Zuko narrowed his eyes as he watched the Dragoness closely. Something about her was familiar, but Zuko couldn't figure out what it was. It infuriated him because he felt like he should know who she was, but he couldn't place her.
There was an undercurrent through the air that made his skin tingle with unseen electricity. His inner fire crackled as adrenaline began to course through his veins. He leaned in closer, compelled, his eyes drawn to her.
Movement out of the corner of his eye broke the spell. He looked over and saw Katara had moved to stand before the stage. What are you doing? Zuko mentally shouted at her, but of course, she didn't hear him. Zuko tensed like a panther bear, poised to strike at a moment's notice. At the first sign of danger, he would be ready to get Katara out of there, Conduit or no Conduit. He turned his attention back to the woman on the stage in time to see the robe slip down her creamy shoulders.
His eyes widened when he saw the dragon tattoo. In his mind's eye he saw Tatsuya's necklace. The dragon on her back was exactly the same, only black instead of gold. Zuko studied her closely. A memory was trying to struggle to the surface of his brain, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was.
Zuko watched her twirl in her seat, black hair flying out behind her. She threw her head back, her hair moving like a wave of black fire, and then she opened her eyes. Zuko gasped. It was the woman from his dreams!
A cold hand gripped his heart when he saw her lock eyes with Katara. Zuko stood up, his cloak sweeping out behind him as he crossed the room, ignoring the protests of men whose vision he impeded. The Dragoness—or the Conduit—then looked over at him with flat purple eyes, never breaking stride from her dance.
"We've got to go, Katara," he breathed in her ear.
He grabbed her arm and pulled her away quickly out into the night. The Conduit did not need to threaten them. Zuko felt as if her presence alone surrounded the room like an invisible, deadly fog, seeping into his bones. He could feel her power, and could sense the danger. She was a predator and everyone else was merely her prey.
Outside, the rain had lessened but its cool, fat drops pelted them. Genuine fear propelled them forward as they sprinted back toward the inn.
Zuko wasn't quite sure what they had been expecting the Conduit to be like, but it certainly hadn't been that. Her presence radiated fear that rocked him to his core. If she heralded that sort of response simply by being, who knew what she was capable of when she decided to act?
They didn't stop running until they reached the porch of the inn.
Zuko took in Katara's appearance and grimaced. "Here, take this." Zuko unclasped the cloak he was wearing and draped it across Katara's shoulders. He wrapped an arm around her protectively and guided her through the door. "Let's get inside, quickly."
They hurried through the main room, ignoring the questioning looks of the other patrons and the innkeeper. They rushed up the stairs and Zuko slipped his arm from around her to unlock their room door. He lit the oil lamps with a quick gesture, pushing back the shadows. Katara turned around, her eyes wide in fear.
"That was the Conduit, wasn't it?" Katara said, her voice shrill. Her hand flew up to her neck where her mother's necklace was usually nestled into the hollow of her throat. Instead she found the Conduit's necklace in its place. Her mouth twisted into a trembling grimace.
"I think so. I don't know who else it could have been." His face was grim. He let out a sigh of frustration. "What did my uncle get us into?"
"I've dreamt of her, Zuko," Katara admitted quietly. "As soon as I saw her on that stage it felt like I knew her. And now I know why."
"I've dreamt about her too." He paced the small room, pushing his fingers through his damp hair. "We don't have much time. We need to come up with a plan, and fast."
"Do you think the Conduit will cause a scene here, at the inn?" Katara pursed her lips. "That doesn't sound right. We may still be able to work this in our favor and buy ourselves some more time."
Realization dawned on his face. "Yes. She might come looking for us here, but she won't attack us. The Conduit's whole deal is staying hidden. She saw the necklace. We've got her intrigued. She'll come looking for us to find out who we are, which gives us time to come up with a way to convince her…" He trailed off in uncertainty.
"Yeah," Katara said flatly. "I wish your uncle would've been more clear on that."
Zuko raked his hand through his rain-dampened hair again. "Maybe we aren't supposed to convince her of anything. Maybe we're supposed to coax her into doing something."
"Like what?"
