AN: Can you believe I have been working on this story for SEVEN years? Me neither! Lets get it finished so we can all move on.
The Blood Promise
Part Two
Chapter Thirteen: Homecoming
The sun glistened off the ice-covered shore. The familiar, blinding, white of home cascading down on them. Katara's ship was dark and harsh against the cold landscape, looking like an unwelcome parasite. She thought she would be happier to be home.
The gates to the Northern Water Tribe opened for them, as if they were expecting her, which Katara knew they weren't. Yet, the unfamiliar Fire Nation ship was welcomed in without question. As the ship met the docks Katara could already spot Arnook's face in the crowd of public officials. And behind them, surrounded by a slew of guards, Yue. The more Katara looked the more she realized how many guards there were. Their welcome was not without precautions.
Katara disembarked the ship, followed by a hesitant Iroh, who was not expecting a friendly response to his unannounced presence on their land.
Before any actions could be made, Yue ran out from the crowd, breaking every facet of her royal composure.
"Katara!" She launched at Katara, nearly knocking her over. They landed in the powdery snow. The crash resulted in a slow bubbling giggle between the two girls.
"You're alive." Yue exclaimed. Katara helped Yue to her feet, noticing the swell of tears in Yue's eyes.
"Of course I'm alive? Why wouldn't I be?" Arnook made his way to Katara and Yue.
"We received some concerning news from the Fire Nation about a week ago. It made us all unsure of your wellbeing. But as we can all see, you're alright." From the Fire Nation? Katara wondered how they had gotten news to the Tribe so fast. Katara and Iroh had spent three days just beyond the harbor circling shore, just in case Zuko did follow them. But even with a three-day head start, the Fire Nation must have moved incredibly fast to get news here in that time.
"Although I am quite surprised that you have the Crown Prince in your company." Arnook gestured to Iroh as he broke from the pack of guards to greet Katara and her guests.
"Iroh helped me escape. I wouldn't have made it without him." Katara vouched for him.
"Well then we are forever grateful for you, and of course you and your men are welcome to stay in the North for as long as you need." Arnook offered.
"Thank you Chief Arnook, your hospitality is appreciated." Iroh bowed.
"General Kanto, could you please help my men find accommodations, there are some urgent matters I need to speak to Chief Arnook about." The Water Tribe General looked taken aback, both by Katara's assertion of power and by the degradation of his own status to tour guide. He looked to the Chief, expecting him to override the command, but Arnook didn't even flinch.
"I agree, Katara, the Prince and I have much to discuss."
The last time Katara had been in Arnook's formal chamber she had been arguing with him over the treaty. It was less than a year ago but seemed so distant now. Katara read over the scroll, again and again. It was signed by the Fire Lord himself. Which meant that either Ozai had convinced his father of his lie, or Azulon was choosing to side with his son. Katara didn't know which idea frightened her more.
According to the letter, after murdering the Avatar, Prince Zuko, stricken with guilt, decided to take his own life.
"From what we were told, your husband had some sort of mental break. After confessing, the Fire Lord sent you here for your safety, but he didn't say anything about Prince Iroh accompanying you." Katara realized that Arnook believed the letter.
"No, this is a lie, Zuko didn't kill anyone." Katara yelled.
"Katara, I realize it can be tough to find out someone you trust is not who you thought they were." Katara's head was spinning, how many letters had Ozai sent? How many people would believe this lie? What reason did they have not to?
"No!" Katara shouted, much too loudly.
"Zuko didn't kill the Avatar. Ozai did. Zuko found out and they killed him." Katara's voice was hollow. "They killed him." She supposed she already knew. On one level or another. If Zuko didn't make it to the ship it was because he was dead. At least the letter didn't lie about everything.
"Katara are you sure?" Arnook asked, worrisome of Katara's reliability when she was in such an emotional state.
"I was with him all night, there's no way it could have been him. You have to believe me." Katara begged, as if she expected Arnook to dismiss her.
"I do Katara." But it didn't matter anymore. Katara's mind had gone numb. Filled with only one thought, one cloud of darkness. She had tried not to think about it. Tried to convince herself he would have escaped somehow. But now it was clear in black ink.
Zuko was dead.
He had promised her he wouldn't do anything stupid. Her face was on fire, the burning was everywhere, in her ears, in her eyes, her blood pounding through her like a scalding iron, tears dripping down her face like burning acid.
