I Need To Find Myself
Song Inspired: Mary J. Blige - My Love Remix (featuring Heavy D.) [This song brought back so many memories…]
Several months have passed since Katara made her last trip to the Fire Nation with her girlfriends Toph and Suki; but for Katara, it seemed as if it were yesterday. The nostalgia that surrounded her senses have occupied her since the day she returned from her small vacation all those months ago; seemingly as if the aftermath of what happened those three days still linger within her subconscious, unable to escape even if she had the will to do so. But, she put all those mixed feelings aside and focused on the now, and especially looking forward to the Fire Nation Event that Lee invited her to attend with the following evening. She was busy getting Iroh's Tea Shop tables ready for the next day, wiping every table clean with a warm cloth as she contemplated the events that have occurred to her in the last several months; "Wow, so much has happened since then, and here I am, standing strong." said Katara quietly to herself as she placed tea cups on small dessert plates on top of every table in the Tea Shop, "Geez, I thought I'd get bored of this place by now, but thankfully I've had a friend to help fuel my drive." thought Katara to herself, turning her attention to Iroh who happened to be brewing Jasmine Tea in the back counter. Katara smiled kindly to the former general, so happy and grateful that he's been so hospitable to her at a time in which she was trying to find out who she really was, and what she really wanted. She turned herself back around, finishing her duty, until she was interrupted by the man whom was just roaming her thoughts.
"Katara." said Iroh warmly.
Katara turned around to meet Iroh, "Yeah?" asked Katara as she reached for the apron she left on the chair next to her, placing it over her head.
"I forgot to give you this." said Iroh as he reached for a pocket, taking out a light tan envelope as he proceeded to walk towards the young water bender.
Katara raised her eyebrow, speculating what exactly Iroh took out of his pocket, "For me?" asked Katara as her eyes fixated on the envelope.
Iroh nodded in compliance, placing the envelope on her hand as he slightly backed away from her, both hands behind his back as he smiled considerately at the young woman.
Katara read the front of the envelope; It had her name on the front, along with the Fire Nation insignia as postage, but there wasn't a return address, "Hmm….that's weird." thought Katara suspiciously to herself as she proceeded to open the letter.
Iroh interceded as Katara took out the piece of parchment that was tucked inside of the light tan envelope, "Katara, I forgot to mention that I received this letter last week." said Iroh as he nervously chuckled to the young southern water tribe woman.
Katara's eyes slightly opened, "Why are you giving this to me now?" asked Katara as she proceeded to open the piece of parchment, noticing firsthand the giant Fire Nation symbol on the top.
Iroh tried to explain himself, "Well, I was going to give you sooner, but it slipped my mind." said Iroh honestly as he rubbed the back of his neck guiltily.
Katara gave Iroh a reassuring smile, "Don't worry Iroh, I understand." said Katara as her eyes fixated back to the piece of parchment on her hand, "But this, this I don't understand." said Katara suspiciously.
Iroh raised his eyebrow, "What is it?" asked Iroh worryingly.
Katara nodded her head, "This letter; it doesn't say who it's from." thought Katara to herself as she continued to analyze the parchment, trying to make sense out of it as if it were some sort of riddle.
Iroh rubbed his chin with his index finger and thumb, his eyebrow still raised, "Hmm….. that's strange." thought Iroh to himself, "What does it say?" asked a skeptical Iroh as he got a little closer to analyze the parchment himself.
Katara continued to examine the piece of parchment, but to no avail; there was just no name, none but her own, "It just says "I'm coming to see you at sunset…" Katara continued to read on, mumbling the following words to herself as she grasped the meaning of what was written down for her to read, "….Today!" said Katara loudly as her eyes nearly bulged out of its sockets.
