and agreed to get dressed to enjoy their time together on the beach.
…
The whole day was a slam. Kya was having the best time of her life with her mother and siblings. They were all so silly. Forgetting their cares and worries. They felt like a family. Her mother seemed so happy and Kya felt nothing but joy at watching her smile. They built sandcastles and rolled in the sand. Kya gave Ryu a piggyback ride as they ran from Zhiar in a game of tag. Her mother showed her and Ryu how to push and pull the waves. They swam around for a bit and scared Zhiar off before settling down. Kya wished everyday could be like this and that these moments would last forever. But..
"Not to mention, that girl isn't carrying your child." Kya and the rest of the table gaped at their father's words.
"Dad!" The princess called out her father on behalf of her brother.
Jin Su tried to politely confront him too but her father called her out of her name. Both of her brothers jumped to her defense and so her father brought her mother into this. Hoping she'd confirm what he was about to say and though her mother told him off, hoping to stop him, her reaction was proof enough.
"Fuck you, Ozai. Everything is just a game to you. Eat shit and die!" Her mother excused herself from the table and stormed off.
Kya watched her twin brother turn to Jin Su to hear it from her and when she came down with immediate shame, Zhiar was about to attack her. Zuko stopped him and had help from the Avatar and her uncle to keep him away. Zhiar became a mess at this instance of betrayal and she had to knock him out as he wasn't going to be calming down anytime soon.
Taking Ryu away from the arguing adults, Kya got him ready for bed and asked him if he wanted her to tell him a story.
"Once upon a time…" Kya sat at the edge of Ryu's bed and began telling him her version of a story she read about a water sprite and a bird. By the end of the story, Ryu had drifted off to sleep and she pulled the sheets over him.
Ryu was so adorable. He's just the cutest. Kya focused on the positives. Tonight might have been ruined by her asshole of a father but tomorrow could be different.
…
Laying on the floor of the waterbender's bedroom, Ozai sighed and rolled on his back. Why did he have to be an asshole all the time? He couldn't even talk like a normal person to her. Why did he mention her appearance? She probably couldn't help it with whatever she had been dealing with up there. Agni, she was only going to hate his guts more. But he didn't know what else to say or do. He kind of got excited to see her, even if she was pissed off with him and was trash talking him the entire time. That was fine. He and Katara had been at odds for the entirety of them knowing each other. It was just how they were. Clashing elements.
Getting up, Ozai skulked his way back to his rooms but as he did, he saw his daughter leaving Ryu's bedroom with a smile on her face. He hadn't seen that in a while.
"It's late. Go to bed."
"How about you go fuck yourself like mom said." Kya smiled at him.
Ozai rolled his eyes and shoved her into a wall. "Fuck you too, Kya. Fuck all you little brats."
Next morning, Ozai was going to try to start over and have a normal conversation with Katara. Maybe call a truce or bury the hatchet. Maybe he could make her see it wasn't him that did those things that night. Or maybe they could pretend that none of that happened.
The Phoenix King waited for the waterbender to leave Zuko's rooms before he followed after her. She thought no one saw her. That her hood would make her unrecognizable. And sure it would work on those that weren't already very familiar with her but him, she couldn't get past him.
This morning she seemed down. No doubt because of last night or maybe because of something that happened between her and Zuko. He didn't know but what he did know was that he was drawn to her and followed behind her. Eventually, she was stopped by a vendor and was about to buy the candy coated snack. You still like your sweets. He mused. Catching her before she could pay for it, Ozai took care of it and then grabbed her by her upper arm to pull her away. He just wanted to talk. That's all. Hash out their differences and maybe work things out.
Taking her to a secluded alleyway as it would give them privacy, Ozai was about to speak when she snatched herself from him and went to leave.
"Katara, st-"
"No, Ozai! Back off, Okay?!" He watched her finger aimed at him. "You've done enough, don't you think, Hmmm?!"
No, honestly, he hadn't done shit but she didn't believe it.
"You've hurt me enough! And I'm tired and I'm trying to heal! Leave me alone! Please! Whatever you planned or didn't plan, I don't know, if this was what you wanted or not but I suffered and I'm still suffering, leave me alone so I can get better! Please! Just leave me alone!"
After listening to her semi-repetitive speech, Ozai watched the waterbender summon a water portal in midair and walk through it. He followed her like he could follow Kya, quickly getting to her at the beach house and stopping her again. Everyone in the room facing the hall they were in stood up as if to stop him from making contact with her.
"What do you not understand about 'leave me alone'? What are you, a halfwit now?" She pulled away and snapped at him.
Halfwit?! Bitch! "I said I wanted to talk to you and you won't even spare a few seconds." Ozai glared at her. He forgot how unruly Katara could be when upset. Kya didn't just get it on her own...it came from her mother.
