A large red bird hovered on the wind above the convoy of Fire Navy ships. As it descended, unnatural flashes of lightning struck out from the port bow, crashing ominously through the clouds.
On the ship below, Azula lashed out with a flying right kick. A circle of blue fire arced out from her toe and knocked down her practice opponent, a rather unwilling Fire Navy ensign. The soldier tried to stand and couldn't; he doubled over in pain, clutching his ribs. The princess scowled. "Get him out of my sight."
A pregnant pause followed as she callously watched two men drag the unlucky ensign away. The lieutenant on duty stood shaking in his spiked shoes, his men equally apprehensive. The ship's medic already had his hands full dealing with the lot Azula had sent down the day before, still raging over the fact that she'd been unable to trace her uncle's escape route; and the day before that, when the helmsman told her they simply couldn't get to the South Pole any sooner, and she'd thrown another fit of fury. If they lost many more men to her violent tantrums and sparring sessions, the rest would be pulling double duty just to keep the command ship running.
"Your Highness!" someone called then, to great looks of relief from the crew. "Look. A messenger hawk."
Azula looked up, the red bird circling down with a screaming cry. The lieutenant caught the hawk and handed its message to her, bowing and scurrying backwards. The crew held their collective breath as her yellow eyes scanned the page.
"Good news, your Highness?" the lieutenant asked quietly.
"I suppose one could call it fortuitous," she said, a dark smile twisting her lips. "It's from Mai. Prince Zuko is dead."
ooo LL ooo
Zuko smiled to himself. His reunion with Lieutenant Jee had been brief, but his heart felt the warmer for it. It seemed that since the Fire Navy's defeat at the North Pole, the survivors had no ship to return to, and so were sent to various posts throughout the occupied Earth Kingdom. Jee was one of these. He seemed genuinely pleased to see that Prince Zuko was alive. He even wept.
Convinced by Jee's tale of hating what the Fire Nation had become and hoping he never had to go back, Zuko divulged his uncle's plan to him. Jee pledged his full support at once, and would travel with Zuko to Omashu the next morning - but for tonight, Zuko needed to unwind. After securing a room in the palace for Jee's use so he could rest before their journey, Zuko kept his promise to Mai and Ty Lee. Together they set off through a secret passage in the palace.
"So where does this lead?" Zuko asked as the trio headed down a long, slightly sloping tunnel. He'd been down a thousand that looked just the same, guided by the Dai Li. He wondered if even they knew them all.
"You'll see," Ty Lee said brightly. "There's lots of open space, and it's well lit. The perfect place to get some exercise!"
"And get away from everyone. At least, the people you want to get away from," Mai added in an undertone, stealing a brief glance at Zuko.
Zuko arched his unsinged eyebrow uncomfortably. "How much further?"
"There it is!" Ty Lee flipped out of the tunnel into the open space, standing on her hands for a moment before somersaulting back onto her feet. "Well, Zuko, what do you think? Isn't it pretty?"
Mai and Zuko stepped behind her into a wide square area lit by green crystals above and lining the rock walls. Ducts of fresh water flowed through the area into channels on either side. Zuko's chest ached. The catacombs of old Ba Sing Se. I've been here before. It was the place he'd joined Azula and fought the Avatar. The place he'd betrayed Uncle. The place he'd betrayed Katara. He hung his head, ashamed of the memory.
"What's the matter, Zuko?" Ty Lee asked, her smile fading.
"Nothing," Zuko said then, forcing himself to shake it off. "Like Mai said, I've just been really stressed."
"We'll take care of that," Mai promised with a wicked grin. And with no warning, several of her darts flew out of her sleeve at him.
"Huah!" Zuko's reflexes kicked in. He leapt just in time, sailing over the offensive daggers and whirling out a textbook firebending spin-kick.
Mai dodged the fiery assault and rolled away as Ty Lee came tumbling towards Zuko. The acrobat's fists punched out at his shoulders, his ribs; he dodged her blows narrowly, then cleverly hooked his foot around her ankle and threw her temporarily off balance. She quickly recovered, however, and bounded back towards him with a glint in her eye. Zuko punched out a quick series of fireblasts at her; Ty Lee dodged them easily.
She catapulted herself over his head, intending to grab his shoulder from above and block his chi. Zuko turned just in time and she caught his forearm instead. Ty Lee hadn't debilitated him as she would have if she'd grasped the sensitive place between his shoulder and neck, but the spot in his forearm felt sore just the same. He lunged out at her with a fiery side-kick, and she tumbled out of his path.
