Episode 22: The Spirit Dance
Zuko was wearing the same fancy clothes Azula had gotten for him two weeks prior. He'd need to buy more suits if he planned on rejoining the company this summer.
Tugging at the collar, he fought the urge to frown.
Why did people dress up for plays? It wasn't like the actors could see them. You didn't dress up to go to the movies or concerts.
Reaching the bakery, he rapped his knuckles against the door twice and waited.
It wasn't like he was applying for a job or eating at a fancy restaurant or going to a company gala. It was pure social pressure from long past snooty dead people. Tradition. And Zuko was ready to be the first to start a new trend.
Katara opened the door.
So that's why people dress up.
She was wearing a traditional style blue dress with a high collar and silk ties. The sleek fabric clung to her upper body before floating gently to her feet. A wide sash of white was belted around her waist accentuating her slight yet curvy figure. Her bangs were looped but her hair had been twirled into a braid and then styled into a bun. She was also wearing make-up which he'd only seen her in once before, at Sokka's party. The dark lining accentuated the crystal blue of her eyes and the pink of her lips contrasted the tan tone of her skin perfectly.
She smiled at him. "I'm guessing that means I look good?"
Zuko closed his mouth and breathed deeply through his nose to ease his burning lungs. "Are you ready to go?" he asked.
"I just need to grab my purse really quickly," she said. "You have the tickets?"
He held them up.
"And you're sure you know how to get there?"
"I do, it's not far from here so we'll probably walk, but I also have it GPSed into my phone just in case."
"And you-"
"Katara?" He leaned in close. "I got this. All you need is your purse."
"Sorry." She moved to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear out of habit as her hair was pinned up. "Force of habit."
"I understand," he nodded, thinking of all those years she'd been living with Hakoda and Sokka. He loved those guys, but they weren't the most prepared. "You may also want to bring a coat, it's supposed to get chilly tonight. I can carry it for you though."
"That's ok," she started to say, walking back into the bakery. Her heels clicked with each step across the tile.
"Katara?" He tried again with a smile. She turned back with her eyebrows raised.
"Are you going to let me take care of you?" He asked. "Because I'd like to take care of you."
Click, clack. She walked back to where he was leaning in the doorway and slid her arms around his shoulders. She was taller with her heels on so she hadn't needed to go far to give him a gentle kiss.
"I appreciate your desire to take care of me," she said. "In fact, I love it, but you may need to forgive me if it takes a little bit to get used to."
"I forgive you," he said. "Now hurry up, you're going to make us late."
Playfully hitting his shoulder, she rolled her eyes. He followed after her up the stairs that took them from the store to the living area of the townhouse. He stopped when he reached the living room for several reasons. First, the dining table had two distinct scorch marks from where he must have burned it while under Katara's care as the Blue Spirit. Second, the majority of the furniture had been wrapped and the shelves emptied. Boxes had been stacked against the side wall prepared for storage. But the biggest reason for his sudden halt was the figure of Hakoda, Katara's father, standing in the kitchen.
"Evening," Zuko greeted him with a nod. Katara, having grabbed her purse, was now standing by the couch looking between them. The older man advanced until he was a mere two feet in front of Zuko.
"So." Hakoda's eyes narrowed, his arms crossed over his not insubstantial chest. "I hear you've taken an interest in my daughter."
Zuko gulped and nodded. "Sir."
Hakoda continued to stare at him until... "Ha-ha!" He clapped Zuko on the shoulder, startling him into a jump that almost had him falling over.
"I love it!" Hakoda declared. "Why, I couldn't ask for a better son."
Zuko choked.
"Dad!" Katara screeched, covering her face with her hands. "I can't believe you just said that."
"Well, I'm sorry Sugarplum, but he's nothing like the last couple of guys you've brought home."
Jet came to his mind.
"Oh my gosh, we're leaving." Katara was blushing as she began shoving Zuko out the door. At least he hadn't been upset. Zuko made a point to grab her hand but they didn't speak until they were halfway to the theater.
"I'm sorry about that," she said, scooting a little closer to him. "I was trying to avoid an exchange, if I'm being honest."
He peeked over at her. "Why? Embarrassed of me?"
"You?" she scoffed. "Him!"
Zuko chuckled. "I like your dad. I've never had trouble feeling a part of the family whenever I'm at the bakery."
"He does that for a lot of people." She sighed. "I don't know what he's going to do now."
Zuko let go of her hand to pull her in with an arm around her shoulders. He waited a couple of steps to speak. What do you say to someone who's parent is packing up their life and about to become homeless?
