This fic is eating my brain. I've been writing for 4 hours. OC alert for this chapter.
The prison was both better and worse than the brig. Her cell was bigger, but it was far above the ground, and she had no bed. She could see the sun and the moon, but had little protection from the cold or the heat. She got clothes that were closer to fitting, with underthings and actual pants, but the food was as dry and tasteless as the air, and she was always chained before they allowed her to drink, even though she was so young and completely untrained. She was kept relatively clean, too, but they did so by chaining her up fully clothed and blasting her with a hose for several five second increments.
The guards interacted with her even less than the soldier had. They called her only "the prisoner," and spoke about her as if she wasn't there, and never responded to anything she said. Katara stopped talking altogether, feeling even more like livestock than she had being marched through the city for people to ogle.
Even though it was called the Waterbending prison, she saw no others. The raiders had never bothered to take non-benders, only killing any that posed too much of a threat to neutralize quickly. (She and Sokka used to listen in on her father's war councils from outside the main lodge. It had never seemed very real before, even though she saw men with burns and men who never came back at all each time the warships returned.
It felt real now.)
Seasons passed, and the bored guards became less careful with their words around her. They spoke often about something called the "freedom duels," and speculated about whomever they favored to become the "champion." Their current favorite was a Firebender named Chit Sang, although they occasionally speculated, much less respectfully, about an Earthbender called Tyro. And very rarely, when the moon was high in the sky and Katara feigned sleep, they whispered fearfully of a former Waterbending duelist they only ever called "the Puppetmaster."
With only these talks to distract herself from her misery and futile rage, Katara latched on to them obsessively. She missed her family, her home, and, most of all, water. She had lived her entire life within five minutes of the ocean, surrounded by ice and snow. The desperate, instinctive need regularly overwhelmed her. Information about another Waterbender was the only respite she was granted. She knew nothing of her family, and might not ever see them again. In lieu of blood, the Puppetmaster became her only kin in this unforgiving foreign land.
The Puppetmaster was the most powerful contender the freedom duels had ever seen. She had won her title from the previous champion within months, a feat never accomplished before or since. Even though the prize was supervised liberty within the capital walls, the Puppetmaster was too dangerous to allow to roam from the prison complex below the arena, although the guards never mentioned why. She was kept wrapped in chains in the days before, during, and after the full moon, and no one was allowed near her but the most powerful Firebenders during that time. She would be kept there, cloaked in infamy and fear, occasionally brought out for duels against any challengers, until she died.
It took her a year and a half to learn that much.
Katara had realized long ago that she was intended to become a combatant in the freedom duels, as well. Most captured benders and notorious criminals were, and Katara was the first Waterbender to be captured in decades. The last Southern bender had been taken when her father was an infant, and the Northern Water Tribe had long since sealed itself up behind impenetrable walls of ice. Apparently Waterbenders were widely feared in the Fire Nation, likely due to the Puppetmaster's influence. Her age was the only reason that the monster hadn't tried to kill her on sight, as he had attempted with her mother.
He hadn't succeeded. He couldn't have. Somehow, the glowing blue water had healed her, and though she may be horrifically scarred, her aana was still alive. She had to be.
It was midsummer when they unlocked her cage for the first time in roughly two years. Katara, now ten years old, was momentarily terrified for reasons she couldn't name. She had recently noticed some of the men giving her odd looks when she changed clothes, and it made her breath quicken with panic each time. She was at their mercy — they could do anything they wanted to her without repercussions.
Thankfully, they just chained her wrists behind her and led her from the cage that had been her home for so long. Katara had exercised as best she could, whenever her frustration became too great, but one could only do so much in a cell, and her gait was stiff and unsure.
Two guards led her to the thick iron doors of the entrance, and her breath caught. Were they taking her outside?! The doors opened, and even though the prison had windows, the sudden influx of light still made her squint.
