A/N: Judging by the reviews for the previous chapter, I've decided to not ship Haru/Azula in this story. As some of you have pointed out, it would likely just get in the way of the story.
Anyway, I apologize in advance if this chapter seems a little short. It's kind of a Breather Chapter.
Chapter 12: Stealth and Subterfuge
Leaning on a railing aboard a Fire Nation ship, Katara watched the waves splash against the hull. The ship was sailing west at maximum speed, its crew determined to bring the prisoners to the capital as quickly as possible. Katara could hear nearby crewmen gossiping about how fortunate they were to be on the ship transporting the Avatar, something to tell their grandchildren about one day. The thought that these people were happy to know Aang was captured disgusted Katara.
Looking towards the bow of the ship, Katara saw Zuko and Mai standing together. At times Katara thought they would kiss, but they wouldn't in public just yet. Simply being close to Mai was enough to keep Zuko content, and he was in no hurry to take their relationship further. Katara left them alone, since their relationship was none of her business.
Also on deck was War Minister Qin, who walked up to Katara. "Princess, we're making excellent time and should arrive at the capital by tomorrow" Qin reported.
"You didn't have to come out here to tell me that" Katara said. "What do you really want to say?"
"Well it's about that earthbender you brought with you" Qin said.
Katara looked Qin straight in the eyes, wondering if he suspected anything. "What about her?" she asked.
"She's… gotten seasick" Qin answered.
Holding back a sigh of relief, Katara just shook her head. "That's it?" Katara asked. When Qin nodded she walked past him towards the ship's cabin. "I'll see just how bad it is myself" she told him.
Entering the ship's interior, Katara walked towards the room set aside for Toph. An entire hallway had been reserved for the 'heroes' of the Fire Nation, giving all five of them a room normally shared by three crewmen. When Katara arrived at Toph's room, she opened the door and was hit by a foul smell. Holding her nose and looking inside, Katara saw Toph leaning over a bucket. Also in the room was Ty Lee, washing out another bucket in a sink.
"Are you okay?" Katara asked.
"Are we there yet?" Toph asked.
"No" Katara answered.
Ty Lee walked over to Toph and set down the bucket she just cleaned. "You know, I could help you get your sea legs real quick" Ty Lee said. "I'd only need to tap a few chi points along your legs and feet"
"You keep those hands away from my feet!" Toph yelled.
"Alright alright, hands off the feet" Ty Lee said. She walked over to Katara by the door. "What is with her and her feet?"
"Oh she's just worried that you'll blind her" Katara said. "Toph needs her feet to see."
"Well that's something new" Ty Lee said. She walked out the door and did a cartwheel down the hallway. "I wonder if she can see with her hands?" she muttered to herself.
Once Ty Lee was out of sight, Katara closed the door and turned back towards Toph. "So how are Aang and Sokka?" she asked.
Placing a hand on the floor, Toph focused on the vibrations passing through the ship. The picture in her head was strange, distorted by the vibrations through metal instead of earth. While she could still make out the ship and everyone in it, the water pounding against the hull was a chaotic mess of vibrations. Despite the sickening vision of the water, Toph could still see where Aang and Sokka were.
"Twinkletoes is out cold, but Sokka's pacing in his cell" Toph reported. "Considering where we are, they're just fine."
"And Iroh?" Katara asked.
"He's chained up, but alright" Toph said. She got up and slowly walked towards a bed in the room. "I'm going to lie down now."
Katara watched Toph climb into the bed, then left the room. She walked towards the room reserved for her, thinking that Toph had the right idea and should get some rest.
OOOOOOOOOO
Back in the Earth Kingdom, Azula, Ursa, and Haru entered a port village under Fire Nation control. Using night to cover their entry, none of the soldiers noticed them. They used the alleys behind buildings to head for the docks, avoiding the main streets lit up by lamps. Whenever soldiers came near Haru would earthbend a hiding place beneath the ground until the soldiers passed.
