A/N: I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone that reviewed the last chapter. You guys are awesome, and your comments helped me decide which direction to take with this chapter, and exterminate those blasted plot bunnies (for now). Some of your questions will be addressed here, as a thank you for being good reviewers.
Chapter 8: Reunions and Reactions
The following morning was, for lack of a better word, strange. Having Zuko with the group was weird enough, but seeing him tie up Azula in Katara's body sent chills down Aang's spine. Adding to the weirdness was Katara in Azula's body making breakfast for everyone, and the smile on her face sent chills down Zuko's spine. Sokka was filling in Suki on everything that happened since they went through the Serpent's Pass together. Toph was wondering if Sokka had spiked her water with cactus juice.
"So let me get this straight" Toph asked. "Right before we got to Ba Sing Se, Sugarqueen and Icey here switched places, and none of us noticed until last night? And then it got worse when Long Feng took over Ba Sing Se? And now Zuko's a good guy?"
"Pretty much" Sokka said.
"Why does all the weird stuff happen when I'm not around?" Toph questioned.
"You got me there" Sokka said.
"So is there any way to get Katara back in her own body?" Suki asked.
"Not that I know of" Sokka said. "Hey Aang, do your Avatar powers include mind switching?"
"Just because I'm the Avatar doesn't mean I can just pull new abilities out of nowhere" Aang said.
"Maybe we should try repeating the accident that caused this mess" Zuko suggested.
"If I had more spirit water I would have tried that already" Katara said, handing out bowls of boiled rice. "The only place we can get more is back at the North Pole."
"So go back to the North Pole" Suki said. "That shouldn't take too long on Appa. Fly there, get more magic water, and switch back to normal."
"Appa can't carry all of us that far" Aang said. He counted up everyone present on his fingers. "There are seven of us here and Appa got exhausted when it was just three of us trying to get there."
"Does this mean we have to split up again?" Toph asked. "That didn't work out so well last time."
"Hey maybe the Guru knows something?" Sokka suggested. "You still have to meet him."
"Who's this Guru?" Katara asked.
"A spiritual expert at the Eastern Air Temple, and he's supposed to help me master the Avatar State" Aang answered. "It's a long shot, but maybe he can help."
"Okay, but what do we do with her in the meantime?" Katara asked, gesturing towards Azula.
Azula lay on her stomach, still unconscious from the burn in her back. It had been bandaged the night before, but without a healer present the burn would guarantee a scar. Her arms and legs were bound just in case she woke up.
"Well I guess we take her with us" Aang said.
"All the way to the Eastern Air Temple?" Katara asked.
"We might as well if your coming along" Aang said.
"It does make sense" Sokka said. "I'm willing to bet that you and her will have to be together in order to fix this."
"Can Appa carry all of us there?" Suki asked.
"He doesn't need to" Sokka said. "We should stop at Chameleon Bay to replan the invasion with my dad. The old plan is kind of worthless now."
OOOOOOOOOO
In Ba Sing Se, Prime Minister Long Feng sat in his new throne. The Avatar had completed the planned doublecross for him, taking Azula out of the equation and cementing the loyalty of the Dai Li in his hands. With the city under his complete control, Long Feng decided to address the spoils of the coup. The three citizens of the Fire Nation were bound and on their knees before him, Iroh in the middle with Ty Lee and Mai on each side. Several Dai Li agents guarded the prisoners from behind them.
"The Dragon of the West and the Fire Princess's best lackeys" Long Feng started. "To think if it weren't for a certain Water Tribe girl you would have slipped under my nose."
"The best hiding places are right where everyone can see them" Iroh responded.
"Of course they are" Long Feng said. "But now that your prisoners of war, it's up to me to determine where to put you." With a sinister smile on his face he thought about the options. "Perhaps dark and gloomy here could be put to work as an assassin. You certainly have the skill for it."
"Bite me" Mai retorted, getting a giggle from Ty Lee.
"And what about you little lady" Long Feng said. "I already know what I have in mind for you. Those chi-blocking skills would be devastating if taught to even a handful of soldiers, let alone an army. And I have ways to extract that knowledge from that pretty little head of yours, should you resist."
Ty Lee gulped at the threat. "I'm not scared of you" she claimed.
"Oh you will be" Long Feng said. "And that leaves the Great General Iroh, who besieged Ba Sing Se for six hundred days. It's a shame your brother declared you a traitor, I could have used the ransom."
"That would have been ill advised, even if my brother and I saw eye to eye" Iroh responded.
