A/N:
Back!
More fighting, petty vengeance, unrequited love, and betrayals. Hope you all enjoy!
Also, got an idea for a new look for Ozai from a tumblr post. I'll leave a link at the bottom.
Chapter 47:
Though not everyone on the council was convinced, no one could deny that this was a situation that had to be dealt with carefully regardless if Lady Katara truly was behind the events of the gala or not. For one, none of them wanted to offend the Phoenix King. He was covering for her which meant he was trying to bury the topic. All they could do is wonder to themselves. And second, if Lady Katara wasn't really behind the gala massacre, that left the question of who did this.
As he left the meeting, preparing the return to the Fire Nation, Ozai decided to stop by Ami's lab as he needed to stock up on more skin grafts. After his fighting with Katara last week, he had run out and he wasn't trying to spook people in the Fire Nation with his ghoulish disfigurement. However, when he got there Ami was busy running her lab and giving orders to her team. He could see she was working on something else but he didn't have the time to ask about it.
Taking notes on her clipboard as she observed a set of plants, Ami noticed the Phoenix king was present. She was going to ignore him as she was a little annoyed by him. Or rather, she was more annoyed with herself. Did she really think she had a shot with him? Someone like him that loved a woman so much that he went on to adopt her child by another man. It really got to her the last few days. What was so special about his ex-wife? Was she really as beautiful as rumors had it? She couldn't be that good looking if she was practically forty. Not to mention, didn't the woman just wake up from a dirt nap?
Snorting to herself as she never thought she would be so jealous of a woman that she didn't even know, Ami decided to just go ahead and acknowledge the Phoenix King since he was sort of just standing behind her, silently.
"Can I help you, your majesty?" Ami placed her quill down on her clipboard and turned around to look up at him with a somewhat tight expression on her face, like she was trying her best not to frown or scowl at him. Teeth clenched a little to express the displeasure she had in him being here.
Noticing this, Ozai figured he had taken far too many blows to his ego as of late and decided to ignore it.
"I've run low on supplies. I came for more." He told her.
Ami peeled her eyes from him with a suck of her teeth and looked back to her clipboard, turning her back to him again. "I've been so behind with work after taking that little trip with you that I didn't have time to make more. You'll have to give me a week or two. Can you manage, your majesty?"
There was evident disdain in her tone and he was really biting back to not call her out for it. Obviously, she was upset about finding out his wife was indeed alive. She practically stormed out after she realized why he wasn't entertaining her advances. He didn't even know how to deal with a woman being jealous over another woman. Sure, Katara had been jealous towards other women but he never corrected her because she was his wife and she had a right to be jealous. Ami was a woman he had admiration for and sure, he had been interested in her but he never indulged in that interest. Always treated Ami professionally or in a friendly way which was more than he did with most people. How could she be mad at him because his ex-wife was in the picture? She wasn't even his girlfriend. Plus, Katara and him weren't actually getting along if she had been paying attention. So what was with this attitude?
Taking a deep breath, "I don't have much of a choice but let me know when you're done."
As Ozai turned to leave, Ami decided to make one more jab at him and wasn't even expecting her to be so bold.
"Should I let your wife know as well, in case I can't reach you?" She said smugly over her shoulder.
Pausing for a brief moment. "Ex. Ex-wife." He corrected her.
Snorting a laugh as she shook her head and returned to writing on her clipboard, "like I haven't heard that line before."
Oh, Ozai had never been so agitated in his life.
Finally getting back to the Fire Nation, Ozai goes looking for his son and Katara. Something about what Kya told him in regards to Katara sleeping with Zuko, really rubbed him the wrong way. The waterbender never turned him down for Zuko. It was always the other way around. So if Kya was right about them sleeping together, it was going to piss him off.
Neither of them were in their chambers which was a relief sort of. Last thing he wanted to do was catch them in the act. He had his black flames search around for him as he walked about the palace looking for them. Eventually, one flame spotted them in the courtyard and Ozai was there in seconds. When he got there, he saw that the two were sitting at the stone table with Ryu and Mailan. From the looks of it, they were teaching the children calligraphy and how to write their names. Ozai sucked his teeth and folded his arms. That bitch has the worst handwriting in the entire country.
Seemed Zuko called her out for it and laughed causing her to splash her ink in his face with her waterbending. He stopped laughing and she started. She got up to go around the table and wipe the ink from his face with her thumb after licking it. Ozai clenched his teeth as he glared at the scene. Oh, she was definitely sleeping with him.
A hand fell on his folded arms and he heard a light chuckle as Hama came to his side, "I promise you, Ozai. They are not fooling around. Believe it or not, she just gets along better with Zuko than you."
"Nonsense. There's definitely something going on." He spat.
Hama tilted her head, "So what? You don't seem to care about getting back together."
"I never said that."
"Aww, are you jealous, Ozai?" Hama cooed at him.
Shoving her away from him, "You are so long overdue for the grave."
Hama smirked and patted him on the back as she began walking away, "The only one getting in the way of you getting her back is your lack of charm."
…
Tucking the kids in for bad after spending the whole day with them, Katara kissed them both on the heads and told them to sleep well. Ryu and Mailan asked if they could sleep with her the following night, she had no choice but to agree. Giggling as she left, the waterbender shut the door behind her and saw Zuko sighing as he shook his head with a smile on his face.
"You haven't changed much in the mommy department." He chuckled.
Katara snickered and began pushing Zuko's wheelchair back to his sanctum of the palace. She always knew once she got over the initial hump of returning in her children's lives that being a mom would come naturally to her as it did before. It had been something she wanted to be not long after she lost her mother. She mothered her group of friends and anyone in need of a 'mom' before she ever had her own. That's why she was yielding to Atsou so that she could possibly get back to them all and remain in their lives.
Once they were in Zuko's chambers, Katara helped him into his bed and assisted in undressing him. She hummed to herself as she pretended to not notice Zuko eyeing her strangely. Ignoring it, the waterbender continued undressing him but when she got to the buttons of his under shirt, his hand stopped her. Katara was unable to lift her eyes to him. Obviously, these were one of those moments where he'd say something sweet and she'd, like a traumatized puppy, would fail to respond correctly making things incredibly awkward when they next saw each other. She decided to spare them both the embarrassment of an awkward moment and make the moment uncomfortable for any 'heartfelt' gestures to be made.
"Your father was lurking about earlier. I know you don't want to talk to him but I think it would be good if you did and if not to sort things out between the two of you, then at least on my behalf make it clear I don't want to be bothered by him." Katara finally met his gaze. "I rather not deal with him the rest of my stay."
Zuko sighed and reached his hand into his hair, "I can try but you know him, he won't care."
"You may be right but could you try, for me, please?"
Giving in, Zuko nodded. "Sure, Tara."
"Thank you, Zuko."
In the morning, Zuko had let Katara know that he was going to let one of his servants prepare him in the morning as he planned to speak with his father like she had asked him to. She seemed pretty happy with this and told him she'd go see the children.
As Zuko was readied by his servants, he was in anything but a good mood. There were a few things he wanted to address with his father. Things that really rubbed him the wrong way and he knew his father was going to be anything but receptive. The man knew he was no saint but went around as if he were above everyone else. It was frustrating. But Zuko planned to let it all out.
Zuko was wheeled up to a table by the window where tea and a light breakfast was prepared for him. As he ate, his father managed to show up just as he was biting into a sliced apple. He snapped it on his teeth when his eyes met his father's.
"You're looking better each passing day. The witch is working her magic on you, I see." Ozai remarked upon waltzing up to the table where his son was eating.
Scoffing, the Fire Lord brought another sliced apple to his teeth and crushed it with his fangs. "I really don't get this feud between you and her. What's the problem?"
"Maybe you should be asking her that." Ozai snorted, scratching the side of his nose.
"I have but I'm curious, why do you think that gives you the right to hound and stalk her?"
"Stalk?!" Ozai was immediately offended. "I'm not stalking that delusional bitch! What the hell did that whore tell you?!"
Zuko furrowed his brows and pushed his plate of food away from him so that he could clasped his hands together. "So she was making it up when she said that you showed up on my balcony to speak with her after she refused to acknowledge you prior? You didn't stop her when she was taking the kids to the kitchen to make them a snack? She lied about you berating her and calling her names like you're doing right now?"
Ozai narrowed his eyes.
"Look, I'm trying to keep the peace. I've gotten real sick of the fighting and squabbling this family keeps having. Whatever score you plan to settle with her, please do so on your own turf, not mine. Katara is welcomed here. Do not make her stay uncomfortable." Zuko felt he had to talk to his father like a child because usually when he acted like this, he was in some childish mode of his. Too fucking old for this shit.
Sucking his teeth as he turned to leave, "She must have you by the balls, Zuko."
"Will you shut the fuck up?" Zuko groaned as grab the bread from his plate off to the side and threw it at the back of his father's head.
…..
Why was he being looked at like he was the bad guy? Katara was the one going around dropping bodies all over the place. But he was the bad guy for confronting her, yeah, fuck that. Ozai had wards still placed around the palace and had no trouble pinpointing Katara's exact location. Sure, he didn't think she was here to cause trouble as she did before but he wasn't going to treat her like everything was a thing of the past. She still worked for Atsou.
