A/N:
Hi guys! I hope everyone is doing great! I apologize for the year in between updates…there's no excuse other then life, writers block, you know…
I've been sick with a rather mild case of the Rona.
So, I've used all my glorious free time to edit the entirety of this story and write this chapter! I still have two more days till I have to go back to work, so hopefully I'll be able to get a bit more out for you all :)
To summarize everything I've edited…basically just fixed the timeline issues… The soldiers don't attack until at least a week after she's been the PL, so Zuko has ample time to make it to the same village. That, combined with general wordage fixing, etc.
Let me know what you think by leaving a review & a follow or fave!
~0~
Previously…
Once she grew closer, she noticed a bright light coming from the middle of the main platform.
She's still on fire! She realized.
The statue's head had completely burned away, the fire now licking at the shoulders of the woman.
A handful of villagers had noticed the fire too, and had formed an assembly line to attempt to extinguish it.
Katara bent the water around her body, propelling herself through the fog towards the statue.
With a swirl of her arm, she flung a massive water whip around the statue's shoulders. The fire hissed, sending plumes of smoke up into the atmosphere.
Katara slowly released the water back into the river, allowing herself to surf back down the current, around the statue and float at the edge of the platform.
"Citizens of the river!" She called out. "Tonight's actions did not go unnoticed!"
Katara looked at each face in the small crowd that had formed.
"The Fire Nation soldiers will pay for what they have done." Her voice carried well across the river, reverberating off the village buildings and cliffside walls. "I will heal our river, like I have healed the people."
Shit, Katara, what are you promising? A part of her mumbled. Too late to take it back now…
Katara allowed herself to pause for a brief moment.
At least ask for help, you're gonna need it!
Her inner voice reminded her of Toph and her heart panged at the sudden thought of her friends.
"I would like to thank the Blue Spirit…" she called out, beginning to make herself glide backwards, away from the village. "May you continue to protect the people when I cannot…"
And may you please show up and save my ass, if I need it…
~0~
The next morning, Zuko awoke to the smell of tea. For the first time in his life… it was a nice surprise.
Tea meant that his uncle was feeling better.
Light filtered between Zuko's eyelashes as he cracked his eyes open.
"Ahhh!" Iroh grinned from beside his nephew. "Good morning my nephew."
"You're drinking tea."
Iroh had a small chipped cup in one hand, steam curling up from the rim. He was seated on his bedroll.
"Why yes…it is the only way to start the morning."
Zuko squinted suspiciously at the cup and then back to Iroh.
Where'd he get the hot water from? Did he firebend-?
Iroh waved his hand dismissively, seeming to know where his nephew's thoughts had went.
"Now, now. I simply got some tea from one of our new friends."
Zuko pushed himself up slowly, the top blanket falling into a crumpled heap on his lap. The pair had spent the night in an empty pavilion that he guessed used to house a business. They had a small 8x8 room in the back that Zuko supposed was standard for the majority of business in that area.
"Friends?" Zuko reiterated. "We only just got here, Uncle, how do you already have friends?"
Iroh sipped his tea, a mysterious yet innocent twinkle in his eyes.
"We have friends because there's nothing a good cup of tea can't do," Iroh placed the cup on the ground. "Akira - I believe you saw me with her last night - offered me a cup this morning. She is the owner of the fabric stall across the way."
Zuko half grunted, half sighed.
Why am I not surprised. This man could make friends with an inanimate object.
Wait a second…
I never had a chance to ask him about the white lotus tile…between him being so sick, and yesterday's craziness…
"Speaking of yesterday, Uncle," Zuko studied his uncle curiously. "I never got a chance to ask you. Who were those men - how did you know Hideo?"
Iroh took another slow drink of his tea. "Who?"
"What was that stupid Pai Sho tile even supposed to mean?" Zuko continued, the same frustrated feeling rising back up. "I had to knock on that man's door- and he almost didn't help us."
"I have told you, Zuko," Iroh got to his feet, sticking his arms in his opposite sleeve. "The white lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets."
Zuko fell backwards, back thumping onto his bedroll.
Cryptic old man…why am I even surprised?
"Come, I believe Akira has somebody that we may be interested to meet."
Iroh offered his nephew a hand to help him off the ground, but as usual, Zuko ignored it.
"Her name, is June."
Zuko's eyes widened at the mention of June.
To him, June was a particularly intense bounty hunter he had hired nearly a year ago to track down the Avatar and his companions.
She had a shirshu…Nyla, if her remembered right, that could paralyze one with a flick of its tongue.
June was as beautiful as she was dangerous, and Spirits, was she dangerous.
