Chapter 16

4 Years after the Hundred Year War
North of Serpent's Pass Lake

The following morning saw the two girls in deeply somber and melancholy moods. They went through their morning routines mostly in silence, then taking apart the campsite and briefly consulting the map to sketch the day's route. The plan was to reach the final massive tributary connecting to the Serpent's Pass lake, and then proceed upriver along its western bank. At some point, the mountain range blocking the approach to Ba Sing Se from the west would even out, allowing them to cross over, but to think that they could accomplish it all in one day was likely too optimistic.

As they walked down the scarcely traveled road connecting the coastal villages, Katara appeared very subdued and weighed down by her thoughts. There was a lot on Azula's mind as well, and this provided a good opportunity for her to sort out her own thoughts, but she found herself rather distracted by the unhappy look on Katara's face, often glancing at the other girl in hopes to see an emerging smile, wondering helplessly if there was anything that she could do to put Katara's smile back where it belonged.

Unable to figure out how to cheer up the waterbender, Azula was struck wondering just how and why she suddenly cared so much about whether Katara was smiling or not. It seemed ridiculous when she tried to think about it rationally. It was the sort of thing that was befitting Ty Lee's silly crush on her. Azula was supposed to be above feeling so foolishly for anyone, much less a lowly waterbender of the Southern Tribe. Was that even what was happening to her? Was she really developing a crush on Katara? She could not allow herself to become compromised like that. It wasn't in her plans.

Azula's thoughts turned back to the events of the previous day, specifically watching those two Earth Kingdom women caught in a heated, romantic dance, passion crackling like electricity between them. They may have been merely some lowborn peasants, but Azula had to admit, they had danced with the grace of queens. There had been a captivating beauty about how those two women had moved, and Azula had been unable to avert her stare from them, mesmerized by their perfect synergy. And the way one of the women had winked at them... had the woman thought that she and Katara were a couple? They had been holding hands at the time...

The princess briefly closed her eyes as she walked, allowing her imagination to replace the two dancing women with herself and Katara. The thought of holding Katara like that, spinning her around, watching her wavy curls bounce as Azula became lost in the waterbender's deep cerulean eyes... it all made her breast surge with strange but intoxicating warmth. And as Azula allowed herself to entertain this mental image further, she became acutely aware of even more intense heat starting to pool at the pit of her stomach, making it very hard for her to focus on even the simplest task of walking in a straight line. Agni, thinking of Katara was starting to get her so incredibly horny, and she desperately needed to put a stop to it.

Trying to soothe her raging arousal, Azula tried to think of a different topic, but she was having great difficulties stopping herself from thinking about the dancing couple from the previous night or the mental image of herself slow-dancing with the accursed waterbender. Fortunately, there was something else of interest that had occurred last night, and Azula was finally able to wrestle her thoughts away from the dancers and instead consider their visit to the fortune teller's tent.

She didn't think much about the soothsayer's words to her. The comment about her having choices lined up with what Katara had been trying to convince her of, but at the same time, it felt like a common platitude that could apply to anyone who entered the fortune teller's tent. No, Azula was more interested in what the old crone had told the waterbender, that her current course of action would turn her family and friends against her.

Azula found it very unusual, and even unnatural for her to care about the feelings of others, but she had to wonder whether Katara's somber mood, and perhaps even the nightmare of the previous night had been a result of the fortune teller's stupid warning. Katara had looked deeply affected when emerging from the fortune teller's tent, as if the old crone's words had struck too close for comfort. Normally, Azula would not care about it all... no, in fact, she would actively use something like this to really get under Katara's skin and cause her a lot of emotional pain and distress.

But things had changed, much as she had struggled against these changes. Hurting Katara was now out of the question. Even worse, Azula found the very idea of Katara being upset and unhappy as deeply unpleasant and unacceptable. Surely it was only logical to try and figure out what was making Katara upset, so that the waterbender would stop looking so downtrodden. Azula knew that she was great at reading people for their weaknesses to exploit, but... perhaps she could apply the same skills to read people in order to... help them? She had to shudder at something that felt so unnatural to her, but maybe she could make an exception for Katara.

Azula was aware that the only one who approved of Katara undertaking this mission was her brother Zuko. Katara's own brother and the Avatar had opposed it, and had been all for removing her bending. While Azula might think them both hopeless idiots and crushing bores, clearly, for some reason Katara valued their friendship, and it seemed that she was putting her relationships under some risk by choosing to help Azula. That was probably what had the waterbender so upset, in the fortune teller's warning she must have identified the friend as Avatar Aang, and the family as her brother, Sokka. Azula felt extremely proud of herself for having figured it all out so easily. Now, all that was left to do was to tell Katara about it.

