Title: Midsummer Madness
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Author: BurningIce
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Rating: PG-13
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Summary: Katara learns that there are both advantages and drawbacks to being a female water bending master, and pays back a favor to an old friend.
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Pairing: Zutara
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Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. If I did it would have been considerably less awesome, but Katara and Zuko would have totally gotten together, so I guess it's a toss up.
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Chapter 9: The Kyoshi
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Katara woke, her head pounding, and she whimpered burying her head back into her pillow. Her pillow grunted and batted at her shoulder, making her sit up with a start. Her head had been pillowed on Zuko's chest, he must have stayed with her once she had passed out, her shoes were still on, but a cover was draped over them. One of his hands was still tangled in her hair.
She glanced out the window, it was dark out, she had passed out in the early evening, but not that early. She should have slept through the night.
Zuko shifted, brushed the hair back from his face, scratched his nose, and then stilled. Katara put her head back down on him again, putting her hand on his stomach. Her body flared to life like she had blown on the embers of a fire.
Checking again to make sure he was asleep, pressed closer, flattening herself against his side, and resting one of her legs on him. For a few seconds, her nerve and logic battled with her curiosity and hormones, then she reached up and touched his face, running her fingers across the stubble that was starting to prickle out of his chin.
Aang never had stubble, his voice had barely even started to change. Katara quickly shoved the thoughts of Aang out of her mind, and went back to her exploration. From his cheek, they moved to his scar, tracing over the rough skin, then across his strong brow and down his nose.
She had hoped that some physical contact would quiet her body, but instead it only seemed to sharpen her desires. She wanted to straddle the Fire Lord and kiss him, to pull his cloths off, she tried to shake the impulses from her head, reminding herself that she and Zuko were fast friends, and nothing more. He had never made any sort of indication that he wanted more.
Except for the few fleeting moments when she caught him looking at her with a peculiar expression of admiration, his eyes full of sadness.
She glanced wistfully at the half empty bottle of alcohol on her dresser. One shot would probably relax her enough to get back to sleep . . .
"Oh no, the only thing you're drinking is water."
She turned back, regarding the pair of golden eyes, positively glowing in the dark. He was watching her gaze at the bottle.
Oh spirits, was he feigning sleep?! She tried not to let the panic she felt show in her face.
Katara considered her options, huffing would probably make her head hurt worse, ignoring him and laying back . . . . well, parts of her were almost too eager to do that, and fighting him . . . she wasn't feeling too picky about what kind of physical contact it was.
"That's what I was going to do." She tried to sound matter of fact.
She sat up, something yanked on her hair, her stomach lurched, and she lay back down, wondering if she could bend the liquid in her stomach so as not to throw up.
"Take deep breaths." Zuko propped himself up on his elbows.
"How did YOU sober up so quickly?" she asked, accusingly.
"Fire bending, I can burn the alcohol off of my bloodstream if I want to. Since you were so upset, I thought I better clear my head."
"Ugh, can you do it to other people?"
Zuko shook his head, "I can't tell where your blood is."
"Ough, my head." Katara found a pillow pillow and buried her face in it.
"Come on 'tara," he held the glass out to her.
"Ok, ok." She sat up and took the glass from him, draining it cooperatively, then flopped back on her bed, "What are you doing in my room?"
"I got stuck." He muttered sheepishly, lifting his wrist to show that her hair was hopelessly tangled in the clasp of his bracelet, "I tried to wake you! You were out cold!" he added defensively when she glared.
"What time is it?"
"About two in the morning."
She groaned, "Ugh, Zuko . . ."
"Sorry . . ."
Katara's grabbed her hair and gave it a good yank, wondering why she had ever stopped wearing a braid. Braids never got tangled in jewelry. With a little bit of pulling, most of it came free, she untangled the rest by hand, then stood up. Still feeling far too frisky for her liking, and not having an outlet made her angry, the fire bender needed to leave, quickly, before she got any ideas.
"You can go now." She dismissed him haughtily, pointing at the door for emphasis.
If it hurt Zuko's feelings, he didn't show it, simply stood and brushed by her, closing the door softly behind him, and his air of uncaring made Katara angrier. She contemplated throwing something, but decided against it, acting angry would only reinforce the fact that she WAS angry over something so silly.
Stupid moon. Katara grumped, Somehow, this is all her fault.
She decided that now that she was up, she might as well get ready to go. The sun would be up in three or four hours, and hopefully she could put some miles between her stupid, over considerate, immature, tween semi boyfriend.
Grabbing a towel she headed down the hallway, making for Omashu's public bathhouse. Her skin was feeling greasy and gross, and her face threatened to break out if she put off washing it much longer.
Hurray for being a teenager. She thought, pushing the door to the baths open, arranged marriage, acne, and awkward hormonal surges, I can't believe I still have three more years of this!
The baths were deserted, she hadn't expected there to be anyone around at what must be three in the morning, so she quickly gathered the soaps she wanted, and then sunk down into the tepid water to feel sorry for herself.
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"Why did you say yes?!" Toph was livid, her voice rising to a shouting level, "How much of a push over are you?"