He pointed at the necklace. "She spotted that in a dark and crowded room. It must mean something to her. That means we can use it against her."
Katara caught on to what he was saying. "So we'll lead her back to Aang."
He grinned fiercely. "Exactly."
Katara quickly changed into her own clothes, regretting that she had left a set behind at the Laughing Lotus. Being back in her own clothes with most of her skin covered comforted her and helped to quell her fear.
She washed her face free of makeup in the washroom and joined Zuko in the main room. He had his dao swords at the ready on his back, his eyes trained on the door. He was poised to strike.
Katara uncapped the water skin she had secured around her waist and stood beside him. Her muscles were coiled tautly and blood roared in her ears. She could recall the intense feeling she had felt seeing the Conduit dance. The woman had an air about her that struck fear and intrigue all at once.
"How much time do you think we have?" Katara asked him quietly.
"Not much longer. She probably thinks we'll run." His eyes flickered to her and she could see his determination reflected there. "She wouldn't want to give us time to get far."
The minutes dragged out. The only sound she could hear was the pounding of her frantic heart beating like a drum in her chest. She strained her ears to hear a new sound from downstairs over the din of conversation and clinking dishes.
"She's coming." Zuko's voice was a guttural growl. He couldn't explain how he knew it was the Conduit. It was just a feeling in his gut he couldn't ignore. But he knew he wasn't wrong. He clenched his hand around the hilt of his swords.
Katara listened intently. She heard the soft sound of quiet feet across the wooden floorboards in the hallway. Her palms slicked with sweat. She had never been so afraid in her life; not when she found Yon Ra in her family's home, not when she thought Aang had died, not when she thought Azula had killed Zuko.
And she didn't understand exactly why. It was as if evil itself seeped from this woman's pores, emerging as invisible tentacles to seek out any nearby flesh to terrorize. The closer the Conduit got, the more overwhelming that fear became. It was as though the Conduit had wrapped an icy hand around her heart and replaced her blood with cold terror, and there was nothing she could do to fight that fear.
Her hands trembled and her feet felt rooted to the floor..
The footsteps stopped outside their door. The knob turned slowly, and the door opened inward. On a breeze that smelled of blood and death, the room was suddenly filled with dread and hopelessness.
Katara once again stared into the eyes of the Conduit, who looked upon her with cool rage.
The Conduit stood framed in the doorway wearing black robes. Half of her raven hair was secured in a topknot on the top of her head. The rest fell like a curtain down her back. On her shoulder, a black cat with matching violet eyes perched. On her waist was the gleaming silver hilt of a katana.
"Who dares to seek me out?" Her voice was commanding, filled with an unknown and ancient power that seemed to embed in Katara's flesh and held her hostage.
Katara's mouth was too dry to speak.
"We know who you are," Zuko spoke slowly. If he was nervous he didn't show it. He withdrew his swords and held them at the ready. "You're the Conduit."
Her cold eyes flickered to him. "Why have you come looking for me? I have remained in the shadows for over a century, and I would have remained there for centuries more, but for her." She pointed her chin at Katara, her lips curling back to reveal sharp white teeth. "She wears something that belongs to me, and I want it back."
"We know what you're capable of," Katara said, finding her voice at last. There was only a slight tremble to it. "You must be stopped."
"If you know who I am, and what I am, then you know I cannot be destroyed any more than your precious Avatar." Her gaze darkened. "I'll ask once: give me my necklace."
Katara's nerves were fraying under her intense stare. Her stomach twisted into icy knots. Sweat ran down her back "No."
The Conduit showed no physical response, but a sudden arctic breeze blew through the room, pushing Katara's hair back from her face and chilling her to the bone. Katara could feel the power that continued to emanate from her. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before.
"You have a lot of nerve to come for me. You should consider yourselves lucky that I am in a good mood." The Conduit looked at Zuko. Her eyes seemed to be challenging him, taunting him. Zuko clenched his jaw. "If you know what is good for you, you won't make this mistake again. Next time I won't be so merciful."
