Katara sat up and found Chang standing over her. The adrenaline from her rude awakening made her alert, but her body was still catching up. She couldn't see what was happening and stood, rubbing her eyes.
"What…?" Chang put her hand up and Katara paused. Beyond her, Katara saw large plumes of fire erupting. She heard Zuko yell and her eyes snapped open.
"I have to help!" Katara shoved past Chang and ran toward the fire.
"Lady Katara! Wait!" Katara ignored her and pulled water from the humid air. She began pulling the water stream around her as she ran. As she approached Suki and Zuko, she paused to get her footing correct. She took in a breath, feeling the heat from the water rush into her body. Flicking her wrist rapidly, Katara pulled shards of ice from her other hand and flung it out.
Azula had spun, blue flames spewing from her feet. Katara aimed at her legs and the ice shards dug in. It was enough to knock Azula off balance, and the Firebender fell hard on the ground. Suki advanced on her, while Zuko pulled back and ran to Katara.
"Where's Sokka?" Katara asked, still holding her ball of ice shards.
"Over there. He got to Azula first and she knocked him out." Zuko said, pointing off to the right.
"He better not be dead." Katara muttered and melted the ice, holding the water around one hand.
They came upon Sokka's prone form and Katara knelt beside him. She passed the water over him, though the knot on the side of his head was probably what felled him. As she thought, there was no other damage done to him except for the hit to the head. Katara focused on moving the water around her brother's head as Zuko crouched beside her.
Zuko watched as Suki danced around Azula.
Azula had power but, as with her mind, her accuracy was degrading. Suki had studied with Aang on airbending techniques and moved in circles, using her fans to push the massive bursts of fire out of her way.
"Why isn't she bringing her down?" Katara asked as she glanced over at the pair.
"She's tiring her out. We have to leave Chang and them to watch Azula while we're gone." Zuko said.
Azula darted in close, jabbing a hand forward to get close to Suki. Suki dipped her body down, straightening her front leg while keeping her weight centered on her bent back leg. Fire ripped over her head and Suki jabbed a closed fan up into Azula's wrist. As she cried out out, Suki swept her leg around and tripped the princess. Azula hit the ground hard again and cried out. She sounded angry, frustrated, and it made her even sloppier.
"Where is Chang?" Katara turned back and continued working on her brother.
"Here, Lady Katara." Zuko jumped at the voice and Katara barely kept her own hands steady.
"Thank you Chang." Katara said.
"My pleasure. Did you have a good night?" Chang asked and Katara blushed.
"Stop meddling Chang." Zuko said, chastising lightly.
"Yes Fire Lord." Chang replied. At her hands, Sokka groaned, and Katara pulled the water away. She pushed the water into the ground and rolled back onto the heels of her feet. Looking over again, she watched as Suki continued to spin and dodge Azula's attacks.
"Zuko. She's crying." Zuko looked over and sighed. Azula didn't even seem to be aiming for Suki anymore. Fire erupted in erratic bursts and Suki deftly pushed Azula into her own steps. Even Suki was looking discomfit at Azula's messy movements. Finally, Azula slumped down, the spikes of blue fire dying from her hands.
"Alright. You take care of Sokka. I'll go attend to Azula." Zuko stood and walked over to Suki and Azula. Suki tucked her fans back into her belt and looked at him with a mix of sympathy and confusion. Zuko patted her shoulder and Suki nodded before walking off.
"Azula." Zuko said and sat down next to her. Azula had her face in her hands, pulling on her bangs, and rocking back and forth.
"Why did you take it Zuzu?" Azula whined.
"Azula, why did you keep it in your boot? You used to do that when we were children." Zuko said softly. Azula sniffled and started to shudder.
"Why did you take it?" She asked. Her voice warbled, each word coated in tears.
"If you were hiding it, I needed to know. Here." Zuko handed her the folded letter. Azula stopped rocking and raised her head, looking at the letter.
"You didn't, burn it?" Before Zuko could answer, Azula snatched the letter and stood, shoving it into her tunic. "You couldn't, could you?" Zuko hung his head down and sighed. Slapping his knees, he stood up slowly and brushed off his pants.
"If it's true, I'll figure out how to deal with it. If it's not, then we have nothing to worry about. But since you need it, I'll let you keep it as long as you behave." He said. Azula clutched at her front, and Zuko could hear the paper crinkling.
"Fine."
"Great. You're staying here with the others. I'll head into town and see if I can find mom." He replied and walked off.
"Sure. Have fun plotting with mother." Azula yelled at his back.