"You don't really believe all that fortune teller crap, do you?" the princess spoke up suddenly.

"Wh-what?" Katara blinked, looking at her as if she hadn't heard the question, too deep in her own thoughts.

"The fortune teller," Azula sighed. "Are you so... gloomy because of what she said?"

Katara appeared a little surprised by her question. "Partly, yes," she confessed. "Thank you for asking, Azula. I'm very impressed," the waterbender smiled at her.

"Well, I am pretty impressive," Azula admitted proudly. This was easier than she had thought. Katara was already smiling. "Hmm... come to think of it, what exactly are you impressed by?" she decided to clarify a moment later.

"I'm impressed that you actually stopped to consider my feelings," Katara's smile broadened. "That's very sweet of you."

"Uh... right," Azula felt herself blush. "Wait, you also said 'partly'. What does that mean?"

Katara hesitated before offering her explanation. "Nobody should be feeling angry at me just because I chose to help you, right?" she asked, Azula nodding firmly back at her. "I think I'm just worried overly much because I still feel a bit guilty for not calling out to Sokka and Aang as they flew by. The fortune teller's words must have made a connection with my guilt."

"That... seems weird, but I suppose it makes sense," Azula shrugged uncertainly. Katara was a very strange girl. "So, that's one reason why you feel gloomy, but what's the other?"

"I suspect it has to do with the nightmare I had the previous night," Katara explained. "By the way, Azula... thank you for supporting me. I knew you could do it," she smiled at the princess.

"Think nothing of it," Azula muttered, almost timidly, as she felt her blush deepening. "What was the nightmare about?" she asked. Katara looked conflicted, as if she was unwilling to elaborate. "Fine, you don't have to say," Azula added quickly.

"No, I'll tell you," Katara sighed. "I actually dreamt about that Agni Kai you had with Zuko, and everything that happened after."

"Isn't that a happy memory for you?" Azula was surprised. "You won!"

"There were no winners in that horrible event," Katara shook her head vehemently. "Zuko was terribly injured, I was an emotional wreck after it all, and as for you... I remember looking into your eyes as you struggled against your chains. You were so broken... that image haunts me to this day."

"I don't remember that," Azula managed to get the words past the tight ball forming in her chest.

"Thank the spirits you don't," Katara sighed again.

"So is that why you're helping me?" Azula asked. "You remember that day and feel pity for me?"

"I am not helping you because I feel pity for you, Azula," Katara replied. "I'm sure you will deny this, but whenever I remember the look in your eyes that day, I feel like I can see the real you, deep inside, calling out for help. But over the next four years... there was nobody to help you. I don't want to blame Zuko for that, I know that he genuinely wanted to do something, but he had so much on his plate, and you were so very hostile to begin with that he just couldn't figure out how exactly to go about it. But the more I think about it, the angrier I become that nobody truly even tried to be there for you."

"Hmph," Azula grumbled, not sure what to think or how to feel about it. "Regardless of all that, you don't have to feel bad about that nightmare. After all, that's all in the past, and now you're getting the chance to... help me. If I were to admit that I actually require any help. Which I don't!"

"Of course, Azula," Katara smiled broadly at her, finally looking happy again. "Then I won't feel bad about it. Thank you for cheering me up, it really helped a great deal."

Azula blushed lightly, feeling proud of herself. Her mission had been accomplished and Katara was smiling happily once again. Truly, she did not understand what all the fuss was about - this emotional nonsense was easy to figure out!

The day's travel went without a hitch and come the evening, the pair had reached their intended destination upriver, having found a perfect crossing point to use the next morning. They had passed a small hamlet very recently before calling it a day, but seeing the beautiful pine forest stretching up to the very riverbank, Katara had desperately wanted to spend the night camping outside, and she was delighted when Azula agreed with no protests whatsoever.

Sitting on a fallen log, reaching out to from time to time stir the stew of red beans and rice simmering away in the cooking pot, Katara felt... conflicted. The campsite could not have been more picturesque, amidst large pine trees and next to a babbling little brook. Azula was sitting on the ground nearby, staring into the flames with a thoughtful yet contented look on her face. By all accounts, Katara should have been feeling happy, even exhilarated, but no, certain thoughts weighed heavily on her mind.

