Chapter 28
Katara nervously rocked on the balls of her feet as she stood next to Zuko at the docks of the First Lord's Harbor, looking on as a Southern Water Tribe ship was currently in the process of having its ramp secured by the capital's dockworkers. Despite having told herself countless times that she had no reason to worry, Katara still found herself a tangle of nerves, grateful for Zuko's presence at her side, taking great comfort from his hold on her hand.
It didn't take long for her father to appear, climbing down the ramp ahead of a small Southern Water Tribe delegation. Chieftain Hakoda looked just as she remembered him, still full of energy, with perhaps an extra crease on his brow. Malina walked next to him, smiling brightly, still wearing her reddish-brown hair short, in the style of the Northern tribe. Katara had come to if not like, then at least respect Malina, and yet every time she saw this new woman in her father's life, she could not stop herself thinking how she was lacking in every way when compared to her mother. Katara knew that it was very unfair to think so, but she just couldn't help herself.
As Katara was still thinking on what to say as she watched her father approaching, Sokka decided to steal the moment. "Over here, dad! Sokka coming through!" he exclaimed and rushed forward like some wild animal, embracing his father in a crushing polar bear hug, then giving a smaller hug to Malina.
"Sokka, so good to see you," Malina was the one to reply. "We didn't know you would be here as well, but this is a wonderful surprise."
"I didn't know that Sokka would be staying when I sent you my letter," Katara explained, releasing Zuko's hand to stand in front of her father. She was grateful when he made the first move and embraced her, Katara hugging him tightly. "It's so good to see you, dad," she whispered.
"Well now, just look at you, daughter," Hakoda shook his head in amazement once he had released her. "Who would have thought it, but you are looking like a regular Fire Nation courtier."
"Maybe so, but I haven't forgotten my roots," Katara replied, tugging on her mother's necklace, always around her neck. "Anyway, I'm sure you remember Zuko..." she said, nodding for her boyfriend to join them.
"Chieftain Hakoda," Zuko bowed his head, extending his arm for a handshake.
"Lord Zuko," Hakoda nodded respectfully, responding with a firm shake of the hand.
"And this is Malina, my father's... partner," Katara announced a little awkwardly.
"Actually... we have news for you, Katara," Malina replied, giving her a quick, slightly reserved hug, then shaking Zuko's hand. "And news for Sokka as well... a surprise, really."
"Yes, children... I'm sorry that this will come as a surprise, but for nearly three weeks now, Malina is no longer my partner or my girlfriend," Hakoda said as he smiled at Malina. "She is my wife."
"What?" Katara and Sokka both exclaimed at once. "Why weren't we invited?" Sokka protested, Katara nodding along, feeling rather upset.
"Because you two are impossible to track down and deliver an invitation to," Hakoda sighed. "Messengers were trying to track you down for the past three months, with no success. And since formalizing our relationship was starting to become a time sensitive issue..."
"Time sensitive? Why?" Katara demanded, Sokka backing her up with a firm nod.
"Because I'm with a child," Malina replied simply. Sokka let out a strangled noise that sounded like a burp of a sky bison. Katara felt her head starting to spin, and Zuko had to step in to steady her. It was only now that she noticed that there was a slight, but very obvious bump to Malina's belly, and she wondered just how she hadn't noticed it at once.
"I'm sorry, Chieftain Hakoda, but Katara thought she was the one doing the shocking surprises," Zuko commented with some amusement.
"I wish there had been a better way to spring the news on you both, but with the amount of traveling you are doing with the Avatar... or well, you were doing with the Avatar, I guess," Hakoda coughed lightly. "It was just impossible to track you down since you never stayed in one place."
"Well, that's going to change now," Katara smiled, slowly starting to recover from the surprise. "I'm finally settling down. And dad? I'm not upset, I understand... Malina seems to be quite far along already. People were probably starting to waggle their tongues, and when you're the Head Chieftain..."
"Yes, we didn't want to give any ammunition to your father's remaining opposition," Malina said. "I'm glad you understand."
"I'm just... still trying to wrap my head around the thought of having a half-brother or half-sister," Katara sighed, shaking her head. I really should have seen it coming, though. Malina is much younger than my dad, it just makes sense that she would want children. Perhaps more than one, even.
"What are you talking about, it's going to be awesome!" Sokka cheered. "Of course, it's going to be a half-brother, it has to be. I'm going to teach him how to master the boomerang and become a true warrior of the Southern Water Tribe."