Katara saw his face twitch and she stood to meet him.
"Ready Katara?" He asked. Sokka rose shakily to his feet.
"Are you sure you want her to go with you? She might be better off here." Sokka said. "I can go with you for emotional support buddy."
"If you go with me, you'll just be worrying about Suki the entire time. Plus, I went with Katara on her mom related thing, she has to go with me for mine." Zuko sid. Sokka nodded and rubbed the back of his head as he looked over at Suki. She stood awkwardly, looking down at the still kneeling Firebender.
"Ok." He said and turned back to them. "But bring back some decent food." Zuko clapped a hand on Sokka's shoulder and smiled.
"Whatever you say buddy." Zuko walked off and Katara followed, waving at the group. Chang, surprisingly, looked concerned, and slipped her hands into her sleeves. Katara bit the inside of her cheek, but turned back to Zuko.
"Did you want to grab a cloak or something?" She asked as they walked pasta Dawa and their belongings.
"No. We're going in the light of day and by now, most everyone in the Fire Nation knows what their Fire Lord looks like." Zuko shook his head. "Hopefully we won't be here long."
It only took them about an hour to walk to the village. Hira'a was small, and most of the buildings were huts made from bamboo and palm fronds. The entrance to the village was marked off by a low fence, presumably more to just delineate the village from the sprawl of the forest.
Entering the village proper, they immediately walked into the market square. It was an open space, cleared of any brush and unpaved. Women and men could be seen in front of their stalls, sprinkling water on the packed earth to keep dust from kicking up. There was a lot of motion, considering the fact that it was still morning and most people should - to Katara - be working.
"It looks like they're putting on a play." Katara said as she tugged on Zuko's sleeve. He paused and turned to where she was pointing. A large stage loomed off to the side of the square and people were already milling about.
"My mother used to be in the troupe here. Someone might know something about her." He said idly.
They walked around the market square, talking to the merchants and a few of the people standing around waiting for the play to start. They all bowed when Zuko approached and nearly prostrated themselves when they couldn't supply him with any information about Ursa.
A few times, Zuko asked about Ikem and he was told that Ikem had left the village around the same time as Ursa and disappeared. Another man, a Yuyan archer, had come looking for Ikem and gone into the forest after the young man. Neither were seen again.
They did find out that the play today was "Love Amongst Dragons" and Zuko seemed to be cheered by that. They decided to stay and watch the show which, after all of their wandering, was going to start shortly.
They stayed toward the back of the crowd, unnerving all of the people around them, sharing a bag of fire flakes the vendor had given to them free of charge.
"This is my mother's favorite." Zuko said and popped a handful of fire flakes into his mouth. Katara blanched, she didn't like the heat of the snack food that much.
"Didn't you say that she used to drag you to see the Ember Island Players butcher it every year?" Katara asked as she pinched a small amount of flakes.
Zuko laughed. "I can't believe you remember that."
"I remember that awful play about us." Katara coughed as the heat of the fire flakes hit the back of her throat.
"Ssshh. It's starting." Zuko put a finger to his lips and Katara stuck out her tongue.
A man walked onto the stage and the crowd hushed. He cleared his throat and then stood with his hands clasped behind his back.
"Good afternoon. I thank you all for coming out today to see our annual production of 'Love Amongst Dragons.' Today is extra special as we have the Fire Lord in attendance for this showing." The man paused to bow and the crowd immediately, as one, turned to look at Zuko. Zuko let out a low groan as the crowd slowly, in staggered sections, bowed deeply. Katara saw Zuko grow nervous and they were saved by the man on the stage standing up.
"Thank you Fire Lord for your patronage of the arts." The man paused again and while the crowd stood upright, they were still staring.
"I thank you in advance for your performance. It, it was my mother's favorite and I am overjoyed to be able to see it in her native village." Zuko inclined his head and the man bowed again, briefly.
The crowd seemed appeased and they all turned back to the stage.
"I see we also have some new faces here. Welcome to Hira'a! My name is Noren," Some people in the crowd chuckled and Noren rolled his eyes in exaggeration. "My name is Noren and I am the director of the Hira'a acting troupe. We are pleased to present the classic play 'Love Amongst Dragons.' The Dragon Emperor this year is played by Jokkem. The Dark Water Spirit is Hiro. And returning again as the Dragon Empress, Riko!" The audience applauded and Katara clapped softly. Zuko still looked pained.
