A/N. Sorry for the little delay, I had way too many things happening here lol. But I'm back!
I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender.
The maid accompanied them as On Ji showed her the room, opening the door for her with a small clack of her tongue, sounding disapproving. Katara didn't know if it was directed at her specifically, or at the whole situation, but she ignored it all the same. Quickly looking around in the room, it looked comfortable even if it was rather impersonal, being a guest room. It lacked the small personal details each child added to their own space. Even the waterbender, who had spent most of her life in a tent or in her grandmother's igloo, had made her small corner her own.
The older woman left, still clacking her tongue while she walked away. Katara followed her with her own eyes, until the maid turned a corner, leaving On Ji and her alone. Katara looked at the girl, whose lips were pursed together in a nervous way… The waterbender didn't know exactly what to say. The boyfriend had clearly become the betrothed of a very reluctant On Ji… And now, the girl wanted to escape that fate.
"So…" She began, without actually knowing what to say. What did you say to someone who was in the situation On Ji found herself in? The only time it had happened was with Yue, and the Water Tribe princess had spent most of her time with Sokka, so Katara didn't know what her brother had said to comfort the girl.
"My parents say it is a good match." On Ji spoke quietly, looking once more into the empty space behind Katara. The waterbender sighed, knowing it was the same story each time. The parents considered some people and chose the best and most advantageous match. For them at least. They didn't ask their daughter's opinion most of the time… And clearly, the girl's parents had not asked her, for it was painfully clear that On Ji didn't want to.
"Good match." Katara huffed, "that guy is a sexist egocentric idiot, and I spent all but two minutes in his presence. If that is a good match, I am a pol… a hippocow." She had nearly said a polar beardog but had managed to stop herself just in time.
"He… He is how his parents raised him. My mother said that with time, such traits softened…" On Ji now sounded depressed beyond measure, clearly not believing her mother. And it was true that, with the right person, such people could change. The waterbender knew that her own brother had been insufferable between the ages of fifteen and eighteen, but Suki had knocked some sense into him, and the whole ordeal with Yue had changed him completely.
"If that happens, and that is a big if, it still leaves you to deal with years of insufferable idiocy." Katara said through gritted teeth. On Ji seemed on the verge of tears but looked around the corridor. Suddenly, she took the waterbender's arms and pulled her into the guest room. Closing the door behind her, the Fire Nation girl sighed softly. Katara, in the meantime, quickly took note of what was in the room. A bed, large enough for one person, a closet no bigger than she was and a table, on which stood a small mirror and a large bowl filled with clear water. Katara could sense the water, to her own relief.
"You want to get out of the city, right? To find Kuzon and the others?" The girl spoke in a pleading tone, and Katara knew what was going to be asked of her, even before On Ji formulated the plea.
"Take me with you. If we manage to get out, you need someone who knows the island, and I will need someone who can help me blend in. Together, we can be out of here in no time."
Katara looked at the girl. On paper, with the limited knowledge On Ji had of the Fire Nation, it was a good idea… But the waterbender knew better. What the girl in front of her didn't know was that Katara didn't need someone who knew the island. She would just need to find Appa, who, knowing the bison, was certainly waiting for her, and perhaps even searching for her at this moment. And if she took On Ji with her… How would the girl react at finding out that Sapphire, who matched the description of one of the enemies of the state,was travelling with the bison of enemy number one? For the moment, the Fire Nation girl had not connected the dots, even though Katara had still her hair loopies and the blue beads in her hair…
How would she react? On Ji had liked Kuzon, the charming and free spirit that was so foreign for her. And that was something Katara could understand, for it had happened to her too when first finding Aang in the iceberg. But how would this Fire Nation girl, who seemed nice and kind, react when she learned that that charming young man that had danced in the cave was in fact Avatar Aang, the man who had apparently defeated Fire Lord Ozai? That was a thing…
But how could she leave someone in this situation? She herself would hate to be sold off like that…The idea of being sold off to the highest bidder as some piece of meat, to be used and pop out children… That was too much for her. No one should suffer that fate.
