"Plots and Plans"
And was Mr. Rochester now ugly in my eyes? No, reader: gratitude, and many associations, all pleasurable and genial, made his face the object I best liked to see; his presence in a room was more cheering than the brightest fire. Yet I had not forgotten his faults: indeed, I could not, for he brought them frequently before me. He was proud, sardonic, harsh to inferiority of every description: in my secret soul I knew that his great kindness to me was balanced by unjust severity to others. He was moody, too; unaccountably so: I more than once, when sent for to read to him, found him sitting in his library alone, with his head bent on his folded arms; and, when he looked up, a morose, almost malignant scowl, blackened his features. But I believed that his moodiness, his harshness, and his former faults of morality (I say former, for now he seemed corrected of them) had their source in some cruel cross of fate. I believed he was naturally a man of better tendencies, higher principles, and purer tastes than such as circumstances had developed, education instilled, or destiny encouraged. I thought there were excellent materials in him; though for the present they hung together somewhat spoiled and tangled. I cannot deny that I grieved for his grief, whatever that was, and would have given much to assuage it. ~ Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre
The last hours of the night found the Freedom Fighters at the same tavern; only now they didn't sit at a large table. Instead Jet sat at a table for two, opposite a dangerous-looking yet somehow beautiful woman. The other Freedom Fighters listened to their conversation from other nearby tables.
"I don't usually make night calls," Jun said coolly, "but they said you'd make it worth my while."
Jet responded by tossing a small, bulging bag to her. Jun took out a gold piece and rubbed it on her chin. "I'm listening."
"Here's the thing," Jet said in a low voice. "I have my heart set on marrying Katara. But … she needs a little persuasion."
"She dumped him!" The Duke said, butting in. Jet promptly swatted the boy's forehead, hard.
Jun raised an eyebrow at the boy, who was just a few years younger than her. "You brought me here to give you girl advice?"
"Of course not," Jet said patiently. "Listen, everyone knows Katara's brother is a lunatic. Last night, he came here raving about a spirit in a castle …"
"Sokka is harmless," Smellerbee interrupted, sounding indignant.
"That's not the point," Jet said, glaring at her. "The point is, Katara would do anything to keep him from being taken away."
"Yeah, even marry him," Pipsqueak piped up, jerking his thumb at Zuko. Jet shot him a threatening look, and he ducked back under the table.
Jun's expression was calculating. "So you want the Dai Li to arrest her brother unless she agrees to marry you."
Jet nodded.
"Oh, that is despicable." Jun laughed. "I love it!"
Sokka stomped around his and Katara's house, rummaging through cupboards, collecting various items and heaping them on the table.
He spoke aloud, to fill the silence of the house, which seemed so quiet with Katara not there. "I am not going to just sit here while some – psycho has Katara hostage," he said forcefully, rummaging through the supplies he had found. He started to pack things into a bag—spark rocks, maps, candles, food.
"I don't care if no one believes me. If no one will help me, then I'll go alone. I'll find that castle and somehow I'll get her out of there. It's my fault, and anyway I'm supposed to be taking care of her."
He stepped outside, and for a moment he faltered, wondering which way to go. He hadn't been able to tell what direction the palanquin traveled in to bring him home.
"I was heading to Omashu first," Sokka remembered. So he would start in that direction. He squared his shoulders and started walking. The wind shifted the snow on the ground, covering his footprints behind him.
Scarcely half an hour had passed before a group of people came up the path, walking in the same direction in which Sokka was traveling. Jet pounded on the door. When no one answered, he kicked it open and went inside.
"Katara! Sokka?"
Only darkness and silence greeted him.
"Spread out and look for them," Jet ordered.
"Jet, this is breaking and entering!" Smellerbee hissed. "I think they're really gone."
"Oh well, we tried," The Duke said with a shrug.
Jet snorted. "I'm not giving up that easily anymore. I learned that from you guys," he added.
The Freedom Fighters exchanged glances. It seemed their pep talk had worked well – too well.