"And why the FUCK would I?! You cheated on me and then pinned murder on me! I'm not sparing you shit! Fuck you!" Katara swore.
Getting real upset that she felt she could talk to him any kind of way because she was upset about something he wasn't even responsible for, Ozai snapped back. "I told you that that wasn't me! Even your father and brother-"
Cut off mid sentence, Katara shoved her finger in his face. "Let's say you're telling me the truth, what makes you think I still want to talk to you?! Stalking me and offering to fuck me for looking ugly is not going to make me want to talk to you! So save your bullshit for someone else! I don't want to hear anything else you have to say! Go get lost in some whore's cunt, you fucking waste!"
Ozai clenched his fists as he watched the waterbender storm off. He decided he needed to be alone for a bit. Going to his bedroom, Ozai slammed the door in Zuko's face. He didn't understand why the little asshole wanted to bother him right now.
And not even ten minutes after settling on his balcony patio, butt ass naked, Ozai had to deal with his roof climbing son swooping down. Well, since he was here…
"Mind filling me up?" Ozai waved his empty glass about.
For the next thirty minutes and Ozai had to listen to Zuko point out that his 'medicine' was illegal, that he had sex with Katara this morning which turned to him shoving her off of him, and then him trying to play it off as if he didn't actually want to fuck Katara, he didn't want to take advantage. Ozai called bullshit on it. Zuko was full of shit. He had been wanting to get his hands on Katara ever since those two split. Even worse, Zuko tried to make it sound like he was forcing himself on Katara and then defended the shit she spewed at him about him being abused by his father. No, Katara was an asshole. Zuko had this fantasy idea of her and the woman was an asshole. Like, Ozai didn't realize he had to spell it out for Zuko. The woman left him to go fuck Arnook and then didn't tell him that she was pregnant, how much worse does it get? Katara was not squeaky clean anymore. She had been too exposed to them to come out clean amidst everything.
After saying some profound shit that literally came out his ass about them all being toxic people that were just hurting each other, Zuko left and Ozai had his peace and quiet again.
….
Later that day, Kya was minding her own business, drawing her sketchbook as she typically did when she was pint up with stress and frustration. She couldn't believe her father was actively going out of his way to disturb her mother on this vacation. The woman needed this and he was trying to ruin it for her. UGH! I hate him!
And if to make matters worse, her twin brother was showing his crazy side again and wanted to annoy her. She didn't really want to deal with him. Honestly, she pictured Zhiar as what their father looked like in his younger days, just minus the blue eyes. She tried being as polite about it as possible that she felt like talking to him was the equivalent of talking to their father. But Zhiar was a known hothead and kicked her notebook from hand. As soon as she tried to go for it, he lit it on fire.
Kya's eyes widened at the scene of her sketchbook being burned by her brother's flames. That particular book had sketches from over five years ago. She had drawn people she met, her father, her mother, them both together, her favorite sites she saw, moments that she never wanted to forget. Toshi was drawn in that sketchbook. The flame ate her work and she heard her brother begin laughing.
Standing to her feet, Kya got in Zhiar's face, tears running down her cheeks. "Why, Zhiar?! Why did you burn them?! Why do you keep picking on me?! WHY?! What have I ever done to you?!"
She was so fed up. Ever since they were children, Zhiar always made it his mission to taunt her and for what? What had she ever done to him?! She became so overridden with anger that she screamed his head off, cursing him and calling him foul names. Because he deserved that and so much worse. She thought Zhiar had changed but maybe that was all for show and his true colors were showing since Jin Su was gone.
But as she went off on him, Zhiar forced his lips on hers as he pulled her to him. Kya's eyes widened as Zhiar was soon quickly yanked away from her and thrown to the ground. Their father stood between them, scowling down at Zhiar as if he had lost his mind.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing, Zhiar?" Ozai bit out.
Zhiar went on about something stupid, giving away that he really was losing his mind. Telling them that their family was already messed up so what would it matter. Kya was utterly disgusted and so was their father.
When Zhiar left, Ozai turned around to look at his daughter and scanned her over to see if he had done anything else to her.
"Are you-"
"I'm fine." Kya wiped her mouth and refused to look at him.
"What happened?"
Shaking her head, Kya walked past her father and picked up her burnt notebook. Dusting it off, Kya picked it up and pulled it to her heart, shutting her eyes. "He burned my sketch book."
"I'll go get him and-"
"No, leave it alone." Kya said as she stood with her back to her father. "How about you go deal with the ones that hurt my mother? The ones that got her locked up in the North Pole! The ones that beat and rape her while she can't even fight back! Or deal with yourself for antagonizing her when she's trying to take a vacation from the hell you refuse to save her from! Go deal with that! Because without her, you can forget about fixing our relationship! I can't respect you if you're letting her suffer!"
