disclaimer: don't own it, but...i was good this year! how many times do I have to say it!
jason: what about that tim-
me: THAT DOESNST COUNT! THAT SELFISH SHITTY ASS SEVEN YEAR OLD WAS ASKING FOR IT!
jared: he was asking if you knew where his mom was!
me: LALALALA I'M NOT LISTENING! LALALALA
CONGRADULATIONS TO:
BROKENTRUSTS: for answering my riddle correctly and being the first
MEW KELCITA: for also answering correctly, only second
and to FEEDOMFIGHTERSRULE: uh...bathroom, tv, charirs? I think not! it was you name! congrats on making my day!
"Are you certain it's your sister?" The Water Lord asked, observing Sokka doubtfully.
"Yes! It all fits! 'In the years of three past the return of the Avatar'" Sokka quoted excitedly, "That means Aang! It's been three years after the Avatar….well, returned.
'Born of the daughter of a Northern Water Tribe Princess' If you think about it, it would make her the granddaughter of the runaway princess, hence Gran-Gran and Katara. 'Sister of a warrior and future Princess of the Southern Water Tribe and Fire Nation.' That still means Katara, she's the Princess of the Water Tribe yes, but it's speaking in future tense as in she'll be the future princess of the southern water tribe and the fire Nation. 'Her water bending skills' can't you see? It all fits!"
"Hmmm…So this means, young warrior, that she will be the future Princess of the Fire Nation? And to become the princess, you have to….." He trailed off as he saw Sokka understand.
"Then that means that I can marry Yue since she is free of her binding to Prince Zuko!" Sokka said, immensely elated to know that his sister was still alive and he could marry his beloved.
"Don't get to hopeful, young one!" The Water Lord said sharply. "Yes, you have my blessing…but you need to travel to the Fire Nation to break the bond of the treaty, and quickly, before the seventh full moon of the coming new year!" He said, shooing Sokka out as a knock sounded on the door. "Come in" He called when he was sure Sokka was out.
Prince Zuko! Your father is still alive!" Katara blurted out. Zuko's face was drawn and set grimly.
"So it seems." He muttered, staring distractedly at her necklace. A spark of recognition blazed in his eyes. Reaching out swiftly, he grasped the necklace in his large, graceful hand. Katara felt herself blush at his nearness and Zula's pointed gaze. "Where did you get this?" he hissed.
"Zuko! We are to protect Lady Katara! She could be a direct descendant of Neelam!" Zula said hastily. She shoved Zuko's hand away from Katara's neck.
Eyeing her with extreme interest, he asked, "Tell me Zula, when have you ever been fond with another human being?" He sneered. Zula blushed furiously, an odd contrast to how he had seen her no less than two days ago when they were dueling.
"People change Zuko, and it's high time you do too." She murmured, staring at the floor. Zuko put his hands on her shoulders and said intensely, "Zula, you changed when you were with her, didn't you? You're becoming weak!" He snapped. Zula's head shot up, her usual blaze flaring powerfully in her eyes.
"Maybe it's not weak to have an ally, Zuko! Maybe I choose to have an actual friend and be 'weak' in your eyes!" She yelled furiously. The din of the party became silent as Zula marched angrily away from her brother.
Turning to a dumbfounded Katara, he said quietly, his voice as tantalizing as a striking snake's, "You've ruined her." Katara gulped as his eyes trailed down her form involuntarily. Snapping his gaze back up to her face, he leered. "No matter that I saved you, that doesn't mean we're on a friendly basis. Now go up to Zula." Katara fled, joyful to be out of his sight, yet disappointed nothing romantic happened.
"Zula?" Katara called softly as she reached the deck. "Zula?" snatching a torch, Katara proceeded to look for her newfound friend.
"I'm right here, Katara." The fire princess called from the stern. Katara followed the voice and saw Zula sitting in the fetal position, staring at the stars. "You have to know this, Katara. Before I saved you, I was heartless. Now, that something akin to what I lost is rapidly shoved into my system, I, for once in my life, am scared and confused. I never admitted anything. I guess you could call me a stone that was able to bend. Now, I can talk freely to you, and I despise it, yet it comes to be a relief once I get it out." She sighed, her breath coming out in a puff.
Katara said nothing for a moment as she sat done next to her, then finally, she replied, "Did you mean it? Back there, with Zuko." Katara wouldn't meet Zula's amuse stare, so she just looked out at the reflection of the moon on the water.
"You know what Katara, I did mean it." She said, seemingly relieved to have her thoughts figured out.
Zuko followed Katara stealthily, listening to every word they said. Perched silently behind a crate, he heard Katara ask something about him.
"No, Zuko wanted me to stay in the ship. I ran away and that's when I heard your anguished scream. I followed it, and there you were, all dolled up in that silken dress and nothing else. You must've felt very intelligent." Zula said, he could practically hear the smirk in her voice.