Watching Mailan and Ryu practice waterbending with their instructor, Katara pretended to not notice she had been spotted. She guessed Zuko was right. Ozai didn't care what anyone told him. He'd just do as he liked and she really wasn't in the mood. It was starting to get really annoying. Why did he have to bother her? Like could they not exist without him hunting her down? Worse than Zuko when he was hunting the Avatar. She was surprised that he never followed her back to where Atsou was.
Feeling a tap on her shoulder, Katara shrugged the hand off of her and continued watching the children. Another tap and she slapped the hand away.
"Katara-"
Katara raised her middle finger up at her ex.
Ozai was done playing this game with her and grabbed her by her shoulder, dragging her into the black flames with him. He wasn't going to carry on when the kids could turn around and see them. It was better to keep this as a private matter. Bringing them to his sitting room, Ozai let go of her and disbursed the flames. A second later, Katara's fist planted in his face and he stumbled back, cupping his nose.
"Fuck!" He hissed harshly as his nose was bleeding and looked at her like she was a maniac. "You crazy bitch! I just wanted to talk!"
The waterbender didn't seem to care and her eyes shifted black as she charged at him, tackling him into the wall with so much force that she sent them both through the wall of the sitting room and ended up in his bedroom. She forced him down on his back and began beating him with her bear fists, growling animalistically with each throw of her fists.
"I told your stupid ass to stay away from me!" Katara snarls. "Why can't you listen for once?!"
Defending himself, Ozai slapped her across her face and then kicked her off of him, sending her through the hole she put in the wall. He staggered to his feet and wiped the blood from his face, spitting some of it out to the side as he glared at her. She was ready to attack again. Cracking his knuckles, I'm starting to think you're the one that wants to fight!
The two brawled in the sitting room, using their bare fists and the objects in the room to take out the other. Katara took a chair and swung it into Ozai's face, sending him back to the floor, where she continued to beat him with it. Ozai kicked her in her gut to get Katara away from him. She was getting the upper hand by using his size against him. But it wasn't long before he picked her up and threw her into a bookshelf, body slammed her onto the low table, and pinned her face down on the floor. Some would say it was a bit excessive of a man his size to handle a woman of Katara's size the way he did but the bitch kept getting back up. He literally punched her in the face and this woman tackled him through another wall. He was fighting a demon. Not a woman. That gender shit was out the window when she was hellbent on killing him.
Pinned to the floor, Katara was panting as her heart was pounding in her chest and she felt the adrenaline still coursing through her veins. Every part of her wanted to rip Ozai's throat out. She couldn't explain it. She just felt triggered by him. Instinctively, she wanted to kill him. Why was that? Why did she want to kill him so badly? Realizing it might be her bloodlust craving to kill him and not actually her, Katara tried to calm herself down.
"Have you gotten it out of your system?" Ozai asked her, holding his knee to the back of her head as he restrained her arms behind her back.
Groaning, Katara nodded.
Lifting his knee off her head, Ozai flipped her over but pinned her wrists to either side of her head. "Good, now can we talk?"
Katara spat blood in his face and head butted him. As he let her go, trying to nurse his head, the waterbender punched him in the side of his face. However, Ozai grabbed her around her waist and bear hugged her, squeezing her until her back snapped. She cried out and screamed until she was dropped on the floor.
"Are you done?" Ozai crouched down in front of her as she rolled about in pain.
"Not even close!" Katara bit out through her clenched teeth.
Ozai sighed and grabbed her by her leg, dragging her through the mess they made in the sitting room. She hit her head quite a few times and he couldn't exactly say it was an accident, especially not when he turned a corner to his bathroom to where she hit her head hard. Dragging her up to the bathtub, Ozai left her lying on the floor as he ran the water. He was wondering if you could drown a fish. We'll find out soon enough.
Blacking out briefly from her head injuries, Katara woke momentarily to see Ozai was holding her down underwater and her vision went out again. It was a few minutes more before she woke again in the tub but she wasn't being forced down. Grabbing the rim of the tub, the waterbender pulled herself out of the water and gasped as she caught her breath.
"So you can't drown. Noted."
Katara's eyes darted in the direction she heard Ozai's voice and saw him leaning against the sink with his arms folded. "Bastard!" She quickly swept her wet hair from her face as she scowled viciously at him. "You tried to drown me!"
"Says the woman that has been trying to kill me for over an hour now." Ozai snorted as he examined the broken skin of his knuckles. "I think we're even. Now can we please take a break long enough to talk. I'm too old for this shit."
Climbing out of the tub, "What do you want, Ozai?"
"I think I made it clear to you the other day that I was only upset momentarily and my words and actions were not reflective of my true feelings. I really don't want this feud to continue." He starts. "And I know you said you didn't want me seeking you out but it's hard to maintain a distance when you're going around telling Zuko that I'm stalking you, which I'm not!"
Bending the water out of her clothes, Katara rolled her eyes and combed her fingers through her hair. "First of all, that doesn't even make sense. And second, seeing as this is his turf, he should know what goes on under his nose. Especially when his perverted father tries to instigate fights with me just so he can fulfill his sick sexual fantasies."
"Don't make it seem like you don't get off." Ozai retorted as he approached her.
Katara cocked her head as she looked up at him, "Do you really think you're so desirable that you can treat me any kind of way and I'll just allow it?"
"I think you're desperate enough to allow me to get away with it. Realistically, who does it better for you than me? You were practically gushing all over my-"
Before Ozai could stop her, Katara bended the water from the tub and formed an icicle in her hands. She then jumped him and stabbed him in the face, driving him to the floor wear she removed the icicle. Ozai shouted in pain as she went on to sink her nails into his face and tore the skin graft from his face.
"I'M DESPERATE?!" Katara went on to tear each skin graft off using the icicle.
Ozai was restrained by her bending and prevented from retaliating.
Spitting as she stood up off of him, wearing satisfaction on her face. "Look who's gushing now?"
Katara licked his blood off the icicle as he was in agony on the floor holding to his face. "Bother me again and I'll remove something else from your body."
…...
Kya watched Zhiar stuff his face with food after going nearly two weeks without food. He clearly wasn't taking starvation so well. But she already knew he'd end up like this. Sitting down across from him, listening to his chains jingle as he ate like a wild man, the princess sighed.
"You should allow me to bring the servants in to clean you up. I'm sure you want to look presentable when father comes to see you."
Zhiar scoffed as he tore a piece of meat off from the steak with his teeth, "I'm not like you, Kya. I don't care about getting dressed up for daddy."
"I was trying to spare you having to deal with him forcing you to groom. He has a way of getting people to obey him." Kya said in an indifferent tone as she seemed a bit bored but really, she was tired. She had been very sleepy as of recent. All the work and effort it took to keep this place intact was exhausting her.
Shifting his gaze to his sister, Zhiar could see she wanted to be anywhere but here. Honestly, he wished she'd just leave. Seeing her bothered him. Seeing any of their family bothered him. Even though their mother wasn't actually dead, she wasn't exactly in the picture and he remembered how close their family was to finally being pieced together. He would never admit it but he had hoped they'd all work something out. It was stupid of him to believe that for even a minute. But, it wasn't like he was wrong to feel that way. He knew Kya had always wanted their family to be a family. He called her an idiot for it but he was just as stupid as her.
Anyway, he didn't really want to sit here looking at her. Or any of their family members. He was fine being the criminal bandit locked in prison for an indefinite amount of time. But only if he didn't have to see her so often. Which made him wonder, why did Kya come down here almost every day?
"Feeling a little lonely with daddy gone?"
Kya rolled her eyes, "Stop calling him 'daddy', it sounds weird, and no, I'm not lonely. I have Uhara."
"Then why be down here with me when you can be with him?" Zhiar smirked. "Or are you trying to see if you want to indulge me on some twincest?"
Curling her lip into a disgusted snarl, Kya stood up and flipped the table over. She saw he didn't even flinch. Just sat there with his arms folded and his blue eyes boring into her gold ones. She really hated that she could even try to get along with Zhiar. He always used to pick fights with her, even when she had done nothing to him and now, he was perving on her. If their father could hear this, he'd probably find a way to finally put Zhiar out of his misery.
Gripping her fists tight, "Why can't you ever just be my brother? Why do you always choose to be my enemy?"
"Because it's the one thing I get to decide in this family. I didn't choose you to be my sister but I sure as hell get to decide how I feel about that."
"Fuck you, Zhiar." Kya left and didn't turn back.
Finding Uhara in one of the lounges with a few nobles of Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom descent. They were all having glasses of wine and conversing. She didn't usually talk to the nobility unless it was work related or at an event. It felt a bit awkward making her way through the group of noblemen as she was trying to get to Uhara, they all bowed as she walked past them.
As soon as she came up beside him, the eyes of the men turned from him to her and they all bowed. Uhara placed his arm around her waist and hugged her to him, to which she kissed his cheek.
"You two sure are the happy couple." The minister of coin, Nobleman Yin told them as the other all nodded.
Councilman Cho observed the couple closely and grinned, "It would seem the Totomi clan will finally have a Lady finally."
