Looks can be deceiving
Etherealstar
Author's notes: Thanks so much guys for reading and reviewing. I appreciate it. This chapter is a long one so i hope you enjoy it. The next chapter is all about Zuko and Katara, so hope you'll visit again.
Disclaimer: Avatar and Avatar Manga is owned by Nickelodeon and Sitcom. All rights reserved.
Chapter 8: The game is on…
"Where are you? Oh come on" she searched head over heels for the damn paper. Rummaging her draws and cupboards, she let out a scream when she seem to be getting no where. Holding a fistful of hair in her hand she thought of where she could have placed the card.
'Where did I put you?' searching high and low, Katara did a thorough search for what seem to be a small piece of paper. Checking her pockets, sheets and those small crevices, she came back empty handed and fill of rage. She'd been searching for the past couple minutes and yet she's gotten no where. Pursing her lips tightly, she tried to reflect where last she headed off.
'I remembered Haru giving me the card and falling asleep right after…no, I'm missing something. I did something before that.' Getting up in a quick jerk she looked around the disorganized room. Books, clothes and all her belongings lay scattered about her floor. In fact she couldn't point out one neat part in her room. Looking over to the corner she saw the bin, strangely it was very tidy and immediately she froze. 'Of course, I threw it in the bin, how could I haven forgotten?'
Running to the bin she emptied the contents and went raiding for the small card.
"Ah-ha, found yah!" giving herself a triumphant grin, she read the address of Haru's location. Making sure to keep very hush-hush about her whereabouts, she made motion to leave. Passing her friends most discreetly, Katara tried avoiding loud squeaking of the floors and shrill cries of the closing doors. Biting her lips very tentatively, Katara bended a corner seeing her mistress up ahead.
'Oh hell' Katara cursed under breath.
Giving a small sigh, Katara leaned against the wall holding her breath and listening very carefully for the footsteps of the woman. As expected the woman drew closer which gave Katara more of a predicament to work with. Running behind the chest of draws, Katara waited for the woman to pass her door.
Footsteps could be heard coming closer and it was in a split second did Katara hold her breath and await the woman. Peeping from beside the dresser, Katara could see the woman look around her room.
'Move away witch, move away'
The woman suspiciously looked around before shaking her shoulders and leaving. Katara gave a sigh of relief making sure to scuttle to her feet quickly and down the hall. Tip-toeing all the way out the establishment, Katara journeyed on the road again, this time for a new mission: to get revenge. Simple as said, Katara now had to deal with the underlining fact that like before as geisha - when it was all about using her looks for money, her mission called for ten times what she gave previously.
'But how am I to do this Katara-girl? This is more than I expected, more than what I'm accustomed to.' She knew the mission was going to be dangerous and she know the risks of being a woman in the Fire Nation are even higher, but she couldn't let that dampen her reasons of her initial cause. She was to think this through and find peace, at least for all those who died.
Again, haunted by the faces of her love ones, Katara knew the life they once lived was good but the life she lived – well, it stank. It offered fruitlessness and nothing but grief. She mentally noted that this was all the handiwork of the Fire Nation. The Fire Nation will not get away, thought Katara. 'If it's the last thing I do, I'm going to kill them.'
Travelling down the stony path to Haru's home, she was surprised to see the address was a run-down shack. Old man's shack, as they called it. She heard some nasty tales of men dying at the place but right now she could care less, she knew what she read and this was the place. Making her way to the back of the house she saw a flowing river. It was then she saw Haru in the centre of the river. She arched a delicate brow and carefully came forward.
'What is he doing?'
With confusion molten on her face, Katara was surprised to see the river slowly widen. Haru raised his hands and the earth divided to cave way for a bigger river.
Katara unknowingly went forward in an unconscious curiosity. Accidentally stepping on a twig, she was brought out her focus and so was Haru.
"I was expecting you" was his comment.
"Funny, I really wasn't expecting to come on one's day notice, but I guess things came up" she said.
He turned around.
"Are you here to get revenge, or is it…" he looked at her in the eyes, "something else?"
