Midsummer Madness Chapter 19: The Palace, an avatar: last airbender fanfic

Title: Midsummer Madness

Author: BurningIce

Rating: PG-13

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.

…

Disclaimer: Avatar the Last Air bender belongs to Bryke and Nick; Zutara simply belongs.

Chapter 19: The Palace

Zuko and Sokka were both panting, slumped back to back on the deck of the ship. Ty Lee stood nearby, just out of reach, and just within somersaulting distance of one of the railings. The crew of the ship had been making themselves busy doing odd jobs on the deck, mostly so they could watch the show. One had been dunking and wringing out the same rag for twenty minutes.

"Damn it, this isn't manly!" Sokka hissed at Zuko.

". . . and THEN Azula said 'Mai, if you don't stop that right now, I am going to read that poetry you write to my brother.' And Mai stopped so fast it wasn't even funny, except that it was really funny!" Ty Lee stretched one of her calves up over her shoulders, "Did she ever end up reading you the dark stuff she writes?"

"No." Zuko mumbled, narrowing his good eye.

"I remember she left one of her notebooks out once and I looked at it, it went, like umm . . . 'As I sit and stare across the blackness of the ocean, I think of all the times you never noticed me. Then it rains, like it does in my heart, and the wind whips across the water, like you never would. When will my prince come?' Then there was a drawing of a sad faced cloud raining rain drops shaped like little broken upside down hearts onto a little stick figure Mai. Me and her had quite a bad fight that afternoon, because I was annoyed that she wasn't over-" Ty Lee suddenly seemed to remember that Zuko was there, "Because um, she wasn't studying hard." He didn't know about Mai's other Fire Academy hobbies besides poetry and now did not seem to be the opportune time to enlighten him about them. They had learned from Sokka that big news like that had to be delivered delicately, even if it was an ex girlfriend and not a current one.

"You're exaggerating Ty Lee." Sokka said, picking at a splinter and grimacing, trying to draw attention away from the sudden change of sentence ending.

"No, cross my heart, that's what her poetry sounded like, all unemotional and dark. The syllables aren't even right, it's supposed to go five, seven, five," The acrobat unwound herself and dropped down to sit cross legged next to them, "Not, three, eight, the hell with it."

"I call it easy, like I paddle my canoe, I'll paddle yours too . . ." Sokka mumbled from where he was sitting, and they both looked at him questioningly. Sokka waved his hand up and down, dismissing it, "Long story."

"Well, our guidance counselor said it was perfectly normal for a thirteen year old girl." Ty Lee continued, forging on with her original story about Mai, "Though, that was her answer to EVERY girl problem, 'don't worry, it's a phase, it's normal, you'll outgrow it.'"

"See Zuko? It's perfectly normal. Now, why would you want to give up all that? It sounds great, you guys could sit in dark corners, write dark poetry, have dark conversations about how dark you are."

"Darkly." Ty Lee added for emphasis, doing a remarkably good impression of her friend. Putting her chin in her hand, looking down and off to the side and sighing.

Zuko said nothing, he leaned forward off of Sokka and put his head on his knees, figuring that not answering at all would probably be the best strategy. The Tribesman turned around and raised an eyebrow.

"Why Katara? Why MY sister?" Sokka repeated, "You're the Fire Lord!! You could have any girl you wanted!"

"You know, most girls are somebody's sister, Sokka, and they all have boyfriends anyways." Mediator-Ty Lee cut in, "It's not like it's personally insulting you, in fact, it's a compliment, right Zuko? Like . . . I like you so much I'm going to date your sister!" She nodded vigorously, prodding the ex prince with a toe making it clear that he should join in on the conversation before she entirely crashed and burned.

"Sorry Sokka, When I first met her . . . I never thought I could like her like that . . . I never thought I did like her like that . . ." Zuko mumbled past his knees, his fingers tracing along the rough, scarred skin of his chest.

"Why?! Cause she was a 'Water Tribe Peasant'? Thought you were too good for her?" Sokka asked, suddenly defensive.

"No . . ." Zuko scratched the back of his head, "Yes . . . Maybe . . . I don't know . . ."

"Hmm . . . .Maybe, at first, the thoughts you thought you thought about Katara weren't actually the thought you thought, it was the thought you thought that you should be thinking, so, instead you thought one thing and you were so busy thinking that thing that the something that you were actually thinking and didn't just think you were thinking was covered up by the other thought that you thought you were thinking." Ty Lee explained matter of factually.

". . . . What?" Sokka asked as an eyebrow rose in perplexed cynicism.

"And then, when you followed them to the Western Air Temple, you were so used to thinking the thoughts that you thought you thought instead of the thoughts you really thought that you just pretended that you didn't think anything about her at all, but actually, you were thinking about her all the time, you just wrote off the feelings you felt to hormones or something, right?"

"Umm . . ." Zuko squinted at her.

"No, stay with me boys, it totally makes sense now!" Ty Lee clapped her hands together, "Wow! I totally understand how you feel now Zuko. I totally get what you've been going through, it must have been so confusing."

"Oh it was nothing compared to how bewildered I am now." The scarred lord told her, crossing his legs and looking at her with his good eye.

"I think she means denial isn't just a river in Si Wong anymore." Sokka, who was good at piecing things together explained.

"Well! That's for sure." Psychoanalyst-Ty Lee grinned, very pleased with herself, "Of course you liked her when you first met her, but she was in league with the Avatar, so you saw her as something that stood between you and your crown, and therefore, an enemy. So you hated her, like you logically thought that you were supposed to, but you're heart or body or whatever isn't logical, and it was saying 'exotic, strong 'n sexy water tribe woman? Yes please!' Textbook really."

