Disclaimer: All rights belong to Nickelodeon, Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, and all the men and women that created the A:TLA show, books, and comics. I take no credit, and I do not mean to break any copyright rules. This is simply a work of fiction made for enjoyment. No money is being made. The lyrics are from the song "What The Water Gave To Me" by Florence and the Machine
Rating: General Audiences. Warning: some scenes contain dark themes and minor violence
Author's Note: Reading all your predictions about this chapter, I couldn't decide if I was pleased or offended by how cruel some of you think I am XD. I guess that's the kind of reputation you get when you write lots of angst. Anyway, I'm curious to know how you feel about this chapter!
Chapter 2: The Witch
Because she's a cruel mistress
And a bargain must be made
And oh, my love, don't forget me
While I let the water take me
"If I only manage to do one thing right in my entire life, please let it be this," Zuko prays as Appa soars through the air.
Katara is still laying on the saddle, pale and unmoving. Suki had wrapped the wound and put some medicine on it, but there's not much a person can do against a direct shot of lightning. Zuko's not even sure how Katara survived it.
The emptiness that had filled him when she'd first been hit is gone. Now he's full of a dozen different emotions: rage, at his father; grief, about Katara; worry, for the world; urgency, in saving Katara; anxiety and fear, in having to see Her again. And those are just the ones he can quickly identify.
Anger is not a new emotion for Zuko, but this anger is different. It's not like a year ago, when he was angry at himself and lashed out at others for it. No; this anger is directed against his father. How dare Ozai call him a coward and then shoot a girl in the back? It doesn't matter that Katara is the Avatar; she's still a teenage girl, and Ozai didn't fight her honorably.
Honor.
Zuko spits out a dry laugh. Oh, the irony. His father preached about honor and made Zuko feel worthless and shameful. But Zuko always had honor. He had honor when he spoke out against a horrible war crime that was about to be committed, and he had honor when he refused to fight his own father in an Agni Kai, and he had honor when he held his head up high as he boarded the ship to his banishment.
Ozai is the one without honor. He's the one who was complicit in the murder of his own father. He was the one who banished his wife and was willing to kill his first born son. He was the one who fought a thirteen year old kid and burned half of his face off. He was the one who brainwashed his daughter into becoming a monster. He was the one who hunted a group of children.
He was the one who shot Katara in the back.
Zuko clenches his fist tightly. This anger is a healthy anger. It's not self-deprecating or destructive. This kind of righteous anger flows through his veins, giving him power and energy. It's keeping him alert, helping his focus. His eyes are fixed on his goal: to save Katara so she can bring down his father once and for all.
Zuko won't rest until his father is defeated. He won't rest until Katara is healed. He won't rest until the world is at peace.
He's glad he broke in and told his father the truth during the eclipse. He hopes that when Katara raises her hand to deal the final blow, Ozai will think of him and realize that his cruelty was his own downfall.
Iroh always told Zuko that if he used a fraction of his energy toward something good and productive, he could make a real difference. Maybe, deep down, his father knew that too. That's why he sent Zuko away on an impossible task that ended up changing Zuko's life forever.
He glances back at Katara. She's tucked into a sleeping bag, only her face visible. She looks so peaceful now. Zuko doesn't like it. He likes when her bright blue eyes are flashing when she's passionate about something. He likes when she's fighting and bending and wrecking havoc. He likes when she steps up into a motherly role and takes care of the others. She has so much energy within her and radiates a bright aura. It's contagious.
And hope. No one has hope like Katara does. Even in the darkest moments, she holds onto hope. She's remarkable.
Being with her has really shown Zuko how much he's changed since he was banished. When he was still at the Fire Nation, he was with Mai, who is the complete opposite of her. Mai is sarcastic and cold and is more than happy to just lounge around all day, letting servants do all the work. She's not intense and she only ever pushed Zuko if she wanted something he didn't. That was who the old Zuko liked.
There's nothing wrong with Mai. Zuko will always regard her as a close friend. She's just not the woman he needs anymore. He doesn't need someone to provide dry commentary. He doesn't need someone to take care of, to please. What he needs now is a partner, someone who will continually push him to be a better person. He needs someone to inspire him, to argue with him, to give him hope when he's lost.
Zuko has to succeed. He has to save Katara. Because saving Katara means saving himself. He's been pushing on since the bunker, doing what has to be done. He's been pushing back his true feelings about it, trying not to get overwhelmed.
The truth is, he's terrified. He's terrified of losing Katara. She's the best thing that has ever happened to him. He's been awful to her, and yet she's still forgiven him. And not just forgiven.
He still can't stop thinking about what she said before the invasion. You're your own person. And I love that person. He'd been shocked. He didn't believe he heard her right. A small part of him still thinks he's making it up.
