Disclaimer: Considering that my net worth is something like negative two thousand dollars (college debt!), I'm probably not a person the creaters of Avatar would waste their time suing. Anywho, I'm not affiliated with Avatar, I'm just afflicted with an incurable case of Zutara.
The next morning, Katara awoke slowly. She didn't even open her eyes at first. She just rolled over, taking the blankets with her, and moaned. Eventually, her lashes fluttered open, and she dragged herself out from under the sheets.
Today was an important day. She and Zuko would arrive in Ba Sing Se, and it was important that they made a good impression on the city's citizens. Scanning over the garments that she'd been presented by Zuko the night before, she pondered.
The blue Water Tribe gown and the golden brocaded robe were each very luxurious and beautiful, and this made Katara want to wear them, but she worried about the impression she would have on the citizen's in Ba Sing Se's lower ring if she wore them. Surely the refugees would be distrustful of another richly dressed government official feeding them information. She decided that the crimson Fire Nation gown was most suitable—not overly glamorous enough to make her appear aloft and boastful, but still nice enough to make her presentable to peasants as well as noblemen. She put the gown on, admired herself in the mirror for a bit, and then headed out towards the bridge.
Katara was eager to start the day, and to begin the process of restoring order in the city. It would keep her busy, so maybe all the thoughts about Aang that she'd shared last night would move aside for a while and clear her head.
Zuko was waiting for her. Katara glanced at his clothing and noticed that he was similarly dressed in Fire Nation clothing, and his hair done up. His robes weren't extremely elaborate, but they gave Zuko a sense of sophistication and respect. The only thing that gave away his position as Fire Lord was the golden flame which sat neatly upon his head. It flashed in the morning sunlight as he turned his head to greet Katara.
"Good morning," he said softly, his eyes taking in the sight of her.
Very stunning, he commented inwardly. She always looked good in red.
Although it wasn't a color very characteristic of her heritage, Zuko preferred Katara to be clad in red rather than any other color. It made her look like the most exotic of Fire Nation beauties. Not many girls from his country could boast the dark complexion and flowing hair Katara possessed so modestly.
"Hi," the waterbender replied in a voice that bubbled like a brook. "How are you?"
Zuko smiled. "I'm alright, if not a little nervous. You seem like you're in a better mood this morning."
"I had all night to think."
"So did I," replied the young Fire Lord mysteriously.
Katara scowled slightly at that comment, unsure of what Zuko meant, but she turned her face way so that he wouldn't notice her confused expression. It was strange being so close to Zuko like this—they understood each other and had obviously become closer after bonding over their relationship struggles last night—but she couldn't help but wonder what the firebender thought about the situation. She sighed, dismissing the thoughts into the darkest corners of her mind. She couldn't let this distract her from the mission she and Zuko had coming to them. Ba Sing Se wasn't far away.
After a moment, Katara turned towards the Fire Lord. "Do you want some breakfast? There were some extra dumplings left in the kitchen."
"We might as well not bother," Zuko said. He gestured with one hand forward, straight ahead: "Look."
Katara peered in the direction he pointed towards. Through the windows, barely visible on the beige, dusty horizon, she saw a great wall expanding across the land. "We're here," she realized.
The miles that separated the two benders from the city passed in mere minutes, and soon Zuko was busily flicking switches and pressing buttons on the control panels of the huge airship. Katara watched in curiosity as the sparse landscape surrounding the huge city grew closer and closer.
"We should be landing any second now," Zuko warned, "I'd sit down if I were you."
"Why?" Katara chirped, but suddenly the metal beneath their feet shook violently, tossing the two teenagers off their feet like dolls. Katara screamed as she felt her ankles buckle and her body begin to fall. She suddenly felt a tug in the opposite direction, and she collided with something soft, which grunted in pain.
Suddenly, the shaking stopped, and it seemed that the airship had finished grinding to a halt on the ground. Katara suddenly became aware that she was sprawled across the floor—well, actually Zuko was between her and the floor. He'd caught her and broken her fall. Katara gasped in shock and embarrassment, and then scurried off of him.
"Ow," The Fire Lord winced in pain, and smiled foolishly at her.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I forgot about your wound! Did I hurt it?" Katara apologized over and over again. She clutched her hands to her chest in a genuine mix of humiliation and concern.
"I'm fine, Katara, don't worry." Zuko excused. "Are you alright?"
"Well…yeah. Rough landing, huh?"
"I haven't quite figured out the perfect way to land one of these things yet."
The two benders sat on the floor of the airship bridge, giggling to hide their embarrassment. Before they could rise, however, the door to the outside slammed open, and a familiar and intimidating silhouette appeared in the doorway. Both teens immediately ceased their laughter and looked up in alarm.