"That doesn't make any sense," Zuko bickered, "What textbook?!"

"The textbook of LIFE." She retorted, crossing her arms and straightening, then scolded Zuko, "Stop arguing with me about the way that I say you feel. It's the way you feel, accept it."

"So how do I feel?" Sokka asked conversationally after a brief pause in which they all reflected on their innermost, most secret needs and misgivings.

"You feel like you should apologize, but you are too proud to, but will at least try to stop grumping openly about things." Ty Lee straightened, putting her hands on her hips.

"You read that in my aura?"

The Acrobat gone Kyoshi turned to face away from them then lowered herself into a back bend, "I didn't have to, it's written all over your face."

Sokka muttered something about a fortuneteller and a volcano that neither of the other two understood, then tuned to Zuko and extended his hand, "Truce for now?" Ty Lee had pretty much apologized for him, he didn't have to too, right?

Zuko clasped his friend's wrist, "Truce for now."

"For now." Sokka repeated for emphasis.

"Hey, Ty Lee, what did you do to our boys?" Suki asked, amused, as she and Katara stepped out of the hold. Katara shifted uneasily, not sure about whether or not the 'our boys' comment in front of Sokka was a good idea.

Zuko watched them walk over and was disappointed to see that Katara had pulled on her favorite blue water tribe top and leggings, although they were cute and practical, they were not HIS favorite.

"Nothing! We went for a run, then expressed ourselves . . . it was great! We made a lot of progress." Ty Lee winked at Katara and gave her a thumbs up.

…

Toph was not the worst person in the world to be sleeping next to. Really. She wasn't! In fact, she was in Aang's limited opinion, one of the better people to be sleeping next to. She didn't snore like Sokka, she didn't talk like Katara, she didn't hog the covers like a young Bumi, she didn't even sleep kick or sleep punch like you would expect her to because she was Toph. Unfortunately, the thing she did do was sprawl out over what seemed like miles and miles of unnecessary mattress. It was surprising there was enough Toph to cover the amount of space she was taking up.

He couldn't really hold her at fault for it, he had slept near her a bunch of times and he knew in general the splayed sort of recline she had. The problem was she also had no concept of sleeping personal space, most people would, well, stay on their side. Toph had definitely sleep-commandeered the bed, and as she rolled over closer and closer, he had moved further and further away from her, and it didn't take long until he was laying on his back at the edge of the bed, the earth bender stubbornly pressed up against him.

For the love of the spirits she has six feet of bed to her left! He thought tiredly, finally putting forth a feeble attempt to push her back onto her side. She grumbled something in her sleep and rolled over, splaying her arm and a leg out almost perpendicular to her body.

Finally, Aang thought and relaxed. He closed his eyes and sighed happily, snuggling back down into the covers. He was just drifting off to sleep when one of Toph's arms slung over his stomach again. He groaned, flinching at the surprising impact. He tried to get up, but the earth bender's grip tightened, and he collapsed backwards in defeat.

Whatever. Sooner or later she will migrate over me and onto the floor. Aang decided, closing his eyes again. It was logical enough.

…

It had taken the better part of the early evening to unload their things from the boat to the airship that had been waiting for them at Omashu. Everyone was a bit wound up from the effort and nobody except Zuko, (who set about the same time as the sun) had felt much like going to bed quite yet. Ty Lee and Sokka were playing a game that Katara did not recognize, involving many bits of wood with different symbols on them. Probably some sort of Kyoshi game. That had just left her and Suki. They had sat together on a big cushion near a circular window, where Katara filled her in on what had happened between Ba Sing Se and the swamp. Well, most of it. Suki had been scared to hear that her friend had lost her bending during her moon time, and had insisted they start doing Kyoshi drills right away.

"Do I have to wear the dress and makeup like last time?" Katara asked, a little unhappily. "It's too late at night to start putting on big skirts and eyeliner."

"No, best to train in what you usually wear." Suki paused, "You two into doing some drills?"

"Naw, I'm winning," Ty Lee answered, her eyes locked on their chips.

"Naw, you always make me wear the dress no matter what time of night it is." Sokka watched his opponent fiddling with one of the playing pieces. The girls exchanged a look, and Suki shrugged, trying to look innocent.

"I thought she only made you wear the Kyoshi cloths once?"

"Yea, I mean, you always make me wear the dress that one time that you made me wear the dress on Kyoshi Island." Sokka's eyes shifted back and forth, daring someone to contradict him.

Suki shrugged and led Katara out into the hallway, "He just looks so cute in the dress . . ." She explained, looking sheepish, "I can never resist."

"Hey, whatever floats your boat." Katara held her palms up, "It's not like I never dressed Aang up in Kyoshi cloths . . . though that was for a good cause!" She added quickly as Suki grinned in a less than innocent way, "We were trying to channel Avatar Kyoshi!"

"Okay, show me your stance."

…

Katara flopped down on her bed, face first into the pillows. She had forgotten how difficult it was to do the Kyoshi drills, and Suki did not go easy on her since they both knew that the next new moon was rapidly approaching. She pressed her fingers into her back, massaging circles through the tender muscles. What she wouldn't give for a warm rubdown from a dark and broody fire bender. Maybe some kisses thrown in there too . . .

She looked out the window, it wasn't THAT late. It wasn't so late that it was early . . well, THAT early. She slipped her feet out of bed. She could just go visit him, and maybe complain about being sore, maybe he would offer if she exaggerated a bit. Slipping her feet out of her shoes, she padded soundlessly over to the door. He woke up before anyone else, she could ask him to send her back to her room before her brother got up.