"Maybe we should have stayed," she said, slowing down. "We could help him pack..."
She might be right, but he also knew that it was important she have this time away. Important that Hakoda had some time to himself.
"I think," Zuko said, speaking quietly into her ear, "that your dad will like the idea of us spending some time out. It will help him remember that life is still going on, and his children aren't stopping everything because of him. Imagine how he feels knowing you're out with- what was it- his favorite son? I'll have to tell Sokka to make room on the mantle."
She jabbed him in the ribs but laughed so he considered it a victory.
"I suppose you're right," she said. "He did say something of that sort the five times I suggested it before you got there, too."
They chuckled again.
"Have you ever been to a play before?" he asked.
"Once." She leaned her head against his shoulder, her shoes clacking against the cobblestones of the street. "My mom took me when I was little. It was a horrid debacle, we went to make fun of it. A cheesy romance between a god and a human woman called-"
"Love Amongst the Dragons?" they said together.
"Ugh," he groaned. "My mother used to drag us to that every year."
"You mean she actually liked it?" Katara giggled. "Why?"
"I have no idea." Zuko's hands went up in emotion as he recalled the terrible show he'd been forced to watch over a dozen times in his youth. "Every year I tried to get out of it. Azula and I even came up with a game where we had to take a shot every time the emperor said 'it is forbidden!'."
"You were drinking?" Katara demanded.
"Please." Zuko waved it off. "We took a long sip of soda. Why, Katara?" He slid away from her with a playful grin. "Do you like bad boys?"
"I like you," she said, pulling him back.
He smiled. "Wow. That was pretty cheesy."
"I have no regrets." She grabbed his arm back up.
"Anyway," he said, "I sure hope this play is better than that one."
"And if it isn't, we can create our own drinking game and make fun of it together."
"Promise?" he asked.
Leaning up, she kissed him on the cheek. "I promise."
Katara couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this relaxed. She almost felt guilty. Her dad was dealing with a crisis, Sokka was having his first roommate issues, and here she was having the time of her life with Zuko.
He just made her feel so safe. She had always been the one caring, it was refreshing to be cared for. She was wrapped around Zuko's arm or holding his hand the whole way to the theater. They took their coats at the door and he handed over the tickets, navigating them to their seats with ease. If it had been Sokka, they probably would have gotten lost at least three times on their way up.
The seats were plush, front row of the upper balcony overlooking the stage.
"This is...surprisingly nice," she said, leaning forward to look at the seats below. It was mostly older people who had arrived dressed in their finest clothes. "Is it silly that I'm excited?"
"Not at all." Zuko held a small booklet out to her. "Here, this was on our seats."
Looking down, Katara paled at the playbill. 'The Spirit Dance: A depiction of the legends surrounding the Painted Lady and the Blue Demon.'
Things only went downhill from there.
"Katara? Zuko?"
They spun around in their seats to see a wide-eyed Suki in the aisle behind them.
"Suki? What are you doing here?" Katara asked.
"But he said..." she trailed off with a frown.
"He didn't." Zuko sighed in frustration and faced forward, pinching his nose.
"I'm going to kill him," Suki muttered. Katara was still catching up with the others when Sokka strolled into view carrying popcorn and gummies.
She stood up.
"Oh, hey guys!" he called.
Suki glared at him. "Sokka, what did you do?"
"These are our seats," he replied innocently pointing to the two chairs directly behind Katara and Zuko.
Zuko moved to stand next to Katara. "What the heck, man? You said you wanted us to go on this date alone."
"No, I invited you to go to the play together," he said. "Never said Suki and I wouldn't also be here. Must have-" his eyes narrowed- "left that part out."
The two boys glared at one another. Zuko's hands fisted at his sides.
"Sokka," he said through his teeth, "would you please join me at the concession stands? I think I'm going to grab a drink and I'd like your recommendation."
Katara looked between her brother and his roommate, wondering how she'd somehow come between them. Although, from the way Sokka nodded assent and stalked off Katara wasn't entirely sure it was her fault.
"What is wrong with him?" she muttered, crossing her arms.
Zuko slid a hand around her waist and kissed her temple. "I'll talk to him," he said. "Be right back."
The girls watched them walk away, Zuko trailing a couple of steps behind.
"Should we be worried?" Katara asked.
"Definitely," Suki said. Then she must have seen Katara's face because she immediately started backtracking, "But they're pretty tough guys, they've been through a lot together. They'll figure it out. It just might take a while. I'm not actually worried, Zuko will straighten him out."
