Hello again! Please remember to review! Please. Oh, and I would like to thank nephertiri for inspiring the title and a few events in this chapter! I hope you enjoy the spin I've put on it :)

Chapter 24

Collar Your Dog

Katara stared at her, the pieces coming together in her mind. "So far, it's been a lot of fun," she answered, "but I doubt you've finished setting it just yet. Come on, Azula- where's your lightning?" The brat glared at her, bristling, and Tenji stepped back.

"Shall I leave the two of you to your intertwining destinies, or would you like me to interject and save the epic battle for after dessert?" he said amicably, stroking his thin beard and gazing into the distance. "My chefs have prepared a rather promising array of delicacies, and it would be a pity to forget them."

Azula smiled at him sweetly. "Oh, Lord Tenji, we will be fine on our own. Katara knows better than to endanger her little sweetheart by ruining our fun." Her blood ran cold as the younger woman turned back to her, feigning surprise. "You didn't know? Or perhaps, did you think we didn't know? There are more eyes in this city than you think, savage, and they are all turned to you."

Katara thought back to the journey home, feeling desolate in knowing her pains had been for nothing. She'd tried so hard to hide herself and Lani, and already she had failed. "Good," she countered, "that way, when I finally expose you as a murderer, everyone will be paying attention. How do you think your citizens would feel about you killing their only hope for peace and unity?"

Azula laughed merrily, and those closest to her shuffled away from the terrible sound. "You think these people wanted peace? Look around you. They prosper from my regime because I support them in turn. The commoners don't matter because they have no money and no means to make issues." She sniffed, then flicked her bangs out of her face. "As for this claim of murder… I don't know what you're talking about."

"You killed your own brother," she said quietly, her hands shaking with rage. Somewhere behind her, a band started up, and the ensuing music covered her next words so that only Azula could hear. "Everyone's going to find out. They'll hate you more than they already do. Even your own mother-"

"Silence, peasant!" Azula hissed, looking so deranged that for a moment, all Katara could see was the broken little girl, sobbing after she'd been beaten in the Agni Kai. "You know nothing of my mother!"

"Don't be so sure," Katara said sweetly, smiling, her cheeks strained with the effort. Azula grimaced, looking away, seeming for all the world like an annoyed teenager. It took her a moment to realize that that was exactly what Azula was. What they all had been during the end of the war- just kids, who somehow made it out alive despite some hellish situations. Well- most of them made it out.

"You think I don't know about your little visit? I found out when that idiot boy died- Han, his name was?- I was forced to let his mother go, though she didn't get very far. How you managed to get out of that one, I'll never know. But then you disappeared, and I had to flush you out. It took some doing, but Lord Tenji has always been a very good lapdog, and he didn't dream of disagreeing."

"So you told him to throw this party because no one ever turns down an invitation from him?" Katara guessed. "You waited until I was back in the city, sent that invite because you wanted to come face to face with me. Now that you've accomplished that, what are you going to do with it?"

Azula stiffened at the challenge, her eyes turning cold. She arched her brow and put her hand on her hip, wrinkling her nose in disgust and hatred. "I want you to stop," she snarled, "My brother is dead, this country needs a ruler who actually brings us into the next generation with glory and power, and you will gain nothing by trying to find him."

"I'll gain the satisfaction of everyone knowing what you are, you- wait," Katara stopped, narrowing her gaze mistrustfully and zeroing in on Azula's eyes, where a flicker of some unnamed emotion had broken through the steely veneer. "Trying to find him? Not trying to find out why-"

"I don't have time to teach you about variations in grammar, Katara," Azula interrupted scathingly, but Katara ignored the jab, staring intently into her eyes, the world around them blurring at the edges. Something was off. Something familiar.

"Even if I did, you wouldn't believe it."

Katara glanced down at Azula's folded arms, then back to her face with a strange little smile. "Do you remember anything of our healing sessions?" she asked, and Azula cocked her head to the side, immediately suspicious of this change in topic. "You almost never spoke. We would be in the same room together for hours, and you'd only ever nod or shake your head. I would ask you if you'd eaten that day, and you'd answer me silently. And I asked-"

"Do you not talk to me because you hate me, or because you can lie easier that way?"Katara pondered aloud, and Azula focused on her for the first time since she'd come in the door. Katara took her hands away from Azula's pulse point and temple, waiting.

