Zuko kneeled and inhaled and then exhaled slowly. Breath control was the first lesson you learned as a firebender. The second was control of the flame. Zuko thought back to all the hours his firebending teacher made him keep the flame burning on a candle without melting the wax. Control and power. That's what it was all about. He could take General Anzai in the agni kai. The general was old, slow, and battle worn. He did not have as much control as he once did and his bending lacked power. He couldn't lose.
Though his heart was pounding fast he was not scared. He was not excited either he was ready to show his father how much his firebending had improved, and Azula too. They would see finally that he was not weak and that his ideas had merit. After this his father would honor him in the same way that he honored Azula. He rose to his feet ready to fight. This would be a short agni kai he was sure of it. He turned to face his opponent and saw not General Anzai, but The Fire Lord. His father. Zuko's breath caught in his throat. There had to be some mistake. Surely his father didn't expect him to duel against him in an agni kai.
"Please, father, I only had the fire nation's best interest at heart! I'm sorry I spoke out of turn!"
"You will fight for your honor."
This was a nightmare and any minute now he'd wake up. Or perhaps a test of loyalty. Yes, that had to be it. All his father wanted from him was an act of contrition to make up for the way he'd disrespected him. Once his father saw how sorry he truly was all of this would be over. "I meant you no disrespect. I am your loyal son." He lowered himself to the ground kowtowing before his father in complete supplication.
"Rise and fight, Prince Zuko!"
"I won't fight you." He couldn't fight his father, and not just because his father could out bend him, but because it was his father. How could he even think of bending at him? What if he burned him? He couldn't and wouldn't do that to his own father and he refused to believe that his father would do that to him.
"You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher."
Crying was the trait of a weak and shameful person he knew it, but no matter how hard he fought against them the tears still came.
"Zuko! Zuko! Are you all right? Can you hear me?"
Zuko blinked several times as the sights and sounds of Ba Sing Se slowly came back to him as if he were looking through a pair of binoculars that were slowly coming into focus. He wondered how long he been lost to his memory because he felt as if he'd been lifted out of a dark cave he'd been living in for weeks.
"I'm fine Katara."
"Are you sure?" I was calling your name for awhile."
She looked scared for him. He could see it in her eyes that she thought he was some poor fragile thing and any second now he would completely break down.
"I told you I'm fine!" He snapped.
"Then can we get going." She snapped back.
He sighed. Great now he'd made her angry. "Look just stay close to me and keep an eye on your surroundings." Zuko instructed. "The moment you let your guard down is the moment you get hurt."
He had a love hate relationship with Ba Sing Se. It wasn't long ago that he was among one of the nameless faceless people who walked the streets in the city of walls and secrets, and everyone in the city had secrets. Secrets of their own that they'd like to forget, but it was a futile effort secrets were like the past; you couldn't forget them any more than you could out run them. Ba Sing Se held the secrets of the highest and lowest moments of his past life, and now that it was nearing the anniversary of his banishment from the Fire Nation all of those secret memories he'd like to forget were flooding back into his brain.
A week after he had been banished he managed to sneak back into the Fire Nation only to find every square inch of the country had been plastered with posters declaring him a traitor and the number one enemy threat to the Fire Nation. Anyone found aiding or abetting him would face a life sentence in the boiling rock. Seeing those posters was like being burned all over again. His father had made sure that he'd never be able to return home. Zuko stood there staring at the poster for so long that an angry mob had almost over taken him. He had to run for his life and if it wasn't for his uncle he would have never gotten out of the Fire Nation in one piece.
After escaping the Fire Nation he'd sailed aimlessly around the world for a year until his scrap heap of a ship had broken down forcing him onto dry land. He and his uncle ended up in Ba Sing Se lost among the other refugees seeking shelter and asylum within the walls of the city. With no money and no identification and none of the power or influence that used to open doors for them they had to eke out a living in the Lower Ring. His new life was the complete opposite to the old life that he was used to living. He had hated it at first; hated everything about the city the noises, the smells, and the never ending stream of people. He hated having to work his fingers to the bone in a tea shop all day only to be given a pittance that didn't even come close to paying for all of the things that he and his uncle needed.
Everyday his resentment and self pity about his living conditions grew until his uncle, who was probably sick of his bitching, but had the good grace not to let on, told him that life happened wherever you were and it happened whether you made something of it or not. Once he accepted that what his uncle was telling him was the truth he got used to his new life and some days he even enjoyed his life, but Ba Sing Se wasn't home and he realized that even if his wish did come true and he finally did get to return home one day nothing about it would ever feel the same again.
Katara had never been to the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se before; her first time was certainly an eye opening experience. Viewing the city was like viewing the scene of an accident there was something fascinating and horrifying about it all at once. Houses and buildings were so close together that if one chose they could reach right out and touch their neighbor through their open windows. No one owned a proper yard just strips of grass; if the owners were lucky there might be a small tree growing on their property. Everywhere Katara looked there was something to see. Laundry hung from balconies and rooftops. Livestock was paraded up and down the streets. Several elderly ladies were cooking food in squat little stone fire pits right on the edge of their property. Couples argued in the middle of crowded thoroughfares while friends met up in the entryway of shops. In some alleyways children played games while other unscrupulous people conducted illegal business right out in broad daylight.
"Aren't they worried about getting caught by the Dai Li?" Katara asked as she watched one man selling jewelry that he had on display on the inside of the vest he was wearing.
"Not really. What ever dealings their doing they figure is well worth the risk besides they've got lookouts all over the city." Satoru explained. "In Ba Sing Se you make it by hook or by crook."
Every village, town, and city had its own feel it's own energy that made it unique to any other place in the world. Ba Sing Se gave off the same energy as a rapidly flowing river. The city was constantly moving and changing carrying anyone and anything along in it's stream to be a part of something bigger. People from different walks of life all lived their lives right in streets that were so congested that you couldn't walk two feet without brushing up against someone. The voices of the vendors screaming about their wares rose above the chatter of the general population. All of the voices speaking simultaneously sounded like the buzzing from the inside of a hive of buzzard wasps. The Lower Ring wasn't just an experience for Katara's eyes it was also an experience for her olfactory system, but in this case it was one experience Katara wished that her olfactory system didn't have to have. The Lower Ring's scent; if you could call it that was a nauseating mixture of everything all at once. Food, animals and their waste mixed with unwashed bodies, and if that smell alone wasn't enough to make her gag, the flowers and the fresh and rotten produce mixed with the spices, scented oils, and fish stalls was.
