A/N: Sorry that I'm taking long to post new chapters, it's just hard for me to write when I get on the computer, because I have so many other things to do on here. (youtube and such. XD by the way, my username over there is the same as here). Anyway, I hope you like this chapter and have a VERY Merry Christmas! :) I love all my reviewers because they have brought me (and continue to bring me) incredible insight as a future author so please keep telling me your comments/opinions. Thanks SO much. :)
Song: "BREAKDOWN" by DAUGHTRY.
Why?: I really don't know. xD Ok, it was just a song I thought that fit the overall meaning of this chapter. Plus, any Daughtry song is just awesome. lol. Happy Holidays!
Chapter Two: Unexpected Visitors
Her heart was definitely racing more than a normal heart should. She expected to feel a cold chill run up her spine again and start hearing the deep dark voice of Sky, but instead an unhealthy breeze blew in her direction and she had to squint her eyes to see ahead.
"W-who's there?!"
"Be wary child of the moon. You are surrounded by approaching evil."
Katara heard the voice before seeing the face of it's owner, and took a careful step back when she saw an elderly woman with snow white hair and narrow hazel eyes that seemed to sparkle, appear out of nowhere among the fire lilies.
"Who are you?"
"Names are not important to the Goddesses of Fate. It is the spirit, and mine is fair, though I cannot say the same for your next visitor."
This time Katara decided to go to more drastic measures and prepared to take the life out of her precious fire lilies if it would defend her against this bizarre woman.
"Why are you telling me all these things? Who ARE you?!"
The elderly woman stared right at Katara's ice blue eyes with a sympathetic yet strong expression as she spoke in a clear yet low voice that the wind helped carry to the Water-bender's ears,
"Those who are too late to grow will crumble. Remember that young one."
Tears stung in Katara's eyes for reasons she couldn't explain...she suddenly felt too weak to lift a finger.
"What does that even mean?" She whispered back, but the woman was leaving. And Katara let her.
The tornado-like winds suddenly stopped.
A lightening strike appeared in the distance, followed quickly by a loud thunder clap.
Katara looked up wordlessly at the darkening sky as the first raindrop fell on her cheek.
She fell on her knees among the swaying fire lilies and thought over the strange woman's words...evil was approaching...fate...those who are too late to grow will crumble.
Was she too late? Was she really cracking under the past because she couldn't let go or was there actually a meaning to all these things happening to her?
She closed her eyes and saw a different kind of lightening strike that repeated over and over again as it shook the core of her psychopathic friend.
She wanted to cry. But Mother Nature did it for her as the raindrops crashed around harder.
- - - - - - - -
Zuko was able to get inside the Palace before the storm got any worse. The servants quickly took off his wet robe and bowed as they left. The Fire Lord walked around with a half-open undershirt that revealed just a bit of a star-shaped scar. This was a scar he wasn't ashamed of, for he didn't get it out of dishonor, but out of love. The best love he had experienced of all, despite the pain and heartache she had caused him last year. He would go through it all over again, just to re-make that first passionate kiss of true love. Spirits, how he loved that stubborn woman.
"Katara!"
He called with a smile on his face as he entered their bedroom.
Since the day she had decided to move into the Palace, Zuko was so ecstatic, he didn't care if she would want a whole courtroom to herself. But she surprised him, like she always did, by walking right up to his room and setting her suitcase smack in the middle of the bed. It had been their bedroom ever since.
But today, Katara was no where to be found around the Palace. Zuko's happy smile slowly evaporated as he looked around. He stopped a passing servant and asked,
"Have you seen Miss Katara?"
"I believe she went to the garden a few hours ago, my Lord."
"But...it's raining."
The servant lowered her head, "I'm sorry my Lord."
Zuko's expression turned cold, "Hasn't anyone the sense to go look for her? To see if she's alright, or out of the rain at least."
"We didn't think..."
"That's right, you didn't! And now she could be lost, sick, alone, cold..."
The servant was getting more and more terrified with each passing syllable and Zuko stopped himself before he could start acting like a demanding tyrant. That was the last road he wanted to go down, even with his servants.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed, "Please send some guards to bring her in, will you?"
The servant bowed, "Yes my Lord." and hurriedly left to do her duties.
Zuko tried to calm his temper before resuming to his own work that he should be doing, but another servant came up and bowed before announcing,
"Someone has come to see you my Lord."
His eyebrows rose, it couldn't have been any members of the gang. Especially not in this storm. "Who is it? I'm not expecting any visitors."