When they reached the docks Azula spotted several ships in port. Most of them were locked down for the night, except for one. Even in dim moonlight she could see people loading crates onto the ship, with soldiers yelling at them to work faster. With a gesture of her hand Azula signaled that they needed to get closer, and Haru complied by earthbending a tunnel into the ground.
The earthbended tunnel was long enough to reach the soldiers supervising the workers. At the end of the tunnel Haru earthbeneded several small holes to the surface so that they could eavesdrop on the soldiers.
"Hurry up! This ship was supposed to leave port three hours ago!" a soldier yelled.
One of the workers replied, but the words couldn't be made out inside the tunnel. Azula imagined that the worker was simply complaining for the sake of complaining.
"No Excuses!" the solder yelled. "If those supplies don't make it to the Boiling Rock on schedule we will ALL be scrapping crab-barnacles for a year!"
"Where's the Boiling Rock?" Haru whispered.
"In the Fire Nation" Azula answered. "We have to get aboard that ship."
"And how are we going to do that?" Haru asked.
"First, earthbend this tunnel out to the sea" Azula ordered.
"And flood the tunnel?" Haru questioned.
"Just do it" Azula said.
Though Haru hesitated, he earthbended the wall of the tunnel and extended it out to sea. The tunnel opened at the end and water rushed in. Azula bended the water as it approached, stopping it from filling the tunnel completely. She walked forward and pushed the water back until everyone reached the end of the tunnel. At the end Azula pushed the water back further, creating a bubble of air beneath the sea.
The moonlight barely penetrated the water at their depth, but the ships still cast large enough shadows to be easily found. "Now raise us up" Azula ordered.
"Alright" Haru said. Earthbending the ground inside the bubble of air, Haru created a column of rock that slowly brought them to the surface. When they reached the surface they were close to the ship's hull, near the stern.
"Okay, make us level with the deck, slowly" Azula ordered. Haru gradually raised the earth Azula bended water from the sea up with them. She connected the column of earth to the ship's deck with the water, then froze it into a bridge of ice.
"Quickly" Ursa said. She hurried across the ice and onto the deck, Azula and Haru right behind her. Once all three of them were aboard Azula melted the ice and Haru shattered the column of rock, leaving no traces of how they got there.
"Now what?" Haru asked.
"We hide" Azula said.
Avoiding the few crewmen on the other side of the deck, Azula led the way into the ship's interior. She headed for the crew quarters, taking care not to enter the paths to the cargo hold. The crewmen loading the ship were in too big a hurry to keep an eye out for stowaways. When they reached an empty room they stopped to rest inside it.
"We can't stay in here the whole trip" Ursa said.
"I know" Azula said.
Without warning the ship started to move. Looking out a porthole they could see that the ship was leaving the port.
"How long is the trip to the Boiling Rock?" Haru asked.
"A few days" Azula said. "Maybe less if they're in a hurry."
OOOOOOOOOO
Arriving in the Fire Nation capital was a strange experience for Katara. When the ship arrived it had to pass through the Great Gates of Azulon. The statue of the former Fire Lord in the middle of the bay was an impressive sight, even though she had to act like she had already seen it many times. Once the ship was past the gates it made port at the docks.
Before leaving the ship Katara had to look the part of a princess. But instead of dressing herself several servant girls were brought in to do it for her. The servants were too scared of making a mistake to notice Katara's discomfort at letting others clothe her. Once Katara had the royal armor on the servants left and she could leave the ship.
From the ship Katara traveled inside a palanquin. Though she would have preferred to walk instead of be carried, protocols had to be followed. The curtains of the palanquin only showed her silhouette to the people outside it. Katara was glad to be hidden from view, since the crowds outside cheering for 'Azula' disgusted her.