"We're almost there." Satoru said.
Thank the Spirits Katara thought, and then felt immediately guilty for thinking that way. She certainly had no right from her place of privilege to judge the city from what she saw within a fifteen minute walk. And it certainly didn't give her the right to judge everyone within it's walls. Not everyone in the Lower Ring was a criminal and not everyone who lived here wanted to live this way, but thinking that still didn't make her feel safe and she wouldn't until they left.
"Here we are."
They had stopped at a small brick house. A thin mean looking dog in the alley between houses stopped eating from a bag of garbage that it had tore open and barked at their small group. Satoru rapped on the door with his knuckles.
A few seconds later a tall young man with glasses answered. "Hey, Satoru what are you doing here?"
"Hello, Maliq mind if my friends and I come in?"
"Not at all. Any friend of Satoru's is a friend of mines."
The group stepped into the house.
"Sorry to show up unannounced, but Prince Zuko and Princess Katara are here on business of sorts."
"Oh, wow. To what do we owe this privilege?"
"Is Toph here? We need to speak with her." Zuko demanded.
"Er, she isn't here." Maliq said.
"What do you mean she isn't here." Zuko snapped.
"She had something dodgy to take care of. I tried to stop her from going, but you can't stop Toph once she sets her mind to do something."
"Maliq, stop being rude! Offer the Prince and Princess a seat." A young woman with short reddish-brown hair called out from the galley style kitchen. "I'm honored to meet both of you, but especially you princess Katara, I'm Malina, Maliq's twin sister." She came out of the kitchen and bowed deeply."I was just fixing dinner it would be an honor to have the two of you join us."
Katara recognized the dress that Malina wore at once. It was made popular by the late princess Yue and a favorite among women of the Northern water tribe.
"They're from the Northern water tribe!" Katara spun around to face Satoru. "Why would you bring me to the home of anyone from the Northern water tribe?" Without another word she headed straight for the front door and yanked it open. She wasn't going to spend another minute in this house. She didn't care if they knew where Toph was or not.
"Princess please wait!" Malina cried out. "Yes, we are from the North but please don't hold that against us. Not everyone from the Northern water tribe agrees with Chief Pakku or supports the war. Anyway my brother and I might be Northern water tribe, but We've spent far more time in the Earth Kingdom than we have the North. We're students of Ba Sing Se university majoring in Engineering and I'm minoring in history." Malina explained.
Katara paused on the first step of the front porch. Malina was right it wasn't fair of her to judge them after all she was going to be a Fire Lady, and if she could give the Fire Nation a second chance surely she could extend the same to people from her sister tribe. She turned around and stepped back into the house.
"I'm sorry for storming out. It's nice to meet you too." Katara said. "Thank you for inviting us to dinner we'd love to stay."
Though the house wasn't grandiose inside or out as the Beifong Estate she couldn't help but fall in love with it. The walls were covered with pictures of family. The furniture was water tribe. In the corner a whatnot shelf proudly displayed all too familiar water vases and tribal figurines. Handwoven rugs covered the old warped floorboards. The house had the charm of looking lived in and loved. It was a homey look she was used to. She felt the ache of homesickness down to her bones.
"Do you have any idea where Toph might have gone?" Zuko asked Maliq.
"To shake down the dumb asses, Toph's words not mine, who took her father's metal. So I guess back to Gaoling."
Zuko swore under his breath. "Well this has been an utter waste of time."
"We can send a messenger hawk to Li Na and Suki to be on the lookout for Toph." Katara reasoned.
"Only one problem does Suki even know what Toph looks like?" Zuko asked.
Suki had stayed behind to check out the outrigger factory with Aimi since Satoru was no longer going, and Zuko feared that the more people that showed up looking for Toph the harder it would be for him to convince her to come back home.
"I can take care of that. Send her this." Maliq slapped a wanted poster into Zuko's chest.
"Wanted:The Blind Bandit known confidence trickster at large. Extremely dangerous proceed with caution, what in the hell?"
Katara looked at the poster. There was a drawing of Toph that at least gave Katara a rough idea of what she looked like. Under the drawing of her it listed all of the crimes she'd committed; there were a lot of crimes listed.
The noises of Malina preparing dinner in the kitchen came to an abrupt halt. "Yes, Maliq what in the hell is going on? Since when is Toph a confidence trickster?"
"Since the carnivals started coming to town."
"Don't tell me all those times you went to those carnivals with Toph you were acting as a shill in her schemes."
"I wasn't involved and anyway Toph only cheated cheaters."
"So that makes it all right?" Malina slammed a dish down and slopped some kind of broth onto the counter.
"It at least makes it less wrong."
"Whatever. Stop distracting me I need to finish getting dinner ready."
"Hopefully that will be any minute now." Zuko's eyes looked pointedly up at the clock on the wall.
"So, how did Toph end up living with the two of you?" Katara asked.
Satoru and Maliq began laughing.
"Toph and I used to steal food from the diner where Maliq works. He always tried to catch us in the act but we we're too sneaky;then one day we got careless and he caught us. He told us we could either pay for our food or fight him and earn our dinner."
"Toph took you up on that challenge didn't she?" The corner of Zuko's mouth turned up into a half smile.
"How was I supposed to know that a little blind girl could earthbend so well?"
"Wait, if you thought she was a little blind girl why would you challenge her in the first place?" Katara asked.
"Don't ask my brother a logical question." Malina said. "You won't get a logical answer."
Maliq shook his head. "She knew every move I was going to make before I even made it. I never saw anything like it in my life."
"After Toph beat him he offered us free lunch everyday and a place to sleep at night."
"That was nice. I'm sure Toph's parents will be happy to know she hasn't been sleeping out on the street every night. I know I am and I don't even know her." The more people talked about Toph the more Katara wanted to meet her. She seemed larger than life and she wondered if the real life version of her could live up to the caricature everyone else had painted of Toph in her mind.