"Yes, from what I've seen the royal family has a tendency to doublecross everyone" Long Feng Stated. "Oh well I suppose I'll have to settle for keeping you around as my own personal teamaker. After all, waste not."
With a wave of a hand Long Feng ordered the Dai Li to take the prisoners away. "Bring them to Lake Laogai once it's rebuilt" he ordered to another agent. "Those three are going to be very valuable to the New Earth Kingdom."
OOOOOOOOOO
It only took a few hours for Appa to reach Chameleon Bay. When they arrived the Water Tribe was preparing for a new patrol, only halting their actions when they saw Appa in the sky. The sky bison landed on the beach, and the warriors surrounded him in welcoming. The first warrior Aang recognized was Bato, who led the welcoming committee.
"Couldn't stay away could you" Bato teased.
"It's good to see you again" Aang said.
"Who are the new friends?" Bato asked, looking at Katara, Toph, and Zuko.
"Actually…"
"Wait Aang" Katara interrupted. "I'd prefer if we told Hakoda first."
"Tell him what?" Bato asked.
"It's a long and confusing story" Sokka answered. "Anyway, is my dad busy?"
"No more than usual" Bato said. "He's in the main tent."
"They've got wounded!" a tall warrior yelled, spotting Azula on top of Appa. Before anyone could stop him the warrior got a good look at Azula's face. "Spirits no… it's Katara."
Sokka slapped his forehead, mentally kicking himself for forgetting to expect this reaction. Almost instantly the mood in the camp dropped from cheerful to dread, everything believing that Katara was badly hurt.
"Well what are you all waiting for?" Katara questioned. "Get her some medical attention."
While several men worked on carrying Azula to the medical tent, Katara, Sokka, and Aang hurried to Hakoda's tent. They reached the tent before anyone else did, arriving just before word of 'Katara's' injury could reach Hakoda. Inside the chief and a few other men were overlooking plans for a raid, and looked up when the three kids barged in.
"Sokka" Hakoda said when he saw his son. He stood up and gave Sokka a hug, having missed being able to do so for two years.
"You might want to sit down" Sokka suggested. "Alone."
"What is it?" Hakoda asked.
"Trust me Dad, it's going to be a shock" Sokka warned.
"Alright" Hakoda agreed. The other men walked out of the tent and Hakoda sat down in the center of it. "So what's the news?"
"It's about Katara" Sokka said. "She's kind of had a change."
"How so?" Hakoda asked.
Katara raised her hand and waved. "Hi Dad" she said.
Staring at Katara for a moment, Hakoda didn't understand what she meant. "Sokka, I know you have my sense of humor, but I don't get it" he said.
"Dad, that's Katara" Sokka stated. "She's stuck in someone else's body."
"It's true dad, as much as I don't like it" Katara admitted.
"Prove it then" Hakoda asked. "What's your…"
"Sea Prunes" Katara interrupted. "I swear, you and Sokka might as well be the same guy inside."
For that last sentence, Hakoda could almost hear Katara's natural voice on top of Azula's voice. He wasn't certain if it had been real or if he was imagining it, but that was enough to convince him that his children were telling the truth. Immediately he stood up and hugged Katara, his only concern was being the father he wished he could have been for the last two years.
"Katara, I'm sorry for everything" Hakoda apologized.
"You can let go now" Katara asked, feeling squeezed a little too hard.
"Oh" Hakoda said as he let go. "So… does anyone have a plan to fix this?"
"Kind of" Aang said. "But that's not the main reason we're here."
"Explain" Hakoda asked.
OOOOOOOOOO
Meanwhile Zuko, Toph, and Suki helped carry Azula to the medical tent. Once inside the tent they set Azula down on a mat face down. Bato unwrapped the bandage on Azula to examine the burn, thanking the spirits that it hadn't become infected yet. He recognized the nature of the burn as a firebending attack, having been on the receiving end of one just months earlier.
"Who did this to her?" Bato asked.
"That doesn't matter" Zuko said. "Just treat it."
Taking a moment to walk to a shelf, Bato grabbed a large bottle. Inside was a lotion made for him by the nuns in that abbey that took care of him for a while. "This will help prevent infection" Bato explained as he applied a liberal amount to Azula's back. "With any luck, she'll be up and about in a few days."
And since that's Azula, probably just two Zuko thought to himself. "Is it safe to take her anywhere in that condition?" he asked.
"I wouldn't advise it" Bato said. "Right now what she needs is rest."
"Good" Zuko said. He walked out of the tent and gestured for Toph and Suki to follow him. Together they walked down the beach until they were out of earshot from the warriors. "Someone needs to keep an eye on my sister" Zuko whispered.
