Chapter 6
Katara was not having a good morning at the academy. After yet another night of poor, interrupted sleep, she had struggled to find her waterbending groove, messing up the simplest forms. It was fortunate that her young students didn't yet know enough about waterbending to realize just how badly she was performing. Even worse, one of her more talented pupils had managed to summon a reasonably impressive water whip, but had failed to control it properly and it had lashed at Katara's ankles while she had been too distracted to counter it. She had nearly cried out in pain, but had somehow managed to maintain a straight face, not wanting the children to know that she had been hurt.
Shortly afterwards, Katara had sent her students away on a short break and used that opportunity to quickly heal up her bruised shins. Having acquired a steaming cup of ginseng tea, she had then retreated to a more remote part of the academy to sit down for a while, to rest and recompose her thoughts.
With how her bending was tied to her emotional state, Katara was honestly not surprised that she was having so much trouble with her waterbending. While tutoring, it was paramount for her to stay calm, controlled and collected, and she knew she was anything but that. There were so many thoughts on her mind and so many emotions filling her chest at all times, interrupting her focus during the day and her sleep at night.
She was having way more fun in the Fire Nation capital than she had expected, but at the same time, she felt guilty for having so much fun. She was enjoying the time she was spending together with Zuko in particular, but she also felt guilty about it... and even more guilty because she didn't miss Aang as much as she thought she should miss him. Aang and their relationship was that one stable constant in her post-war life she thought she couldn't do without... but so far, this journey was proving that everything she thought she knew was wrong.
And then there was Zuko. The way he treated her during this visit, with such care and attention... she was unused to being doted on like that, but if she was completely honest with herself, she loved every moment of the experience. When she and Aang had gotten together after the war, it had happened without any effort of wooing on his part, he probably didn't even know how to do that. They had just come together naturally, like everyone expected them to. Not that Zuko is trying to woo me, spirits... he's going to marry Mai, after all. He's just being a gracious host, that's all.
Even if that were true, however, Katara was still aware of something troubling. Lately, no matter what trail of thought she pursued... sooner or later, at the end of the thread, there would be Zuko. The difficulty of not thinking about Zuko was seriously starting to worry Katara, and while she pondered just how to take her mind off the young and charming Fire Lord, she by pure chance raised her eyes and noticed two of the Kyoshi warriors standing at the other end of the small square she had chosen to sit at, the two young women conversing among themselves.
Wait, is Zuko sending the Kyoshi girls to spy on me now? Katara thought irately, rising from her seat and about to stroll over and confront them, when she noticed one of the girls looking straight at her, beaming brightly and waving a hand at her. "Wait... I'll recognize that smile anywhere," Katara exclaimed in realization. "Suki!" she cried, walking up to the two Kyoshi warriors.
"Hi Katara!" Suki exclaimed, looking happy to see her, but also a little hesitant. "Uh... I'm not in any trouble, am I?"
"Of course not!" Katara grinned, the pair running up to one another and embracing tightly. "I'm not going to turn you into a statue of ice just because of what happened between you and my brother. But... if I ever catch up with the thief who stole your heart from Sokka, they will feel my wrath!" she threatened playfully. For some reason, the other Kyoshi girl let out a strangled gasp, staring at the waterbender with comically wide eyes.
"Uh oh, Ty Lee, you better start running!" Suki cried out, giggling at the other girl's reaction.
"Wait a moment..." now it was Katara's turn to appear utterly stunned. "You mean... you and her..." she pointed at Ty Lee, the other girl standing there like frozen, unsure whether she should flee or not.
"Oh Katara, you should see the look on your face now," Suki laughed. "Yes, Ty Lee and I are together now. That's what we came to talk to you about, so how about we just sit down for a bit?" she smiled.
"Of... of course," Katara managed, shaking her head, still in disbelief. She then turned to the other girl. "And don't worry, Ty Lee, I wasn't going to do anything. Let's just sit down and talk, yes?"
"Fine by me," Ty Lee smiled broadly, an irresistibly infectious grin. "Peace?" she asked, coming closer and extending her hand to Katara.
"I think we can do better than a handshake," Katara smiled back and swiftly embraced the surprised girl, who after the initial shock returned the hug in full measure. "I'm sorry, this revelation took me completely by surprise."