"'Can't say sometimes. Right now, all I want is revenge, while part of me isn't ready."
"You're confused?" he asked.
"I don't think I am." She looked at the floor, "its just – hard…you know, dealing with the death of all my love ones and now the only option I'm left at, is the riskiest, not to mention…no turning back" she whispered.
Haru listened to her. Slowly he came out the water and took a seat on an old log.
"Come Katara, sit with me" he patted an area on the lichen log.
She grossed a minute, but shook her head to acknowledge him. Taking a seat beside him, they both seem to stare off at the gushing river. Haru had done himself a piece of handiwork, thought Katara. The river was much bigger and yes, even more dangerous.
"You see that river, Katara" he began.
"How could I not, its right in front of me" she dryly added.
"Look at the bends of the river Katara. Look at each curve, each gush of living water and tell me what you see. Tell me the impressionistic touch it evokes.
"Haru, no offense but what does this river have to do with anything at all?" she looked at him.
"A lot Katara, a lot" he said.
"Well to be quite honest, I really can't see that"
"Let me explain"
"That would help"
"The river as you know has many courses, many bends and curves. A river could be something of both beauty and death. I'll elaborate. You could look at a river and see beauty, the same beauty that you would compare to the most beautiful of things, while on the other hand, the river can take many lives and kill and destroy so much more than we know. But in contrast to you Katara, you're like a tiny leaflet in the raging river." He took this time to place a small leaf in the water.
"Now we know the current will take it away and in this circumstance we use the current as people and what they say to us. Sometimes we need to figure out which way we want to go, we can choose different courses and different paths and they're not assured. But I guess… what I'm trying to say Katara, is sometimes the right path is a dead end. It may be a dead end but it will surely lead us to freedom and peace. A river has different courses and they could go on forever, or be dead end or circulate in a certain area. But unlike the little leaflet that has no power to choose its direction you do Katara. You can choose and make your choice." He paused, "I never said letting go would be easy, but ask yourself, if you don't fight now and make a stand then you'll let them trample all over you and the people that died would have died for nothing"
"I don't want that" she whispered.
"So do I" he said.
She turned to him, "what do I do?"
"Well, what you should do firstly, is make up your mind. Plan out your geisha life and the mercenary life you're going to lead. Both lives have their ups and downs, but unlike your geisha life, your mercenary life is of a stricter code. There is no room Katara for a confused assassin that only leads you to your death. Settle that mind of yours and when you've made your choice, begin to re-acquaint yourself with an old friend of yours…water." He pointed to the river.
"You are a water-bender Katara…you have the gift to give hope and heal…so please…heal those of us who needs healing"
"I'll try my best" she whispered softly.
"I'll leave you to think now." He patted her back and left.
Katara sat on the log in deep contemplation. Here it was the choice of a lifetime, 'am I to be the geisha or be the mercenary?'
'I'm a good geisha…a geisha who always does as asked. My beliefs of a being a geisha are strong, since I was young I've been learning the principles from strict leaders and I've had the opportunity of a lifetime to just be lucky enough to have been a geisha. A geisha is an entertainer, is a woman who knows all the arts and gracefully uses them to speak a language of beauty and perfection. We comb our lives in discipline and live behind the disguise of all being flawless girls. Our prices are expensive but our talents are not cheap. We are vastly skilled in the arts and our pretty faces are enough to say it all. A lot of dirty meaning has been added to the word geisha and now many people now see us as the identical partners to prostitutes, but truth be told there are some geishas who live that life but our geisha house strictly forbids that life. We consider those sorts of acts illicit and staining to the very word artist, for what is an artist if we must wear the darkest shades? I am willing to go far being a geisha but I will not sell my soul… that is just wrong…' She paused to pick up a stone.
"But I'm a water-bender too. Well, I use to be" she thought.