General Iroh, clad in the white and blue robes characteristic of the Order of the White Lotus, regarded them with a questioning eye. His eyebrows raised, then lowered, and then the old man's face spread into an inviting smile.
"Having a slumber party on the floor, are we Fire Lord Zuko? Just like when you were a child," The old man chuckled, a pleasantly rough sound, at his own joke.
Zuko ignored his elderly uncle's gag. Instead, he sprang up to his feet and bowed to his elder relative; he then rushed forward and embraced the old General. "I'm so glad to see you, Uncle Iroh."
"And I am overjoyed to once again be in Ba Sing Se with you," replied Iroh. The old man leaned to the side and glanced past the boy at Katara, who stood up. "And I see you brought a friend."
Katara came forward and bowed respectfully towards the General. "It's a pleasure seeing you again, General Iroh."
"The pleasure is all mine, Katara. And might I add—you look absolutely stunning."
Katara giggled, Zuko rolled his eyes at his Uncle's pointless flirtations. "Thank you. You know, Zuko helped Aang pick it out."
"I always knew my nephew had good tastes," General Iroh gestured for the pair to follow him out of the door.
Outside, the sunlight was harsh and hot, and the gigantic wall of the city rose up before them like a huge beast. There were several other members of the Order of the White Lotus waiting for them in the shadow cast by the massive stone structure. Those of which who were members of the Fire Nation bowed respectively towards their newly appointed Fire Lord. Behind them rested a gate, with several other White Lotus guards posted at its entrance. Hurriedly, the blue-clad figures moved to surround the trio, escorting them into the outer ring of the city. There was a sudden thundering beneath their feet, and the members of the Order who were Earthbenders quickly drew up a curtain of earth around Zuko, Katara, and General Iroh.
Zuko gaped at the spectacle, but then he wondered: "Do they know that I'm the Fire Lord, Uncle? Why are we being hidden?"
The General nodded. "Word spreads very quickly in the lower ring of the city. News of your father's defeat has caused a lot of celebration recently. Unfortunately, it also has been causing a lot of unease. I fear it will be a challenge to get the refugees to understand that the new Fire Lord is not the same as the last."
"Will I be making an appearance? Do you think I'll be under any threat?"
"It may not be the wisest idea to try and appear to the refugees as Fire Lord just yet, Zuko." Iroh's eyes turned towards his nephew seriously. "I'm going to start you out with an audience that's less informed and more oblivious to the world around them."
Katara and Zuko shared glances of confusion. "What kind of audience is that?" Katara asked.
"The aristocracy."
"Aristocrats?" Zuko echoed. "Why are we starting with them?"
Iroh paused as the trio and their entourage stepped inside the city. A carriage was waiting to carry them wherever they needed to go, and each bender climbed in. Zuko took notice that the windows of the carriage were cloaked with a sheer swath of fabric—it would make it easy for them to see out into the city—but difficult for anyone outside to see who was riding in the carriage. He frowned unpleasantly. Naturally, he was proud of his new title, and this certainly wasn't the return to Ba Sing Se he'd imagined.
Uncle is right-I'm a fool…he mentally scolded himself. …to believe that I could walk on in with all my newfound gloriousness and valor—and to earn the trust of the refugees.
"Uncle? Why are we beginning with the aristocracy?" Zuko persisted when the old man didn't answer, leaning forward in his seat as the carriage began to jerk and move forward.
The old man glanced out of the carriage window through the screen as they passed streets and alleys, entered and exited through gates, and made their way slowly up to the Upper Ring. "The aristocracy is the population that is the least informed about the war. In fact, many of them are not aware there ever was a war. That is how isolated they've become from the rest of the world as a result of Ba Sing Se's corrupt structure. It is up to you, Zuko, and Katara, to tell them."
Katara glanced at Zuko hopefully. "Well, that doesn't seem that hard,"
One hour later, Katara and Zuko found themselves thrust onto the stage of a grandeur performance theatre, with the entire population of the Upper Ring staring at them from the hundreds of seats. Their blinking faces, decorated with heavy make up and powder, displayed their utter confusion and annoyance at being called to a theatre so urgently—and so early in the day. Many of them leaned over to their neighbors to whisper. The sound of their gossip filled the room.
"What was that about this not seeming that hard?" Zuko whispered harshly in her ear.
Katara blinked and shot him a dagger like look. "Like I knew there was this many people living in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se!"
"Didn't you live here?!"
"Well—yes—but I didn't do a census!"
General Iroh regarded the teenagers bickering with a slight laugh. "Don't worry Fire Lord Zuko. I'm sure you'll find this crowd easier to deal with than you would the Earth Kingdom refugees. Trust me, it will be very different from what you expect."