"If you try to hide again, we will find you." Katara forced herself to look the Conduit in the face. A cold sweat slicked her forehead but she wouldn't look away. She would not show her fear. "I'm not giving back this necklace. And it seems to be important to you, so I don't think you'll let it go so easily."
The Conduit considered this for a moment before the corner of her lips turned up in a smile that was somehow more chilling than anything else about her. "You don't know me at all or what I am capable of. So allow me to elaborate: I could take it from your dead corpse before you could even raise a hand to stop me."
She raised one hand in front of her and twisted it into a fist. Katara felt the air around her wrap around her body and suddenly she found herself being propelled toward the Conduit. Katara gaped at her. She can airbend! Behind her, Zuko stepped forward, his face a mask of rage. The Conduit's eyes flashed toward him, and she rested a hand on the hilt of her katana.
"Do not tempt me," she growled.
"If you hurt her, I will end you," Zuko snarled back.
The Conduit wasn't sure if she was impressed by their bravery or astonished by their foolishness. She turned her attention back to Katara. Her eyes fell on the necklace that rested against the hollow of Katara's throat. Katara could only stare in wide-eyed horror as the Conduit reached for her. She heard Zuko shift, but when the Conduit's eyes darted back to him, he froze. Katara wondered if he was just as afraid as she was.
Her fingers touched the pendant at Katara's throat. She could smell death on this woman. It was cloying and filled her senses until her eyes watered. Katara forced herself to focus on the Conduit's face.
"You do not know how much pain this necklace has caused." The Conduit turned her eyes to Katara's face, and for a moment, Katara saw vulnerability there. But then the coldness returned. The Conduit's hand fell to her side and Katara collapsed onto her knees. The smell of death dissipated and Katara greedily sucked at the fresh air. She looked up at the Conduit.
The Conduit's face was an expressionless mask. "On second thought, keep the necklace. I have no need for it any longer." With that, the Conduit walked down the hall and disappeared from sight, leaving Katara frowning after her, confused.
Zuko rushed through the doorway, his dao swords at the ready. But the Conduit had vanished.
They had been right: the Conduit wasn't going to attack them with an audience nearby. He sheathed the swords and returned to the room, shutting and locking the door behind him. He met Katara's terrified gaze and let out a shaky sigh.
"That didn't go as I expected it to," he said wryly. After all, how could anyone expect to feel horror in the air itself? The despair was finally starting to ebb and he exhaled. He had never felt a fear like that. It had been like staring into an abyss, knowing something ancient and evil was staring back. He knelt down beside her and reached out and cupped her cheek in one hand. "Are you alright?"
"I think so." Katara shook her head and allowed Zuko to pull her to her feet. "She's not human. She's nothing like a human. She's darkness and death and rage and...I don't know what she is. She's terrifying." She sank back onto the bed. "I don't think your uncle knew what he was getting us into."
"No, I don't think he did either."
Katara frowned. "Should we go after her?" She asked because that seemed to be the next logical step. But if she was being honest with herself, Katara had absolutely no desire to see that woman, that...thing...ever again.
Zuko shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea." His pride wouldn't allow him to admit it to Katara, but that woman scared him more than anything he had ever encountered. Her power...he had never felt anything like it. He had felt powerless, watching her control Katara like that. But he didn't think he could have done anything. He suspected that anything he would have tried would have been simply blocked or deflected...or worse, she would have hurt Katara.
They had underestimated the Conduit. His uncle had, too. He had no idea how Aang was going to contend with a foe like her. And now what? She was gone, probably fleeing into the night as he and Katara recovered from their frightening encounter. They were right back where they had started.
Katara reached for the necklace that still hung from her neck. "I don't understand. This seemed so important to her. Why did she just walk away from it? What did she mean that she didn't need it anymore?"
"Your guess is as good as mine." Zuko sat down beside Katara on the bed. "Come on, let's get that off of you. There's no reason for you to wear it anymore."
Katara pulled her hair aside, giving him access to her neck. His fingers were warm and gentle as they undid the necklace. She worried her lip between her teeth. "What do we do now, Zuko?"
He sounded utterly lost. "I don't know."