Aang studied his toes, scuffing the dirt, and Toph figured that she had about 40 more seconds before he made a break for the window.
"You're just going to LET them run off to the swamp together?! After they kissed?! After Mai broke up with Zuko?! You should insist that Katara comes with you!! She feels guilty, she'll do it!!"
"I don't want to make her do something because she feels guilty." Aang defended.
"Come on Twinkle Toes, we all know Katara will guilt someone into doing something if she can, you should treat her the same! Plus, on top of everything, you agree to go to the fire nation?! I would have told his lordship to shove it if I were in your position."
"I have to help maintain the peace, I am the Avatar." It was Aang's usual excuse, the one he always gave as reasoning for why he did any of the silly stuff he did.
"It's because you're a monk right?" Toph accused him, "Was it all peace, love, and polyamourousness in the air temples?"
"I want to go antelope bear riding." Aang started for the door, and Toph stepped in front of him, barring his way.
"No, we are having a confrontation. Earth bender to Earth bender. So you better pull some Avatar Kyoshi stubbornness out of your hat really fast!"
Aang tried to sidestep her, but she stepped again, twisted her feet, and the land under Aang moved, and the inertia sat him down on one of his chairs.
"Look!" Aang crossed his arms, his voice cracking, "What am I supposed to do?!"
"Get angry, get jealous, tell her how she makes you feel, BREAK something!" Toph leaned closer to his face with every option she listed, making Aang sink down further into the chair, "I can't believe you're just going to take this lying down!! You're really going to give up without a fight?!"
"I don't like fighting, I prefer to avoid it . . . so, that's a no on the antelope bear-"
"What IS it with you?!" Toph bent a slab of rock up and sat on it.
Aang fidgeted but said nothing.
Toph wiggled her toes, staring sightlessly off to the left, waiting for him to answer.
"I barely see her anymore," Aang finally said, "I saw her at Zuko's coronation, I saw her when Zuko threw the party for the grand opening of Iroh's tea shop, I saw her at the wedding, and I saw her now. It's been months . . . and each time, things seem a little more off. She is a little older, and she definitely acts much much older."
Toph snorted.
"No, it's true."
"Katara always acts like Katara, motherly, temperamental, a spoilsport, and likely to do something stupid and reckless."
"Don't talk about her like that!" Aang defended, standing, which made Toph jump to her feet too.
"Aang, do you know what is going to happen when two teenagers who have just had their hearts broken, take a wade through a hot, sticky, primitive swamp together? Have you even heard the rumors of that swamp and what goes on there?"
"You have visions, you see things, people you have loved and lost. I saw you, remember?" Aang put a finger on his chin, thinking, "I wonder if that means I'll love you and lose you in the future."
"Yes, yes," Toph said impatiently, her cheeks turning pink, "That's not what I am talking about though, I meant what goes on with the water benders there. The water bending women, haven't you heard the whispers?!"
Aang stared at her blankly.
"Ugh!!" Toph threw up her hands, "Congratulations Twinkle Toes. You are royally fucked."
Aang cringed at her cursing, "What happens in the swamps?"
Toph shook her head, "You tell me why you are letting her off and maybe I'll tell you about the swamp."
Aang looked longingly at the window, Toph must have felt it because she stepped between him and where his staff was leaned against the wall.
"Because . . . because she doesn't love me!!" Aang finally stammered, tears stinging his eyes, "I can TELL!! She WANTS me, but she doesn't LOVE me . . . not like I love her. Because Hakoda . . . He wants me to MARRY her!! He EXPECTS me to!! I'm only thirteen!! I don't wanna get married!! He asked me if I am going to propose when she turns 16!!" He wipes his eye with the heel of his hand.
Toph stood, silent, then finally said, "So that's it!! You're scared of making a commitment!! Married at 14? That's gross, water tribe customs are gross, What with the body piercing, the sexism, the arranged marriages . . ." She decided not to push the subject of Katara any further or he would really start to cry, and then she would feel badly.
"Body piercing?"
She changed the subject, walking to his door and opening it, "Better start packing then Twinkle Toes, apparently we're heading for the fire nation this afternoon."
"Hey!!" he followed, "You said you would tell me about the swamp . . . and what are body piercing?!"
"Aang!!" Zuko came jogging down the hallway, "I was looking for you, Katara is almost ready to ride out, don't you think that you should try to smooth things over with her?"
Aang looked from the panting Zuko to Toph, who had already strolled away down the hallway, and was pretending to admire a view out the window. He could see Toph was angry, and he wished silently that he could see Ty Lee again, all the girls that followed him seemed to have such tempers. He couldn't think of a time when the acrobat had lost hers.
"I . . . umm . . ." Aang didn't want to appear a coward, but the idea of facing the enraged fifteen and a half year old did not appeal to him, "Just tell her I am sorry."
Zuko pursed his lips, looking vaguely disappointed in his pupil, then strode over to Toph, giving her a hug "Okay. Toph, I'll see you soon."
Toph grinned, "Hahaha, I wish it was mutual."
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Katara rode in silence for a few hours, listening to the Fire Lord humming under his breath as their mounts ambled along, occasionally snitching emu horse sized mouthfuls of grass from the side of the path.