"I guess," Zuko murmured halfheartedly. He turned to Katara. "Just be here to back me up, okay?"
Katara stepped forward and gripped the boy's shoulder in a reassuring gesture. "Don't worry, Zuko. You were great in front of your first council meeting when we decided to do this. I know you'll do fine this time too. And I'll help."
The young Fire Lord glanced at the waterbender's smile and then nodded. "I know. Thanks, Katara."
Cautiously, Zuko turned and stepped to the center of the stage and into the light. Katara was close behind, wringing her hands in front of her. Silence fell over the audience as the crimson-clad pair appeared, and both teens felt the heavy gaze of hundreds of eyes. Zuko glanced over his shoulder at the waterbender, gulped, and then began to speak.
"I realize that many of you are surprised to be here today. I have to be honest—I am as well." Zuko paused for a bit to gauge the audience's reaction, but there was only more silence. "My name is Fire Lord Zuko. I was once a member of this great city, and I was witness to both the good and the evil taking place here. But now, I've been called to reform my troubled country, and I've come to speak to you about something some of you might have never heard of—a war that's raged the entire world for on hundred years."
A wave of shouts and gasps swept through the large audience, and some of the members stood up, yelling questions and protests towards the stage. Zuko glanced around him, and waited patiently for the tirade of voices to settle. Then he continued:
"One hundred years ago, my great-grandfather Fire Lord Sozin used the power of a colossal comet to attack the western edges of the Earth Kingdom and destroy the world's entire population of Air Nomads. During his reign of power, Sozin managed to establish many Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom. However, Ba Sing Se remained too mighty a fortress for the Fire Nation to conquer, and this is why many of you remained unaware. Although the war is now over, Sozin's crimes—as well as those committed by the Fire Lords that came after him—were horrible and unforgivable. They have scarred the world and its people. But I stand before you not as an enemy, but as an ally and a friend. I've made it my personal goal to inform you about the war, so if you have questions, now is the time to ask."
A stunned silence filled the large space, and Zuko, who had felt confident during his speech, began to feel his certainty slipping. His eyes darted from face to face in the audience, searching for any sign that they had understood.
Finally, a man in the second row stood up and addressed the young Fire Lord. "My name is Governor Lin. It is my pleasure to be in the presence of such an esteemed representative from the Fire Nation."
"The pleasure is mine," Zuko replied courteously. "General Lin, did you have an inquiry?"
"Yes," the man nodded. "I was wondering…if that lovely young lady behind you is your wife?"
Katara's jaw suddenly gaped open, she felt a sudden hot stain of blush upon her cheeks, and she glanced at Zuko in disbelief. The firebender mirrored her expression, and the astonished pair looked back at the Governor for any sign that he was making a tasteless joke. But the man simply cocked his head and waited for an answer.
Zuko abruptly and very adamantly shook his head. "No—this is Katara, a representative of the Southern Water Tribe, here to support my cause. Of course she's not my wife."
"My apologies," the Governor replied.
A woman in the next row stood up and waved her long, flowing sleeves in Zuko's direction. "If she is from the Water Tribe, why is she dressed in Fire Nation uniform?"
"Uh…because those clothes were a gift," Zuko stuttered.
"So you're not married then, Fire Lord Zuko?" shouted another voice from the back of the theatre. "But you bestow gifts upon you're female supporters?"
"What? No! I mean—yes—"
"Are you betrothed?" yelled another.
"No—no, I'm not!" Zuko insisted once more, mortified.
The room had suddenly exploded with voices, and members of the audience stood up in their seats like fans at an earth rumble tournament, shouting over one another and gesturing towards the stage. Zuko's mouth hung open in awe at these people. Why weren't they concerned about the war? Why did they even care if he was married or not? He turned back to his uncle, who shot him a knowing smile. Zuko cast a glance at Katara, who had moved to be by his side, and who was equally amazed at the audience's lack of awareness for their cause. More ridiculous questions reached their ears, and finally, Katara could take no more of it.
"I can't believe you people!" She shouted and stepped forward, spitting her words out into the audience. The din quieted a bit.
"Listen to me! Listen!" She screamed as loudly as her straining lungs would allow, and finally the room fell silently again, until her angered voice echoed throughout the building. "We come here with important news regarding global events that could affect this city's future, and you're concerned with whether or not the Fire Lord is married? What difference does it make to you? How can that be more important that restoring the balance to Ba Sing Se and the world? If you are all going to be that dense, then Fire Lord Zuko and I aren't going to waste our time on you!"
Katara turned her back on the stunned aristocrats and grasped Zuko's arm. "Come on, Zuko," she commanded, yanking him alongside her as she stalked angrily away from center stage.