The play was one with a simple plot - the Dragon Emperor is cursed by the Water Spirit to be human, the human Dragon Emperor as Noren falls in love with another human, Noren defeats the Dark Water Spirit and returns to his form, and his girlfriend turns out to be the Dragon Empress - and it focused more on witty dialogue and deeply emotional monologues.
It was a good show, and the actors did a wonderful job presenting the story. When Jokkem and Riko, now in their costumes as dragons, kissed, Katara found herself tearing up. Zuko took her hand and, as she turned to look at him, gave her a gentle kiss. The crowd was focused on the scene onstage, so they didn't notice the Fire Lord mirror the kiss with the Waterbender. They broke apart as the crowd erupted in thunderous applause. Katara just looked into Zuko's eyes, feeling his hand slowly pull away from hers.
They refocused on the stage as the cast and Noren lined up. They held hands and bowed, as the crowd cheered.
"It was a good show." Katara said.
"It was too, sweet." Zuko said with a shrug and Katara smacked his arm lightly.
"Yeah, it was no Forms." She shot back and Zuko smirked.
"That was an excellent little piece." Katara blushed and Zuko laughed. "Come on, I want to go talk to the director. I want to know why this village puts on this particular play."
"Maybe it's just a tradition Zuko."
"No. My mother told me that their annual play was always different. That she looked forward to the years when they performed this one. I think this Noren guy changed that."
"Okay then." Zuko took her hand and they moved through the crowd. The people parted quickly and they made it to the stage easily. Noren was sitting on the stage, his legs hanging down, and was chatting with a few of the audience members. He looked up and saw them, turning to the others before jumping down. Katara watched him excuse himself and then walk over.
"Hello Fire Lord. I hope you were pleased with our little play." Noren said as he bowed. Zuko nodded and crossed his arms over his chest as Noren rose.
"It was excellent. The best performance I've seen done of it." He said and Noren smiled, softly.
"You are too kind." They lapsed into silence again and Katara got the feeling that Noren was simply being polite, and desperately wanted them to leave.
"I'm curious, sir." Katara spoke up and Noren jumped. He bowed again.
"I deeply apologize lady. I did not introduce myself or ask your name."
"This is Katara, of the Southern Water Tribe." Zuko said and Noren reached out his hand. Katara took it and they shook.
"A pleasure to meet one of the Elemental Warriors." He said. Katara was confused.
"Elemental….?" She drifted and shook her head. "Another play perhaps?" Noren laughed at this and the energy seemed to relaxed.
"You guessed it in one! I can't claim the honor, but a few of my friends in the theater circle have been gossiping about it." Noren shook his head. "But what is your question Katara of the Southern Water Tribe?"
"This play, why do you perform it annually?" She asked. Noren paused and a tight look came to his face.
"It just holds a special significance for me." He said easily.
"My mother preferred it as well." Zuko added and Noren now looked uneasy.
"Yes. Ursa was casted to play the Dragon Empress." Noren began to crack his knuckles.
"Opposite a man named Ikem. He played Noren." Katara glanced from Noren to Zuko and was confounded by the looks of both men. Noren looked anxious and Zuko's eyes seemed to darken.
"Is this, wait." Katara said and kept glancing between the two. "He can't be Ikem. The other villagers would have known it was him." Noren sighed and rubbed his face.
"No, I'm not Ikem. But I know of him. And his fate." He said, sounding dejected.
"I need you to tell me Noren." Zuko, on the other hand, sounded dangerous.
"Of course Fire Lord." Noren hung his head down. Zuko inhaled sharply and Noren looked up.
"Not as Fire Lord. As Zuko, the son of Ursa." Zuko stated. Noren held his gaze for a moment before nodding.
"Join me at my house for supper. I will explain as much as I can." Noren waved a hand and started to walk away from the stage. They followed him through the village, where many people hailed him. Noren waved at each and told a few that he could not stop, as he was entertaining the Fire Lord. It was only then that they seemed to notice Zuko and would bow. Zuko said nothing and they both followed in silence.
Almost toward the edge of the village, they stopped at a small hut. Like the other residences, there was a modest fence outlining the property and a small garden by the front door. A plain looking woman was kneeling in the garden, yanking out weeds.
"Noriko! We have guests!" Noren called as he stepped through the creaking gate. He stepped aside as Zuko and Katara followed after him, and the woman stood, brushing dirt from her pants.
She looked up as she hooked loose hair behind her hair and it took her a moment to register the pair that followed her husband. When she saw them, her eyes widened and she fell back to her knees.
"Oh my stars! Fire Lord Zuko!" Noriko bowed her head and Katara saw Zuko grimace for the briefest of moments.