Katara sighed.
"And if he doesn't, then I have plenty of words to send his way for pulling this little stunt." Suki grinned.
"Oh, I have more than words," Katara growled.
By the time the boys made it back, Sokka seemed to have calmed down quite a bit but Zuko looked extremely tired. She was just standing to go to him when someone else cut through her thoughts.
"Aisle F. Oh, hey guys! Sokka didn't tell me you'd be here!" an excited voice chirped from their right.
Katara cursed under her breath. Her brother was a dead man. She turned slowly. "Hey, Aang. What are you doing here?"
"I've actually been really into the spirits lately," he said, avoiding chairs as he came closer. "When Sokka told me about the play, I knew I just had to see it!"
She saw him heading towards the seat next to her and panicked. Zuko must have also noticed where Aang was headed because he slid with the deft grace of the Blue Spirit to stand between them.
Aang faltered. "Hey, uh...I wanted to sit there."
Katara ducked towards her shoulders, hiding behind Zuko with her ears burning.
"Just sit next to me. What's the big deal?" Zuko countered smoothly.
"I was just...I wanted to..." Aang sighed. "Okay."
Reaching back, Zuko gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before turning to face forward.
"Did you talk to him?" she whispered against his shoulder.
"If it's okay with you," he said back just as quietly, "I'd rather discuss it at another time." He sent a significant look in Aang's direction.
"Agreed," she said. The lights began dimming to signal the start of the show and everyone sat down. As soon as it was dark enough, Zuko grabbed her hand again and held it against the arm of the seat where Aang couldn't see. His hand was warm and rough against hers, allowing a small sense of that comfort she'd lost to come back.
The actors weren't half bad, but as the Painted Lady herself, the story was humiliating. It was strange knowing that Zuko was the Blue Spirit and yet him having no idea of her own alter ego. His portrayal was surprisingly accurate, depicting him as an overdramatic martial arts expert turning from his life of crime to the actions of a hero. The Painted Lady on the other hand was played by a scandalous woman who burst into tears whenever she wasn't giving a sappy speeches.
Her favorite part so far had been the only realistic scene where the Blue Spirit had saved her from a rather large group of bounty hunters. It was when the Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit were supposed to be visiting the village when the actress started a particularly weepy message. "Still, we cannot give up hope! For hope, is all we have!" She began to cry. "And we must never relinquish it, even to our dying breath!" Her crying turned into full blown sobs that ricocheted across the theater.
Katara couldn't stop herself. "Blech, is this really how people see the Painted Lady?"
Zuko chuckled. "I think they were trying for inspirational."
"Well, I am not inspired," she huffed.
That was when the actress yelled "waterbending, hi-yah!" and Katara face-palmed.
"You promised," he said, "Can we start making fun of it now?"
"I thought I already was." She began leaning closer to him when a loud throat-clearing rang out. Zuko glared into the darkness behind them, then smirked. Pretending to yawn, he let go of Katara's hand only to swing it behind her to lay across her shoulders.
There was a small scuffle followed by Suki saying, "If you don't leave them alone I will drag you out of this theater by your ear. Now behave."
Mentally thanking her friend, Katara smiled and leaned her head on Zuko's shoulder.
"Besides, look how cute they are," Suki cooed.
"I'm cute!" Came Sokka's response.
"I know you are, sweetie," Suki said.
Katara and Zuko chuckled gently.
"What? Did something funny happen?" Aang asked.
"No, just something Sokka said," Zuko replied. Katara was grateful for the darkness so that Aang couldn't see her current position cuddled up next to Zuko. The boy had always had a crush on her and she didn't really want to have to deal with any possible remaining feelings while on her first date. It was already far from perfect with her brother sitting right behind her. Maybe she could count that rooftop rendezvous with the Blue Spirit as their first date. It had definitely been more romantic than this.
The scene had shifted yet again to show the Painted Lady being captured, only it wasn't by Phoenix Industries, but some made up fire dragon. The dragon had taken the maiden up to his tower and it was up to the Blue Spirit to scale the mountain and rescue her.
"Ayy, he climbs," Katara said, watching the actor shimmy not so gracefully up onto the stage's platform.
"The Blue Spirit is way more agile than that," Zuko said, his nose scrunching.
"Seen him in action, have you?" Katara asked. "I was under the impression that you agreed with Sokka that he was dangerous."
Zuko trapped her with his eyes, the gold in them catching the low lights of the stage. "He is."