"That's when I found out about Prince Zuko and Princess Yue….and also when I found out I had no idea where I came from." Katara replied sheepishly, if a bit defensively. He heard Zula chuckle.
"I still can't believe he's engaged to her and doesn't even know it!" Zula said. Zuko blanched.
"Yea, my brother was pretty mad when he found out about it." Katara said wistfully, no doubt longing to be in her brother's enlightened presence.
"Why?" Zula asked in a curious tone.
"He fell in love with her and then lost her three years ago. I brought her back to life, though. And then her father arranged a marriage with Zuko…." She trailed off, allowing Zula's imagination to take over.
"You brought her back to life?" Zula asked, clearly impressed.
"Well, it's a long story, I'll tell you it later after I figure out what happened," Katara said. Zuko risked a peek at them and saw her twiddling with something on her finger. He sucked in a breath.
"Can I see that?" Zula asked, gesturing to the ring.
"Which one?" Katara asked bitterly. "One was given to me by my fiancée, the other by Zuko." Zuko's heart leapt upon hearing his name fall from her lips with such emotion.
"The one from Zuko." Zula said. Damn you, Zula, damn you! Zuko screamed inside his head. He heard Zula gasp. "You are full of surprises. This was my mother's wedding ring." Katara let out a yelp, causing Zuko to smirk.
"Why is it sapphire, though?" Katara asked innocently.
"Our mother was from the Southern Water Tribe. She was taken by my father to spare her best friend, Hana, who was giving birth." Katara heaved a cry of dismay.
"That can't be! My mother's name was Hana, and Sokka is the oldest child!" Katara said, extremely confused.
"Supposedly, it was a still born." Zula said sympathetically. Katara fell silent.
"So, why did your brother call you Atara in the orb?" Zula asked conversationally.
"Because that's what my mother called me. No one besides Sokka has dared call me that, thinking I'm glass and break at any memory of my mother, when really, it strengthens me." She replied, somewhat hesitantly.
Zuko shook his head, slipping away silently, finding no information that could come in use for him.
"Come, Katara, Zula." Zuko ordered a few hours later. Without waiting for an answer, he jumped off the ship and landed lightly on the packed snow below. Zula followed gracefully, while Katara just summoned a pillar of ice that brought her down. They looked at her questioningly.
"I wouldn't want to wound my pride by falling flat on my ass, now would I?" She asked defensively. For the first time since his scarring, Zuko laughed.
Katara, still in a daze from hearing Zuko's laugh, wasn't aware that they were outside the palace walls. Soon, she became aware of the aching coldness bleeding into her bones. Shivering, she drew the warm humidity from inside the palace sauna and wrapped it around her gleefully. Zula and Zuko were warming themselves by occasionally puffing out some fireballs. Zuko and Zula turned to her.
"This is where we part." Zula said sadly. Katara was about to reply when a strong gust of winds whipped away her words along with her breath. Since her back was to the oncoming airstreams, she wasn't prepared to brace herself and ended up flying towards the wall. Zuko, fortunately, caught her, and held her tightly in his arms. Bellowing Zula's name as a sheet of ice and snow plowed down on them, he gripped Katara even tighter, causing her to blush incessantly.
No answer. At least no answer Zuko could hear. Though his hearing was sharp, it was nothing compared to Katara's, who spent her whole life adapting to the frigid winters, developing senses keener than others besides her fellow Water citizens.
"Zuko! I'm right next to you! We need to get inside!" Zula shrieked. Katara jerked her head in the direction of her voice; and to Zuko's eyes, it looked like she plunged her hand into a sea of snow, when really, she just reached out and grabbed Zula's hand. Zuko gripped his sister tightly along with Katara as she drilled a hole in the wall. Stumbling inside, they found themselves in the midst of a raging ocean of panicking people. Katara grabbed Zuko's and Zula's hands, pulling them through the chaos.
As they neared her rooms, they had to be cautious. Though the nations were at peace, the Water Kingdom expected a rebellion and didn't fully trust the Fire Nation. Katara pushed them into her room hastily, not taking any chances, she locked the door behind her.
"This is a different room then your last." Zuko remarked casually, which was correct. Since her crowning, she and her brother were transferred to more fitting rooms. Her new one was nothing short of grand. The floors were of polished white marble flecked with silver. Silk screens and tapestries of scenes of the Water Tribes cast the feeling of being back out in the frozen tundra. Her bed was circular, with a silk-netted canopy hanging around it. Her comforters were silk and velvet, all deep blue. Along the one wall was a large fire place in between two doors. High above it though, was a large window viewing where the sky meets ocean on the horizon. Zula plopped down on one of the sitting mats that kept spectators to the fireplace.
"Yes, it is, isn't it?" Katara asked dismissively. She walked hastily into one of the doors and returned a moment later clad in black long gaucho pants trimmed with white fox fur, white fox fur boots and a whit, spacey tunic. She carried a stack of clothes and gestured for Zuko to follow her. "These are some of my brother's clothes he hasn't worn yet. They'll have to do until I can get a tailor to stop by for measurements." She explained to him which article goes where, and then left to clothe Zula.