Zuko swept his fists to his sides, fire whips emerging from the empty space between his palms and fingers. He lashed out at Mai again, who spun and whirled a round of throwing stars in his direction. His fire whips deflected them easily, then caught one of her wrists. Ty Lee flipped towards him, landing deftly on her hands so that her legs hurtled into Zuko's back; he stumbled forward, losing control of the whip and letting Mai's hand loose.
As Ty Lee bounded away, Mai sent one last battery of knives at him; this time, however, she angled them so that the only way he could miss them was in ducking beneath them. Awkwardly, however, Zuko came flying forward instead of falling backward, bringing her down in the process. His ears reddened as he realized he had landed cleanly astride Mai's thin form, and that she was looking up at him as though she was anything but angry about it.
"Well," she murmured, giving him an uncharacteristically broad smile, "I guess you win."
Behind them, Ty Lee gave a girlish giggle. That brought Zuko instantly to his senses. He jumped up, offering Mai a hand to help her to her feet. "What's so funny?" Zuko demanded.
"This is just like that time when we were little," Ty Lee laughed, "and you and Mai fell in the pond. You were soaked!"
Mai's hands went to her hips. "I'll show you soaked." And she pushed Ty Lee into the channel of water, giving a satisfied glare. "Now we're even."
"Ugh! Mai! What did you do that for?" Ty Lee glowered up at Mai, pulling herself out and twisting the water out of her braid. "It's not like you minded."
As he realized what Ty Lee meant, Zuko's cheeks burned hot, and Mai's with them. "Um…I guess that's enough practice for tonight," he offered sheepishly. "I'm leaving early in the morning anyway. Good night."
"Nice going," Mai groaned, elbowing Ty Lee roughly after Zuko had walked away.
"What? You do like Zuko," Ty Lee reminded her. "What's wrong with him knowing? He has to know sometime if you want to be together, right?"
Mai sighed. "I guess so."
"You should go talk to him," Ty Lee suggested, brightening. "Tell him how you feel."
"But what do I say? You're the flirty one, not me."
"Hmm." Ty Lee rubbed her chin. "Well… you could tell him he's got nice muscles. Or just give him a really big wink, and twirl your hair around your finger. That always works for me."
Mai rolled her eyes. "I don't think I can pull that off."
"Then just tell him the truth," her friend said seriously. "At least that way, you'll know where you stand. Don't worry, Mai. You're brave. I know you can do it."
"Thanks, Ty Lee." For once, Mai didn't pull away as Ty Lee enveloped her in a childlike, innocent embrace - even though it got her soaking wet.
ooo LL ooo
Knowing Azula and the dreaded Fire Navy ships could arrive at any moment, sentries were posted along the newly constructed ice wall, as well as a handful of sharp-skilled waterbenders. They would be the first line of defense. Everyone else who could be spared would join the wedding party beneath the star-flecked night sky. It was planned to be a simple affair, but to the Water Tribe and the refugees it gave sanctuary, no marriage celebration could have been more beautiful or more welcome. It gave the remaining freedom fighters a reason to hope for a brighter future beyond the dark shadow of battle that lay ahead.
Sokka had ritually cleansed and readied himself in the tradition of Southern Water Tribe grooms. He paced around inside his father's igloo until he'd nearly worn a hole in the ice. The time was passing much too slowly. He touched with reverence the white bear-pelt he would soon be wearing, hanging in its spot of honor on the wall.
The last time someone wore this, it was Dad, Sokka thought, on the night he married Mom. It was a sobering thought. Dad's been such a good father. And Mom was happy. We were all happy. It's just a lot to live up to…
"I'm going outside for a minute, Dad," he finally told Hakoda, ducking his head as he emerged into the South Pole snows.
The moon was nearly full tonight. Sokka stared up at the glowing white orb and let out a long sigh, his breath turning to frost. He felt a warm hand on his shoulder, and turned to find Iroh there.
"A man who is about to marry a kind and beautiful bride should be smiling," the benign old firebender told him. "Why do you look so depressed?"
"I can't help it," Sokka exhaled, moonlight reflecting in his eyes. "I feel like I'm betraying her somehow."
"Princess Yue would not want you to go on grieving over her sacrifice," Iroh reminded him. "She would want you to move on with your life and be happy."
"I know," Sokka murmured. "She always thought of everyone else before herself. She was too good for this world. I always knew she was too good for me." The Water Tribe warrior hung his head. "I've tried to let her go, but I can't forget her. And I want to marry Suki more than anything, but I'm afraid to offer her a heart that isn't all mine to give. I don't think it's fair to her."
