Chapter Twenty One: Time
Five Years Ago - The Fire Nation
A week has passed since Fire Lord Zuko's coronation and the Avatar and his friends were still in the Fire Nation, all of them enjoying the festivities.
Katara was in her guest chambers, brushing her long hair. Next to her, Suki was pulling part of her hair into a top knot.
"You guys ready yet?" Toph asked, who was sitting on a lounge chair, rubbing her foot.
Suki and Katara exchanged a look, and smiled.
"Almost," Katara promised. A lock of hair was wrapped around her finger, her hand automatically moving to create her usual hair loops.
Staring at her reflection, Katara let the hair fall back into place. Instead, she began braiding it back away from her face, so it fell down her back.
All three of them were dressed in traditional Fire Nation clothing dyed in deep reds and golds when they emerged from the rooms.
Outside in the main garden, the others were standing around and talking. Suki went to stand with Sokka, who was in deep discussion with Iroh and his father.
Toph, who had her hand placed on Katara's arm, tilted her head. She smiled when she picked up on the vibrations she was looking for, before yelling, "Hey, Bumi!"
The king of Omashu approached the pair, grinning. "Toph Bei Fong and Miss Katara," he said, bowing slightly.
Toph latched onto him, and the earthbenders began chatting away about earthbending things, leaving Katara standing off to the side alone.
A hand brushed her shoulder. When she turned to smile, she paused when she saw it wasn't Aang, but Zuko.
"Fire Lord," she greeted with a teasing smirk and respectful bow.
"I'm still not used to being called that," Zuko admitted, bowing in return.
"Would you rather we call you Lord Hotman?"
Zuko grimaced. "I think Toph is set on calling me that, even in front of my advisors."
Katara laughed. "I don't think she's the only one," she told him.
"Hey Katara, Zuko!"
Turning at the sound of Aang's voice, she smiled at the airbender when he found his way to her side. "Aang, do you think we should keep calling Zuko Lord Hotman?"
Catching the way her eyes gleamed mischievously, Aang pretended to consider. "Lord Hotman, Sifu Hotman, Hotman, my good Hotman," he listed off, ticking off his fingers.
Katara laughed again when she saw the look on Zuko's face. "Oh, come on, Zuko. We just saved the world together- lighten up!"
Zuko glared at her, but his expression softened quickly. "I'll do my best to… lighten up," he said dryly.
Katara and Aang exchanged a look, still laughing.
Ooo0ooO
It would be a few more weeks before the group would move on, each of them going their own way. The night before they departed from the Fire Nation, Katara found herself alone in the gardens, enjoying them under the cover of moonlight.
The pond was quiet, with the lily pads floating on by, and the turtleducks were nowhere to be seen.
Katara bent some water, watching it as it reflected the moon, which was nearly full. She smiled to herself, wondering how long it had been since she had just relaxed and used her waterbending for her own pleasure, and not for defense.
Releasing the water from her hold, Katara sat back in the grass, looking up at the moon. Her fingers brushed her mother's necklace as her mind wandered.
She began humming a song her mother used to sing to her, a long, long time ago. Her eyes drifted shut, enjoying the cool wind on her cheeks and the smell of the blooming jasmine.
A shadow moved nearby, without her knowing.
Zuko watched Katara for a moment longer, before leaving her alone. He had wanted to spend some time in the gardens himself, but paused when he saw that they were already occupied.
Part of him wanted to join her, to enjoy the moonlight and the quiet with her. Over the last few weeks, he had found himself drawn to her company.
But part of him cursed himself, knowing that he had Mai and she had Aang, as it should be.
So with a strange and confused heart, Zuko left, sliding back into the shadowed halls of the palace.
Ooo0ooO
Present Day - Omashu
After a long journey, the Avatar and his friends regrouped with the members of the White Lotus, the Kyoshi warriors, and their other allies in the kingdom of Omashu.
Haru was the first one to greet them when they arrived, and everyone enjoyed getting to catch up with the earthbender.
One of the main halls was prepared for a rather large feast to accommodate all of the guests. Katara ended up on one end of the long tables, sandwiched between Zuko and Haru, across from Aang, Toph,and Ty Lee.
Katara relaxed, smiling at her earth bending friend. "I haven't seen you in a very long time. How are you and your father?"
"I know. I was sorry to miss Zuko's coronation. My father and I have been travelling all over the Earth Kingdom, helping them rebuild and training new earthbenders. He still talks about you."
"Will he be coming to Omashu?"
