Chapter 44

Katara sighed inwardly as she prepared to get off the train bringing her from Ba Sing Se to Agna Qel'a. It was an overcast Sunday afternoon of early November and snowflakes were dancing in the air, dissolving into mush as soon as they touched the ground. Katara had missed being in the Water Tribe territory, but she certainly hadn't missed the fall weather of the capital.

It was almost two months since she had last left Ba Sing Se, but now she was once again back on home soil. She was not going home to Cape Kuruk, though, that would have to wait until the winter holidays. She was in Agna Qel'a to play Pai Sho, and to hopefully qualify for her first U21 finals appearance. And Katara felt very confident about her chances. The long hours of practicing with Azula, and occasionally Uncle Iroh, had sharpened her skill to a new level.

Katara couldn't help her thoughts turning back towards the Fire Nation girl. With Azula having to skip a year of competition because of all the issues she was dealing with, she had been quite desperate to come with Katara on this trip, even if it meant sleeping on the floor in Sokka's tiny rented apartment. It had felt a little strange to Katara, because it just didn't seem like something that Azula would want to do. But going away for two weeks simply wasn't a good idea for Azula right now. Azula had her new job and regular therapy sessions that tied her down to Ba Sing Se.

Interestingly, Azula had become very anxious when Katara had mentioned potentially catching up with Yue during the tournament. But then, Azula had seemingly calmed down when Katara had told her that Yue was most likely a married woman by now. It was almost as if Azula was a little jealous towards Yue, even if Yue was pretty much out of Katara's life by now. And Katara wasn't truly certain whether it had been jealousy on Azula's part. Sometimes Katara sensed that maybe, just maybe, Azula felt something more than friendship for her. But Katara also knew how important she had become to Azula as a friend. Maybe Azula simply viewed Yue as a threat that could come between them by luring Katara away and ruining their friendship. In any case, just to further reassure Azula, Katara had made it quite clear that she was over Yue, even if that was perhaps not completely true if Katara was perfectly honest with herself. She still cared deeply about her old Water Tribe friend and she was desperate to learn that Yue was doing alright. However, the powerful romantic attachment that had once pulled her to Yue like a magnet was slowly starting to fade, no longer gnawing at her.

Of course, Katara's own growing feelings for Azula had plenty to do with that. After admitting to herself that she was falling for Azula, Katara's attraction had only increased. Things felt different than with Yue, however. She had fallen for Yue before they had become close friends. With Azula, these feelings emerged from the deepening of their friendship. Katara's first instincts with Azula were still to hold her close and to protect her, but now she also wanted to kiss Azula while holding her. Katara couldn't think about making a move, though, not while Azula was dealing with so much. Azula still hadn't met with Zuko and Ursa, and that was going to be a huge test. Azula really didn't need some teenage romance drama on top of everything. Katara was content to wait. She had years of experience (admittedly unpleasant) doing exactly that.

The train finally pulled into the station, grinding to a screeching halt. Katara grabbed her suitcase and stepped onto the platform, immediately receiving a few painful shoves when she stopped in the middle of the busy crowd in order to look around for the single familiar face supposed to be here to meet her. Unable to spot Sokka anywhere, Katara began to grow a little concerned. When she then found herself being spun around by someone, Katara was just about ready to angrily lash out, only then realizing that it was none other than her brother, smiling goofily at Katara.

"Sokka, damn it!" Katara exclaimed in relief. "Why did you have to sneak up on me like that?"

"I was just standing there and you walked right past me," Sokka rolled his eyes. "Anyway, let's get out of here quickly, this isn't a fun place to stand around and try to talk." He gallantly took her rather heavy suitcase and started to walk towards the end of the platform, Katara hurrying after her brother, hooking her arm around his elbow.

Outside, Katara was a little surprised when Sokka didn't lead her towards the nearest bus stop, shooting her brother an inquisitive stare. "Wouldn't you rather take a car than a bus, Kat?" Sokka chuckled at her.