He waited until Katara was deep in sleep, her breaths slow and relaxed, before he carefully extricated himself from her grasp. He tucked the blankets more firmly around her and gazed down at her sleeping face. He hated leaving her, knowing there was a good chance he wouldn't make it back. But they were running out of time, and what other options did he have? There weren't any members from the Order in town that he could ask for help. And even if there were, what could they do?
He knew he had to do something, and he refused to allow Katara to get hurt.
If anything happened to him, he was sure Katara wouldn't go after the Conduit by herself. She would seek out help from the Order, or maybe she would return to his uncle. To Aang. She would be angry with him if she knew he was going, but Zuko couldn't bear the thought of Katara facing that woman again. Zuko would deal with Katara's fury...but he couldn't deal with losing her.
Zuko caressed her cheek with a feather-light touch and, hesitating only for a moment, he leaned down and brushed his lips across hers. Her mouth was soft and cool and he longed to stay there. He wished he could wake her up and hold her in his arms and kiss her for real. If I'm going to die tonight, my only regret was that we didn't have more time.
Reluctantly he pulled away. He retrieved his dao swords and slipped silently from the room. He could hear patrons in the main room below despite the late hour. Knowing he couldn't be seen, Zuko slipped through a side door and into the empty kitchen. He pushed through the back door and found himself in a dark alley behind the inn. With one hand on the hilt of the swords to steady them as he ran, Zuko pressed forward into the darkness.
The rain had stopped falling but the alley was slick with mud. Zuko moved carefully, wishing he had any idea about where to go. He clung to the shadows but knew that if the Conduit was as powerful as she seemed to be, she would know he was coming.
He found himself wishing he had the mask of the Blue Spirit. He craved its anonymity and the sense of security it once gave him. But the mask lay decaying at the bottom of Lake Laogai, a piece of himself he knew he no longer needed. He had no reason to hide.
As silent and dark as the night, Zuko slipped through dim alleyways and side streets, his back pressed to damp wood and earthen structures. At this late hour the streets were empty and he was grateful. He didn't know where he was going but his subconscious pulled him in one direction until he left the borders of Jinsan and trudged out into a field of sunflowers feeling incredibly exposed. Why was he here? What was driving him forward?
He kept his wits about him, his eyes searching through every shadow, ears pricked for a slight change in the sounds of the night. Silently he unsheathed his swords. They glittered dangerously in the sliver of the moon that peeked out from behind the dark clouds.
On the far side of the field, he saw a willow tree standing alone amidst the sunflowers. Its wide boughs cast a deep circle of darkness around its base. Zuko felt himself inexplicably drawn there and he moved quietly and cautiously toward the willow.
He saw her silhouette take shape beneath the tree. She stood with her back to him, her robes billowing out behind her on the cool breeze. The pommel stone on the hilt of her katana almost seemed to glow.
Zuko didn't have a plan, not really. The most he'd come up with was to demand answers to questions he had not even thought of until he had laid his eyes upon her. This was undoubtedly the woman who had been haunting his dreams for weeks.
Zuko wanted to know why.
She turned around when he was twenty feet away. Her eyes were bright in her shadowed face. She stood waiting for him, her arms folded behind her back as if this were just a clandestine meeting between lovers. Her cat perched, unblinking, on her shoulder. Zuko wondered if it was some sort of spirit guide, like Appa was to Aang.
Zuko stopped just outside of the darkness encircling the willow. Something about it felt unnatural. All of his instincts were telling him to run, but he forced himself to stay, planting his root amidst the sunflowers.
"I knew you would follow me. You don't give up so easily, do you? Even when you know the odds are stacked against you." Her voice was crisp as a frozen river in winter, and just as dangerous.
He tightened his grip on his swords. "Why did you leave? Why didn't you kill us?"
Her eyes glittered like precious gems. "I do not expect you to understand."
"Why don't you try me?"
She sighed and turned her eyes up toward the moon above him. "I am old. Very old. And I'm tired. I never asked for this life, much like the Avatar never asked to be the Avatar. But just like him, I am forced to lead it." The Conduit fixed her gaze on him and a chill ran through him. "However, just because I am made of ice and darkness does not mean I have to bend to its will."
