In the heart of the South Eastern Earth Kingdom city of Geylang, there is a brothel, in it is a prostitute of strong character. Katara is the kind of woman you would go to if you needed help to resolve a problem.
She furrows her brow as she sits on a wooden bench within the living quarters of her home, taking in a swig of bourbon. It's way too early to be drinking something of such potency but the young waterbender has never been one to care. She studies some confidential documents she had obtained from one of the corrupted members of the Fire Nation secret service.
The woman who gave them to her, Qian, is her only female patron. Katara thinks about the sex they have. It is mildly pleasurable and a little too intense for her liking, not exactly her cup of tea. Yet Katara is more than willing to do it if it means getting her hands on these important papers. She takes another swig of bourbon and wonders about Admiral Zhao, the man who is in charge of raping this town. The bastard, killing him will be her ultimate prize.
A measured and careful expression forms on Katara's features as she stands from her seat and heads down the street. There is a small space a few houses away that she has rented with the little cash she makes from her nightly customers. Mammy has also had a hand in the payment for the use of this place. It was tricky business, transporting two bodies through town, but the dark has been an ally.
A part of Katara feels remorse about what has happened to her last client but doesn't make an effort to recognize it. It was either him or her. Death was inevitable, if she didn't kill him, he would have killed her. Katara closes her eyes for a moment as she wonders about the repercussions of her actions. They might be a group of police officers visiting her anytime soon. Though, Katara has a pretty ingenious (and very challenging) modus operandi.
Bloodbending is something completely and utterly unexpected, but Katara isn't complaining. Because of her new gift, she managed to bring the two men through the city without raising suspicion. Indeed, she had go use the carriage Mammy has for ferrying some of her more important customers, but boy was it effective. With them in the vehicle, all she had to do was make them poke their heads out of the carriage a few times to appear alive. Concealing their injuries was difficult but with makeup and a little skill, she managed.
She takes a deep breath before she enters the room. The bodies have started to decay and look a little worse than disgusting. The makeup has come off and they are lying on their backs, their eyes still open and their jaws slack. Without the makeup and without her bloodbending they look awful. She sighs audibly as she begins her work. Retrieving a knife from the bag she has carried, she begins her hideous task- dismembering the bodies.
She begins with the captain, clumsily cutting his head off. The blood spills everywhere and seems a little like paint. She can feel her stomach churning as she takes the bourbon she had brought with her and downs more than a shot's worth. It will take more than that to settle her nerves. She wishes to be strong when facing the men who hurt her but she isn't a beast, doing this is difficult for her too.
She hates the man but there is still a thread of sanity between her ears and she feels sick at the thought of cutting up the man. But then again, the captain was an animal, hurting her on more than one occasion. The thought makes her blood boil as she works on his arm.
She takes exactly two hours to cut up Hiroshi's corpse into six pieces. Placing them in separate bags, she begins on her second victim. Stripping the old bastard bare, she can see every bit of him, his hunchback, the fingers that burned her, the penis that went into her and the tongue that spewed insults. Her stomach churns at the sight of his bruised and bloodied body as she takes another swig of bourbon to dull the horror of it all.
She isn't crazy but she sure as hell is an angry woman. This time, she knows the anatomy of the human body with more detail and manages to beat the time of her previous attempt and finishes in an hour. Placing all the body parts of Ming's corpse into gunny sacks and tying each one up, she begins her plan of disposal.
The Water Tribe native makes several trips to and from Mammy's carriage as she brings the body parts to several different locations all around town and into the forests.
She feeds the torsos of the two men to wolfdogs on the edge of the city and then proceeds to throw their heads into the river. Some of the body parts are buried and others cremated. But, in her opinion, the most effective way of settling the issues of their remains is to cook up a curry and offer it to her customers.
They eat it with gladness and satisfaction and she is relieved that no one discovers their secret origins. When Mammy pulls her to one corner and queries about the bodies of her victims, she simply shrugs and tells her that she has 'taken care' of them.