Katara tensed up, "Who could've sent this? Lee would've just told me that he was coming to visit; he wouldn't hesitate to put his name on the parchment, but whoever sent me this notice doesn't want me to know who they are." thought Katara to herself nervously, the piece of parchment slightly trembling in her finger. She took one last look at the piece of parchment, then placed it down on the table next to her; turning her back to it as she closed her eyes, "Who would send a notice without letting the person they're sending the notice to know it's them?" thought Katara to herself anxiously, her thoughts now wandering to the many possibilities of who the parchment's sender could be. Then one possibility crossed her mind, "Aang?" thought Katara to herself as she continued to watch over
Iroh noticed the young woman's tension, observing how the piece of parchment vibrated in her hands and tried to console her, "Don't worry; I'm sure whoever wrote the letter means no harm." said Iroh as he placed his hand comfortingly on Katara's shoulder, attempting to alleviate her uneasiness, "If there's anything funky about this whole situation, believe me when I say that I will be there to defend you in every step of the way." assured Iroh a distraught Katara. "Actually, if you think about it, do you really think that anyone would want to mess with you in MY Tea Shop?" asked Iroh sarcastically as he let out a rough chuckle, "I don't think so." finished Iroh as he gave Katara a sly look.
Katara couldn't help but giggle; she suddenly felt all of her tension melt off of her, no longer worried about the many worst case scenarios that were roaming her thoughts. She gave Iroh a thankful smile, "Yeah, I guess you're right; I mean seriously, you're the Dragon of the West. Not just anyone can take you on." said Katara as she tried to make an effort to forget about her worries, chuckling at her previous botheration, wondering what she was so worried about.
Iroh laughed compliantly, his belly jiggling in harmony with every chuckle that escaped his grin, "Yeah, unless you're the Avatar of course." said Iroh, waiting for Katara to laugh alongside him, but to his disappointment, as he opened his squint eyes, he glanced at the young water bender, seemingly melancholy due to the mention of her former lover. He observed Katara's face depress itself, her bright eyes turned a near gray as she slightly turned her head away; closing her eyes so Iroh wouldn't see her uncomfortable state.
The mention of Aang suddenly made Katara realize exactly why she was so nervous about the parchment in the first place. Her thought kick started and began to run wild again, "What if it is Aang? What does he want? What if he's going to tell me something I don't want to hear? What if something's wrong?" thought Katara to herself as the tremble crept its way back into her hands, gripping the seat next to her as if she were to somehow run away and never stop.
Iroh analyzed the young woman before him, perplexed by her actions. He took a step back, taking in the sight of horror planted on Katara's face, "Katara, I thought you were over him." said Iroh, eagerly waiting for a response from the distraught woman.
Katara's state shifted; she sharply turned her head to face Iroh, her attention fully focused on him as she tried to snap herself out of it, "H-huh, o-of course I'm over him." said Katara anxiously as she ran her fingers through the loose locks of her ponytail, "It's just that…who else could it be?" asked a concerned Katara as she loosened the grip she had on the wooden chair, turning her entire body to the former general.
Aang was whistling a catchy tune as he rested his arm on the counter of a small tailor shop on the far edge of the main plaza. He analyzed the cramped interior of the shop, his eyes skimming through the vast amount of fabrics, all with their own unique design and colors, elegantly stacked on the enormous shelf to the far corner by the window. He was soon interrupted by the owner of the shop.
"Mr. Avatar, sir?" said the tailor as he tried to get Aang's attention.
Aang turned his head towards the tailor; a frail looking, older woman whose expression seemed withered and beaten with the harshness of life, "Yes." asked Aang kindly.
The woman smiled crookedly as she handed him a long zippered, black cover. It was the contents inside that Aang was more concerned about, "Can I open it?" asked Aang as he gave the old woman a caring smile.