"You don't have a car, Sokka," Katara reminded him. Sokka had only just started to find his feet in the capital, working as an apprentice mechanic in a local car repair shop, while taking community college classes in the evening. Her brother was working very hard to make something of himself, and it seemed to be paying off. His superior at work seemed to be quite impressed with this young lad from somewhere in the Northern wilderness, stating that Sokka had quite the knack when it came to fixing things. Working hard and doing a good job hadn't translated into a higher salary yet, however, so right now Sokka was unable to afford anything more than a tiny apartment in one of the less glamorous districts of the capital.

"One of the guys at work let me borrow his car after I did him a solid with an important customer," Sokka said, leading Katara towards a dark blue Ford Thunderbird, parked nearby. "Nuktuk has more brawn than brain, and probably shouldn't be working on anything more complicated than fixing toasters, but he's kind of a nice guy, really," her brother added with a chuckle.

"It was very nice of him to let you borrow his car," Katara agreed, watching Sokka place her suitcase in the trunk. Less than a minute later they were in the car and pulling out of the train station parking lot.

"How about we grab a bite before heading back to the apartment?" Sokka asked. "You must be desperate for Water Tribe cuisine, right?"

"Well… honestly, I don't miss it that much," Katara admitted reluctantly. Ba Sing Se was such a melting pot, with people flocking there from all over the world. Living there had exposed Katara to so many different cultures, and their cuisines, making her realize that many of the dishes she had grown up with were actually quite bland and maybe not as exciting once the nostalgia goggles came off. "I'm starving though, so some greasy fish and chips would really hit the spot right now."

"Oh, that is an excellent idea," Sokka nodded. "I know just the right kind of place nearby."

Half an hour later, the Enuaraq siblings were sitting in a slightly dingy Agna Qel'a pub, gobbling down their deep fried cod with a pile of only slightly soggy fries and mushy peas. Despite the place looking overall a bit dodgy, Katara had to admit that the food wasn't all that bad. Or perhaps she was just incredibly hungry.

"So," Sokka began, wiping some of the grease away from his chin. "Any pre-tournament nerves, sis?"

"Ha, not really, not anymore," Katara shook her head. Hahn and Yue were her only real rivals, but Katara knew perfectly well that she was the best player in their age bracket. "If there's one thing that I'm nervous about, it's seeing Yue again after all these months," she admitted.

Sokka gave her a serene look. "Yeah, I get that," he said. "It's a bit depressing how it all worked out. I mean, we used to be so close…"

"You haven't bumped into her in the capital?" Katara asked.

"Not really, but surely that's not surprising," Sokka shrugged. "She floats in different social circles compared to a grease monkey like me. Besides, Agna Qel'a is a big place."

"I guess so," Katara let out a heavy sigh. "I just hope she's alright. I guess I'll find out more tomorrow when the tournament begins." Sokka nodded at her. "Anyway, I haven't asked how you're doing, Sokka?" Katara said.

"We talk on the phone like every other week, sis, my life isn't that exciting and rapidly changing," Sokka chuckled. "Same old, same old, you know? I'm just slowly working towards achieving something in my life."

"I'll be able to help you out very soon, Sokka," Katara spoke with determination. "Azula asking me to move in with her into Iroh's estate was amazing… for many reasons," she blushed a little at that. "Not only do I not have to pay rent, but Iroh is also footing the bill for groceries, so I managed to set aside a couple of hundred yuan in October alone. It's not much, but…"

"Every little bit helps," Sokka nodded. "I really appreciate it, Kat."

"Don't be silly, it's a fraction of what I owe you, Sokka," Katara smiled at her brother. "So," she then gave him a piercing stare. "How was Suki's visit?"

"Uh, fine… just fine," Sokka blushed lightly, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

"Wait, it was just fine and not amazing?" Katara narrowed her eyes at Sokka. "I'm starting to become concerned."

"Well, don't," Sokka shook his head. "It went well, but I just… I don't know, I can't help but feel that Suki is starting to get frustrated about how rarely we get to actually see each other. I mean, one weekend in a month?"

"I doubt it's just Suki who is frustrated about that," Katara pointed out.

