Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

Ethereal

Chapter 12: The Return to Sea

"Kidnapping a sacred and esteemed member of the Glacierlands, violating her in the ways your people have, these are all gross acts of war. You should consider yourself fortunate I was able to talk down the fleet from leaving this entire island in shambles after everything you've done here," a man's voice echoed down the hallways. Katara recognized his voice to be her father's.

"Chief Hakoda, if I may-" Zuko began calmly.

"No, you may not. You will formally apologize to my people for this offense, you will return my daughter to her home, and you will compensate our people for defiling sacred grounds." Hakoda interrupted. "I consider myself to be a reasonable man, and I find war to be the worst thing that could happen to any nation, but I have never been so tempted to walk away from years of truce all to just give your dishonorable family the war it's been itching for."

The siren remained outside the throne room, inhaling and exhaling. They were fighting - over her.

"I beg your pardon? 'The war we've been itching for?' My family has been trying to avoid war for years; you Glacierlandsmen are so sensitive about your traditions. We breathe wrong and it's defying something sacred. Never mind the fact men sail through the oceans where the sirens live, and they - your daughter included - eat sailors. Tear them to shreds. I saw your darling daughter do it with my own eyes!" Zuko snapped back angrily. "And for you to come into my home after the tragedy-"

Hakoda scoffed. "Are you really so naïve to think you're the only one who has suffered? My wife died because of greedy Volcanic Islanders trying to use her, and then she dried out."

"Dried out?"

"That's what happens when a siren stays out of water for too long. They're not screwing around when they say, 'In their blood runs water.'"

Silence.

"Take your siren fish daughter and your fleet and begone. We seek no more troubles from your people, and you can be assured not a single Volcanic Island ship will come near your frozen slab of land for the next century." the prince shouted.

A door slamming echoed through the hallway, and inside, Katara could hear her father sobbing.

The siren walked outside to the courtyard, seeing the prince in his usual spot at the pond with the turtle ducks. A wave of anger crashed into her as she ran to him and shoved him with no warning into the pond. He fell forward, groaning in pain.

"The hell was that for?"

"'Take your siren fish daughter,'" Katara repeated, mimicking his voice to the best of her ability. "After everything I have done for you. I have saved your life, twice!"

He snorted a bit, wiping a bit of blood from his lip as he stood. "I guess that makes us even, hm?"

She charged at him, pushing him directly into the tree behind the pond. "You truly are the Son of the Dragon; you only look out for yourself. Now you have your throne, your country, and your father and sister are out of your way. All that is left is to marry Mai, and roll around in your riches. But I see you for what you are; alone, pathetic."

"You don't know a damn thing about me," he spat at her. "My father sent me to bring you home after I dishonored him, after I 'failed' him. He burned half my face, then told me to go find a siren. We didn't know you were real - to us, we thought finding a siren was as possible as... growing wings and flying to the moon. It was a fool's errand, I just got lucky. Azula was 'born lucky,' according to my father. I was 'lucky to be born.' In his later years, he probably would have preferred me to just drown when I was three at Ember Island instead of trying to rescue me."

The siren's eyes searched his, still black with anger. "Your father was a terrible human; I pity you for that, but it does not redeem your actions."

"I know it doesn't but," he sighed. "I had my uncle, but now he wants to go to the Earthlands and start a new life, away from politics. And I just thought you would stay, and then your father was here, and..."

Her eyes finally relaxed to a calming blue. "You felt abandoned."

"I am abandoned," he corrected.

"Zuko, I have no wisdom for you. But you must consider what is right for both your heart, and your people," Katara stepped back. "As I must."

"What do you mean?"

She looked at him, her eyes betraying the look of resolve on her face. "I have to return to my home. There is so much my people do not know about themselves; it is not right. They should not be cursed to guard a lie, something they were told out of confusion and misinterpretation.

"The siren's charge has always been to safeguard the fountain of life. But we always assumed it was water; water nourishes, it provides, it gives life and continues it. But the fountain of life is not water, but us. Your father - though twisted in his attempts - understood that. It is why he sought the blood of a siren, and it is why my tears healed you. We should not be confined to roam the seas, enticing men to act badly so we could devour them, but to live - to see. We are not meant to just live for the gods, we are meant to live. It is all the Moon ever wanted for us."

"How can you possibly know all that?" he scoffed. "Did Aang 'talk' to the gods again and relay the message?"

Katara bit her tongue to keep from snapping back in response. "No, She told me herself. She said when the two halves of enemies have become whole, the sirens will be free of their curse. I owe it to them, I owe it to myself, to find this."

He nodded a bit. "Your duty."

"I knew you could understand this," she smiled a bit at him.

"Why can't the gods ever just tell us what they want directly?" he asked, mostly to himself. Katara smiled a bit, looking at the stars.

"Because nothing in life worth having is easy," she responded. "Goodnight, Dragon King Zuko."

He reached out and grabbed her arm. "Katara, wait."

She looked at him expectantly, wondering what he would say. Would he apologize? Would he ask her to not leave?

He leaned in and she turned away. "I cannot let you do that."

"Why?" he sounded pained, rejected.

"The kiss of a siren drives one mad."

Zuko demanded, "What about your father?"

"I suppose he is one of a sound mind and spirit; her kiss only solidified his love for her." She placed her hand gently on his face and he lifted his hand to touch it.

"Then let me solidify what I feel," he pleaded.

She leaned forward and pressed her forehead against his. "I want you to, but I care about you too much to risk it. And if you were to lose yourself, I would never be able to live."