"Think we should make camp?"
Katara shrugged.
Both of them were depressed, and neither particularly felt like talking.
"Maybe another mile." Zuko dismissed it, dropping his stirrups, and rotating his ankles.
And so it proceeded through the rest of the ride, the making of camp and the eating of the dinner Katara cooked. Instead of rolling out her mat and tent right next to him to better facilitate late night chatter, she set up her things across the fire from him and sat in silence as the night wore on. Two days of travel passed, they followed the shoreline south, heading for the bangrove swamp. As they plodded along, they barely said two words to each other all day, when finally on the third night, Katara couldn't take the awkward silence any longer.
"You want to work on your chest scar?" Katara asked, trying to break the quiet, she drew a squiggly line in the dirt with a stick, her chin resting on her knees.
"Maybe later." Zuko sat, cross legged, meditating in front of his tent.
"You want to teach me more of the Dancing Dragon?"
Zuko shook his head.
"You want to play a guessing game?"
Zuko shook his head.
"Zuko, I'm going stir crazy just sitting here!" She complained, "How can you just sit there?"
Zuko cracked an eye open, "Katara I am trying to meditate . . . my purpose in life is not to amuse you, go brush the emu horses or collect more firewood or read your scrolls if you're bored."
Katara crinkled her nose, she didn't really want to do anything, what she wanted was for Zuko to give her attention, mainly because lately, he had been making her feel hot and bothered no matter what phase the moon was. "What was it like to see a dragon?"
"Why don't you come sit and meditate with me?" Zuko offered, his nerves starting to fray.
Katara decided that that was the best offer she was going to get, so she stood and crossed the circle of firelight, sitting down next to him cross legged as he scooted to face her instead of the fire.
Bending the water in the air into two pools in her hands, she held her left hand palm up and her right hand palm down, and waited for him to mirror her. After a few moments of eyeing the water, Zuko placed his hands against hers, his fingers touching her wrists, palms against the meniscus of the water.
Just like when she healed, the water began to glow silver, and she cleared her mind, focusing on her breathing. Her breath began to sync with the tide, the pull of the moon, she focused on the ebb and flow of the waves, finding the rhythm, and pushing and pulling on Zuko's energies, cycling it around from their left, around their shoulders, and then around and out their right.
She suddenly became very aware of the man sitting knee to knee with her, his breathing in time with hers, his blood pumping, his mind clear and open.
She heard him whisper something, but didn't quite catch it.
"What was that?"
"I didn't say anything."
"Yes you did! I heard you."
"Well, what was it?"
"I didn't catch it, something about the swamp."
"I didn't say anything, I thought 'relax, tomorrow we'll reach the swamp.'"
"Well, you must have said it out loud." Katara concluded.
"I didn't." he persisted, then seemed to make a decision, "Katara, do that thing you did to Jet to me!" he dropped his hands and beckoned.
"I didn't do ANYTHING to Jet, what has Toph been saying?! He wasn't my boyfriend!"
"No, I mean, that thing you said, when you unlocked his memories. When you saw snatches into his mind."
"Oh," Stupid hormones, "It was just a reaction, usually I need a wound or something to trigger a memory. But okay, I'll try, just sit still." She got up and kneeled behind him, placing her healing water over his temples.
Zuko straightened and closed his eyes, resuming his meditation.
Katara closed her eyes, throwing his mind open like two double doors and walked inside. It was overwhelming, he was panicking, trying to shove memories away and down deep, were she couldn't see them. Things he was ashamed of, things he didn't want her to know.
A twitch of her finger and she accidentally touched his scar, the healing water bringing her into the memory of the wound, she was on a dais, Ozai was above her, she could feel the tears on her face. Iroh was there, disgusted with his brother, so was Azula, looking excited, looking happy. Katara found herself falling on her knees, bowing again and again, apologizing, begging forgiveness, fear coiled in a tight knot in her stomach. Ozai was saying something, but she didn't hear it, the blood was pounding too loudly in her ears, a fire ball appeared in the Fire Lord's right hand, and he pressed it to her face in a bone shattering smack. She felt the force of it snap her head back and knock her backwards off her knees, the side of her head cracked the floor, and she bit her tongue, though that couldn't compare with the horrible feeling exploding from her face.
Everyone was talking, most were cheering, calling out to Ozai, jeering at her, though they said Zuko's name. She felt the wash of his emotions, the humiliation, the degradation, the pain, the betrayal, the hurt. She felt herself move unbidden, trapped in the fourteen year old body of the fire Prince, and he reached up, hand shaking to touch his face. The pain from the contact was unbearable, and she screamed aloud, losing her concentration, her body crumpled and she clutched her hands to her face.
Zuko grabbed her shoulders and yanked her hands away, and swore, she struggled, trying to grab for her face again, and he pinned her, putting a knee onto her stomach, though he wasn't strong enough to pin her wrists to the ground. Her abs contracted, her diaphragm began to heave, and she started to hyperventilate.
"Katara! Katara!!" He hauled her up to a sitting position, and shook her by the wrists.
Hearing her name helped. Things started to register, and she stopped struggling, though her breathing did not slow, and she rolled over onto her side, dragging the Fire Lord with her as he refused to let go of her.