Zuko watched her carefully, waiting for her to attack.
"You went through a lot of trouble finding me. It's astonishing you found the necklace that belonged to the fiancée of my predecessor. Tell me, how did you come across it?"
"It was given to me. Not everyone has forgotten about you," Zuko hedged. He nodded in her direction. "It worked."
"Hm, let me take a guess. Fire Sages." Her lip curled distastefully. "So those old fools are still around." Zuko kept his surprise from showing on his face but she saw right through him. "They've always been meticulous record-keepers, haven't they? I can't believe they slipped my mind." Zuko said nothing, and then something that was almost like a smile passed over her lips. A shiver ran down his spine. "And that Water Tribe girl you travel with, she wore it as bait for me, didn't she?"
There was no reason to lie. Zuko suspected she would know if he did. "Yes."
She fingered the pommel stone. "I must admit, the two of you are clever. And utterly foolish for approaching me by yourselves, clearly without a plan, but even still, you've impressed me. Yet none of that explains why you have sought after me. I have been left alone for over a century, for so long that your people have almost entirely forgotten my existence." A thoughtful expression stole over her face. "Or at least, I thought they had, until you showed up. So why look for me now?"
"We were sent to find you by a Grandmaster of the Order of the White Lotus," Zuko said.
"So, they're still around, too. I was curious about that." She pierced him with her eyes. "They sent you because of that spirits-cursed prophecy, didn't they?"
Zuko nodded coolly. His mouth was dry and he found he couldn't quite answer her. He tried to keep his breathing steady as he waited for her to make a move. There was nothing stopping her from attacking him, so why wasn't she? A part of him wished she would so they could just cut through the tension already.
"I have no intention of fulfilling that prophecy," the Conduit told him. Zuko stared at her, surprised. "I left behind the desires of power and grandeur a hundred years ago. I live my life as I please, and I no longer bend to the wills of the spirits and their Oracles of Destiny."
"You can't fight fate," Zuko remarked.
"And what do you know of it? You are merely a human. Ineffectual. Insignificant. I am something far greater."
The wind picked up around them, swirling in a small tornado. Leaves fell from the willow and were whipped into the mix. Gooseflesh rose on his arms and he felt paralyzed with fear. Her effects were getting to him. He had no logical reason to be afraid. The power she displayed at the inn seemed like more of a parlor trick than a threat. But it was as if his very soul told him he should be. As if he needed to be for survival alone. At that feeling, a cold sweat broke out across his forehead.
The Conduit raised her arms and the wind's ferocity increased. Her cat remained perfectly balanced, watching him with eyes that seemed too intelligent to belong to an animal. "I am made of darkness, gifted with great powers. The spirits Vantu and Nianzu may have breathed life into me, but I alone am in control."
Zuko watched in fascination and horror as black fog began to swirl around her hands. Her eyes seemed to darken as an invisible force of darkness swirled around him and penetrated his flesh. His blood ran cold and it felt as though an ice-cold hand wrapped around his heart, and he began to know what the true meaning of fear was. Her power was ancient and utterly terrifying. His grip tightened against the handles of his swords then, as if they alone could keep him anchored.
"I have lived a thousand lives. I have faced a thousand destinies. I have endured a thousand deaths." Her voice had taken on an ethereal quality. To Zuko it sounded as if there wasn't just one person speaking, but hundreds. Her eyes glowed black. "I have rewritten the fate that my predecessors could not, the destiny that my creators gave to me. I will not turn back."
Suddenly the wind stilled, the black mist disappeared, the darkness faded from her eyes, and the Conduit stood beneath the willow tree, her cat still perched on her shoulder. It continued to watch Zuko with unsettling purple eyes.
"I see a kinship between us. It is written on your face. You have taken your destiny into your own hands. This prophecy is no different."
"I think it is. I don't think any one person has the ability to change it," Zuko argued. He hadn't changed his destiny, not really. He had simply believed it to be one thing, when it was really another thing entirely. "There's something...more final about it. I can't explain it."
"Of course we do," the Conduit snapped. "Destiny is like water: pliable and able to be manipulated. Just because you see it coursing one way, doesn't mean it can't be altered."