"Just take me far enough from the walls!" The girl spoke suddenly, and Katara realized that her silence had probably been interpreted as a rejection.
"I will take you somewhere safe, that is out of reach of this place." Katara answered, trying to smile reassuringly. Surely, if she took On Ji with her back to the capital, she would be safe… But before that, she may have to go to Wulong… but then again, the fact that people knew that Aang had defeated Ozai… That meant that, at the very least, the others had been able to communicate with someone in the Fire Nation.
"R-Really?" The relieved voice sounded so horribly weak that Katara felt pity for the girl. She had clearly not wanted to marry this man, and had tried everything in her limited power… And had come out powerless and resigned.
"Of course… but I may need to know some things." This was the part Katara needed to be careful about. If she was to take On Ji with her… She needed to know some basic facts.
"Sure!" The girl nodded, a wet smile on her face. Katara gestured to the bed, and On Ji sat down. The waterbender didn't want to sit next to the girl, in case she was going to be difficult… So, she opted to put her back against the door. It would give her time to prepare for any reaction of the girl, and it gave her a clear sight on the water in the bowl, which she may need… Was this girl a firebender?
"The announcement. What do you think of it?" This was the safest course. She had watched her brother being cautious enough times to know that it was better to assess what their enemy, or potential enemy, knew and thought before revealing any information you had yourself.
"The announcement? Why?" On Ji sounded curious, and a bit suspicious.
"Just answer the question." Katara said as gently as possible. She wagered that the girl would want to come with her no matter how weird the questions were, so she would probably answer them regardless.
"Well… The Avatar killed Lord Ozai, so I suppose that is bad. But I don't know if supporting Princess Azula is right. The governor seems to think so, but my father may be right. It would be better to wait and see what happened exactly." On Ji spoke clearly, as if trying to show how sure she was of herself. Katara realized that the girl was no fool, and was aware that her answers would decide if the waterbender would take her with her.
"I doubt the Avatar actually killed the Fire Lord." Katara said softly, refusing to use the same term on Ji had used to refer to Ozai.
"Why? You said you heard things in the colonies… What, exactly?" Ah… So the girl was not going to meekly answer her question, she would have questions of her own.
"The Avatar is… loved. We… heard… what his group did for the people. Everywhere they went, they tried to help. The occupation of some parts of the Earth Kingdom is brutal. And they travelled around, helping out wherever they could. Here, they think the Avatar and his friends are criminals. But what is criminal about helping people?" Katara knew it was way more information than she actually needed to give the girl, but what else could she say? If they were able to escape this town, On Ji would discover who she was exactly. And Katara preferred to be with someone who at least doubted what she had been told by the Fire Nation.
"But the Avatar attacked the prince and princess in the walled city!" On Ji protested, clearly not believing her.
"And who said that?" Katara glanced at the water in the bowl, and softly exhaled, willing the water to move, just a bit. She saw the water lift an inch out of the basin, before going back into it in silence. Holding in her sigh of relief, she realized that whatever had happed last night with her bending, when that voice had spoken, was not permanent.
"Well… it was announced! It was before I had to put the news up… But still!"
"And they told you that the Avatar had been killed. But now they say he defeated the Fire Lord. So, who is lying?" Katara retorted, trying to sound as patient as possible. It was not easy, for this talk was only nibbling away at the time she had to escape the city. But she couldn't leave the girl here in good conscience. It would be cruel… And she had enough of cruelty.
"Well… They could have been wrong about his death… But why would that mean they are lying?"
"Because that is what they do On Ji. Lie and kill. The Fire Nation isn't the good guy in this war… Even the colonies agree on that. For a hundred years, the world suffered from this war, you included. Remember what Kuzon said? That before the war, your people danced, sang and were free? Is that still true?" The waterbender took a step toward the girl, taking her hand, "Is it wrong to be hopeful? If Zuko becomes Fire Lord, with A- the Avatar's help, they may be able to bring those times back."