The tailor smiled and nodded agreeably, "Of course you can young Avatar." said the older woman as she reached for the zipper of the cover, "Allow me" suggested the tailor. Aang nodded in compliance as he took a step back and allowed the tailor to do her job. The old woman pulled down the zipper, her frail hands trembling slightly as she spread the cover wide open, revealing a perfectly tailored outfit wrapped in a plastic cover. Aang slowly approached the counter; his face glowed in excitement as he made out what was inside the plastic covering, "Wow! This is exactly what I asked for!" exclaimed Aang joyfully as he grabbed the tailored outfit, still wrapped in is plastic covering as his eyes skimmed from the tip top of the robe to perfectly sewn bottom of the trousers. The woman looked on happily; there was no other satisfaction sweeter than satisfying the Avatar himself, "Truly the pleasure's all mine." said the tailor as she tilted her head merrily at the handsome young man.
Aang held the outfit with his right arm whiles his other hand reached into his pocket, sifting through until finally he found what he was looking for. He pulled out a handful of gold pieces and placed it on the counter in front of the tailor, "I'm sure this'll do." said Aang kindly.
The tailor's eyes widened in sheer surprise; the amount of gold pieces Aang just gave her nearly quadrupled the amount that the outfit was worth. Her eyes began to water in elation as she thankfully looked deep into the Avatar's eyes, "I can't take this." said the tailor humbly.
Aang waved his free hand at the young woman, "Please; it's yours." said Aang benevolently as he waved goodbye to the frail looking woman, running out of the shop door as he disappeared from sight.
As Aang ran out, he immediately noticed the vast multitude of people heading towards his direction, "*sigh*, Can't I get a day without so many people wanting to talk to me, or get an autograph, or a portrait. I think maybe just 20 people a day would suffice." thought an annoyed Aang to himself. He knew he had to act fast; the hoard of people was soon closing into his location and if they grabbed hold of his attention, there was no way he would be able to escape for at least another couple of hours. "Onji will kill me if I'm late again; better not let that happen." said Aang quietly to himself; just as quickly as he muttered those words, he spread open his glider and soared into the air. The multitude of people below him looked up as he took flight like a wolf bat; Aang looked down at the many disappointed faces, "IM SORRY, IT'S JUST THAT MY GIRLFRIEND WILL BE REALLY UPSET IF I RETURN HOME LATE!" yelled Aang gullibly to the crowd below. Just then; he caught notice of a couple of young guys in the midst of the multitude below, snickering and jeering at the young Avatar's excuse. One young man, slender in frame with long, black hair, ember colored eyes and bony facial features pointed at Aang as he elbowed his buddies, "Hey, hey guy; we better not try to get the Avatar in trouble with his giiirrrrllfriend." said the young man mockingly as he curled his fingers femininely, chuckling along with the rest of his guy friends at Aang's expense. Aang couldn't help but overhear the group sneering him below; his face turned slightly red in embarrassment as he wished to himself that he didn't hold the capacity to listen so well whilst in the air so as to avoid situations like this. Soon after, another member of the group, a round, tan fellow with short, brown hair and dark eyes continued the inside joke, "Pfft, yeah, master of all four elements and afraid of some chick, heh, what a joke." said the overweight member of the group as they all laughed at Aang in unison.
Aang went from being embarrassed to insulted in less than a second; upset by the tittering group of young men below him, "I'll show them." said Aang as he let out a devilish smile. He immediately did a nose dive, gripping the handle to the compartment the eccentric inventor put in his glider several years ago. As the young men continued to laugh and jeer, they remained aloof to Aang's incoming dive; whereas the rest of the crowd scattered across the Main Plaza, eagerly waiting for the Avatar's upcoming move. The round member of the group stopped laughing first, his eyes widening as he saw Aang nose diving towards their direction, "Uh…b-b-boss?" said the young, round fellow as he tugged onto the scrawny leader's shirt, immediately catching his attention, "What, what is it!" asked the annoyed young man. Just then, his pupils dilated as he caught sight of the incoming Avatar, "DUUUUUUUUUCK!" yelled another member of the snickering group, all of the young men taking to the ground by command as Aang proceeded to get closer.
Aang grinned at the sight, "Just a little more." said Aang to himself as he continued his nosedive.
"He's gonna hit us, HES GONNA HIT US!" yelled the sickly thin leader of the entire group, covering his head and squinting his eyes cowardly as he waited for the Avatar's impact.