"The memory of Yue will be with you forever, but you do not have to forget her in order to love Suki. Someone who has loved deeply once is capable of loving deeply again," Iroh wisely advised him. "It is the heart that knows loss that can appreciate love best."
Sokka gave him a sidelong grin. "How did you get so smart, Iroh?"
"Privilege of old age," he congenially replied. "I'm just glad my proverbs seem to do you good. Zuko never seemed to like them much."
Sokka laughed out loud. "Somehow, that doesn't surprise me. No offense."
"None taken." Iroh stepped back and rubbed the tuft of hair at his chin, admiring Sokka's smile. "Mm-hmm. Much better. Now, get in there! I'm sure your father has some last-minute advice of his own."
"All right. Thanks, Iroh." Sokka hugged the corpulent old man, then went back inside.
"That was a very noble thing you just did." Master Pakku emerged from the shadows beside the ice dwelling, nodding approvingly at Iroh.
"Sometimes young people judge themselves too harshly," Iroh noted. "They think they are unworthy of happiness. It is important that we steer them in the right direction, so they can appreciate what they have now. We both understand what it is like to lose, and to never be whole again."
"Yes," Master Pakku agreed solemnly, his gaze distant and forlorn. "We do."
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"So? How do I look?"
Katara and Gran-Gran stepped back and admired their handiwork, sharing an accomplished smile. Suki was a picture of loveliness in the fine-stitched, close-fitting purple anorak, gloves and tasseled boots borrowed from Gran-Gran's old things. Her short hair was pulled back from her face in pincurls, accentuating the natural beauty of her large eyes and full lips. White fur muffs covered her ears.
"Well?" Suki pressed uncertainly, sitting anxiously on the edge of her recovery bed. The Kyoshi warriors sat in a circle around her, grinning their approval.
"Beautiful," Katara said at last, Gran-Gran nodding her agreement. "But don't take our word for it. See for yourself." She used her bending water to create a makeshift mirror out of ice, then held it up for Suki to see.
Tears slowly slid down Suki's cheeks. "Thank you so much, both of you, for everything."
"Welcome to the family, Suki," Gran-Gran said warmly, grasping Suki's hands in her own and smiling. "I think my grandson is a very lucky young man."
"Thanks, Kana," Suki smiled shyly, "but I think I'm the lucky one."
Kana pulled Suki into a hug. "Call me Gran-Gran, dear."
"I've always wondered what it would be like to have a real sister. I can't imagine a better one than you, Suki," Katara told her then, embracing her friend. "I am so happy, for both of you."
"Hey, Sugar Queen!" Toph stuck her head in the door. "There's some meatheaded guy out here who's really anxious to get married. Think we can help him out?"
Suki and the Kyoshi warriors laughed out loud, while Katara good-naturedly shook her head. "I think we can," Suki replied happily. And with Tenshi on one arm and Mariko on the other to support her, she set out into the starry night.
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Sokka's face beamed as he watched Suki coming towards him. She had insisted on standing and walking, despite the fact that it would be very tiring and painful. A warrior to the core, Sokka thought admiringly. The Kyoshi warriors flanked her faithfully until she reached Sokka's side, in case her steps faltered. Then they stepped back, their eyes shining with tears of joy for their leader.
Suki took Sokka's gloved hand in her own, and together they faced Hakoda, who was smiling broadly and with pride. Wearing the ceremonial wolf's head cap as leader of the tribe, he raised his hands for silence and attention.
"To be a Water Tribe husband is a great responsibility," Hakoda began, his strong voice carrying across the snow-covered plain. "A Water Tribe warrior must provide his wife with all that she needs: a shelter from the cold, a fire to cook and keep warm, food to keep her and your children from hunger, and most importantly love. Not the fleeting kind of love that lasts only a moment, but a deep and abiding love that never fades, and grows stronger as you get old. She will grow more beautiful in your eyes with each passing year, as your children grow and your grandchildren are born, and still your love will be as constant as the moon and the ocean."
Master Pakku and Kana's eyes met, and lingered. Katara looked at Iroh and gave him a wink, nodding in their direction. Iroh grinned. He'd wondered if this is why Katara had asked if he was courting Kana. Now he knew he was right.
"Sokka, do you swear to care for Suki, to be bonded to her body and soul, before the Spirits of Water and before your brothers and sisters in the Water Tribe?"
Sokka looked longingly at Suki. "I swear."
Hakoda nodded regally, then turned to the bride-to-be.