When Katara's vision cleared, the first thing she noticed was the wagon. It was large, covered with red cloth, and hooked to two imposing dragon moose. It was flanked by a group of soldiers bearing the royal insignia. Her time in the Waterbending prison had come to an end.
"That's the Waterbender?" one soldier asked disdainfully. Katara grit her teeth and met her gaze head on. She was no longer the filthy, scared little girl that had first set foot in Tsubasa. They could not break her.
"She's not much, but she's a Waterbender. Dumb as a box of rocks, and more hard headed than an Earthbender, too," one guard said. Katara shot a glare his way that he didn't see, stung. Just because she didn't speak didn't mean she was stupid. She was plenty smart, although Sokka always had been the clever one. It's not like there was much she could learn in prison, anyway!
She ignored the familiar ache in her chest at the thought of her aniingaq.
Katara's defiance had not gone unnoticed by the royal soldier, who now looked almost amused. "I think the Puppetmaster'll like this one."
The guards and even the other soldiers fell silent at that, shifting uneasily. She snorted in disgust, and snatched Katara's chains. The Waterbender felt a grudging respect at her no-nonsense attitude that she quickly quashed.
She's a Firebender, Katara reminded herself. She thinks of you as an animal, so that's how you need to think of her.
The soldier handed her off to one of her hulking subordinates, who shoved her none too gently up into the wagon. She thrust out her hands to catch herself and scraped them against rough wooden boards. Better my hands than my face.
When she looked up, she found several sets of green eyes staring curiously at her. There were seven in all, ranging from around her age to older than her father. Some of them were probably caught pretty recently, she thought, noting that the older Earthbenders seemed to have more fight in them than the kids. They probably keep us away from the duels till we're big enough to fight properly.
"A Waterbender," a teenage girl said in surprise. "I thought the North was supposed to be impenetrable."
"It is," an older man said. "Otherwise it would look like the South." Katara gave him an ugly look at the slight to her barely-remembered tribe.
"Well, they can't stay in there all the time. How would they eat?" a young girl around her own age reasoned.
"Shut up or you're all getting dragged behind the wagon the whole way to the capital!" a soldier snapped, and they were quiet for the rest of the ride.
They eventually stopped so that the soldiers could eat and rest, and each of the prisoners were given a hard, tasteless biscuit. The Earthbenders were separated from her and led down to a brownish stream to drink. Katara was dragged toward the thickest nearby oak and chained tightly to it while another soldier brought her a tiny cup of brackish water.
"Don't get any ideas, Waterbending bitch," he sneered. Katara gulped down half of it and spat the rest, now bitingly cold, into his face.
The Earthbenders and even a few of the soldiers broke into laughter. The other prisoners stopped when he backhanded her across the face and kneed her in the stomach so hard she threw up. A smaller number of the soldiers just laughed harder.
"A fighter, huh," the female soldier from before chuckled. "Maybe she'll stand half a chance in the ring. Still," and here she grabbed Katara's bruised jaw, "save it for the other prisoners, little miss. Don't give her any food or water for the rest of the journey."
By the next day, Katara could barely move. Her jaw throbbed, her gut ached, and she was too dehydrated to even cry.
The Earthbenders clambered back in from their latest water break, avoiding looking at her prone form. But the girl her own age, who had spoken the day before, crawled forward and tapped her lips. Confused, Katara parted them, and then the girl leaned down and kissed her. Shocked, she almost jerked back, but then she felt the wetness on her tongue and swallowed greedily. The girl had brought her water in her mouth.
"Chen," a boy hissed, appalled, "What are you doing?"
The girl, Chen, pulled back and gave Katara a sheepish smile. Katara seized her in a grateful hug, her throat still too dry and unused to speaking for her to thank her properly. The girl tensed, surprised, then gently embraced her.