Just as it seemed that Aang was about to hit the ground, he made one giant swoop above the foul mouthed group, "Here ya go kiddies!" said Aang as he opened the compartment in his glider, releasing a variety of nuts on top of them. Aang then took to the sky again, looking back at frightened young men as he soared; catching glimpse of a little girl who happened to be in the crowd, laughing excitedly as she waved goodbye to the young Avatar. Aang chuckled and waved at the little girl, glad to know that someone enjoyed his little stunt.
After traveling a short distance, he finally made it back to Onji's. He took a quick glance at Appa, who seemed to be sunbathing on the sandy beach next to the small house below. He couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, "Appa" thought Aang to himself as he descended from the sky and landed gracefully on the sand below. He ran inside the house, outfit in hand, and excitedly searched for the woman he called his girlfriend, "Onji!" yelled Aang as he continued to search the rooms for the woman, "Onji, I have my outfit." said Aang as he caught sight of the door to the guestroom downstairs. He looked at the door suspiciously, "Hmmm….That's weird, I could've sword I left this door closed." said Aang to himself as he cautiously opened the door, slowly widening it as he crept down the stairs. To his astonishment, he found Onji; laying on his bed in a revealing nightgown, waiting for him to come all the way down the stairs. "Hey Aang." said a blasé Onji, "You got your outfit?" asked Onji as she got up from the bed, her gown accentuating her uppermost sensual features.
Aang couldn't help but look on fearfully, "Uh-u-uh- y-yeah." stuttered Aang as he gulped, raising the outfit into the air, "Right here." said Aang innocently as he rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling nervously as he continued to watch Onji getting closer.
Onji folded her arms around her, "Well, let me see." said Onji eagerly.
Aang hesitated for a moment at her sudden boldness, but disregarded it as he went to place the outfit on top of his bed; removing the plastic that covered and protected it from wear and tear.
Onji looked on in amazement at the outfit, "Wow; Aang it's wonderful." gasped Onji as she lightly traced her fingers over the soft trousers, robes, and waist tie.
Aang gave the young Fire Nation woman a caring smile, "Yeah; it's pretty much the same outfit I wore when the resistance and I attempted to invade the Fire Nation before the war ended, except I had it tailor made to fit me now." explained Aang as he admirably gazed at the fresh outfit, ready to be worn to the Fire Nation Event that will take place the following day.
Onji got closer to Aang; Aang quickly noticed her gesture as he nervously swallowed in his throat, his hands slightly trembling at Onji's signal as she began to press herself against his side. Onji's eyes became heavy with desire; she couldn't help but feel extremely attracted to the young Avatar. She was hot for him, ready for him to explore her depths, but she noticed his unwillingness to further the moment. She backed away disappointingly, hoping that he would respond this time; only to realize that continuing to try and seduce him was once again futile. "Aang, when will it be the right time?" asked Onji desperately.
Aang looked away from Onji, "Guru Pathik said I would know when the right time was, and believe me when I say that it's not now Onji, please." pleaded Aang, his face still facing the opposite direction so as to not further tempt himself into taking the moment even further.
Onji couldn't help but feel frustrated; "Aang, if you don't want to have sex with me then just say so!" yelled Onji angrily as tears began to roll down her cheek.
Aang too immediate notice to her distress; he turned to his bed and took one of his bed sheets, placing it over her revealed body so his eyes don't wander, "Onji, you have to be patient with this. This is not just about sex; It goes much deeper than that." said Aang as he brushed her hair from her face, "Believe me, Onji, believe me when I tell you that when that time comes, I won't hesitate. You have to trust me." finished Aang as he let out a caring smile.