Haru nodded. "He's been lending a hand to some of the Kyoshi warriors, but he should be in Omashu in a day or two." Haru glanced at her, his gaze dropping to the new necklace she wore. "I heard about your grandmother. I'm sorry, Katara."
Katara touched the moonstone necklace. "Thank you." A hand rested on her lower back and when she looked over at Zuko, she saw that he was turned slightly so he could talk to Pakku and Iroh. She felt a flood of appreciation and love.
Haru noticed the quiet exchange. It was well-known that the Avatar and the waterbending master were no longer together, and hadn't been in quite some time. While he still had some reservations about the Fire Nation, Haru knew that Zuko was a good man.
So when Katara met his gaze again, Haru offered her a small smile. "What have you been doing since the end of the war?"
Katara blew out a breath. She began telling him about Zuko's coronation, Sokka and Suki's wedding, and her year-long journey. She told him where she went, and the people she met, and the things she had learned.
Haru listened intently, his old admiration for the waterbender blooming again. When she asked about his own travels, he told her about the changes he saw in Ba Sing Se, about the tension that still lingered between the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation over the colonies.
And all that time, Zuko's hand never left its spot on her back.
Ooo0ooO
Five Years Ago - The Fire Nation
Six months after his coronation, Zuko found himself deeply immersed in the duties of being Fire Lord. Time did not always allow for him to leave the palace, much less journey away to see his friends.
He had Mai, of course, but she was busy teaching a weapons class at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls. Despite her aversion to crowds, Mai proved herself to be a skilled instructor, often saying she had learned a great deal of patience having grown up with Ty Lee.
Iroh often visited, splitting his time between the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation. Zuko had discussed with him about opening up the Jasmine Dragon in the Fire Nation, which Iroh considered for some time. He told his nephew he could perhaps open a second location, but that would take time. In the end, Iroh decided to wait and see.
Zuko also spent a great deal of time trying to track his mother's whereabouts, even though Ozai had not offered up any new information. It was a constant frustration, knowing she was out there, that she was alive, yet she was out of his reach.
A surprise came in the form of several Water Tribe ships arriving on their shores, bringing Hakoda, Sokka, and Katara with them. The Water Tribe chief was journeying to the north, having left the tribe in the hands of Bato. Sokka and Katara had insisted on coming along, the latter further insisting on visiting friends along the way.
According to Sokka, they had visited Suki at Kyoshi Island, but with a batch of new recruits, she had been unable to join them on their journey.
A small welcoming feast was provided the first night they were there, and Sokka, Katara, Zuko, and Mai were sitting together at one end of the table, quietly talking amongst themselves.
Any tension between the Water Tribe siblings and Mai had dissolved after the day at the Boiling Rock and after the defeat of Ozai, and Sokka listened with rapt interest as Mai described the classes she was teaching.
Katara grinned at her brother's expression as he asked Mai if she would teach a class about boomerangs, and the expression the noblewoman wore.
"I don't think he's getting anywhere with her," Katara whispered, leaning in close to Zuko.
Zuko smirked. "I can't imagine Mai throwing a boomerang, despite Sokka's love for them."
After dinner concluded, Sokka and Hakoda went off with Iroh to his chambers to enjoy some Fire Nation wine and to play pai sho.
Katara went off towards her chambers, waving away Zuko's offer to have her join himself and Mai in the Royal Library.
Instead, the waterbender went off to the gardens. It was her own tradition when visiting the Fire Nation, one she came to enjoy. She walked around, since the gardens ran the entire length of the palace.
The sun was slowly fading, staining the sky a vivid pink. Blue and gold clouds streaked overhead, and the air was cool.
Katara tilted her head back, enjoying the wind and sunlight on her skin. She felt so at peace here, as if it was as familiar as the cold tundra of her home, or the oasis in the north.
The faint outline of the moon sat low in the sky. It was a thin crescent, since the new moon had occurred a few days ago. She sighed, remembering how their journey to the north had been halted briefly thanks to a sudden storm, leaving the waterbenders unable to shift the rising waves away from their boats. They had docked at a small port off the coast of the Earth Kingdom until the storm had passed.
Some time passed, and once the sun sank below the horizon, Katara wandered back inside the palace. She remembered Zuko's earlier offer about the library and made her way down the halls.
The Royal Library was quite large, although nowhere near the size of Wan Shi Tong's. Katara admired its architecture, with two sets of spiraling staircases that lead up to two upper levels. The rows were lit up by a series of lanterns hanging from the ceiling, and the walls were painted with scenes from the Fire Nation's history.
Katara stopped in front of the painting that depicted a young Sozin and Avatar Roku, on the day of Sozin's coronation. Surrounding the painting were two dragons- the red dragon and the blue dragon. Katara stared at the red dragon for a moment, its golden eyes burning like the sun, before she blinked and walked away.