"We aren't doing this again! Your eye is all red, how is your body reacting like these things are happening to you?!"
"That's why . . . we're going to . . . to the swamp . . . 'member?" between gasps, a sob escaping from her lips.
"No more mind reading, no more scar-healing, not until we have a master who can teach you!" He was shaken, his voice cracking, "Spirits only know the memories father has in his mind that you might run into!!"
Katara didn't answer, but held her face, it still hurt, but the pain was fading, her eyes were still streaming though, her body shaking, convulsing. Her breathing refused to steady, and she started to see white sparks in front of her vision.
"Breathe 'tara, nice and slow."
"I always . . . I always Imagined it . . . was horrible . . . but I . . . never thought . . ." She started between gasps, her head feeling light.
"Maybe it's mental, breathe in, you're mind is experiencing these things, breathe out, so your body thinks its hurt, breathe in, your nerves react accordingly. Breathe out. Lets see?"
Katara uncovered her face, the aggravated skin around her left eye was fading back to it's normal olive. Her body still shook, his memory still fresh in her mind, the pain, the betrayal, the shame. She had been embarrassed before in her life, but she understood now the depth of the shame that Zuko had felt, how deep the cut was in his soul, and how it humiliated him even then to be scarred. It was far worse than any embarrassment that she felt, nothing could compare, and he still had to bear the physical burden.
Her head felt better, her breathing returning to normal, and she crawled back to sit next to him. She studied his face for a long time, and after a minute of looking uncomfortable, he turned his head so only the good side of his face was visible to her.
"I felt-"
"It's been years, it doesn't haunt me anymore." He cut her off, picking up a leaf and shredding it.
Katara didn't need Toph to know that he was lying. Her maternal instincts took over, rallying her, and she found herself turning his head, and reaching out to touch his disfigurement. The skin was coarse and red, but not unpleasant. She found she had been touching him more and more latly.
Zuko froze again, as he had in the cave under Ba Sing Se, as he always did when she touched his face, as though he was waiting for the exclamations of revulsion to spew from her mouth. He looked down and away, his body stiffening, avoiding eye contact.
He's hurt, do something! Her instincts kicked in, and without really thinking it through, she leaned forward and brushed her lips against the uneven skin.
Zuko's breath hitched in his throat. She was finally kissing him, no strings, no outside influences, and she chose to kiss him on his mangled forehead? It was not fair.
"I shouldn't have asked you to try." He said closing his eyes as she nuzzled his temple, resisting the urge to press her down into his bedroll and kiss her furiously.
"Zuko . . ." He heard her sigh his name, then, he yelped as he felt Katara's lips brush his, it jolted him back into himself. Pushing her off, he crab walked backwards, scrambling away. She was still Aang's girlfriend, she waould always be Aang's girlfriend, it was wrong, he was a bad friend, he was already a bad friend, he didn't want to make it worse.
"I . .! I can't! . . . I shouldn't! You're . . . and Aang . . . I should! I . . bed!" Zuko leapt to his feet and bolted into his tent.
Katara sat still for several moments, staring blankly at the closed tent flap. She blinked back tears, hurt that he had rejected her.
What did you think he was going to do? Katara mentally berated herself, He just broke up with his girlfriend, great timing Katara, really, genius. He is probably still broken up and hurt and confused . . . Way to go. You've spoiled everything now.
She stood, dusting off her knees, and bent water onto the coals, using the hiss of the dying flames to cover up a sniffle. Then she strode over to her tent and crawled in, throwing herself miserably onto the bedroll.
She had as good as admitted she liked him, that she wanted him, and he had as good as told her it wasn't reciprocated.
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Mai looked out over the ocean. She was thoroughly shaken by her behavior in front of Zuko. Her ancestors must be rolling over in their graves. She regretted having broken up with him, she also regretted throwing a knife at his friend Katara, she tried to figure out what had come over her.
The moon was rising, and it cast an eerie silver light on the waves, and the Island in the distance.
"Lady Mai, We have reached Kyoshi Island, We will land in about a half hour."
Mai nodded, acknowledging him.
She was feeling devastated and alone, she really wanted to see Ty Lee. She daydreamed how the acrobat would greet her with a hug and a kiss, even though she arrived in the middle of the night. Mai put her head down on the rail, she really needed some consoling.
The airship landed in the harbor, startling the Koi fish from their slumber. A huge sea monster lazily stuck it's head up to investigate, then dove again, deeming the balloon inedible.
Mai quickly shuffled through the town with her escort, and made her way to the Kyoshi's dojo. Two of the girls on the graveyard watch were nodding there in the torchlight, but quickly snapped to attention as she approached.
"What business have you so late, sister?" one of them asked, formally, straightening and adjusting her headband. She looked about twelve, and she barely reached Mai's chin.
"I'm here to see Ty Lee, I'm Lady Mai, of the Fire Nation, I'm an old friend, I just arrived."
"Your escorts must stay here, men are not allowed on the premises unless they have been approved by a senior warrior." The other one informed her, her long dark brown hair pulled into a ponytail.