They followed Jet back outside. The Duke started to walk down the path, but Jet grabbed him by the collar and tossed him into a snowdrift just outside the front door.
"Don't move from that spot until they come home," Jet instructed him sternly. "And when they do, let me be the first to know!"
The Duke looked affronted. Smellerbee patted him on the back. "We'll take it in shifts," she assured him.
"This is going to be a long stakeout," Pipsqueak said heavily.
House arrest. Over the next several weeks, Katara decided that was the best term for her situation.
It was a new experience for Katara, having the freedom to do what she pleased, so long as she stayed in the castle grounds. The Kyoshi Warrior servants did her laundry and cleaned her room, so she didn't even have to do chores. She went to the kitchen when she was hungry. Aunt Wu showed her the library, the room in the palace that seemed to collect the most dust, and Katara spent hours reading. There were maps and astronomical charts that would have fascinated Sokka. But what Katara studied most intently were the scrolls, instructions for bending and fighting.
The only thing she was required to do was have dinner with the Blue Spirit each night. But even this was bearable now. It was strange, how saving each other had somehow made them more comfortable. Of course there was still some awkwardness, but there was less real tension between them. As a last resort, Katara could talk about the books she was reading.
She tried to visit Appa every day. The mysteriously large staff kept him fed and groomed him, but Katara took it upon herself to take him for walks. She saw him look up longingly at the sky. "No flying now, Appa," she said gently. Sometimes she wondered if she should just set him free, or send him back to Sokka; but Appa was the only part of her old life that she had taken with her, and she might need him if ever there was an emergency, if they needed to leave.
The castle and grounds were covered with a blanket of snow, providing a fine supply of water she could use. She started practicing the moves she was learning from the library scrolls.
Katara was also getting used to the feeling that she was being watched. She reasoned it was because so many of the objects in the castle could talk and think for themselves. But at the moment, there was also a person watching her. The Blue Spirit was standing on a balcony several stories above, with Iroh, Arnook, Aang, and Yue perched on the railing.
"I've never felt this way about anyone," the Blue Spirit murmured. He wasn't in love with her – not yet, at least – but he for the first time in a long time, there was someone he could try to please. And he hadn't forgotten the fact that she saved him, when she could have escaped. He fingered the bandage on his arm, where Katara had healed him. The wound had almost healed, but it was still tender.
"I want to do something for her," the Blue Spirit said suddenly. Then he looked discouraged. "But what?" He looked appealingly at the others.
"Well, there are the usual things," Arnook said. "Flowers, sweets …"
"Promises you don't intend to keep," Aang spoke up, only half joking.
"No," Yue said seriously. "No promises. Even if you mean it at the time, you just might not be able to keep them."
"No," Iroh said thoughtfully, "it must be something very special. Something that sparks her interests."
The Blue Spirit glanced back down at the scene below. Now Katara was waterbending with the snow around her.
"Wait—I've got it!" Iroh said, clapping his wicks together. But the Blue Spirit was already gone.
At the moment, Katara was balancing a clump of snow in midair, seeing how well she could move it. Concentrating, she melted it into water, then froze it into solid ice shaped like spikes. She shot her arm forward, and the spikes flew in the air, hitting the trunk of a leafless tree.
"You're good," a voice said from behind her. Startled, Katara turned and saw the Blue Spirit approaching her.
"Thanks," she said automatically. She glanced down at the snow, and noticed there were no footprints in behind him. She frowned. "How did you get here?" Maybe he really was a spirit …
"Climbed down from the balcony," he said casually. "Thought it'd be easier."
Katara blinked at him. Easier?
"I want to show you something," he said. "Come on."
Curious, Katara followed him back into the castle. He led her through hallways on the ground floor, until finally they stopped outside a door. Unlike the other wooden doors in the castle, this one was made of metal. Embossed in it was an insignia featuring the symbols of the four elements.
"Close your eyes," the Blue Spirit instructed her.