Ozai stood there and watched his daughter run by him. He didn't know Katara was being abused. It never dawned on him. Sure, he figured people didn't like her and would say whatever they wanted about her. Those sort of things didn't matter. But they were beating her? And she was being raped? Why didn't she-...Of course, she wouldn't say anything. Katara suffered best in her silence. She didn't speak about it unless she was venting in a fit of anger. Besides...why would she tell him anything anyways?
Literally for the next few nights, Ozai had to listen to Zuko and Katara going at it like two starved hounds in a back alley. He confronted Zuko several times about fucking his wife because Katara was in fact still legally married to him. Seemed his eldest son didn't give a fuck and neither did his 'wife' as the two of them would purposely piss him off and go back to bumping uglies. Honestly, if there was ever a time that he thought about murdering his entire family the most, it was now. He literally wanted to kill them in their sleep and set the house ablaze. Ryu would likely be the only survivor because the boy was just too cute to kill and Ryu was the only one that didn't hate him.
One night, Ozai had gotten fed up and decided he'd deal with Katara the way he should have from the start. So he called her out in front of everyone and even bargained. Fortunately, everyone made the decision for her and she was forced to come along and speak with him.
Their conversation wasn't much and he wasn't able to douse the rage and resentment she held for him. All she could do was end things in a still very hostile truce. She didn't trust or believe him but he could see she wanted to. A part of her wanted to believe that there was a chance that he hadn't betrayed her. She wanted physical proof and no tricks. Her life had been horrid enough and he could see there wasn't much fight left in her. Kya was right...he shouldn't let her go back and suffer. He feared that it wasn't just the people she was faced with that posed a threat to her safety. But she, herself, was a threat to her own safety.
Katara ended up stabbing him and throwing him out of her room. He couldn't help but find the humor in being stabbed by both his former spouses. Zhiar helped him to his bedroom. He eyed the boy the entire time. Noticing that he went in and out of different personas. So this was the goodie goodie that Zuko raised…. His son went on to point out he wasn't healing right away and Ozai was delighted. As a phoenix, only someone that loved him and he loved in return could wound or kill him. So that meant...You still love me, waterbender.
Ozai was starting to succumb to his injuries and became delirious. He made Katara a promise aloud that he would fix things. And he would. Her days of suffering would be behind her.
When Kya came in to treat his injuries, Ozai stared at her as she remained focused on the task at hand.
"I'm not letting your mother go back to the North Pole. She's coming back with us." He told her.
Kya looked up with wide eyes, "Wha- really?"
Groaning as he struggled to sit up, "Yes, she's not okay. More than I thought. She's worse than okay. I think she might try to kill herself." Ozai told his daughter.
"But why?" Kya's eyes teared up as she pulled her hand to her mouth and tried making sense of what her father was telling her.
Ozai shook his head, "I'm responsible for a lot of things that happened to your mother. I'm why everyone loathes her and I put her in pretty bad positions not realizing what she'd endure because of it. I love her, Kya. I have always loved your mother. It only took me a short time to love her. But I've hurt her too and I can't let anything else happen to her." He shut his eyes. "She doesn't have to take me back. I just need her to be alive and well." Reaching to caress his daughter's cheek. "And you need your mother. I'm sorry, Kya, that I've not been what you needed me to be. I'm sorry."
Kya sobbed and reached over to wrap her arms around her father, hugging him as she buried her face in the nape of his neck. "I forgive you, dad!"
Hugging her back, "We work together to bring your mother back home. If anyone gets in our way, we take them out. Understood?"
Pulling apart, Kya nodded her head.
"That includes your brothers." Ozai told her.
Kya's eyes flashed red as she grinned, "I'll take Zhiar."
"And I'll deal with Zuko." He smirked.
Nothing brought a father and daughter back together like plotting against the other members of the family because having a normal conversation to hash out differences was not an option. Just didn't even cross anyone's mind. Nope.
…..
And just as planned, Kya went after Zhiar while her father went after Zuko. Family ties were off the table. The father-daughter duo had a mission to take Katara back with them. It would literally be over their dead bodies and unfortunately, Zuko took them both down one by one. Ozai was shot out of the sky with a canon and fell straight into the ocean. His massive size caused the ocean waves to fall over the Fire Nation ships. Then Kya was stabbed in the gut and tossed over into the ocean with her father. Seemed Zuko had no mercy.
By the time the two washed up on the banks of the Phoenix Empire, Zuko had already taken Katara to the North Pole. They had been in the ocean for days. Being drowned over and over again until they finally woke in the sand just a few meters from one another.
Sitting up as he coughed up water, Ozai was startled up and he began gasping for air. The salt that had embedded itself in his throat and lungs made it hard for him to breathe. Fortunately, Kya woke before him and found a few glass bottles washed up with them to purify water in.