"They killed him." She said again. "Ozai killed him." Katara shrunk down into herself, not caring that she was slumped on the ground in the royal chamber. All she could think about was Zuko, and how stupid she was for leaving him, how stupid he was for going after Ozai. She wanted to kill him.
"We don't know that Katara, if they lied about who killed the Avatar for all we know the entire letter is a fabrication, we can't trust anything it says." Arnook was trying to comfort her. But she couldn't have that, even a glimmer of hope was too painful. The time for hope was over.
"No, he's dead. I can feel it in my gut." The rising pit in her stomach that made her want to vomit was a more appropriate description of what she was feeling. Ozai would have jumped at the opportunity to get rid of Zuko. It tied up all the loose ends, he probably took pleasure in it. She didn't want to kill Ozai anymore. She would kill him. She would make him pay for what he did, to Aang and Zuko. If only she could find the will to stand up.
She had to stand up.
She caught her breath, and shoved the last of her tears back into her eyes. There would be time for them later.
"That's why we came. It's clear that Ozai has great influence over his father, and our alliance with the Fire Nation poses a threat. The Fire Nation has already discussed invasion plans for the Earth Kingdom. I need you to pronounce the treaty null." Which, technically, it already was, the moment Ozai decided to kill his first-born son, the alliance dropped dead with him. But it was up to Arnook to see if they would honor the treaty regardless of Zuko's death.
"Katara, you do realize that if we were to revoke the treaty, the Fire Nation would turn their forces on us. It would start a war. I'm sorry, but I cannot put my people through that." There will be a war anyway, Katara wanted to tell him. On their journey Iroh had only confirmed her fears., telling her how much progress Ozai had made with his plans to invade the Earth Kingdom. And Azulon was liking the idea more and more each day.
"But Chief! Ozai is-"
"A terrible person. And what he did to your Prince is indefensible, but sometimes, to protect your own, you have to make peace with evil forces." Katara had spent so much of her life arguing with Arnook. Arguing over her bending, over the treaty. And despite the futility, each time she fought him for what she wanted. But she couldn't fight today, she couldn't convince him, she knew she wouldn't.
"Of course, we will protect you here, and you can resume life as it was before. And we can offer refuge for your friends, but I cannot extend you any more than that Katara." But she couldn't go back to the way things were. Playing in the snow and trying to perfect a water whip. She was nearly a master waterbender now, something which would not go over well in the North. And she had seen a taste of the world. Of the evil it possessed. She had to stop it.
"We will stay one week. To rest and replenish my ship, but then I have to leave. A war is coming whether or not the Water Tribe is a part of it, and the world needs to be prepared for when that happens." There was no more to be said. Katara would never convince Arnook to stand behind her, and he would never convince her to lay down the defences.
Katara's old room was perfectly intact. Which was surprising considering she was never supposed to come back. She thought the ever-efficient North would have repurposed it. As soon as she was sure she was alone she fell to her bed, letting her shell fall off and the wave of tears return.
All her emotions seemed to collide, grief, rage, regret, helplessness, in a way that she couldn't process. The only thing that seemed right was her sobbing, as if somehow, if she shed enough tears, he would be brought back. But eventually, even the tears did nothing.
"You're really going to leave again." Yue was in her doorway, looking teary eyed herself, which Katara hated. What did she have to cry about?
"I have to. I couldn't live with myself if I stayed here, knowing what I know." Yue sighed, sitting herself next to Katara.
"You always choose to do the hard thing." Katara wanted to say that of course she did, she always fought when there was something worth fighting for.
"I can't stay here. I can't pretend the last four months didn't happen. Go back to a world where I'm not allowed to bend, where I'm just supposed to sit around and be complacent." The mere thought made Katara's blood boil. Of all the bad the Fire Nation did, they gave her her bending.
"Katara no one's going to stop you from bending." Maybe not directly, Katara thought.
"No, but I'd be an outcast, I've never fit in here. Now more than ever." Katara meant it. Even if she wanted to go home, the North was never her home. She knew how to bend now, she didn't need to be cold and isolated anymore.
But she couldn't go home yet, to her true home. Not until she had done everything in her power to prevent this war.
"I wish you'd at least stay for the wedding." Yue said, pulling down her collar to reveal an icy blue pendant.
"Yue, you finally said yes?" Since coming of age, Yue had been telling her father that she was not ready, no matter who the proposed suitor was.
"It was time. I should have been ready two years ago." Katara knew that Yue's reservations and avoiding the inevitable weren't about her not being ready for marriage, rather it was her lingering attachment to Katara's brother. Yue just couldn't palate the notion of giving up her love for him for the rest of her life. Until now.