Katara raised an eyebrow at him, just a little bit suspicious.
"It's a surprise," he explained, sounding almost as though he were smiling.
After a moment, Katara closed her eyes dutifully. She heard the Blue Spirit open the door; then she felt him take both of her hands and lead her forward.
The floor felt different: it felt uneven, like dirt instead of hardwood. And it smelled like … spring. The outdoors.
"Can I open my eyes?"
"All right … now."
Katara opened her eyes. Then she gasped, and for the first time since she came to the castle, it was out of delight rather than horror.
They were standing in a large, circular room – if you could call it that. There was no floor, only bare ground. There was a hill of earth, and a large pool of water that took up a third of the room. The room was encircled with a seats behind a bar, as though set aside for spectators. The ceiling was fifty feet high and made of glass, allowing sunlight to stream in.
Katara looked around in awe. "This is the arena?"
"Yes. Do you like it?" There was no denying the hope and pleasure in his voice.
"I love it! It's amazing."
"You can use it, anytime you like. And …" He hesitated. "If you ever need someone to practice with, or if you want to spar with someone … well, you can ask me."
Katara looked at him for a moment. He thought that she was considering; but then she said, "May I ask you something?"
"What?"
"It's just … I don't know your name," Katara said softly. "And they say you're a prince, or something … so what should I call you?" Your Highness seemed too formal, especially if he wasn't really her prince.
The Blue Spirit merely looked at her. Then he turned to leave, but he paused at the door. "Zuko," he murmured.
"Sorry?"
"My name is Zuko," the Blue Spirit said, louder that time.
Katara smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you, Zuko."
She correctly guessed that he was smiling too.
Now the two young adults had something they could bond through. Zuko released some of his pent-up emotions through the physical activity, and was pleasantly surprised to find that he enjoyed teaching. He was skilled, both with fire and with dual swords, but it had been a while since he had a human opponent to spar with.
"I perceive a change," Aunt Wu observed one day.
"You don't need to be a fortuneteller to notice it," Arnook said pointedly.
"It's so good that they're spending time together," Yue agreed.
"I daresay, he almost seems happy," Iroh said. "Or at least, a bit more lighthearted."
"I just wish they'd hurry," Arnook harrumphed anxiously.
Iroh looked thoughtful; then, seeming to come to a decision, he started down the hallway.
"Where are you going?" Yue asked.
"To find Zuko! And then to find Katara!"
"Wait for us!" Aang called out.
Arnook considered. "Normally, I don't approve of your meddling, Iroh … but if it's essential to our humanity … by all means."
But an hour later, they were no closer to finding the Blue Spirit than they had been before.
"Where could he be?"
"We've searched every corner."
"I'm beginning to think he's not in the castle at all."
Arnook glanced up at the table under the window. "Iroh, if you would …"
"Of course." The candelabrum stood tall, with one arm pointed to the floor and the other pointed toward the table, the wicks like waxen stairs. Arnook climbed up the stairs onto the table, where he aimed his scope downward to look at the ground.
"There he is! He's taking a walk."
"Wonderful!" Yue said.
"No time to waste," Arnook said importantly, jumping down onto the floor. "We must find a way to get them together."
"Let's go! Love will not wait," Iroh said, leading his friends down the hall.
They found Katara in the library, poring over star and moon charts. She looked up and smiled at them. "Hi guys. Hey Aang, do you know what day it is?"
"Um …" Aang glanced at the others, clueless.
Katara pointed to a mark on a celestial calendar. "It's just two days before the Winter Solstice."
"But winter's already here!" Yue said cheerfully. "Just look at the snow and ice –"
"The pond is frozen over – you could go ice skating," Aang suggested.
Katara glanced up at the window. "You know … that's a good idea," she said finally.
"Excellent!" Arnook said happily.
Suki the wardrobe provided a pair of ice skates, like nothing Katara had ever owned before. The objects chattered while they headed downstairs.