Sokka blushed, nodding. "Well, yeah," he admitted. "This long distance relationship thing… I don't know, maybe some people can make it work, but it's kinda hard when you're a nineteen year old, right?"

"I get that, I really do," Katara nodded. "If only Agna Qel'a and Ba Sing Se were a little closer, right?" The headquarters of The Harmony Ring were based in Ba Sing Se, and Suki had moved to the capital a few years ago both to work and to study journalism.

"Yeah, which is kind of why I'm thinking of moving yet again," Sokka said.

"Sokka, I told you right away that you should have just come straight to Ba Sing Se," Katara sighed at her brother.

"You know why I didn't," Sokka pointed out. Katara nodded at that. She had understood and agreed with Sokka's reasoning at the time. Gran-Gran wasn't getting any younger, and with Hakoda often at the oil rig for more than a week, Sokka wanted to remain closer to home, just in case their grandmother urgently needed assistance. But this concern had failed to materialize. Kanna was loved by the small and supportive community of Cape Kuruk. There would always be plenty of people willing to pitch in and help if their grandmother needed assistance with anything.

Another aspect of Sokka's reasoning was that he was simply more of a Water Tribe patriot than Katara was. Katara was certainly proud of her ancestry, but not in the kind of partisan, flag-waving, full nationalist goggles on way as some people were. Katara was all about forming strong and powerful bonds with the people she cared about, less so than the land she came from itself. It was a little different for Sokka. To him, living in the Water Tribes territory was a big deal. If he was willing to consider moving to Ba Sing Se, then it was clear that Suki meant a lot to him.

"Well, whenever you feel ready to take that step, Sokka, just let me know and I'll see what I can do to help you get settled in," Katara said encouragingly. "I know that Ba Sing Se has several community colleges. I can look into them and see if they offer something interesting for you."

"That would be great," Sokka nodded. "But I wasn't thinking of making the move any time soon. It's more of a long term plan, really." Katara frowned, but chose not to say anything. If Suki was becoming frustrated about the lack of opportunities to hang out, Katara hoped that Sokka was not leaving his move to Ba Sing Se a little too late. "So, we've discussed my plans and my relationship, now it's my turn to interrogate you," Sokka pointed out.

"Haha," Katara laughed nervously. "You want to interrogate me? That sounds seriously boring. You know that nothing ever changes with me, it's just studying and practicing Pai Sho, over and over again."

"But now you're also living under the same roof with Azula Nakamura and hanging out with her all the time, two eighteen year old girls, having an entire posh estate to themselves. People must be talking," Sokka smirked. Katara hated how these days nearly every mention of Azula made her blush.

"Well, those people are idiots then," Katara snapped defensively.

"Come on, sis, you should listen to yourself when we speak on the phone," Sokka shook his head. "It's always Azula this and Azula that with you. Like you literally talk about nothing else with me."

"That's not true!" Katara protested, even if it really was true. "Well… if I am doing that, then it's only because nothing exciting is happening in my own life, right? But yes, if you really must know, I talk about Azula a lot because I'm just so proud of her and everything she has done while coming back from enduring something so horrible."

Sokka looked apologetic and sympathetic at her words. "Yeah, I'm not arguing about that," he nodded. "Fine, I'm not going to push you on this, Kat. I just hope that you're at least honest with yourself, if you can't be honest with me."

Katara grimaced, feeling guilty. Sokka was always very upfront with her about everything. She didn't like keeping secrets from him, especially after she had been hiding the truth about her feelings for Yue for so many years. "Ugh, yeah so maybe you're onto something there, Sokka, but it's just… hard right now, okay? I don't think either of us is ready for more, you know?" she said. Sokka smiled, nodding in understanding. "Am I… really that obvious about it?" Katara asked shyly.

"I would say you're pretty obvious, yeah," Sokka nodded. "The way I imagine it, you're both probably really obvious to everyone else except to yourselves."

Katara could only groan at Sokka's assessment of the situation. For some reason, she couldn't help but believe that it was spot on.

