Disclaimer: No, it's terribly sad, but I do not own Avatar, or any of its characters… tear tear.
(AN: A new story! (yay) Yes wonderfully exciting. Just so everyone knows, this is set in an alternate universe, so conditions are completely different. That being said, on with the story!)
Chapter one: Home Coming
Lady Katara stared out the window of the small carriage, her cheek resting delicately on the palm of her slim hand. Blue eyes gazed intensely out the gold-framed window; catching every flourish of motion the playful breeze compelled the leaves into making. The smells of the woods reached her and she breathed deeply and contentedly. Finally after so many years she was returning home.
A smile lit her face and she almost laughed out loud. Home. The word sounded so good in her mind she wanted to shout it out, alert the forest and the animals and peasants of her joy. However, such behavior was not expected or tolerated from the daughter of one of the head families in Sythina, she was to be proper, lady-like and polite at all times. She kept quiet, but the smile stayed, hugging her face.
Her smile turned into a wide grin and she pulled back from the window, away from the beckoning breeze as the drapes slipped with a rustle back into place. She gazed at the plush interior of her carriage. The dark blue wall at the front swirled full of designs of drops and waves that were so life-like Katara felt she could almost reach out and bend it like the real substance it represented. Around her, cushions of blue and green hugged her and reminded her of soft bed that awaited her at home. Oh, how she missed that bed, her dresser and vanity mirror, her room. It had been so long, and now, at last, after years of school she was going to see her family again.
Would they be surprised at how much she had changed? Would they notice how long her hair had grown, and how she now braided it instead of letting it fall free? What about how her face had changed and rounded into soft features? What about her eyes? Would they realize they had become the same color her mother had in all the pictures? She couldn't help but squirm with excitement; it really was wonderful to know she would see them soon.
"Lady Katara, you can see the city now," the coachmen called softly. In a rush, Katara had pulled the drapes away again and gasped. They had cleared the woods now and were on a road that wound it's way along a ridge. There, way down below, was the beautiful city of Sythina. The large buildings looked so small down there, like the dollhouses Katara had made when she was little. The gold rooftops of the city reflected the sun into her eyes, but she refused to look away. This was the city she had been absent from for the last nine years. Flags waved at the far away gates, one blue and one red, both stood out against the silver of the gates. Katara strained her eyes and… yes there it was! There was her house! She could just barely see the small dots of blue that were the large flags on the either side of the main entrance. The small patch of green outside was where she and her brother had played as children.
The coach hurdled along the ridge, coming closer to the path the led them down the winding ridge side. Katara pulled back into the coach. It would not be good if the first impression she made was that of a fool sticking her head out the window and drooling as the wind hit her in the face and messed her hair. What would that say about her family, that they had sent away their only daughter to become an idiot? No, no that was certainly not what she wanted. Once again within the confines of the elegant carriage, Katara closed her eyes and leaned back against the wonderful cushions. She stayed that way for the rest of the ride, only opening her eyes as they reached the gate, she couldn't help the smile the split her face. The music that announced them into the city was so new and yet so familiar.
Giving into the urge to peek, Katara let a finger slip through the heaving curtains and pull it back just an inch. Outside was the bustle she remembered so well. The small shops and vendors, the carts that sold flowers and vegetables, a larger shop that sold formal dresses. This was her home she had longed for over the years of school.
She peeked out once again, this time finding faces. Women, wearing stunning dresses chatted casually about the new fashions or where their husbands stood in politics, keeping a wary eye on their children who played together, or stared hungrily into shops of candy makers. Katara remembered being one of those children. She and her brother would stand for hours, discussing which candy was the sweetest or had the most interesting taste. She had once watched a man make candy; fascinated with the way he had stirred the ingredients until they had been just the texture and flavor he wanted. When he had finished molding and hardening the small pieces, had winked at Katara and offered her a piece for free. Katara had run home and announced that she was going to be a candy maker. Her brother had pouted, saying that he wanted to do that too and 'How come Katara gets to be a candy maker?' Her father had laughed, long and hard and told her that if really wanted to, she could be. Katara smiled at the memory.
