Encounter with Embers
AFTER SUKI'S FUNERAL, everyone retired for the evening, weary from the day's tragic events. Everyone bid one another goodnight, although the exchange between Katara and Zuko was awkward, and Sokka barely talked to anyone.
Haru gently took Katara's arm and walked her to her bedroom. He said nothing about Sokka or Suki or the funeral, but did mention one particular thing: "You should apologize to Zuko for what you said to him." He suggested softly.
Katara flushed with embarrassment and looked down. "I was so angry…I know I was irrational…" she admitted.
Haru nodded with empathy. "I know you love Sokka and Suki very much and you reacted out of your love for them, but Zuko…he's your, no, our friend. He didn't mean for this to happen." He explained gently.
"I know, I was wrong." She stopped before her bedroom door and faced Haru. "I'll apologize to him tomorrow morning after our meeting."
"Good." He gave her a chaste kiss. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Haru." She whispered as he left. She entered her bedchambers, closing her door with a sigh. And then smiled as she dressed into her bedclothes. Haru was so special…he made her admit that she was wrong without making her feel guilty or under scrutiny. He would make a good father someday…
She blushed with that thought. Babies? With Haru? She giggled at the thought, sitting before her vanity. She unfastened her hair, brushing it out. Oh, to have children… bundles of joy…
She frowned softly. But not while this war continued. There was no way of knowing for sure whether this war would end soon, but Katara did know one thing: She would not have children while there was still a war going on. It was unfair to them, to know the pain and misery that she and Sokka knew. To lose both parents to war literally and metaphorically and to lose your lovers…
Sokka…her eyes stung slightly with unshed tears. My brother… she mourned for him silently, for all he had lost today…
A soft knock pulled her away from her thoughts and startled her. Could it be Haru again?
"Who's there?" she asked softly.
"It's me." Sokka answered. She knew it was him, even though the door muffled his voice.
"Come in." she said.
He opened the door slowly, entering swiftly, and closing the door gently. He turned to face her. "Hey…" he felt so awkward…
"Hi." She smiled softly, getting up to greet him with a hug.
He returned the hug, but he wasn't quite himself. He seemed…distracted.
Well, of course, Katara berated herself. He'd just lost the love of his life.
"Do you want to stay here tonight?" she inquired gently, her hand coming up to caress Sokka's cheek comfortingly.
He nodded slightly, leaning his face into her touch.
Suddenly Katara remembered all the times Sokka had let her climb into bed with him when they lived in the South Pole. She would claim she had experienced a nightmare, but that was true only half the time. The other half she just didn't want to be alone. Their mother had died in a Fire Nation raid, and their father had left to go fight in the war. She was so scared of being alone…of losing Sokka too.
And from the way Sokka had always allowed her to join him under the covers made of warm furs and skins, she knew that he didn't want to be alone either. That he was scared too. But he had a job to do, and that was to keep her safe. And he did it well.
She gently led him to bed, tucking him in as a mother would. She crawled in too, lying beside him. He hugged her to him, resting his head on her breast. She heard nothing but his breath, then: "Will you sing that song?" he asked softly.
She brought a hand up to stroke his hair. "The one mom sang?"
"Yes."
She continued stroking his hair and crooned the soft, almost forgotten memory of their mother's lullaby. Tears fell down her face into Sokka's hair, and she knew that Sokka's tears wet her nightgown. Oh, Sokka…
They fell asleep quickly, the tears drying on their tanned cheeks. And morning came all too quickly.
SUNLIGHT FILTERED LAZILY into the room, falling into Katara's eyes, waking her. She brought her hand up to block the offending light, and felt a strange pressure on her chest. She looked down and saw her brother sleeping soundly.
She couldn't help but smile. He looked so innocent and childlike in this state. His hair was unbound, falling into his face, his mouth open slightly. He was very handsome, and Katara realized that this was what Suki saw every morning she woke with Sokka. She was a lucky girl, to have such moments in her life.