Katara's recent departure to Agna Qel'a had put Azula in a rather sour mood. Having Katara always be there for her had felt like an emotional crutch she wasn't sure she could do without, and in the absence of her best friend, dark and dismal thoughts had returned almost instantly. They would still talk on the phone, Azula dialing Sokka's Agna Qel'a apartment for lengthy conversations, and while it helped, it also gave her flashbacks of those days when she was still living with her father, using the phone in secret to call Katara for those late night chats. It also made Azula upset that Katara had gone to do something that Azula so desperately wanted, but was unable to do, and it was to play the game she loved. The year before, she had demolished all opposition in the Fire Nation qualifiers. She was confident of being able to do the same this year, but alas, it was not to be. Going to Caldera City was not an option right now.

On the other hand, having a little distance from Katara for a couple of weeks actually felt helpful. Azula's attraction to the Water Tribe girl was only growing with every passing day, reaching a point where it was becoming almost suffocating and she found it increasingly difficult not to say or do something incriminating. Azula had a feeling that she was still being really obvious about being into Katara, but fortunately, if her best friend had noticed it, she didn't let it show. Obviously, Azula couldn't act on her feelings, not before she had found a way to remove Ozai as a threat to herself and Katara. Not that she necessarily knew how she would act on these feelings if Ozai didn't stand between them. It just seemed so incredibly scary to open yourself up like that to a potentially crushing and devastating disappointment. Azula reasoned that perhaps with time she might become perfectly content with things remaining as they were, with her and Katara simply being best friends who stuck together through thick and thin. There was certain beauty in that, after all. She didn't need more, not really. Yes, she was definitely going to be happy just being Katara's best friend.

Speaking about Pai Sho, Azula had followed the world championship finals among professionals with a certain amount of glee, knowing that her father was absolutely livid, having to watch the event from the sidelines while his title was being claimed by someone else, Ozai unable to compete as he hadn't sufficiently recovered from the injuries that Azula had inflicted upon him. In his absence, it had been Grandmaster Piandao Mori who had taken the title of the world champion, just ahead of Jeong-Jeong Kaneko and Bumi Dhawan. Ozai would no doubt be back with vengeance in two year's time, eager to reclaim his title. Azula would still be competing among the juniors then, or at least that was the plan, but four years later, she hoped to finally face Ozai at the Pai Sho board and show him that he had created his own worst nightmare through his abusive treatment of her.

Azula knew that both Iroh and Katara were privately surprised that she had actually managed to stick with her Jasmine Dragon job for this long. They both seemed very proud of her, which was definitely a big reason why Azula persisted, alongside wanting more disposable income of her own. It hadn't been easy, especially at the start, and there had been times when she had wanted to scream in frustration before announcing that she was quitting. The customers could be utterly awful, although if Azula was being honest, she had also attracted a fair share of regular patrons to her teahouse, largely Pai Sho fans that had been following her career. They were usually quite pleasant to converse with, so it wasn't all bad.

Her co-workers at the teahouse had been a little wary of her to begin with, and one of them had been particularly confrontational, a girl by the name of Jin. Azula suspected that Jin was the one who had tried to turn the other waitresses against her. Fortunately, most of her coworkers seemed to fear and respect her too much to actually cause any trouble for Azula. While on the inside Azula still felt like a broken mess who was suddenly lacking in confidence, she still knew how to appear intimidating, both to her coworkers, as well as to asshole customers. A couple of weeks ago she had absolutely ripped some guy to shreds after he had accidentally sprayed soda all over Jin's chest. Not only had Azula totally enjoyed tearing that cretin a new one, but it had also created the positive side effect of getting Jin on her side. Soon enough, Azula was accepted and embraced by her coworkers because of her willingness to intimidate and call out customers who she felt were acting like pieces of shit to any of the waitstaff.

So, Azula was slowly coming to if not liking her job then at least learning to tolerate it. Receiving her first salary at the end of October had been a terrible shock, however. She had stared in disbelief at the little more than three and a half thousand yuan the teahouse manager had passed over to her. When she had shared her disappointment with her coworkers, Azula's reaction had been met with disbelief and laughter. According to the other girls, this was actually considerably above the average pay for this type of job. Jin had asked Azula what she had expected to receive. Azula had honestly believed that she would be getting at least five times more than she had, and her reply had Jin in stitches.