"Katara!" The young Fire Lord protested, but the waterbender sent him a dangerous glare that made him reconsider. Obediently, Zuko followed Katara and the pair joined General Iroh behind the curtains of the theatre.
"What is wrong with these people?" Katara immediately launched into a heated tirade. "How can they not be concerned with restoring their city after a war, but worry about whether or not Zuko is married?"
General Iroh smiled. "I told you that this would be easy, didn't I?"
"You're kidding, right?" Zuko asked, stunned. "How can I educate them when they're only interested in learning about my personal life? Haven't they got the slightest clue what's gone on in the world?"
"The Dai Li," Katara cut in, her eyebrows lowering. "The cultural authority of the city. They keep it this way. When Aang and the rest of us were here to look for Appa and alert the Earth King, nobody in the Upper Ring knew about the war either."
"The Dai Li have gone underground since the Order of the White Lotus seized control back from the Fire Nation," Iroh explained. "But I see the residents here have remained blissfully unaware."
"Unaware is an understatement," Katara hissed. "They are completely ignorant!"
"Obviously," agreed Zuko. "And why are they so damned set on my relationship status?"
General Iroh blinked at his nephew and then laughed. "Fire Lord Zuko, you are being very naive!"
"What? What about?"
"Did you not see their eyes light up when you announced that you were Fire Lord and unmarried? That's the Upper Ring's culture," Iroh explained. "Marriage is about political gain around here. Aristocrats try to marry their daughters and sons into dominant families, so that they can gain more power and prestige. You just told them that you were the Fire Lord and unmarried. Imagine all the marriage proposals you'll be getting by tomorrow!"
As Zuko's face turned a pale shade of white, Katara groaned miserably and hung her head into her hands. "Great! How are we supposed to command respect with a bunch of noblemen stalking us with the hopes you'll marry their daughter!"
Zuko shot her a look. "But I have a girlfriend," he murmured weakly.
"Zuko, they don't know about Mai," Iroh placed a reassuring hand across the young Fire Lord's shoulders. "And besides, they believe differently from us. Even if they knew about your girlfriend, it wouldn't stop them from trying to persuade you to throw her to the wind and elope with one of their own."
The firebender lowered his eyebrows suspiciously as he glanced down at his uncle. "If you knew this, was going to happen, why did you bring us here first?"
The old General let out a full-bellied laugh once more, his fingers gripping his stomach. "Zuko, I knew you'd be surprised, and I thought it best that we get this out of the way first. You just wait; as the news begins to sink in I'm sure the Upper Ring will be more willing to listen to your proposals."
Zuko granted his uncle one more puzzled look, then rubbed his temples, trying to ease the anxious headache he knew would be coming later. The young Fire Lord couldn't believe how the day's events had conspired this way—and it was still early morning! Sighing in aggravation, he turned back towards his uncle and Katara. Both were staring expectantly at him, but the waterbender's glare was different from Iroh's. Iroh watched him with a sort of curious observance and fatherly affection, but Katara surveyed him with worried, concerned eyes. The expression made Zuko want to press himself harder in order to prove—to Katara, not his uncle—that he was capable of the title he owned. Somehow, ever since that day they'd spent together in the Crystal Caverns of Old Ba Sing Se, Zuko felt the need to prove himself to her—to show her that he wouldn't repeat the colossal mistakes he'd made in this city once again. Zuko had promised himself—and Katara—for her sake, that this time would be different.
Katara approached the Fire Lord, stopping his rapid pacing by clenching a hand around his shoulder. "Zuko," she told him softly. "I know it's probably not the way you expected today to start, but maybe we should just go back to your uncle's house. Maybe we'll have better luck tomorrow."
"Katara, my entire reign as Fire Lord cannot depend on luck!" Zuko exasperated. "I have to do this myself."
"And you will," continued the waterbender. "It will just take time. This wasn't a failure today, Zuko. These people are just not ready to accept the reality of what's happened. I think they'd rather concentrate on superficial stuff right now."
"Tell me about it," muttered the firebender grumpily.
Iroh approached the teenagers and gently placed a plump, wrinkled hand on each of them. "Come now," he commanded softly. "We'll go to my townhouse, and I'll put on some soothing jasmine tea."
"Tea," Zuko laughed ironically.
"The greatest relaxation technique in the world," The old General insisted. "Shall we go?"
The two teens nodded, both feeling the need to relieve themselves of the burden they felt on their shoulders for a while. It would be nice to relax, especially since Zuko and Katara had many more, increasingly difficult tasks ahead of them.
PERSONAL THING:
Okay, I admit it. That was a pretty lame ending. But hopefully some of you found the whole Zuko-marriage-aristocracy-is-stupid-idea pretty funny. It's about to get better. Be looking out for the next chappie soon!