"That's not really necessary." He mumbled as Noren walked over to his wife and helped her up. Noriko kept her face down as she wiped again at her pants.
"I have nothing prepared." Noriko hissed to her husband and Katara saw her fingers dig into his arm. Noren smiled but winced and patted her hand.
"I'm sure it's fine. He's not, well, he seems like a very nice man Noriko. Look, he came without his retinue." Noren said and slowly pried her hand off of his arm. Zuko, surprising them all, bowed a little.
"I thank you both for welcoming me into your home." He said and Noriko's face turned bright red.
"Oh my goodness, yes Fire Lord, please! Come in and make yourself at home! It is an honor to have you in my meager hut." Noriko looked at her husband, seeming to be almost terrified. "I'm going to clean up Kiyi and make some tea."
Noren held the door open for her and, after she had passed through, gestured for Zuko and Katara. They walked in and Katara was pleased to see how open and light the home seemed. The hut was circular and large, though it still didn't lend itself to being divided into rooms. There was a partition toward the back of the hut with a thick curtain drawn across the opening. To the right was another opening that stepped down into a dug out area that was technically considered the outside. There was a small fire and cooking implements.
In the main room where they stood was a low table surrounded by various ill-matched cushions. One large futon was sitting folded against the wall opposite of the cooking pit. The blankets and pillows placed on top were just as ill-matched as the cushions for the table.
"It's not much, but it's comfortable." Noren said and sat down at the table. Zuko and Katara followed suit. She turned to look at the curtain, hearing noises and splashing water behind it.
"So what can you tell me about Ikem?" Zuko asked as he settled in. Noren didn't respond right away, but turned to also look at the curtain.
"I would like to wait until after the meal, if you wouldn't mind." He said evenly. Zuko looked like he was about say something, but just then the curtain was pushed aside. A young girl, her hair wet and pulled back, stomped into the room and sat down at the table with a huff. Noriko quickly followed and as she knelt to take her seat next to Noren, lightly yanked on her daughter's hair. The girl, with a long, loud, and drawn out sigh, turned to face Katara and Zuko. Pounding her fist into her open palm with a slap, the girl jerked her head down.
"I am honored to meet the Fire Lord and one of the saviors of the Fire Nation." She said and then went back to sulking. Noriko tilted her head, her eyes wide and her mouth pursed.
"Kiyi." She whispered sharply. Kiyi looked at her mother with open frustration and threw her arms down on the table, her palms facing up.
"What. I did what you said!" Kiyi stated. Noren laughed and Noriko looked mortified.
"I apologize Fire Lord. It seems we have interrupted something important to my daughter." Noren said.
"Then I must apologize. What did we interrupt Kiyi?" Zuko asked. Kiyi, keeping her arms on the table, tilted her head sideways onto her shoulder and rolled her eyes up to look at him.
"I was DRAWING." She said. Zuko looked impressed.
"What were you drawing?" Everyone at the table looked shocked. Katara had never seen him interact with children directly before - save for the incident in the capital market - and she was stunned to see him engaged with the girl.
"I draw bending battles." Kiyi said and sat up, pulling her hands down into her lap. Noren nudged Noriko and she stood, shuffling over to the cooking pit. Katara watched as the woman added a few more sticks to the small fire and grabbed a large copper kettle. Katara put a hand on Zuko's shoulder and stood, going to help.
She could hear Kiyi launch into an explanation for the chaotic drawings she did of various Benders fighting. Katara went to Noriko and stepped down into the pit of cool pressed dirt. The floor of the hut had been covered in woven mats to keep down the dust.
"Can I help?" Katara asked and Noriko blushed.
"Oh it's no trouble. I just need to fill the kettle." The older woman said and hefted the kettle up. Katara smiled and waved her hand in small, loose circles.
"Please, allow me." She had seen barrel of collected rainwater outside and she pulled a small stream out of it. She used her bending to collect a generous glob of water and pulled it into the cooking pit. Noriko looked surprised but took off the lid to the kettle so Katara could feed the water inside. Once it was all gone, Noriko replaced the lid and placed the kettle on a hooked pole before swinging it over the fire.
"I didn't realize you were a Waterbender." Noriko said and wiped her hands at the hem of her tunic.
"I guess you don't get many of my kind out this far." Katara quipped easily and Noriko smiled. She saw the older woman's eyes move to the space over her shoulder and Katara turned back.
"No offense to you, but I can't imagine the Fire Lord being with a Waterbender. It seems so, odd." Katara turned back and saw Noriko still staring at the group at the table. Her voice had been soft and Katara fully believed that she hadn't intended to offend.