"Are you sure?" Katara whispered back. "Because to me-" she turned back to face the stage "-it seems like all he really wants to do is protect people. The Painted Lady in particular. Maybe this writer is on to something."
Zuko squirmed in his seat and she resisted the urge to smirk. Okay, maybe that wasn't very nice.
"I remember the times I got to hang out with him." She said it off-handedly, but didn't miss the way his squirming immediately stopped and his muscles clenched.
"I don't remember too much," she continued. "But I do remember thinking that he was quite fit. Definitely someone who could climb a mountain if he wanted to."
He relaxed then chuckled quietly before leaning in to whisper, "Trying to make me jealous, Katara?"
"Depends." She smiled. "Is it working?"
He poked her side and she giggled, settling into his side for the second time that night.
Zuko could get used to this. Maybe lose Aang, Sokka, and Suki watching them, but having Katara tucked snuggly into his side with her head against his shoulder? He never wanted it to end. Her hair smelled like jasmine blossoms and her skin was so soft where his hand stroked gently down her arm.
He used to think he'd never be happy until he'd returned to his company. He'd never wanted anything else.
Looking down, he caught her gentle smile as she watched the Blue Spirit fight through the hundred guards between himself and the Painted Lady. He was glad she was able to have this time to relax away from the many disappointments life was throwing at her.
Despite the truth of Sokka's argument, he also knew something her brother did not: Katara was strong, but she was also fragile.
She needed someone to hold her and tell her everything would be okay. And he wasn't sure why, but she'd chosen him to be the person to do that, and he wasn't about to let her down.
Katara began shifting away from him, and just when he was about to ask her what was wrong, the lights of the theater fluttered to life. His hands settled, cold and empty, in his lap.
"What a predictable story line," Sokka complained. "Girl seduces guy. Guy saves girl. Happily ever after. Where's the originality?"
"The play's not over, Sokka. This is just the intermission," Suki said.
"We're only halfway?" Katara spun in her seat to face her friend then looked at Zuko. "I'm going to need something to drink if we're going to make it through another hour of those two moony-eyed spirits."
She was sugar coating for Suki's sake but the message was clear: she wanted to start a drinking game to secretly make fun of the play together.
Zuko bit back his smile, surprisingly excited for the second act. Maybe they could come back without all the others and make fun of it more openly.
"To...the concession stand!" Zuko called, hopping up. Katara stood beside him, giggling, and he grinned.
Then Sokka spoke. "Aang, do you mind going with them and getting me some more fire flakes?"
He saw Katara turning to face her brother, her fury practically waving off of her in a wave of heat. No good could come from this.
"Come on, Katara, let's go." Placing his hands on her shoulders he began steering her towards the aisle.
Thanks to Sokka they didn't get a minute of intermission alone, but he couldn't stop them from taking sips of their mixed berry slushies every time the Painted Lady cried or the Blue Spirit flirted and called her his lady. By the end of the play Katara had a massive brain freeze and couldn't stop smiling. She had no idea what her friends had been talking about at the tea shop, Zuko was hilarious.
Even Sokka's grouchy demeanor and sour scowl couldn't bring her down. If it weren't for Aang, she would have kissed Zuko right in front of him.
"Seems like you had fun." Suki elbowed her in the side as they washed their hands in the bathroom.
"I did," Katara beamed. "It's nice to have someone to lean on for once."
"I'm really happy for you guys." Suki smiled. "Even if I lost money on it."
"Thanks," Katara said. "I'm really happy." Then she frowned. "Even with my brother trying to throw a bomb in the middle of everything."
"Yeah, he can be an idiot sometimes." Suki nodded. "Do you want me to play interference so you guys can sneak away for a moment?"
"You can do that?"
"I am an elite detective who's trained for years in the art of stealth," she said seriously, then grinned. "I think I can distract my boyfriend for a couple of minutes."
"Thank you!" Katara hugged her and then hustled out of the bathroom to grab Zuko. Clutching his hand, she started tugging him along towards the exit. "Quick!"
"Katara!" Sokka called after them.
"Katara? Where are we going?" Zuko asked.
"Less talk, more run!" she giggled, dodging through the crowd. Zuko squeezed her hand and she felt him pick up the pace behind her. Sokka would follow them out the front door, so she found the side, service entrance that led them into a darkened alley.
Zuko stopped. "Well this is...romantic?"
The far wall was lined with dumpsters creating an unpleasant aroma in the cool night air. A single streetlight flickered farther down the alley giving off the vibe of a horror movie when the plot was about to turn.