Katara believes in him. That's why he has to be successful with this mission. He can't let her down. She's fought imprisonment and isolation and his sister and father and countless other soldiers and threats. She's survived when it would have just been easier to give up. She took the hard road when she just could have hidden somewhere. Now he has to make sure that it wasn't all for nothing. He has to make sure she didn't waste her life.
He has to make sure that those were really the words she said.
The edge of the Taku Ruins comes into view on the second day. Appa flew through the night, sensing the dire nature of their mission. Zuko strokes his head as he angles down into the ghost city.
Appa almost crashes when he reaches the ground. He's barely set down when his eyes close. Zuko pets him again before climbing back to the saddle.
Momo is sitting next to Katara, sniffing her. He looks up with eyes as wide as saucers when Zuko kneels down.
"You should stay here, Momo," Zuko says. "It's dangerous where we're going. No place for a winged lemur."
Momo squawks in dissatisfaction.
"I know. But trust me on this. Keep an eye out for Appa. We'll be back soon."
Zuko scoops Katara up. He doesn't want to take her to Her, but he knows that the witch will ask. She'll be curious. She'll be obsessive.
He treks through the ruined city, looking for any sign of habitation. It's been years since he was last here; he can't remember exactly which ruin She's set up camp in.
Near the back of the city, he sees a flickering light. Fire. He changes course and follows the flame.
An old abandoned greenhouse looms ahead. Dirty glass panes rise up from the ground, a few of them cracked or broken jaggedly. Green plants and vines grow up the sides, obscuring the inside from view. Zuko remembers now. He's in the right place.
He enters the building slowly, being careful not to bump Katara's head against the doorway. The interior is dark, other than a few torches burning against the walls. The fire is a strange purple color.
"Hello?" he calls out. His voice echoes in the space. Something brushes against his shoulder, and it's all he can do to not jump in fright.
He's totally vulnerable right now, holding Katara, but it wouldn't matter anyway. The witch is much more powerful than him.
"I was expecting you." A voice rings out from the darkness. It sounds exactly like Azula. That's just one of Her tricks; She makes herself sound like the person who could unnerve you the most.
A purple light explodes into being, revealing Her face. If Zuko wasn't already prepared, he would have shrieked.
Her face is horrible. Her black hair is lanky and greasy and falls in untidy, stringy sections around her face and shoulders. Her eyes are a dull green, like swamp water. Her skin is a powdery, pasty white. Her lips are small and shriveled up, and She only has half a mouth of teeth.
She moves her palm up, the purple flame atop it casting its light on him and Katara.
"What have you brought for me this time, little prince?"
He swallows hard. No turning back now. "I brought the Avatar."
A wicked smile spreads across Her face, stretching the skin at Her cheekbones. "How interesting. I heard she returned. Bring her here."
She leads him to another room, this one slightly better lit. There's a slab of granite in the middle, set high enough to easily examine a body. Zuko feels uncomfortable laying Katara on it, but he knows there's no point in resisting.
He tries not to notice the sharp tools and strange liquids lining the shelves around the slab.
"A Waterbender, I see." She walks around the table, examining Katara. "Southern Tribe. Good skin and hair, very good genetics. A lovely specimen." She looks up at Zuko with a toothy smile. "I see you did find the Avatar after all."
He clears his throat. "Yes."
"Why did you bring her here? Are you going to trade her for more information?" Her eyes turn hungry, and Her fingertips trace enviously over Katara's arm. "I have so many questions…"
"She's not a trade. I brought her as goodwill. I knew you were curious about her, so I brought her to you so you could see her in person."
"How generous." She rubs at the hem of Katara's tunic with her fingers, then whispers something under her breath.
"I need more information."
She looks up at him. "I've never had a client return." She licks her lips. "You are very determined, son of Ozai."
Zuko can't help but flinch at that. She watches him closely, seemingly amused by the reaction.
"So what kind of information are you looking for?"
"I need to know the whereabouts of any other Waterbenders."
"The Avatar is the last," She clucks sadly, lifting Katara's hand and examining her fingernails. "The end of an era."
"There were some survivors. She already encountered one other Waterbender. There has to be more."
She continues examining Katara, seemingly ignoring him. Then She suddenly flips Katara onto her side, Her eyes narrowing when She sees the bandages on her back.
"I knew it," She hisses. "I could sense it."
"What?" Zuko steps forward, laying a hand protectively on Katara.
"I could sense death. She's in the spirit world now, but she's fading quickly." She meets his eyes. "You need another Waterbender to heal her."
It's a statement, not a question, so there's no point in lying. Zuko nods.
"Very well. I am extremely knowledgeable about our world, but even my powers have some limits. There are some hidden corners that even I can't peer into." She whirls around. "I can tell you where one of those blind spots are. Where I can sense the aura of past Waterbenders. I can't promise anything, but it's the best chance you have."