Zuko wasn't interested in old anecdotes about Toph. His legs bounced up and down and he drummed his fingers on the arm of the love seat. It seems there was no cure for his irritated mood. It was going to be a loooong day. Zuko's restless energy was making Katara feel agitated, so while he tried to stomp a hole into the floorboards she got up from her seat and away from him. She walked over to the opposite side of the room were all of the family pictures were displayed. In the middle of the wall was a picture of whom Katara presumed to be Maliq and Malina's grandparents. The portrait was taken on their wedding day. The woman in the aged sepia picture was wearing a wedding dress that was similar to the one her own Gran-gran had worn on her wedding day.
"Is this wedding picture of your grandparents?" She asked.
"Yes. Our grandmother Yugoda and grandfather, Kiviaq, are both alive and still living in the North." Malina called out from the kitchen.
"Your grandmother and grandfather make a beautiful couple."
"Thank you."
Katara wondered how long Yugoda and Kiviaq had been married to each other. If her grandfather hadn't of been killed in the war he and her Gran-gran would still be married. The same with her parents. If her mother had not been murdered she'd still be married to her father. She looked back at her husband. He'd stopped drumming his fingers on the armrest but his legs were still bouncing up and down and she wondered why he didn't get up and come look at the pictures with her. With a family like his drowning your sorrows in nostalgia was probably not therapeutic in the way it was for her. She crossed the room and sat back down next to him and rested her hand on one of his bouncing knees. He'd been in a bad mood ever since they had to detour their trip from Gaoling to Ba Sing Se. She wasn't happy about it either, but for him it seemed personal .
Zuko leaned over and whispered in Katara's ear. "Why are we wasting time with these two when we need to be looking for Toph and Lao's metal."
"You said a little diplomacy goes a long way. This is us being diplomatic." Katara whispered back. "These two don't have much, but they've gone out of their way to accommodate us. The least we could do is stay and have dinner, and it will show that as the future Fire Lord you're invested in people outside of your status and own culture."
"Fine we'll stay, but the minute this dinner is over we're going back to Gaoling."
"I'm sure dinner is almost done. Can't you smell it cooking?"
Zuko sniffed the air. "Is that Gaipan old duck soup I smell?"
"It most certainly is."
"I love Gaipan old duck soup."
"I know." Malina said. "I also made fish balls for you Princess Katara. I know how much you like them."
"Know-it-all." Maliq coughed-spoke.
Malina rolled her eyes. "Oh I'm a know-it-all? Meanwhile minoring in history got me a job at a museum as a water tribe historical guide, and you work as a waiter at that grease ball diner." She turned away from her brother and faced Katara. "Our grandmother is a fervent historian especially water tribe history. She knows everything there is to know about the history of both tribes, she's the one that got me interested in studying history in the first place."
Katara smiled. "That's nice. I'm close with my Gran-gran too."
"Maliq don't just sit there come and set the table." Malina ordered.
"Just because your five minutes older than me doesn't make you the boss of me." Maliq said.
"I know it's the fact that I'm smarter than you that makes me the boss. Now shut up and set the table."
Maliq grumbled under his breath but set the table anyway.
"Dinner is ready everyone let's sit down and eat."
The dining room table wasn't very big but everyone managed to fit around it Katara was sat across from Maliq.
"You will remember your manners won't you?" Malina asked. "Don't chew with your mouth open or spit your bones out on the plate."
"Yes, mother dear."
Katara laughed. The dynamic between Malina and Maliq reminded her of the one between her and Sokka."It's been awhile since I've been back home, but being here with the two of you reminds me of my own family." Katara said.
"So I guess some of the ways of the North stuck with Kanna after all." Maliq said.
"What? How do you know my grandmother's name?" Katara wanted to know.
"She's from the North." Maliq said.
Katara put her fork down on her plate. "Oh, no. I'm sorry you must be confused both of my grandparents are from the Southern water tribe."
"Sorry, but you're the one that's confused. Not me."
All eyes at the dinner table shifted to Katara.
"I'm not confused. My grandmother isn't from the Northern water tribe."
"I'm afraid my brother is right. She is. She was best friends with our grandmother and she told us all about Kanna."
Katara shook her head. "That can't be true. If she was from the North why wouldn't she tell me?"
"I'm not sure but my guess would be that maybe she didn't want you to know she was a runaway bride."
"Runaway bride?"
"Yes. At age sixteen your grandmother was in an arranged marriage with chief Olayuk's son, Pakku, but instead of getting married to him she ran away to the Southern water tribe. I'm sorry I thought you knew."
Once when Katara was a child she'd been fishing with her father and Sokka and fell out of the canoe right into the freezing cold waters of the Hanyewi. The cold had been such a shock to her nervous system that she felt like everything within her body began shutting down all at once. Even waterbending seemed to be beyond her capabilities in that moment of initial shock. The moment the words left Malina's lips Katara had that same feeling.
"Are you OK?" Zuko whispered.
No she wasn't. She had to travel halfway around the world to find out that her Gran-gran was from the Northern water tribe, and not only that but she had been in an arranged marriage to Pakku. Her life was spiraling out of control faster than she could live it. As soon as she tried to solve one problem another one popped up. Bato's death was still fresh on her mind and now this. Wasn't she allowed to slow down or breathe?
She and her Gran-gran talked about everything; was being a runaway bride such a bad thing that she had to keep it some big secret? If someone like Malina knew did that mean her father knew as well? He had to have known, but he'd kept it a secret from ? She didn't know how she was staying composed when she wanted to fly apart. Having so many questions with no one to answer them made her want to scream. She wanted to flip everything off of the dinner table and break all of the dishes. She was tired of being the dutiful daughter. If her Gran-gran didn't have to marry the man she'd been arranged to marry then why did she have to? Why did her Gran-gran get to marry for love and not her?
"I think we should be going now." Zuko said. He tossed his napkin down on the table and got up from his seat.
"My brother and his big mouth. We are so so sorry." Malina said. "I hope you're not upset with us."