"You're all very … chipper this morning," Katara observed, coming to the side door.
"Oh – it's just a beautiful day," Iroh said casually.
Katara pushed the door open, revealing the wide expanse of snow-covered ground and the frozen pond, and—Zuko, walking across the ice.
"Oh! Uh—good morning," Katara said, remembering her manners.
Zuko looked up, startled, and then slipped on the ice as he turned to look at her. He landed on his back with a painful grunt.
"Oh my gosh!" Katara hurried over, taking care not to slip on the ice. "Are you all right?" She started to reach down, but Zuko pushed himself back up, so she took a step back.
"I – fell – and I landed on my – um, on the ice."
"It's pretty slippery," Katara said, and then felt embarrassed saying something so lame.
"Yes, it's … slippery."
Katara giggled and sat down on the bank. "This is a perfect day for skating," she said, putting on her skates.
"If you like that," Zuko said, shrugging one shoulder.
"So you can climb up and down buildings, but you can't ice skate?"
"It's not that I can't," he said immediately. "It's just not something I do often."
"Okay then. You're helping me with fighting; and I'm helping you with skating." Katara extended her hand toward him. "Come on!"
The Blue Spirit glanced behind him at the others.
"Go on, Zuko!" Iroh urged. "It might be fun."
Katara laughed. "Okay, try it like this. One, two, three; one, two, three." Then she spun in a circle to face him again. "See, it's easy!"
Zuko took a cautious step forward, wobbling as he tried to count. "One, two three …"
"That's it," Katara encouraged.
"I'm going to rust in this snow," Arnook said, shaking the wetness off of one tripod leg.
"You can't leave; we need you to get a good look at them," Iroh pointed out.
"I think this may work," Yue said optimistically.
"I know it will," Aunt Wu said confidently.
The scene was carefree and optimistic, a direct contrast to another happening simultaneously.
Melancholy music wafted through the rooms in the Dragon Bone Catacombs. It emanated from a large pipe organ standing against the wall, playing of its own accord. With each chord, thin jets of blue fire blew out from each of the notes' respective pipes.
The last measure was met with a small but enthusiastic round of applause from a piccolo who had been listening.
"Brava!" she whistled, clapping her metal hands. "Encore!"
The pipe organ smiled condescendingly at her. "You approve, Ty Lee?"
"Oh, it was beautiful, Azula. It was pretty and poetic, but also scary in a good way."
"It's just an opera …" Azula played another measure, and the high notes made the glass in the window panes crack, adding to the macabre décor of the room. "… to bring the house down." Azula laughed softly.
"Is there a part for a piccolo?"
Azula paused. "As a matter of fact, yes. There's a solo just for you."
"Oh …" Ty Lee sighed dreamily. "I've always wanted a solo."
"Yes, I know," Azula said drily. "But during my crescendo, I thought heard something happening outside. Will you have a look?"
Ty Lee wiped away the condensation on the window and peered through. Her eyes widened. "Well, would you look at that?"
Azula raised an eyebrow. "Well, I think I will," she said sarcastically. "I'll just pick myself up and come over … oh wait … I'm bolted to the wall!" she screamed.
"Oh, right," Ty Lee said sheepishly. "Um, Prince Zuko is … skating."
"Skating?" Azula repeated incredulously. "Why in the Spirit World would he be doing that?"
Ty Lee giggled. "Probably because that pretty girl is holding his hand … she must be the one they all talk about."
"What? Katara?" Azula did not look happy about this.
Ty Lee's eyes lit up. "Hey … maybe she'll be the one to fall in love with him—and she'll break the spell—and we'll be human again!"
Azula struck a horrifying, ominous chord that wiped the hopeful smile off Ty Lee's face.
"Ty Lee," Azula said in a pained, patient tone, "humanity is vastly overrated. This way, we're immortal. And Zuko never needed me until after this happened." It was true: Zuko had never liked Azula's gloomy compositions, until he was in the right mood for them. And though Zuko hadn't realized it, he was more open to listening to her, which meant that she had more power over him now. And she wasn't going to let some peasant girl ruin it for her.