"I will admit, not exactly the first date ambiance I was hoping for, but at least we're not being watched by everyone we know."
Zuko scoffed. "I am not counting this as a first date. When I take you on a real date, you're going to know it."
"Ooh." She pulled closer to him. "And what exactly does a date entail in your mind?"
"First of all, less people we know around," he grumbled.
"Sure."
"Your brother as far away as possible."
"That's a given."
"And a chance to actually talk to the beautiful woman who came with me." He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, his fingers warm against her chilled skin. She smiled at him.
"Just to clarify," she said, "the beautiful woman is me, right?"
"Spirits, Katara." Zuko laughed. "Do I ever get a break?"
"Nope," she popped the 'p'. "Wooing me is a full time job."
"And why am I the only one doing the wooing?"
"You're already wooed." She smirked. "I wish I had a picture of your face when you saw me in this dress."
He blushed from his chin to his hairline. "Th-that's...that's not...I'm..."
Leaning up, she gave him a swift kiss on his burning cheek. "You're adorable."
He grumbled something under his breath that she couldn't quite hear.
"Aww, don't be grumpy," she teased, wrapping her arms around his waist. His arms automatically settled around her as well, his hands clasping together at the small of her back. They stood like that for a moment, her cheek pressed against the soft fabric of his dress shirt.
"Hey," she whispered into the darkness, her cheeks tingling. "I like you."
His whole body seemed to deflate slightly, relaxing against her. "Well, I suppose that's something. I remember when you used to hate me."
Katara frowned. "I didn't hate you, I disagreed with what you stood for."
"Didn't feel that way to me," he chuckled. "What happens to the people you actually don't like?"
She thought about what she would do if the CEO of Phoenix Industries was before her. If she had an opportunity to face the man who had killed her mother. Thought about what she was capable of doing. What she had done to those guards in the bowels of the Industry's headquarters.
He'd been there. He'd seen her do those unspeakable things and carried her out anyways. Even going so far as to offer to help her cause.
Would he feel the same knowing it was her beneath the veil? Her who could bring men to their knees with a flick of her wrist?
"Let's hope you never have to find out," she whispered.
He squirmed a little in her hold but didn't say anything, probably sensing her discomfort with that uncanny ability he had to read her.
"And what would your idea of a date be?" he asked her. She was grateful for his change of subject.
"Hmm," she thought. "Well, food needs to be involved. I'm no fun when I'm hungry."
"I think I knew that, but it's still good to know," Zuko said. "I'll be sure to keep a couple granola bars nearby. I think I have some in the storage compartment of my bike."
"Oh, and no riding on the motorcycle."
"What?" Zuko demanded, leaning back. "I thought chicks dug bikes?"
Katara shook her head. "Not this chick."
"You haven't even tried it yet, maybe you'll like it!"
Oops, that's right. The Painted Lady had ridden the bike with him. "Do you know how many accident victims I treat each night?"
"I suppose that's a legitimate reason." His thumb pressed a single stroke down her back and Katara shivered. "What things do you like to do then? Since plays are obviously off the menu."
Katara laughed. "I like when the view is beautiful, like that time we walked on the beach. The water and the moon." She almost brought up the lantern lit night they'd spent on the hospital roof, but that had been with the Blue Spirit. This was going to get very tiring very quickly.
"So as long as you're there, we're good right?" His boyish grin had her sticking her tongue out at him and he burst into laughter.
"What?" she asked.
"Your tongue is totally purple."
Katara blushed. The slushies. "Yours probably is too."
He clamped his lips together.
"Oh come on, you're not going to check?"
He shook his head. "I'm fairly certain your correct, which is why my tongue is going to stay in my mouth."
"Ew, stop," she laughed. "Can you imagine if Sokka could hear us talking about tongues?"
"He would die, then come back in the afterlife to kill me and haunt you."
Katara thought about it, then hid her face against his chest again. It was easier to ask the harder questions without meeting his eyes. "Do you think he's right?" she asked.
Another stroke down her back. Her head rose and fell with his deep breath.
"I honestly don't know," he said, "but I don't think we'll ever know for sure unless we try."
Katara sighed. "I suppose you're right. I'm glad Suki was able to buy us a couple of minutes to think about it."
He chuckled. "Yes, you're diabolical."
"It's why you like me, right?"
"I really shouldn't," he murmured, "it's not safe for you."
"So everyone keeps telling me." Lifting her head so her chin rested against his chest, she smiled up at him. "I trust you."
His body stiffened inside her hold, his expression pained.