She hadn't been completely truthful with Azula earlier. The fortune teller's warning had not sounded so ominous to her just because of what the others might think about her going to such lengths to help the former Crown Princess. Katara did not believe that she would face some great backlash for that. No, what worried her was the reaction in case something happened and feelings escalated between the two of them.

Katara was neither naive nor a fool. She understood perfectly well what she was experiencing. Much to her own great surprise, she was developing a very serious crush on the princess, the events of the past few days had made it abundantly clear. And earlier today, Azula's clumsy attempts at helping her, showing some rudimentary compassion and empathy... it had been so charmingly endearing and sweet, Katara's heart had literally melted from the effort the princess had put in. Katara knew that she was in considerable danger of falling in love with Azula, something that less than a month ago she would have thought absolutely ridiculous and even highly insulting.

And there were signs that Azula was developing feelings for her as well, Katara was perceptive enough to pick up on it. That made the whole matter so much more dangerous and uncertain. If she could be certain that her feelings were completely one-sided, then it would be easy to simply suppress them until she eventually managed to get over her crush and move past it. But now there was the very real possibility of Azula at some point confronting her about these feelings, and Katara was not sure that she could believably lie and deny that she reciprocated these feelings. She was not sure if she even dared try lying about it... there was no telling what rejection could do to Azula and the fragile trust that had formed between them. These emerging feelings were truly starting to threaten the plan to simply help Azula heal and reintegrate back into society.

And that really was where the fortune teller's warning had struck true with Katara, in the consequences formed by the possibility of her and Azula entering a romantic relationship. That was the path which would surely see her family and friends turning away from her. And what else could she expect, really? Her father, Gran Gran, Pakku, they had all suffered greatly at the hands of the Fire Nation, and in the final months of the war, Azula had been the face of the enemy even more than Ozai had been. Katara did not doubt that her family wanted to see her happy, but... there was probably a line there, somewhere, and she was quite certain that having Azula as her girlfriend would cross that line.

She couldn't even be sure about Sokka being accepting of it, not after what Azula had done to Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors, throwing them to rot for months in the prisons of the Fire Nation. Suki and her girls had been forced to deal with so many of Azula's escape attempts back at the Fire Nation capital, while at the same time trying to keep Azula safe from those who wanted to see her dead and buried. It was safe to say that Suki and most of her girls absolutely loathed Azula's guts by this point in time, and Katara could not exactly blame them.

Then there was Aang. He had taken their breakup rather badly, and hadn't gotten over it at all. To see her with Azula... Katara shuddered from the very thought of what Aang might do if he were to see them together. He'd probably unleash the Avatar State on Azula straight away in a display of over the top jealousy and rage.

At least they would be able to count on Zuko for support, and that was something. Despite everything that Azula had done, Katara knew that Zuko wanted nothing more than to have a normal sibling relationship with his sister. If something were to happen between her and Azula, Katara felt comforted knowing that they would always be able to find sanctuary in the Fire Nation.

Finally, there was Toph... but just as she kept everyone at arm's length about her own private affairs, Toph never showed much interest in the romantic entanglements of others. The young earthbender would probably be a little surprised to learn about her and Azula, but generally, she didn't seem to care too much about who hooked up with whom.

"Are you sure it's not getting burnt?" Azula's voice suddenly distracted Katara from her thoughts.

"Oh no!" Katara exclaimed, mentally slapping herself for getting so carried away with her thoughts as she quickly stirred the stew, blushing when she realized that because of her negligence, a layer of rice and beans was now stuck firmly to the bottom of the cooking pot. "Spirits, I'm terribly sorry... I'm such a fool," she lamented in embarrassment.

"Hey, don't worry, it's just a stew," Azula smiled at her. That alone was such a great change. Instead of rubbing salt in her wounds for the mistake she had made, like the Azula of old would have done, the princess was actually trying to make her feel better. "I'll just add some extra pinch of spices to cover up the... well, any hint of burning."

"I... may want to borrow a little pinch of your spices myself," Katara admitted. "Just a tiny one!"

"Ha!" Azula laughed. "I knew I was going to corrupt you with those. Even someone like you has to admit the superiority of the Fire Nation cuisine."

"Oh really," Katara rolled her eyes at the princess. "Then maybe you should be the one who's doing all the cooking."

"Well, on second thought... you have been doing an acceptable job of it," Azula quickly corrected herself. "I'll try not to hold one burned meal against you."

"That's very kind of you," Katara snorted, then shaking her head when a thought occurred to her that even their friendly ribbing was starting to feel like that of a married couple. This did not bode well for her resolution to resist the feelings that she was starting to develop for Azula... it did not bode well at all.