Katara smiled, she liked the sound of the plan, good start, good finish, low risk, high profit. Wrapping her fingers around the latch she pressed out into the hallway and ran straight into Sokka.

Sokka who was heading suspiciously in the direction of Suki's room.

"Where are you going Katara?" He asked accusingly before she could open her mouth.

"What? Um, you know, the deck to get some air." She lied, "Where are YOU going?"

"Er, same." Sokka laced his fingers behind his head, trying to look innocent. The problem was his 'innocent face' usually looked pretty guilty.

"Really? Cause the deck is that way." She pointed back the way he had come.

"Well, I was taking the long way there, making sure there are no . . . pirates . . . there have been sky pirates in the area, and I wanted to protect all of you. You never know when there could be a sneak attack." Sokka straightened, if he was going to lie, apparently he was going to go all out.

"Well, I guess we should walk together." Katara agreed, if he was going to chaperone her, she was going to return the favor. She blamed Zuko, nobody seemed to get any when he was around, accidentally or on purpose, he needed a shirt that said 'Lord Zuko, Cock Blocker Extraordinaire'.

"So, the weather is pretty nice." Sokka remarked as they walked out into the silvery moonlight.

"Very nice." Katara agreed.

"The Moon looks pretty." Sokka shifted back and forth, Katara hoped Suki gave him a horrible punishment for being late for their rendezvous.

"Very pretty." Katara agreed, leaning her elbows on the railing looking out past the hot air balloon to the clouds beyond.

"You know, maybe I'll go back to bed."

"I'll walk you."

"No!" Sokka coughed, "I mean, no, no, you stay and enjoy the night and the moon. I know how you benders love the moon."

"I know how you love the moon too." Katara snapped back, and then regretted it, Sokka's eyes glazed a little bit and then he looked away. She could see it had reminded him of a painful memory. Katara took her foot out of her mouth and tried to apologize.

"Sokka, I didn't mean it like that. I think she has moved on and it's only natural for you to do the same." Katara wrapped her arms around her brother in a friendly, comforting sort of way. She squeezed his torso, and he put an arm around her shoulder, resting his chin on her head.

"Of course she moved on . . . she's dead . . ." He mumbled, "Not like she is moping in the afterlife."

Katara thought back to the Swamp women and their ceremony to bring down the moon. She thought of how sad the moon had seemed, Katara begged to differ, Yue WAS moping around the afterlife, but there was not much Sokka could do about it. He was mortel.

"Maybe we should get Suki, and you guys can cuddle and talk for a while until you feel better." She suggested gently, steering her brother around so his back was to the moonlight, so he was looking away from the past and on towards the future.

"Katara, that's not manly." He argued, but allowed himself to be led back across the deck. Katara wistfully pushed any thoughts of fire-snuggles that night to the back of her head as they did not seem likely. Sokka needed company, and unless she enlisted the circus performer, (who she suspected at this point to be drinking in the bilge with the crew) it would have to be her.

"Come on, I'll walk you back to your room." Katara told him.

"I'll walk you back to yours." Her brother corrected.

"I wanted some air!" Katara defended, wondering if her 'lying face' was as revealing as Sokka's was. She assumed it wasn't because it was more convenient. She let herself be led to her room, and then she listened out the door to see if Sokka was patrolling. He wasn't, so she assumed he had gone to bed.

Settling down her back to the headboard, she glanced out the window as the clouds went by, timing in her head how long it had been. She decided to give Sokka about a half an hour to fall asleep, and then she would try again. Katara was nothing if not persistent.

Standing up again, she slunk back over to her door, but before she could reach the handle, somebody knocked. Katara grinned and hauled open the door.

"Finally! I was just on my way to your room . . . . Ty . . . Lee?"

"Were you? This late?" Ty Lee pushed past her, shoving her pillow into the water bender's arms as she went, "What for?"

"Um, no reason . . . I can't help but notice, you . . . you have your pillow . . . and your blankets . . ."

"My room's next to Suki's," Ty Lee explained and tossed her blankets down on the ground, "And the walls are really thin, can I bunk with you tonight?"

"The walls are . . .thin?" Realization dawned on Katara, and she threw her friend's pillow across the room, "That jerk!!"

"Maybe I should go ask Zuko if I can bunk with him tonight." Ty Lee looked dubious, "If you're not feeling sociable . . ."

"No, no, it's okay, I'm calm." Katara cracked her knuckles looking anything but calm.

"That's good! Cause all he'll wanna do is go to sleep. I think we should brush each other's hair, and tell embarrassing stories, and . . . I wonder if there is alcohol on the airship . . . It has a crew, so it has to have rum as well . . ."

…

"We're leaving." Mai announced, dropping her packed bags on the floor of Azula's room, "You keep running off, and disappearing, and one of these days you won't come back. I think we should head for the Northern Earth Kingdom, there are so many little villages we could lose ourselves for a while. Anyways, you're hurt, we need to find someone to set and bandage your rib and a safe place for you to heal up." Although she would never admit it, the idea of adventuring off into the Earth Kingdom appealed to Mai, it sounded exciting, then again, holding the leash of a half crazed fire princess had sounded interesting at the time as well.

Azula stood slowly, taking in everything, Mai's bag, her cloak, her resolute yet fearful expression. Slowly, placing one foot in front of another, the girl limped over, clutching her side. The lopsided motion combined with the black eye and the unfocused gaze made her look like a corpse on her feet. The aristocrat took a step back in spite of herself.

"Do you know what a water bender can do?" Azula asked coolly, as though it was on topic.

"Bend water . . . probably." Mai guessed, it was a pretty educated guess she would say.