"No It's fine really, it wasn't, but my husband is right we really need to be going. Thanks so much for dinner." She had to get out of that house before she fell apart. Once they stepped outside Katara took in a deep breath of the rancid air of the Lower Ring.
"Every family has secrets." Zuko said. "Mines has as many secrets as there are grains of sand in the Si Wong Desert."
"Katara can I talk to you for a second?" Malina asked from the doorway of her house. "I know you said everything was fine, but I know that it's not. I also know that we can't make up for what was said, but we would like to offer you some help."
"Really it's not necessary."
"I think you might want to take us up on this offer." Malina stepped aside and her brother Maliq stood beside her. "I know someone who can help you find Toph."
"Who?"
"My ex-girlfriend. Her name's June and she can find anyone anywhere in the world."
"That's great, Zuko cocked his head to the side, why did you wait until now to tell us about this miracle worker ex of yours?"
"Does it matter? He's helping us now." Katara countered.
"She's hanging out at the Rabid Wolfbat, it's a bar at the end of the street if you want her help."
Zuko crossed his arms over his chest. "Why would your ex help you let alone help us?"
"We broke up amicably and she owes me a favor."
"Whatever, take us to her." Zuko ordered.
Maliq lead the way. Katara reached for Zuko's hand but he ignored her. She sighed she didn't know what his problem was but she was sick and tired of him acting like a jerk. If something was bothering him why couldn't he just tell her what it was instead of bottling it up and blowing up at everyone? Well if he thought he could keep treating her this way he was wrong. In fact he was two seconds from getting a piece of her mind diplomacy be damned.
Zuko didn't have to ask which building was the Rabid Wolfbat. It was easy to spot. It was the building a drunken man was peeing on the outside of, and as they made their way to the entrance a patron was flung out of it's open doors.
They entered the bar and were assailed by the smell of beer, smoke, and vomit. "Nice place." Zuko said as he lifted his booted foot off of the sticky barroom floor. "I can practically smell the STDs."
Maliq shrugged. "It's where June gets most of her clients."
The group made their way towards the back of the crowded bar until they came upon a table with a single occupant. Her feet were up on the table as she drank a glass of whiskey.
"Maliq, what are you doing here babe, and why are you with these two?"
"They need you to find someone for them."
"They got money?" June asked.
"More than you'll ever have." Zuko replied. "We're looking for a friend of mines and your ex-boyfriend says you can find anyone anywhere in the world."
"That's one of the few things he's right about. Give me twenty thousand gold pieces and something that belonged to your friend and I'll find them."
"You get half now and the other half when you prove to me that you can actually do your job and find my friend."
"Wow, prince charming how can I refuse with an offer like that." June swung her legs off of the table and downed the rest of her whiskey. "So are we doing this are not? I don't have all day to waste."
Zuko was aware of Katara's eyes boring a hole into the back of his head. He couldn't see the look on her face but if he were to turn around and see it he'd drop dead on the spot. He wanted to tell her why he was in such a bad mood but he couldn't. She didn't know it was nearing the anniversary of his banishment. It happened five years ago but it still hurt and that made him angry. He should be over it by now. In the battle between him and his father he had triumphed. He was the future Fire Lord and his father was nothing but a disgrace left to rot in prison. No longer the Fire Lord to his country his father was a tiger without teeth or claws, but even without the teeth and the claws he still found a way to hurt him and why he still let his father rent space in his head was beyond him.
"We're doing this." Katara said and shook hands with June to seal the deal. "We'll have to go back to Maliq's house to get something of Toph's first."
"I'll order a carriage." Zuko said. It wasn't long before the carriage came and as the group made their way over to their ride Katara walked ahead of everyone else, but more noticeably walked well ahead of him. She got into the carriage and didn't even bother to look at him when he sat down beside her. If he told her about why he was so moody she'd probably understand. In fact he knew that she would, and she would do all that she could to ease the burden he'd been carrying for so long, but she had just found out about her grandmother, and was still dealing with the loss of Bato, to expect her to pick him up over a five year old incident felt selfish and weak.
"If you have something that your friend touched recently or often it would make this process go a lot faster." June informed them.
"I know just the thing." Maliq said, and as the carriage slowed down in front of his house he jumped out and disappeared inside.
"What's taking him so long?" Zuko asked after a few minutes. "We don't have all day to just sit around and wait." The sooner they got out of Ba Sing Se the better he would feel.
"I got it!" Maliq called as he came back out of his house with Toph's wanted poster. "She touched this a lot even though she couldn't read it. It was a treasured item for her."
"Took you long enough."
"Sorry your royal highness I didn't realize I was on your payroll."
"Play nice boys." June said in stepped in between the two men.
"What's wrong with you, Zuko?" Katara asked.
"Nothing. I just want to get going."
The group filed back into the carriage. Zuko sat next to Katara who still wasn't speaking to him, not that he could blame her, but that didn't stop her from giving him several concerned glances when she thought he couldn't see her.
June's place was in the middle ring which came as a shock to Zuko. She didn't look like someone who would enjoy life in the middle ring. It was harder to break the rules the higher up you lived on the food chain. Then again Maliq said she picked up most of her clients at that dive bar back in the lower ring.
"This is my place."
Her home was a nice size with a huge back yard that housed a creature that Zuko had never seen before in his life. It was brown with a black stripe down it's back. It had a long snout with a pink starburst shaped nose at the end. It's tail was huge as were it's claws which looked perfect for eviscerating someone. The beast whatever it was must not have liked anyone staring because it opened it's mouth to reveal a set of razor sharp teeth. Not satisfied with just bearing it's fangs the hideous beast shot out a whip like tongue and unfurled it past his face narrowly hitting him.
"Hey! Control that damn thing!" He shouted as he jumped out of harm's way.
"She's not a thing. Her name is Nyla, my shirshu."
"Whatever." Zuko said and handed the wanted poster to June. "This is something Toph handled quite a bit. Apparently she was very proud of it."
June snatched the wanted poster from Zuko. "Yeah, I know. I was in the carriage when Maliq told us about it prince pouty."
"Satoru can you head back to Gaoling and let them know we may have located the stolen metal. If we're not back by the day's end assume we're in trouble."
"Of course prince Zuko."