"I surely hate you, so perhaps that's partly true… but mostly, I stay silent because I can't lie anymore." Azula unfolded her arms, showing Katara for the first time her pale, trembling hands. "I'm out of practice, and whatever you're doing to me isn't helping. Yet another reason to plot my revenge." Katara blinked in surprise, but Azula didn't acknowledge anything.

"It was the closest your Royal Loonyship ever came to making a joke," she said quietly, and Azula tensed, her eyes wide, her nostrils flared. Katara smiled indulgently, as if she was talking to a child. "Let's see how steady your hands are, Princess." By then, the company closest to them had stilled and quieted, their expressions ranging from curiosity to horror.

Someone grabbed Katara's arm, and she found herself being bent- no, steered- into a stiff bow with the strange man. He straightened them back up and said, "The master of this house, the gracious Lord Tenji would like the party to move into the dining hall for supper. Come, merry goers- after you, Fire Lord Azula," he added with an incline of his head, and the little snot smirked at Katara.

"I'm glad to see that you've collared your dog, Lord Ji Lou," she spat, and turned away with her head held high, her hands clenched into fists at her sides.

She couldn't tell from that distance if they trembled or not, but Katara was willing to bet her life that they were.

"Sorry about that." The man stepped back, revealing himself to be an older gentleman in Earth Kingdom colors, his salt and pepper beard pointed and his hair pulled back into a simple topknot. "Allow me to formally introduce myself- Ji Lou from the Maiko region- not a very prosperous or popular one, but we get along alright." Katara inclined her head with clipped movements, feeling hard stones where her eyes should be and unadulterated rage at being interrupted.

"I was handling it fine," she said in response, and Ji Lou shook his head with a sigh and a weary look to the room around them.

"Let us continue this conversation in the hall," he suggested, and Katara was curious enough to follow him out of the room and into an ornate, colorful hall full of antiques and art. They walked along, and he continued, "I couldn't let you continue that conversation in front of the other guests. It doesn't shine well on you, and if you're to be credible later on, you have to have a good impression on people." Katara snorted contemptuously, and he persisted, "Really. As an ambassador and a master waterbender, it's imperative that the public think well of you. And as such a valued person in Fire Lord Zuko's life- Agni bless him- it was very important to meet you here tonight." He stopped walking and turned to her, staring intently into her eyes. His own were a deep, glossy shade of green that glittered in the weak candlelight, eyes that penetrated her heart and seemed to lay it bare.

"Zuko was a favorite student of mine," he confessed quietly. "When he was fourteen, after the Agni Kai with his father, Zuko's balance was badly impaired because of his partial sight loss. I was brought into the palace because I was a lieutenant in the Earth Kingdom Army who'd surrendered rather than let the Fire Nation raze all the villages in the area, and I'd been noted for my mastery of lunar metal and sword play. I was a slave hired by General Iroh to help Zuko rehabilitate before he was to be exiled."

"I thought he left right after the Agni Kai," Katara said, staring at this man in a new light, knowing he'd probably seen a side of Zuko that no one else had been privy to. She missed him so much that she could hardly breathe for a moment, and it was overwhelmingly relieving to know she was not the only one who mourned him. They started walking again, Ji Lou searching the walls with his forceful eyes.

"Everyone assumed he did, because Ozai commercialized the experience and used it to teach a lesson to all that defied or disrespected him- pain, and immediate judgment. In reality, Zuko's face took a few months to heal fully, during which he was kept in a wing of the palace and studied with me. Even when he left to find the Avatar, he was bandaged. However, he had regained most of his basic bending forms, and along with it, I taught him all I could about blades."