"That is the plan. Of course, we are just waiting for the perfect timing." Uhara stated as he ran his hand up and down the side of his woman.
Kya smiled and nodded. "My father has already planned everything in precise details. I'd be the first of his children to marry so I'm sure he plans to spare no expense."
"Oh, we are so very sure. Lord Totomi, we must say you are quite lucky to be so doted on by the Phoenix King. We had never thought he would be willing to let his precious daughter leave his side after years of building this empire with her. Princess Kya has been his greatest support through the years. I'm sure he will miss his daughter dearly when she becomes Lady Totomi."
Uhara was about to express his sentiment to the Phoenix King when Kya cut him off.
"Actually, my father wants me to stay here in the Phoenix Empire as well as keep the dynasty name 'Yong'."
This came as a surprise to the noblemen and Uhara. This was never discussed with him. He was always under the impression that Ozai planned to let his daughter do the traditional thing and move in with her husband's family. Were they going to be married and live separate lives?
"My father wants Uhara to stay with us as he already acknowledges him as a son."
Mouths dropped. A man coming to live with his wife's family was never seen as a good thing. Only those from the more impoverished class or less privileged members of a clan had their men move in with his wife's family. Even if Princess Kya was the daughter of a king, Lord Totomi was the head of his clan. He couldn't just abandon responsibility. Surely, this was all a joke and that's exactly how everyone took it.
The men all laughed amongst themselves and complimented the princess on her sense of humor. They had all thought she was stiff but seemed she had some of her father's twisted humor.
"Well, you two have a wonderful evening. I do hope you two don't have a baby before the wedding bells have rung." Councilman Cho said as the others followed behind him, giving one last bow to the princess.
Kya was immensely confused and Uhara knew what she said was not a joke. He took her hand and led her from the lounge to her chambers, dismissing the servants that were doing some late night cleaning. When alone and gave Kya a strange look, like he couldn't believe the question he was about to ask.
"Your father wants me to come live here? Is he serious?" Uhara asked.
Kya nodded. "Yes, why wouldn't he be?"
Uhara sighed as he could see while Kya had been taught far more than most girls her age and was well versed in many topics that only men took part in, she was not taught traditional values of married couples and unions. Though, he couldn't fault her. Growing up, she only had one parent. First being her mother and then her father took over raising her up until this point. Truthfully, Uhara had always believed the Phoenix King, even back when he was Fire Lord, was a bit unorthodox. But not so much that he would wound a man's pride and have him subjected to the tradition of men of far lower standing than him. Uhara had been head of his clan since both his parents died at a young age and while he chose to be humble despite his clan being one of the most prominent clans in all of the Fire Nation next to the royal family, he would not humble himself that low. If he was to marry Kya, she was coming to the Fire Nation with him to be the Lady of the Totomi clan. She could always visit home and help her father whenever need be but they were not living with her father. He didn't care if he had to tell Ozai that to his face. He would do so.
After spending some time expressing this to her, Kya seemed to understand a little better. She wasn't exactly aware of that dynamic between the men and women of higher status. It made sense. Uhara was the head of his clan, he couldn't just abandon it, even if it was for a role in the royal family. At least that cleared any doubts about him using her for her title and status.
Looking over her as he caressed his hand into her hair, "As much as I appreciate the level of trust your father places in me to allow me to be with you, I will not live under the same roof as that man for the entirety of our marriage. I refuse. You know I have my reservations about him and even if the issue of my status was not the case here, I would simply steal you away."
Kya chuckled as she moved to wrap her arms around his neck and peck his lips, "You hate my father, don't you?"
"Hate is not the word I would use. I revere and respect him as my father in-law and as the sovereign of this country. But I'm tired of yielding to him. Not out of fear of what he might do to me but fear of what that would mean for us." Uhara told her honestly. "If he disapproves of our union, he will just treat you coldly as he has done in the past."
It made her happy to hear that. But to convince her father to allow her to leave would mean having a serious talk with him and she wasn't exactly sure how to do that. Uhara would have to make that call.
"When he returns, I'll have a word with him and hopefully, he'll be understanding."
Kya doubted but it was still worth a shot.
….
Hama had to say her granddaughter had gotten out of control here but she wasn't going to say anything. Ozai was an asshole and she was confident he brought this on himself. Katara wasn't violent by nature. She wouldn't have done all this damage had she felt it was unnecessary. There were literally two holes in the wall that were about the size of Ozai. Okay, that's excessive.
"What did she do? Throw you through the wall?" Hama laughed behind her hand. "How did she even pick your big ass up?"
Ozai rolled his eyes, "Shut up and get out. You just came to be nosy."
"That, I did." Hama said as she continued taking a look around. "Looks like you two had fun."
"It wasn't like that."
"Oh, what a ball buster that must have been for you." The siren smirked as she held her arms around herself, taking in the state of his chambers. Zuko was not going to like this. "I thought for sure your skin grafts were torn off from her clawing your face in pleasure. But I guess not."
Ozai knew Hama was picking on him. She had been doing so quite a lot. She was finding this new shift in his and Katara's relationship to be entertaining. He knew a part of her resented him for him not going after Katara when she was captive in the North. There was no doubt she saw this as pay back.
"I'll go get some servant to clean this shit up. You'll have to explain to Zuko what happened here cause I'm kind of lost with how you weren't able to just pin her down."
Honestly, Ozai was wondering the same thing. Katara shouldn't have been that hard to deal with. He was probably just weak from exhausting his chi throughout the day and night to keep from freezing. This frostbite thing must have affected him beyond restraining his use of bending but his physical strength as well. He should have been able to throw her ass through several walls or resist when she tackled him.
Later…
Dragging his fingers along the damages that were done to his face years ago, Ozai bit back the discomfort he got from looking at himself in the mirror. Between Zuko talking to him like he was a child and Katara tearing the last of his skin grafts from his face, he was feeling like they were tag-teaming him. Picking up his face mask, the oni half-mask, and held it to his face as he tied it in the back. He straightened it out and adjusted the ties to be a bit tighter as he used some of his hair to cover the ties.
When he was somewhat satisfied with his semi-ghoulish appearance, Ozai went on to leave his torn up chambers to attend the mid-day meeting with the ministers of various different ministries. He tried ignoring the looks he was getting from everyone. The people here were not aware of his deformities and were going to stare because Fire Nation people were by far the nosiest people on earth. They were probably all curious as to why he was wearing a half-mask on his face. Well, he could just walk around without it and freak them all out. He was tempted to flash his disfigurement at a group of snooty noblewomen but he figured they'd faint causing a scene.
As he grew closer to his destination, he caught sight of Katara walking in the opposite direction from him. She didn't seem to pay him any mind as she held a tray of linen with a pleasant look on her face. He really did hate how she was walking around doing the duties of a servant as if she was more contempt like this than she was when she was Fire Lady. She was such a peasant. Even her happiness was simple like that of the lower class.
Ozai sucked his teeth and grew irritated when he saw her greeting the guards that she walked by, them smiling as they greeted her back. Why was she so damn friendly with everyone but him? What was so hard about her greeting him with a smile? Or just not attacking him on sight? Sure, he started this but he apologized already. She should just put it behind her. Wasn't like fighting would get them anywhere. From their fights, he noticed Katara wasn't as fragile and frail as she looked. She could endure full blown punches and lift him off his feet, bodying him on the floor as if she were picking up someone her size. They were pretty evenly matched but she had a bit more of an edge since she was actively trying to kill him and he was only trying to stop her. Their fights were solving nothing but he had to say, he was feeling a need to get back at her for fucking his face up.
The waterbender had stopped to take a look out at the view of the city from the pillars and seemed to fall into a daze. She really was hoping Atsou didn't plan to kill her when he was done with her. It was her hope that she could move back here to the Fire Nation and purchase a home in the city, big enough for all her children to come stay with her. Maybe she'd need a villa. Kya and Zhiar were adults now, requiring bigger rooms for their things. She was sure they were used to living luxurious lives. As for Ryu and Mailan, they'd need plenty of space to run around. A hopeful feeling came over her. Maybe the future wasn't all morbid. Sure, the present was a bit bleak but that didn't mean it couldn't get better.
Pulling her hair behind her ear, Katara set herself straight before she resumed her task. However, as she took a step forward, a bolt of lightning struck her in her side and knocked her to the floor. A few guards came over to offer help while a few that were standing in the hallways looked at her and then to where the lightning bolt came from. As she was helped to her feet, Katara's eyes fixed on Ozai. She had known he was there but she ignored him, giving him the benefit of the doubt. As long as he didn't bother her, she would leave him alone but now it would seem he didn't take her warning very seriously.
Zuko was being wheeled by a servant through the halls to go see the palace physician when he saw Katara marching up to his father who was scowling at her and the two started arguing.
"I'm getting sick of playing these games with you, Ozai." Katara held her hand out to the side and an ice dagger materialized in it. "I'll have to show you that my threats are promises."
Ozai tried grabbing her wrist but she moved a lot faster than he expected. She was behind him in a flash of a second and had yanked him back by his hair. The next thing he noticed was everyone, including his son, gaping at the sight of him. His hair was let go of or at least that's what he thought. Katara walked around him and grinned as she held a lock of his hair in her hand. His eyes widened as he reached for his shoulder to feel the length of his hair but found it was up to chin.