It wasn't until the palanquin was set down that Katara realized she had arrived at the palace. She got up from her seat and pulled back the curtain in front of her. Stepping out of the palanquin, Katara saw Zuko outside waiting for her. She walked up to him and stopped at Zuko's side at the threshold to the palace, ready to follow his lead.
Together Katara and Zuko walked towards the palace doors. "This is it" Katara whispered.
"Yes, it is" Zuko said.
"Any advice?" Katara asked.
"Stay calm and controlled" Zuko said.
Katara and Zuko reached the doors, which were opened from inside for them. Stepping inside the palace Katara spotted servants waiting for commands. Zuko walked slightly ahead of Katara, just enough to lead the way to the throne room. They stopped at the entrance to the throne room, which was blocked by guards in front of the curtain with the symbol of fire on it.
One of the guards stepped forward. "Princess, the Fire Lord will see you now" the guard said.
"What about… my brother?" Katara asked, slightly hesitating to call Zuko that.
"He specifically asked for you, Princess" the guard said.
"Very well" Katara said.
Another guard pulled back the curtain for Katara to walk through. Immediately she noticed the wall of fire at the far end of the room, blocking her view of the Fire Lord. Walking towards the wall of fire Katara felt the heat rise, and she stopped before it would be enough to make her sweat. Through the flames Katara could see a silhouette of Fire Lord Ozai.
"Azula" Ozai said. "Welcome home."
Katara bowed to Ozai, maintaining the formalities. She wished she didn't have to respond to him like his daughter. "How can I serve, father."
"You've already done a great service" Ozai said. "The enemy is in turmoil over your actions in Ba Sing Se, your traitorous uncle has been captured, and most impressive above all else, the Avatar has been imprisoned." Then with a smile he said "Well done."
"I couldn't have done it all alone" Katara said. "Without Zuko the Avatar would have escaped."
"You could have simply killed him" Ozai stated.
"That would only be a… temporary solution" Katara said. "He would have reincarnated and be a problem again in the future."
"True" Ozai said. For moment he thought about the possibilities. "We'll see how long he can be held captive. If that is too much trouble the temporary solution will have to suffice."
"Of course" Katara said.
Without warning Ozai extinguished the wall of fire, leaving only lamps in the room lit. While Katara adjusted to the dim light Ozai got up from his throne and walked towards her. Once Katara got a good look at Ozai's face, she couldn't help but notice the similarity to Zuko. Without Ozai's beard or Zuko's scar, Ozai looked like an older Zuko.
"Now tell me Azula, has your brother truly redeemed himself?" Ozai asked as he walked up to Katara.
"That's really not my judgment to make" Katara said. Why is he looking at me like that? she wondered, feeling really uncomfortable with Ozai right next to her.
"You don't mind letting him step ahead of you in the line of succession?" Ozai asked.
"I don't expect the succession to be an issue for quite some time" Katara said.
Ozai smiled at that remark, and then turned away from Katara. "That is all for now" Ozai said. "Do send in your brother on your way out."
Katara bowed and then walked towards the exit. When she heard Ozai reignite his wall of fire Katara let out a sigh of relief. That could have gone a lot worse she thought as she left the throne room.
OOOOOOOOOO
Once the ship leaving the Earth Kingdom was well on its way, Azula focused her efforts on staying hidden onboard. Unfortunately there are only so many places to be on a ship, and it was inevitable that someone would find stowaways.
Haru had been taking food from the galley when a crewman saw him in there. Haru hadn't noticed, and the crewmen immediately alerted the ship's captain. The captain had the crew search the ship from one end to the other, and caught the stowaways in a storage room near the ship's stern.
"All right, you got us" Azula said, holding up her hands.
Flanked by four crewmen, the captain examined Azula, Ursa, and Haru. His hair was short and gray, with sideburns framing his face. "Now what do you three think you're doing on my ship?" he asked.
"Hitching a ride, what else would it be?" Azula said.
"Tell me why and maybe I won't have you thrown overboard" the captain demanded.