"Not just water." Azula told her, pulling herself up straight, although she wasn't nearly as lanky as her raven haired companion, she never needed bulk or height to scare someone shitless.

"No?" Mai took another step back, fingering the hilt of a dagger on her wrist, "What else then?"

"Oh, anything with water in it really." Azula stepped forward, "Sweat, tears, plants, clouds . . . blood."

"Fascinating." Mai replied in a tone that said it was anything but, "Why do we care what my boyfriend's new squeeze can do?" her shoulder blades hit the wall, and her fingers closed on the hilt of her dagger, ready to attack if necessary. She did not like being backed in a corner, but too much was riding on Azula, she would have to pick her battles.

Azula grinned, he was 'boyfriend' not 'ex boyfriend', Mai was so easy to read.

"Well, I suppose the point I am trying to make is . . ." She reached up and caressed her friend's pale cheek. Her long nails traced over her friend's lips, then chin, then trailed across the skin of her neck, raising goose bumps in their wake. Azula stepped in, her hands gliding over the fabric of her 'fiancé's' dress and coming to rest on the girl's outer arms.

"The point I am trying to make is . . ." the princess repeated, and her sleepily seductive face hardened to a crazed smirk, her eyes wide, "She isn't the only one that can toy around inside you."

Mai screamed.

It felt like she was being cooked from the inside out, all her muscles cried out in agonized protest. Azula was bending lightening through her, though nothing gave it away other than a stray blue spark leaping from the girl's hands. Mai released the catch that held her knife in place and wound up to stab it, but before she could finish the motion something pulsed down her arm, causing her finger muscles to spasm then relax and open. She watched in horror as her fingers uncurled to their fullest hyper extension and began twitching, her whole arm jerking back and forth, no longer under her control.

The knife slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor. Useless.

Azula was speaking, and Mai concentrated, managing to her what her friend was saying over the humming voltage in her ears.

". . . different from them because you can't do it over a distance, there is no way to hit someone with the right amount of voltage at such a precise spot, you'll just fry them, so why bother with an advanced technique? It sort of requires a bit of . . . intimacy, wouldn't you say?" Azula leaned in, her face inches from her friend's "And lightening benders like me are not slaves to the full moon. I can reach into you anytime I want to, as long as I do it delicately . . . as long as I'm gentle . . ."

Mai's forearms reared upwards and twisted, writhing against the wall like snakes whose heads had been cut off. She tried to speak, but the current was making her grind her teeth so tightly together that she couldn't open her mouth.

"Now, I know I made you a promise that you would be Fire Lady, and I intend to keep it." Azula told her in a way that was as terrifying as if she had just confessed she was about to commit murder, "But never forget, Mai, which one of us is Royalty. I am the rightful Fire Lord, and you, you are nothing! History will forget you, the world will forget you before your bones turn to dust in your coffin. You WILL obey me. Do you understand? DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"

The voltage leapt every time Azula stressed an idea, and somewhere through the fog of spasming muscles and howling nerves, Mai managed a nod. The pain and control let up almost before she had finished, the princess still pinning her by her arms to the wall.

"Not so funny now, is it?" Azula asked, amused, "When you're the one scared shitless about to pee your pants and not a random Dai Lee soldier. You're pathetic."

She let go and Mai collapsed to the floor, her legs no longer able to support her weight without the princess pinning her to the wall. Her arms and legs felt like vibrated jelly, the muscles would barely move, and would spasm with an aftershock now and then. Azula turned on her heel and walked away, leaving her friend crumpled on the floor of her room. Fifteen minutes must have gone by before Mai managed to pull herself to a sitting position. When all her vertebrae were realigned, she felt a wave of nausea hit her and she heaved, throwing up on the floor. She rested her head against the wall, counting and breathing deeply as sweat soaked through her shirt.

It took several more minutes for her organs to all agree with each other that they were all in the right place, then a few more for Mai to stand. She clutched the broken wall, her muscles finally solidifying enough to support her, and slowly, she straightened, the room spinning, spots dancing in front of her vision. She leaned her head against the wall, counting and breathing.

Inhale, two, three, four, hold, two, three, four, exhale, two, three, four, hold, two, three, four . . .

Azula was coming back down the hallway, Mai could hear her footsteps. The princess stopped several feet from her and waited for several seconds, as though she was expecting Mai to say something.

Hold, two, three, four, exhale, two, three, four, hold, two, three, four, inhale, two, three, four . . .

"Stop fucking around Mai, We need to go convince an old associate of mine to heal me. Bring your daggers, the ones that you shove under people's fingernails, this will not be an easy task."

…

"Isn't it the most adorable thing you've ever seen?"

Aang stirred in his sleep, as someone's voice cut through it, he was dreaming that he was trying to make a sculpture out of mud, and each time it got big, it toppled over onto him. For some reason he did not think to bend it.

"I know, they're like puppies!" He heard a second voice. The mud vision started to fade to black, but the weight on top of him remained.

"Still can't believe the Princess did so much damage to such a sweet little boy. Seems a little cruel, he cant be more than eleven, he must not have know what hit him He looks like a war prisoner, poor boy!"

"Shhh, the Avatar is a little over one hundred and thirteen, I think he is waking up, hold your tongue and mind the laundry."

Aang opened his eyes, two servants were folding things and putting them onto shelves in his closet. He grumbled groggily and rubbed his eyes, his body felt like it had been hit by a train. His chest screamed from the reopened claw marks, his head throbbed, and he could feel a bump forming, his arms and chest (and he suspected his neck) were covered with the bruises Azula had given him with her mouth. He turned his head and the muscles protested, they were stiff from all the hauling on them that Azula had done. Gingerly, he looked down, Toph was still slung across him, her face pressed into the pillow in defiance of the morning light. He wondered how she could breathe like that, and then decided that his sifu had her ways, and it was best not to ask.