What would June be doing all this way out here?
"June?" Zuko frowned, stepping over his uncle's bedroll as he followed him out of the back room.
Iroh didn't respond, quietly leading his nephew across the way.
"Uncle?" Zuko tried again. "Is it really a good idea to be here if one of the best bounty hunters is-"
He got quiet and trailed off as an older lady he'd assumed was Akira, came into view. It was the same lady he'd seen last night with Iroh and the same lady he'd seen with…
Katara?
Or at least, the Katara look alike.
The elder woman was rolling up the bamboo walls on the front of her shop, gray hair tied into a ponytail behind her.
She was short, dressed in a light red dress with tiny glasses perched on the edge of her nose.
"Mushi," she greeted, smiling warmly. "I hope you enjoyed your tea."
Iroh beamed, raising his tea cup to her in thanks.
"Indeed. Thank you."
"This must be Lee, your nephew." Akira smoothed her dress and looked at the young man in question.
Zuko's hair slipped down into his face, yet he did not fix it.
What was his uncle thinking? If this lady knew June- I don't think a different name is going to do anything.
Iroh nudged "Lee" with his elbow and he bristled.
"Hi," he tried, offering a smile.
The smile turned out more as a grimace but Iroh chuckled, thankful for the attempt.
"He's a shy one, isn't he?" Akira laughed. "Hi. I'm Akira."
Iroh went over to a table just inside the shop and poured himself another cup of tea.
"June may still be asleep," she mused, almost to herself. She moved from the front further into the shop. "She is great help at mending clothing for me, but she sure likes her sleep…" her voice got fainter as she went behind a wall towards the very back of the shop.
"June," she called out. "Could you help me with something?"
~0~
Katara had just finished getting dressed for the day, nearly forgetting to wipe off her face and body paint from the night before.
Faint voices had traveled to the back while she was finishing up.
Who was she talking to?
"June?" Akira asked, suddenly close. "Could you help me with something?"
Katara pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Nervousness formed a lump in the back of her throat.
"Yeah," she called out.
Why is she acting strange?
She pushed open her door to see Akira with an armful of clothing.
"We have some new customers and I'm going to need your help to get their order done."
"Oh," Katara took a heap of red fabric from her, relaxing a little. "Okay."
She followed the women around to the front of the shelves and froze mid-step, eyes widening.
"This is Mushi and his nephew, Lee," Akira said, her back to Katara.
There stood Iroh and Zuko, both clad in the same clothing she'd seen them in two nights previously.
Iroh's eyes twinkled, though he simply smiled innocently and bowed his head in greeting.
Zuko, on the other hand, looked as if he'd seen a ghost. His mouth dropped slightly, mirroring Katara's expression.
"H-hi," she made herself say. "June."
Akira looked at the girl and then back to the young man.
She'd not pressed June when she'd asked how she knew them, but she could tell from both of their reactions that they did in fact, know each other.
"Hello," Zuko replied rather gruffly, looking down.
"June," Iroh stepped forward, smiling still. "It is good to see you again. How is your brother?"
Katara put the fabric down on the table, playing along. "Uh…I actually got separated from th- him - about two weeks ago now."
"Would you like some tea, dear?" Akira tried to break the awkward tension that hung between the two young adults. "Mushi here makes a really delicious jasmine tea."
Katara forced herself to sit, feeling Zuko's gaze on her.
"Uh, yes please."
Iroh chuckled humbly. "Ah, it is only good because I make it so much."
~0~
Zuko snorted from beside him, making himself look away from Katara or 'June'.
So, he did see her last night…
"What's the fabric for?" He asked, glancing at the red fabric.
Iroh gestured to his clothing. His tunic was dirty and ripped in places, much like Zuko's.
'Lee' cocked an eyebrow at him, silently asking how they could afford it.
"Many things can be bargained for when you play a good game of Pai Sho."
Gambling? Highly unlikely, Uncle.
But Zuko didn't press further, instead watching Akira pour tea into a small mug.
"Here you go," Akira said softly, placing the cup down next to Katara on the table. She paused a moment.
"Well, I have some errands to run. June, could you get them set up with a new top and bottom please?"
Katara's eyes widened for a split second before she seemed to hide the reaction, a small smile coming to her lips.
It didn't reach her eyes.
"Sure."
As she looked back down to the tea, a shorter tendril of dark brown hair came loose from the french braid, falling into her eyes. It was a hairstyle Zuko hadn't seen her sport before.
"Thank you," Akira picked up a satchel by the front of the shop. "Well, I'll leave you two to catch up."
She winked at the younger girl before walking away.