Katara was not too jealous that Sokka and Suki had found one another in such a terrible time, but was instead happy for them. But now she grieved for them. She brought her hand to Sokka's head, stroking his silky brown hair. Brother…I'm so sorry for everything you've lost…the pain you've endured…for Yue, and Suki…
She gently pulled away from Sokka, so as not to disturb his sleep, and got up. She dressed quickly and quietly, tying her hair back into its customary style. She stole one last glance at Sokka before leaving to attend the morning meeting.
He deserved the peaceful bliss that came with sleep, at least for a while longer.
She walked briskly down the halls and entered the war council room. Everyone was talking and settling down into their seats. Good, she wasn't late.
Once everyone was there, with Sokka as the exception, Zuko began the meeting.
"Our big question now is what's next? What do we want to accomplish?" Zuko asked.
"We should try guerrilla warfare…attack and retreat, attack and retreat…" Jet announced.
"Yeah, we should be a thorn in the Fire Nation's side." Toph agreed.
Zuko looked thoughtful. As of late he began allowing people to make comments, then he would ask questions to make them think of every possible angle of the plans suggested. "Being a thorn may not be enough. We must be an equal blast of flame, several arrows…a gush of water." He glanced briefly at Katara before continuing. "My sister Azula holds a grudge. She will be angry for Mai and Ty Lee's betrayal. And for my treachery against the Fire Nation."
"If she sends assassins, Toph and Ty Lee will be our greatest assets." Haru spoke up.
Toph grinned at this and Ty Lee nodded.
"Azula would be accompanying them. She is quite involved with her vendettas." Mai commented.
Katara frowned. "I'll take Azula on if she comes."
"She is a Firebending prodigy, Katara." Zuko warned her.
"And I'm a Master Waterbender!" Katara argued. She grit her teeth, as her temper came back unexpectedly. "I will slay her by my hand." She announced vehemently.
Zuko chuckled at this. "There are many who want her blood spilled, Katara. You are not first in line."
Haru chose to speak up. "It's not about who slays what enemy. It's about the fact that that enemy is slain."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"So, if Azula and her assassins come, we should be ready. We should increase security. Be very alert. She'll retaliate quickly." Mai said.
"Azula is planning on taking Ba Sing Se, since we've lost Omashu." Ty Lee spoke up. Everyone turned to look at her, shocked.
"Why didn't you say so before?" Zuko demanded.
Ty Lee shrugged slightly. "I wasn't sure if…well…I didn't want to speak out of turn. Or be the bearer of more bad news." She replied lamely.
The meeting was briefly interrupted by Sokka hurrying in, still dressed in his bedclothes, his hair mussed. "Sorry." He mumbled quickly, taking a seat next to Toph.
Katara frowned. "So I doubt we need to worry about Azula coming to take back Omashu or have her vendetta against us."
"Well, considering I know her plans and I've betrayed her, she may choose to change course entirely." Ty Lee trailed off.
Zuko frowned. "Azula likes to keep people guessing…she likes to take them off guard."
"We need to keep Omashu and Ba Sing Se heavily guarded." Katara reminded them.
Sokka, having caught the gist of conversation, spoke up: "We can't stretch our troops too far, because Azula will know she has us trapped. So she'll send a huge attack to one place, knowing we've stretched ourselves out between Omashu and Ba Sing Se. So we need to decide what our biggest priority is."
"Well, if Ba Sing Se is taken, we can always win it back." Toph said confidently.
"But they'll feel like we did nothing to stop the Fire Nation from attacking." Katara noted.
"The Dai Li will be sure to see Omashu fall, if Azula is convincing enough." Iroh spoke up. He had taken to attending the meetings silently, commenting only when these young adults failed to see certain things or know certain things simply because of their lack of experience and knowledge.
They all turned to him, surprised.
"The…Dai Li?" Toph questioned, confused.
"They are a secret police that enforce cultural purity of Ba Sing Se. the civilians of the city aren't even aware of the war. The Dai Li are a corrupt agency, and if what Azula offers is favorable, they'll turn on Ba Sing Se immediately…and hand it over to Azula." Iroh answered.