He turned to stop and gaze at a pair of ornamental sai on the wall which glimmered subtly in the light. Katara knew the material looked familiar, and she was just about to comment on it when Ji Lou said, "I am acquainted with the sword master Piandao, who was the protégé of Mahashimoto. He told me of your brother's prowess with a sword, and his selection of a meteor for his substance. Mahashimoto lived in that mansion before Piandao did, and as a result of the frequent cosmic activity in his time, he became known for making weapons of lunar steel. Very expensive, but very durable, and often with a sheen so exquisite that they were considered masterpieces."

"And these are his pieces?" she asked, and Ji Lou nodded.

"Some of the only left in known existence- I know Zuko carried one I gave him always, as well as an engraved knife from his uncle, and a baron from the west had the largest collection assembled and catalogued, but the entirety of it was stolen and has not been recovered."

Katara suddenly became aware of the dagger strapped to her thigh, and how it matched the metal on the wall. She blushed furiously, knowing that Blue had been behind the burglary and suddenly ashamed to be mistreating a work of art.

"Ji Lou, I don't mean to be disrespectful, but why are you telling me this?" she asked, knowing they'd been gone far too long from the party and would have to try hard for an inconspicuous entrance.

He chuckled gently. "The reminisces of an old man know no bounds," he said apologetically, "I suppose I was trying to summon the courage to ask you, but I am more of a coward now than I was when I surrendered, so indeed, I'll just have to blurt it out- how did Zuko die?"

Katara jolted, hearing those words in her own voice, seeing the same expression on his face that she probably had had when she asked Ursa the very question she couldn't answer. And when his face fell, she wondered if Ursa had felt as guilty as she did now. "I don't know any more than you do, Ji Lou. I've tried to find out- that's what Azula and I were arguing about- but there's just dead ends every way I turn. Except…" she trailed off, not sure if she should share the true meaning of their latest exchange.

"You have nothing to fear from me, Katara, but perhaps it would be better if you kept that information to yourself," he said smoothly, she gave him an odd look. "I know what happened to the crew members of the ship he took on his last voyage. I know they're almost all dead. That's warning enough for me- I have a wife and a child here with me now, and we have to protect ourselves any way possible."

Katara nodded tightly. "I understand. Will you accompany me back to the dining hall?" she asked, and he shook his head, gazing up at the tri-tipped knives crossed on the wall.

"I need a moment to myself, so I hope you'll forgive me for my rudeness. May I follow after you?" She nodded and bowed respectfully, but he wasn't looking at her. She turned to leave, and when she got to the door, she turned back, the urge to say something too strong to squash.

"Ji Lou? I don't think you're a coward for surrendering. I think you're honorable, and knowing how much time you've spent with Zuko- how much it meant to him to be considered a loyal and true person- I hope you value that characteristic as much as I do." He did not acknowledge the comment, but before she shut the paper door, she swore she saw him bow his head with a sad smile.

When she entered the dining hall, Katara was directed to Lord Tenji's left, across the table from Azula. The ruler narrowed her eyes as she sipped from her glass, then put it down and rested her elbows on the table.

"Where have you been, Katara? Perhaps the members of the Water Tribe are so used to eating in huts that the gazebo out back was more suited to your tastes?" The men next to her chuckled, and she gave them an acknowledging smile. Katara gripped the table so hard her knuckles whitened. I hate you, she thought at the feline look of superiority. Azula smiled like a snake.

"True that my tribe does not have grand monuments to our chiefs, but when the only available material is ice, the sculptures tend to melt before they can be unveiled. That's one of the reasons we live in the here and now instead of holding onto old traditions- igloos aren't often passed down through the generations." The same men laughed good naturedly, and she was brought back to how Sokka had often smoothed situations over with little jokes. Azula glanced at them in irritation, but they weren't paying attention to her. She continued to address Katara.

"I have heard the same is true for your tribe's main exports- ice melts during shipping, and seal fat begins to stink so badly that sailors are forced to abandon ship." She blinked innocently. "No wonder the trade relationships didn't last."

Katara flushed when the men roared in laughter, and she leaned forward. "Zuko's trading treaties fell through because they weren't enforced by-" she snapped, but a sharp movement by Tenji made her stop. He'd clenched his hand into a fist on the table beside her glass, and when he caught her eye, he shook his head almost imperceptibly. The men were observing her closely, and Katara realized that she'd come very close to offending all the officials in the room. She looked at Lord Ji Lou, who sat further down the table, and he was tense, waiting to see if she would remember his advice or not.