"How did you find me?" Katara demanded, as soon as Akira was out of earshot. "What do you want?"
Iroh took a seat on a stool close by.
"Zuko," he said quietly. "I think you'd be better equipped to answer Katara's question, seeing as how I spent most of the journey unconscious."
Katara leveled her steely blue gaze onto the banished prince.
"Well, uh…we found you by accident, really." Zuko rubbed the back of his neck, taking a seat next to Iroh, across from Katara.
~0~
Zuko then began to tell Katara - and his uncle - about the past two weeks. He took a few minutes to skim through their escape from Ba Sing Se earlier that month, glossing over the part where he used the Blue Spirit mask to get their belongings from the Jasmine Dragon.
He tried to not spend too much time worrying about the waterbender's expression as he told her what had happened, as he noticed it bounced from skeptical back to guarded.
"So, it was kind of the Painted Lady that brought us here more then you," Zuko finished. "We uhm, needed a healer for my uncle."
Katara pursed her lips, her eyes darting from Iroh to Zuko. "How did you even know she was here?"
Iroh cleared his throat. "Well, a powerful spirit's return tends to make waves. We were in the merchant port on the western end of the Earth Kingdom when Zuko heard some guards talking about her." A brief silence. "You know, I think you've been there with the Avatar, actually. Some pirates had a waterbending scroll-"
Zuko groaned, elbowing his uncle.
It's not like Katara needs anymore reminders on why she should hate us. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
She looked stunned yet Iroh didn't think her reaction was because of his nephew's story.
His nephew, on the other hand, did.
"She doesn't need a recap of that, Uncle." Zuko interjected offhandedly.
Iroh shrugged nonchalantly, "So, Katara, how long have you been here?"
"A while…"Katara fidgeted in her seat. "Don't think this means I trust either of you," Katara bit out, glaring passionately at Zuko.
If she was a firebender, steam surely would have poofed out of her nose.
"Fair enough, I suppose," Iroh responded politely.
Zuko held up both of his hands. "I don't expect you to trust me, nor do I need you to."
Iroh groaned at the lack of amnesty coming from the both of them.
"Now, don't you need to measure us for our clothing?"
Katara's nostrils flared.
~0~
Did he seriously just?!-
Iroh put his arm out in front of Zuko, who he thought might leap to his feet.
"Excuse my nephew, Katara."
Katara flickered her gaze to the older man. Iroh sent her a sheepish smile as he moved his arm away from Zuko, rubbing the old injury.
A moment later, Akira returned to her shop.
She obliviously placed the satchel down on the desk. After a moment, she seemed to catch onto the tension, seeing the fabric still in the same heap on the desk.
Looking to her pupil, she tsked.
"Go on June, I'll finish up here."
With a growl, Katara stalked past the two visitors, deciding to take a walk.
How much of Zuko's story do I buy? She wondered.
It was uncharacteristic of Zuko to be at least somewhat cordial with her…but it was even more uncharacteristic for him to attack Azula with them.
She picked her way across the town's market, passing the last leg of shops, to come to rest on the far side of the town, the side furthest from the factory.
Lowering herself to sit on the edge, she stared ahead.
Iroh's question had made her wonder how long she'd been here…the soldiers had shown up…seven days? … after the Painted Lady 'appeared'…and it took her two days to even come up with the idea… and when you add today into the equation…
Ten days.
She'd been here ten long days.
How much longer could she stay here, anyways?
If there was one thing she had learned during the span of her travels with Aang… they could never and should never stay in one place too long.
Now, with the knowledge that the Painted Lady 'had returned' had spread even as far as the Earth Kingdom, that would only serve to bring more eyes to the town and to the people inside the town.
I could jeopardize this town more then I've helped them.
Not that putting a target on their backs has helped them in the first place…
And that's not even taking into consideration that I'm legitimately lying to this entire town…
Katara found herself admittedly spiraling somewhat out of control.
I may not be as wanted as the Avatar, but if I'm found out as a waterbender…especially as the waterbender that is known to travel with the Avatar…
Katara chewed on her lip.
I could jeopardize myself.
Ohhh Sokka is going to absolutely murder me, if the Fire Nation doesn't first.
Oh, Spirits. What have I done…
I need to find Aang and the others…and I don't see that happening if I stick around playing Painted Lady here for much longer…
A few more minutes passed and Katara's bottom grew numb from sitting on the hard planks, feet dangling over the murky river.
Get it together, Katara. Remind yourself of the plan.
Find your friends.
The dark haired boy she'd happened across earlier came to mind.
If anyone can find Aang, it's him.