"I told you I'd remove something else from you." Katara told him as she marveled at his hair in her hands. "Maybe I should make a doll of it and curse it since I'm a witch and all."
Everyone was speechless as the silver haired woman walked off with the Phoenix King's hair and laughed to herself. They all knew who she really was. The man's previous wife, the waterbender, Lady Katara. For the most part, she had been pleasant and seemed to take very good care of Fire Lord Zuko with his recovery after being kidnapped. They assumed she was a celestial or a spirit now due to her having died a few years ago in the North Pole due to suicide. But they were starting to notice that maybe she just didn't die. Or perhaps, didn't stay dead. Whatever it may be, they weren't necessarily frightened of her. Many were familiar with her good and kind nature. However, it was apparent that her kind and good nature didn't extend to her ex-husband. They heard and some had seen the physical altercations the two got into. There was clearly bad blood between them and seeing that Fire Lord Zuko only scowled at his father and allowed Lady Katara to walk away freely, meant the Phoenix King brought this on himself.
…
Clipping the uneven pieces of hair, Hama had to say she never thought she'd see Ozai with his hair this short but she would admit she liked it.
Shooting him a look in the mirror, "It looks good on you. You look youthful."
"Shut the fuck up! Don't go complimenting that bitch's work!" Ozai snapped as he was furious. His hair hadn't been this short since he was a teenager. It was embarrassing. Even more so because she did it in front of everyone. Having long hair was a sign of authority in Fire Nation culture and while he no longer reigned over the Fire Nation, he was still a man of the Fire Nation and Katara humiliated him.
Agni, he was so angry with her that he knew he'd have to stay away from her as he feared he would kill her out of sheer rage. Just the thought of her face made him want to strangle her.
Hama slapped him in the back of the head as she finished layering the back of his hair. "Didn't she warn you to leave her alone?"
"Yes but-"
"But you didn't listen, did you?"
Ozai bit his tongue as he was not liking how Hama was taking up for her.
"No, you didn't and so she had to show you she meant business." Hama told him as she combed his hair all the back and made a part to style it. "After everything that was done to her, I doubt she will let anyone get over on her again and that includes you. Especially you, I would think. You do like to think she will forgive you no matter what. Well, gone are those days."
Glaring at Hama in the mirror as she styled his hair, Ozai hated that she could be right and she definitely was. Katara warned him and saw her threat through. Even so, he didn't deserve this. This was going too far.
Not far enough, if you ask me. Hama scoffed in her head.
"Well, I wasn't asking you, bitch." Ozai folded his arms and pouted.
Shaking her head, "62 years old and you still act like that little boy that couldn't get any of the other kids to play with him. Well, if you stop being an asshole for once in your miserable life, maybe my granddaughter will play nice with you."
Ozai stood up and shoved Hama from him. He wasn't taking this from her. She was making fun of him just for the hell of it.
"Go eat a dick, Hama."
"You first, dear."
…..
The day had ended but not without its challenges. For one, many were concerned with the feuding between the Phoenix King and Lady Katara. Some had heard the two fighting in his chambers while servants confirmed there had indeed been fighting as the damages in his chambers would take weeks to fix. Zuko was forced to have new accommodations made for his father since they trashed those chambers. He even saw the two massive holes in the wall. He didn't know if his father tackled Katara through the wall or if it was the other way around but things had gotten out of hand. The waterbender even cut 24 inches of hair from his father's head, leaving him with chin length hair. It was absolutely ridiculous even though he saw his father start it. The two of them just needed to learn to co-exist without accosting the other.
When Katara wheeled him to his chambers, Zuko figured it was a good time to confront her about the fighting but first, he was concerned about her mental state.
"Katara, have you been feeling alright lately?" Zuko asked her as she helped him into bed.
"I'm fine. Really." Katara answered while moving his wheelchair aside once he was sitting at the edge of his bed. "But I've had enough of your father. I can't tell if he's just being an asshole or if he's actually a fucking moron."
Zuko scoffed, "The latter would make a lot of sense."
"Who are you telling?" Katara snorted a laugh. "I'm starting to think he's one of those half-wits that switch from being intelligent to being a total dumb ass."
Yeah, Zuko thought that was exactly what was wrong with his father. The man could be a genius one minute with the things he thought up in his head but then turn around and do something completely stupid at the same time. Maybe they just thought he was an asshole and really he was an idiot with a brain.
"Maybe he took too many blows to the head from grandfather." Zuko didn't know all the details surrounding the abuse his father endured from his grandfather but he did remember Azulon hitting his father in the head with his cane many times when he and Azula were just kids.
Katara didn't say anything to that. That was a bit of a low blow mentioning Ozai being abused by his father. But she figured Zuko didn't necessarily know the whole story.
Helping him undress from his robes, the waterbender felt Zuko place his hand on top of hers and she lifted her gaze to his.
"I need you and my father to be civil with each other while you're both here. I can't have my subjects living in fear they'll get caught in the crossfire. Okay?" He asked her nicely.
Furrowing her brows, "Civil? You say that like it's something your father is capable of when he's itching for a fight."
"The one area he's gotten better in is biting back and pulling punches. Come to a truce with him. No matter how fragile it is, just get the fighting to stop."
Sighing, Katara nodded. How could she not agree with him? Zuko wouldn't ask her to be civil if he didn't absolutely need her to be.
"Thank you, Tara."
Rolling her eyes, Katara pressed her lips to Zuko's cheek and told him goodnight.
"Sweet dreams, Tara." Zuko whispered to himself longingly as she had left.
…
In order to help Kya become more knowledgeable about the roles of being the Lady of his clan, Uhara spent their free time going over all the details and filling in the parts of Fire Nation culture that her father didn't teach her. He told her about wearing his family's heirloom during all gatherings of noble households or events that would have them represent their clan. There was, of course, the issue of heirs, something he was sure she was aware of given her current social standing. But they didn't need to worry about that. Kya had told him years ago that she was sterile due to her parents 'crossbreeding' as her father would later put it. Uhara made sure to include all her duties to the clan which he knew would be easy tasks compared to what she was currently doing as the princess of a new and increasingly thriving nation.
All this seemed like a pretty laid back life to her. The only problem she had was that she would be leaving her father to run the country by himself. Sure, he had his council, ministers, and close advisors but no one he could trust to the same extent as he trusted her all these years. It made her finally sympathize with her father a little bit. He relied on her so much and she hadn't even realized it.
Sighing as she decided that maybe this was something to be discussed with Uhara, Kya interrupted him in the middle of listing the different estates that his family owned in both the Fire Nation and a few of the former colonies.
"Is it possible that I can go between the Fire Nation and Phoenix Empire to help my father? You know travel is nothing to people like us and the duties of a Lady of the Totomi clan doesn't seem all that hard. In fact, its far less burdening than my current position as Phoenix Princess. I can do both."
Uhara didn't see why not. He knew how devoted Kya was to her father despite the occasional feuding. At the end of the day, she was a daddy's girl and he had no problem with her offering aid to her father as long as she put her role as Lady Totomi first once they were married.
Suddenly remembering something, "Ah! Forgot to bring Zhiar his food."
"I can take care of it." Uhara told her as he brushed his hand over the top of her head and smiled.
Uncertainty came over her features, "Are you sure? My brother is a bit mouthy."
"Well, he'll be family soon enough. Besides, maybe I can get through to him."
Kya wanted to burst into laughter. There was no getting through to Zhiar. Uhara had better odds getting through to her stubborn ass father. But if he had to learn the hard way, so be it. What was it her father used to tell her all the time? "Let life be your teacher if you do not wish to listen." Well, Zhiar was about to teach Uhara a lesson or two.
Sighing as she wasn't going to fight him on it, "Fine, have fun."
Zhiar was in the middle of jacking off when he heard footsteps. He smirked to himself as he figured his sister would be in for quite the shock.
"Dear fucking Agni, what the hell?!" Uhara nearly dropped the tray of food that he brought down to give his soon to be brother in-law.
Laughing as he kept stroking himself, "Sorry, thought you were my sister. I was going to stick my dick through the bars and have her finish me off." Zhiar stood up and smirked. "But I guess you'll do."
Uhara was utterly appalled and backed away from the cell bars as Zhiar stuck his dick through the gap in the bars. He couldn't believe this young man was serious. He knew Kya and the Phoenix King mentioned that Zhiar was kind of fucked in the head and he remembered the things Zhiar said the night he showed up. But he thought the disgraced prince was only joking and being an asshole like his father but it seemed that he gave the boy too much credit.
"Come on, it's only gay if you make it." Zhiar laughed.
"You are repulsive!" Uhara yelled in offense.
Having his mood killed, Zhiar sighed as he shoved is male part back into his pants and leaned against the bars while eyeing Uhara.