"Drink." She said as she handed him the bottle and crouched down at his side.
As Ozai quickly drank the water, Kya looked up at the sky and saw the lunar phase.
"It's been eight moons since we went below the waves." Her gaze fell back on her father. "I say we get back home and regroup, then go to the North Pole."
Shaking his head as he rubbed his throat, "No, we go there now!" Ozai said as it pained him to use his voice.
Kya stood up as her father climbed to his feet, "Zuko hit you with a canon." She told him and lifted up her torn dress to show him her injuries. "But Zuko struck me himself. I'm part phoenix so there was only so much I could heal."
Seeing his daughter's gut was practically torn open, balling his fists. "I'm going to kill Zuko!"
"Your majesty! Your highness! There you are!" The two looked over and saw a few of their soldiers and Uhara leading them.
They both raised their brows curious as to how they were found and then they saw Hama show up, rushing to them.
"Oh my Tui and La! Thank the gods you're both alright!" Hama ran to Kya and embraced her tightly as she buried her face in the younger woman's neck, sobbing.
Ozai looked from Hama to Lord Totomi, "What's going on here? How did you find-"
"Lady Hama came to us immediately with urgent news." Uhara said in a grave tone.
"Urgent news? Wha-"
"Katara's dead." Hama's voice cracked as she could barely stand to look at either of them, her hand going over her mouth. "Everyone was contacted a day ago that Katara killed herself!"
Kya's eyes widened as she shook her head, " . No, we were- we were going to get her." Hama tried getting a hold of her as she spiralled downwards into mental oblivion, not wanting to believe this.
"Fire lord Zuko and Fire Prince Zhiar had already verified that she was indeed dead." Uhara swallowed hard as the Phoenix King stared blankly at him. "They saw the body. Lady Katara is deceased."
"My dear, your mother…" Hama cried and shook her head. "I know she loved you and your siblings but…*sobbing* she had been through too much. Too much for anyone. Don't hate her."
Covering her mouth as a cry escaped her, Kya shook her head as she cried. "But-"
Kya watched her father pass out in the sand and the soldiers all run to him.
"Your majesty!"
Staring wide eyed at her father who was unable to take the news, Kya gasped in her hands as she shrieked and fell to her knees.
"NO!" Kya screamed as Hama quickly went to hold her tight. "NO!"
…
Year Five...
Kya sat on her father's throne giving a decree that a statue in every province capital be built in her mother's likeness. After that she wrapped up the meetings and headed to her father's chambers to check on him. It had been seven months since her mother died and her father fell into a coma. He hadn't woken once. Hama had been staying with them again to look after her father so that she could focus on ruling in his stead. Kya had been able to bottle up her grief and swallow her sorrow for the sake of the people but it came at a cost. Her drinking began to resemble her father's and her insomnia and working till she tired mimicked her mother. Kya was doing what she could to survive and be the leader the people of the Empire needed.
Reaching her father's chambers, she stopped when she heard his voice cry out for her mother and Hama trying to calm him down. Kya quickly rushed in to see her father sobbing against the wall as Hama held to him.
"I want her back! Agni, I want her back!" He punched his fist into the wall.
"Ozai, please, calm-"
His hand went over his face as he braced himself against the wall with the other hand, sliding down on his knees. "I want my waterbender back!"
Hama looked over to see Kya and went up to her.
"What happened?" She asked.
Shaking her head, "Your father woke and told me about his dream of your mother being dead...I didn't say anything but he figured out it wasn't a dream." Hama said seldomly.
Kya looked over to her father and saw he was falling apart. Of course he would. Who else did he have but her mother that he loved so much?
"Can you give me a moment alone with him?" Kya asked her grandmother.
Hama nodded her head and kissed Kya's cheek. "I'll go have something prepared for your father. He's been asleep for a long time."
When Hama left, Kya went over to her father and knelt down beside him, placing her hand on his back. "Dad, you've got to get a hold of yourself."
"WHY?! WHY SHOULD I?!" He snapped at her and flung her away from him. "You think I want to be here without her?! THAT I CAN KEEP LIVING WHILE SHE'S NO LONGER HERE!"
Kya stared at him impassively, "Unfortunately, you don't have a choice." She said as she stood back to her feet. "If you're going to mourn my mother, then do so but you're a fucking adult. Act like it."
….
A few days later, Kya was sitting in her father's office doing his work while he was still trying to get his life together, now that her mother was gone. She hated how cruel she sounded the other day. She didn't mean to snap back at him. She knew he was utterly miserable now and that his life was meaningless to him now. Her mother was his life-line and with her passing, her father didn't know what to do with himself.
Sighing as she ran her hands through her hair, Kya stared somberly at the pile of work she had to finish by the day's end. La, what was she going to do? She felt so lost.