"Where is it?"
She raises a finger. "Ah ah ah. First comes the matter of payment, little prince."
He was dreading this moment. But She can take all the memories she wants; he'd lose everything to give Katara a chance to survive.
"What do you want?"
"Hmm." She looks him up and down, then shakes her head. "I've taken all I want from you."
"I don't have anything else, then." Zuko is suddenly glad he made Momo and Appa wait on the other side of the city ruins.
"You don't, perhaps. But she might."
The witch runs Her fingers down Katara, that hungry look in Her eyes again. "So much potential here. She's full of good things to steal."
Zuko grips the edge of the stone slab tightly. "What do you want?"
She stops at Katara's neck. A slow smile spreads across Her face. "This. I quite like this. Lots of important memories and emotions tied up in a small little bundle."
Zuko's heart drops when the witch fingers Katara's necklace, rubbing Her thumb longingly over the carved jade pendant.
"So what do you say? A necklace for information that can save her life?"
He takes a deep breath. Katara is going to kill him when she wakes up. She'll never forgive him.
He'd do whatever it takes to save her life.
"Alright. But give me the information first."
"What, you don't trust me?" The witch grins and leans over to lightly slap his cheek. "Good choice. Go to the North Pole and find the Spirit Oasis."
Zuko stares at Her while she happily unties Katara's necklace. "The North Pole? Really? I've already been there. It's empty!"
"You were not ready to find what was there." She puts the necklace on herself, craning down to try and see it. "Sorry. What might be there."
"And now I suddenly am? So I'll find something? That's ridiculous."
"Is it?" The witch runs a hand through Katara's hair. "You have changed much since the last time you were here. Perhaps the spirits will be kinder to you on this journey."
Zuko wants to stay and argue. He wants to tell Her that he didn't let Her take Katara's only reminder of her mother away from her for some vague spirit prophecy crap. But Her tone is turning edgy, and he knows he's overstaying his welcome.
He bows slightly. "Thank you for your time and help."
"No, thank you for this lovely gift." She flashes a smile at him. "Come back anytime. You always give me such good payments."
He has to take another deep breath to keep from exploding. He slides his arms under Katara and picks her up, disappearing from the dark greenhouse and the strange purple fires.
It's going to be a long trip to the North Pole. Two days, at least, if Appa flies through the night. Three to four days if he doesn't. Does Katara have that long?
Zuko sets his knuckles against her cheek. Her skin is slowly growing colder. He checks her pulse. Weaker.
The witch better be right about the North Pole having better answers this time. Because if not, he'll be out of time to get Katara help.
"We need to start heading back to the Fire Nation," Sokka declares, slapping a map on the ground. "I judge that we're here - just a little ways from Mount Takapu. That puts us about a week's travel on foot from the coast. From there, we'll have to get a ferry back to the Fire Nation."
"Why do we want to go back to the Fire Nation, again?" Toph asks, picking dirt out of her toes.
"We have to get Katara back in position to fight the Fire Lord."
"Aren't we going to give her time to rest and recover?" Aang asks. "She got hit pretty hard. Plus, she hasn't mastered firebending yet and hasn't even started learning airbending."
"We all saw those massive war balloons the Fire Nation had," Suki says. "If we wait any longer, they'll just grow stronger. We can't afford to wait."
"What if Zuko comes back here looking for us? Shouldn't we stay where he can find us?"
"Appa will find us wherever we go. He and you have that special bond." Sokka rolls up his map. "We should reach the foothills of Mount Takapu tomorrow morning. We can get some more supplies, maybe find something to do to keep our minds off of waiting for Zuko and Katara to return."
"I still think I should have gone with them," Aang grumbles, using the tip of his glider to draw in the dirt.
"They'll move faster if it's just the two of them."
"What if something happens? What if the Fire Nation is following them? What if they get attacked?"
"The Fire Nation thinks the Avatar is dead. Fire Lord Ozai said it himself. He's not going to waste his resources on her anymore."
"We still don't want to draw a lot of attention to ourselves, though," Toph reminds them. "I bet there's still wanted posters with our names and pictures up."
Aang buries his head in his arms. "I just don't like waiting," he admits. "It's awful. I can't stop thinking about whether Katara is going to make it or not. What if she's dying at this very moment? We won't know until they return."
"I know. I'm feeling the same way. But we have to trust that the universe is supporting the Avatar." Sokka sits down next to Aang. "There's nothing we can do right now except have faith."
"Katara's a fighter; she's not going to give up so easily," Suki adds. "All we can do is continue our fight and trust that she's doing the same."
Aang knows that Katara isn't going to give up. She never has. That's why he admires her so much. If what she needs is for him to keep fighting on this end, then that's what he's going to have to do.
Even if the waiting kills him.