COMFORT

Suki loved pai sho.

Only her closest friends knew about that. It wasn't a taste she developed on her own, but something she took from her own mother long ago, a training exercise, not only for concentration but for leadership, making the right decisions and trying to use her resources as best as possible. It was also about dealing with consequences, because sometimes, if you did the wrong move, there was no going back and your only chance was to keep playing.

Sadly, it was not a passion she shared with her family.

Zuko liked to play of course, but her husband was horrible at it, and winning tended to be less fun when she did so all the time. She tried to teach her children once of course, but while Izumi seldom wanted to play, the rest right out denied to try. it was for that and many other reasons that she had treasured Mai's friendship in her time, not only the other woman was smart and focused, she was always willing to surprise her in the game, seldom playing the same way twice. A real challenge, one often involving bets from one side or the other as their friendly games developed into a rivalry of sorts.

All things considered it was always nice to beat her.

"What are you doing? You should play the water one!" Ty Lee complained as Mai moved her flower tile over the board, trying to form a harmony to the flustering of her friend.

Mai frowned. "I know what I'm doing, Ty Lee."

It had been a spur of the moment decision for Suki.

Her men found the board and tiles stored inside the airship, probably the possession of a future captain or something and the game had been a fair entertainment for her crew so far and one that jumped to the front of her mind when she glimpsed the two alone in the healing ward. It was a way to distract, to be friendly, and maybe a little bit of payback. Usually, using her experience from the future for petty reasons, such as beating Mai on pai sho wouldn't be on her list as something to be proud of, but then again, it had been ages since she had actually beaten the woman.

Chewing her lips to hold back a smile, Suki used her fire tile to dry Mai's flowers. In turn, her opponent played her white dragon, taking her jade, and then Suki played her earth, building a harmony.

"I told you to play the water!"

"I know what I'm doing."

"Well, it doesn't look like it."

It was while watching those two together that Suki was suddenly struck by a sense of comfort. They had such opposite personalities that even now she wondered how they could be so close. In a way it made her think about her own team of warriors, each one different, and yet all of them agreeing to a common goal, and to take care of one another. Complementing, never bringing each other down.

"So, Ty Lee, I heard you've been giving chi-blocking lessons?"

"Oh, yeah, I guess, I mean, that stupid healer won't let me out of bed and stuff." She pouted. "But I can still teach a few things."

"So are you and the girls getting along?"

Ty Lee blinked, grinning. "Of course we are, I mean, I don't think Fay likes me very much, but Ami is really cool, and Tam is so funny, she told me a joke the other day about a chicken-pig and a..." A tile moved over the board, and Suki smirked at the interruption, quietly answering Mai's move with one of her own. It delayed her victory, but nothing else. "By the way, is it true you girls protect your island all by yourselves?"

"Well, not just us of course, the Kyoshi Warriors were created by Avatar Kyoshi to protect her home, you see? So each village on the island has its own group of warriors." Suki explained, a lily tile moving around her fingers. "Each has a leader of course, and each leader answers to a council formed by our eldest and most experienced warriors."

"Wow, that sounds amazing." Ty Lee said, smiling. "How did you become a Kyoshi Warrior?"

"Well that is kind of personal" It was very easy to not catch the small twitch of Mai's expression, but she did.

"Oh come on! Please tell me, you already know I fled home to the circus, right?"

Indeed Ty Lee had been pretty open about her time away from her family, and after considering the situation for a moment, Suki finally acquiesced. "All right."

It was very easy to dismiss Ty Lee's genuine curiosity for naivety, when in truth, Mai and Ty Lee were as sharp as a meteor sword, playing off each other until they got all the information they needed. It was an amazing plot, and if Future Ty Lee hadn't boasted about it to her once, she might have been fooled. Suki had no doubt they had already gotten a lot of information from her sisters, and in their situation, she wouldn't begrudge them some measure of assurance.

Thinking back to her home, she spoke carefully, of memories old, weathered and resilient.

"Well, first of all, I think I should tell you about Kyoshi, since we were never really in the war. A little island between the Earth Kingdom and the South Pole, it's easy to be forgotten, but of course, the war got there nonetheless and there were always the pirates and bandits, seeking easy prey." She played her water tile and watched Mai using her own. "I never really met my parents, the raid was short, the firebenders came in and went away in the blink of an eye. They say they must've been a lost ship, starving and all, desperate."

"You lost your parents?" There was genuine emotion in Ty Lee's voice now, and Suki could feel Mai's gaze, watching her.

"As I said, I don't really remember them. I was just a baby at the time, but I do remember growing up knowing they were killed. It is not a nice feeling. I grew up an orphan, watching the warriors from afar, from a young age I knew I wanted to be one of them, to protect my home."