"Ugh...I need a drink." She groaned as she reached into her father's desk drawer to find his nearly empty stash as she pulled out a bottle and started pouring, the doors of her father's office opened. Kya glanced up as she brought the cup to her lips and sat back in the chair.
"Tui and La, you look like your fucking father its scary." Hama scoffed as she came up to Kya and handed her some more paperwork.
Sipping her glass as she looked the woman over, "Pulling your weight nicely, Hama."
Rolling her eyes as she placed the stack on the desk, "And his humorless remarks."
Unphased, Kya let the woman tell her how her father was doing and that he was getting better. No longer angry but still very morbid. It was likely how he would be for a very long time if not for the rest of time.
"He'll likely look for a way out and if he's determined enough, he'll find it. We'll have to be prepared when that happens." Hama told her seldomly. "Will you be alright?"
"Whatever cures him of his grief, I'll accept it." Kya's tone was stoney as ever as she downed the rest of her glass.
Hama really hated seeing the girl finally come out her shell only to retreat back into it. Though, she did understand that this was how Kya was able to cope. She didn't hold it against her. All Hama could do was look after Ozai. Focusing on someone else's pain made it easier for her to deal with her own. Only person really facing their misery head on was Ozai and neither of them wanted to turn out like him. But that was how women were. Especially women like them. The pain hurt like a bitch and not a second went by that they didn't feel it but they swallowed their emotions and they wiped away their tears and they faced another day. So maybe when the day finally ended, they could rest their heads and allow themselves a moment to be human.
"Your highness?"
The two women looked up to see Lord Totomi poke his head in the door. Hama nudged Kya and leaned over to whisper.
"Is that the guy you were dating before?"
Kya glared at Hama from the corner of her eyes, "Hama, can you please leave?"
Smirking, Hama nodded and walked up to the nobleman to look him over. "You're cute. How old are you?"
Uhara chuckled nervously, "40."
"40?" Hama furrowed her brows and looked back at Kya. "He's 40."
"He has inhuman blood." Kya told her.
"Hmm." Hama's eyes roamed him as he stood there stiff. "He's cute. If you don't date him, I will."
Uhara flinched as the woman tapped his ass before walking out of the room.
Kya sighed and shook her head as Uhara walked up to her. She apologized on behalf of her great-grandmother. Seemed he was shocked that the woman was that old enough to be the mother of her grandmother.
"Inhuman, I guess." Uhara chuckled awkwardly.
Nodding her head as she rubbed her temple, "Yes, annoying but I guess some would say we were lucky." Kya poured herself another glass. "Is everything going well with the other provinces?"
Uhara reported to her that everything was stabilized and that no one seemed affected by the absence of her father. Which was good. There was much difference in how she reigned from how her father did and his reign was very successful. She was doing well. Feeling assured and less self conscious about her efforts to fill in for her father.
"Do you know if your father will be able to return to his position anytime soon? You need a break. Some time to mourn." Uhara told her as he gazed at her somberly.
Sighing, Kya shook her head and shrugged. "My father is a mess. I don't think he even wants to be here now."
"Then try taking some time to yourself, Kya." Uhara urged her. "If you don't, I'll have no choice."
"No choice?" Kya raised a brow.
Uhara nodded. "I'll be forced to ask you to come away with me for a few days. You need a break. You need time to grieve your mother. You need to not have to fill in for your father."
"But Uha-"
Shaking his head as he stood, "I'll go speak with your father." He said.
Standing abruptly, "No! Stop! Don't! He'll kill you!" She warned.
Uhara shrugged, "if it means I have a chance of getting him to take back his role as Phoenix King so his daughter can be human for a moment, I'll risk it."
Kya ran around the desk and embraced him from behind, burying her face into his back as she grabbed the front of his clothes. "Please! Don't! He'll kill you! Uhara, please, I can't lose anyone else! I can't! I can't take it!"
Feeling her wetting the back of his clothes with her tears, Uhara turned around and returned the embrace of the young princess. He swept his hand over her hair and held her tight. All he could do was let her cry and tremble in his arms.
"I miss her so much!" Kya cried as she clung to him. "I want my mom back!"
Having decided to finally leave his chambers, Ozai went to his office to see how Kya was. Hama told him about her excessive drinking and her overworking herself. He felt worse knowing his daughter was once again having to pick up his slack.
As he reached his office, he saw Kya holding Lord Totomi with her face buried in his chest, holding tight to the back of his clothes.
"I want my mom! I need her! I can't do this alone! I'm tired!" Kya cried. "I don't know how to deal with my father! I can't deal with him by myself!"
"Shh, it's fine, Kya. You just need to step away for a little while." Uhara told her.