The older woman seems suspicious but doesn't comment on her response and neither does she. All Katara knows, all she is aware of, is that she will not stop her hunt as long as the Fire Nation continues to plunder the world.
Zuko
X
I sit on my bed as the Sergeants light the torches and candles in the room. It is a little dim, and a lot depressing. With the event to take place tomorrow, we will become full-fledged military police personnel. I think about the pass months and the way I have grown both physically and mentally. My body is far more muscled than it was. I have become fitter, my stamina has improved but the change I am most proud of is the fact that I have become more mature.
With the classes taught at camp, I have become a more critical thinker, a more alert mind and I take things a little less lightly. I pick up a rag and begin to polish my boots. We are meant to be looking our best tomorrow, our uniforms have to be in tiptop condition, our hair has to be neat and we have to be perfect (the closest we can get anyway). In the soft light of the lit torches, I catch a glance of the picture I have of Mai and myself.
Pausing a moment, I allow my gaze to linger on her features, the way her smile is gentle and demure, how she is so elegant and so beautiful. She has been the sole reason for my persistence and determination to get through this hellhole. As I look at her and myself in the picture, I cannot help but smile. She is truly a blessing to me, and I am grateful I could be hers, even for only a brief moment. I close my eyes but the image of my lover has bore into the back of my eyelids.
Being crown prince of the Fire Nation didn't make being a recruit in the Fire Nation Military any easier. In fact, the officers and drill sergeants often roar and scream abuses directed at me and only me. They mock my royalty status and the fact that all the people I love have died, blaming their deaths on me. I even got into a fight against one of the Sergeants when he brought up the death of Mai. I was arrested and confined for two weeks. The Major in charge of the camp I was at, a very kind and understanding man, explained to me the way in which the military works.
Trainers will mock the recruits to evoke more determination and conviction, even though sometimes they can be more than a little harsh. I am grateful that the Major took that Sergeant to task and dealt with him severely, stripping him of his rank and making him sleep in the cooler. But that didn't heal the wounds in me completely, for Mai's memory was insulted and for that I will never, ever forgive that bastard.
"Hey Zuko," Kenza, one of my bunkmates, a short man, with bright golden eyes, says as he approaches. He has been the clown amongst us, cracking jokes and imitating the officers when they aren't looking. "What's on your mind?" he queries as he moves to me and takes the picture which I had been looking at just moments ago. Before I can protest, the man's expression has become grave and serious, something that is most out of the ordinary.
"She's the reason you're here huh?" he says thoughtfully. I smile tightly at the other man who smiles in return and places the thing back on my nightstand. "I can see how much you love her," he whispers and then perks up again, his quiet demeanor dissipating. "Let's get through tonight and then tomorrow, we celebrate!" he brings some warmth into my heart as I think over the exchange.
Indeed, Mai is everything that makes living life a little less of a challenge, I am here for a reason, and as I clean my boots, I light a candle I have brought from home. I'm sure it isn't allowed, I'm sure that I could be punished but for just for one night here, I want to be engulfed by the sweet scent of our candles.
X
The morning begins at night. It is still dark when the officers and sergeants rouse us from our sleep. It is time for our 24-kilometer route march, a Passing out Parade tradition. The other men of the platoon are sleepy but more than excited for the march to begin. It will take us hours but by the time we reach our destination, it will all be well worth it. Families and friends of every one of us will be there.
The thought makes my heart sink to the pit of my stomach.
There will be no family of mine there. They are all dead and my only living relative, Azula is locked up in a mental institute. My girlfriend is dead, my parents are and so is my uncle. How can a man's life be riddled with death with him not being dead himself? I swallow hard and wonder if being alive is my fortune or otherwise.
After we have freshened up and donned our uniform, the Sergeant have us stand in a squad, he gives the command for us to stand at attention and salute the man who is the head of this camp. He is a senior officer, a veteran and someone who has earned my respect.