Indeed… Aang would bring back those times. The things no one remembered… Except Aang and Bumi. The peace that reigned between the nations before the war… The airbender had told her what that looked like. And it had sounded… Too good to be true. How could all the people of the world live in harmony? And if that was possible… She would love to see it. No more war, no more looking over your shoulder each time you heard the rustling in the bushes… Tui and La, it was too good to be true.
As Katara looked into the soft ember eyes, she saw doubt. And she saw the thought process. Is this stranger right? She can't be, my whole life they said to trust in what they told me… But at the same time, she does have a point… What if? And I do need her to get out of this situation…
"What is your plan?" On Ji whispered. Well, she wasn't agreeing to what Katara had said… But it was a start.
"Well, your… betrothed… said he was the captain of the northern gate, right?" It was a small chance… But it if this guy was stupid enough… It would be possible.
"Hide? Officially, he is. But he doesn't actually command there. There is an inn just next to it, and he spends his time there, delegating the actual guarding to his soldiers. At least, that is what Shoji told me." On Ji sounded sad now.
Ah… Yes. Shoji. The young man was clearly not only a friend. At least, from his own perspective. Katara didn't know if On Ji had realized the feelings her friend harboured, but the waterbender had seen it this morning. Shoji had apparently even started to spy on this Hide person to discover something that would break the engagement up. That sounded bad… But it could be helpful.
"What else did Shoji say about that gate?" She asked. If he had spent time around the north gate spying on the betrothed of his crush… That meant that he had probably also noticed the changing of the guards, the moments discipline slacked… And all that would be useful.
"Not much… Only that it is in an unsavoury neighbourhood. When the fortifications went up, the town used prisoners. But even that attracted people who wanted to be behind the walls, rather than outside. They settled the north side of the town. My father says those are the kinds of people should be thrown out." On Ji explained, standing up. Katara watched as the girl stretched, and gestured to the door.
The waterbender understood what she meant. Only one way to find out. Opening the door, Katara stuck her head out of the room, into the corridor. No one in sight… It felt weird, to be doing such a thing as planning an escape… After what had happened. Just ten hours ago, she had fought a princess to wrestle control of a nation out of her hands… And now, she was trying to escape a town with the help of a girl that had probably never left her hometown. But what worried her even more was the promise that that voice had whispered in her head last night.
I'll make sure that death will await him with open arms. And only then, only then, shall you be reunited. You shall only hear the last words he will speak.
She didn't think a Spirit, or whatever it had been, had the power to predict the future. Even Roku had been unable to predict the exact end of the war, and he had been an Avatar! No way a spirit knew all that… No, it had been a vengeful being, bound on revenge after the defeat of the Fire Nation. He, or it, had said those things to scare her…
But even so, she needed to get back. Aang was surely injured after his fight with Ozai, and she knew his body in and out… Suki, Toph and Sokka had fought the air fleet, and the announcement and only mentioned the Avatar's cronies. That could mean anything! And Zuko would need medical care for the foreseeable future… No, she needed to get back! And when she did, she would do what needed to be done, and after that, find a room with Aang and close themselves off from the rest of the world and just… Enjoy each other's company, without fearing for each other's life.
"Are you worried?" On Ji's voice came from beside her, and Katara looked sideways. The girl looked at her with a puzzled look.
"Yes. My friends are somewhere… And I don't know what happened to them." The waterbender answered, opening the front door that led into the courtyard. She saw that the father of the Fire Nation girl stood close to the wall that made up the stables, seemingly working on something. These people seemed like decent, intelligent folks… Even if their beliefs were influenced by what they had been told.
"Kuzon… I saw how you danced with him in that cave. You're worried about him?" Ah… So On Ji had guessed that. Katara glanced at the girl and saw the soft smile. It impressed Katara to be honest, that the girl could see the sun shine for someone else, while her own life was a mess.
"Yeah… He… He had to go to fight in the war." That was technically not a lie. Even if she knew that he was alive, she was still worried sick, like a pressure on her heart that was slowly suffocating her. If the meager information she had was true… Aang was alive, and at least some of her friends too.
"No!" On Ji gasped, "I… I didn't know! W-where was he stationed?"