They sat pressed together for the rest of the journey. Katara, who had gone without human contact for years, soaked it in. Touch was casual and encouraged in her tribe, to help with both emotional bonds and the conservation of warmth. Chen seemed less used to it, but shyly pleased nevertheless. She brought her water several more times, and seemed apologetic whenever Katara's stomach growled, but she couldn't bring both and Katara preferred the water, anyway. Each time she did, Katara hugged her tightly.
The boy who had called out the first time they kissed seemed uncomfortable and disgusted by it, but he and Chen did not seem particularly close, so Katara decided she didn't care. None of the others seemed to. There was nothing wrong with kissing another girl, and they were only doing it out of necessity, anyway. Besides, she was forever indebted to Chen, and she already considered the girl her dearest friend, even though they had never actually spoken to each other.
Within another day, they reached the capital. The soldiers, who were disgruntled by being saddled with escort duty and their slow pace, brightened considerably. The prisoners were less enthused, but even they were awed at the sight of the city in the dormant volcano. Katara morbidly hoped that it would erupt, and take most of her problems with it.
People had gathered at the gates to see the newest duelists. She could hear some of them already starting to make bets. Chen shrank back, and Katara squeezed her hand, even as she observed the city with reluctant fascination. The people of the Fire Nation were pale, their hair dark and long. They looked more aristocratic than the ones she had seen in Tsubasa, their clothes finer, though more . . . revealing. The scent of smoke and spice drifted in the air.
The wagon stopped in front of a looming colosseum, and the newcomers were herded from the wagon and underground, into yet another prison complex, completely made of metal to discourage any unauthorized Earthbending. Chen never let go of her hand. They were about to be divvied up into different cell blocks when another royal guard, whip in hand, sprinted into their midst.
"Where's the Waterbender?!" he panted. "The Puppetmaster wants to see her."
Katara was led through a series of winding, labyrinthine hallways lined with cell doors. It was surprising and impressive that the Fire Nation had managed this without Earthbending — or, more likely, Katara realized, with slaves.
The guard stopped in front of a heavily reinforced door that was flanked by four more beefy guards. They undid the many heavy-duty locks and fearfully shoved her inside, slamming it shut behind her.
The interior was shockingly luxurious. Katara had never seen anything like it, and had never expected to in a prison cell, of all places. A thick carpet covered the metal grated floor, and embroidered hangings lined the walls. Several scented candles were situated around the room, filling it with a soft light and a thick, sweet smell she couldn't place. There was a fully furnished bed in one corner, and a desk and stool in the other. A figure with long gray hair and clothes as fine as those of the civilians she had seen sat there, her wrinkled face blank and solemn.
Katara's heart skipped a beat, eyes lighting up. Could this frail old woman possibly be . . . ?
"I won't hurt you, little Waterbender. What's your name? Which tribe are you from?"
"Ka — " she choked, and cleared her throat. Her next words didn't sound pretty, but they were understandable. "Katara. Of the Southern Water Tribe."
The Puppetmaster's teeth glinted between withered lips. "Hello, Katara. My name is Hama."
Note about the Waterbending prison: I know it had grates in the ceiling in the show, but that's just dumb. I mean, if it rains, the guards are all fucked. Always bothered me as a kid. There's also some talk about racism, but it's a common enough tactic used in imperialist movements and the Fire Nation is definitely imperialist. Plus A:tLA is a kid's show, so they couldn't really show that, but I think it was implied. Genocide usually involves prejudice, kids.
Also, lotsa gay in this chapter. I am all about the gay. Don't worry, tho, they're just kids, and Chen is an OC, so she won't play a very big part. I just feel like Katara would latch onto anyone, at this point, and she really needs a friend, poor thing. Also I need a person I can use to inflict suffering upon her, hehehe. I mean, her family's out of the picture (for now), so someone's gotta fill that role.
Anyway, I promise the endgame is Zutara, but Katara's a pimp, so there will be ship tease with lots of people, not all of whom are dudes. I'd say sorry if that's a deal breaker but I honestly don't care.
There's like so much telling and not enough showing in this chapter whoops. That's kind of a problem of mine.