"Tell me, Uhara, do you know what you're getting yourself into by marrying my sister?" Zhiar tilted his head and smirked as he sized the man up. "She's daughter of the Phoenix King with a merciless past and ruthless vengeance as well as the daughter of a Water Tribe woman that has more blood on her hands than her callous ex-husband. Her older brother is a shape-shifting Fire Lord that pretends to be a goodie goodie but will no doubt expose his true self sooner or later. Her eldest sister is a weaponized assassin created by our father and her twin brother is a member of a terrorist group of bandits. Not to mention, my sister aided my father in overthrowing the former government here at only eight years old. The whole family is criminal despite most of us holding royal status. The only innocent ones are the little ones, Ryu and my mother's poor daughter from her late-husband, Arnook. And it won't be much longer before their hands get filthy. So, tell me pretty boy, you want to marry into this family?"
Furrowing his brows as he swallowed hard.
"Look, my father and sister seem very fond of you. I'm guessing because you're inhuman like us and come from a prosperous family in the Fire Nation. You're good looking, look about my age but you're around my mother's age. I'm sure Kya's feelings are true but I wonder what my father was thinking when he gave his blessings for you to be with my sister, his favorite child. What does he want with you?" Zhiar rubbed his chin as he examined Uhara.
Shaking his head, "His majesty doesn't want anything from me. Only for me to marry Kya."
Zhiar laughed. "Rule number one, new guy. My father never does anything solely out of the goodness of his heart. There is always an ulterior motive for why he lets certain people in his circle. Marrying my mother, patching things up with my brother, appeasing my mother's grandmother, and letting someone like you become a member of our family. I figured out why he wanted the others but you, I'm trying to figure out. What purpose are you supposed to serve, Lord Totomi?"
A little while later, Uhara returned back to the palace to see Kya. He needed to speak with her about what Zhiar told him. Sure, there was a lot to take in about most of what he said. The whole issue of the criminal and immoral conduct of Kya's family was something he could overlook. They were still revered by many here in the Phoenix Empire and the Fire Nation especially. But the thing that concerned him was what her brother said about her father. The only reason why he was inclined to believe Zhiar was because it made some sense. Kya's father had his moments that revealed he could just be a simple man with a heart and a desire to protect his family, when he was just Ozai. And then there were other moments when he was stoic and cold and vicious even. Demanding obedience and wanting to conquer and dominate everything and everyone including members of his own family. So much so that he placed a strain on the relationships between him and his family. Uhara figured this was when he fell into his role as Phoenix King. They were obviously two different men and anyone close to him must see and know the difference. Which meant, maybe Kya knew something about why the 'Phoenix King' wanted him to marry her.
Finding Kya snoozing off at the low table with paperwork splayed all over it, Uhara tapped her on the shoulder and nudged her to wake.
Stirring, Kya's eyes fluttered open as she lifted her head from the fold of her arms and saw Uhara's wary gaze on her. "What's wrong?" She asked while she tried waking herself from her stupor faster.
"I need to ask you something. Something that I don't want you to take the wrong way." He asked as his brows displayed he was truly bothered by something.
Sitting up straight, "Yes, ask me."
"Your father, do you have any idea why he wanted me to marry you?"
Kya seemed a little confused by this. "Well, didn't you ask him for my hand back when I was sixteen?"
"Yes, but I'm only a nobleman. Why would he agree to marry his daughter to a mere noble when he could have had another royal marry her?"
"My father clearly has a bias toward the Fire Nation. I'm sure he envisioned me marrying a Fire Nation man and since the Fire Lord and all members of the Fire Nation royals are my relatives of close bloodlines, I guess he figured a noble was fine enough. Especially one with your family background. So, I guess that's why." Kya deduced.
Uhara could see Kya probably didn't see her father having any serious ulterior motives for blessing their union but he wasn't so quick to think so. The Phoenix King never striked him as a man that did things without reason. Lord Totomi had hoped that they were for pure reasons but it was very likely that that wasn't the case.
Sighing as he shook his head, Uhara wasn't sure what he was supposed to do and maybe he was being played very much like everyone else in the Phoenix King's life had been played. Unfortunately, Uhara was tired of it and wasn't going to settle for this. He was still a man and a man of pride and dignity. Even if he revered the Phoenix King, he wasn't just going to lie on his back and roll over at the command of another man, even if that man was his father in-law.
Feeling his head was clouded, Uhara knew he had to return home for a bit of time so he could get his head on straight to figure things out for himself. As much as he loved Kya and adored her, he needed to sort things out for himself before he regretted his decisions for their future.
"I think I need to return home for a little while, Kya." Uhara told her reluctantly.
Kya's eyes widened as she stood up to look in directly in the eyes, "Return home? For how long?"
"I don't know. I just have some things that I need to sort out and I don't know how long it will take me."
Confused and not seeming to understand what was going on, Kya felt like she was being broken up with. Not that she ever experienced being broken up with before but this definitely felt like he was wanting to be away from her since he was being so vague and questioning her about their relationship and her father.
"I love you, Kya. I really do but-"
"But what? If you love me, why are you leaving so suddenly? Did I do something?" Kya didn't understand what was happening.
Uhara shook his head and kissed her forehead, "I'll write to you. I promise."
Kya wrapped her arms around him and refused to let him go as he tried pulling away from her. "Don't leave me! Please! Whatever I did I'm sorry! Please!"
"Kya, I need to go." Uhara pried her arms from around him.
"Please, Uhara, don't do this! I'm sorry!"
Kya fell on her knees as Uhara left, giving her a somber look before he went. She held her hands to her face and sobbed. "Don't leave me! I don't know what I did?!"
…..
The following few days were peaceful. Zuko's physical therapy was coming along well. He was able to stand for longer periods of time and be able to walk for a solid five minutes before needing to sit back down. Katara was in a much better mood with Ozai keeping his distance. He seemed to be paying attention to her location with the wards and avoided her at all cost. She didn't even get a glimpse of him. Just how she'd prefer it. However, things were a bit bland for her taste and while Zuko was resting like he typically did in the middle of the day to recover, she decided to go find Ozai and see what he was doing.
Out in the courtyard, sitting on the steps, Mailan sat in Ozai's lap looking over his strange appearance.
Holding both sides of her daddy's face, Mailan pouted and shook his head side to side. "I don't like your hair short, daddy. Or this mask. I like it better when you look pretty. Not scary."
Ozai let the little girl continue examining his new look as she sat in his lap facing him. He was a bit annoyed as of late and that was really an understatement. However, he did enjoy the childish banter that Mailan would give him. It was cute and so was she. Even though she was practically calling him ugly, it was lifting his mood a little.
"Will it grow back?" Mailan pulled on a short strand of his hair.
Giving her a head nod, he had to stop her from taking his mask off to see his face.
"Why are you hiding your face, daddy?"
"Because I'm really ugly now." He warned her.
Mailan pouted even more and folded her arms, "But I'll still love you."
"I don't want to scare you."
"You're scaring me now." Mailan's eyes watered.
Ozai sighed and pulled down his mask slowly, raking his hair back to show the claw marks that went into the left side of his scalp and ear. He watched Mailan's eyes widened, not in fear but curiosity. She decided she wanted to trace her fingers over his scars and the holes in his jaws. Her finger poked his teeth and he bit her. Mailan giggled and yanked her finger away.
"You look funny, daddy. I like it." She cupped his face and kissed his nose. "You're still pretty."
"You think so?" He grinned wickedly and Mailan's eyes widened again, this time she was scared.
Covering his face with her hands, "Only if you don't smile." Mailan shrieked.
Ozai laughed as he put his mask back on.
As he was tying his mask on, Mailan hopped out of his lap and ran over to someone. He glanced up and saw it was Katara. He became guarded immediately.
Katara shot Ozai a grin as she picked Mailan up and hugged her.
"Mommy, daddy is sad but I'm trying to cheer him up." Mailan said proudly.
"Is that so?" Katara beamed at her daughter and then Ozai.
Ozai's eye twitched. Something told him the gears were turning in her head. He watched as Katara began whispering in Mailan's ear before setting her down on her feet. Suddenly, he was wary of Mailan. She had her mother's face and he could see the little girl was up to something. She ran up to him and snatched his mask off his face before darting off with it.
Standing to his feet to confront Katara, Ozai was about to say something when she held her hand up and walked up to him.
"Zuko told me to be civil with you." She smiled sinisterly at him. "Our squabbles are causing uneasiness among the residents."
Somehow he felt Katara was no longer capable of being civil in hostile situations. Being the bigger person got her nowhere. No doubt she's found acting on her instincts are of better use to her. If the moment called for peace, she could be very peaceful but if the moment called for her wrath, then the gods be damned because she would leave vengeance to none of them.
"Also, I'm sorry for cutting your hair like that. I know you've had it that length for most of your life but on the bright side, I find you look much younger with the shorter hair, Ozai. Take ten years off the age you were when you stopped aging. What was it, forty? Now, you look thirty." Katara genuinely gave him the compliment.
Ozai only stared at her as she seemed to be trying to make friendly with him after a week of fighting him, altering his appearance, and making threats that turned out to be guarantees. He would be inclined to accept her apology had she not sent Mailan to take his mask and run off. Or if she didn't look like she was here to further assert that she was not one to fuck with. He was pretty convinced at this point. She needed not to reinforce that notion.