Zuko closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Katara...I need to tell you something."
The sound of a door closing had the couple turning towards the mouth of the ally where a familiar figure was facing them.
She froze.
"Katara?" the boy called.
"Aang?" Zuko asked. "What are you doing out here?"
The boy's eyes scanned them, obviously in a couple's embrace and having been missing for several minutes. It was like she could see the realization as it dawned on his face.
"Suki wanted to know if you guys would like to join us for ice cream after the play but we couldn't..." he trailed off. "...are you two...?" The young boy shook his head, his eyes brimming with oncoming tears before he turned and ran back down the alley.
"Aang wait," Katara called after him. Turning to Zuko she said, "it's been dangerous this time of night. He can't be out here alone, we have to find him."
"We will," Zuko said, taking her hand. "Come on."
He'd almost told her. Had been taking the breath to speak the words to her: I am the Blue Spirit. Then Aang comes in and ruins everything. Fricking Sokka inviting the entire gang to their little outing.
And now here they were, walking hand in hand down creepy dark alleys searching for Aang who apparently had been crushing on Katara. He could hardly blame the kid. She'd been taking care of him for years, she was beautiful and funny and charming and passionate and...he could go on.
But he also couldn't feel too bad, because she'd chosen him. And Zuko wasn't about to just give her up.
"Let's split up." She moved to walk away from him only to be pulled back when he kept his hold on her hand.
"Excuse me?" he demanded. "The reason we're looking for Aang is because it's dangerous, and you want to just split up?"
Her brow settled into that defiant crinkle it got (what seemed to be every time) he opened his mouth in her presence. "Do I need to remind you that I can take care of myself?"
"I know you can, but-"
"Great," she said, giving him a fierce smile of victory that had him grinding his teeth.
"Katara," he growled in warning as she walked away from him.
"I'll meet you back here in twenty minutes," she promised, waving over her shoulder.
"If you get hurt, I'll kill you," he called.
She laughed before shouting back, "Likewise."
Zuko was furious. What was she thinking wandering off on her own? The whole reason they were there was to make sure Aang was safe. They couldn't very well help him if they were both jumped by some desperate villagers in the middle of the night. And there were plenty of desperate villagers about since Azula's raids had started. More and more of the safe alleys had been abandoned. Zuko had been forced to silence his bounty alert as several new names were popping up each hour.
Ozai was on a mission and if Zuko wasn't careful, his little family he'd found would be sucked right into the middle of it.
He was already dreading his own involvement. Not only could he no longer help the villagers as the Blue Spirit, it was his turn to run the raids next week. Azula had unsurprisingly volunteered to go first. He want complaining. He had a week to figure out just what his father was up to, and what he could do to help the Painted Lady minimize any damage.
His eyes wandered the battered streets that had been filled with life a mere week ago.
Well, any more damage than had already been done.
"Ugh, this is so frustrating!" he called into the empty alley.
"Tell me about it!" Someone yelled back. Ok, screw this plan. Wandering the streets hoping to find Aang around the next corner was the worst way to go about this. As much as his life tried to convince him he was a glutton for punishment, Zuko didn't enjoy wasting his time.
"Okay." He rubbed his temples. "Time to think like Aang. I'm upset. I need to talk to someone to vent out my feelings...And eat." His eyes opened, his gaze shifting to the east. "On Ji's."
It was a quick walk to the 24-hour all-you-can eat noodle shop. On Ji's had been a staple of the gang's since Aang had discovered it three years ago. Zuko knew for a fact that the kid went there at least twice a week for the udon bowl. It was a small, family owned hole-in-the-wall that had a secret ingredient soup Zuko would crave if he went too long without it. The atmosphere was friendly and open which is what made it so appealing to group outings. In fact, it was the same place he'd been planning to bring Katara for lunch the other day.
Sure enough, he pushed through the beaded entryway to see his young friend at the bar...facedown in a bowl.
He sent a quick text to Katara. [Found him. On Ji's. Probably best I handle this alone.]
[Are you sure?]
Aang let off a low moan that echoed against the porcelain bottom of his dish.
[Definitely.] He sent. Then added, [I'll meet you at the bakery when I'm done.]
He approached the bench slowly. "Hey, buddy," he said softly. "How you doin?"
Turning his head, Zuko was greeted by two bleary red eyes. The boy sniffed. "Zuko?" His gaze strayed to the door and back. "Is Katara here?"
"No, just me." Taking the seat next to him, Zuko motioned to On Ji to bring him his regular drink. She nodded, then motioned to Aang and made a face of worry. He waved her off in an 'I got this' motion.