"Who are you?" Aang asked the two women who were busy changing the drapes.

"The Princess got blood all over the drapes, we didn't notice it on the first sweep of the room yesterday on account of the color, we'll have them washed and back in no time, don't mind us. We'll straighten the room once you've left."

The past two days had gone from an awkward novelty to an awkward routine. Toph would come in once she was ready for bed, barricade the windows and wedge the passageways, then flop down with him in bed and chat until they both fell asleep.

"Would you like us to send in Toph's ladies in waiting?" The older woman seemed to be deliberately looking at the floor, too polite to say anything about his beaten appearance, at least to his face.

"Ladies in waiting? What are they waiting for her for?"

"They're servants that will help her dress and brush her hair, you did not think she did it all alone in her room, did you?"

"Mmmf grrmumf nnuuufff" Toph instructed, face still pressed into the pillows.

"But Master Toph, you'll want to be dressed nicely for the Fire Lord, the Prince and Princess of the Southern Water Tribe, and the Captain of the Kyoshi Warriors." The woman informed her, obviously women were better at understanding pillow talk than he was.

Aang looked back and forth, "Okay, send them in."

He watched, rather mystified as Toph grudgingly roused herself and followed the servants back to her room. He remembered that it was usually Katara who had helped Toph, ever since they had had their 'girls day out' in Ba Sing Se. He decided he might as well wash off too, and retreated into his bathroom. After all, he would see Katara today . . . and Katara would see him. His heart sank and he felt his stomach hollow nervously.

He surveyed the damage in the mirror, really looking at it for the first time, it was worse than he thought. Purple bruises dotted his body wherever Azula had grabbed him. His neck was positively ringed with purple and yellowing splotches, as were his wrists and forearms. He gingerly washed the scratches that had reopened and scabbed over again, and then froze the water and applied the ice to the back of his head.

He debated about summoning a Fire Nation surgeon, though he had embarrassed himself in front of the last one that he had met, and didn't feel like repeating the process. Katara would be here soon, his heart leapt at the idea, she would be here and she would take care of him. He fingered the bruise on his neck, he didn't want her to see him like this, but he hardly had a choice, not unless he covered himself with stage makeup.

Sighing again, Aang finished primping and washing up and went back into the main bedroom. The two women had made the bed, confiscated the curtains, and laid out clean cloths on his bed. They had selected a shirt with a mandarin collar, and long sleeves even though the air was hot under the summer sun, and Aang's eyes began to tear, overwhelmed with gratitude.

"Avatar?" He was just buttoning the front of his shirt when he heard one of the castle heralds step into his room.

"What is it?"

"The Fire Lord and his entourage have arrived, the airship is docking as we speak." The messenger looked at him expectantly.

"Umm . . ." Aang looked at him helplessly.

" . . . Shall I . . . Shall I send them to the royal audience chamber?" The man asked helpfully.

"Um, yea, I guess," Aang turned back to the mirror and smoothed his shirt down.

"When will I say you shall be along?"

"Oh, umm, I'm ready, is Toph ready?"

The man shrugged, "I don't know, I'll send a servant."

"It's okay, I'll go." Aang pushed past him, "Don't bother a servant."

He walked down the hallway, and knocked on the door, hearing someone call a muffled come in, then Toph protesting. He pushed the door open and found three ladies helping Toph dress.

"About time, honestly, Do you at least have the right belt this time, Lyire?" the woman running a comb through Toph's hair asked.

"It's NOT Lyire- Ow!" Toph told her swatting at the hand of the woman who was attempting to paint color onto he lips, "I told you, I don't like that stuff, it makes my lips feel sticky."

"Avatar Aang! Master Toph is not fully dressed! You shouldn't be in here!" The eldest and clearly the one in charge scolded.

Aang turned his back quickly, closing his eyes, "Sorry, sorry!"

"What's up Twinkle Toes?"

"Everyone is here, are you ready?"

"Hot damn!" Toph shoved the women away, hobbling across the room as they tried to follow her, still wrapping her leg or painting her face, "Sparky's here? What are we waiting for?!"

"Master Earth bender Toph, you're STILL not fully dressed!" The eldest protested.

"I've only painted one of your eyes!" the one doing her makeup informed her.

"I'm not finished with your feet!" The third complained, "Stop moving!"

"I found the tie you wanted Ma'am, fast as I could!" a final girl pushed past the Avatar, holding a length of fabric that to Aang, looked exactly the same as the rejected one, discarded on the floor. The girl, Lyire apparently, adjusted Toph's shirt and began winding the fabric around her middle. Aang studied her, she really did look cute, annoyed but cute. He didn't see why the servants insisted on painting her eyes, she didn't need it, her eyes were so striking already, even though she didn't know it.

"Okay okay, we're done!" Toph decided suddenly, slipping from the servant's grasp and barreling out of the room, grabbing his arm and yanking him along as she went.

"Ow, Toph, careful!" She had grabbed him in almost the exact same spot as Azula had, and was still sporting the bruises her fingers had left. He picked up his feet, falling into step with his instructor.

She slowed and let go of his arm, pointing her finger at his nose, "What's wrong? You're acting odd and your heart's speeding up and you don't like getting touched . . . are you nervous about seeing Katara?"

"No." Yes.

"You're lying. You need to suck it up Twinkle Toes." She informed him, punching him on his arm. Hard. But affectionately.

Aang doubled over and winced.