Standing away from the women were men and older boys, who laughed and joked, sometimes comparing prices of weapons or talked about the women they were seeing. Home sweet home. She let the drapes once again fall into place and she simply let herself listen as they passed busy streets. The smells invaded the small vehicle, smells of meat and pastry, sometimes a pungent flower, and her favorite of all was when they passed the incense shop. The rich smells blended together in a smoky aroma and Katara remembered passing the small shop everyday when she had been young on her way to the small school she attended with her brother. Soon the noise died down and Katara new she was riding through the small streets, away from the town bustle. The coach began to slow and Katara held her breath. Home, here it was. She felt the gentle jolt as the coach stopped all together and heard the thump as the driver dropped to the ground and moved to open the door for her. Sunlight steamed in as Katara accepted the coachmen's gloved hand. He helped her gently to the ground and then hurried to get her luggage, coattails flapping.
Katara took a moment to look at the house she had not seen in nine years. It was exactly as she remember, clipped, lush lawn, impressive white walls the bordered the inner house. The blue flags waved happily in the breeze, declaring that the family that lived within were the leaders of Water. Her family. Barely managing not to run inside, Katara slipped in through the heavy doors of the house. The courtyard was the same, but the trees had definitely grown and the stones had more moss in the cracks between them. Katara turned in a circle taking in the beauty of her house; she had missed it so much.
"Katara?" she turned at the sound of her name and couldn't help but laugh with the joy to find her older brother. He had grown too. Instead of the small little boy who had stuck to Katara's side was a man. His hair was pulled back into a low tie and he was nearly a head taller than her. Before Katara could move, he had enveloped her in a huge hug, lifting her off her feet and twirling her around before setting her back down.
"Look at you, you've grown so much." He placed his hands on her shoulders and stepped back as if to inspect her. He looked her up and down once, and then smirked. "Are you sure you're my little sister? She couldn't possibly be this beautiful," He teased and then pulled her back into a hug. Katara laughed against his chest, content to stay in his arms. She had been close with Sokka when she was young, and one of her only fears about returning home had been that they could have drifted apart. However, being here now Katara new that time had not created any damage.
Finally, Sokka let her go and grinned. "You must be hungry, here." He took her hand and led her down to where Katara new the kitchens were. "If my memory is correct you were always hungry when we were little." He smirked at her from over his shoulder.
"You must be losing your memory, you were the one who was always hungry." Katara giggled. "Are you already that old already?"
"Hey, if I'm old, you're old." Sokka laughed, opened the door to the kitchen and pulled Katara in. "What do you want?"
Katara shrugged. Sure, she was hungry, but there had been so many special foods she had missed while she was at school, she couldn't decide what to have first. Sokka seemed to understand what she was thinking, so instead of having her decide, he pulled out what he knew was her favorite. Jerky. Or was it his favorite? Either way, he knew Katara had liked it. He pushed her down into one of the seats and put the plate in front of her. Katara politely took a piece before she spoke again.
"So what's been going on while I'm gone? What have I missed?" Sokka smirked as he grabbed a piece of the jerky as well.
"Nothing much is new, our family is still at the throats of the Fire Clan of course, and it's unlikely the rivalry will ever really get sorted out with just us. Not that it should, our family has a right to be angry, our ancestors were wronged." His fist hit the table. Katara winced slightly. Just like dad, Sokka hated the Fire Clan, Katara did too, she knew that they had done something in the past that was unforgivable, but the constant fights and squabbling that went on really wasn't worth the whole grudge. Sokka stole another piece of jerky from Katara's plate and swallowed.
"Other than that, everything is as it was when we were little." His blue eyes found hers and he smiled. His hand slide across the table until he was just lightly touching Kataras'. "I missed you Kat, I really did." Katara smiled at the nickname. In truth, she had missed Sokka more than anyone else. He had been there for her when their mother had died, and he had been her constant protector until she had left for school. They were both quiet for a minute before Sokka suddenly jumped.
"I just remembered!" he grabbed another piece of jerky in his excitement. "Remember when we were little, and our mother used to talk about the Avatar, the one who is destined to sort out or problems and give our clans what they rightly deserve?" Katara nodded once. She remembered the nights she had cuddled in her mother's lap and listen to her soft voice talk of the one who would end the conflict. "Well, he's been found! Father found him last week on the outskirts of town and brought him to live with us. He's still a bit young, but soon, we're gonna get what the Fire Clan owes us. Right now, we're keeping him a secret so the Fire Clan doesn't find out and kidnap him." Sokka's eyes glittered with excitement. "Finally, we will prove that we are the right side in this fight." He took the last piece of jerky from the plate. Katara smiled. She loved seeing her brother so happy.