"And you're asking that… to me?" Toph questioned, waving her hand in front of her eyes.
"I didn't mean literally" Zuko corrected. "We just need to be certain that nothing happens to her."
"Won't that be just a little bit suspicious?" Suki asked. "Or are we going to explain all this to everyone here?"
"Eventually I assume, but for now these people aren't aware" Zuko said.
"Okay then, I'll watch her" Toph volunteered. "Tents don't mean a thing to me so I can 'see' her without anyone realizing it, even in all this sand."
"Excellent" Zuko said. With the issue of his sister settled Zuko walked towards Hakoda's tent.
OOOOOOOOOO
"It's settled then" Hakoda said. "We'll leave Ba Sing Se behind and invade the Fire Nation on the Day of Black Sun."
"That gives us almost two months to prepare" Sokka stated. "It should be enough for Aang to learn firebending from the Angry Jerk in time."
"I heard that!" Zuko yelled from just outside the tent. He barged inside, and could immediately see Hakoda stare at the scar on Zuko's face.
"Who's your friend?" Hakoda asked.
"I wouldn't use that term, yet" Sokka said. "He's more of a temporary associate."
"I'm only here because Uncle wanted this" Zuko explained. "I really don't care about any of you."
"Alright, I can respect that" Sokka said. "Anyway, you're just the person I wanted to talk to."
"About?" Zuko asked.
"First, we could use what you know about the Fire Nation's defenses" Sokka asked.
"I haven't been there in three years" Zuko said. "Anything I know is too out of date."
"So much for having inside information" Katara muttered.
"No, but we can still get it" Sokka said. "Katara, Zuko, what if we got both of you inside the Fire Nation palace."
"You're crazy!" Zuko and Katara said at once, but for different reasons.
"Don't bite my head off yet" Sokka quickly said. "Just hear me out first."
"What's your plan?" Aang asked.
"Look, whether we like it or not, Katara's the Fire Lord's daughter now" Sokka said. "We can use that to get our people inside the Fire Nation before the eclipse."
"No" Katara objected. "I'm sick of pretending to be that monster. Using this body like that isn't worth it."
"Katara…"
"I said no!" Katara yelled, interrupting Sokka. "Would you do this if you and Zuko switched places?" Katara saw Sokka and Zuko shudder at the thought. "I doubt you'd last even a mile in his shoes before going mad."
"Alright, fine" Sokka said.
"Let's get out of here Aang, the Guru's waiting" Katara said just before leaving the tent.
OOOOOOOOOO
"So… How long have you known Sokka?" Toph asked.
Sitting next to Toph on the beach was Suki, and they were both bored keeping watch on Azula. Aside from the steady breathing and occasional limb movement, there was no sign that Azula would be moving anywhere anytime soon. Wanting something to help pass the time, Toph decided to make small talk with Suki.
"Well before we went through the Serpent's Pass, I only knew him for a few days" Suki admitted. "He was kind of a jerk back then, but not so much anymore."
"I suppose…" Toph stopped talking when she felt someone new approach the camp. The sand blurred what she saw, but it was definitely not someone that belonged in the Water Tribe. "We have company" Toph stated as she stood up.
Looking around, Suki spotted a man in Earth Kingdom armor walking down the beach, heading for the camp. With Toph at her side Suki hurried to intercept him. They stopped a few yards in front of the stranger, and they were joined by several Water Tribe warriors at their backs. Up close they saw that the stranger kept his head shaved bald.
"State your business" Suki bluntly asked the stranger.
"Of course" the man replied. "I am Lu Se, a representative of the New Ba Sing Se."
"What do you want?" Toph demanded, ready to bend the sand around Lu Se into a stone shell.
"As you may or may not be aware, there has been a regime change in Ba Sing Se" Lu Se said. "The Prime Minister desires a more… centralized approach to the war effort. He wants every force allied with the Earth Kingdom to take orders directly from his generals, instead of independent actions."
"And what happens if we refuse?" Suki asked.
"No direct action will be taken against you" Lu Se said. "But any force not taking orders from Ba Sing Se will not be differentiated from the enemy in military actions. For your own safety, I recommend that you accept the Prime Minister's conditions."
"We'll consider it" Suki lied. "Now I recommend that you leave."
"Very well, have a nice day" Lu Se said and turned around to leave.
Once Lu Se was out of earshot, Suki turned towards Toph. "It's only been a day and Long Feng's already getting to work" she whispered.
"So I guess we should tell Aang and the others about this?" Toph asked. At that moment a shadow passed by Toph, which she didn't notice.