"What about Sokka?" For once, Yue acknowledged her relationship with Sokka as more than a childhood crush.
"We said our final goodbyes at your wedding. We were just hurting ourselves by holding on to something that could never be." Yue didn't mention that they did more than just say goodbye. As much as she wanted to be like other girls and gush to her best friend about what happened, there were somethings better left secrets.
"So who is he?"
"Rakno, he's General Tarlok's son." Katara remembered him, he was a very talented bender. Katara had always seen him studying with Master Pakku, making him an object of her envy.
"Do you like him?" Yue hesitated for just a few seconds too long.
"Yes. I mean, I don't really know him, but he's always been nice to me, and my father believes he'll make a great chief. I'm sure we will get along pleasantly." Her answer was hollow, masking the truth that she was terrified. All the feelings Katara had before she went to the Fire Nation, Yue was repeating them. Katara wanted to comfort her, tell her the same things Yue told her before she left. That for all she knew her betrothed would be great, and they would live a long and happy life together. But then Katara remembered that she and Zuko didn't have a long and happy life together, and they never would. Suddenly Katara wasn't in the comforting mood.
"That's good to hear." She repeated in the same hollow tone as Yue. "Well I've had a long day, so I think I'm going to get some rest." Katara practically shoved Yue out the door. She hurriedly prepared for bed, but sleep never came to her. She had a suspicion that she would have to get used to the insomnia.
During the day, Katara played the game of court. The one she had learned so well from her years in the North, and mastered in the Fire Nation. She allowed servants to dress her and guards to accompany her from place to place like a delicate flower in need of protection. She assisted Yugoda with healing lessons and refrained from snide comments about the North's patronizing sexism. She held her tongue when people offered their condolences and their relief that she had escaped that horrible Fire Nation. When they told her how lucky she must feel to be free of the mad prince she smiled and nodded and said nothing.
But once night fell no one dared to disturb her. After the first night they quickly learned to ignore the ragged sobs and screams that came from her chambers and to stay away from the courtyard where she trained for hours, with no opponent and no teacher. Some nights she would pace the palace halls or find herself walking down the glass streets.
One night, she plunged herself into the river and let herself sink down to the bottom, floating there until she felt herself losing consciousness and expelled herself back to the surface.
She exploded from the water with a loud crash. The sky was dark around her save for the blinding light of the moon.
"Katara?" A man shrieked. The water blurred her vision and the dark of night obscured his figure. For a small moment, she thought it was him. But then he stepped into the moonlight and bent down towards her and his face came to light
"Rakno." She exhaled, Yue's betrothed.
"You look in need of some assistance?" It was a question. He wasn't entirely sure why she was in the water, and she wasn't sure she could explain it either.
"No, I'm okay." She hoisted herself onto the ice and bent what she could of the water out of her clothes and hair, plopping it back in the river.
"What were you doing in the water?" He asked, giving her a hand back to her feet. She didn't know how to answer. She had been wandering the streets and felt a sudden urge so strong and persistent, to jump in the water. Her thoughts had gotten too loud, too unstoppable, but plunging into the ice-cold water had frozen them all. As she sank into the water she felt a calm rush over her, a sense of peace that was most likely caused by her rapidly declining heart rate. Katara didn't think Rakno would understand that answer.
"Oh well I was just out for a walk and I guess I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and I fell right in." She lied. "How foolish of me." She added, for good measure. Rakno let out a short and curt laugh.
"It happens to the best of us I'm afraid." She wasn't expecting that reaction, although she wasn't sure what the right reaction should be to her odd behavior.
"Please, let me escort you back to the palace, lest you find yourself overboard again." He extended an arm to her. Katara reluctantly took it. He was quite chivalrous. And inoffensive, Katara could see why Arnook would choose him for his daughter.
"I don't think I could handle falling in a second time." She said, in reality, she would jump back in now if given the opportunity.
"So what were you doing out on the streets so late at night?" She asked, distracting herself.
"The same as you I suppose. The moon, the quiet, it's a good place to think and calm the mind." He responded.
"Does your mind need calming Rakno?" She asked.
"Well, with my marriage to Yue, and preparing to take over as chief, there is a lot to think about." Right, Katara remembered. In Rakno's world very big changes were headed his way.
"Of course. But you will have many years before you will need to worry about ruling." Unless he was planning a coup on the Chief that is. Considering all the recent political espionage she had witnessed, assassinations didn't seem quite so ridiculous of a concept.