"I can't. I have to-"
"It's fine, Kya." The two turned to see Ozai standing behind them. He looked awful. Dark circles under his eyes. His posture was terrible. It looked like it physically pained him to be standing up. He had grown a shaggy beard and his hair was draped around him, not even combed through.
Uhara was surprised to see the Phoenix King like this but the man was grieving his wife, same as Kya was grieving her mother.
"I can't sit around much." Ozai's raspy voice made Kya uneasy as her father looked a complete mess. "I have to distract myself or I'm never going to get back to myself again." He said as he shut his eyes and swallowed. "Katara would hate me more if I didn't do better as your father."
"Dad-"
Shaking his head, "Kya, you lost your mother. You should mourn her properly."
"I will once-"
"You're suspended from all duties for a year, Kya." Ozai gave her a pointed stare. "That's an order."
Kya was about to say something when Uhara stopped her and told her that this is what she needed and what her father wanted for her. She nodded her head and quickly fled out the office. Uhara was about to follow her when Ozai stops him.
"I trust you will look after my daughter."
"Of course, your majesty."
"Good. Take good care of her for me."
Uhara nodded and was allowed to go after Kya.
Ozai sighed as he looked at his desk and slowly made his way to it. When he stepped around it, he sat down with very little grace and reached for the top drawer of his desk. Pulling it open, he took the blue choker and laid it on the surface of his desk. He stared at it and his eyes watered.
"Your mother died and then you wore it and now you're dead...I can't give this to Kya." Ozai said as he sniffled. "I know you took hating me to your grave...but Katara, I really never did those things to you. I really didn't." His voice cracked as he placed his hand over his mouth, squeezing his eyes shut. "I've loved you since the night you saved my life and threw Zuko off the balcony. I never thought someone with every reason to let me die would save my life."
There was a long pause before Ozai opened his eyes and stared at the necklace, "I've never been good at protecting you. Ever since Shin got a hold of you, you've always gotten harmed by people that wanted to do wrong by me. Even till now. You had to suffer till death because we were set up and I should have fought to prove myself and bring you back. And I didn't and I even hated you for believing I would ever hurt you. But, whoever that man was I saw in your thoughts, he did look like me. You went to your grave believing I did those things to you because of him." Balling his fists. "I will find him and I will kill him for causing you to suffer. That bastard will die and everyone else responsible and maybe then I can rest assured that your enemies have been dealt with."
This was his only way of being able to move forward. It was how he was going to be able to live on without Katara. He needed to kill the ones that started this whole mess. The ones that separated them only to put Katara through enough hell to have her kill herself.
"When they've all perished, I'll find a way to be with you again." Ozai picked up the necklace. "I promise you've not seen the last of me."
….
While Kya stayed at Lord Totomi's villa in the city, Ozai returned to his work as Phoenix King and busied himself around the clock. He had much that his empire was in need of and he dedicated time to oversee many of the things his daughter oversaw in his stead.
As a month passed since Kya had taken her leave, Ozai received word from Kyoshi Island that several of the young women had been attacked and were in critical condition. He made an appearance there as it was the work of an inhuman. When he got there the new governor told him the details of the women being assaulted and then hung upside down by their ankles. All the women had one thing in common. They had been virgins before the attack and they were mixed with Fire Nation.
"It was your bastard son!" Ozai heard a woman yell as she marched into the governor's office and was chased down by her husband.
"Suki! Stop!" Jee grabbed her around her waist and yanked her back.
Suki snarled, "Your son is a rapist! And he attacked my daughter and others!"
Ozai raised his brow and looked to the governor to see if he could confirm this.
"Both Suki and her husband were able to identify the young man. However; if he had raped them or not is up for debate." The governor said reluctantly.
Ozai asked how rape was debatable. If his son forced himself on these young women, he needed to know so that when he went after him, he handled the boy accordingly.
"He got in their heads and did something to them! They've all lost their minds!" Suki yelled.
"The girls are all bewitched. All of them claim that they love him and we've even had to tie them up because they are persistent on going after him." The governor swallowed hard.
The Phoenix King was then shown to where the girls were and he saw they were tied to chairs lined up along the wall. They all gasped as they looked at him.
"He's come back!" One screamed and they all shrieked gleefully, wiggling in their seats.
"This isn't Zhiar, ladies." The governor told them as he cleared his throat. "This his father."
"Is he going to take us to him?!"
"No, ladies."
All the girls started complaining and becoming hysterical. It was at this time that the governor closed the door and Ozai sighed as Suki spewed something else at him.
"He's literally brainwashed these girls and now none of them are in their right minds!" Suki hissed. "But that's not your talent, is it Phoenix King. It was Kat-"
Ozai grabbed her by her throat and threw the woman up against the wall as Jee and the governor stepped away. His eyes turned red and his gaze was one full of sorrow and anger.