"It'll be just another thing that we have in common, Katara," Zuko turned to her with a smile on his lips. "I have a half-sister from my mother's second marriage, and you'll have a half-sibling from your father's second marriage."
"Huh... that's true, thanks for pointing that out," Katara smiled, then laughing about the absurdity of the situation. Here she was, all worried about having shocked her poor father with the news of becoming the Fire Lord's consort, and then Hakoda would come and stun her with an even more shocking surprise. "Are you done with your surprises for us? Can we be on our way to the palace?" she asked, turning back to her father and Malina.
"That was all we had prepared, daughter," Hakoda replied with mirth in his eyes. "Lead the way. It has been some time since I was here for the coronation."
"More than three years, yes," Zuko nodded as the group began to make the slow journey from the harbor to the royal palace.
During the walk back to the palace, the group began to spread out a little and Katara found herself walking next to her father at the front of the procession, slightly ahead of the others. "So... what do you think, dad?" she finally dared to ask with bated breath. "About me... being here, and all."
"I'm not sure what to think, not yet," her father replied. "I barely recognized you in that fancy dress. Life at the royal court... it's just not what I expected you to want. It doesn't seem to be you."
"And what seems to be me? Living in the South that I no longer recognize?" Katara cut back, a little sharper than she had intended. It was a common pattern for most of their more serious conversations. Whether she had a reason for it or not, Katara instantly became defensive with her father. Even though he had mostly been supportive, for some reason she still expected and feared disapproval. While understandable, Hakoda's decision to leave his family and go fight the Fire Nation had left some permanent marks that Katara knew would stay there forever.
"Not necessarily South," Hakoda replied softly.
"Oh, you mean traveling the world with Aang, moving from solving one crisis to another, constantly putting out fires? Restoring long abandoned air temples and reviving the Air Nation? Never staying in one place for long, never knowing home? That's somehow me?" Katara snapped.
"The few times I saw you with Aang, you appeared very happy, at peace," her father tried in a conciliatory tone. "I guess I just expected you to remain together for a very long time."
"You and everyone else, it seems," Katara frowned bitterly. "Sure, I'm the unreasonable one who ruined everyone's favorite couple, I know. Sorry, but I'm not sorry for realizing that I wanted something else. You know what I want, what is me? To have a hearth, a home. To have possessions, something to call my own. I'm not an Air Nomad, dad, I never could be! I like to be attached, to people, to places, to things. It's as simple as that."
"Are you quite sure you couldn't have that with Aang?" Hakoda asked. "He was so devoted to you, I thought he would have done anything to please you."
"Dad... I have spent more than a month agonizing over my choices," Katara forced herself to answer patiently, even if her blood was boiling red hot by now. "Trust me, you are not going to raise any questions that I have not thought of and answered already. I'm crystal clear and certain about my choice. Do not try to sow doubt in my mind, it will not work. My love for Zuko will not waver."
"I'm just... trying to make sure that you're making the right choice," her father sighed. "This is a very big change for you, daughter. I want nothing more than for you to be happy, yet I can't help being afraid... I mean, this is the Fire Nation."
"I understand... it's the old hatred that you can't entirely let go of, and I don't blame you for that," Katara smiled at her father, trying to see things from his point of view. "But it's not just a big, scary change for me, dad. It's also an exciting new opportunity. I can help Zuko make the Fire Nation and the entire world a better place. And I am in a unique position to forge even closer ties between the Fire Nation and the South. As the Head Chieftain, you know that our tribe could do with a powerful ally. Not to mention all the other ways in which the Fire Nation could lend its support."
"Now you're talking like a real politician. I'm sorry, but it's very strange for me to hear you speak like that," Hakoda shook his head.
"Well, you better get used to it, because that's a role I intend to fully embrace in the future," Katara spoke with steely determination. "And in doing so, I could do with support and approval from my father, instead of his doubts and his questioning."
"I... that is fair, Katara, and I apologize," her father sighed, giving her a sorrowful stare. "You have always possessed good judgment, my daughter, and I had no reason to question your chosen path. I guess it was my old fears and suspicions towards the Fire Nation, toying with me. I'm proud of you, Katara, so very proud. If this is where you want to be, then I have no reason to doubt that you will achieve great things at the Fire Nation court."
"Thanks, dad," Katara smiled as she scooted closer to her father and wrapped her arm around his back as they walked. She briefly glanced behind her to see where the others were, noticing Zuko and Sokka speaking with Malina as they followed them, her boyfriend giving her a supportive smile that further improved Katara's mood.