"Right, well, it's just. Katara you marriage was arranged. How did it work?" It didn't. Katara thought. My husband was burnt to ash. "Oh sorry, you probably don't want to talk about it."
"No, it's okay. Well I wasn't married long, and most of it was clouded by Aan- the Avatar's death. But, we were great friends. We didn't get along very well when I first arrived there but eventually we both were able to put duty first." She didn't know what to think of the words coming out of her mouth, they were so diplomatic.
"But did you love him?" Rakno asked, eagerly. Katara's breath halted. She didn't know how to answer. Denouncing that she loved him, would be like admitting that every tear, every ounce of anger and rage and grief she felt was undeserved. But proclaiming that she undoubtedly, loved him, would be a lie.
"Love, passion, intimacy, those are things we can't force or choose. But caring for someone, supporting them, listening to them, those are things we can choose. I chose to do that. If you choose to be there for her, love will come." She didn't answer his question, and he recognized the evasion.
"I'm very sorry. About what happened to you. Yue told me about the Fire Lord's lies." Rakno said.
"She did?" Katara was surprised. She hadn't known them to speak much. Especially about such personal and controversial information.
"We are trying to listen to each other more. But, speaking truthfully I agree with Arnook. The water tribes shouldn't get involved." Of course he would agree with Arnook.
"Do you not think we are already involved? The Fire Lord threatened to kill me, he murdered my husband." Katara raised her voice.
"I feel your fury, but our first duty is to our brothers and sisters of the Water Tribe. You are safe now Katara. It's not fair to sacrifice our own blood, for the lives of other nations." She remembered that this was Arnook's hand chosen successor. Of course they would be like minded.
"But don't we also have a duty to help those who can't defend themselves. What good is it being warriors if we refuse to protect those who need it." She knew it was pointless to argue with him.
"The Earth Kingdom is mighty, they can protect themselves." He countered. True, if they had warning, if they believed there was a threat to be reconed. No one is safe from ambush.
"And the Air Temples? Who is going to protect them now that Aang is gone? And what about us? Once the Fire Nation has destroyed all the other nations, they will come for us, and there will be no one left to stand by our side." She wished he could see. Ozai would not stop. He would put a sword through his own father's back if it meant gaining more power.
"We have a treaty." She doubted he had ever seen the treaty. But she had. She knew what it said what it would call upon her people to do.
"And what happens when the treaty breaks? When we refuse to fight alongside them? Or would you fight? Our people may be worth staying silent, but is Water Tribe blood worth spilling that of the innocent? Our tribes are ones of honor, when the time comes, we will not send our men to fight for them. And then they will come for us. I promise." Rakno didn't say anything else. They reached the palace doors. There was nothing else to say. Rakno knew she was right, but he held the same hope for peace as Arnook. The same hope she once lived for.
"Thank you for taking me home. And, I'm sure you will make a fine husband for Yue." You're both so concerned with duty, Katara thought.
By sunrise, she had packed her things. She had already stayed two days later than she had meant. Holding out on the hope that Arnook might change his mind. But it was time to seek assistance elsewhere. Somewhere where the people might care about the blood spilt, because it had been their own.
Less people showed up for her send off this time. The Fire Nation men made everyone uneasy, and apart from Iroh, they had kept silently to themselves for the week.
"You're sure you want to do this Katara?" Yue asked. "This isn't your fight to fight." Her words echoed that of her fathers and Rakno's.
"It became my fight the minute I was wed. Zuko's fight is my fight." And Zuko wasn't here to fight for himself.
"I know." Yue sighed, then regained her composure. "Gather troops, warn the Earth King. Fulfill your duty. But then, come home Katara." Katara hugged her. "I will." She would go home. Her first home.
Katara boarded her ship, along with Iroh and the rest, and the Fire Nation ship slowly disappeared from the Northern Shores.
As they made their way out of the bay, Katara analyzed the map. She knew little of seafaring but thought that they could make it there in a week's time.
"You're sure you want to go to the Western Air Temple? If we go east towards Ba Sing Se we can avoid any Fire Nation ships." Iroh asked, crouching over her to look at the map.
"There shouldn't be any Fire Nation naval forces this far North yet. Besides, it will likely take months to reach the Earth King, rumor is he is not an easy man to get the attention of. But Air Nomads have their own, fast and completely secure method of travel, once we alert one of the temples, all of them will know in a matter of days. So that should be our first stop. We need people on our side, and quickly." Iroh nodded.