"Ah, you thought that if I were to drop Sokka then it would be for another boy?" Suki winked at her.
"Well... not necessarily," Katara replied as the three on them sat down on the nearby bench, the two Kyoshi girls perching down on either side of the waterbender. "But if I had to guess, I certainly would have never imagined that you would end up with Azula's former enforcer. And a frighteningly good chi-blocker, if I remember correctly."
"Azula is so far in the past, we don't really mention her anymore, do we, Ty Lee?" Suki smiled at her girlfriend.
"Nope, I don't like to dwell on my terrible life choices back then," Ty Lee resolutely shook her head. "I love being a Kyoshi warrior, though! You can't imagine the amount of fun these girls get up to once they remove their face paint and uniforms!"
"I'm glad that you are happy with the Kyoshi warriors, Ty Lee," Katara smiled at their former antagonist. "And I'm especially glad that you're now using your considerable talents for the forces of good."
"Ty Lee is the most important addition to our group in decades, Katara," Suki nodded firmly. "Because of her, everyone on the crew has become masterfully adept at chi-blocking. With us on the watch, Fire Lord Zuko has nothing to fear from any hostile bender."
"Yes, he speaks very highly of you, and for a very good reason," Katara smiled gratefully. "Still... I'm dying to know just how you two ended up together."
"Well... I'm afraid it's a very mundane story," Suki shrugged. "All of us girls get to spend a lot of time together, either on duty or in the barracks, so we come to know one another really well. And... once I came to know Ty Lee better and better, I simply could not resist the charm of her carefree, bubbly personality. Look at her, she is just so lovable and endearing," Suki cooed, blowing a kiss at her beaming girlfriend. "One day, I just realized I was head over heels in love with her, and after a few weeks of agonizing about it, I eventually confronted her. Fortunately for me, she returned my feelings."
"That's very sweet," Katara sighed happily, then turning back to the other girl. "And how did you fall for Suki, Ty Lee?" she asked.
"Well... I think it all goes back to Azula, actually," Ty Lee began thoughtfully. "You may not know this, but I had the biggest crush on Azula years ago. That's why I followed her loyally for so long, and that's how she was able to bend my will to get me to do whatever she wanted. Even if deep down I knew she was a terrible person who just used me, I could not admit that to myself for a very long time," the exuberant girl confessed with a pensive sigh.
"We were all very young back then," Katara smiled encouragingly, patting Ty Lee's hand. "You've turned your life around since then. Just like Zuko has. I'm sure we all have made mistakes in our youth, but they shouldn't dictate the rest of our lives."
"Wow, Katara, that was... really insightful," Ty Lee's eyes widened in wonder at her.
"Yes, probably because those are the words of Zuko's uncle, not mine," Katara grinned, making the other girls laugh. "Anyway, go on Ty Lee, I interrupted your story."
"It's okay," Ty Lee smiled back at her. "Anyway, the reason why I brought up Azula was because there's something about Suki that reminded me of Azula... wait, don't say anything, let me explain!" she raised her hands animatedly, seeing that the others were about to comment on her statement. "I only mean that in some ways, so... just like Azula, Suki is fierce, determined, passionate and a natural born leader. Those are the qualities I love about you, Suki... but why I love you so much and why Azula now is just an afterthought, is because you are also sweet, caring, compassionate, and you treat me so well all the time. Oh, and you're a really good kisser, too."
"Ah... damn, Ty Lee, I'm blushing so hard you can probably see it through my paint," Suki managed, looking overwhelmed.
"We can't," Katara grinned. "Well... what can I say? You guys are so obviously in love, it's making me all sorts of warm and tingly just hearing the way you talk about each other. I'm... really happy for you both," she added with a genuine smile on her face.
"Thanks, Katara," Suki smiled back, looking relieved. "You know, I'll never stop caring about your brother, Katara. Sokka is so sweet and he means the world to me, too. But... he wasn't here. He wasn't here a whole lot of time, and Ty Lee was. It just sort of... happened."
"I understand," Katara nodded. "And I think in time, Sokka will come to understand and accept it as well." When he stops acting childishly petulant, anyway. "So, do you believe it was the distance that ultimately doomed your relationship?" she asked. Distance. I hope it doesn't affect my own relationship. I can't let that happen. Maybe I should return to Aang...