Azula was slowly starting to understand the enormous wealth disparity and the true struggles of the working class. She had received less than four thousand yuan in salary after a month of back breaking job, having to endure considerable abuse from some truly unpleasant customers. Back in Caldera City, Ozai would occasionally throw checks of five thousand and more at her to just spend as she wished on trivial purchases. Azula felt a little sick when she thought back on that now. How could she have ever thought that it was right? Her own past ignorance made her so angry, now that she had become aware of it. Azula wished she could go back in time and slap the fifteen year old version of herself after having bought a couple of stiletto pairs for more than her current salary, and on top of all that treating the shop assistant like the lowliest of worms, undeserving to breathe the same air as her. Agni, she had been truly horrible, and she didn't want to hear any excuses about how she just hadn't known any better. Katara had tried to raise her awareness, and she had just brushed her aside. Why had Katara even stuck with her throughout those years? It truly was a wonder. Azula couldn't see how she deserved such loyalty and devotion.

Another development had taken place recently, and that was Iroh's gentle push towards her meeting with Zuko and Ursa. Azula was still very skeptical about the whole thing, but both her therapist and Iroh seemed to think that she was ready for it. Azula did her best to try and delay it for as long as she could, but eventually, she had agreed to a meeting while Katara was away in Agna Qel'a. On one hand, Azula felt like she wanted Katara's emotional support throughout that meeting. On the other hand, Azula strongly suspected that the meeting would not go well, and she didn't want her Water Tribe friend to see Azula at her worst.

So, it was the first Sunday of November when Ursa and Zuko arrived at her uncle's Ba Sing Se estate to meet with her and Iroh. Azula had been incredibly tense and nervous the entire morning, occasionally snapping at Iroh when he had tried to act reassuringly. The tension ratcheted tenfold when Iroh led Ursa and Zuko into the kitchen where Azula sat at the table, nervously waiting, trying to wipe her sweaty palms while ignoring the hot flashes coursing through her.

Her mother had aged rather gracefully over the years, but she had definitely aged. Those crow's feet would be hard to hide with any amount of makeup. Something in Ursa's eyes spoke of exhaustion, but perhaps not of the physical sort. The smile she gave Azula after eight years of no contact whatsoever was hesitant, even frightened. Next to Ursa, Zuko's countenance was quite different. He did not look happy to be here. In fact, he looked quite combative, the way he hovered protectively in front of their mother. Azula didn't care about Zuko's little display. As far as she was concerned, he was just being asshole as per usual.

"Azula, it is good to see you. You're looking very well," her mother began in an uncertain, slightly trembling voice. Azula didn't know what her problem was. Had she come here to try and make herself into some kind of a victim? That was ridiculous. "I brought you a little something," Ursa said, placing a cardboard box on the table.

Azula rose from her seat and walked around the table, lifting the lid of the box. Inside, there was an almond cake. Azula couldn't decide whether she wanted to laugh or cry. Was Ursa for real? Did she think that after giving up on Azula, after eight years of neglect, they could just sit down at the table like a normal family and have some fucking cake? Azula took the cardboard box and dropped it right into the waste bin next to the fridge, a cold and emotionless look on her face.

Iroh looked sad, while Ursa appeared hurt and devastated. Azula was in danger of starting to feel a sliver of guilt, but that only lasted until Zuko reacted. With an angry yell, her brother charged Azula and painfully slammed her against the fridge, pinning her. Ursa and Iroh had frozen, too shocked to react. Azula was trying to fight back, but Zuko was stronger, pressing his elbow against her throat as she struggled for breath. In desperation, Azula reached behind her, grabbing the first object she could get her hands on, smashing a pitcher of water against the side of Zuko's head. Zuko cried out in pain and fell, pulling her down with him. Iroh finally reacted, quickly pulling the two siblings apart, together with Ursa dragging the furious Zuko out of the estate as Azula just stood there, massaging her sore neck. The reunion had unfolded about as well as she had predicted it would.