'And I still am . Gran gran said I was meant to heal and give hope and if I don't see that now then when will I? I've never really given water-bending a chance after the incident with my parents and sometimes I wonder, was it the water-bending that failed or was it me? Did I just look for something to blame it on, or was it, I didn't want to admit the truth. Realizations are cruel in life, and now looking at it, I see that's so true' she pelt the stone which skipped three times before plopping deep within the water.
'Could I say sorry now and have back my old water-bending skills?' knowing life wasn't that simple, she shrugged.
'I feel so loss kami (G-d), and I guess I'll always feel like this if I don't make a stand. But how can I choose what's right and wrong? If I choose being the water-bender then for sure I'll be taking a couple lives to get at the top…I've never taken a life much less had to witness killing a man. But every time I see Gran gran's face and hear the words she whispered at me then I know my place. I was meant to heal wasn't I? I was meant to be the water-bender and the mercenary and everything, right Kami?'
She swallowed, 'or was it …I was just meant to die and give up faith in all those who died for me?' she shook her head, 'Noo…I'm done being Mrs.'s Nice-girl, from now on I know what I'm about, I know who I'm fighting for and I know whose going down.'
Katara stood and took a deep breath.
'For all those who've fallen…' she walked toward the river. Standing a few feet from the water, she entered the icy water that was rising from her ankles to her calves. Walking further into the water, Katara gritted her teeth when she felt the biting cold knocking at her. Parting her legs apart, she took firm grip on the ground and braced herself for the oncoming string of events.
Raising her hands over the water, she breathed and exhaled rhythmically before whispering an incoherent mantra.
"Do you remember me old friend" she whispered at the water that was pushing at her harder.
Feeling the current pull at her even the more, she gripped deeper into the ground.
"Please old friend, listen to me…listen to my plea." But the gushing water though inanimate, gushed in all its life at her.
"I was a fool…I blamed you for all my problems and never once said sorry, but I can make it better old friend. I can…if you would listen to me…please, just listen and all will be explained." She tried to say her confessions but a thunderous current pulled at her ankles and she went under deep within the water.
A current swirled around her, pushing her deep into the abyss of the river. Katara looked up and the sunlight that once surfaced the river was slowly fading away. She outstretched her hand to touch the surface but the more she tried, the deeper she sank and the further the light would go before she could barely see any light. Not fighting the currents and the coldness of the icy water, she looked at her hand and felt the oxygen escaping her lungs.
'So this is it huh? This is how it feels to die and let everything go?' she could barely feel the blood in her hands and she knew it was just a matter of time before the temperature killed her. Inside there was sadness, sadness of losing and never having things gone her way. 'And what I wouldn't do to say sorry to the people I love most'
Hitting the base of the river, she felt like it was time to let go and accept the fate that always tried to take her. Death. 'And forgotten I shall be and shamed for never trying or fighting for the people I loved'
:Flash-back:
'"I'm fedup of your dramatics. I'm fedup of you child.
'Is it that I don't make myself clear, is it that you truly wish to disobey me and suffer my endless punishment?'
'Is this what they want G-d, my life? Must every person that I know be the enemy that I fear? Wasn't I tortured enough as a child losing my both parents in a vile way?'
'You are a water-bender and you are designed to heal and give hope to the fallen
'You were meant to be a water-bender…relive who you are my child…for me'
'be strong..'
:End of flash-back:
Deep within her bowels Katara could feel her insides rack. They churned and twisted violently in a convulsing knot. Feeling as if she was dying, Katara violently twisted and turned in the water, clutching her stomach very protectively. Crouching in a small foetus, Katara suddenly stopped when she saw something blue in the distance.
It was her mother's pendant. Placing a single hand around the chain, she was surprised when something hot swam through her. It was dark, angry and full of hate. Emotions she had never felt, burst free and screamed to be heard, to be acknowledged. Alas, they came up her throat and in a fluent moment Katara braced herself for the wicked nervous breakdown. Closing her eyes tightly, she felt her fingers and toes burn with a tingly sensation. Opening her eyes in one shot, they glowed the colour of blue. Cerulean blue…
The water around her slowly bubbled until it bubbled in a most violent way possible. Feeling the anger surge through in three violent shocks, the water sputtered her toward the surface where she landed on the ground, scar free and fully reborned. Pacing a hand over the water it immediately fell from its ten feet waterfall to a normal river once again.