Onji's tears ceased to flow from her cheeks, caringly smiling at the young Avatar as she finally grasped the situation, "I understand Aang." said Onji as she leaned in towards Aang, grasping him tightly in her embrace as the sheet that covered her revealing gown fell back. Aang couldn't help but return the embrace; he already made Onji feel bad enough about the whole situation and didn't want to make it worse, even if she was wearing a very revealing nightgown. Just then, a similar situation invaded Aang's mind, the thought of Katara, wearing the skimpy lingerie type gown that she wore the morning that he left from Iroh's tea shop. He couldn't help but close his eyes and think about it, squeezing Onji tighter in their embrace as his mind wandered to Katara's perky breasts. Onji noticed Aang's tighter squeeze, and quickly followed suit, pressing her breasts onto him so that he can feel them brushing on his chest. Aang's mind then shifted to her lower torso, her tight thighs and firm figure, all perfectly united in a perfect mold of femininity. Onji smiled as she purred at Aang, "I…guess you changed your mind then?" asked Onji seductively. And as if those words broke some magical spell, Aang's thoughts quickly shifted from Katara back to Onji. He looked down to see Onji looking at him sensually, her breasts pressed on him as she lightly grinded on his leg.
Aang backed away slightly, but discretely hiding his fear over what just went through his thoughts, "No Onji, not yet." finished Aang as he let go of Onji's embrace, lending her a sweet smile of condolence as he secretly gathered his composure. Onji looked at Aang annoyingly, running up the stairs as she disappeared from Aang's sight.
As Aang watched Onji run away from him, he couldn't help but feel incredibly guilty over leading Onji on like that, and for what just zipped through his thoughts just moments ago. He dug his fingers onto his head in distress, sweat lightly trickling from his neck as he fought his carnal urges, "Katara, please get out of my head!" thought Aang frustratingly as he sat on top of his bed, trying to ignore the throbbing erection in his pants.
The day came and went; Katara mind was on the verge of obsession with the parchment, hoping its sender wasn't the person she was thinking it was. Sunset approached, and thankfully the Tea Shop was empty, void of any customers. Katara walked out of the Tea Shop and waited by the doors; fidgeting her fingers as she tapped her toes, but still no sign of the mystery sender in sight. Her eyes wandered around the narrow pathways for any signs of movement, any little indication of a person heading towards her direction, but to no avail. Katara stopped tapping her foot and fixated herself on the ground below her, her mind trying to make sense of the feelings that were overtaking her, "I don't understand; even if it is Aang, I shouldn't be feeling so disturbed about him seeing me…" thought Katara to herself as she grasped herself with her left arm, her hair blowing in the gentle breeze of evening. She took one last look around the area, hoping and waiting for an answer, a reply from the mystery messenger, but none came. She immediately gave up, seeing as the enigmatic individual was clearly nowhere in sight, "Eh, I might as well enjoy the sunset." said Katara quietly to herself as she nestled her back on the outer wall of the Tea Shop, admiring the astonishing view of the vast, luminous colors that engulfed the sky. Katara's stress escaped her for a moment as she gazed whimsically at the small strips of clouds that engulfed the sky above her, her eyes traveling to each one as if it were some sort of supernatural puzzle, waiting for someone with an open mind to figure out its secret. She let out a smile as she released her grip on herself, "Ahh…Lee loves sunsets." thought Katara to herself as she continued to scour the sky, merging the clouds in her mind to depict a cloudy image of her Fire Nation lover, smiling lovingly back at her. But without warning, a flashback appeared in her mind; overtaking her thoughts of Lee like a tumultuous whirlwind….
Aang and Katara sat down together on top of a small hill located on grassland, curled up in each other's embrace as they looked up into the breathtaking sunset above them.
Katara's focus then shifted to the seemingly endless amount of what she thought was paradise; it's vegetation bathed in orange, red, and purple hues, "Wow; this is so beautiful Aang." thought Katara to herself, her focus turning to the vast vegetation on the other side of the land.
Aang turned his focus to his water bending lover; huddled in his arms comfortably as small birds flew over them, chirping a melodious tune as they disappeared into the sky, "It can never be as beautiful as you." said Aang lovingly, tilting her chin towards him as he gazed lovingly into her eyes as he smiled seductively to the ebony beauty next to him.