"You watch what you say about her!" Ozai's voice sounded almost demonic as there was a distortion in it. "Let the dead Rest In Peace! Don't let your jealousy cause your blood to paint these walls."
Clawing his hand around her throat, "But she did it to you too. She bewitched you too, Ozai."
Dropping the woman, Ozai turned his back to her and proceeded to leave. "I will find Zhiar and make him pay for this. You will not need to worry."
"Thank you, your majesty." Both Jee and the governor bowed.
Visiting the villa belonging to Lord Totomi, Ozai was greeted by his daughter and Uhara. He could see Kya looked better and her features were softer. She was doing better away from court. Maybe it should stay that way.
Sitting in the garden outside his daughter's suite, Ozai sighed as Kya couldn't seem to find Zhiar. She had tried by fire and water and she could not locate him.
"Wherever he is, he doesn't want us to find him. That's for certain." Kya told her father as a servant served him tea.
Sighing, "The red headed bitch says it's your mother's talent to bewitch people."
Kya shrugged, "Hama always told me mom was especially gifted with that but she didn't know how to use it. Probably why she attracted people without knowing. Mom didn't really have control of her siren abilities."
The two were silent for a moment as Uhara met back up with them after Kya asked him to get the letter she had gotten.
Handing it to the Phoenix King, Uhara sat beside Kya and placed his hand over hers as they watched Ozai open the letter.
Reading it, Ozai's brows furrowed. "That bastard wants to see me?"
"I had been investigating mom's death while here and Arnook noticed I was watching so he gave me this letter for you." Kya said softly as she gazed down at her hands. "He's dying."
Scoffing as he burned the letter. "Then he should just die! It's what he deserves!"
"I think you should see him." Kya looked to her father.
"That's not happening! He's just as responsible for your mother's death!" Ozai sais furiously.
"And maybe mom told him something before he died. Or maybe he knows more about what happened all those years ago. Arnook is our enemy but he didn't exactly hate mom. I saw it in her past when we were last together. She might have told him something before she killed herself. Arnook wouldn't be asking you to see him if it was not important." Kya stood up and so did Uhara.
Ozai stubbornly didn't say anything. He remained silent as Kya came over to him and kissed his forehead.
"If not for me, then for mom, can you go see Arnook?" Kya asked.
…
It took forty six letters from the North Pole, signed and written by the Northern Chieftain himself, the last ending with Katara's name being mentioned, before Ozai had dared to consider going to see the bastard on his deathbed. By the time the Forty ninth letter had its seal broken and words read, the Phoenix King gave in and finally decided to go see the water tribe piece of shit before he kicked the bucket. It was not something he wanted to do nor was it something he felt like he could handle without sending that asshole directly to death's doors himself.
As he manifested in the fire pit, the Phoenix King saw and heard the coughing and wheezing of the old and dying chieftain. There were incense burning and holy-folk humming hymns as if any of that hocospocus shit was going to save the old bastard from eternal damnation after what he did to a woman undeserving of the hell he put her through.
Ozai took his physical form and made his way to where Arnook laid in his bed. He pushed past the beads that draped over the doorway, having to watch his head as he walked through the low archway. Immediately, everyone in the room turned their heads to see the Phoenix King enter the room.
"Phoenix Kin-"
"Everyone, please, give us the room." Arnook rasped as he looked directly at Ozai.
As the priests and servants left the room to allow the two men to their privacy. Once gone, Ozai looked around to find a chair and grabbed it. Pulling it up to the bedside of the chieftain, he eyed the man callously as he took a seat.
"What do you want, you old bastard?" Ozai growled.
Arnook chuckled and then wheezed into a bit of a coughing fit, using his handkerchief to cover his mouth. "Ozai, you haven't changed a bit. Mean as always."
Furrowing his brows at the man, "Start talking or I swear I'm going to pull that pillow over your head and send your old ass straight to hell where you belong!"
The old chieftain wheezed a bit more before waving his hand about to get him to calm down, "Ozai, please, I'll tell you what it is I have to say but I need you to first hear me out." Arnook looked to him with a pleading look in his eyes as he reached to take the Phoenix King's hand, who surprisingly allowed him. "I never, NEVER, wanted to hurt Katara. I loved her. I truly did. Even till the end. That woman had a good heart despite everything. She was one of the few truly good people left in this world and I understood why you loved her so much. She could make you feel like a saint even when you had blood stained hands."
Ozai's gaze fell from the chieftain. Hearing his late wife's name was not something that was easy for him. Not anymore. It was like someone had lodged a cork in his throat that he couldn't swallow. Causing him to struggle to breathe. And sometimes in that struggle, he didn't even know if he wanted to breathe ever again.