Turning around Katara's eyes settled from the horrid blues to the calm sapphire that was always alive.
Staring at her in amazement was Haru who was trapped deep in thought. 'She's the fit…she's the one alright' knowing that nothing could stand in the way of this woman, Haru felt a victory smile coming on.
"You did it" he said.
She said nothing. Looking at the floor in a confused manner, she slowly averted her eyes to his. "I don't understand Haru" she softly said.
"Don't understand what?" he asked.
"One minute I was drowning, feeling all this emotional pain and for sure I thought I was a goner…but half a second later I was consumed by…by a fury. A fury I had never felt. All these different voices and emotions collided and somehow…" she looked up at him, "somehow evoked the waterbender in me. It's odd" she went on "water is something calm and isn't triggered by negative thoughts much less anger itself, but today that rule was broken with the self-evoking of ire" she said.
"Maybe, you had enough and your body understood you didn't need to be supplanted. Maybe that's why your water-bending was evoked" he said.
She shook her head, "I really don't get this Haru" she said.
"Katara…" he started.
"Yes?"
"Look at your face" he was sounding a bit shaky.
"What's wrong with my face?" she asked.
"Take a look for yourself"
Katara turned to the river, and reflecting in the water was her face. 'What's wrong?' It took her a second to interpret that her scars that once blemished her face were gone and come to think to it, she didn't feel pain anywhere.
'Has the water healed me?'
Remembering that she limped, she began to walk and to her utter amazement she walked without a hitch. 'Amazing…it works!'
"The water healed me Haru…it actually healed me" she smiled.
"I can see that" he paused, "amazing…absolutely amazing" he would have stood there all afternoon but matters needed to be addressed.
"Come Katara, we have some work to do" he said.
"Alright" she nodded.
The couple took refuge within the shack where they spoke of the small plot that would be carried out in the Fire Nation. Haru tried to make himself most concise and very straight forward. He didn't need Katara taking in detail instruction which would only complicate the situation, not to mention, put her in dire peril. Knowing the situation was also about grace and tactic, he made it key that her mission was tentative and slipping up should by all means be avoided. He mentioned that though she will work herself up the ladder, it is assured and without doubt that she'll get to the top and find the one responsible for all the useless killings.
He educated her in the art of stealth and what it meant to turn one's back on everything they held dear. It was painful to do but it had to be done. Katara understood in that moment that from that moment then, she was not the Katara she used to be, but instead, Katara the mercenary, who would never cry and turn to look back at the life she lead. Today was a new day where she had accepted a new role and by all the faith that she had in her, she hope she would reach the top, alive, and then to the kill the ones who started all the conflict.
It was around half past four that Katara left the shack and with a bold look in her eyes, one could see she wasn't the woman she use to be. There was something different about her, the way she walked, they way she looked and definitely the feeling she exuded. Raising her head high and defiant, one could not miss the look of awkward danger she presented, even if she was a wee female. Knowing that this was all part of the new job, Katara still strolled the streets in valour.
It started to rain half way on her way home and Katara felt damned. For sure her mistress would blow her top and Katara cringed at the thought. 'Here goes nothing'
Katara walked the small walk and entered the geisha home. She was surprised when all the geisha girls and mistress had been waiting there for what seem to be her.
"Konbawa minna-san (good evening everyone)"
"Late again are we?" the woman sneered
The woman gave the nastiest of gestures and welcomes and seriously Katara wasn't looking for another brawl with the woman.
"I had to visit someone, mistress" Katara said looking down.
"Always visiting eh? Another man huh?" she teased.
"It was a friend" Katara said.
"I've warned you haven't I? I've beaten and yet you don't seem to budge. What is it with your intolerance that just gets me child? I am so tired of you and your antiques Katara, it's old" she sputtered.