"Twinkle Toes . . . are you hurt?" She asked suddenly, her eyes narrowing, suddenly suspicious.

"No." Yes.

"You're lying again! I thought monks weren't supposed to lie!"

"You lie all the time Toph!!" Aang argued, "All. The. Time."

"I'm not a monk! My artistic license to describe events isn't bound to the truth" She shot back, "Spirits, Aang, How badly are you hurt? And none of those lines you spout to dance around it like 'I've been hurt worse'."

"Just a few bruises and scrapes, I'm a little sore." Aang confessed, trying to keep it vague. He was embarrassed that the princess had shredded him so completely, and for some reason, he really really didn't want Toph to know. He was scared that she would think he was a weakling. This would not have happened to Toph, she would have earth bended Azula into oblivion before the princess threw the first punch . . . or kiss as the case may be.

She reached out, tentatively, as though he would spook and run . . . maybe he would. Her fingers brushed his face, probingly, she had never touched it before. They brushed along his cheekbone, which was swollen, and his lower lip, which was split, her frown deepening and deepening as her fingers made new discoveries. She chewed on her lip, her fingers brushing across his nose, his eyebrows, his chin.

"Twinkle Toes . . ." She said, her fingers dancing across his split lower lip again, "I'm no healer, but this doesn't feel like just a few bruises . . ."

"Toph, It's okay . . ." He reached up and caught her fingers, scared that she would find more evidence of his failure to defend himself. Scared that even though her fingers were brushing over his bruises, it felt very nice, and part of him didn't want her to stop. "I'm going to ask Katara to heal me as soon as she can, I promise."

…

Someone really should have warned Zuko that if you undo braids that have been in your hair for a while, your hair will crimp. It was just one of those things that you assume everyone knows until, somehow, it becomes obviously clear that they do not. It had become obviously clear that morning when they were eating breakfast, and the Fire Lord walked in, a rather pissed off expression on his face. He was usually the first one out and about, and his lateness had caught everyone's attention.

Sokka had laughed, then choked, then laughed, Ty Lee had complimented his bold fasion statement and asked if he thought she would look good with curls, and Suki had started pouring all her attention into spreading fruit across her bread, doing it with such an artistic eye for detail that she would have made Piandao proud. Katara had dragged him out of the room and bent him forward over the side of the airship, and ran water through it until it had gone back to it's original straightness.

"You know, I used to wear ponytails," he told her upside down as she bent the water around his head, "Then I shaved . . ."

"It just takes some getting used to." She bit back a snicker as she pinned him over the railing with her hips, her arms swaying back and forth.

Suki had whispered something to Ty Lee at that point and they both started laughing hard. Katara wasn't sure, but she thought she caught the phrase 'bend over boyfriend'.

They had landed with minimal difficulty, they were all pretty used to being up in the air. Only Toph had a fear of heights. Ty lee actually climbed up onto the rigging and leaned out into the wind, an arm thrown out and her fingers spread wide, obviously enjoying the rush of the wind against her. Zuko noticed Sokka and Suki look at her and exchange a meaningful glance, though he had no idea what the big deal was. Ty Lee was always climbing things or jumping off things, it's what made her Ty lee.

The servants, it seemed, were on top of things, as usual, and there were two palanquins waiting for them in the shipyard. Zuko started administering instructions, sending a messenger ahead to the palace to start the staff on cooking lunch and preparing rooms. He also asked for the backlog of his paperwork to be brought to his suite, and for his friend's luggage to be brought up to their rooms, which apparently were signified by numbers. She got the fifth guest room suite.

The ride up took the better part of an hour, and was actually, rather scary. There were plenty of people around booing, and calling the Fire Lord names that even Toph had not learned the meaning of yet. On the other hand, there were spaces where everyone was cheering, and some even threw rice or flowers, welcoming their ruler back to his homeland.

In the courtyard, one of the heralds was there to greet them. He led them through the corridors of the palace to the throne room, and then into a smaller room off of it that looked like it was meant for meetings between generals, and not the Fire Lord himself as there was no huge fiery throne. Zuko found a seat and flopped down, asking the herald how much longer the Avatar and the Master Metal Bender would be.

"They're on their way now." The man promised before bustling off to see about refreshments.

...

…

"Bout bloody time you guys showed up!" Toph called happily, trotting into the room, nearly tripping over one of her leg wraps, which was unwinding. She made a b-line for Sokka and punched him in the arm, "Thought you got lost in the swamp."

Sokka winced and rubbed his arm, "Some of us did."

"You look so ladylike!" Ty Lee squealed, "I love your sash!"

"Did the servants paint both your eyes?" Katara asked, squinting and holding up a hand to block out half Toph's face at a time.

"Toph, are you wearing makeup?" Suki asked, bending over for a better look.

"Naw, it's war paint." Toph punched the Captain in the arm as well, though unlike her boyfriend, she didn't make any indication that it hurt, "Come on Twinkle Toes."

Aang stepped into the room, studying his feet with a foot-interest that rivaled Tophs.

Katara felt her breath catch in her throat, her eyes filling with tears. Guilt hit her like a sack of rocks and she staggered forward, staring at her friend in disbelief.

"Aang . . ." Her voice cracked, she dropped to her knees to get a better view, and looked up at his face.

"What happened to you?!" she heard Sokka ask behind her, "You're covered with hickeys and fingernail scratches!!"

"What are hickeys?" Aang asked, furrowing his brow.

Katara reached up unbidden and began unbuttoning the collar of his robe, cringing at what she saw, his neck was ringed with yellowing bruises as well as fresh purple ones. It was all her fault. ALL. HER. FAULT.

"Hickeys are when someone sucks on your skin and leaves a bruise." Suki explained.