Slipping his hand away from the Chieftain, Ozai shook his head and shut his eyes. "Do you know what it's like, knowing that the only woman you will have ever loved and ever will love is dead? And that you now have to spend the rest of time without her because you can't die and be with her? You've doomed me to never see her again. Not in any lifetime. We are separated for all time because of you! She can't even be reincarnated because she committed suicide! Her spirit no longer exists!"
Arnook caught the rarest sight of them all when he saw tears fall from the Phoenix King's eyes. This was not a man that would bat an eye if a person was brutally murdered in front of him or be phased from someone attempting to kill him. Ozai was a callous and corse man. He was as solid as a rock and very much fit the description of a man that was immortal. But to see him cry over the woman that he loved in front of a man he considered his foe, it was a hard sight to see.
Holding the handkerchief to his mouth, Arnook pointed to his nightstand that Ozai was beside and told him to pick up the notebook. As he did and opened it to look through it, the chieftain went on to talk to him.
"Katara spent the first year of prison drawing in that notebook. I took it from her after she became a servant. She swore she hated your guts but…" All Ozai saw were pictures she drew of him and then some of them were of scenes she must have captured of him in her mind. "I don't think she really hated you. I never believed her. I think she just blamed you for causing her so much pain."
"I didn't-"
"I know, Ozai. It wasn't you that night." Arnook placed his hand down on the notebook that Ozai was still skimming through. "Before Katara….- Lao and his master showed up. That day we both learned the truth. They set you both up that night."
Shutting the book, Ozai stared at Arnook with wide angry eyes.
Sighing as he retracted his hand, "The man wore a fox mask. The master. His name is Atsou Matsumo and it was him that night, posing as you. Ozai, he's your twin brother." Arnook told him in a grave tone. "And he is identical to you. Katara can't be blamed for believing it was you that night. I saw him with my own eyes and that man has your exact face."
This is what he was afraid of. Zuko had told him that name and then later confirmed the possibility that this man could be his twin brother that likely wasn't dead at birth. Agni, Ozai clenched his fists and growled in frustration. He swore he was going to find this man and kill him.
"When I married Katara it wasn't just because Lao wanted me to, Ozai. I did love her. I just wanted to make her happy. It's why I poisoned her before she fell asleep and continued to do so. I wanted her to forget everything related to you. I knew they couldn't use her if she had forgotten you and her past life."
Narrowing his eyes at Arnook, "She lost her memory because of you?!"
"Yes," The Chieftain nodded his head and he coughed. "I was trying to save her. I didn't know for sure but I had a feeling. So, I did what I thought would save her."
"You should have just told me that!" Ozai yelled.
"Would you have listened?" Arnook asked.
"If I knew her life was in danger, I would have!"
"Ozai, they had been using her since the day she met you. She was always supposed to be a weapon against you. Always and that day that she took her life, she told me that she refused to let them use her to harm you. And then she jumped...from that balcony over there." Arnook pointed.
Turning his head over his shoulder and stared at where Katara had taken her last breath.
"I was afraid to let you see what remained of her. No doubt, you'd have killed us all." Arnook started to feel lightheaded and began laying down into the bed as he stared up at the ceiling. His vision blurred a little and he felt he was taking very few breaths of air. This must be it for him.
When Ozai turned back around, he could see that Arnook was beginning to fade as people did when they died. He had died enough times to know the feeling and sometimes it was euphoric. Less oxygen got to the brain and it was like being high in the clouds, never wanting to come back down. Luckily for Arnook, he never would he come back down.
The Phoenix King saw Arnook reaching for his hand. He let the man, once again, hold his hand as he was drawing closer to his end. Standing, he looked down at Arnook and saw the man's blue eyes stare deeply at him as he shed tears.
"Ozai, I brought you here to tell you that Katara loved you very much and there was nothing I could do to change that. Not even your brother, who caused all of this, could stop her from loving you. So please, listen to me when I say…" He gasped a little and Ozai became anxious to know what he had left to say. "Katara didn't take her last breaths when she fell from that balcony. Zuko and Zhiar, what they witnessed was Katara's shattered body, yes. But your brother...like some kind of god, he brought her back." Arnook squeezed Ozai's hand as he was running out of air. "She's still alive. Please, find her. Wherever she is...find...her…."
….
A/N: Alrighty Folks so I'm going into a brief Hiatus with this story so that I can focus on my other two incomplete stories Drowning Lessons and The Affair of the Sun and Moon. They are also Ozai X Katara stories for some that haven't read. I'll be Updating Drowning Lessons first since I already have a few chapters in progress for that story. I might actually get back to this story before I'm able to update Affair of the Sun and Moon because I lost the notes completely and so I have to try remembering where I was going with the story.
But thank you for reading and will return soon with Katara's new journey in Atsou's strange village and how it'll affect the world around our characters.