"Do you love me?" he asked quickly.

A flicker of amusement crossed the siren's eyes. "I love you, Zuko, yes. But I am not in love with you. Few sirens ever experience that feeling of emotion. It would require us spending time in a different circumstance for me to reach a level of devotion like that. Do you love me?"

He looked down a bit. "I don't know. Would you give me the chance?"

"You deserve better than a monster who eats someone's heart."

And just like that, she was gone.

Katara, her brother, and father left early the next morning. Zuko did not see them off, but Iroh did. He kissed Katara's hands and bade that she return very soon to the islands.

"Though I know you may have mixed feelings, I wish you to know that we think the highest of you, Lady Katara. My only regret is we did not meet under more formal and courteous circumstances. I hope you find it in yourself to forgive us for the sins we committed against you," he bowed low.

"I have forgiven you a hundred times over, Lord Iroh. And if it would please you, I would enjoy corresponding with you over the next year. I also ask of you a favor," she said.

He smiled eagerly.

"Hurry up, Sugar Queen!" Toph shouted.

"Just a moment, Toph!" she called back, then handed Iroh an envelope. "I'm afraid my handwriting is poor, but I was able to have the young Avatar help me translate it into your writing. I would appreciate this if you would give this to Zuko when the time is appropriate."

"How will I know?" he asked, taking it.

She smiled at him and whispered in his ear, "It is unsealed."

The siren boarded the ship with her companions, waving at the elderly gentleman and holding her brother's hand. He gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"Now that we know you can walk on land, I'm going to teach you how to do penguin sledding," he promised her.

"Actually, could you please teach me to read and write first?" she asked.

He smiled and laughed. "I don't know, you might be a little too old."

"Hey!" she cried out, going to punch him lightly in the arm.

In the back of her mind, her thoughts replayed what she had written. Truthfully, she had been almost too embarrassed to ask for Aang's assistance, but decided that pride should take a backseat to her feelings in this once...

Zuko,

I hope you will forgive my handwriting, it is a bit childish, but I am still learning. Perhaps the next time we correspond, I will have greatly improved and perhaps I will no longer speak with a silly accent that you seem to favor teasing me about.

The Moon told me that I can end our curse by bringing two halves of enemies together to make a whole, as I told you the eve of my departure to return home. However, I already know the two halves, and while I owe it to myself to bring them together, you owe it to your people to devote your attention and wisdom to them. Your father is passed, your sister is lost, and you find yourself with a great burden. To ask you to devote your attentions to me at this time is both cruel and selfish - neither are qualities I wish to exemplify.

I am also told that Lady Mai was issued a pardon after being locked at the Boiling Rock with your uncle. She acted in the interest of what is right, and betrayed your sister after she began plotting against both you and my people. Your uncle informs me that the Dragon Court seeks a hasty marriage, as they think she would be a wonderful model as your bride. I must admit, I concur. However, I also feel conflicted.

While I know that I have no place to ask you for this, but I was hoping you would grace me with a favor. I have been keeping score, and it would seem that we have both saved each other's lives twice, and we both cared for each other once when ill and/or injured. Though this would make us even, I was hoping you would tilt the scales again.

In one year from my departure, I ask that you come to the Glacierlands. Please, come to the Glacierlands. Come to where everything began. Though it is not where we first met, it is where the sequence of events leading to our encounter began. I will wait for you.

Cordially,

Katara

The siren spent the next few weeks, learning much about her race. She came to learn that there were many things she didn't know, and Sokka dedicated a great amount of time teaching her to write. She studied hard, and after a few weeks, she could read nearly 500 characters and write almost 350. Her father thought it to be the indication of a genius; Sokka considered it a sign of his incredible teaching skills.

The cerulean eyed girl also came to learn to balance her time in and out of the water. When she was in the water, she would teach her sisters how to read and write (mostly things she had learned that day), and about the outside world. The monk would come and see her, too, telling her about the things he had seen while traveling with Toph. He told her about a great library he heard rumors of in the desert, guarded by a god.

"I bet it would have lots of answers about sirens," he suggested.

"I suppose it would." she acknowledged.

Aang pursed his lips. "But I know now isn't a time for you. So Toph and I will wait until you're ready."

"Ready?"

"Break the Sun's curse." he explained.

"Ah, that." she replied absently, pretending to have forgotten.

She didn't forget; it was at the front of her mind everyday. Every moment she returned to the water, or went back to her father's village. Every time she felt transformed between an ethereal creature, and a plagued human, she remembered the curse.

She had been back in the Glacierlands for nearly a week when she received her first letter from Iroh. At first, Sokka had to read her letters and draft the responses. As she continued her studies, she needed him less and less, and would only ask on occasion for help.

His latest letter asked her if she would consider hosting an old man in her home and take her on this "penguin sledding" he had heard so much about from her brother. He also told her things in the Volcanic Islands were as tumultuous, but some stability was returning. More than the economic troubles, however, he was concerned for the well-being of Zuko.

Zuko was not sleeping well, and was bothered by the disappearance of his mother. Iroh asked if Katara could request her traveling companions - no doubt Aang and Toph - to keep their ears open for any information regarding the woman.

The sun had set when Katara began to reply, drinking water to keep hydrated. She planned on returning to the ocean later that evening and visiting her sisters for a few days.

"So this is where you've been hiding out," a deep voice mumbled.

The siren dropped her brush, splattering ink all over the paper and her wrist. She quickly moved to wipe her arm with the cloth to her right. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you."

Posted: 06/14/2012