"Then that is our priority." Katara announced. She frowned softly. "Azula will only attack Omashu to satisfy her vendetta. If Ty Lee, Mai, and Zuko are at Ba Sing Se, she will conveniently kill two birds with one stone. Omashu will be safe in our absence."
Zuko nodded in agreement. "Azula will be unable to resist the allure of capturing an easy gain like Ba Sing Se. she knows that her status will rise in our father's eyes at such a victory. So we will meet her there, stop her, and also gain allies in the process."
"The Dai Li…can they be convinced to join our side?" Haru asked.
"Do we want corrupt warriors with unhinged morals on our side?" Jet replied.
"I don't know, we did take you." Katara jabbed.
Jet chuckled. "So then…lets take them."
"We'll hold off on accepting them until we see what they're about." Zuko interrupted. He looked among the face of his companions. "Our main priority is to save Omashu and recruit soldiers. They will likely need training, as they are not aware of the war, but will be useful in the final battle against the Fire Nation."
"Final battle?" Ty Lee asked.
"The Day of Darkness is the day we attack, full force." Mai answered. She looked at Ty Lee, her façade lit with hope. "It is the day of the next solar eclipse."
"Oh…I see." Ty Lee nodded in understanding.
"So, we leave for Ba Sing Se in three days time. Prepare yourselves." Zuko announced. He dismissed everyone, and they left the room with their minds reeling from such a big decision.
Mai gave him a kiss on the check as she left to catch up with Ty Lee. He watched her leave with a small grin. Mai seemed so much happier now that she had her long time friend by her side.
He gathered the maps, sacking them neatly. And nearly jumped out of his boots when someone tapped his shoulder.
"Eyah!" he turned to glare at the offender, hesitating when he saw it to be Katara. "Oh…" he half expected her to start screaming and yelling at him again, and wanted to prepare himself for it the best he could.
"I'm not here to be…I…well, I wanted to apologize." Katara said, looking downcast.
Zuko blinked with surprise, willing himself to relax slightly. He would not be doused in water, it seemed.
Katara continued, her tone that of regret. "Yesterday…it wasn't your fault. You're trying to do the best you can with what you have. And…well, I think you're a great leader, Zuko." She admitted truthfully.
Zuko felt his esteem rise slightly. Katara thought he was a good leader? That meant a lot to him, because that's what he strived to be. That's what he ultimately wanted to be: a great leader of his soon to be great Nation. "I understand…you were hurt by…" he didn't even need to say it.
She bit her lip that had begun to tremble. She hadn't really had a good chance to just let it all out, because she'd had to be strong for Sokka. Tears stung at her eyes.
"You…you did right by Sokka yesterday." He complimented her gently.
She nodded, her vision blurry from her tears that had begun to trail down her face, and she leaned on the table beside them for support. "I don't know…he doesn't deserve this." She whimpered softly. She felt embarrassed, to break down in front of Zuko, her ex-foe, now friend. General. Leader.
But he rested a hand on her tanned shoulder. "Katara…no one ever deserves this…" he tried to be comforting. Mai hadn't ever been the hysterical type, and he wasn't accustomed to dealing with women and their emotions to begin with. Unless you considered Azula, but she was crazy and therefore didn't count.
She collapsed to the ground, sobbing softly. "He already lost Yue…and now Suki…" he gasped between sobs.
He crouched beside her, his hands resting on her shoulders firmly. "Yue?"
Katara sniffled. "She was the Princess of the Northern Water Tribe…"
Zuko vaguely remember his Uncle telling him of the Princess who had been touched by the Moon Spirit. And he remembered how she had nobly sacrificed her life for the benefit of the entire world. Sokka and this Princess Yue had loved one another…and lost one another…
He heart bleed for Sokka, to know that he had already lost so much. "I'm sorry." He replied meekly, knowing it wasn't enough.
Katara cried harder, and buried her face into his chest, soaking his tunic with her tears. He awkwardly held her, patting her head gently as comfort. After she seemingly exhausted herself, she pulled away, her face flushed with grief and embarrassment.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean…" she began, attempting to save whatever face she had left.