"No- I mean, how could they have worked out? You have no need for bear-wolf furs or bone tools, and we have no need for thin, breezy silk and metal contraptions fueled by coal and firebending, neither of which is particularly bountiful in the South Pole." The guests smiled, most of them seeming appeased, and she struggled to find something clever to say that would dispel the awkward, accusatory tension.

Then, she smiled widely and admitted sheepishly, "However, we could have used some of those fire flakes to spice up the stewed sea prunes once in a while." This brought laughter back to the party, and it was helped along by the arrival of the main dishes, held on golden platters and offered one by one to the guests by servants who moved counterclockwise around the table. Katara chose some type of fowl covered in sweet sauce, small pot stickers, and hesitated at a few scoops of an aromatic salad composed of greens and bright red and orange peppers.

"That is a childhood favorite of mine," Azula announced imperiously, and Katara tried to smell it inconspicuously. It smelled bitter and spicy, neither of which she was particularly fond of. The servant fidgeted for a moment under Azula's commanding gaze.

"What's in it?" Katara asked, and the man quickly listed a bunch of vegetables she wasn't familiar with. He kept his eyes on Azula, and when she gave an audible sigh and lifted her chin, he dumped a portion onto Katara's plate without asking and moved to Azula's side.

Katara glanced at Lord Tenji to see what he made of it, and he was smiling, so she assumed he was either used to it or exceptionally talented at hiding his feelings. When the servant offered the plate to him, he declined, saying, "I see roast turtle-duck a few platters down, and sheepling behind that, so I must save what little room I have left."

Azula gave him a pointed look. "I insist, Lord Tenji- it's quite good, and you seem to be in dire need of something green anyways." Tenji patted his extensive stomach and chuckled, accepting a small scoop of the salad and calling for more wine.

Katara took a curious bite and was pleasantly surprised. The flavor was earthy, but the red peppers were spicy in a subtle way, smoky almost. "Finally, something we both like," Katara said to Azula sweetly, and the girl rolled her eyes at the performance, giving Tenji a significant look and raising a bite to her lips. He did the same, and winked at Katara as he put the spoon in his mouth.

Azula's eyes narrowed at her bite, and she smelled it. "Hmm- this doesn't smell right, it's almost acidic… like-" Her eyes widened in horror, and she dropped the spoon just as Tenji clenched his hand again. Katara was confused for a moment- she hadn't said or done anything disrespectful- but then he began to shake, and his face was red-

"He's been poisoned!" Azula yelled, standing up as Tenji began to violently buck, as he fell from his chair and seized on the ground, foaming at the mouth. Katara was already in action, pulling water from the plant in the corner and leaping across the table to kneel by him. A blast of bright blue fire erupted in front of her, and she rolled out of the way, off balance.

"No, I'm trying to-"

"She's trying to kill him!" Azula shouted, and all hell broke loose as she lunged forward, bending two whips towards her as Katara was forced to retreat away from the man suffocating on his own vomit. She drew up a shield, saw all the guests rear back in fright and rage, and knew without a doubt that she'd just signed her death warrant in their eyes.

"Get out!" someone yelled, and Katara saw Ji Lou running at her full tilt, skidding to a halt in front of her with the two sai raised in his fists. She sprung into action, unfreezing the water and slamming it into the wall behind her, which blew apart with a tremendous crash, revealing a hallway and a few screaming servants. She darted through the opening, turning back, saying "Come on, Ji Lou!"

There was a flash, a sound like splitting wood, and the old man fell, killed by the lightning that had surged through his body. She bit back a scream and fled, sprinting down the hall, slipping in her flimsy shoes as she turned the corner and slammed the door open. She could still hear the screams, and knew that Azula would be after her. Knew it was only a matter of time before she caught up.