"Here, you have to come meet him." He pulled her up from the table and scurried through the blue halls until he stopped, panting, in front of a room Katara knew opened up into the courtyard. Sokka knocked once and there was a cheerful 'Come in' from the other side. Sokka flashed her a smile and then pushed open the door.
Inside, sitting on the small bed was a young boy, at least a year younger than Katara. Arrow tattoos covered his head and his hands, and he smiled brightly when he saw Sokka. "Hey Sokka, what's up?" He stood and stretched from his bed when he caught sight of Katara. His grin widened. "Are you Sokka's sister? Katara? It's really nice to meet you!" He smiled and offered his hand. Katara took it and smiled. She had expected someone maybe a bit older than he was, but the kid seemed nice enough.
"Hi, it's nice to meet you too." Katara took his hand and the kid smiled.
"I'm Aang, hey, I have a great idea, why don't you and I go into town later and see the Emu-horse races? I think I know where they're going on today." His eyes danced happily as he laughed. Sokka smirked.
"Oh, I see what's going on here." Sokka chuckled slightly. Aang looked away and blushed and Katara colored slightly.
"Sokka!" she turned to him her fist raised. Sokka laughed and held up his hands in defeat.
"I'm just kidding Katara. But what Aang said sounds like fun, you should go, you've been gone so long and you should get to know the town again." Aang, having regained his composure nodded happily.
"I guess I should, it has been a long time. After I get settled and see father, we can go," She smiled and skipped off to her room, leaving Sokka and Aang alone.
Her footsteps echoed through the halls, and Katara couldn't help but add a slight rhythm to her steps, twirling and jumping as she moved through the halls. Music played through her head and her body moved to the beat. When she had been little, her mother had danced with her in the courtyard and halls, humming softly and teaching little Katara how to move her body to fit music. At school Katara had never been able to dance through the halls, teachers had always been watching. Master Pakku had been especially strict, even though Katara had been one of his favored students, he had taken it upon himself to catch her in every misstep, and her corridor dancing had been his pet peeve.
Though she hadn't been home for a very long time, Katara found she remembered every little hall and door of the large house, but then again, Katara loved her house and letting something so important to her escape her memories would have been terrible.
Katara found her room, the last chamber at the end of a long hall. It was a spacious room that had been painted blue. In fact, almost everything in her room was blue, the bedspread, the curtains on her bed and the drapes that covered the glass doors that led out to her balcony. These she pulled back now and stepped out to feel the gentle breeze that had been calling to her the whole ride home. The balcony, though not large had the most beautiful view in the house. It over looked the back garden, over the vegetable patch her mother had once owned, the large spacious lawn the spread all the way to the back whitewashed wall. Flowers grew in bright flourishes in the small gardens that lined the walls. Beyond the walls, trees grew, some of their branches hanging over the wall, offering a cooling shade in the summer heat. Katara leaned against the rail and smiled, letting the breeze play with her braid. When she had been little, Katara had spent most of her time in the garden, picking flowers with her mother or trying to catch the rare butterfly that fluttered in. Sometimes she and Sokka would climb into the hanging branches and giggled while their mother looked for them. When she at last found them, she would laugh and grab them down from the tree, exclaiming at what bright children she had that were able to fool their own mother.
Katara's smile dimmed slightly. And then her mother was gone. After all those wonderful times, she had died, leaving the children alone to be raised by their father. He was a good man, maybe a little distracted to spend a lot of time with his children, but he made an effort. He loved them as much as he could with all the other issues that kept him occupied, like the welfare of the Water Clan, or plans of getting what they were owed from the Fire Clan. Katara shook herself, now was not the time to reminisce. She was home, at long last she has home and there would be nothing that got in the way of her joy.
"Where's my beautiful daughter?" The voice boomed out over the garden and Katara smiled. Her father knew she was home, Sokka must have told him. She raced back through her room, practically tumbled down the stairs and was captured once again in a bear hug. "Here she is, home from school! How are you my dear?" Katara looked up into the kindly eyes of her father. Maybe he didn't have a lot of time, but he did care.