"Well, I'm not. I can't imagine the country being okay with that." Katara said and idly scratched at her arm. Noriko finally looked at her again and had another small smile.
"I think it would be good for the country to have a love match for the Fire Lord. Instead of a forced marriage." A shadow crossed Noriko's face and Katara raised an eyebrow. Noriko shook her head and put her hand to her forehead.
"Are you well?" Katara asked and took a step forward. Noriko held up her other hand while she attempted to smile again. It came, weakly.
"I'm fine. I have fits like this occasionally. Noren says it's from my time in the forest." She said. Noriko took several deep breaths and seemed to relax.
"What is this about the forest?" Katara asked. Noriko turned to look down at the kettle. Steam was already starting to come out of the spout in thin wisps.
"There's a part of this forest around the village called the Forgetful Valley. People who go in don't come out. The ones who come out have no idea who they are. They've forgotten everything." Noriko explained and Katara felt something grip in her stomach.
"And you came out of that, the Forgetful Valley?"
"Yes. Noren found me wandering the woods just outside of that area. He brought me here to Hira'a. I fell in love with it, and him, so I decided to stay." Noriko put her hands on her hips and shook her head.
"Do you ever wonder about what you've forgotten?" Katara felt bad for pushing so much into the woman's personal life, but she felt the need to pursue it.
"Oh sure. Once Kiyi was born, I had a strong desire to see my mother again. That's a bond that shouldn't be broken or forgotten." Katara kept herself from touching her neck, and instead nodded.
"That's why we're here. To find out what happened to Zuko's mother." She said. Noriko turned her head and she looked concerned.
"I didn't know the Fire Lord had lost his mother." With nothing to say, they both fell quiet. Noriko turned her attention back to the kettle as it began to whistle. She picked up a square piece of fabric and used it to hold the handle. She swung the kettle away from the fire but left it on the hook, moving over to a wooden counter. Katara moved closer and watched as the woman opened a small wooden chest and revealed twisting tea leaves. Noriko picked up a small spoon and scooped some of the tea into a ceramic pot.
"This tea is a local variety. They're smoked instead of dried and you can drink it with sweetened cream. It's my favorite." Noriko explained as she moved back to the kettle.
"May I?" Katara asked and Noriko blinked in confusion. It took a few seconds for her to comprehend and she nodded. Katara pulled the water from the kettle's spout and poured it into the ceramic pot. Noriko placed the lid with a soft clink and began to collect wooden cup on a tray.
"That is so much easier than trying to tip a hot and heavy kettle." Noriko said and Katara smiled. The other woman bent down and opened a small hatch covering a hole in the ground. Noriko pulled out another ceramic pot, though straw was sticking to it from condensation. Raising, she tilted open the flat lid a little and Katara saw the creamy liquid inside.
Wordlessly, Noriko collected cups, spoons, the cream, and the teapot and placed them neatly on the tray. She then grabbed the tray handles and nodded her head back toward the sitting room.
"Go on in, I have this." She said and Katara stepped back up into the hut.
At the table, papers were strewn about as well as colored sticks. Kiyi was chattering on about the advantages of Firebending in any situation as she drew bold red lines across a page. Zuko had leaned across the table and was drawing curling blue plumes as he tried to give Kiyi situations when Firebending might not work.
"What about an eclipse?" Katara asked as she sat down. Kiyi sighed and kept drawing.
"We already talked about THAT." She said. Zuko put down the blue coloring stick and sat back.
"According to Kiyi, during an eclipse we still have the upper hand because our fighting style can best any of the other forms." He explained. Katara pulled her mouth into a thin line and Zuko chuckled. "I tried to tell her that you wiped the floor with me in the North Pole but she just said I was cold."
Noriko clicked her tongue as she approached and Kiyi cleared a space on the table for the tray. As she knelt and doled out cups of tea, Noriko looked pointedly at her husband.
"Noren. You need to tell them about the Forgetful Valley." She said. Noren reached for the cream and grabbed it from the tray.
"Hmm?" He intoned as he lifted the lid and poured a bit of cream into his cup.
"Hiro and Jung were talking about it just last month. About how for every person who goes into the forest, they seem to always get one back. They said-" Noren shot her a look and Noriko paused. With a huff, she sat down and offered the cream to Katara and Zuko.
"I will get to that." Noren said and then took a drink of tea. "It's not exactly the best conversation to be having with the Fire Lord dear." Katara and Zuko exchanged a look but decided to stay quiet and drink their tea.
They would get to that.