She cursed vehemently and threw herself sideways into a chamber, focusing on the open window. She calculated the jump, sped up-

Slammed into the ground as a searing pain licked her ankle. She crashed into the wall, and Azula stepped into the room, staring down at her. "You just couldn't listen to me, could you? Now, look what you've done. Two people dead and we hadn't even had dessert yet." She ducked, dodging Katara's water whip and evaporating it with a swift slice. "Counting all the people you've inadvertently killed by trying to find him, I could be completely justified in killing you right now."

Katara glared up at her hatefully. "Then why don't you, Azula? Why keep me alive when all I'm going to do is reveal what an evil, deplorable person you are for murdering your own brother? I'm not responsible for those deaths. You are."

"I didn't kill Zuko!" Azula shrieked, and Katara screamed right back.

"Then how did he die?!" she demanded, and Azula smirked down at her, opening her mouth. "Tell the truth, Azula. You know you can't fool me anymore. You know that I can tell when you're not." Saying the words out loud made them true, and her golden eyes widened infinitesimally. For one endless moment, Katara saw right into her head- felt her panic as she tried to regain her composure, knew she was scrambling for an answer, and was coming up with nothing.

The realization didn't come at her like a wave, and it didn't creep into her like a parasite, draining her energy and will. No, this epiphany was just a very swift inkling of light, and hope, a door opening into a future she'd locked away in the depths of her heart. It couldn't be true, but she already knew that somehow, it was.

"Zuko's alive?" she breathed, and Azula's face turned stony, murderous.

"I was going to let you live so that you could lead me to him, but you've made more leaps than I'd originally thought. No matter- it won't be long now until he's dead for good," she said quietly, and ignited her right hand, clawing the flames, building their intensity until they were burning her eyes just by looking at them. "I don't need you, after all," she concluded, and sprang forward just as Katara launched a knife into the air.

She yelled in pain as Katara rolled away from the heat, covering her head, barely having time to see Azula's stricken face and bloody shoulder before she hauled herself up and out of the window. She landed in the garden, snapping a branch off of one of the red trees, sucking all the water from it just in time to counter a blast of blue fire. Then, with a battle cry worthy of a seasoned warrior, Katara drew everything out- the dew from the grass, the water from the little fountain, ruining the entire garden in one fell swoop. The huge wave of water surged behind her, then around her, before her. She yanked Azula towards her with a water tentacle, suspending her inside the water, freezing it solid around her neck, pressing harder, harder, harder-

"Glad to see that you've collared your dog…"

"Collar this, Princess," she hissed, knowing Azula could hear her, or at least read her lips, and then she turned it all to ice and fled, out of the garden, beyond the gate, over the wall and back to the library, taking the quickest but most bizarre route she could think of to shake off anyone tailing her. She tried to forget Tenji's bulging eyes, Ji Lou's charred body still clutching the instruments of his last courageous act. She knew he'd bought her valuable time, possibly even took the lightning that was meant for her- it struck her like a sack of bricks that this was the second time it had happened, and she vowed as she ran that she would never let it happen again.

She knew Azula would have melted the water as soon as she'd relinquished control of it, and as much as she hated to admit it, she realized she'd sprung the worst trap possible. Now that she'd been accused of murdering Lord Tenji, she knew she would have no peace in Caldera. Every movement would be done in darkness, and Lani was no safer here than she'd been with her kidnappers- she had to get her out as soon as possible.

Katara jogged through an alley, her skirt in tatters, her hair coming undone in the humid air, feeling more alive and hopeful than she had since Zuko's funeral. He was alive, he was out there somewhere, and she could find him. She knew it. It could all be over, and everything that had been could be once more. It was dizzying, electrifying, to hope after it had been forbidden for so long. Tears of joy and relief cascaded down her cheeks as she gazed up at the moon in the night sky.

"Zuko, I'm coming. Hold on," she whispered, the night air carrying her words away from her, taking with them the hope that he'd hear her somehow.

And way out in the distant darkness, a man raised his face to the moon, remembering for the first time in a long time that he had somewhere important to be, and someone important to meet there.

Muahahahahahahahaaaaaaa!

nephertiri- thanks again for the inspiration! I hope you don't mind me using that concept, especially for Azula instead of Katara, but it was just too good to pass up!

Review :)