But, Ozai was a man of pride if anything and letting a woman get over on him, or anyone for that matter, it just couldn't be let go of. Because just like she wasn't one to be fucked with, neither was he.
Katara held her arms open for a hug, "Truce?"
Accepting the gesture, Ozai embraced her but had no real intentions of agreeing to the truce. Fuck your truce. A dagger rolled out of his sleeve and he severed her hair much like she had done to him. He smirked as they pulled apart and he waved her hair in her face.
Katara grinned back which had taken him aback. Her hair grew back instantly and she ran her hands through it, pulling it over her shoulder to hold out to him.
"Would you like to try again?" She offered.
Clenching his teeth as he tossed her hair aside in annoyance, "I really don't like this new you, waterbender."
"I'm sure you don't but I'm enjoying this new dynamic. I think we're finally equals."
"Not exactly."
"Yes, I guess I do have a bit of the upper hand, don't I?" That wasn't exactly what he was getting at but if she liked to believe that, he'd leave it alone.
Katara placed her hand on his chest and tilted her head as she felt him up. Ozai eyed her cautiously as she ran her hand over his chest and slowly made her way down. Her eyes lifted to him as she unbuttoned the lower part of the tunic he wore under his vest and robe. He grabbed her wrist to stop her when her nails raked over his navel, trailing downward to his waistband.
"Truce, Ozai." She reminded him.
Letting go of her hand, Ozai let her continue and move closer to him, glancing over her shoulder to see if anyone was around. When she saw they were alone, Katara got on her knees and unfastened the buckle of his belt. It didn't take her much longer to get to what she was looking for.
"I swear if you bite me-"
"I'm a little crazy but I'm not evil, Ozai." Katara pushed him to sit back on the steps and moved herself between his legs to pull out his throbbing member, taking it in her mouth without a second thought.
Hissing as he combed her hair from her face as she began pleasuring him, Ozai listened to her moan as her mouth watered the more she sucked on him and gagged when she forced him into the back of her throat. She moved her hands into the opening of his tunic to run her hands over his abs. He was about to take her off to his room to continue but she stopped him.
Catching her breath as there was drool all over her lips, Katara eyed him seductively and flipped her hair out of the way. "No, it's more thrilling if someone catches us."
Ozai was going to object until she took him back into her mouth and sucked him even harder. "Fuck!"
When he came, Katara drank every bit of it and climbed into his lap as he sat there dazed. She grinned and pressed her lips to his. He held her to him as he returned her gesture. However, as she went for an open mouth kiss, sticking her tongue in his mouth, she bird fed him his cum and grabbed him by his flaccid dick, threatening him to swallow. He glared at her as she raked her nails along his shaft.
Pulling her lips from his, Katara laughed as she continued holding his dick and squeezed it a little. "Now, we have ourselves a truce."
"You are one sick bitch." Ozai scowled up at her.
Tilting her head, "Moving forward, if you try anything else again, anything at all, I will indulge my curiosity on whether 'all' body parts regenerate on you." She squeezed his member to give him a hint. "Deal?"
"Deal."
Katara kissed the hole of his jaw and swept her hand over his short hair, "Good boy." She teased him.
Ozai sat up when she let go of him and climbed off of him.
"See ya around, Ozai." She waved at him before walking off, swaying her hips side to side.
Agni, he was hard again. Damn you, Katara.
…..
Slapping Ozai dead across his fucked up face, Hama glared at him maliciously and spat at his feet. The nerve of this bastard. To think he wanted to use her to get off. This wasn't like the times before when she allowed it because she felt like she owed him that much after what she cost him during the war but that guilt was gone. She wasn't anyone's play thing. Not unless she wanted to 'play' with them and she didn't want to play with Ozai anymore. He always called her out of her name and degraded her like the sick Fire Nation bastard who's nutsack he came from.
"You want to get your rocks off, go fuck women that want you and leave the rest of us the hell alone." Hama hissed viciously as her eyes glowed, fearing she would have to get physical with him if he touched her again.
Ozai glared at her, "If you didn't want to, you could have just said so. Why the fuck are you hitting me?"
Hama scoffed, "I look after the kids, look after you, and make sure shit doesn't go further south than it already has. But not because of you. This was never about you, Ozai. I don't do anything for your sake. You could drop dead for good and I wouldn't bat an eye. I do this for my granddaughter. For Katara. Not you. I stopped doing things for you when I stopped seeing my little prince in your eyes and started seeing men like your father in those yellow eyes of yours."
Infuriated on the spot, Ozai had never been compared to his father and never wanted to. This bitch knew his history with that son of a bitch and still opened her mouth to make such a comment.
"I'm going to just kill you and get this over with, Hama."
"Like I'd let you." Hama waved her hands, bloodbending and sending him into the bookcase of the sitting room. "Know your place, hotheaded asshole. You are beneath me."
Ozai growled as he clenched his fists, manifesting a white flame as he was about to burn the bitch alive. But before he could, Hama took a liquid form and slipped away just as he was about to strike her down.
Making her way through the palace unseen, Hama found her way to the bedroom of her granddaughter and found the woman was in her bathroom just getting out of the bath. Rising up beside Katara as she was combing out her wet hair, she noticed the woman didn't even flinch as she solidified herself and smirked in the mirror beside her.
"I'm leaving. Going back to our homeland. I wanted to say goodbye first. Don't know when I'll see you again." Hama expressed some lament behind the guise of her humorless grin.
Katara eyed the woman before casting her gaze down, "If I didn't know better, I'd think you gave a damn about me."
"I do. Though, I admit I've never been good at showing it." Hama confessed as her grin faded away.
"Can't say I blame you." Katara spared the woman another glance. "Having found myself stumbling down your path, I can understand you a bit better, though I can't say I see you as my grandmother."
"Fair."
"Will you tell my gram gram and father that I'm alive?"
"They will find out soon enough."
"Can you tell them otherwise?"
Hama furrowed her brows, "any reason why?
Katara looked away again as she placed her comb down, "Me dying once was hard enough for them. Dying again will kill them, don't you think?"
The older siren didn't say anything to that. She didn't have to. It was clear what Katara meant. Things were clearly about to get ugly and after learning that Zuko was now working for Atsou, Hama knew she was making the right decision getting the fuck away. She had been fighting far too long and was so tired of it that she could close her eyes now and sleep for a thousand years.
Placing her hand on the younger woman's shoulder and sighing, "Don't go rushing to your death, Katara. Your children have been motherless for long enough. Do what you have to and go home to them." Hama told her as a melancholy air fell over them. "I wish I went back to my child before they took her from me forever."
A tear formed in Katara's eyes as she swallowed her emotions. Hama sniffled as she pulled her granddaughter into her arms and hugged her tight.
"We've gotten this far. Giving up would feel cheap at this point. Let's see things through." Hama ran her hand over Katara's back as tears fell from both their eyes. "They've messed with the wrong Water Tribe women. One day we will return their 'kindness' to them tenfold. You hear me?"
Katara nodded.
"Take care of yourself, my love. I'll still watch out for the children. Don't worry your pretty little head."
Hama liquified herself and slipped from Katara's arms, disappearing off to her destination.
Staring at her fist as she clenched it. Hama was right. Dying was cheap at this point. There was plenty of debt to collect and she would make sure everyone that hurt her would pay up with interest.
…
Getting Zuko in bed for the night, Katara helped him out of his robes and daytime attire. He was looking at her strangely again and she really wished that he wouldn't. It didn't take a genius to know what was going through his head. There had always been this unspoken affection between them. One that they both suppressed and swallowed down with a tall glass of reality. Things would never work between them. They knew that already. Both of them. However, it never stopped either from wondering 'what if'. But those thoughts will get us nowhere, Zuko.
They had had a small chance. A window of opportunity to be together. Officially. At last. It was during that time the two of them conceived their only child together, Ryu. Katara admits that things would undoubtedly have turned out better if she hadn't run off to the North Pole with Arnook on some bullshit excuse of wanting to be accepted again. She shouldn't have cared about others' feelings about her. Not when someone really cared for her. And while she never mentioned it, not to Zuko, not to Ozai, not even to herself, but she wished she could go back in time. She would have stayed with Zuko. Despite what that would have looked like to others. They would have had their son Ryu and raised him together. She wouldn't have gotten so deep into the shit she was in now. Her life would have been at more ease, she believed. Zuko was a different person from his father. Kinder and gentler. Even when it didn't benefit him to be so.
"Zuko, I think we should ta-" Katara was cut off as Zuko pulled her to him, pressing his lips to hers as he cupped her face.
It was needy and desperate, just like his feelings. She tried not to cry as he continued trying to receive a response from her but she couldn't help it. Katara broke away and held her hands to her mouth as she gasped a cry. Kissing him had always been painful since she left him. There was guilt and regret and sorrow packed into each second that their lips touched and she couldn't deal with it. A lot of people had hurt her and done terrible things to her. A lot of people that she looked to save her, let her down. A lot of people were going to pay for it. But Zuko was not one of those people. No, he was the opposite. He was one of the people she had hurt unwarrantedly. He along with her children and family and friends, she had hurt them. And Katara swore she would make it up to all of them someday but for now, there was nothing she could offer anyone. Least of all, him.