June held Toph's wanted poster under Nyla's nose. The shirshu sniffed and then stood upright and alert. "Get on or get left behind." She ordered.
Zuko had barely gotten Katara securely situated on the back of Nyla before June took off. The shirshu was much faster than he expected it to be. If Nyla was able to maintain her speed they would find Toph in no time at all; finally things were starting to look up. Maybe he could even convince Toph to go home and see her parents after she helped them break into the underwater base, and then he and Katara could finally go to the South Pole and get away from the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation for a little while.
Katara wasn't sure how much time had passed, but she grew use to the pace Nyla was setting and the sound of her large paws slapping against the ground. The motion of the shirshu and the sound from her paws was actually soothing and made it surprisingly easy to think, and she'd been doing a lot of thinking. Thinking back to the day she had overheard her grandfather and Gran-gran talking about why Pakku had wanted his son to marry her.
"Even without Aunt Wu's prediction the Fire Nation would have found out about Katara, and eventually so would Pakku."
How? She wondered. How would the Fire Nation or Pakku have found out that she was a powerful bender if no one had made a prediction? It's true that her waterbending teacher had said that she was a prodigy, and she'd bested every bender she'd come up against in her classes, but beyond that how would anyone outside of the South Pole have heard of her power? Did her Gran-gran know something more than her father? Why had she run away from her marriage to Pakku? Why did she never talk about the North Pole? What was it she was trying to hide? Had her Gran-gran known even before her own parents that a powerful bender would be born into her bloodline? Katara had to know. She couldn't stand all of the unanswered questions. After they visited with the Earth King she was going to go back to the South Pole and ask her Gran-gran to tell her the truth about everything.
Katara probably would have went on trapped in her own thoughts had she not broken out in a sweat. The weather had not changed but it became noticeably warmer, and then something orange flashed in the corner of her eyes. She looked up with the realization that she hadn't been paying attention to where they were going. Flames spread out around the ground encircling Nyla and cutting off their path. The circle of flames grew higher and higher. In a panic Nyla reared up on her hind legs standing up perfectly vertical. Katara felt herself slipping off the shirshu's back and free falling towards the earth. She screamed out loud as she fell then hit the ground hard. The wind was knocked out of her momentarily when her breath came back to her she rolled out of the way before Nyla came crashing down on top of her. Looking up from her prone position she saw she was surrounded by a group of men all of whom were riding on the back of komodo rhinos. The men jumped down from the rhinos and drew their weapons each of them was wielding a different one. Katara stood and began to draw water from her pouch. The men moved faster than she could have anticipated and one got off his bolo whip it wrapped around her feet and she fell down hard.
"Katara are you OK?" Zuko's voice called out somewhere from behind her.
"So far." She called back. "How about you June?"
"They've got me netted like so many fish."
She tried for her flask again but before she could even draw a drop of water two arrows pinned her sleeves to the ground and then a net was thrown over top of her. The harder she fought to get out of the net the more she ended up tangled in it and finally she had to give up.
"Ogodei, don't let that shirshu's tongue touch you or you'll be paralyzed temporarily. One of the men said.
"I hadn't planned on it."
"Good then let's collect this vermin and be on our way."
"Where are you taking us." Zuko demanded. He'd been caught up in one of the rough rhino's net and now was being dragged across the dirt like a trapped harbor seal.
"Wouldn't you like to know." Another one of the rough rhinos said and reached down and punched him square in the face.
Zuko opened his eyes and groaned. He had a head splitting sense of déjà vu. Once again he'd gotten kidnapped and his ass kicked. He touched his throbbing lip and discovered it had been busted open and it was bleeding freely. He closed his eyes again trying to gain his bearings. "Katara!" He called suddenly remembering that they'd been traveling back to Gaoling in search of Toph when they'd been ambushed by the rough rhinos.
"I'm here Zuko and I'm all right."
"I'm all right too. Thanks for asking." June said drolly.
"Well now that I know everyone is all right does anyone know where we are?" Zuko asked.
"We're back in the underwater base." Katara informed him.
Zuko stood up and looked around. When he looked in front of him or behind him the metal tunnel was all that he could see it went on and on with no ending in sight. "It doesn't make sense why would the rough rhinos bring us here?"
"Who?" Katara asked.
"Those assorted freaks who attacked us." June answered.
"They're Fire Nation mercenaries;muscle for hire to the highest bidder." Zuko added.
"So someone from the Northern water tribe could have hired them." Katara pointed out. "Last time we were here Ensign Pakak talked about taking me back to the North and forcing me to marry Hahn so that I could give the North a powerful heir. Maybe this is them trying again."
"If first you don't succeed." June sang.
"I think you're right and it's all my fault." Zuko said.
"What? How could any of this be your fault?"
"My mom was chosen to marry my father because of the prophecy."
"What prophecy?"
"The one that states marrying a royal descendant of Roku would result in creating powerful benders within my grandfather's bloodline, and when it comes to my sister it's most certainly the case."
"It's the case with you as well, but I still don't get how any of that makes all of this your fault." Katara said.
"I do." June put her hands on her hips. "The North is scared that a powerful firebender marrying a powerful waterbender will create a new line of super powerful benders that none of the other nations will be able to stop."
"The Northern Water Tribe can't be the only nation that fears that history might repeat itself. I think it's time to put our theory about the stolen metal to the test." Zuko bent out a flame and began to pass it over the metal. As the flame passed over the metal the words etched into it slowly became more and more legible. "Property of the Earthen Fire Refinery's Qiáng Tiě branch." Zuko read out loud.
"We were right Zuko it was stolen from Lao."
"It's all the proof we need to convince King Kuei to form the united peace council."
"And one step closer to getting Arnook back on to the throne."
"Did you hear that?" Zuko asked.
"Hear what?" June asked.
"That scraping noise."
"I hear it too. Katara said. "What is it?"
"I don't know but let's not stick around to find out."
The threesome turned towards the tunnel's entrance when the loud groan of metal grinding on metal grew even louder and then everything around them started shaking violently.
"The entire base is collapsing Katara, June get down!" Zuko threw Katara down to the floor and then covered her body with his acting as a human shield. He waited for the metal to come crashing down on his head knowing he wouldn't survive, but hoping against hope that Katara would.