"I'll start packing right away," was the first thing Azula said when Iroh returned a few minutes later.

"What?" Iroh stared at her in confusion. "What are you talking about, niece?"

"Obviously, I'm a mean-spirited, spiteful, ungrateful monster, and you want me to move out," Azula said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Iroh looked at the ceiling, as if he was trying to turn to some kind of higher power for assistance. "Azula, you are not moving out," he said in a strained voice.

"Really," Azula glared at him. "You're going to lie and insist that you're not disappointed and angry with me?"

"I didn't expect this to go smoothly, Azula," Iroh sighed. "I think in the future we will have to handle this differently. I don't think having both Ursa and Zuko present at the same time would be helpful. Zuko is too protective of his mother, and I completely failed to predict what it would lead to. I am to blame in this situation as well."

Azula was taken aback by her uncle's words. Suddenly, she didn't know how to react. "What makes you think that I would want to try again?" she asked instead.

"Azula, I do not want to place any stipulations on your stay at the estate," Iroh said. His voice was firmer now. "But making an attempt to get along with Ursa and Zuko is the only thing I will ever ask of you. And I will not back down from this request."

"Alright," Azula shrugged. "I'll start packing then." She was aware that she was being childish now. She just hated the idea of being forced into getting along with Zuko and Ursa. She had no interest in doing so. She had been just fine… well, alright, she hadn't been fine at any point in the past following the divorce. Still, she didn't need Ursa and she definitely didn't need Zuko.

"And what are you going to do, Azula?" Iroh asked her. "Live on the street? Go back to your father?"

"Maybe I will!" Azula shot back heatedly.

Iroh merely shook his head at that, looking saddened. "Listen, Azula," he said in a very serious tone of voice. "There is something that you need to know. I have struggled with myself, debating whether I should even disclose this to you, because I know that it will upset you greatly, and you are still on the mend. But, niece… in case you have for some reason forgotten what kind of person your father is, I will show you something."

"What is it?" Azula asked nervously, watching Iroh retrieve something from his pocket. It was an envelope. "Is that from my father?"

"There's nothing on this envelope to identify it as being sent by Ozai, but the content speaks for itself," Iroh said. "It arrived a few days ago, and I'm still not sure whether showing this to you is a good idea. But I guess you deserve full transparency, niece." Iroh withdrew a photo from the envelope and passed it over to Azula.

She took the photo with trembling hands, barely daring to look at it. It was a photo showing the smoldering wreck of a burned car, the remains of her beloved Alpha Romeo Spider. Something was written on the back of the photo, and Azula shuddered having read the words 'Your horses might be next'.

That threat finally did it. Azula broke down completely, weeping uncontrollably. When Iroh moved to embrace her, for once she found no energy to push her uncle away.

Katara arrived at the Agna Qel'a Ice Palace early for the first round of qualification tournament, hoping to catch a moment alone with Yue. There was so much she wanted to discuss with her old friend, so much she needed to know about what had happened to Yue and how her life had changed as of late. And yet, as Katara arrived at the grand hall slowly filling with the contestants, she could not spot her friend's prominent white flowing locks of hair anywhere.

Katara continued her search, but when the bell rang to announce that it was five minutes before the start of play and everyone needed to take their places, Katara realized that she had to give up and instead refocus her attention on dispatching her first round opponent. Katara couldn't help becoming concerned when she saw that all the contestants had already taken their places, even that snake Hahn Adjuk, and yet there was only one free seat remaining, and that was Katara's own. Growing even more worried, Katara decided to quickly check the list of participants on the nearby board. Perhaps there was an uneven number of contestants and Yue simply had a bye in the first round?

Studying the list of participants, however, Katara made a shocking discovery that made her anxiety skyrocket. The reason for it was that Yue's name wasn't even on the list of participants.

Next chapter: Katara confronts Hahn about Yue's absence, while Azula entertains some unexpected (but welcome) guests at the Ba Sing Se estate.