"I'm great, how are you?" She asked as he set her down from his hug and stepped back to look at her much like Sokka had.
"I'm fine of course my dear, you met the Avatar, yes? Soon we will defeat the horrible Fire Clan, but enough about me, how was school? How was your mission?" He slung his arm over her shoulder and led her through the house again, this time to the great dinning room. A long wooden table was set at the center of the room; there was enough room for all the servants to sit. Indeed, in the evenings at dinner, almost the entire serving staff ate dinner with them. Her father was a very kind man and made sure that everyone under his rule was taken care of.
Katara's father settled himself at the head of the table and gestured for Katara to sit next to him. Katara sat obediently as her father looked her over again. The wrinkles around his eyes crinkled as he smiled. "It is so nice for you to be home again Katara, we've all missed you." Katara nodded. Though she hadn't missed her father as much as Sokka, she had longed to see him again. His short hair that he wore like Sokka, his large but caring form and the traditional Water Clan robes he wore. All of these she missed dearly.
As Katara sat and talked with her father, she realized how important her family truly was to her. And, silently, she made an oath to herself that she would never hurt them or do anything to upset them, they were everything she was, all she had. They were as much part of her as much as the ability to control water was.
Both father and daughter turned as a clatter of footsteps thundered down the stairs and the young avatar burst into the room. His face was bright, like it had been when Katara had first met him. On his arm perched a small creature all white except for a black face and bright green eyes. It was making clicking sounds and looked slightly unbalanced from its flight down the stairs on its master arm. "Hey Katara, are you ready to go?" He asked cheerfully, soothing the chattering creature on his arm with a pat.
Katara's father smiled at the young boy. "Ah, Aang, taking Katara out to see the city again. Good, good, she should get reacquainted with it again." He rose a gave Katara a gentle kiss on the cheek before dropping a couple gold pieces into her hand and shooing away her thanks and out the door. The small creature on the Avatar's arm sniffed quizzically at her before making clicking noises again and curling his tail around Aang's head. Catching Katara looking at the small creature he reached up and pulled it off his shoulder.
"This is Momo, he's my pet lemur. He's really smart; so don't say anything around him that might offend him or he'll get back at you for it." He offered her Momo, and she offered her arm. Momo leapt happily onto her arm and scurried up to her shoulder. Katara laughed and Aang smiled.
"Is Sokka coming with us?" Katara asked as they left the courtyard and inner house. Aang shook his head. "Nah, he said he'd rather stay home than watch Emu-horse raises. I don't understand why he doesn't enjoy them." Aang shook his head in bafflement and then skipped ahead. "Come on Katara, I bet I can beat you there!" Katara shook her head, oh no, he wasn't getting away that easily. Making sure Momo was secure on her shoulder she took off after the young boy.
As the two ran, Katara began to remember the shops they passed by. There was the black smith, and that was the store the kind old lady sold herbs and medicines. The children that ran in between them wore clothes Katara remembered wearing too. She and Aang paused only long enough for her to stop at a jewelry store she remembered her mother liked to buy from. Looking quickly through the small selection, Katara's interest was caught by a small necklace. The design was simple and modest, a small blue jewel that hung from woven thread. The kind old storekeeper wrapped it up for her and handed her the package in a small bag. Then she and Aang were back out in the street, running off again toward where the racetracks were.
However, as they got further from her home, Katara began to grow uneasy. She had only been through the market and house areas as a child, and as she and Aang continued, she couldn't remember this area. It was getting dirtier as they went, and Katara slowed down slightly.
"Hey, Aang, do you know where we are going?" she inquired nervously as she slowed down and came to a halt. The Avatar in front of her stopped too and looked over his shoulder.
"Don't worry, we're nearly there, just a bit farther, okay?" He turned so he could offer his hand and Katara accepted it gladly as they continued. The area grew dirtier and grubbier as they continued walking. Men leaning on doorframes watched them as they passed, eyes squinting and bleary from alcohol. Katara moved closer to Aang, trying to get away from their eyes. The women that were out in the street were dirty and kept their children close to them. The shops around this area were small and the windows were so foggy and scratched Katara doubted she would be able to see in. On her shoulder, Momo seemed nervous too, and his small claws gripped her skin painfully. They passed alleyways and old street signs, the words to unclear to read. Katara couldn't help but wonder what had happened to this part of the town.