Suki saw the shadow moving and looked up to see Appa flying away. "Too late, Aang's already leaving" Suki said.
"Did anyone tell you Aang was leaving this early?" Toph asked.
"No one tells me anything" Suki complained.
OOOOOOOOOO
Onboard Appa, Aang and Katara directed the sky bison towards the Eastern Air Temple. Katara was in a hurry to reach the Guru and find out if he knew how to get her out of Azula's body. It was her main goal now that she didn't have to hide behind that façade as Azula. She couldn't believe that her own brother wanted her to continue the act.
The trip to the Eastern Air Temple took two days, stopping only to let Appa rest. In the evening they arrived, taking in the view of the three mountains that housed the temple. While Aang let the view bring back old memories of better times, Katara looked around for the Guru. She saw him sitting out in the open, in the center of a raised stone circle in front of the temple.
Appa landed in front of the stone circle, since there wasn't enough room on it for him. Aang and Katara jumped off Appa and climbed the steps that led to the Guru. "Hello" Aang said. "You're Guru Pathik, right? You're the person that attached the note to Appa's horn?"
"Indeed" Pathik said, not moving from his meditative stance. "I was a spiritual brother of your people, and a personal friend of Monk Gyatso."
"How?" Katara questioned. "You'd have to be over a hundred years old."
"One hundred and fifty one next Tuesday" Pathik answered. "Time flies when you're my age."
"In your note, you said you could teach me to gain control of the Avatar State" Aang said. "How?"
"You must gain balance within yourself, before you can bring balance to the world" Pathik explained.
"Before you start that, can I ask a question?" Katara asked.
"You just did" Pathix pointed out.
"You know what I meant" Katara said.
"Of course, go on" Pathik said.
"A while back, an accident involving some spirit water forced me into someone else's body" Katara explained, prompting Pathik to raise an eyebrow. "Is there any chance you know a way to reverse it?"
Pathik closed his eyes, pondering the question. "There is… one possible solution, but I don't like it" Pathik said. "Bear in mind, what I know should only be used as a last resort."
"What is it?" Katara asked.
"There is an old tale of two warriors, both searching for power to rival a past Avatar" Pathik described. "Their names have been long lost to history, but that is beside the point. Both warriors sought aid from the spirits, and entered the spirit world together. One spirit was amused by their request for power, and granted it by combining the two warriors into a single being."
"They can do that?" Aang wondered.
"The spirits can do many things, especially in their own domain" Pathik said. "The combined warrior fought the past Avatar to a draw. But the spirit's gift was short lived, and the warrior was split back into two. When that happened, each warrior discovered that the process had left their minds in the wrong bodies."
"The spirit tricked them" Aang realized.
"Yes" Pathik confirmed. "That particular spirit found amusement in watching each warrior live out the other's life, and only reversed it when he became bored with them."
"So if we find the spirit, we can ask it to put me back in my own body" Katara said.
"That is the dangerous part" Pathik said. "I know little about this particular spirit, but I do know that he is sometimes called The Face Stealer."
"Koh…" Aang muttered, remembering his encounter with the spirit.
"I see you've met him before" Pathik said, noticing the tone in Aang's voice.
"Once, and it's not an experience I'd like to repeat" Aang admitted.
"What happened?" Katara asked.
"I don't want to talk about it" Aang said, remembering how Koh had come within inches of taking his face in the spirit world. "Pathik is right, this option is a last resort. We should try repeating the spirit water accident first."
The look on Aang's face showed just how terrifying Koh had been, and that asking him for a favor was not an action to be taken lightly. "Okay Aang, we'll do that" Katara said. "But first let's get you control of the Avatar State."
"Good" Pathik said, standing up. "Follow me, there's a place we can begin properly."
OOOOOOOOOO
Back at the Water Tribe camp, everyone turned in for the night. Sokka and Suki were using Hakoda's tent while Zuko had his own tent separated from the others. Toph had made a tent out of earth near the medical tent, which she stayed in to keep watch on Azula.
Toph was supposed to watch Azula for part of the night, but it was so boring that she fell asleep. In her dreams she was beating up every foe she had ever fought, at the same time. All while listening to cheering from fans of The Blind Bandit, blissfully unaware of the vibrations being made just a few feet away from her in reality.
Azula had woken up in the medical tent, and stumbled outside it. Even in the dark she could see the blue coloring of the tents, marking them as Water Tribe. Have to get out of here Azula thought, slowly walking out of the camp. The burn on her back was painful and sapped her strength, but Azula refused to let it stop her.
She was determined to salvage something from this disaster.