"We have information the Fire Lord needs to hear" Azula said.
The captain laughed for a moment. "You expect me to believe that?" he asked.
"No, I don't" Azula interrupted. "Either way we have to reach the capital before Sozin's Comet arrives."
"Oh no, I'm taking my ship anywhere near the capital while the Avatar is imprisoned there" the captain said.
"What!" Haru yelled. "How in the world did the Avatar get caught?"
That's a good question Azula thought.
"Of course you haven't heard the news, its only just arrived by hawk a few hours ago" the captain said. "Prince Zuko and Princess Azula captured the Avatar and are holding him prisoner at the capital."
That doesn't make any sense. Why would they do that? Azula wondered.
"Wouldn't you want to go and see the captured Avatar for yourself?" Ursa asked.
"No. I saw enough of the Avatar when I served in Zhao's foolish siege of the north" the captain said. "Honestly I think it's a mistake to hold him so close to the palace."
"You were at the siege?" Azula asked. "I thought there were no survivors."
"I was just a lieutenant then, on the last ship to reach the invasion forces" the captain said. "I barely made it out alive."
"In that case you should go to the capital and warn them about the danger" Azula suggested.
"They would never listen" the captain said. "Besides I have a shipment to deliver." Turning to his crew he said "Take them to the brig."
OOOOOOOOOO
While Zuko talked to his father, Katara wandered around the palace. She wasn't expected to be anywhere at the moment and wanted to know where everything was. Whenever Katara walked past someone she made herself look like she knew where she was going, and no one bothered to ask what she was doing.
After an hour of wandering aimlessly, Katara came across the royal spa. With nothing better to do Katara decided to enjoy herself a little. She sat down on a comfortable chair while several servant girls attended to her. They washed her hair, filed her nails, and scrubbed her feet.
"Cherries Princess" one servant offered, holding a bowl of cherries next to Katara.
"Sure" Katara said, taking one from the bowl. Chewing it slowly, Katara liked the new taste. She took another cherry, but as she chewed this one Katara felt something hard in it. Katara spit it into her hand and held it towards the servant. "What am I holding?" Katara asked.
"A cherry pit, Princess" the servant slowly answered.
"Shouldn't these be removed?" Katara asked.
"It wasn't a decision" the servant said, starting to shudder in fear. "It was just a small mistake."
She's terrified of me Katara thought as she looked at the servant. "Forget it, no harm's been done" Katara said.
The servant calmed down a bit. "Is there anything else I can do?" she asked.
"Take the rest of the day off" Katara suggested.
Surprised, the servant nearly dropped the bowl of cherries. "Princess, please don't be angry with me?"
"I'm not" Katara said. "A small mistake could simply be from stress. Take the afternoon off, get a good night's sleep, and I'm sure you'll do much better the next time."
"Of course, Princess, thank you" the servant said, getting up and walking away.
The other servants stared at Katara, confused by her generosity. "Did I say stop?" Katara asked. "Finish this up and the rest of you can relax with her."
"Yes Princess" the other servants all said together. They went back to work, quickly finishing their tasks. When they were finished Katara smiled and left the spa, leaving the servants confused, but relieved as well.
OOOOOOOOOO
Waiting in the brig was painfully boring for Azula. She was alone in the cell, Ursa and Haru in cells adjacent to hers. For a while Azula wondered if the crew had forgotten about them, since she never saw any guards watch the cells. It wasn't until she felt the ship stop moving that she realized they had reached a port.
We can't be there already Azula wondered. As far as she knew no ship was fast enough to reach the Boiling Rock in such a short time. While wondering where the ship had docked she heard someone approach.
The ship's captain entered the brig with five soldiers behind them. They opened the three cells and forced Azula out along with Ursa and Haru.
"Where are we?" Ursa asked.
"Fire Fountain City" the captain answered. "We're turning you over to the local authorities for punishment."