"Suki, as a Water Tribe wife, much is expected of you as well. You must be brave, and strong. You must be a friend to your husband, take care of him in sickness, and love him when he is young and strong, and when he is old and frail. Teach your children well, and by your example of loving each other as man and wife, so they will learn how to love themselves, and your love will be passed on to the next generation. Suki, do you swear to care for Sokka, to be bonded to him body and soul, before the Spirits of Water and the Water Tribe?"
Smiling beautifully, Suki nodded. "I swear."
"The Spirits of Water bear witness to these vows!" Hakoda called out. He took the bowl of paint and made marks on each of their foreheads. "You are now husband and wife. Peace, long life, and happiness to you both."
As the crowd around them cheered happily, Suki leaned in to Sokka. "Aren't we supposed to kiss?" she whispered.
"It's not a tradition in the Southern Water Tribe," Sokka replied softly, "but I'm willing to start a new one." Holding nothing back now, he drew her into his arms, and kissed his bride with all the love in his heart.
ooo LL ooo
Katara. Zuko ran his hands over his face, up through the dark tangle of his hair, brooding. Much like when he'd been ill in that terrible lower ring apartment and his uncle had cared for him, he felt dizzy, his skin unbearably hot.
Since he'd let her go on the ship, she'd been like a dream to him - a beautiful dream that he held at night in the form of a pillow, by day in the sweetness of a momentary reverie - but going back underground to the crystal caverns had stirred something in him that ran far deeper. It was as though he could feel her presence lingering in that place, making her more real to him than she had been during these weeks alone. It had been all too easy to lose himself in the task at hand, to distract himself with the work of reversing the course of the war, to forget her. And now he remembered so vividly that it frightened him.
Who's going to set you free?
Katara's voice echoed in his mind. He had once told Uncle that Ba Sing Se was a prison; that he didn't want to make a life here. Never had those words been more true. Yes, he was leaving for Omashu in the morning, but it was all the same. She wouldn't be there. She wouldn't be anywhere in the Earth Kingdom. If she was fortunate enough to survive Azula's coming attack on the South Pole, she would go with the Avatar to the Fire Nation, not back to Ba Sing Se. And then what would become of her? Her life suddenly seemed on a course very different from his.
I do believe in the Avatar. But Zuko, I believe in you, too.
Zuko splashed some water on his face, hoping to cool his fever. He was getting ready for bed when someone knocked at the door. That's weird. I thought I told Sato not to disturb me until morning. Something must have happened.
But it wasn't Sato, or Tai Lan, or even Lieutenant Jee. "Mai. What are you doing here?"
"I need to talk to you. Can I come in?"
Hesitantly, Zuko nodded. Mai glided past him into the shadows of his chamber. He closed the door behind them, then looked back at her. "All right. I'm listening."
Mai looked up at him. Her pale face was almost ghostly against the green crystal glow of the hearth. "I wanted to apologize for what Ty Lee said earlier."
Zuko shrugged. "It's okay."
"No, it's not." Mai took a deep breath, unable to meet his eye. "I should have said something myself, but I couldn't. I was too scared. And now I just feel stupid."
"I don't understand."
"Don't you?" Mai walked over to him, putting a hand on his unscarred cheek. "After all these years, haven't you noticed how I feel about you?"
Zuko swallowed hard. "Mai, this can't happen."
"Why not?" Mai pressed softly. "We've both been unhappy and alone. But it doesn't have to be that way. I'd do anything for you, Zuko. I lied to Azula and betrayed her, and I did it because I love you." When Zuko hesitated to reply, she took it as an invitation. She pressed her lips to his, winding her arms around him.
For a moment he allowed her kiss, too stunned to respond. Then, as if snapping himself out of a trance, he shook his head and pulled away. "No. I can't do this."
"What's wrong?" Mai asked.
"I need to ask you something." Zuko turned away. "You said you lied to Azula because of me. Does that mean if for some reason this didn't work out, you'd tell her I'm alive?"
"You sound like you're already sure it's not going to work." Mai arched an eyebrow suspiciously.
"Just answer the question," Zuko insisted.
"Oh, come on, Zuko," Mai droned, upset that it had come to this. She sank onto the edge of his bed, her arms folded with displeasure. "You know Azula; if I told her I lied to her, she'd kill me. So there's really no reason for me to tell her, is there? If you go down, I go with you, and so does Ty Lee."
"I don't want any of us to go down," Zuko said carefully. "I don't want the Fire Nation to go down, either. That's why I'm doing this. That's why all my focus, all my energy, has to be on this."
"I understand that. I just want you to understand that I'm here. And I'm not going anywhere." Mai rose to leave, then lingered a moment in the doorway. "Don't be gone too long."