The bone crushing weight of collapsing metal he'd been expecting never came. After a few agonizing minutes he hazard to lift his head and see what was going on.
"You can get up now dumbasses. The sky isn't falling."
"Toph!" Zuko cried out. "What are you doing here?"
"I tracked the metal thieves here. What are you doing?"
"Same thing or we would have if we didn't get ambushed."
"Never send a firebender to do an earthbender's job."
Zuko quickly got to his feet then helped Katara to stand.
"Nice to finally meet you." Katara said as she pushed her hair out of her eye.
"Next time try not to get kidnapped, sweetness."
"My name is Katara."
Toph shrugged. "Whatever."
Katara couldn't believe it this was Toph? She was completely rude.
"So how come we didn't drown when little miss wild child tore a hole in the roof?" June asked.
"Why would we drown? I tunneled through rock to get down here."
Katara stared nonplussed at Toph a moment before speaking. "Rock?"
"Yeah, rock. This place is surrounded by rock. How else do you think I got in here?"
"This can't be the underwater base we were taken to then." Zuko said. "It was surrounded by nothing but water."
"I don't know where the two of you think we are, but right now we're near Whaletail island."
"Whaletail island!"
"Yeah. I tunneled underneath of an old communication tower to get down here."
"How did you manage to get from Ba Sing Se to Whaletail island?" Zuko wanted to know.
"I know the right people in high places who know the wrong people in low places."
"This isn't a coincidence that we were brought here. These two underwater bases are connected." Katara reasoned.
"You're right, but right now we need to leave before whoever brought us hear comes back. We can figure out the connection when we get back to Lao's."
"Speak for yourself prince permanently perturbed." June said. "I need to find Nyla."
"You don't think the rough rhinos hurt her do you?" Katara asked.
"Not a chance. My girl can hold her own. More than likely she ran back home, and don't forget you owe me twenty thousand gold pieces."
"What, but you didn't even find Toph. She found us."
"Potato. Potahto, I did my job and I expect to be paid for it."
"You will." Katara assured her.
"Fine. Zuko dismissed June with a wave of his hand and turned to Toph. "We're going back to your parents place are you coming with us?"
"Yeah. Let's get out of here."
"You don't have to go in until you're ready." Zuko told Toph and placed his hand on her shoulder. After escaping from the Whaletail island underwater base the group had gone straight back to Gaoling. Toph had been standing at the entrance of her home for the better part of ten minutes.
"I've run away from home twice. My parents must think I hate them."
"Your parents miss you the only thing they want is to see you and know you're all right." Katara said.
"You really think so?"
"I do. No matter what you do a parent's love never goes away."
Katara obviously didn't know his father. If she did then she'd know that some parents love was like a switch that could be turned on or off if they ever loved you at all.
"I'll never be ready so I might as well get this over with." Toph said with a sigh.
Zuko followed Toph into her home. She moved as if she was walking to her own execution.
"Toph! My sweet little baby." Mrs. Beifong called out when she saw her only daughter walk through the front door. She walked swiftly to her daughter and wrapped her up in a warm hug. Tears streamed down her eyes. "You're back home oh the Spirits be thanked!"
Zuko turned to watch his wife watching the reunion. She was wiping tears from her eyes between that and the happy reunion he felt some of the resentment he'd been carrying around melt. Having grown up in the dysfunctional family to end all dysfunctional families it actually made him happy to see other families happy.
"I'm sorry for running away again."
"I blame myself. Your father and I never should have sent those men to bring you back home. We should have known you'd want to come back home on your own."
"I did want to come back home, but I was afraid that if I did you'd only try and keep me here."
"We don't want you to feel like you're trapped, but Toph the streets aren't safe you could be hurt."
"I can take care of myself. I found out who was stealing dad's metal all on my own."
"Speaking of Lao where is he? We have some pressing business to take care of."
"Of course your highness. He's in his office he's waiting to speak to all of you."
"I'm sorry to take your daughter away from you Poppy, but I promise I'll return her as soon as I'm done with the meeting."
Toph kicked Zuko's ankle.
"Ow, what did you do that for?" He asked as they made their way down the hallway to her father's office.
"I'll return her? What am I a package?"
"I didn't want to upset your mother."
"I ran away twice she's already upset, but she's too much of a noblewoman to make anymore of a scene than she already has."
"Well one reunion down and one to go." Zuko said.
"Open the door and shove me hard before I have a chance to change my mind." Toph quipped.
"It won't be that bad." Katara reassured her.
"Whatever you say sunshine."
"My name is Katara!"
The members of the S.S.S Gaoling were all in the office along with Satoru.
"Good to see you're all here. So no one ran into any trouble?" Zuko asked.
"No, but we were getting worried about you though." Satoru replied.
Lao did not get up to hug his daughter but Zuko noticed the softening in his eyes and the way his tense shoulders relaxed.
"Toph I see you've come back home."
"You and everyone else but me."
Zuko choked back his laughter.
"I hope it's for good this time."
"I found out who was stealing your metal, dad." Toph said and laid the piece of metal on the table.
"Where did you get this from?"
"The underwater base near Whaletail island where I rescued Zuko and Katara after they'd been captured by the rough rhinos." Toph pulled back a seat, leaned back in it, and propped her dirty feet up on the table.
"Whaletail island? That's nowhere near where we found you." Li Na said. "So there's more than one base?"
Zuko nodded. "Whoever's doing this must have a lot of help. This is a full scale operation and it didn't happen overnight."
Suki shook her head. "I don't understand how all of this could have gone on without anyone knowing."
"Someone pretty high up on the political ladder must be behind all of this." Lao said.
"I think that it's more than one person with political influence making this happen." Katara said. "Zuko and I were talking and we think this might have to do with the fact that our future children will be coming from the bloodline of two powerful benders."
Li Na looked from Katara then to Zuko. "So what, you think someone wants to kill you to end your bloodline?"
"It's only me they want to kill." Zuko said. "Katara was to marry Hahn in order to ensure that the North is the one with the powerful bloodline."