"So how do we change this? How do we stop the prophecy?" Zuko demanded desperately. If there was an alternate way, he would take it. Anything so he could leave this damned creature's presence.
A smile curved her lips. "I don't think you want to change the entire prophecy. In fact I think you'll like part of it very much. But I will tell you how to prevent the destruction of the balance."
Zuko was confused. What did she mean that he would like part of the prophecy? But he didn't have time to ponder it.
One pale hand pointed south. "There is a magical place in the desert that will show you the truth. Drink from its pool and you will know. It is a spiritual place, one of the closest connections to the Spirit World. Once it was guarded by the Warriors Guild. Now it lay abandoned. You must go there."
"What do we do once we're there?" Zuko asked.
"I think you and the Water Tribe Girl are smart enough to figure it out. After all—" the Conduit gave him a knowing smile. "—you've gotten this far. Go now. And know that if you ever try to find me again, I will show you no mercy." The smile widened, and Zuko couldn't stop the shiver that passed through him.
He backed away slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. But the Conduit didn't move. She just watched him go with her cold eyes.
The more distance he put between them, the less he felt her power. Only when she disappeared from his view behind the sunflowers did he feel like he could breathe again. But he still didn't turn his back to that creature.
The children sat beside the pond. Katara could hear the water ripple as they played. Around them the fog still swirled, obscuring any details of their location. Katara approached them knowing that as soon as she drew near that they would disappear. But she was stubborn. She needed to see their faces, to know who they were.
To her surprise though, the children didn't fade away this time. Katara was close enough now that she could see their red clothing. The oldest girl's hair curled around her shoulders, a small topknot on the top of her head. The second girl's hair was tied back in a topknot as well. The boy's dark hair was pulled into a high ponytail.
Hesitantly she reached out for the young boy and set her hand on his shoulder. When he looked at her from over his shoulder, he had a familiar smile on his lips. Katara fell back, gasping in surprise.
The boy's skin tone matched her own, but his eyes were pools of gold.
After trudging his way back to their room, Zuko found Katara sleeping on her side facing away from him. He silently removed his dao swords from his back and slipped them into his rucksack. He then quietly cleaned up in the washroom and changed into fresh clothes before he climbed into bed beside her.
He pressed his nose into her hair and smelled her sweet scent, grateful and incredulous that he was still alive. His arm snaked around her, and he found her hand resting against the mattress. He interlocked their fingers, realizing how intimate that seemed, but at that moment, he didn't care. He was just happy to be beside her again. Slowly his heart slowed and his breathing finally didn't feel like it was scraping his throat raw anymore.
A gasp escaped her and he tensed, wondering if he had woken her by accident.
"Zuko…" Katara sighed his name.
Carefully he lifted his head until he could see her face. Her eyelids were still closed but her brow was furrowed. The small line that always formed between them when she frowned was there.
He lay back down beside her. "I'm here, princess," he whispered into her soft curls. "I'll always be here." He tightened his grip around her waist and as he did, she let out a contented sigh and relaxed into his frame.
Consciousness slowly bled through the black of sleep and Katara resisted it. The sooner she woke up, the sooner she would have to deal with what had happened last night. She clung to the sweet embrace of sleep, desperate to ignore the gentle sunlight streaming onto her face. But she couldn't ignore the warmth pressed to her back and the weight of an arm draped across her, the warm fingers intertwined with her own.
Then, recalling her dream, Katara opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was their intertwined fingers. She couldn't help but admire the beautiful contrast of their skin side by side. She squeezed his hand and wrapped his arm around her tighter, loving his warmth. If only we could stay in this moment, she thought wistfully. Safe. Together.
But she couldn't pretend that the nightmare that was last night didn't happen. She and Zuko had to figure out where to go from here.
The Conduit was gone. They had been unable to stop the prophecy. They needed to send word to Iroh to warn him. Despair washed over her then and she burrowed further into Zuko's limp form, wishing that things had been different.
He stirred behind her, a soft grunt leaving him as he woke up. Katara felt his head lift from the pillow.