"Mistress, if you would excuse me" Katara could the anger returning
Fearing that she could not hold back the dark emotions plaguing within her, she began leaving the room.
"Yame (stop)." She halted.
Katara obliged.
"Who do you think you are, walking off on me like if you're your own person? Have you forgotten who you are, who I am?" she snarled. "I am the boss of this place girl and you'll do well to remember that"
"I do not feel well mistress, if I could be excused I would be most grateful" Katara's voice was stretching from its kind binds to something wrathful and raw. Something she herself was beginning to become afraid of. Swallowing tightly, the lump refused to be settled. Her hands had already begun a small sweat and her breath was becoming laboured. She was pressured by emotions of her mistress and sooner or later she would blow.
"You can't escape this rapping child. You're late as usual, and if you should know, you've been deselected as a member of the top five geishas." The woman said.
'What?' …"I thought it was ten" Katara was quick to say.
"How do you know that?" the woman arched a brow.
"I saw the proclamation all around the city." Katara said.
"I guess you would you see that since you comb the city grounds as your playground. If you should know there are other geisha houses and the five remaining candidates are to be chosen from the outside. This geisha house is one of the most prestigious and has been allowed the choice of the top five geishas. I'm afraid…I've made my choice and well…you're no where on it" she gave a complacent smirk.
"But you don't understand, I- I should have been one of those geishas, I must be one of those geishas. It's important I be chosen mistress."
"Why? Another man?" the dirty suggestion rose.
"No. I need to be chosen because my brother and Aang is within the confines of those walls. I must know if they're alive or not" Katara said.
"They're probably dead. It wouldn't be surprising if the Fire Nation killed them, it seems to be thing of the Fire Nation taking your family, perhaps not getting you the position is sparing you from most certain death"
"You can not read my future likewise for my family" Katara said.
"Grow up child. This is the world we're talking about, I don't need to see the future to know a potential end. Look around and tell me what you see…its death all around us and the Fire Nation is all to be blamed for it" she said.
"I want to be a chosen geisha mistress, please" Katara started to cry.
"You are a pitiful geisha" the woman looked at Katara hard and long.
"Please" Katara clasped her hand and got on her knees, bowing in front the woman.
"Get up child. I've already made up my mind"
"Why, why have you never liked me?" Katara stared up with tears in her eyes.
"Because I never did" and the truth came alas.
"You tortured me for nothing, is that it?"
"Tortured you? Well… I don't exactly call it that, but different names might just mean the same thing"
"How could you?" Katara rose to her feet, "all my life I've been down trodden and here you are suppressing me on top of it?"
"You're nothing but a dirty little girl"
"I am not a dirty woman. I am no whore mistress. I am a geisha and I know the principles of a good geisha. I live my philosophy and you don't even begin to know a thing about me…"
"Lower your voice"
"You've taken advantage of me…and yet you have no sorry to spare" Katara said.
"Sorry? For what, the death of your gone family, or your awkward life?"
"My family is not gone." She said.
"They're dead. All of 'em. Your family looked for their death, look at your grandmother, 'couldn't shut her mouth from gossiping- well no one could blame old people for it, its in their nature after all, right?"
"Don't you dare speak of my gran gran that way…or else"
"Or what? You'll hurt me?"
"Say…sorry" Katara growled.
"Never. I mean every word I say girl. Sorry is only meant to be said when we mean it"
"I hate you"
"What?"
"I hate you"
"You will say sorry right this moment"
"You wish"
"Say it or I will beat you to a pulp"
"Try if you want"
The woman rose a hand at Katara's insolence and was surprised when Katara held her wrist firmly in her hand.
"Touch me and I'll hurt you" Katara glared the woman daggers.
"Is that all you got? I've heard better threats than that from measly girls ten times smaller than you are"
"I don't want to fight you"
"Who said anything about fighting? We all know if you fight with me, the end can be seen crystal"
"Don't play games with me, mistress" Katara hissed, "I need to be chosen as one of the top five geishas."