"And you did."

"I did." She smiled, closing a harmony on her side of the board. "I was eight years old when I start to sneak inside the dojo and use their practice fans. The leader of the Kyoshi Warriors of my village found me like that, a small little girl struggling to copy the grown ups so of course she took me in. She trained me and taught me, she became my mother for all intents and purposes."

If she closed her eyes, Suki was not sure she would be able to remember her mother's face, her death had been so long ago and her grief was long subdued. She did, however, remember her smell, sweat and weathered leather, and a smile that was only for her when she completed her kata.

Her story ended, Ty Lee suddenly got to her feet, apologizing as she ran to the bathroom, leaving her and Mai finally alone, just as she made her final move.

"I win."

"It seems so." Mai pointed out, not bothering to remove the pieces as she leaned back on the chair, hands tucked inside her sleeves.

"You can ask, you know?"

"Ask you what?"

"Whatever you want to" Suki prodded, knowing it was a shot in the dark at best. For a moment it seemed that Mai was satisfied to simply remain silent, the chair feeling hard and uncomfortable against this young body.

"Your mother, is she still at Kyoshi?"

"Yes, she is the leader of the council now, not that she was happy when I left." Images of a long room followed her with youthful trepidation, the stoic looks of the council and her own voice, speaking from the heart, making her feel strong and weak all at the same time.

"Why did you leave?"

"Because I had to." There was genuine curiosity coming from the other girl, while Suki nervously moved her toes inside her boot. "It wasn't easy, my whole life I was after her approval, but after Aang saved my village from being burned, I knew that I couldn't stand by. I couldn't be proud of myself if I let bad things happen and did nothing about it."

"I can relate." Mai replied. "You play very well."

"Thanks."

"I would apologize for your village, but if I kept track of everything terrible that my country did, we would be here forever."

"Not to worry, I got an apology straight from the guy who burned it."

Mai blinked, frowning. "You mean..."

"He burned down my village hunting the avatar" She answered right away, it was something she was so used to saying to strangers, it was almost comical to see Mai's widening eyes, and by widening it meant they widened slightly. "It didn't work."

Mai ruffed what could almost be a laugh. "Of course it didn't."

Whatever would come next, Suki wouldn't know, because suddenly Ty Lee was back, jumping over the bed and staring down at the board, her eyes twinkling, impressed.

"Wow, you know, you must be the first person to beat her at pai sho after..."

Ty Lee's voice trailed off, no doubt still hurt about the Fire Princess. Sighing, Suki brought her hand forward before she could think better of it, no matter what sort of time shenanigans she was involved in right now, those were two of her best friends who were suffering. They needed a distraction, and maybe a little hope.

"Have any of you ever heard of the Tale of the Two Lovers?"

"W-what is that?" Ty Lee questioned as Mai raised her eyebrows.

"It's an Earth Kingdom tale, very old, as old as earthbending itself. I think there is even a song about it."

In his time, Zuko had always judged himself a very good tea maker. It was a pleasure he only came to understand in time, not only embracing the process but also enjoying the peace it related to him, especially in those nights where he and his bodyguard would stay up late, gazing on the stars and sharing small talk.

Tea could be meditative, companionship, peace, and maybe that was what his uncle had tried to make him understand, or maybe he just thought it was delicious. Zuko wasn't interested in finding out, even as he watched his uncle going through his own personal touch. He had offered to do it, of course, only later remembering how poor his tea-making was at this age. His uncle certainly didn't forget, refusing very politely and forcefully, as he placed the ginseng into a tea ball and heated the water so it could steep. His uncle, who was more like a father, whose smile and horrible jokes brought joy to his children and delight to his wife. His uncle, who he buried under a heavy raining day, under a vine, overlooking his home. It was, perhaps, the worst day of his life, and now he could still feel a prickling sensation behind his eyes, as if he was not yet done crying.

When everything was ready and Zuko got a hold of himself, they both sat down, sharing a small sip and watching one another.

"So, you have something in your mind, my nephew?"

"A lot of things actually." Zuko stated, feeling the smooth ceramic with his fingers. "I'm really sorry, uncle."

"You don't have to be, I've told you already, Zuko. I was never angry with you, I was just..."

"Sad?"

"Yes, I was sad that you might have chosen a path that wouldn't bring you happiness."

Zuko tasted the ginseng, allowing the tea to go down warmly into his chest. "I've always wanted happiness, I think it is what I've been after ever since I could remember. I know better now."

"How so?"

"I'm selfish, uncle." Zuko admitted, feeling a rush of blood on his cheeks. "It's true, I am. I guess I never really thought much about my nation, my father or you. I wanted to be happy, and I always thought my honor would be the way to do it."