"Are you awake?" His voice was husky with sleep. She couldn't help but smile at the tremors that went through her at the sound. She was starting to realize how much she loved his voice. It had a calming effect on her.
"Yes." Her voice was small and she came back to reality, shaking off the last dredges of sleep. "What are we going to do?"
"It's gonna be okay, Katara," Zuko murmured into her hair. "I've got a plan."
Katara released his fingers then and rolled over so she could look him in the eye. He rested his free hand on her hip and she ignored the shiver that ran through her at his warming touch. He looked haggard, with deep shadows beneath his good eye.
"When did you come up with a plan?" Katara quipped curiously. After they had been sure the Conduit was gone they had retired to bed, drained from fear and the weight of failure crushing down on them. They had found solace together, curled up in each other's arms as they had so many times before now. But last night was different somehow. Katara had fallen asleep feeling secure, but with a small knot of anxiety in the pit of her stomach. The aftershocks of the Conduit, she supposed. She was certain he had fallen asleep quickly too. He had looked just as worn as she had.
But clearly, she'd been wrong about that.
"It doesn't matter," he hedged. "We need to get back to the ship as quickly as possible." But Zuko made no move to get out of bed.
"What?" Katara demanded to know, squirming under his intense golden gaze. The little boy in her dreams had those eyes. She didn't have time to think about it, though.
"Did you sleep okay?" he asked thoughtfully. "I thought I heard you having a bad dream."
She looked away. "No. No dreams for me." Katara sat upright and fluffed out her hair. "We better get going then. It's going to take at least five days to get back to the ship."
"I was thinking we would send a messenger hawk instead and have Jee meet us at the delta," Zuko told her. He sat up as well. "It'll be faster."
"Where are we going?" Katara wanted to know. "And what is this mysterious plan of yours? Are we going after the Conduit?"
"No, I think that would be a very bad idea. I don't think we're strong enough to take her down on our own." Zuko reached for his boots and tugged them on. "I'd really like to see old age if I can."
"Alright, so what then?"
Zuko looked up at her. "We're going to change the destiny of the prophecy."
Katara thought she misheard him. "I'm sorry, what?"
"I know it sounds crazy, but trust me." Zuko began to pack things away into his rucksack. "Nothing is set in stone. Not even prophecies. If we can change it then the crisis will be averted."
"You sound way too confident for someone who pulled that plan out of midair. That's the sort of plan Sokka would come up with." She eyed him suspiciously.
He shouldered his bag and looked at her. He hated lying, but he couldn't tell her the truth. Not right away. She would be furious if he told her where he had come up with this plan. Furious for risking his life or for not bringing her along, he wasn't sure. But he felt like he shouldn't tell her about going after the Conduit on his own. They didn't have time for useless squabbling between them, and Zuko knew her righteous anger all too well.
"Trust me," he said again."I'll tell you how we're going to do it on the way."
Katara nodded and smiled at him. "Okay."
"So my brother sought out the assistance of the bounty hunter with the beast who has the seeing nose," Azula mused to her companion. She drummed her fingers across her lips thoughtfully. "They're smarter than I had presumed. Things are moving along nicely, aren't they?"
"Yes, Princess," crooned the voice. "That weasel rat Mal-Chin's information proved valuable, after all. It seems we all underestimated your brother and the Water Tribe girl. What would you like us to do now?"
"We wait. It won't be long now. The Kage Noshi are right behind them, and my brother and his waterbender must be close to her. The Kage Noshi are in position to eliminate them as soon as they make contact with the Conduit."
Azula smiled devilishly at the thought. At long last, she would be rid of her brother. Then nothing would stand in her way. The throne would soon be hers.
"And the Conduit, your highness?"
"Don't you worry about that. The Kage Noshi are more than capable of handling that. It's why I sent them."
"You are the most intelligent, my lady. And what would you like to be done with your mother and sister?"
Azula's jaw clenched. "We will wait until my brother is dead to deal with them. Once he's out of the way, I'll take care of them myself."
Congratulations, dear reader. You have made it to the end of Part II! Stick around for Part III, will ya? That's when things really start getting interesting ;)