Katara couldn't help but comply; her big, ocean blue eyes locked onto his own thunderous grays. Aang then lent himself towards her lips, fusing them with his as they shared a deep, intimate kiss.
Katara immediately snapped out of it as if it were some sort of nightmare; sweat trickled down her forehead as she tried to gather her composure, "Come on Katara, pull yourself together; Geez what's the matter with you?" said Katara to herself as she took a couple of deep breaths, "It was only a memory; no big deal. Lots of people have memories of their past relationships like this. Nothing weird there." thought Katara to herself as she continued to console herself. As soon as she relaxed, she felt a hand relax itself on her shoulder; seemingly from out of nowhere. Katara nearly jumped out of her own skin in fright as she lunged back; her body in full combat stance, ready to take on her intruder as her face twisted in fear. Katara tried to get a good look at the figure that frightened her, but was unable to; for the individual was fully cloaked from top to bottom.
Katara didn't know what to expect from this person; unable to move from her stance for fear that this person might try to attack her, "WHAT DO YOU WANT!" asked Katara as she spread her legs a little wider, readying to lunge at the cloaked stranger; placing her straightened hand in front of her face as she waited for an answer. The cloaked visitor just stood there, relaxingly watching Katara's every move; causing Katara to become more frustrated and afraid, "ANSWER ME!" yelled Katara as she demanded an answer, her eyes swimming in anger and panic.
Immediately after Katara yelled, Iroh ran out of the Tea Shop, frantically looking around to see what the commotion was all about. Iroh tried to catch his breath as he also positioned himself into a combat stance, "Katara, are you alright?" asked Iroh as he continued to regulate his breath; his eyes darting from Katara to the cloaked stranger standing calmly just several feet from the young water bender. His eyes widened in apprehension, contemplating on whether or not he should fight or not, but just as he was about to come up with a decision, the cloaked individual reached for its hood, revealing the young woman underneath.
"Geez relax, it's only me." said a droll Mai as she relaxed her hands to her side.
Katara's fear and anxiety dribbled away from her, leaving her abashed and somewhat insulted, "Mai?" said Katara, her face etched in confusion as she relaxed from her action stance, "What are you doing here?" asked Katara as she approached the slender woman before her.
Iroh took a deep breath of relief as he too relaxed his stance, "Thank goodness it's just Mai and not anyone threatening, that's to say, not too threatening." thought Iroh to himself as he lightly chuckled at the two women standing before him.
Mai immediately noticed her lover's uncle, standing by his Tea Shop like some sort of cliché, "Hey Iroh. Good to see you." said Mai in her usual doleful voice.
Iroh chuckled at his niece-in-law, "Good to see you too Mai." answered Iroh, "Why don't you two come inside; I'll serve you both a freshly brewed batch of Jasmine Tea." said Iroh cheerfully as he gesture the two young women to come inside.
Mai smiled slightly, "Oh goodie." said Mai, turning her focus to Katara; who was still befuddled by Mai's presence, and her discretion about the whole situation, "Well, are you coming?" asked Mai.
Katara simply nodded, her eyebrow raised in confusion as she and Mai proceeded to walk back into the tea shop. Both women took a seat on a lonely table on the far end of the Shop; their eyes wandering around the shop as if trying to avoid having to face each other, especially after that awkward moment outside, Mai a bit tentative about breaking the ice first, but Katara quickly spoke out.
"Why the secrecy? With your letter I mean." asked an uncertain Katara.
Mai's eyes focused on the young water bender's face, her hesitation no longer burdening her, "I couldn't let anyone know I was coming here, especially with the huge military watch on Azula, who knows what she could do if she finds out I'm out of the comfort and protection of the Fire Nation Army." explained Mai.
Katara's eyes widened as she felt a surge of panic course through her veins, "Wha-What?" asked Katara frightfully as the color drained from her skin.