These are things he had thought a lot about in his life, some of them came to him in time, others Suki had spelled out without any judgment, a simple acknowledgment that he always made an effort to do good.

"And now?"

"Now?" Zuko chuckled, his now had been years from now, but as he gazed on his uncle he was reminded yet again of how alone he truly was. "Well, I intend to join the avatar, take down Ozai and, hopefully, help Azula as well."

"Azula?" Zuko nodded, wondering what words his uncle might have for him now. So long ago it was such a certainty that she needed to be taken down, and even with all his age, Zuko couldn't see another path beyond defeating her in battle. "That would be a risk."

"I know."

"Standing before your sister might actually be a danger to your life, Zuko."

"I'm aware of that as well, but, uncle, I don't want to hurt her." I don't want her to suffer again, I don't want to lose her again. "She didn't need to offer me a way back to the Fire Nation, and yet she did. I always wondered about that, about some of her actions, and I know she always lies, but at the same time I keep remembering how she was always there, with him, all this time."

His uncle hummed thoughtfully. Wordlessly, he took the teapot and filled Zuko's cup again, then proceeded to produced a few small biscuits, which he bit at slowly.

"I've tried to be there for her once." Zuko blinked, his surprise must have been showing on his face given the sad smile his uncle was giving him. "It was just after your agni kai, you were in bed for days, and some times I would catch her standing by the door. She had always been hard to read, your sister, even as a child, but at that time I could glimpse something like concern, or maybe it was curiosity about your situation. Whether one or the other, she was there nonetheless."

"What happened?"

"I took her out, to the gardens. I promised her I would teach a very amazing and secret firebending technique."

"She must have loved that."

Iroh nodded. "We spent some time talking after that, and even though she mastered the fire breath in a very short time, I judged our conversations had been very productive. I wanted her to start thinking for herself, beyond what my brother would want."

Zuko looked down when his uncle's voice trailed off, he had an inkling this story wouldn't have a happy ending, otherwise, why would he need to come back in time to hear it?

"Your father, of course, found out. His threats were very veiled, and so I didn't dare to approach Azula again."

"Then you came with me."

His uncle smiled, there was a lot behind that smile, love, regret, even joy. "It was a hard decision, in a situation where, I'm afraid, there was no right answer."

"I know, but I'm still grateful." He thought briefly. "Why are you telling me that now?"

"Because, you might have to face a situation like that is you wish to truly help your sister, Zuko. A situation where no answer is easy, and where you might have to take a risk." His uncle cocked his head to the side, the smile showing the wrinkles around his eyes. "Whatever you might need though, know that I'll help you."

"Thank you, uncle." Zuko swallowed. "I think I want to ask for that now actually. I know it's a long shot, but I wanted to get a message to Azula, something that I hope might reach her."

"I'll do everything that I can." His uncle promised, then remained silent, watching him over his cup. "You're very different, Zuko."

"What?"

"More different than I expected you to be. This crew of friends, your patience, I can't put my finger on it yet, but there is a big change around and in you." His uncle narrowed his eyes, and Zuko kept still. He honestly believed his uncle had enough wisdom to guess his real age, even now, but when the grin appeared, he knew to brace himself. "It must be some pretty lady right?"

"Uncle!" Zuko blushed, only making the man laugh.

"Oh, it is all right for such a young man to enjoy himself, prince Zuko, unless I am mistaken." Zuko sighed. "Is it a boyfriend, perhaps?" Zuko groaned, not helping how the teasing made him want to tear up again.

Maybe I should just tell him everything.

Stop it!

The old woman was screaming now, her bones crackling, muscles pulsing with another one's presence, bending and forcing her to her knees. Then the screams turn into laughter.

Stop it!

"Congratulations Katara..." She gritted her teeth, her hands moved, bending her further, away from her, until her spine was forced back. She wanted it to stop, she wanted the woman to stop talking. "You're a bloodbender now."

The scream tore through her throat as she moved, the terrible crack of the woman's spine breaking in half echoing in her conscience as she woke up.

Katara took a startling time to realize what had happened, panting to regain her breath, her chest rising and falling in the rhythm of an ice spike.

Gulping, the girl brought her hands up to her eyes, taking in the shaky limbs against the half moon looming in the skies. The clouds were clearing, it seemed, but the stars were oddly silent tonight as she fell back against her makeshift pillow, the furs and clothes making for a poorly one, but alas, she was very used to the hard ground at this point.

Sighing to herself, she brought a hand up to rub her eyes, only to find them moist with angry tears.

It was the same as last night, and the night before. Almost every night since she had time to settle down and the distance grew between her and her sister from the Water Tribe. A sister that caused suffering, a sister that violated her more than any firebender she met. Shaking her head, she could only laugh bitterly at the thought. Someone from her own tribe had promised her power. More than that, she had been promised something she thought extinguished, the Southern Style of bending, a part of her, a part of her family, something she knew for certain her mother might have taught if she could.