"That's so barbaric! If they were going to force Katara into marriage that means Hahn was going to-."
Katara interrupted Aimi. "You don't have to say. I think we all know what Hahn planned on doing."
Zuko's jaw clenched. He had never met Hahn before but if they ever did meet he would make sure Hahn knew the full strength of his firebending abilities. It was inconceivable to him that anyone would think they were owed autonomy over another person. It was the exact same way his father thought. No one was allowed to be their own person they were merely extensions of him.
"As disturbing as that all is can we get back to who actually stole the metal or at least who had a hand in stealing it." Toph said.
"Sorry, darling. Tell us what you found out." Lao said.
"It was Xin Fu."
"That Earth Rumble guy?" Aimi asked.
"That would be the one." Toph said and though she was blind she still managed to turn toward her father and stare him down. "The man you hired to tail me while I was in Ba Sing Se."
"Toph I-."
Toph held her hand out to quiet her father. "No, you need to hear this. When I questioned the rough rhinos they told me that they'd been hired by Xin Fu."
"How do you know they were telling you the truth?" Katara wanted to know.
"Her earthbending abilities make her a human lie detector, Zuko explained, what I want to know is how you got them to talk?"
Toph grinned wickedly and cracked her knuckles. "Me and a few friends of mines persuaded them to open up."
Satoru shook his head. "This is getting more confusing and not less. Why did Xin Fu hire the rough rhinos?"
"To haul the stolen metal. I'm guessing that while he tailed us he listened in on our conversations and figured out when the deliveries were being made to the Qiáng Tiě refinery, and hired the rough rhinos to steal the metal. They've been using their rhinos to transport the metal to Northern benders who use eel hounds to get the metal underwater."
Lao sighed. "I should have never hired Xin Fu, but I was afraid if I tried to make you come home you'd run away and never come back. I only wanted to make sure you were all right, so I ordered Xin Fu to keep a tail on you and send reports of your wellbeing back to me."
"This goes deeper than I could ever imagine." Zuko said. "So who hired Xin Fu? There's no way he came up with this plan all on his own."
"My friends and I were on our way to track him down and question him until I ran into the two of you."
"Who are these friends you keep talking about?" Satoru asked. "Do I know them?"
"No. Just a little group of freedom fighters I befriended. They're trying to find Xin Fu as we speak."
"Did anyone else find out anything that might be helpful?" Katara asked.
"It took Aimi and I awhile, but we eventually got someone in the outrigger factory to talk to us. There was a huge order for outriggers. The order was placed by, Suki dug in her pocket and pulled out an order form and read from it, Admiral Gee."
"What!" Zuko shoved his chair back and stood up. "I can't believe he's involved in this."
"I'm sorry Zuko." Suki said and handed him the form. "Here's the paperwork."
Zuko's hand shook and then started to smoke as he read the paper.
Katara took the paper from Zuko before he ended up setting it on fire. "Maybe we should talk to him first and figure out what's going on."
"What's to figure out? He betrayed me just like everyone else in my life has done." He punched Lao's table and left a scorch mark on the surface.
"Calm down. You don't know anything yet, we'll find Admiral Gee and talk to him together."
"What about the Earth King?" Li Na asked. "I thought you two were going to talk to him."
"There's nothing conclusive about these metal thefts yet, and there's no point in paying him a visit until there is." Katara said.
"My wife is right. The two of us should head back to the South Pole. Toph you try and find Xin Fu and the rest of you keep your ears and eyes open and figure out anything you can. After we find out what's happening with Admiral Gee we'll meet back here with all of you."
"If you need cold weather clothes I can provide you with them and anything else. Just tell me what you need." Lao offered.
"Thank you Lao I won't forget this. The first thing we'll need is a messenger hawk to send to my uncle."
"How do you plan on getting to the South Pole? It's quite a trip from here."
"I'll ask my uncle to send one of the smaller airships to take us."
After sending out the messenger hawk to Iroh Zuko went with Katara and watched her pick out winter gear from one of the Beifong's huge walk in wardrobes.
He hadn't realized that they would need so much, but he trusted her expertise.
"I can't believe I'm finally going home it feels like it has been ages since I've seen my family."
"What are you going to say to your Gran-gran?"
"I'm not sure. They're so much to talk about maybe I shouldn't say anything at all."
"You have a right to know. Family secrets just make everything worse. Trust me."
"Is that why you've been in such a bad mood lately? Something to do with your family?"
"Yeah, something like that, but I'll be OK. Besides we've got more important things to worry about."
Katara held out a pair of boots. "Here see if these will fit you."
He took off his own boots which he realized were not ideal for walking on snow and ice and tugged on the fur lined boots.
"You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"
"I know. I just can't, he shook his head, I can't."
"OK but you can't keep bottling things up and snapping at everyone."
"I want to tell you, and I will. Just not right now." He refused to take advantage of his wife's compassionate nature. She might have been willing to put herself out there to try and fix his problems but that didn't mean he had to let her. He still felt guilty for all of the problems that his family had caused for her and her people. He owed it to her to help her solve her problems before he went piling his own on top.
"They fit."
"This coat should fit you too it's not nearly heavy enough, but we can get you a new one when we get to the South Pole."
He shrugged into the coat and flexed. It didn't feel tight and the sleeves came all the way down to his hands. He started to button up the coat it skimmed the top of his knees so there were a lot of buttons to work.
"Let me help you." Katara said. "You're done up all wrong." She stepped up to him and began to undo the buttons and started buttoning his coat all over again this time getting the ones he had missed.
"I don't really need a thicker coat. You should save those for the people who need them. I can keep myself warm."
Katara stopped buttoning his coat and looked up into his eyes. "Oh, right I should have known. You're always so warm." She began to slowly unbutton his coat he watched hypnotized by how small and nimble her fingers were. Fingers that were undressing him.
"You like my heat." Zuko said and stepped closer to her. The words came out a lot more seductive sounding than they had in his head. The room suddenly felt charged with a palpable electric anticipation.
Katara looked up into his eyes. "I do."