"Please put your hands flat against the wall, we need to check you for concealed weapons."
One of her escorts chuckled, and his companion quickly elbowed him in the side.
"I shall disarm." Mai announced, and she pulled the assorted daggers out of her sleeve holsters, placing them on the porch. Then she pulled open her jacket and began emptying her under arm holsters where she kept her throwing stars, then her thighs where she kept her stiletto blades, and finally to her boots where she pulled out five of her largest knives.
"Your hair too please." Ponytail reminded her.
Mai rolled her eyes and pulled out two stiletto blades, only slightly longer and thicker than needles. Then she leaned against the wall and let the two girls pat her down. They found six more daggers, three on her inner thigh, two under her shoulder blades, and one between her breasts, and one more throwing star, sunken into the sole of one of her boots. They missed two.
"How do you keep so many?! Doesn't it get uncomfortable?" The first asked, awed by the growing pile of blades.
"Hush, girl!" Ponytail scolded her, apparently they were not supposed to chit chat.
"It takes getting used to." Mai responded, staring through the doorway blankly.
"Alright," The older one nodded, you're free to go in, Lein, show her where Ty Lee's cell is."
Her companion, the twelve year old, nodded and picked up one of the torches, gesturing for Mai to follow her into the darkened dormitory. They walked down two separate halls, and down another, Lein attempting to chat again.
"It's down this way, the older girl's get their own rooms, larger ones too, the younger recruits have to bunk together. I hate it, I got stuck with a top bunk, theyre horrible to make, and they gotta be perfect, there are six of us in the room too. I can't wait until I master everything and earn my own cell." She prattled on, taking Mai down a long hallway lined with doors.
"Here we are," She knocked, "Master Ty Lee, you have a visitor, please wake up?" She called respectfully, knocking on the door again.
"Who's the new girl, Lein?" the door across from Ty Lee's opened and a groggy, makeupless Kyoshi stuck her head out.
"Said she was a Lady Mai, of the Fire Nation . . ." Something dawned on the younger girl, "Wait, THE Lady Mai of the Fire Nation?! Like, dating the Fire Lord, Lady Mai of the Fire Nation?!"
"No, I'm not dating the Fire Lord." She answered, her voice biting.
There was a thump and a scramble coming from inside the room, and then they heard footsteps across the wood floor. Ty Lee opened up, looking muzzy, her hair in disarray, and some vestiges of eyeliner clinging to her eyelid. She had her green robe loosely wrapped around her, inside out, and it was clear she was wearing nothing underneath.
"Mai? What are you doing here?" she yawned, morning breath not quite having set in yet, then took a good look at Mai, or Mai's aura, "What's wrong? What happened? Something happened, tell me what!"
"I broke up with Zuko." The assassin stated, looking to the side.
"So you ARE the Lady Mai!" Lein grinned, balling her hands into fists and moving them up and down in excitement, the movement making the torch she was holding dip back and forth, casting wild shadows all down the hallway.
"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that!" Ty Lee hugged her, her robe opening up as she threw her arms around her old schoolmate's shoulders, "He made you so happy, well, sometimes, what happened?"
More doors were opening, more Kyoshi were peering out, and Mai guessed that others were pressing their ears to their doors, curious, but not wanting to be rude. She could see Suki poking her head out, and shushing Sokka at the far end of the hallway.
"He cheated on me." Mai said sharply, making it clear that she didn't want to talk about it.
"With who?!" Ty Lee asked, ignoring her friend's demeanor.
"Katara." Mai hissed, keeping her voice down, Water Tribe men must have excellent hearing though, because a moment later, Sokka was stomping down the hallway, and several of the girl's jumped in between him and Mai, instantly taking her side.
"Back off!!" One of them ordered, pointing her fan at his nose, and he stopped his advance.
"My baby sister wouldn't do such a thing!!" He yelled past the girls, undoubtedly waking up everyone else in the building.
"Stop it Sokka!! She isn't your 'baby sister' she is a woman! And, although, I don't support her choice of taking up with a spoken for man, she has a right to make it!! She is a few months shy of sixteen!! She is nearly old enough to marry!! She can take a man into her bed if she wants to!! Are you going to chaperone her wedding night too?"
Mai ignored him completely, and looked meaningfully at Ty Lee, "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry about what happened, I was thinking, maybe . . . you and I . . .you might forget what happened. I don't want to be alone right now." Mai looked down, hoping she had put it delicately enough, but doubting it.
There was the sound of a bed squeaking, and another girl appeared, she had the same fair skin and red hair as Suki's, only longer, and her nose was different than her sister's as well. Most importantly, she was naked and wrapped in Ty Lee's blanket.
"Ty, what's all the shouting about?"
"Kisa!!" Suki let go of Sokka, "What are you doing?!"
"Who are you?" Kisa asked, her eyes getting big as she eyed the older raven haired teenager, staring daggers at her.
"Who are you?" Mai shot back, her voice trembling.
"I'm Kisa, Suki's younger sister, I'm Ty Lee's . . ." She cast a questioning glance at Ty Lee, unsure how to finish.
"Girlfriend." Ty Lee finished for her.