"Men, it's been an honour," the Major in charge says in his deepest voice. "You have grown and become more of a man than you were before this journey," he announces. "It is my pleasure to have you in my camp. I know you all will be an asset to the Fire Nation military. Take care sons, see you all on the other side." He finishes and there is a glint in his eyes as he presses his closed fist to the base of his open palm, bowing slightly, the ultimate sign of respect.
The Passing out Parade held at the Stadium Merdeka, sees a large and rowdy crowd. It is my fortune that my identity has been kept confidential from those outside the military. There are reporters and news people but I'm glad that they are only here to cover the event and not my appearance in it. I look through the crowd and seek a face I know… any face I know.
And then, I see a familiar face, a welcomed face. Master Hisaishi, my firebending sensei, is sitting amongst the waving mass of people. I cannot make out his features but I know he must be proud. When the parade is over and we are awarded Red Barrettes to represent our becoming of Military Police Guards, I decide that this day, is my happiest since she died.
X
It is Zuko's twentieth and Mai has something in store for her man. She enters the prince's bedroom in his family's beach house on Ember Island and kisses him as he sleeps. They are on a break, the recent anniversary of the death of his parents have brought his spirits down. And today, he is trying to turn the memory out of his system.
As she presses her lips to those of her boyfriend's she can feel them responding. It is a slow reply to her actions but she isn't complaining. Gently he kisses her back. They part ways as his eyes open and a silly smirk is plastered on his face.
"Good morning," he says sleepily and yawns. She chuckles softly and is silenced by his lips on hers. He is very loving, very gentle as his mouth moves over hers. She takes a moment to enjoy the way he melts in her embrace. Quicker than they had expected, Mai is pulled to straddle the prince as he gazes up at her.
"Not now," she tells him and pecks him on his lips. He responds by turning her on her back and kissing her more persistently. She laughs against his mouth and pushes him away gently. The young man rights his position and shoots her a pout. She smiles at his childish antics kisses him chastely.
"Later, I promise," she tells him effectively making him grin. "I wanted to give this present to you," she says and passes him a wrapped gift. The young man takes hold of it, inspecting it for any faults, he begins tearing at the packaging to reveal a cheap brush and some ink that is equally cheap.
It is a prank but the man doesn't know this. He beams at his lover and thanks her profusely. Mai is surprised by this. He has been raised well, not to take things for granted, she thinks as he hugs her, giving her a loving peck on the cheek.
"Here's your real present, you passed the test," she jokes and passes him a box. He opens it and inside, there is a picture of him, his face is chiseled and handsome. He glances at the signature at the bottom of the page and sees the character to her name. "I swear I will always love you," her smile is so bright he cannot look away.
"I love you too," he tells her and touches her hair. "More than you understand," he says. Something they don't know, something so tragic is the fact that this day is the last birthday they will spend together.
A/N: REVIEW PEOPLE! 10 AT LEAST PLEASE?
Review people! Stadium Merdeka is a stadium in Singapore's neighboring country Malaysia. Merdeka means independence. Stadium Merdeka was where thousands of Malaysians gathered for the transfer of soverignty of Malaysia from the British to the Malaysian government. also, the 24-kilometre route march is practiced by the Basic Military Training recruits in Singapore as they enter the venue where they will have their Passing out Parade. yes, i have my a slight obsession with the pomp and circumstance of uniformed processions (uniformed: police force, armed forces, civil defense, etc.)
in fact, i actually applied to join the police force! AND my brother, father and grandfather were all from the military. my grandfather actually fought in WWII and my father was a regular in the republic of singapore air force, in fact, i served as a staff sergeant in my secondary school's military band. oh and the red barrette is awarded to the singapore armed forces commandos. so yeah. lol i'm rambling sorry... YEAP, REVIEW PEOPLE! ALSO, THANK YOU TO JUST A CRAZY-MAN FOR HIS IDEA ON ASSASSIN KATARA AND BABYVFAN FOR HER INPUT.