"In your dreams girl"
"You're not hearing me" Katara's hand began pressing on the woman's wrist. The woman exerted a small cry which quickly became louder in the quiet room. As the pressure was slowly added, the cries kept heightening blatantly and Katara would not falter a second to the woman. She had enough of the tyrant and she would bare this torture no longer. She had washed her hands of her mistress and further more the life she lived in this hell-hole. Come to think of it, she never really understood why she had to take the mistress abusing especially when she was fit to take care of herself.
Knocked out of reality for a second, Katara was welcome to many screaming girls who begged at her to stop. The mistress' screams had now become thunderous. By this time she was kneeling on her knees and begging Katara to be merciful with her.
Anger from deep within rose and like a dark mantra plagued Katara to make the woman before her suffer to her ends.
"Why should I spare you?" Katara's voice was a mere whisper, but it was darkly intoned and it was that antique which made the mistress feel pressured and afraid.
"You've never spared me once and yet when I needed the most important position of my life, you simply take it away – why? Because you don't like me….and you know what mistress, it's about time I show you what you did to me. It's not pretty I assure, but it sure is damn ugly." Katara wrung the woman's wrist in a painful lock which created more screams from the geishas.
"I beg" the woman screamed.
But Katara's ears were shut to the bleeding screams of the woman. Many of the girls were already becoming paranoid, running about screaming and just being plain frantic. This fueled Katara. The tension was dense and it primed the moment alive and to its climax.
"That's enough Katara-san" it was the deep sound of a female that Katara jerked to reality.
"You've done yourself quite the lot" the blue eyed girl spoke.
"Yue-san?" Katara looked up.
"It's not worth Katara. If you break her hand, you'll be just as bad as her, or worst" she eyed Katara sternly.
"But you don't understand Yue, she tortured me, she's always done it and now when I need to be the best of the geisha I can, she simply swipes that away from me. Tell me Yue, why should I spare her? Why?" Katara looked up.
"Because you're not that kind of a person Katara. The Katara I know is calm and she isn't some beast who does what others do upon her. You're better than that Kat" Yue endeared.
"B-but I need this Yue" Katara let go of the woman's wrist, "I really need this"
"And if this is what you want Katara, then I give up my position for you. You are now one of the five geishas of this house, chosen to be an official Fire Nation geisha." She said.
"Yue?"
"There's nothing again to be said Katara. You're right, you've been abused since young from the mistress and never once have you gotten a break from the sorrows of your past or the hectic rush of unfolded events. If this is what you want…to see Sokka and Aang alive, then go. Your reasons are way better than mine were; for that I would gladly give up my position for you…no doubt about it, Kat" she said.
"Yue-san…" Katara felt tears coming on, biting her lips she blinked back her tears, "arigatou (thank you)" Katara threw her arms around her friend and thanked her repeatedly.
Yue pulled apart, "you should get ready" she said.
"Ready?" Katara wiped a single tear away.
"You must not be late. The Fire Nation will be arriving tomorrow morning, bright and early. Quickly pack and get some rest, you'll need it for your day tomorrow"
"Yes…"
Katara could see Yue nod and gracefully walk out. Katara stared at Yue, she was the perfect geisha. She had every characteristic of a flawless woman and she was much of the delight to both men and women. She was a beautiful woman, who gracefully perfected in everything she did, from the pronunciation of her every vowel to the articulate definition of the way she would play a Samisen, the woman before her was graced into the arts most perfectly. She admired Yue since she had gotten to the Geisha House, and it seem somehow the girl always had her back.
It really should have been Yue who was leaving, thought Katara, but knowing what Yue had given up so proudly for her, Katara promised she would respect the position even all the more and work ten times harder to be the best of both geisha and killer.
'Now the game is set and the pieces are motion, there is no going back and there is little to no room for slip ups. This is the real thing Katara, its no more on paper or tell-tales, this is the real thing I've been made for…'
'Sokka, Aang…wherever you guys are don't worry, because I'm coming to rescue you guys…all its now, is a matter of time before the games begin'
NEXT CHAPTER>>ZUKO AND KATARA
To be continued…