Instead of learning something beautiful though, Katara for the first time learned the price of power such as this. It came with death, and hurt and evil.

Knowing sleep would flee from her tonight, she got to her feet. Silently stepping away from her sleeping friends, she walked around Appa, and came to stand on the edge of a cliff where they were resting for the night, just another one of many. This camp was close to a small fishing village, with small boats coming and going towards the sea its citizen caring only for the tides, the weather and the latest gossip, almost as if their country wasn't at war with the world.

In her dreams though, there was always power, the intoxicating feeling of having control over another person, to feel the blood pulsing inside every muscle and every vein, her own power overwhelming the chi of another as easily as stepping on a bug. Taking her gaze to a small patch of grass, she raised her fingers on a whim, and then the grass was dry and dead and beads of water were floating at her will.

Water is almost everywhere, in almost everything.

Choking on a sob, she let the water fall, and brought her knees close to her chest. She could do many things with that kind of power, take down the Fire Nation for one, maybe even help Aang defeat the Fire Lord, but she was also well of aware of how wrong it felt, how wrong it would be, how filthy.

I don't want this.

When someone suddenly sat by her side, she remained unmoved, wondering what it would take for the person to go away, and yet hoping they wouldn't. Hama had bent the blood of her friends to use them against her, she had forced them to almost die, until Katara had no choice but to do what she promised herself she wouldn't. Bend the blood of another person. It was the only way, and yet, the woman's laughter stayed with her the most, and sound that mocked her and yet seemed proud as well. Her break down back at the day still sat bitterly with her conscience, and yet having her friends embracing her, all warm and tender, was as sweet as a memory could be.

"Back when I had the avatar state, I would always have dreams about the people I hurt." His voice was faltering but went on all the same. "I would wake up in the middle of night, but I was so ashamed, I never thought of waking you guys. I had already slept off a hundred years, I didn't want to be more of a burden."

"You were never a burden, Aang"

The boy simply smiled at her, a sad and understanding gesture. "I'm just saying, I hope you know we're here for you."

Katara took in his words, they were so simple, the kind of truth you were told all your life, that you could count on your loved ones no matter what. And yet, it was good to be reminded of it once in a while, and so she nodded.

Both fell silent after that, her eyes on the village, his on the skies as if he was up there, flying with the clouds, free and light as a feather. Aang didn't say more, and Katara was, not for the first time, glad for the insight. Sometimes that boy could be so childish she forgot he had plenty of wisdom to share, and then, at other times, he was so wise and mature, she would forget he was the younger one between the two.

Suddenly, Katara chuckled, a sound that clearly surprised Aang. He was always so understanding, forgiving, and sitting there, she knew for certain that he wouldn't judge her, or make a joke, not now, and so she found herself talking.

"I was always glad for being a waterbender, you know? I mean, not just because of my tribe and my mother, but because water was so different than fire." She brought her hands tighter around her knees, somberly basking in the chilly air. "For a long time, fire was destruction, but water? I could heal with it, it was amazing you know? I always thought there was no way waterbending could be evil, but after what Hama taught me, it was all so wrong and..."

Aang still said nothing, but she finally understood what she wanted.

"I wished I could forget about it, I wish it could be taken away from me, the bloodbending."

"Katara..." His voice was so charged, strained and eager, she finally chanced to meet his gaze. "Do you really wish that?"

"I…" She hesitated, knowing that under his clothes, there would be a lightning scar marking his back. She had spent so many nights healing his body, even now it was clear in her mind, the different hue, the puckered, angry, red skin. "I don't know, how did you deal with it?"

She sought some kind of answer in those deep gray eyes of his, after a while, he gave her one.

"When I was training with the Guru, he talked to me about many things, he taught me that I couldn't let my guilt poison my thoughts and that I couldn't deny the parts of myself that I disliked." His hand moved over the hard ground, and Katara saw it, so close, but stopping just short of touching her. "I remember the first time I used firebending. I didn't want to try again, but he told me, I could never reach balance if don't accept every part of me, including the Avatar State."

"But you haven't bent fire ever since."

"That is true."

"Maybe, when this is over, you should try it again."

"Maybe."

Katara took in his sad smile, strange on his face, as if uncertain of his worth on that moment. In her dreams, her hands broke Hama and she became a monster, looking at herself from a distance, screaming for it to stop. Looking up, she almost hoped Yue would offer her a definitive answer, but the moon remained silent. Slowly, she moved her hand closer, so it was lying atop of his. Idly, she heard his breath caught, but none of them dared to disturb the peace.