"Don't worry. He still lives." Katara padded the shoulder of the girl as they walked into the street. The concern was well meant, but she felt slightly awkward because she had made this girl worry for a lie.
"Good station then? Hide's uncle, the headmaster of the school, told us that he would make sure the leaders of the riot would go to the worst place of the war." They took a right, towards the north side of the town. As Katara looked, she understood why it was considered unsavoury. The straight, clean, whitewashed walls of the houses stopped, to be replaced by a maze of little alleys, and dark stained walls. The waterbender looked at the people in these houses but saw that they looked different from the other townspeople.
The town had clear standards, clothing and etiquette were followed to the letter. No one went out of line until they had come along all those months ago… But this place looked much more like a miniature version of the Outer Ring of Ba Sing Se. So, that meant it was unsavoury in the eyes of the townspeople, while the people living here had no other choice, because of the situation. But they weren't criminals… At least, not voluntarily.
"Ehm… I don't know where he is. But I know he is alive." She answered, looking towards the high walls that were looming at the end of this street. They were pierced by a tunnel, blocked by a gate that looked so massive and unmovable that Katara doubted they would open them just for her. But perhaps there was a way.
"My parents don't want me to go here." On Ji suddenly said, looking around. Ah… Of course. The girl's parents had probably forbidden her to come her, fearing that something would happen to her.
"These people are just hungry and afraid. No reason to ostracize them." Katara hated that kind of thinking, "You said they came when the walls went up?"
"Yeah… Hide said that the worst kinds of people streamed in just before the curfew went into effect. Murderers, thieves, w-" On Ji stopped herself speaking the last word, blushing from her chin up to the roots of her hair.
"And whores?" Katara finished the thought, not surprised. In Ba Sing Se, they had visited a brothel that had looked like an Air Temple… And Aang had hated it. But it had been clear during their travels that those establishments sprouted like mushrooms wherever soldiers were… And poor people without a choice. It made for the perfect mix…
"Yeah…" On Ji nodded, looking away shyly. Katara supposed that this girl was kept far away from any… ideas… She had been too, even if her grandmother had given her the talk when she had bled for the first time, and then again at fourteen… But with more information. But had this girl even had that? The Fire Nation didn't seem like a very progressive place. At least not since Sozin.
"Come, the gate is there." Katara pointed her chin. If they managed to get through by using On Ji's position... Spirits, that would be so lucky… She saw that four guards stood around the gates, but there wasn't a queue for people to leave, like in other towns… no, this place was deserted, for the exception of soldiers. As they closed the distance, Katara saw the inn in which this Hide apparently spent his time on her right. Would Shoji be on the lookout, even now? And what would he feel, seeing On Ji coming here, apparently to see the guy he hated so much…
"Halt." One of the guards sighed, clearly bored.
"We need to get outside." Katara said, trying to sound authoritative. Still, she looked around as slowly as possible not to attract any attention. Between the walls and the slumbs was at least at eight yards, to create an open space next to the fortifications. But she couldn't see stairs or ladder leading up to the parapet… That meant that those were inside the walls. Which was bad news. She had hoped that if they couldn't convince the guards to let them through, she would be able to sneak up, and pull water out of the air and make a slide of ice down. So, that wouldn't be an option….
"Sorry girls… Orders of the governor. The town is on full lockdown. The guards have been tripled!" one of the older guards sighed exasperated, "The whole garrison has been put on high alert…"
"Why?" Katara asked. If there was a chance of finding out some more information, and to make conversation… Maybe he would let his guard down.
"The Avatar killed Lord Ozai. They put the announcement in the square. They didn't tell me anything else, only to let no one pass, even if they had permission. So… no. Sorry." His eyes wandered to On Ji, who stood a step or two behind her.
"Oh! Miss On Ji! Did you come for… the captain." The last word was said with so much disdain that Katara had to suppress a laugh. Clearly, this older soldier hated having a commander not much older than she was.