"Oh, wow! I think I could get used to Water Tribe clothing." Zula exclaimed when she put on the clothes Katara had let her pick out. Zula choose a similar out fit to Katara's, though her's was made of velvet, not silk. Zula's attire was a deep crimson with black trim and a black tunic that had golden embroidery of roses creeping up the sides. Katara smiled and said,
"We have to do something about your hair." Katara said, and before Zula could protest, Katara was whipping it into an elaborate bun of wild braids and stiff razor cuts. Pulling two thick strands of Zula's ebony black tresses, she deftly plaited them and clasped them to her bun with golden beads.
"How do I look?" Zula asked, afraid to look in the mirror. Katara, looking up from her work on her own hair grinned.
"Like a princess." She said, walking up to Zula's side. Zula boldly looked at her reflection and gasped. Water Tribe fashion certainly made women look like goddesses. She glanced at Katara and saw her long, glossy mahogany locks brushed to look like dark beaten amber held in place by a silver band. The attire of the two teenage girls looked savage and elegant at the same time.
"I'm not sure if this is rig-" Zuko began but suddenly broke off when he saw Katara. Katara turned around and instantly giggled. Beckoning him to come to her, she said cheerily,
"Your tunic is inside out, Prince Zuko." She worked it off him, causing both to blush. Zula watched, highly amused by their uncomfort. Katara turned it right and let Zuko put it back on. Eyeing it, she straightened out a few creases then stepped back to admire her work. Zuko's garments consisted of a black tunic, much like Sokka's usual blue one trimmed in silver. The flaring pants symbolized a strong warrior. Nodding, Katara ran to Sokka's bedchamber to grab a parka for him. When she got back, however, she found Sokka standing there open-mouthed. Dropping the parka, Katara screeched happily, "Sokka!" Sokka whirled around and his open maw widened further. Clamping it shut, he grabbed his little sister in his arms, whirling her around in a circle.
"I thought you were on a mission!" Katara said happily as her brother placed her gently on the ground.
"I was going to, but I came in her to get some of my clothes the tailor dropped off and he was here." He jerked his thumb back at Zuko.
"I know Sokka, I brought them here. Both saved my life." She said, guiding Sokka to them. "Princess Zula, this is my brother, Prince Sokka." Zula nodded, her eyes taking in every detail. Zuko, however was eyeing him jealously. Katara noticed his expression and shot him a questioning look. Shaking his head, he turned to look into the fire.
"Sokka! You don't have to do thi-" Princess Yue cried, following (a little late) behind Sokka. She stopped dead in her tracks and then let out an ear piercing scream.
"Katara! You're back!" She flung herself around Katara, taking no heed to the Fire Nation siblings. "I'm so sorry you had to find out about Zuko! I didn't….know- it was….him?" She said, voice cracking as she noticed Zuko. "That's him, isn't it?" Yue screamed, running to Sokka.
"Who is this….charming, quiet lass?" Zula asked through clenched teeth, trying to resist the urge to put her hands over her ears.
"This is Princess Yue. Princess Yue, this is Princess Zula and Prince Zuko." Katara introduced, aware of a pattern in her prologues. "Now all we need is Haru to come along." Katara said bitterly.
"About that…" Princess Yue said timidly, but trailed off as a green blur catapulted itself at Katara, locking lips with her. Zuko let out a growl, fighting with all his training not to attack him.
"Katara! I thought you died!" Haru said in his usual breathless voice, as he let go of Katara, seeing as she turned purple from lack of air.
"Well, obviously I'm not, but I'm not so sure that's going to last long!" Katara wheezed. Catching her breath, she introduced, somewhat forcibly, "Prince Zuko, Princess Zula, this is Prince Haru of the Earth Kingdom." She paused and then spat out the words as if they were poison. "My betrothal."
"What?" Zuko cried, his face pallid. Haru eyed him hatefully, already aware of Zuko's feelings towards her. Ignoring the fire prince Haru, turned back to Katara.
"Does this mean you accept, my love?" He cried enthusiastically.
"Yes it does." Katara said, less enthusiastically. Under her breath, she muttered, "It's for my people, it's for my people. For my people." Zula, overhearing this, relaxed unknown pent up tension and rested a hand on Katara and Zuko's shoulders. Walking in the middle of the royal circle, Zula said,
"As much as I'd hate to break up this….royal meeting, we have more important concerns on our plates." As if on cue, a roaring wind lashed furiously at the window.
A/N
TO:anyone whois confused:
review what ur confuzzled about, and I can help u. Also, I made a snek peak to one of my chap...that will be in the next one, PROMISE!
Riddle:
if you are in a dark room with a candle, a wood stove, and a gas lamp and you on;y have one match, which do yu light first?
this one was kinda easy, but who knows? it might've been easy for me cuz I could see the answer!