"Why not take us all the way to the Boiling Rock?" Azula asked.
"That prison is for firebenders and political prisoners" the captain explained. "You three would be a waste of space there. Now get moving, this ship is already behind schedule enough as it is."
The soldiers escorted Azula, Ursa, and Haru out of the brig and onto the ship's deck. Even from the port Azula could see the flames from the statue of Ozai that identified the city. Walking towards the pier, Azula saw local soldiers ready to take her into custody. Glancing around, Azula looked for an opportunity to exploit.
While walking along the bridge between the ship and the pier, Azula shoved one of the soldiers off and into the water. Before the others could respond Azula bended water up from the sea and pulled it towards herself in an arc. The water hit the soldiers around Azula, leaving only her, Ursa, and Haru still on it.
"Stop where you are" the soldiers on the dock ordered, assuming firebending stances.
"Yea no, not happening" Azula said. She pushed down against the water beneath the bridge, bending it away from the hull of the ship. In seconds a massive void was made on that side of the ship, allowing the water on the other side to push against the hull and tip the ship over.
The bridge to the dock cracked and buckled as the ship tipped over. Ursa and Haru ran back up it towards the ship, grabbing Azula with them. They reached the ship's deck just as the hull hit the pier, shattering it and sending the soldiers into the water. As the deck began to sink under the water, Azula created a lifeboat of ice for her, Ursa, and Haru.
Floating away from the capsized ship, Haru waved at the swimming soldiers. "Thanks for the ride!" Haru shouted.
OOOOOOOOOO
In the middle of the night, Katara left the palace on her own, wearing a dark red cloak to hide her identity. Using a map that Zuko provided, Katara found her way out of the capital without anyone noticing her. She headed for the prison, easily finding the large tower that contained the worst Fire Nation criminals.
The map marked a hidden passage into the prison, which avoided the sentries patrolling outside. Inside the prison Katara headed for the deepest and darkest dungeon, where she knew Aang was being held. When she reached the room Katara spotted a guard outside the door.
"Halt!" the guard ordered, wielding a spear. He watched Katara continue walking, lifting her head to reveal her face. He lowered his guard as Katara reached him. "Princes…"
Katara interrupted the guard by yanking the spear out of his hands and shoving him into the wall. With one arm pinning the guard to the wall, Katara lit a small blue flame in her hand. "This Never Happened" Katara said, swelling the flame in her hand for a moment.
The guard nodded silently, and Katara let him go. Picking up the spear, resumed his post while letting Katara enter.
Inside Katara saw that the entire room was lined with metal, blocking all contact with the earth. Several small torches lined the walls, drying out the air inside. Small vents provided air into the room, designed to slam shut if even a small breeze blew inside. The limited air ensured that if any more fire was created inside, it would suffocate everyone in the room. Not even the Avatar could escape this specially designed cell.
Within the cell was a cage, and inside that was Aang chained to the bars. The chains had enough slack to let him move and feed himself, but were tight enough to prevent use as a tool for suicide. Despite being trapped like a caged animal, Aang's face lit up like a child with candy when he saw Katara enter the cell.
"How long have I been in the slammer?" Aang asked.
"Too long already" Katara said. Reaching into her cloak Katara retrieved a pastry wrapped in paper and handed it to Aang. "Here, it's far better than prison food."
"Thanks" Aang said. He quickly ate the pastry, noticing how Katara had made certain that there wasn't any meat in it. "That hit the spot."
"I'll try to bring more when I can" Katara said. "It won't be every night, because that would draw too much attention."
"It's only for a few more weeks" Aang said. "I think I can handle it."
"I know you can" Katara said. She pulled the hood of her cloak over her head and walked out of the room. The guard outside the room watched Katara leave, but did nothing about it.
A/N: Anyone figure out which minor character the captain of that ship is supposed to be? I figured that Lt. Jee was overdue for a promotion after he left the series.