Aang led her along porously, ignoring the muttering from the men. A sudden crash behind them made them both whirl around, only to find a drunken man had stumbled into a bunch of piled crates in the alleyway and had knocked them over. Momo on the other hand, was scared so badly that he leapt off Katara's shoulder, into the air and went chattering away over a building.
"I'll get him, the race track is just a block away. Walk straight and you'll find it no problem. I'll meet you there, wait for me at the entrance, okay?" Katara gulped and nodded, however she was not so sure she felt completely safe alone in this neighborhood. Aang grinned before darting off. "I'll be right back!" He called over his shoulder.
Soon the young boy disappeared, and, clutching her bag to her chest, Katara started to walk again. She could feel the eyes of men on her, and she didn't like the way the women sneered as she past. As she walked further up the road, she began to see signs of the racetrack. A few more people were around, and the snatches of conversation she caught seemed to be about betting.
"-say he's the fastest but has a slow start-"
"-lost all my money on 'im when he tripped-"
"-good speed, says he's a good starter-"
Feeling slightly more comfortable, Katara relaxed slightly and walked a bit more briskly. She found the entrance gate without a problem and waited nervously for Aang. She could smell the musk of the stables beyond her and could hear the bang of gates as they were tested for flaws. This wasn't so bad, she decided, nothing was going to happen.
"Well, lookie here. A little bird has lost her way." A greasy voice whispered in her ear as an arm sneaked around her shoulders. Katara jerked away and whirled around to see a group of five or six men in dirty clothes had managed to sneak up on her blind side. Their hair was sticking up at strange angles and it looked tangled. Their clothes had patches of dirt sticking to them and were as unkempt as the bodies they were placed upon. A few of the men held half-full bottles that Katara was sure were alcoholic. The seemingly leader of the men swaggered, slightly unsteadily, forward. His face was filled with scars and his eyes were beady and overly bright.
"Don't worry darling," He wheezed, still moving forward as Katara backed away from him "we ain't gonna hurt you." The men behind him chuckled and sly smile lit the man's face as he heard his comrades' laughter.
The man turned to his companions and raised his hands. "All right now fellas, your gone scare off our little bird," he laughed. His eyes fixed on Katara once more and he smirked. "And we certainly don't want to do that."
Katara winced as her back hit a wall and she felt herself falling into panic. Where was Aang? Why wasn't he back yet? What was going to happen to her? The men around her watched avidly as their leader staggered forward and finally was close enough to reach Katara. His hands found her chin, his skin dirty and rough. He forced her chin upwards until she was looking straight at him and he chuckled as he recognized the fear in her eyes. His breath stank of beer and smoke.
Katara tried to calm herself down, tried to think clearly. There was no water around and so bending was out of the option. There was only one thing she could do as the man began to lean toward her face, she lifted her knee slowly and when he was about an inch away from her face, she rammed her knee into him as hard as she could.
There was a sudden pause where everything was still, and then the man swore, doubling over in pain. Katara broke free from her trapped position against the wall and tore off down the street, barely registering the thumping of footsteps behind her. Clinging to her bag desperately, she ran blindly, turning corners when they came and dodging past people. Her breaths were coming in gasps now, but she couldn't stop, she could still hear them behind her, shouting at and cursing the people who stumbled into their way.
Glancing over her shoulder, Katara saw that they were only a few feet behind her. Maybe if she put on a burst of speed she could- her thought was interrupted as her foot caught a tree root and she tipped forward, landing heavily on the ground. She winced as she felt pain blast up her ankle and leg. There was no way she could run. In a few seconds they would have her, she tensed herself and closed her eyes, waiting for the grubby hands to grab her.
But they never came. Instead, Katara felt a blast of heat above her and heard the yelps and cries of the men. She heard them swear and then turn and run.
She felt a warm hand on her ankle and felt her foot slip free of the root. "Are you alright?" A gruff voice inquired as Katara turned over to rub her hurt foot.
"Yeah, it just hurts a bit." She winced as a stab of pain shot through her ankle. The stranger knelt down beside her, his eyes worried. She whimpered slightly as she again felt the pain hit her ankle.