His hand reached up to wipe away her tears, and a jolt passed though them both. He instinctively knew, he didn't know how, that if Mai and he had never been reunited, that this Water girl would have stolen his heart for her own. And that he wouldn't have minded all that much.
Katara felt confused by the shock that passed through her at Zuko's touch. She and Haru cared about one another deeply, so why should Zuko's touch invoke such a…she didn't even know what it was.
She knew he loved Mai with all of his heart, but also knew they had a relationship that was built upon since their childhood. She knew they were comfortable with one another, had a long history with one another, and knew one another very well.
Zuko was practically a stranger, and although she would occasionally see glimpses into a more profound side of him, she wasn't sure what to think of him. She felt another rush of embarrassment and quickly fled, her heart pounding.
Zuko watched the Water Tribe girl flee wordlessly. And wondered what the hell had just happened. He shook his head, as if to shake the entire incident from his memory. But he could not. So he concluded that he should take it for what it was: a glimpse into what could have been. And that was that.
He had Mai, and was very happy with her. Katara had Haru, and he could see that they were happy as well. Nothing had changed. He shook his head and decided that he needed tea. Badly.
TOPH HAD TAKEN to play-sparring with Aang everyday, occasionally critiquing his Earthbending when such was needed. But today she told him that she wasn't in the mood, something that had confused her playful friend greatly, but he accepted without argument and instead went to play with the turtle-ducks.
She 'watched' Sokka as he left the meeting silently. She could sense that he wasn't himself, but didn't blame him for being in that condition. She walked up beside him. "Hey Sokka."
He looked towards her and ruffled her hair; it was unfastened from its customary bun and instead flowed freely. "Hey Toph."
She felt slightly annoyed by his action, since you only ruffled a child or a little sister's hair, but was glad he was touching her at the same time. "What are you up to?"
Sokka remained silent for a moment. "I, uh…I don't know, actually."
"Would you like to join Iroh and I for tea?" she knew that Zuko and Iroh tended to share tea after meetings, to calm their nerves and clear their minds. She occasionally joined them, but usually sacrificed it for the sake of Earthbending with Aang.
Sokka thought for a moment, weighing out the practically non-existent pros and cons. "Sure." He replied with a shrug.
"Come on." She beckoned him, leading him to the dinning hall.
Sokka knew the young Earthbender was trying to cheer him up, and he didn't mind. He never had had any qualms with Toph, and he wasn't about to now. Especially because she was doing her part as a friend. So he joined her, Iroh, and Zuko for tea.
JET DID HIS best to stay away from Ty Lee. The girl had apparently decided that he was the most desirable person on earth, and was constantly hounding him. He sought refuge in the courtyard, stumbling over the young Avatar who was quietly snoozing beneath a tree.
Aang woke immediately, snapping into a defensive mode, but relaxed when he saw it was Jet. "Hey Jet, what are you doing?"
Jet hid behind Aang, watching for any sing of Ty Lee. "I'm hiding from Ty Lee." He replied cautiously.
Aang blinked and then grinned. "Oh, she likes you?" he giggled.
"No, she's obsessively stalking me. That's more than liking." Jet growled.
Aang laughed and Airbended himself up into the tree he had been resting under. "Come on up."
Jet sighed in frustration and climbed the tree to join the young boy. He straddled the branch, tensing as he saw Ty Lee wander into the courtyard. Both he and Aang held their breath as Ty Lee looked around, confused that Jet had gone missing.
She searched for a few more moments, then sighed and left the courtyard to continue her search elsewhere.
"Good idea Aang." Jet patted the monk on his back, nearly knocking him out of the tree.
Aang laughed.
"So…want to bother somebody?" Jet asked. He was feelings antsy and really wanted to have some harmless fun.
Aang nodded enthusiastically. "Let's cheer Sokka up by bugging him!" he exclaimed.
Jet nodded. "Good idea."
Aang jumped weightlessly from the tree, landing on his feet perfectly. Jet laughed as he landed on top of the poor Air Nomad.
"Let's go find him." Aang led the way, remembering to be cautious in case they'd run into Ty Lee again.