"I think so," Suki nodded resolutely. "Katara, my duties here mean everything to me. Even though I was not born here, and even though I have fought against the Fire Nation invaders all my life, I have made the Fire Nation my home, and I love living here. The land is beautiful when you come to know it, so steeped in ancient and fascinating culture and tradition. But Sokka would never move here permanently, I think you know that."
"He's not a big fan of the Fire Nation, no," Katara admitted. "I think he was hoping that once you had helped Zuko stabilize his claim on the throne, you would return to Kyoshi Island."
"That was the plan, but..." Suki fell silent for a moment, appearing thoughtful. "After I had spent some time serving at Zuko's side, I became convinced that his work here was too important for us to simply abandon him and walk away. All of us Kyoshi warriors are of one mind... what Zuko is trying to achieve as the new Fire Lord is too important to place at risk."
"Wait... are you saying that he's in some kind of danger?" Katara asked, her heart pounding a little with sudden worry.
"He's the Fire Lord, Katara," Ty Lee spoke with rarely seen seriousness. "A Fire Lord will always have enemies, it's inevitable. And there are still many in the Fire Nation who believe that what Ozai tried to do was justified and that it is the destiny of the Fire Nation to rule over others."
"Goodness, I thought all of this was in the past," Katara paled. "I thought the Fire Nation was at peace!"
"Well, Fire Nation is formally at peace with its neighbors and the rest of the world, which is a nice change," Suki shrugged. "But internally... there are and always will be challenges. But we believe in Zuko, which is why we'll continue to protect him and his work."
"And for that, you will have my eternal gratitude," Katara confessed, still feeling a little unnerved from what she had learned. Zuko is facing all these challenges, but he still finds time to look after me the way he's done these past two days? That's... I'm not sure what to think. I should not be distracting him from what's truly important.
"It's the least we can do," Ty Lee grinned. "Besides, we were just talking with the other girls about how good it is that you've come to visit. Zuko has been a changed man these past few days, so we really hope you're not leaving anytime soon!"
"What... what do you mean?" Katara managed weakly.
"What Ty Lee means is that for the past few months, Zuko has been acting... a little indifferent towards everyone and everything," Suki explained. "It's like he was slowly becoming disinterested... or disillusioned. He still carried out all of his Fire Lord responsibilities, of course, but we could see that he was just going through the motions. But he's really changed since your arrival, it's true. There's such energy about him!"
"There is?" Katara managed with a sinking feeling in her gut.
"Oh yes, it's like meeting you has helped him rediscover his purpose," Ty Lee nodded eagerly. "He's strolling around the palace and ordering everyone around, making plans and organizing events, instead of just sulkily sitting on his throne. It's very inspiring!"
"That's... very good, isn't it?" Katara said. They're almost making it sound as if... as if Zuko is... no, no, no, he couldn't be, he's marrying Mai, he has to marry Mai! I hope it's not what I'm starting to think, or else this could be very, very bad!
"It's wonderful, and I know he's making plans to entertain you this evening as well. I'm not at liberty to spoil the surprise, but something tells me that you're going to enjoy it," Suki smiled, unhelpfully.
"Lovely... I'm looking forward to it," Katara replied, her thoughts swimming and making her heart race. This will spiral out of control, unless I can put a stop to it, she desperately told herself. I have to come up with something and avoid Zuko without hurting his feelings or appearing rude... I must think of something!
"Anyway, Katara, we should be getting back to the palace before Zuko notices our absence and gives us an earful," Suki grinned, the two Kyoshi girls then embracing her tightly as they got up to leave. "We'll catch up later again, yes?"
"And thanks for being so nice and understanding and not bending me into a block of ice!" Ty Lee giggled as they walked off, holding hands.
Once the two girls were out of her sight, Katara let out the desperate sigh she had been holding for a long while. She had sought a piece of seclusion and solitude in order to calm her raging thoughts and emotions, and following her talk with the charming Kyoshi girls, she was somehow an even bigger emotional mess than before. Ty Lee is worried about me bending her into a block of ice, what a joke! Right now, I feel like I couldn't bend to encase a fly!