"You are gaining quite a bit of military tactical skill Princess." He said, with slight amusement.
"It was Zuko's plan." Katara said.
Azula knew this was all her fault. She knew Zuko was stupid enough to take the bait. What she hadn't decided was whether she intended to get him killed or not. She supposed it didn't really matter, he was dead now anyway.
At least that's what her father had told her. Suicide, what a shameful death. Not that she believed it for one second. After all, she knew that her brother didn't kill the Avatar, so maybe his death had been a lie as well, maybe he skipped town with Katara and their treacherous uncle. Anyway, it didn't really matter what happened to Zuko, dead or alive he wasn't here, and if he ever did return Azula had every confidence that her father would put an end to him.
Funerals always made Azula uncomfortable. It wasn't the death that bothered her, rather how everyone else made it such a big deal, turning into sobbing, pathetic mice. But what she hated most about them was that she had to pretend to care. When she was younger, and her grandmother died, she distinctly remembered telling some court snob that she was completely fine with Nana's death, and that she was bound to die anyway; that did not go over well. Since then she had gotten much better at performing her emotions.
At least at this funeral she didn't have to look sad. She wasn't even sure it was a funeral, more like a press conference. After all, what kind of funeral do you have for a traitor, who participated in a murder suicide. No, this was much more an opportunity for her father to set the record straight. Prince Zuko murdered the Avatar. Why? He must have gone mad. What a cheap explanation Azula thought. But she supposed it didn't matter, no one would question the Fire Lord's son. Not when the Fire Lord himself stood behind him, as if to say "I approve this message".
Well, after her dear brother "killed" the Avatar, he apparently became filled with regret and fear, and decided to take his own life. Ozai had even been able to produce a body. Conveniently burnt to a crisp. Azusa didn't even think someone could be burned by their own fire, but it was enough to send her mother into an inconsolable state of grief. Azula wondered if she would have reacted the same if it had been her burnt to a crisp, not her brother.
The press conference/funeral also tied up some other loose ends. The new princess had been sent back to the Water Tribe for her protection. Iroh had gone with her, and would stay there as the Fire nation's permanent ambassador. The treaty, Ozai assured, was still very much intact. Azula didn't believe that either.
"I am deeply saddened and ashamed by the events that have transpired. Our nation cannot forgive this atrocity, but we must remember these events as a reminder that anyone can stray from the path of righteousness."
It was a convincing performance, Azula almost even believed it was true.
"It's terrible really." Azula said to her father, once the palace doors are shut.
"Don't worry, soon we, and the people will forget this stain on our kingdom" He didn't even agree with her. Azula always knew that Zuko was not their father's favorite, but she expected something from him, some sort of remorse, he was still Ozai's son after all. Yet there was nothing in his words or his eyes that suggested he was anything other than glad to be rid of him. It was chilling, even for Azula.
"It's pathetic,that Zuzu didn't even have the dignity to stay alive and face trial for his crime." She didn't have to pretend. They both knew Zuko didn't kill himself and there was no one else around to put on a show for. But she wanted her father to know that she knew that he had purposely given his only son the most shameful fate possible. She wasn't sure why, it's not as if her father needed her approval, but she wanted his.
"Your brother always was spineless." Azula thought maybe now was not the right time. But if she didn't do it now she could be stuck on the outside forever. She wanted to play the game.
"Genius on your part. Suicide. No way for him to go around spreading dangerous ideas."
"Azula, what are you suggesting?" She could feel the anger, bubbling up in his voice. She had to play this just right.
"It's okay, father, Zuko never would have understood why we did it. He's much too caught up in that self righteous idiocy."
"What did we do exactly Azula?" Ozai's voice grew harsh.
"The Avatar was holding us back. Zuko didn't see it, but I did. And now that he's out of the picture, the Fire Nation can follow it's destiny." Azula looked up at her father, hoping for a glimmer of approval. Ozai's face remained stoic as ever. She should no better than to speak so boldly, even behind closed doors.
"That is…" She began to retract.
"Azula." Ozai cut her off. "Why don't you contact your friend in Omashu, the Ambassador's daughter. We need to make sure her family is prepared."
"Yes, father." Her voice wavered and she prepared to exit.
"Azula, there is a meeting tonight to discuss the Fire Nation's military strategy. I expect you to be present."
"Yes, father." This time her voice was strong, and sure. She had gotten what she came for.
TBC