Hushed voices caught her attention, and she turned to head towards them. Rounding a corner, she froze when she saw Zuko and Mai sitting on a long couch, their heads bent close together. She watched as they kissed, and a strange feeling settled over her before she turned on her heel to walk out of the library.
Unsettled, Katara hurried to her chambers, unsure of the confusing feelings aching in her chest.
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Present Day - Omashu
The wall surrounding the city of Omashu was not as large or as grand as the ones that surrounded Ba Sing Se, but it served its purpose. There were minimal guards walking its length during the twilight hour, and Katara found herself standing alone, facing south as the sky changed colors.
Her gaze was fixed on the faded outline of the moon, whose pale face was obscured by streaks of clouds. Her fingertips absently brushed her moonstone necklace.
"I find that troubled thoughts are often like storm clouds," a voice said from behind her. "And that they cloud us from the light."
Katara whirled.
Standing before her was a firebender with wine-colored sigils markings covering his exposed skin. His multi-colored eyes flickered as they watched her.
"Who are you?" Katara demanded, ready to uncork her waterskin.
The bender seemed to glow, his eyes burning, and Katara saw flashes of images - a sun, the dancing dragons, and pure white light burning in the darkness.
The images changed, showing Katara a couple standing amidst nothingness. She immediately recognized the Moon Spirit, who glowed as her partner burned.
This was the beginning, a voice told her. When the light first bloomed from the dark, and took hold in the sky.
Katara blinked, eyeing the man- no, the deity before her. "Agni."
The Sun Spirit moved so they were standing side by side. His gaze turned to the faded moon, and something like longing moved in the depths of his ancient eyes.
"I have seen you through the eyes of your beloved, and through the eyes of mine," Agni told her. "The descendant of the Moon."
Katara looked to the setting sun. "I have heard your name in stories ever since I was a little girl. The deity of the sun. Why did you come to me?"
Agni smiled, appreciating her bravery even as she watched him warily. "I watched over you, your beloved, and your friends when you were all little. The Avatar, living amongst the air nomads, the peaceful monks. The Water Tribe siblings, scarred by the sword of war. The future Fire Lord, burned by those who would see fit to end the world in fire."
Agni turned to face her. "I came to you because I wanted to see you with my own eyes, when the sun was still above the horizon, on equal ground."
Katara glanced back at the sun, the sky. "On equal ground?"
"There are some who think themselves above others because of their power," Agni told her. "Those who would use it to trick others-,"
An image of the face-stealer, Ko, flashed through Katara's mind, staring up at her in an image painted in an ancient text in the depths of the Fire Nation Library.
"Those who use it to subdue others, when it is only just-,"
The Ocean Spirit rising from the depths, desolating the Fire Nation ships and men after the attack on the Moon Spirit in the Northern Water Tribe.
"But most of us, the old gods, do not see it as such."
Katara looked at the Sun Spirit. "How?"
"Who would you be without the sun and the moon, the ones who light your way through the dark? Who would we be without the people to tell our stories?"
Katara frowned. "So all we are are storytellers?"
"No," Agni said. "You, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, are much more. Did you ever consider why you learned waterbending so quickly, and why you bested those who challenge you? Or why Zuko has become the greatest firebender his nation has ever seen?"
"Because we are descendants," Katara said slowly, her thought whirling.
"The Avatar is all powerful because long ago it was seen fit to grant one being with the power to keep the worlds balanced," Agni continued. "But it was also seen fit to not have that one being to fight those battles alone. Iroh of the Fire Nation said that friendships can transcend lifetimes, and he was right. Your spirit has always found its way to Zuko's, but also Aang's, and Toph Bei Fong's."
Katara's eyes widened.
Agni smiled. "Sometimes the souls never meet, as is the will of fate. It has been many lifetimes since all of you have been together… but there was a reason why you found each other."
The waterbender looked at the spirit again. "Why are you telling me this now?"
"Because there will be a time when many challenges will stand in your way, as they have before. It is essential to remember why you were all brought together. One may rise up to fight, but they will never be alone."
"But-," Katara turned, and saw that the Sun Spirit had gone.
When her eyes turned to the horizon, she saw that the sun had disappeared, and that the moon was slowly rising.
Rubbing her hands against her arms, Katara turned and made her way back inside, knowing there was only one person who would understand the thoughts and feelings churning inside her.
Ooo0ooO
Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or any of its characters.
Author's Note: Hope all of you are staying safe and sane during these uncertain times!
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