Kisa's face lit up, and she smiled proudly, "girlfriend." She finished, repeating it.
"Kisa!!" Suki scolded her, "You're FAR too young to be hopping into another girl's bed!!"
"What was that you were telling me about MY baby sister again, Suki?" Sokka asked, finding a way to be both smug and angry at the same time.
"Aw, come on Suki!" One of the other girls catcalled, "You were about her age when you started hopping into other girl's beds!!"
Suki reddened, though it was unclear if it was anger or shame.
"What's this about you hoping into other girl's beds?!" Sokka asked, his voice full of shock, and perhaps some boyish anticipation.
"I'm sorry Mai, I am not available." Ty Lee explained, looking, furtively at the other Kyoshi, "Anyways, you said that being with women wasn't ladylike, that you were bringing shame onto your family, you said you liked Zuko, you wanted to be with him."
"Yes, I did LIKE Zuko. I DO like Zuko!" Mai agreed, her face a mask, "I certainly did not want to see him die, or get hurt, or run off with another girl. You think I deserve this because I left you for him?" she accused caustically.
"I never said that Mai," Ty Lee unconsciously took a step between the aristocrat and Kisa, "I just wont take you back, I'm not going to leave Kyoshi, I'm not going to be your rebound, and it hurts my feelings that you would try to use me like that!"
"Ty?" Kisa grabbed her sleeve, looking a little awed, "She is your ex girlfriend from the Fire Academy for Girls? The one you told me about?"
Ty Lee nodded, "Yes, we were girlfriends for a while, on and off, first she thought it was improper for two woman to be together outside the academy, then she wanted to break up because she decided that she liked Zuko better, and he was safer, more politically correct."
"Don't talk about it." Mai said suddenly, "I don't want it reaching my father's ears!"
Ty Lee sighed, "Lein, please find Mai a dorm and get her settled in for the night."
"Alright, show is over!" Suki clapped her hands loudly, "All you moppets get back to bed!"
Suddenly the hallway was swarming with nine to fifteen year olds, scrambling to get back to their rooms.
"You too Kisa!" Suki pointed with her thumb.
"But I-"
"It's okay, just run and get your cloths, and I'll see you tomorrow morning," Ty Lee patted the girl on the shoulder, trying to diffuse the argument.
"No!" Kisa whined, "You can't order us around about who our lovers are, its part of the code!"
"I'm not telling you you can't as your leader, I am telling you you cant as your older sister!"
Kisa turned and stomped her foot in a show of teenage petulance, and reached up and gave Ty Lee a long kiss, her arms snaking around the taller girl's neck and twining through her brown hair. She moaned softly and she deepened the kiss, and then nuzzled her girlfriend's chin affectionately.
Sokka made a small noise that sounded suspiciously like a whimper, and Suki grabbed him and turned him, and shoved him back in the direction of their bedroom, "Never mind! Do what you want!"
"Wait!" Sokka resisted futilly, "What's this about Katara and Zuko!!"
"So . . . If you wouldn't mind coming with me?" Lein mumbled, tapping Mai on the elbow.
Mai stood watching her ex girlfriend kiss the younger Kyoshi, her feelings of betrayal resurfacing. She grabbed the torch and flounced took off down the hall.
Ty Lee pushed Kisa away and apologized, "Sorry, she is still a friend, I'll be back though, ten minutes, MAI!!" She took off after her.
"Take your time!" Kisa called back, unthreatened, closing the door and leaving an amused Lein in the hallway.
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"Mai!!" Ty Lee grabbed the assassin's shoulder as she stormed across the yard, back towards her airship.
"What Ty Lee?!"
"I'm sorry, I got carried away?" the Kyoshi tried.
"Whatever." Mai turned again, her voice icy.
"Mai, don't be like that, you're aura is turning black in your heart chakra and icky brown around your head, you need to heal, you need to take some time and get it all off your chest, before you do something you regret."
Mai stopped, then turned, "I thought you were my friend!!" her voice cracked, but remained monotone.
"I am your friend!" Ty Lee reassured her, "I'll always be your friend!"
"Then why aren't you angry at Katara and Zuko?" Mai stepped in, "Zuko kissed her, he betrayed me."
"He kissed her? Is that all?!" Ty Lee looked relieved, Mai was just making a mountain out of a mole hill, "A kiss isn't worth breaking up over!"
Mai mouthed a swear, Ty Lee was NOT helping. She turned and started away again.
"Mai, please don't do this?" Ty Lee followed, pleading, "Just stay here the night and maybe things will look better in the morning."
"I thought he loved me." Mai continued her brisk clip towards the airship.
"Did he ever say he loved you?" Ty Lee asked, then hurriedly put in, "I mean, I'm sure he loves you! What's not to love?"
"I thought you loved me." Mai stopped and turned again, the brunette nearly skidded into her.
"I do love you, just not like that, not anymore, you said you wanted to be just friends, remember?" Ty Lee reminded her.
"Leave that whiny kyoshi and come back to the fire nation with me." Mai tempted her, "I don't want to be alone." She leaned in and tried to kiss her lithe comrade.
"Stop! You're being unreasonable." Ty Lee took a step back and crossed her arms, dodgeing the come on, her sympathy draining.