"I'm sorry," Katara cried from behind her hands and shook her head. "I can't!"
A somber furrow fell over his brows as he looked at her. He felt rejected once again and honestly, he didn't know what it was that made her not want to be with him. He loved her. More than anything and he proved that time and time again. Didn't she understand that? What did she not like about him? Not to say he was an overwhelmingly great guy but he was better than his father and knew that despite the fighting between them, there were undertones of what the two of them really felt. No one just feuded with someone they didn't give a damn about.
"We should focus on just being friends, Zuko. I value our friendship too much to take anymore risks trying to revive something that was dead a long time ago." Katara rubbed her tears eyes. "Besides, your father and I, we still-"
"I know already." Zuko said with a bit of hurt in his voice. "But that didn't stop me from wanting you all these years."
"Zuko-"
"I'm still in love with you, Katara. That's never going to change. No matter what you do or who you end up with, my feelings will remain the same." Zuko stared hard at his hands.
Katara opened her mouth to say something but she didn't even know what to say. What could she say? Anything she said at this point would be repeating all she had said before and would only serve to hurt him more. She was speechless.
"I've been too passive about how I feel while someone like my father gets ahead of me and wins you over even in times where you two can't even stand the sight of each other. I'm done pretending that I don't feel this way. I'm done being silent. I want you to choose me."
The waterbender shook her head, "I'm of no value, Zuko. Stop doing this to yourself. It's sad."
"You pity me?" Zuko looked at her with a very hurt look on his face.
Katara nodded as she refused to look at him.
Swallowing the emotions that lodged in his throat, Zuko looked away from her and continued. "Either way, I've made my resolve. I'll make you-"
"It's late. I think it's been a long day and you need rest." Katara stated dismissively as she climbed to her feet and distanced herself from Zuko.
Deciding not to say anything more as the waterbender left, Zuko couldn't help but feel dejected; however, that was all about to change. He would see to it. Starting with putting an end to his father. In everything that went wrong with his life, Zuko could trace it all back to his father. His father would pay.
…
Morning came and Katara was hoping things wouldn't be totally awkward after last night. Zuko really hadn't stopped looking at her in that way. Not that she had a problem with it but she really wished he'd move on. He deserved to be happy with someone that wasn't messed up like her. Things would never really work. Especially not with his father never learning to back off. It was better for them to just remain friends.
Dressed in a light pink hanfu dress with a scarlet red sash, Katara wore her hair pinned up with a red beaded hairpin and lightly applied red paint. She wanted to go for a stroll in town after she got Zuko up this morning and do a little looking around. However, when she went to see him, he was out of his wheelchair on his own. He was clearly struggling but he sent her a look that told her to leave and quite honestly, she wasn't going to argue with him. They had a rough conversation a few hours ago. Space was clearly needed.
So as she left, she told the servants that Zuko required their assistance at the moment. She couldn't just leave him to struggle on his own when he was not yet ready to be walking without assistance. But on to the city we go. Katara really did like wandering the streets of the Fire Nation capital. It really cleared her mind and gave her a pleasant feeling she was in desperate need of at this very moment.
Pulling her fan from her sash, Katara fanned herself as it seemed today was an exceptionally hot day and she couldn't pull any water from the air to cool herself off. The one thing I hate about this place. Her eyes roamed about as she wandered the streets of the market district. She was pleased it wasn't busy or crowded. She could stroll freely without getting too many looks because of her hair. Katara was well aware people knew who she was and she stuck out like a sore thumb due to her silver hair. Anyone looking for her specifically only needed to look for a youthful looking woman with silver locks.
As she continued fanning herself, looking for something of interest, Katara noticed she was being followed. She glanced over her shoulder a few times as she proceeded to wander the market streets. No one appeared to be behind her. However, the presence was not unknown to her and she decided to glance at the flickering candle light in a shop to her right. She approached the shop with her arms folded.
The shop owner was about to approach her but Katara stopped them.
"How much for the candle?" She pointed at the one flickering.
The old man looked at her strangely, "Ugh...this is a rug shop. If you want a candle there's a shop down the road that sells-"
Katara pulled out her coin purse and handed it to the old man before taking a stepping stool to get the candle holder. She thanked him before walking out of the shop. Making her way to a back alley, Katara set the candle holder on a box and stepped back.
"I'm curious, Ozai. Are you trying to get castrated?" She held her hands on her hips and tilted her head.
The flame turned black and grew. The waterbender watched with very little amusement as Ozai took shape and was towering over her in the extremely tight alley they were in.
"I was merely following." He said resting his hands above her head on the wall she pressed her back to.
"Why?" Katara eyed him dangerously.
"Boredom. I haven't any duties to attend to so I figured I'd follow you out the palace."
Katara could see he was telling the truth. He didn't look hostile at the moment. He was wearing his casual attire. His short hair was not tired into a topknot, just styled for a casual day. Plus, they did call truce the last time they saw each other.
"Were you just going to watch me this whole time?"
Ozai shrugged.
"Okay, well, since I know you're there, let's not be creepy about it, hmmm?" Katara said as she started patting him down, looking for his pockets. Finding it, the waterbender pulled his coin purse out and weighed it in her hand. "This is all you carry on you?"
"I don't go out much." He retorted in a bit of annoyance as she just took his money.
Still she expected a monarch to have more money on them but it was fine. It was plenty more than she had and she just handed over her coin purse to an old shop owner. Katara figured since he was going to follow her around like the weirdo he was underneath it all, she was going to spend his money.
"Today's on you, Phoenix King." Katara grinned as she began making her way out the alley.
Ozai followed behind her and she grabbed his hand to pull him with her into a dress shop.
"Come, I need you to tell me what looks good on me."
There were certain things that normal men experienced that Ozai never had to deal with before. But one of the shared experiences normal men had that they all agreed they loathed, Ozai was about to have his first experience with. Shopping with a woman.
Three hours later, carrying boxes of clothes, accessories, perfume, and shoes, Ozai was in the worst mood he had been in a long while. Not only did this woman take his money and spend it on almost everything she laid eyes on but she had him doing the job of a fucking servant, carrying her things. He would have gone off on her for even suggesting he carry anything or dragged her out of the store after making him sit there and look at every dress she took into the changing room and Katara tried on everything in the shop. But he bit his tongue and controlled his impulses. Not only was his dick on the line here but she looked like she was genuinely having fun which he hadn't seen her look that gleeful since that time they went to his home village to watch the fireworks. It was worth it as long as she kept looking like that. Besides, she held onto his arm like she used to and it eased the brewing irritation he had for this shopping spree of theirs.
Making a quick stop back to the palace to drop her things off, Ozai grabbed more money and returned to her side in a minute's time. As soon as he was back, she yanked him off with her again to Agni knows wherever.
Ending up at a restaurant on the upper end of town, Katara had them sit on the upstairs balcony where they would be out of earshot of the customers. So far, no one recognized Ozai. His oni mask and short hair concealed his identity amongst the Fire Nation people. Only those that had been in the palace knew who he was.
Ordering damn near the entire menu, the waiter looked at Ozai, who only ordered a kettle of green tea and slices of ginger, and wondered if the woman planned on sharing her order with him.
"Oh, and I'll take some green tea too!" Katara said gleefully.
The waiter nodded and headed off to have the order fulfilled.
"Having a nice day?" Katara asked Ozai as he had tilted his back and pinched his eyes shut.
"I'm never shopping with you again. I will send a page boy with you the next time you want to do this." He groaned as he had a slight migraine.
Snorting, "It had to be better than the last few weeks with all the fighting, right?"
"I think I liked the fighting more." Ozai confessed. "Getting manhandled by a woman much smaller than me was less humiliating than this shit."
Katara pouted and looked away from him, "Well, I had fun."
"Spending all my money, you damn well should have. I'd be pissed if you weren't having fun." He finally opened his eyes and saw her resting her chin in her hand as she looked over the balcony.
Sighing, Katara blew on her lips and tapped her fingers on the table. "Wish we could have had more days like this and not have fought so much. Granted, it was a nice workout but still, I don't like hurting you, Ozai. Only reason I'm working with your brother is to see what I can do to save you. Kind of defeating the whole purpose if I'm smashing your head into a wall."
"I don't need to be saved, waterbender. I can understand if there is something bigger than myself going on but if you're only trying to save me, you should quit and just come home with me." Ozai told her.
La, she wished it was just that but there were other things that Atsou was planning. Things she wasn't exactly sure about but she speculated were possibly going to send the world back into chaos. She was sure her mission in Bei Seng Sei would allow her to find out much more than she knew now.
Their food, or rather Katara's food and Ozai's tea had finally come out. The waterbender ignored the look her ex-husband was giving her as she stuffed her face. She was sort of a binge eater these days. Purposely eating small portions for a time only so she could pig out at the most opportune time. Shoving fried pig fat dipped in oyster sauce and half a bowl of fire flake rice in her mouth, Katara managed to fit a strip of steak into her mouth with ease.
Ozai stopped watching after she started getting carried away. He couldn't even drink his tea.
Noticing Ozai wasn't drinking or eating, Katara raised a brow. "How do you eat or drink anyway with your face being all...ya know?"