"She...doesn't say my Lord."
The Fire Lord's heart sank, "She?"
The servant simply nodded. Zuko tried to shake the possibility of it being the only 'she' he knew, but who else could it be? He looked down, he was still wearing his skin tight, half open shirt and if it was who he thought it was, he didn't care if she saw him like this. They had met under more awkward conditions, after all.
"Alright, I'm coming."
He walked past the young man and into the meeting room where his servants were told to put all first time unknown guests, and opened the door casually, expecting by now to meet golden eyes but the eyes he met were not at all what he expected, although they were both golden and ghostly familiar.
If Zuko would have had something in his hands, he would have dropped it and no doubt broken the invisible item, but also would have been completely nonchalant to it all.
The golden eyes in front of him softened and filled with heartfelt tears as she lowered her hood.
"Hello...my son."
- - - - - - - -
Katara was just about to get up when she heard someone calling her name again. She sighed and felt very sticky as she got up from the mud and puddles.
"Miss Katara!" A guard came running up as if his life depended on it, "Fire Lord Zuko wishes you inside miss."
Katara hated to be addressed as a 'miss.' For some reason it just bugged her, though being called 'master' was worse.
"Yes, I figure he would."
She walked the few miles back to the Palace, getting more frustrated with herself with each step. What that old lady said was still echoing in her mind and even though she loved the rain, she had no reason to be outside soaking in it like some sort of maniac. No wonder Zuko was so worried...though he always would worry over any little thing. Which also diverted Katara's self anger towards her love. Why couldn't he just trust her? She was dependable, strong, and a capable master of her element though she didn't like to gloat about it. And she hadn't shown reason, until a few nights ago that is, to be thought insane. She was going to have to have a talk with him about all this over-protectiveness. It was endearing and sweet at first, but now it was getting quite annoying.
The Water-bender had balled her hands into fists at this point, and stormed into the Palace without bothering to bend the wetness out of her clothes. The servants tried to get her robe off but she shook them back and proceeded to walk straight to the meeting room, eerily knowing where he would be.
Maybe it was a woman's intuition, or just plain fate, that made her open that door with an angry wind and freeze in mid-step at the scene in front of her.
Zuko. Sobbing. Against a cloaked woman's chest.
The cloaked female lifted her tear-streaked face and looked straight into Katara's eyes and the Water-bender felt like she had looked through her very soul with that simple gesture. Only one other person's eyes could make her feel like that...
She blinked and slowly crouched toward the huddled beings, for some reason this woman seemed so familiar, though Katara had no clue who it was.
But then she understood as soon as Zuko lifted his face and she saw the unfathomable resemblance. This was his long-lost mother. Lady Ursa.
The old woman's words crashed into her thought process at that very moment like lightening,
Names are not important to the Goddesses of Fate. It is the spirit, and mine is fair, though I cannot say the same for your next visitor.
Though this visit was bringing unexplainable surprise and joy to Zuko, it brought Katara an unnerving sense of fear and suspicions.
Ursa kept staring at her, as if reading her thoughts. She gently pushed Zuko away a little and said in calm voice that demanded urgency,
"Zuko, I know there is so much you are feeling right now, and many questions you have for me, but they must wait. I must tell you and Katara something very urgent."
Katara was clearly startled, at the mention of her name. How does she know? But this wasn't the time or place to ask. Zuko stared into his mother's eyes like a lost child, she had never seen her love like this before. It nearly broke her heart.
"Yes mother, anything."
Ursa put a warm hand on the side of her son's scarred face, more tears threatened to spill over at the feel of the calloused skin, but she held them in and said in a shakier breath,
"I've been hidden away all these years in different parts of the world, at first the Fire Sages helped me, but they had to show their loyalties to your father so I was on my own for some time before a man by the name of, The Shadow, found me and knew about what I had done to your grandfather. He threatened to tell everyone if I didn't go into his...loyalties. If I did join him, he said he would keep me hidden and safe. I joined him and was well hidden, but never safe. I was more like his imprisoned slave, and he made me do many horrible things. But when I heard about his latest plan, I had to escape and warn you. You must move away, far away, both of you."
Both Katara and Zuko were gaping at the unbelievable story. Zuko's thought process was still when his mother said she was an imprisoned slave; his mind was already plotting all the different ways he could kill that shadow bastard. While Katara was simply stunned, and trying to calm down her growing suspicions. Ursa still hadn't said what was this horrible plan, or why it included both of them, or how she knew so much about them to begin with!