"Here, let me," The man brushed her hands away impatiently but gently. Katara leaned back, grimacing slightly as he carefully slipped off her shoe. His hands were warm and rough but gentle none-the-less. He worked his hand over her foot, checking the bones to see if they were broken. A couple small shots of pain ran through her foot and to take her mind away from the pain her foot, she glanced at his face. The boy couldn't be much older than her brother, maybe by two or three years. His skin was a pale alabaster shade all except for the scar that covered his right eye. It was in the shape of a flame.
"Owch!" Katara yelped as his hands hit a tender spot. The boy muttered a short apology before continuing to check her foot.
"It doesn't look to bad," he finally said, helping her gently to her feet. "I think it's just a sprain, but you should go to a medic to get it checked properly." He wryly added. "Can you put any wait on it?" Gingerly, Katara tested her wait on it and flinched as she felt the pain again.
The man sighed, "Where's your escort?" When she gave him a confused look, he scowled. "You don't have an escort? No wonder you were being chased." He grumbled sourly, but his hand on her back tenderly steadied her. She could feel the leather of his fingerless gloves through her simple dress.
He slipped his arm under her own, and helped her support her wait. "Where to?" he asked. Katara could tell he wasn't happy about helping her, but he was going to anyway.
"The racetrack." She answered. The boy helping her muttered something under his breath, and Katara was sure that it was about her. "You don't have to help me, you know. I can take care of myself." She snapped angrily. She brushed his hand off of her and took a careful step forward, trying to keep most of her wait off her hurt foot. The boy stood still for a moment before he was at her side again. He didn't offer to help this time, only walked beside her, keeping an eye on her.
"Why are you trying to help? You obviously don't want too." Katara muttered. The boy looked at her.
"It's not about me wanting to, it's about my honor." He replied coolly. "I don't let hurt girls just wander around by themselves." He raised his hands and crossed them behind his head, just under his ponytail. Katara scowled.
"I would be better off without you,"
The boy just shrugged. He reached down and flicked a piece of dirt from his leather shirt. Flames bordered the low, jagged cut collar, contrasting against the black that made up the rest of it. The shirt cut off just before his arms, and flames decorated that area too. It was a shirt of the Fire Clan, and the fact she was stuck here, hurt and alone with a boy from that family made her very uneasy. What if he found out she was the daughter of the head of the Water Clan. He would probably kidnap her and take her to his leader. She shivered, that was an unpleasant thought indeed.
Both Katara and the boy remained silent the rest of the way back to the track, except for the occasional hiss of pain from Katara and the soft grumble from the boy when he steadied her. As they turned a corner, the track came in sight, as well as a young boy with a lemur on his shoulder. Katara sighed in relief Aang was back. She didn't want imagine what would happen if the avatar hadn't returned and she was stuck with the sullen boy.
As Aang caught sight of her, he grinned. "Hey Katara, where did you get off too?" he noticed her limp. "Hey are you okay? What happened?" He caught her arm and helped steady her. Katara nodded before turning to the Fire Clan boy.
"Thank you for helping me, I can manage from here." She muttered stiffly. The boy again only just shrugged and his eyes narrowed.
"Glad to be of service." He turned on his heel and melted into the crowd.
"Who was that Katara?" Aang asked, looking up at his friend. She just shook her head.
"I honestly have no idea."
The boy wandered back through the crowd, pushing past people who got in his way. "Zuko!" He turned at the hail.
An old man cam hurrying up, apologizing as he bumped into people, he grinned, panting when he reached the boy. The boy raised a single eyebrow. "Zuko, I've been looking for you everywhere, where did you run off to?"
Zuko was quiet and then "Come on, Uncle." He turned from the man and began to walk through the crowd. The old man huffed and hurried to catch up with his nephew.
"Well, did you at least find any acceptable to wear for your fathers birthday? As son of our Leader, you should at least look, if not act, presentable."
"No, I didn't." came the young man's reply. His uncle just sighed and shook his head, trotting to keep up.
"But, I did find something interesting," the young man said softly. His uncle did not inquire, and he did not elaborate.
(AN: Well, there you go, the first chapter of In Love and War, I'm a bit iffy right now on this story, so we'll just have to wait and see. If anyone has and questions please feel free to ask them in your review, and I'll be sure to post the answer. Thank you all who read this! )