"Before, I'd have to tilt my head back but now, thanks to your little gift of frostbite, I just do this."
Halting the thermal heat he distributed through his body to his face with his bending, Ozai pulled his mask down to show her that holes in his face were freezing over. He went onto pour himself a cup of the tea he ordered and drank it, no problem. Returning the heat to his face, Ozai blew steam out his nose and relaxed.
"So, can I feed you and you just tilt your head back?" Katara asked him.
Ozai gave her a look, "No, thank you."
"Then, I guess I'll have to get rid of the frostbite before I leave. I'm sure it keeps you from going all out."
"I'll keep it. It'll keep me from accidentally killing you in a future fight."
Lifting a brow, "Is that so? I doubt that somehow."
"I'll show you."
"A friendly fight?" Katara smirked. "I like it. We can fight the night before I leave and if I win, I want you to go shopping with me again."
Ozai scoffed, "If I win, you'll have to let me in on everything you know regarding Atsou. I don't like being left in the dark."
"Sounds fair." The waterbender held her hand out to shake on it.
"Also, you have to sleep with me before you leave." Ozai smirked as he took her hand and shook it.
Katara rolled her eyes, "Pervert."
"You bird fed me my own semen but I'm the pervert?"
"Shut up, that was payback for having sex with my father." Katara threw a vegetable at his face.
Slapping the carrot away before it hit his face, "You know?" Ozai was bewildered.
"That and you talk shit about me when you're drunk. I'm the water woman you should have never laid eyes on because your life is ruined." Katara mocked him. "I guess that makes you the fire bastard I shouldn't have opened my legs to cause you really fucked up my life."
"The price you pay for the best fuck of your life." Ozai snorted.
"Oh, fuck you, Ozai."
"When?"
…
Zuko was sitting in his sitting room staring out the window with a cup of tea in his hands as pondered on his conversation with Katara last night as well as what the future held when a black flaming portal opened in his fire pit. His gold eyes shifted to the fire pit for a moment before he resumed gazing out the window. He didn't think Atsou paid personal visits. Assume that he used his goonies to do his bidding, seeing as Atsou managed to go unseen for over sixty years and still maintain a hold on the events that took place in the world.
Wearing his fox mask, Atsou approached the Fire Lord in his black and red robes. He went to stand in his nephew's view and loomed over his seated form. Zuko glanced up with an indifference lingering in his eyes.
"You've gotten better. Seems our special girl has been tending to you relentlessly." Atsou's tone had a hit of humor in it.
Sucking his teeth as he reverted his eyes from the fox-masked individual, "And still finds the time to get fucked by my father."
"Well, that didn't take long." Atsou laughed. "But no matter, let them have their fun. It'll work in our favor soon enough to bring down your father."
Even so, Zuko rather there be a different course of action. One that didn't involve whoring Katara out to his father all over again.
Reaching to take the mask from his face, Atsou shook his hair a little as he smirked at the uncomfortable look on Zuko's face. Just like Katara, Zuko found it unnerving to see a man that wasn't his father, have the same face as his father. You'll get used to it soon enough.
"He and I are not completely identical." Atsou winked as he took a seat across from the Fire Lord and crossed his legs. "I heard he has a haircut now."
Sipping his tea, No thanks to Katara.
"Anyway, I wasn't expecting Katara to attract so much attention to herself while here. It puts the mission I plan to send her on in a compromising position. I was going to send her alone but it would be putting her in a bad position. So, I want you to look out for her while she is there. The Earth King has never been fond of her and I can't have him making moves against her when I've arranged his death to be at the hands of someone else."
Zuko agreed to provide aid to Katara on her mission. It wasn't going to be a problem. They had worked together in the past. It would be like old times again and he was all for it.
Grinning as he placed his mask back on and stood, "Great. I'll let you both in on the details when I return to retrieve her in a week's time. In the meantime," Atsou manifested a black flame and held it out to Zuko. "Take this."
There were a lot more properties to black flames than many knew or believed. They were only ever wielded by phoenixes but could oftentimes be used by those of dragon's blood if bestowed to them by a phoenix. Though, dragons used them differently. They were only really used to revitalize the soul or body of a dragon as it served as a medical property for their kind. It was rare for any to use them in the ways that phoenixes used black flames and in those cases, they weren't as powerful for them. Zuko was a rare case as he had some phoenix blood in him. Very little and was barely existent but enough for Atsou to believe it would help Zuko serve his purpose.
"Once your health is restored, confront Katara and let her know the two of you are on the same side. It'll come as a shock but it's nothing she isn't used to."
…
"Not even a kiss?"
"Because you don't only want a kiss."
"Of course not but I'll settle for now."
"I'm not going down that rabbit hole with you again, Ozai." Katara tried closing the door as Ozai was trying to get in her room.
Laughing, "You say that but you'll come crawling back to me in no time." He finally let her shut the door in his face.
Katara sighed and shook her head as she rested it against the door. "Why can't we just be friends?"
"When have I ever wanted to 'just' be friends with you?" Ozai scoffed.
"You've been trying to fuck me since we met."
"Not try, I did."
"Shut up and just go to your rooms already!" Katara shouted as she started to get annoyed.
"I'll leave a puddle of water by the bed tonight. You know where to find me."
Katara rolled her eyes as she heard Ozai laughing as he walked away. Tui and La, she was starting to agree with his earlier statement. The fighting was better time spent but even then, he was trying to ride up her ass. Groaning as she walked over to her bed where all the things she bought, or rather what Ozai bought, Katara pulled out some of the dresses and tried them back on. She wanted to twirl in them. They were so pretty. Though not as pretty at the things she's worn in the past, these were still the nicest clothes she currently owned. It would give her something to wear when she got to Bei Seng Sei.
Twirling in the mirror, Katara noticed black flames form behind her and sucked her teeth.
"You know, if you're this desperate to sleep with me, you could always return the favor from yesterday."
While Katara was distracted with undoing the tie of her dress, she felt a pair of hands circle around her waist as a tall form pressed against her from behind and a pair of lips pressed to her neck.
"Return what favor?"
The lighthearted feeling she had suddenly disappeared as a cold chill ran down her spine.
"What? Expecting someone else?"
Katara was shoved into her dresser and turned around to look up at Zuko, her eyes wide with confusion and uncertainty.
"Don't look so surprised." Zuko smirked as he rustled his hair a little. "You saw the brand on my neck and I'm sure it struck you as odd that Atsou let me out alive."
Swallowing hard as she shook her head, "Don't tell me you-"
"My father had his chances to prove he was a better man but he keeps falling into the same cycle of corruption and selfishness. I had to watch him screw up with Kya and Zhiar just like he did with me and Azula. He gets to do as he likes causing everyone around him unnecessary trouble but lives like he doesn't have a care in the world. Why should a man like him continue to exist?" Zuko furrowed his brows as his fists tightened.
Shaking her head as she was in disbelief, "No, no, you can't be serious, Zuko. Do you know what Atsou plans to do to him?"
"Yes and I'm okay with that. You should be too. What favors has my father ever done you? Look at all the shit you've had to go through because of him."
"Atsou arranged it all, Zuko!"
"You two are obviously involved again." Zuko approached her and stood over her, slapping his hand on the dresser behind her as he leaned forward in her face. His eyes looked over her. "I really don't see how you can pick him over me. I've always been in your corner. I looked out for my half-siblings for fear of what he might do to them and went out of my way to see you in the North Pole while he grew to hate you for merely believing he crossed you. I've always been there for you and the children and you still want him over me."
Breathing heavy as she clenched her teeth, Katara's eyes were narrowed on him and did her best to not punch him in his throat
Zuko took her by her chin, "What does he do for you that I don't? Because I promise you, I'm far better than he is."
"Get the fuck away from me!" Katara slapped his hand away from her and shoved him. "I can tolerate your father being a pig because that's who he is. But you, Zuko, you are not him. Stop comparing yourself to him. The two of you are two entirely different people."
"If that is so, what makes him better?!"
"Nothing. I don't love him because he's better or worse than you."
"Then why?! Why do you even love a monster like him?!"
Katara folded her arms and tilted her head, "Asking me that is like asking why there are four nations of four different elements. Or why the sky is the color it is. I neither know the answer nor do I care to ponder on it for too long for fear it will drive me further into madness. It simply is what it is, Zuko. Why bother asking these things when it changes nothing?"
Sucking his teeth as he scowled at her, "You're right. It's pointless to wonder. Either way, my father will meet his end."
"I won't allow that."
"You don't have a choice." Zuko cracked a small grin. "You know what happens if you diverge from Atsou's plan and I won't let you get my siblings killed because you want to fuck my father until the end of time. Enjoy what little time there is because soon, he will meet his maker."
Katara was truly taken aback. She hadn't looked at Zuko like this since back when he was originally her foe. This couldn't be. Zuko wasn't vindictive. This wasn't like him. Something had to be wrong.
"Don't be too sad, Tara. I'll still be here. Maybe you'll finally agree to marry me when he's out of the picture."
…..
A/N:
There is never any rest in this fucked up family but don't worry people, things will get better….eventually lol
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