Katara's brain was going a million miles per hour and she felt she had to hold onto her head before it would burst.
"Wait, wait, wait how..."
"I'm sorry I cannot explain in more detail." The former Fire Lady interrupted as she stood up and Zuko instantly followed her exact movement, refusing to let go of her arm, he had become attached and wouldn't let go again.
"But Mother, you must stay...I mean...you can't..."
Ursa smiled up at her grown little boy, "I'm not leaving you Zuko, I just need to make some arrangements. I shall be back by tonight and have your suitcases ready so we'll travel by moonlight."
"We're not leaving!"
Katara exclaimed and was met by Ursa's harsh glare.
"You must. It is for your safety."
Katara was taken aback by the sudden turn her life had taken within just a few minutes. Rain was pelting down the roof and she remembered she was still wet and beginning to feel cold. But none of that mattered. Something was wrong...very, very wrong.
"But you haven't even explained to us anything! Why are we danger? What is this plan? Who is this man you worked for and what does all this have to do with us?!"
The Water Master's voice was growing louder with each question before she realized she had yelled the last few words with all her strength. She looked down in embarrassment.
Ursa gently removed Zuko's hand from her arm and took a few steps toward Katara and whispered,
"I will answer all your questions daughter of the moon, but you must trust me now."
Trust. This woman, Zuko's disappearing mother, was asking her for trust. But how could she? She barely knew this woman, though all of Zuko's stories made her sound like a beautiful and caring human being in a family full of so much hate and selfishness, yet this very woman wore the veil of dark secrecy itself.
Trust. Katara had a serious issue with that word.
"But...the others." she weakly mumbled, trying to find another reason to protest.
"They will be safe for now. And I will leave a note to Iroh for everything to be arranged so they don't worry and the country to run smoothly while we are gone." A small smile tugged at the edge of Ursa's lips, "There's nothing more to worry about."
Katara knew that was a lie but softly nodded. The royal woman turned back to her son and dried away a strayed tear.
"I will be back."
Zuko grabbed her arm, ferociously at first, not wanting to let her go, but she stared him in the eyes and he slowly loosened his grip until he dropped his arm altogether and watched his mother walk out the door with a heartbreaking expression.
"Zuko..."
Katara approached and put a comforting cool arm around her lover's waste. Zuko willingly leaned against her. She knew he was in so much pain, yet she couldn't go along with what his mother was doing. She desperately tried to think of a way to approach the subject as gently as she could,
"Zuko, you know...we can't leave everyone behind."
"I'm sure it won't be for long Katara." He mumbled tiredly.
Katara averted her gaze, "But...she didn't even give us a reason."
"She said we were in danger. That's reason for now, she'll tell us more later."
"But she's been gone all these years, and she suddenly appears saying all these confusing things..."
Zuko's shoulders stiffened, "What are you trying to say?"
"Nothing, it's just..." Katara shut her eyes tightly and whispered, "I don't think we should believe everything she says before knowing the whole story."
His body started upright as he glared at her with heated eyes, "Katara, she's my mother! She wouldn't lie to me!"
"I'm sure she wouldn't, but she's done some things in the past Zuko, and..."
"You have no right to judge her! You don't even know her! Every things she's done is to protect me. To help save my life, and I'm not gonna let her leave me ever again!"
Katara could see it in his eyes. The determination, the pain, love, and commitment. Nothing she could say would change Zuko's mind. But she couldn't change her mind either.
"I'm sorry Zuko. I'm not going."
Zuko's face slightly fell, "Y-your leaving me?"
"No!" Katara quickly corrected with wide eyes, "I love you. But I just can't...leave like this."
That brought the Fire-bender little consolation. "Mother said you were in danger also, you can't stay."
The Water-bender brought her hand to the scarred side of Zuko's face, just like his mother had, and smiled while replying, "I'm always in danger, that's why your always such an over-protective hothead."
Zuko frowned, "This isn't a joke Katara."
Katara looked down and frowned as well, "I know." She whispered, then looked back into her boyfriend's eyes, "I'll follow you, later. But not right now, not tonight. I'll be fine, Aang and others are here."
That very thought was what Zuko didn't want to think about, but he tried to put the unnecessary jealousy aside and understand, though he was still offended by what Katara was implying about his mother. Ursa wouldn't deceive him. He trusted her secret reasons. Something he wished his girlfriend would do.
Katara gave him a soft kiss before reluctantly leaving the warmth of his arms. By the time she reached the hallway, she had a very very bad feeling about all this.