"Suki!" Sokka snapped, as though she had said something wrong.

"What?! He asked!!"

"It was Azula." Aang looking away at the wall, "Azula got out of prison, she . . . she killed some people, nurses, and then came to . . . to get some things out of her room, and she found me."

Katara brushed the tears from her cheeks impatiently, and bent the water from her skin, touching it gently to his bruises. Had the crazy woman gnawed on him?! He was so innocent, how could she do that to him?! As she healed, she began seeing flashes of what had happened, getting straddled by the princess, held down, bitten. She forced herself to concentrate.

Since she was working hard on his neck and chest, she was only half listening to the conversation, but she could feel the room heating, Zuko was probably not appreciating watching her take her sort of ex boyfriend, sort of maybe still a little bit boyfriend's shirt off and touching him. She ignored it, protecting Aang was more important than Zuko's pride.

All your fault Katara!! She thought again, If you had stayed with him and protected him, none of this would have happened!! As she worked, she heard snippets of the conversation, spliced with snippets of Aang's memory that the healing waters picked up from his aura.

". . . well, she had these ties, they wouldn't burn . . ." Aang was saying, rubbing his wrist that was positively braceleted with yellow bruises. She took one of them gingerly in her hands and began working on it, seeing flashes of what he had. Fire bending to burn them, wrenching against them, trying to knock the princess off her . . . him. Inhaling deeply and getting elbowed so hard in the gut it left her gasping. She blinked hard, reminding herself that she was herself and not Aang.

". . . and then we found this weird room down the secret passage way, it led to Zuko's room too, well, Toph said it was Ozai who had probably used it." Aang gave her his other wrist, his whole arm was covered with finger bruises and love bites, after two weeks in the swamp, she recognized them easily, "Do you know anything about it?"

"No," Zuko replied, "I had all the unnecessary passages in my room sealed, that must be why you couldn't open it . . ."

Suddenly, quite unexpectedly, Katara got a vivid image of Azula leaning over and kissing her, licking the blood from her mouth. She saw the woman's eyes flutter, as though terrorizing the Avatar was a particularly delicious indulgence, and the searing expression of lust play across her features, an expression so similar to the ones she had seen on the princess's brother that it made her lose concentration and the water slipped from her grasp. It was unsettling, to see so much of Zuko in Azula, or was it the other way around?

The last thing she heard before the connection was broken was Azula's voice echoing through Aang's mind.

That whore cost me my throne. She cost me EVERYTHING!! I spent four months in an asylum!! I am going to take back what is owed to me, the bitch will pay me in full! Drop by precious drop!! I'm going to shred everything she holds dear, and . . . I think I will start with you!

Hold still Avatar, will only hurt for a minute . . . I promise.

"Careful Katara!" Sokka put a hand on her shoulder. Katara blinked, her legs must have buckled, she was on her butt on the ground.

"You did a really good job, maybe you need a break." Ty Lee chimed in, looking concerned.

"She . . . she was licking your blood . . ." She stammered out, a wave of nausea hit her, "Spirits, she was actually LAPING UP your BLOOD!!"

The room went silent.

"She's mad at ME isn't she! That's why she did it! Wanted to send me a personally stamped 'I'm coming for you' message, sealed with a kiss!!" She balled her fists, she was yelling, though she didn't mean to.

"Katara . . ." Zuko's hand was on her shoulder, "Azula hurts people, it's what she does, and it's not your fault."

Katara looked up at the Avatar, he still looked banged up, still looked bruised and broken, he was wrong it was all her fault. ALL HER FAULT. She felt the Fire Lord give her a reassuring squeeze, and she pushed him away impatiently. Azula wasn't after him, she wasn't after Zuko, she wasn't after any of the gang.

Azula was after HER.

…

"So, this is the passage?" Zuko lit a fire in his hand and peered down the long tunnel.

"Yea, Sparky, the Vampire-Fire Princess took a bunch of stuff, mostly cloths and boots we think, maybe some weapons too, but it leads down into another chamber, you should probably take a look." Toph laced her fingers behind her head.

The group proceeded down the dark hallway, Zuko in the lead with a flame cradled in his hand, and Aang bringing up the rear, with one as well. Katara stuck close to the Avatar, along with Toph, while Sokka, Suki, and Ty Lee took the lead with Zuko. She glanced around nervously, water at the ready in case some ghost of the past leapt out of the shadows with claws aimed at her friend.

"I remember hearing the Earth Rumble fighters talk about one or two of the things, I think, but most of it looks like torture stuff." Toph explained as they walked, "It's like, straight out of a dungeon, only not quite right."

They piled out into the room, and surveyed the dungeonscape. Little had changed since Aang had last been there, this time at least, he felt a lot safer, surrounded by friends.

Suki gave a small strangled cry, turned, and fled, nearly tripping over a pile of old cage bars as she exited the small ring of light.

Ty Lee and Sokka looked at each other once and took off after her, calling for her to calm down, and that she would fall and hurt herself in the dark. Aang followed, trying to light the way for his three friends, though finding it difficult to juggle the torch as he ran.

Toph scratched the back of her head, "What the hell do you think that was about?" she asked the fire and water benders.

"We better go find out, come on Zuko." She started back in the direction of the passage out, relieved to see Zuko following her, Toph trailing behind. He reached out and touched her shoulder as they power walked back the way they had come.

"Katara, you're still pale."

"I'm fine Zuko, don't worry about it, Aang just has a very . . . um, vivid, memory."

Toph spoke slowly, shaking her head, "I had no idea that he was so hurt. The servants are too polite to say anything, and Twinkle Toes just decided to play macho. I should have pulled a Sparky and started randomly attacking him when I suspected something was wrong. Next time, it's going down."