"Oh… yes!" The girl tried to smile politely, but it looked more like a grimace. Spirits…
"He isn't here. The captain said he needed to discuss the situation with some advisors… There." The man pointed the spear he was carrying to the inn. Looking more closely, Katara saw the boots tied to the sign outside the door. Ah…
So that was where that disgusting man had got the idea that all people in this part of town were murders, thieves and prostitutes. In a brothel. She shuddered, not because of the slightly cold weather… But because she realized exactly how bad this person was. He wasn't evil like Ozai or Azula… But he was just a despicable human being. Weak, mean and without principles. He had taken the cushy command given by his family and used the pay and the power to do… Whatever he did inside that building.
"Thank you." She nodded to the man, taking On Ji's arm. The girl had clearly not yet realized what the building was, something Katara supposed it was better for her. How would the Fire Nation schoolgirl react if she learned what her betrothed was, exactly. This was why Shoji had spied on the guy…
But it also meant that their best and easiest way out was out of the question. No way this Hide person would even consider letting them through. She knew the type of person… So absorbed by the little power he was given that he used it every time just to show he could. But… What now?
Looking around, Katara saw nothing that actually helped her. The wall was crawling with soldiers, and she had seen the outside of the fortifications the night before… No way they could make it out of the range of the archers, firebenders and catapults before being shot… No, their best chance had been getting through one of the gates with the permission of the governor, or the captain of the North Gate… But now? Now, that chance was clearly idle hope.
No, now, their best chance was getting out in the cover of darkness, when the soldiers on the walls were bored and shivering in the night's cool air. But that meant staying here for the rest of the day. A day in which Spirits knew what happened outside, outside of her control or her knowledge… Was Aang alright? Was he wounded? Was her brother alive? Toph had probably been in the thick of the fighting and had probably taken at least some hits. Suki would be able to take care of herself, but Katara's healing would have been helpful… Zuko was probably being stupid, making enemies of potential allies… And she was here, stuck.
Appa would realize that she wasn't coming back and would try and find Aang instead. His instinct was to find the airbender, and he was normally able to just that. Even the night before, she hadn't needed to guide the bison, which had reinforced her idea that Aang had truly been at Wulong Peninsula… But if the bison went to find Aang, that meant that her escape from this island was also gone. Appa would take the airbender to the island, but he wouldn't be able to enter the town, which clearly was leaning towards Azula's side…
And even if he did, the soldiers were obviously no fans of the Avatar. Like the rest of the town, they were indoctrinated to hate the Air Nomads. And that left very little room. Every minute spent in this shithole was a making her window of opportunity to escape smaller and smaller.
And then there was that damned voice… Of course, it had lied. No one had the power to predict the future. But even so, fear gnawed at the back of her mind.
"Now what?" The girl asked, sounding afraid and disappointed.
"Now? How is your firebending?" Katara tried to hide her irritation. It wasn't On Ji fault, she was afraid too…
"Ehm… Average? Why?"
So, no big explosions that could punch a hole in the wall. Katara wasn't surprised to be honest, the only people actually capable of such things were the best firebenders there were. And those who had good teachers. Aang had told her that at the school here, there had been a class. But she supposed the teachers weren't the best of the best.
"Nothing." Katara tried to smile reassuringly, but it came out as a grimace, "How is your climbing?"
Nighttime escape it was… And trying to hope for the best.
Answers:
TheQuietReader23: Exactly! Those who know him well are aware he isn't that dangerous, in everyday situations, but other people would not know that. And Toph is right, she knows that Aang would do anything for Katara, even do something that horrible.
Mcchartney: He has said it himself in Flowers of Summer, to Zuko : If it is a choice between Katara or the world, he would choose Katara every time. And that is something that it quite clear, even in canon. You mess with her, you get beaten up by an angry Avatar.
Jjsmith103: Yeah! Bato is really the kind of person that kind of knows Aang, that has seen little moments, but far apart. So he knows what is happening, but has no idea of the depth of everything Aang is saying. Sure, Katara is missing, and he worries about that. But he has no idea how much Aang is messed up by that knowledge. And indeed he is just inches away of finally having everything he wanted, but it is snatched away as he is watching.
Alyssa : Thank you so much! I wasn't too sure about going another direction then the canon source material, but for the moment it seems to be working!