"I'm NOT being unreasonable!!" Mai finally let the venom she felt show in her voice, "Zuko hurt ME!!"
"No, you're being spoiled!" Ty Lee was taken aback by the sudden emotion in her friend's voice, and matched it, "You want me to drop my life and everything to come back and play house with you for a few months until you feel homophobic enough, and in denial enough to leave me for a man . . . again!"
"You were better." Mai complemented, trying to flatter her into agreement, "Zuko was a horrid lover."
"We aren't playing this game," Ty Lee snapped, "I can see in your aura what you're doing, you're projecting it in your energy clear as day! Just, go back to the Fire Nation and cool off, we'll talk when you aren't being so toxic."
She turned on her heels and tromped back to the dormitories, "I'll tell your escort to bring your weapons to the airship." She called over her shoulder before disappearing inside.
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"Do you think we should leave the Emu Horses here?" Zuko asked, making a face at the muddy swamp, "I don't think they can go much further," He unsheathed his sword and chopped through several vines that were barring the way. They had both been diligently pretending that the previous evening had not happened.
"Zuko, don't do that!" Katara scolded, things had been awkward all morning, and being knee deep in mud in her favorite pair of shoes was not helping her mood. She was determined to stick it out and figure out exactly what was going on with her bending, and the swamp was the only place she could think of where there might be other female water benders who were not solely healers.
"Don't do what?" Zuko sliced another bunch of the plants, and took a step forward.
"That! Slicing the vines!" Katara followed him, tugging on her Emu Horse's reigns, but the dapple beast brayed and refused to budge. Her foot slipped, and she fell on her butt in the mud, her emu horse grunted and lipped her hair.
"Well, how do you propose we navigate through the swamp then?" Zuko asked, grabbing one of the branches nearby and holding out his other hand to her.
Katara heaved herself to her feet, ignoring the hand, "I'm not sure."
"Well, what direction should we go to get to the swamp men settlement?"
"I don't know."
Zuko stared at her, "Are you kidding me?! You dragged me all the way to this slimy quagmire and you don't know how to find the water benders?!"
"Well . . ."
"And Uncle accused ME of not thinking things through!"
"Okay! I get it!" Katara tapped her cheek, thinking, smearing mud on it, "I'll figure something out."
Zuko sat on a rotten log, preparing for a long wait or amusing show.
"When I was here with Aang, we met a water bender called Hue." Katara waded into the water, running her fingertips across the surface of the water, "He said, the swamp is one big organism, that everything is connected, that time, space, and death are an illusion. Then, I had a dream about Yue, and she told me, 'the river always knows the best course to take'."
"I think she meant it metaphorically."
"And then, Aang heard voices coming from the swamp, coming from the trees." Katara sank down into the water, placing her head down against the roots, and closing her eyes.
"That's great, let's just ask the swamp where the settlement is!" Zuko said sarcastically, swatting at a mosquito, "Hurry up, these bugs are awful!!"
Katara raised an eyebrow, they weren't bothering her . . .
She concentrated on the swamp, ignoring his grumbling, the bark of the bangrove root was rough against her forehead and nose, the water of the river lapped against her shoulders, and the humid air pressed against her stiflingly.
Nothing.
She turned over and took a breath, sunk to the muddy bottom, and opened her eyes. The water was gross, filled with green algae and strange froglike fish, weird sticky plants twisted around her arms, torso, and ankles, and she rested her palms on the muddy riverbed and listened, her hair floating around her like the kelp.
Kaaaaaaaaaaaataaaaaaaaaraaaaaaaaa
She strained, listening through the water.
Kataaaraaaa, Kaaaaaataaaaaaaaraaa, the seaweed parted, and she looked across the lake, there was a boat, half sunken in the silt in the middle of the river,
Foooooollow the viiiineeeees, Kaaaaaataaaaraaaaaaa
Katara's lungs burned, and she tried to yank her hands out of the agar, it wrapped tighter around her, and she coughed and began to struggle.
Zuko counted in his head, getting more and more anxious, he was at one hundred thirty eight when a large amount of bubbles surfaced where Katara had submerged.
"Katara?" He skidded over the mud to the water's edge, "Katara!! KATARA!!"
The water began to splash. Something was wrong.
The more Katara pulled, the more the seaweed tightened around her wrists and ankles. She tried to get a foot into the ground to push herself up, but her shoes had no purchase, and she finally stilled, out of energy. She closed her eyes, feeling tired, her limbs heavy.
"Zuko!!" She choked, the water stifling her voice. She tried to water bend, but since breathing was the basis of all bending, the water splashed a little, but didn't recede.
"Katara!!" Zuko splashed into the water, feeling with his hands through the kelp, the water was too murky to see to the bottom. Suddenly his fingers twined through hair, and he dove, his fingers searching.
He hauled her up, the seaweed tearing, it had almost completely wrapped her up like a mummy. He dashed to the shore and placed her on the mud.
"Katara!!" He leaned in and listened, she wasn't breathing.