"I thought maybe we could talk," Zuko maintained his quiet timbre.
"Talk?" Aang whined. "About what? About how you brutally ripped out my heart and tore it to shreds?"
On Ji, who was just setting down Zuko's cup of sake, shot him an accusing glare.
Grimacing, Zuko turned to fully face his friend who had retreated back into his bowl. "Look, Aang, I'm really sorry you had to find out this way, but you have to believe that I didn't know."
Aang sniffed again. "We kissed before she left for university, and I thought we were going to be together..."
Rolling out his shoulders, Zuko fought off the image and indignation that rose within him. Aang and Katara? Sure, he was a good kid, but Katara had spent their whole relationship taking care of him. Did he expect her to continue doing that for the rest of their lives?
Aang continued, "But when she came back, she didn't have any time for me. The longest I saw her was when she came to help me with the Blue Spirit."
Zuko sucked in a breath. "She's busy, you know that. Between the hospital and school, she doesn't spend a lot of time at home."
"But you've been able to see her," Aang accused.
"We have a class together," he tried, then sighed. "Look, you're right. I don't know what to tell you. I can say that if I'd known how you felt, I would have made a point to talk to you sooner. At this point, the best I can do is offer to have that talk now."
"What is there to talk about?" Aang asked, finally sitting up. "She obviously made her choice."
Zuko patted him twice on the back.
"And hey, who knows?" Aang shrugged. "Maybe you'll screw everything up and I'll have another chance."
Zuko forced a smile. "That's one way to look at it."
"Is that yours?" He pointed to the sake.
"Yeah, why?"
But Aang had already reached over to grab the cup and downed the hot drink. "You get the girl, I get the drink."
"I suppose that's fair." This smile wasn't as faked. Then he called out, "Onji? Another round for us, please."
"On him!" Aang added on.
Well, Zuko thought, Could have gone worse.
Making Aang feel better had put himself in a world of hurt. Katara was going to kill him. They'd been out far later than he'd intended. Next thing Zuko knew, it was three a.m., they'd pounded through four bottles of On Ji's house sake, and he couldn't feel half of his fingers.
"We should probably head back," he slurred, sliding off his stool. Slipping slowly off the edge of his own, Aang immediately crumpled to the floor.
"You guys want me to call someone?" On Ji asked from behind the counter. "Maybe just a cab?"
Zuko chuckled, but he wasn't sure why. "A cab, pfft. Doesn't she know who we are? Anybody tries to fight us, I think we could take them."
"Yeeaaahhhh," Aang affirmed from the ground.
With that settled, the two boys paid their tab and staggered out of the shop. Apparently it had started to drizzle in the time they'd been drinking. Within thirty seconds they were soaking wet as well as hopelessly lost. All the destruction in the South Bend had caused familiar landmarks to be demolished. If they could just find the coast, they could follow it to the university and Zuko's apartment next to it.
Turning the corner they came face to face with a group of about twelve men rifling through a truckload worth of items that appeared to have been haphazardly tossed into the street. Flames could be seen flickering through broken windows in the surrounding town houses.
Realizing what they were looking at, Zuko immediately sobered up.
A raid.
"Aang, we need to go," he said. "Now."
Not quite caught up with the situation, Aang leaned further onto his shoulder. "Still think we could take 'em?"
"Shh," he hushed him, trying to back away. "I never said that."
Perhaps the darkness and the rain would be enough cover for them to slip away unnoticed. Dragging Aang with him, Zuko started shifting them back the way they'd come.
"Zuko," Aang hissed seriously. "I think they want us to dance with them."
"What?" he demanded. Five feet from the corner. "What about this situation makes you think about dancing?"
"Let's just try it."
Before he could stop him, Aang started wobbling his body in his strange form of dancing. Several men turned to look at them, but it was a specific voice that caught Zuko's attention and sent fear tingling down his spine.
"Ah, I didn't realize you'd be joining us tonight," Azula said, walking towards them. "Is this one for me?" She motioned towards Aang.
"He's a friend," Zuko said quickly. "I'm just helping him home. He doesn't live in this area."
Azula stopped, her golden eyes sharpening. Zuko gulped.
"You shouldn't be out here," Azula said.
"I have just as much right as you to be here."
She glanced over her shoulder to where the raiders were standing by, watching. "Believe it or not, I'm looking out for you. If people find out you're wandering these parts away from the raid they may think you're plotting something. Just be careful, dumb dumb."