He felt as if a spark had been shot straight into his heart. Through half lidded eyes he stared at Katara's face. She was so beautiful that sometimes he still couldn't believe that he was married to her. Their faces moved closer to each other's until his lips were on her's. He rested his lips on hers for a moment taking in her breath and relishing how her soft full lips reminded him of ripe fruit. He had to taste them. He gave into the moment. Gave into his feelings and slowly kissed her. The taste of her was addictive the more that he kissed her the more that he wanted her. All of her. The spark that had been shot in to his heart traveled through his whole body. Every nerve he had was humming; was tingling with the thrill of being this close to Katara and feeling her lips on his.
His hand buried themselves into her hair. He didn't know how this got started but he prayed to the Spirits that it didn't have to end. Katara was clutching on to his coat as if it was the only thing keeping her standing upright. She pulled him closer into her body and stood on her tiptoes to get better access to his mouth. Zuko groaned and worked Katara's mouth open a little wider and her kisses deepened. When he felt her tongue swirl into his mouth he thought he might die from the ecstasy of it all.
"Excuse me, but your airship has arrived."
Zuko pulled his mouth away from Katara's and rested his forehead against her's before turning to face Lao. "Thank you we'll finish packing and be right out." He managed to get out through ragged breaths.
"Make sure that you are."
Katara chewed on her bottom lip. "That was nice. It's the first time you've kissed me."
"I don't know what came over me. I know we're married, but I never felt like I could do that before." He tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
"So what changed?"
"We've been through so much and things between us could be so much worse, but you're always here. You always stick by me and I haven't had too many people I've felt like I mean anything to, but you make me feel like I belong to you. "
Katara reached up and caressed Zuko's cheek. He could be so prickly sometimes, but when he let his defenses down she saw him for who he truly was. What had his father done to him to make him feel as if he needed to hide his inner self? How much he must be hurting inside.
"We shouldn't keep the airship captain waiting."
"Right." Katara said and finished packing her bag. She hoped that Zuko wouldn't close himself off to her again; not now that she was finally starting to actually feel like his wife. After she packed the last of the bags Zuko took them from her and carried them out to the airship. It was indeed smaller than the airships that had come to invade her village when she'd been a child, but she guessed that was because it didn't need to carry a whole party of raiding soldiers.
"Will you have any trouble flying us into the South Pole?" Zuko asked the captain.
"Should be a smooth enough course."
"You're sure?"
"Yes your highness. The latest reports on the condition in the South Pole are that things are going steady as of late."
Though the airship wasn't as big as the others it still managed to have a suite for her and Zuko. Katara wasn't tired but she didn't feel like leaving the unpacking of their bags until she was, so she put their things away.
"I haven't been to either of the poles since I was a boy. I don't know what to expect."
"Expect to be amazed by how beautiful everything is, and expect to work hard for the things you take for granted everywhere else. Being born and raised in the South Pole taught me to be thankful for everything I have. Nothing comes easy in the South Pole. We fight for everything we get so we've learned not to take anything for granted."
Normally she would have mentioned how living in the South Pole made you grateful for your family, and it did, but she couldn't help but feel a little different about going home now that she knew that her Gran-gran had been keeping this huge secret from her. Her Gran-gran had not seen Pakku fit to marry but somehow she thought it was OK for her granddaughter to marry his son? There had to be a reason why. It wasn't in her Gran-gran's nature to expect her to do something that she would never do herself.
"You OK?" Zuko asked.
"Yes." Now she understood why he didn't want to tell her about the skeletons in his family's closet. It wasn't so easy rattling the bones of your family's skeletons when someone else's ears where there to hear them. There was a reason why skeletons lie buried in the closet.
"Are you OK? You seem a little pale."
"I feel like I'm walking into the firing squad. I don't think there are going to be many people in your town who want to see my face."
"It will be fine Zuko. If they don't treat you right they'll have to answer to me."
"I don't want you to have to defend me. I want you to be happy to be home or as happy as you can under the circumstances."
"Well most of the time we'll be with my family and they're OK with you."
The captain announced that they were approaching the South Pole.
"We should start getting dressed we'll want to have all of our winter gear on before we step out of the airship." Katara began pulling her clothes on and was dressed in a thrice.
"How do you do that so fast?"
"Years of practice. I'll finish you up." Quickly she buttoned up his coat and laced up his boots.
"Thank you." Zuko said and kissed her.
Katara felt herself melting into her husband. His kisses made her feel like a flower opening up to the sunshine. "Promise to keep me warm?"
"Promise." He said and kissed her again.
The airship landed and Katara felt a thrill that wasn't just down to Zuko's kisses. She was home! She finally made it back home.
"Ready to show me your winter wonderland?"
She took his hand in hers. "Let's go."
They stepped off of the airship and out into the cold. Their breaths fogged out in front of them.
"It's amazing." Zuko said as he looked around the frozen landscape. "Everything seems so pristine. It's like we're in a different world."
Katara closed her eyes and pulled down the hood of her coat and turned her face up to the sky. Snowflakes fell on her face and eye lashes. She breathed in the smell of the snow and listened to the stillness. It was such a beautiful sound one that she hadn't heard in such a long time. There was a stillness and quietness to the snow you couldn't hear anywhere else in the world. Katara had missed that. She had missed how the harsh snap of the bitter cold made you feel alive. She had missed the homey feeling of home and hearth that her house provided.
"Mmm, I've missed this smell."
"What smell?"
"The smell of snow."
"Looks like someone is coming to greet us." Zuko said and pointed to a distant figure that was getting bigger and bigger as they got nearer and nearer.
"It must be my dad." Katara said and began to pull Zuko along in the snow towards the lone figure.
"Hey, slow down not all of us are experts at running in deep snow."
"Come back for my five flavor soup have you?"
"Bato?" Katara said and stopped in her tracks. "Bato?" She slowly walked up to him and reached out to touch him her hand moving slowly as if he were a wild animal and if she moved too fast or too suddenly he'd run off. Tentatively her hand made contact with his skin and he was real, warm and solid. "You're alive." She said under her breath.
"Have been for all of my life." He said.
"But they said you were-, Katara began shaking her head, I don't-." Her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed backwards.
Zuko jumped forward just in time and caught Katara in his arms.
"Do you mind telling me what that was all about?" Bato asked.