"Fuck! Katara!! Wake up!!" He smacked her cheek several times, then chewed his lip and pinched her nose, covering her mouth with his and exhaling. He checked her pulse, her heart was beating, he bent down and gave her another breath, counting to three, trying to remember the technique. His mother had insisted that he learn it once they started spending summers at the beach, and he silently thanked her overprotective nature.
"Come on Katara! Who ever heard of a water bender who drowned!!" another breath, another count, then another breath.
Katara's eyes clicked open and she coughed, rolling over and spitting out a lungful of water. Then lay back, chest heaving, still strewn with the strange underwater vines.
"Katara!! What the hell!!" Zuko began stripping the plant off her, "You scared me to death!! I thought you drowned!! I had to give you mouth to mouth!! How does a water bender drown?!"
"Same way a fire bender gets hit by lightening?" Katara ventured a small smile.
Zuko crossed his arms, refusing to dignify that with an answer.
"These plants, they held me down." She picked one up and studied it.
"No wonder!" Zuko peered at it closely, "those are dusk blooming choke vines!! I can't believe you chose to sit down on a dusk blooming choke vine plant!!"
"A what?"
"I would think the name is self explanatory!" Zuko grabbed one of the weeds and incinerated it, "I thought you were a water bender, shouldn't you know these things?"
"I grew up in the south pole, there weren't too many plants!!"
"Well, these things will wrap around you in a matter of minutes and drag you to the bottom where it has a flytrap maw, so try not to get too close!!"
"I'll be more careful." Katara promised, "The river talked to me. It said my name, and it told me to follow the vines."
"Katara, I called your name, not the river."
"It showed me this," she swept her hands, and a whirlpool appeared, uncovering the boat weighed down with rocks, and a good deal of plant life and fish that twitched pitifully on the muck and mire. Another breath and shifting of weight and the water crashed back, and surged wildly, and moments later, the boat bobbed to the surface. Katara squelched out into the water, bending a path as she went, taking great pleasure in stomping on the vines, and dragged the boat to shore. It was big enough for the two of them, but not their mounts.
"We'll have to leave them here, can they find their way back all right?" Katara began unsaddling hers.
Zuko nodded, "They'll be fine." He tossed his saddlebags into the boat, "I don't see any oars or paddles.
Katara climbed in, dragging half the mud of the swamp with her between her boots and the long hem of her top. As if the bloodstains where not bad enough, her travel cloths were officially totaled. Zuko scrambled in after her, using his foot to push off the shore.
"It runs on water bending," she informed him, "You sit by the rudder and steer, I'll do the bending."
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Whoo!! That was fun!! Ok, reviewer questions . . .
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Ok, Mai . . . Mai Mai Mai, I'm really trying guys, honest!! I know she is sucking totally and out of character . . . . Someone, please give me her personality traits!! I know she is selfish, willing to endanger family, I know she is bored, I know she bottles up her emotions, I know she is loyal until someone betrays her and then switches sides.
Ugh . . . :headdesk:
I will be the first to admit I suck at writing her, but I can't figure out how to make crucial plot points happen with her personality so disconnected! So, give me a willing suspension of disbelief on this, or someone who rocks at writing her drop me a line.
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Zuko can fire bend, he hasn't lost the ability, he just lost a lot of strength everywhere and flexibility in his chest muscles (Which you need to do basic movements), so the actual fancy martial art he couldn't do.
Katara has been healing him and working with his chest muscles, its been improving him, and he has started drilling again in his forms, you already saw him doing the Dancing Dragon. Loosening the muscles though is hard work and slow going, lots of effort over a looong period of time. It will be a while yet before his chest can qualify as 'good as new'.
I mean, the damage was so bad, she described him as 'cooked', it will take a while to bounce back.
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I know it seemed random, I hate original characters, I won't use one unless I have to. All you really needed to know is that Ty Lee is taken, and very happy where she is.
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I don't really recall anywhere where Katara 'takes it' from any man. I try to write very strong female characters, ones that can get themselves out of jams as much as they can get themselves into them, coughStephanieMeyercough, Katara either ignores, fights back, or waits. She is like Chuck Norris.
Okay, I am going to get crucified for that Twilight thing.
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Adridere, I will NEVER accuse you of plagiarism, You need to write that Lesbian Kyoshi bit, and I will be there with pom poms and a cheer routine to review it. I need this!
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I noted that I had thought that the Swamp was to the north of Omashu and the cave of two lovers was to the south, Since they are actually vice versa, I had to switch a few things so they would have DONE something to get broken up with by the time they reached Omashu. Unfortunately, that bumped the sexing a few chapters. Sorry loyal readers. Basically, the crystals are cursed, they light up when someone feels love. Not because of the absence of light.
:flashes artistic license: Its okay, I'm an author.
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Yes, this fic may contain but is not limited to: piercing, tattoos, drugs, alcohol, sex, paganism, fetishes, torture . . . . just trust me, I promise, I will take you for a ride. I promise the sexin is soon, everyone seems so eager, I hope that the allure of M content isnt what keeps bringing y'all back!
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So Avatar the Movie's Aang Gang has been cast. I feel excitement mixed with dread.
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R&R, questions, comments, concerns. Sorry about the longer than normal delay, was visitin some friends in Boston.