"Ty Lee," Azula said sternly, "see to it that their little outing does not end well. If there's any sign of affection, nip it in the bud."
"Uh – yes, Your Highness," Ty Lee said. She opened the window slightly and slipped out, standing on the outer windowsill. She surveyed what lay beneath her: towers, turrets, stretches of roof, all covered with snow and ice. And it was about two hundred yards down to the ground. "Hmm."
"What kind of acrobat is afraid of heights?" Azula said sardonically.
"I'm not afraid!" Ty Lee protested at once. "I'm just trying to figure out the best route …" She clamped her arms to her sides, about to jump, then paused. "Um – cannonball? No – timber? Ah, I know: Look out below!" And with that she jumped down vertically, sliding down an expanse of slanted roof, then jumping from one spire to another, making her way to the ground.
Zuko was now skating circles around Katara. "One, two, three—one, two three—I think I've got it!" Zuko was excited in spite of himself. Katara laughed, glad to see him happy for once. It was a refreshing change of pace.
They knew the others were watching, but they weren't paying attention. So they didn't notice a newcomer arrive, trying to catch some of the action.
"Hey, I want to see!" Ty Lee announced, jumping up and down.
"Sh! This is very promising," Arnook said.
"They're holding hands!" Aang cheered.
Katara had taken Zuko's gloved hand in hers, to keep him steady and guide him on the ice. Now they were skating almost in sync, and smiling at each other.
"There is something in the air," Iroh said romantically. "Could it be love?"
Ty Lee's eyes widened. "Love? Oh no, Azula will be angry. I've got to do something …" She trailed off nervously. "Mm … Azula says I shouldn't toot my own horn, but this is a bit of an emergency. Well, here goes." Then she sucked in a deep breath, and let out a shrill off-key note.
The high sound rang in Katara and Zuko's ears. They had been going at a fast pace, and they were too surprised and distracted to stay balanced or come to a smooth stop.
"Whoa!" Both skaters fell into the snow on the bank of the pond.
Katara could hear someone fumbling with something. She pushed herself up on her arms and rolled onto her back to face Zuko. Then she became still, as she realized the Blue Spirit mask had almost fallen off. She saw a sliver of pale skin and – something black, not from his clothing but from his flesh. But he quickly readjusted the mask and tied it back on securely.
"Wonder what that was about," Zuko said, sounding grumpy again.
"Maybe it's the full moon," Katara mused. "They say weird things happen when the moon is full. Same for solstices—that's when spirits can visit the physical plane, and vise versa—and the Winter Solstice is the day after tomorrow. I'm kind of excited; it's not often there's a full moon on the Solstice."
The Blue Spirit was silent. Again, Katara wished she could see his expression; it was so hard to deduce his emotions.
"Do you do anything special for solstices, or the New Year?"
"No!" was the surprisingly harsh response.
Katara looked startled. The Blue Spirit stood abruptly, brushing the snow off his black clothing and stomping back to the castle, leaving Katara confused and somewhat hurt.
No one noticed Ty Lee giggle. "Azula is going to be so proud of me." She hopped off in the direction of the castle.
"I don't know why I bother." Katara sighed, flopping back in the snow.
"Don't lose heart," Yue said encouragingly.
A dark melody greeted the Blue Spirit when he stormed into the Dragon Bone Catacombs.
Zuko looked at the enchanted fire lily. It had been wilting for almost two years now, the sole beauty in this enigma, and a constant reminder that time was slipping away. The coming of the New Year was just the mark of another year wasted. And this was the last winter before his twenty-first birthday.
"I hate Winter Solstice," he said sullenly.
Azula spoke up from the other room. "The music helps?"
Zuko chuckled darkly. "Your music is the thing that helps me forget."
"Don't worry, brother," Azula said supportively. "I'm here for you, just as I have been, just as I always will be."