Aang chose this moment to spin closer to Azula, waving his arms like a tree amidst a storm. "You're pretty," he said. "Be careful, Zuko likes to take pretty things."
Zuko smacked his forehead.
Azula snatched the boy up by the hood of his jacket and swung him around.
"What interesting company you keep, brother."
"Let him go, Azula," he said, "I told you he doesn't live here."
"Oh come on, your little friends won't be necessary once the Village has finished it's-" her grin was feral- "remodeling."
"That's no reason to terrorize them now, won't they suffer enough?"
"Suffer?" she called, stalking towards him with Aang in tow. "The gentrification is a good thing. They should be down on their knees, thanking us. Wouldn't you agree?"
Not for the first time Zuko felt that any answer he could give would be the wrong one. It had gotten so difficult to remember what side he was on, alcohol buzz or no.
But he never got the chance to answer.
Rings of something shiny zipped past and sliced through the boxes Azula's men were rifling through forcing them to jump back. The temperature dropped. A familiar mist filled the streets, the sound of rustling fabric drawing everyone's attention to the mouth of the alley.
A lone figure stood in the streetlight, her cloak fluttering in the breeze. She really did look like a spirit from another world come to deliver punishment.
"Finally." Azula dropped Aang in a puddle. "Come out to play?"
The Painted Lady raised a single hand, fingers splayed, and the rain suddenly stopped.
Looking up, Zuko realized that the rain hadn't exactly stopped- the Painted Lady had stilled the water. The halted droplets connected to form a type of dome over them, effectively blocking out the rest of the world.
She'd come a long way from that first night he'd caught her splashing around in the street all those weeks ago.
The men who had been rummaging through the village's property abruptly stopped and moved to flank Azula. Eyes passing between them, Zuko fought to figure out what to do.
Azula moved first, darting forwards. Zuko caught the flash of silver in her hands just before the knives sliced through the air. Her years with Mai had paid off, the blades flying straight and sure across the alley.
The Painted Lady dodged before collecting the entire dome around them into a sort of wave behind her. Zuko had never seen her command such a large amount of water at once.
"You little brat," Azula said, holding her ground even as the men behind her shifted with unease. "You stole something of mine, didn't you?"
Of course they knew the Painted Lady had the waterbending scroll, but perhaps they hadn't understood quite the power it could bestow to the right owner.
Commanding her wall of water, the Painted Lady sent the wave towards Azula. It was like watching a horizontal waterfall pass overhead, the roar deafening in the quiet of the night. Midway towards the crowd, the water shifted into shards of ice, each sharp enough to pierce through body armor.
"No!" he yelled. But his call hadn't been necessary.
The ice stopped, levitating about five inches above the Industry crowd. Many of the men had ducked, some had outright fled.
Azula remained standing straight, her eyes focused on the lady.
"I'll only say this once," the Painted Lady warned, "leave this district and never come back."
Azula shifted her weight ever so slightly, eyeing the closest ice shards. "Only a fool would battle a waterbender in the rain," she said. "I'm done, you got me. I know when I've been beaten, but mark my words." Her lips pulled into a tight smile, her eyes narrowing. "We will meet again."
"Looking forward to it," the Painted Lady replied.
Motioning to the men who remained, Azula backed away slowly until their entire crew disappeared from sight.
It had all happened so fast. Zuko hadn't even had a chance to move before it was over.
With a heavy breath, the Painted Lady released her ice causing a wave of water to crash against the concrete floor and soak their shoes. Zuko was too busy watching her to notice Aang standing up beside him.
"We should talk to her," he said. "Thank her or something."
Zuko jumped. "We most definitely should not."
"I'm gonna talk to her."
"No, Aang-!" He grabbed the kid's shoulder, but it was too late.
"Hey, spirit!" Aang yelled.
Startled, she pressed her body against the nearby wall, but that only succeeded in pushing her hat askew. Attempting to catch it, she finished the job of knocking it off her head.
The wide brimmed hat rolled through the water, spinning like a dying top to settle a couple of feet away with the veil twisted around the edges.
Zuko's breath caught in his throat.
It was Katara.
A/N: Whew, that was a long one. Hope you enjoyed it! We're getting closer to the end as the plot thickens. Please comment and vote to let me know your thoughts so far!
I gave you guys a long chapter in the hopes that it will hold you over for two weeks. I have a vacation coming up and I may get some writing done, but I may not...so we may not see each other again until April...
But we will see each other again! And you will see Zuko's reaction to finding out Katara is the Painted Lady.