The two older benders blinked as they walked out into the brightness of Aang's room. Suki was on her knees on the floor, both Sokka and Ty Lee's arms wrapped around her. Sokka was gently rocking her back and forth while Ty Lee ran her fingers across her arm and tucked her hair behind her ears. Aang stood a little ways off, watching the proceedings feebly, as though he wanted to help, but had no idea what to do.

". . . and I didn't know . . ." Suki was saying.

"It's okay, It's okay." Sokka patted her back.

"What happened?" Zuko asked, though he was pretty sure he already knew the answer, "It wasn't just a bout of claustrophobia, was it?" he added hopefully.

"That's Azula's playroom." Suki stammered, but she looked like she was pulling herself together, "She brought me there for questioning once. I didn't know it was connected to her room, I was blindfolded. She used to bring men in, and she would . . ." Suki put her face back into her hands and rubbed her eyes. Ty Lee squeezed her more tightly.

"What did she do? Did she hurt you?" Sokka demanded.

"No," Suki explained, "Azula is very straight. But she brought in these men, I didn't know who they were, POWs probably, men with families and lives, and she would question me, and if I didn't give her answers, she would . . ."

"Kill them?" Toph helped her along.

"Worse . . . she would torture them . . . and they would beg me to help them . . ." Suki shook her head back and forth several times, as though trying to shake their memory from her skull. "Finally she gave up, and sent me to the Boiling Rock . . . it was such a relief . . ."

"We should go get some water." Ty Lee said suddenly, "Do you want something to drink, Suki? Get out of the area? You guys can go investigate the tunnel, Me and her will take a walk to the kitchen. I remember where it is."

Sokka jumped up, "I'm coming too!"

"We can all go." Katara stood, and Aang and Toph nodded.

"No Sokka, guys, this is Kyoshi girl stuff, you should all probably just stay here." Ty Lee told them in the nicest possible way.

"That's it, we have to catch Vampire-Fire Princess." Toph punched a fist into the open palm of her hand, her knuckles cracking on the impact.

"How Toph?" Aang asked, his voice weary, "None of the bounty hunters are coming up with her, we can't track her down with the watch, and no matter how much we barricade the place, I have a feeling that with Mai's help, she can get right in!"

". . . . Mai?" Zuko asked slowly, "Why would Mai help her?"

"Umm . . ." Aang nudged Toph.

"We think that maybe she is the one who sort of let her out." Toph tried to break it to him gently.

"How can someone 'sort of' break someone out of an insane asylum?!" Katara asked, her voice rising in anger. She saw Zuko's mouth slacken in disbelief, "Why would she do that?! Mai wouldn't do that! Zuko!! Would Mai do that?!"

"Sugar Queen, repeating the same question over and over again in various ways to someone who doesn't know anything will NOT get you an answer." Toph explained, looking a little annoyed.

"Ok, we have to catch Azula and get her back in a straight jacket and fast." Zuko agreed, "What if I double the bounty?"

"We've already spread a bounty around, they're looking really hard for her." Aang explained, "Did she get the same umm, stealth training that you did that you used as the Blue Spirit?" he asked.

Zuko nodded, "Both the Fire Academies have pretty much the same curriculum."

"I've been guarding Aang." Toph steered the conversation back on track, "Staying with him at night so if the Vamp Tramp does show up, we'll be ready for her."

"Trapping her does seem like a good idea," Sokka agreed, "The question is how . . ." he looked at the double doors, "maybe some sort of pulley and cage . . ."

"She has been MIA the past two nights though, I think I cracked her rib the last time she was here. I heard something snap." Toph looked pleased with herself, "The important thing is that if she is after Twinkle Toes and Sugar Queen to extract some revenge, we should guard them, don't you think?"

Sokka and Zuko nodded.

"So, maybe if we figure out some sort of buddy system!" Sokka grinned, snapping his fingers, "Like we did with the kids back home when we took them penguin sledding."

"I'm totally capable of defending myself from Azula!" Katara insisted, "I've done it before!!"

"Katara, don't you watch plays. The killer always gets you when you're alone." Toph told her, "And we all know how accurate plays are." She added with so much conviction that it made them all think about the Ember Island Players. Katara studied her nails and Zuko rubbed the back of his neck, it had indeed been more accurate than either of them had wanted to admit.

"So what then?" She asked, at least two guards at all times around me? I don't want to have strange men in the room while I am trying to sleep, or bathe." She complained.

…

Oh my goddess, I love Azula to death . . . which is really the only way one can love her, knowing Azula.

To Death.

…

Thanks to Adridere for the 'Vampire-fire princess' nickname, as that is what she has been referring to Azula as since like Chapter 15.

...

Someone should draw Zuko in Kyoshi cloths, he is the only manly member of the Gaang that hasnt worn it yet!!

…

Zuko is such an accidental cock blocker, First Sokka and Suki in Raiders, then (infamous among Zutarians) Aang in Players, plus he must have done it to his uncle thousands of times, you know how much of a flirt Iroh is.

I feel like he might have done it to Ty Lee in the Beach too, but I don't remember.

All evidence points to maybe.

…

So I broke and posted an Aangzula picture that I did for this fic, It came out a lot better than I thought it would, but I still hate it. It's rated M because Azula is flashing nipple. You have been warned.

The link is on my profile, enjoy.

Oh! And there is a Project to reanimate the Finale with a Zutara ending going down at Deviant Art, all of you writers should check it out on bluetarako's page, I think the writers auditions are going on now.

...

R&R, I heart Reviews.