It wasn't long until they had all arrived at the royal palace, the Southern Water Tribe delegation stopping at the palace's column lined entrance hall to discuss further arrangements for the remainder of the day. "When's the dinner?" Sokka made his priorities clear. "I'm hungry."
Katara found herself rolling her eyes. "Sokka, you're always hungr-..." she almost finished, but something distracted her. There, at the back of the hall, something had peeked out behind one of the columns, a dark shape.
"What's the matter, Katara?" Zuko immediately became alert, having noticed her reaction.
"I just thought I saw something... or someone," Katara replied, continuing to stare at the back of the hall, but it appeared empty now. "Probably nothing. I'm just a little stressed, I guess," she shrugged.
"Back to the plan for the day, then," Zuko continued undeterred. "Our esteemed guests will no doubt wish to rest a little following their journey. The servants will shortly show you to the guest quarters. In the evening, we will have entertainment in the form of the national kuai ball finals accompanied by a splendorous meal."
"That sounds lovely, Lord Zuko," Malina smiled. Katara found herself nodding in agreement, until she once again became aware of a strange presence nearby. Her eyes shot upwards and she barely contained a scream when she noticed the dark shape now standing on the upper floor balcony. From the brief look she had stolen, Katara was reasonably sure the figure belonged to a woman, dressed in an all-black form fitting outfit with an equally dark cowl. Her face was hidden behind a strange white mask.
"Did you see something again, Katara?" Sokka asked, looking around as well.
"I don't see anything strange," Zuko frowned as he examined the hall, the others doing the same.
"I don't know... maybe I'm just seeing things, but it felt so real," Katara sighed, shaking her head, not knowing what to think.
"You're not seeing things, something is amiss," she was glad and relieved to hear Suki's voice, her friend together with three of her Kyoshi sisters announcing themselves, having remained inconspicuous until now. "I definitely saw some movement on the balcony."
"There!" one of the Kyoshi girls, On Ji, shouted suddenly. Katara swirled around to face whatever the girl was pointing at. The dark shape wearing the intricate white mask had somehow made it very close already, and it was making up distance fast, running with silent steps.
Katara and Zuko both reacted at the same time. Double barriers of fire and ice sprang up to shield the group from the unknown assailant. Katara was left perplexed when the dark shape was somehow able to weave through the seemingly impassable barrier, appearing in their midst. There was something in the attacker's hand, a thin, long dagger, almost like an extension of the woman's arm. She was ready to pounce, about to strike either her or Zuko as they stood side by side.
With a swift, acrobatic jump, one of the Kyoshi girls landed right next to the unknown assailant and delivered a savage kick to the dark-clad woman's midsection. It wasn't enough to knock her down, but the blow staggered her. Before she had recovered, a boomerang whizzed through the air and scored a firm blow against the attacker's temples, dazing her further. Katara finally snapped out of her surprised state and a gushing spout of water threw the dark clad assassin across the hall. She rolled behind one of the columns and moments later a cloud of thick vapor rose from the ground, the assailant probably using some kind of a smoke bomb.
Cautiously, Sokka together with the Kyoshi girls examined the place where the assassin had disappeared, finding no sign of her. She was gone, just as suddenly as she had appeared.
"What... was that?" Hakoda asked in a raised voice, looking deeply unnerved.
"I know what it was!" Ty Lee exclaimed excitedly, running back towards the group. "Zuko also knows, don't you, Zuko?" The Fire Lord was frowning deeply at the comment. "It was a Kemurikage! They're real! And I kicked its ass!" she cheered aloud.
"Calm down, Ty Lee, the Kemurikage aren't real," Zuko sighed. "It was just someone dressing up as one to scare us."
"Huh?" Ty Lee's celebrations froze. "What? No way! I'm telling you it was a real Kemurikage!"
"The Kemurikage is a story made up to scare children," Zuko sighed. "Children and Ty Lee, it seems. Anyway, there's no reason to panic. Because of this incident, I'll have security increased for the rest of the week, and I'm sure we'll see no other occurrences."
Katara could not stop herself from wincing, having noticed the disturbed look on her father's and Malina's faces as servants led them away to their guest quarters. This is just great, when I needed my father to calm down and set his doubts about my chosen path aside, the first assassination attempt during my stay just had to happen. What can I say? So far, my father's visit to the Fire Nation is a complete disaster…