Mai felt the tension emanating from Katara, feeling worried for her old friend, "That's partially why I came here. Apparently the Nation Leaders don't want any civilian to know; only military and royal families are entrusted with this information so as to not provoke mass panic. Which means, I wasn't supposed to tell you anything." said Mai nonchalantly, "But, I decided to do it anyway; you know, give you a heads. If I sent you a letter explaining everything, the Fire Nation military would immediately discard it, and if I put my name on the letter, I would be watched every minute of the day; as if they don't do that enough." continued Mai, "So I disguised myself so that I can meet you in secret, without having the royal military hounding me that is." finished Mai.
Katara felt her head spinning; she remembered how menacing and cunning Azula was, evil in nature. She then gathered her composure, thinking seriously about the situation, "Who's she going after?" asked Katara.
Mai raised her shoulders; "No one knows; it could be any one of us." answered Mai cryptically as she fidgeted her fingers.
Iroh then approached the two young women with a tray with a large, black teapot, decorated with traditional red Fire Nation symbols around it; taking a seat next to the young women, "So, Azula escaped did she?" asked Iroh as he poured himself a cup of tea.
Both women looked at the former general, somewhat befuddled by how Iroh managed to listen to their conversation from the other side of the room, but both nodded in unison disappointingly.
Iroh rubbed his beard, "When did she escape?" asked Iroh curiously as he took a small sip from his nearly overflowing cup of tea.
Mai didn't hesitate to answer that question, "Months ago; everything's been kept on the hush." said Mai as she poured herself a cup of tea.
Katara couldn't help but feel insulted by the whole situation, "But why? Why couldn't they tell me? I'm not just some regular civilian!" said a demanding Katara as she slammed her fist on the table.
Mai took a quick sip of tea, and then put her cup down, "It's not up to me, not even Zuko unfortunately. Pfft, tightwads and their political rules; makes me sick." said Mai as her lips made a bitter expression.
"My sentiments exactly." interceded Iroh as he took another sip of tea.
Katara's blood began to boil in anger, "But why, why didn't Aang tell me anything?" asked Katara as she placed her hand on her forehead.
Mai quickly interceded, "It's not his fault; trust me I'm sure he would've told you, but he probably didn't want you to panic about it." answered Mai, "Me on the other hand, thought that you had a right to know, so that you can protect yourself just in case she rears her ugly head around here." finished Mai as she took another sip of tea.
Katara felt a migraine coming on, so many things have been running through her mind as of late, and adding Azula to the whole equation just added more salt to the wound. She dug her fingers into her scalp as she faced down to her empty cup, trying to make sense of the whole situation, "So I just have to keep my eyes peeled?" asked Katara.
Mai nodded in compliance, "Pretty much; that's about all you or anyone can do right now." answered Mai.
Iroh then interceded, "So no one knows exactly where she is?" asked Iroh with a stern expression on his face.
Mai nodded, "No, no one knows. She could be anywhere." answered Mai as she took another sip of tea.
Katara did have concern over the situation, but couldn't resist the urge to giggle.
Mai and Iroh looked at the young water bender questionably, wondering if her bolts have loosened. Mai pushed her face towards Katara aggravatingly, "I just told you that the biggest threat to our wellbeing is wandering around freely and you just giggle about it!" asked an annoyed Mai.
Katara tried to hold in her giggles, placing her hands over her mouth as her face squint in resistance, "I'm sorry, it's just that, you couldn't tell me this tomorrow?" asked Katara as she finally took control of her uncontrollable giggles.
Mai crossed her arms, "Well, maybe I shouldn't have said anything then. Maybe I should've just left you in the dark about it; or better yet, I should've told you tomorrow in the Event and ruined your whole evening." humphed Mai as she turned her face away from the young water bender.
Katara immediately took the hint, feeling like a real heel over having laughed at Mai's intentions, "Forgive me; I'm grateful for you having told me, but I wasn't really laughing at your effort. I was laughing at myself." confessed Katara bitterly.
Mai let her guard down as she noticed Katara's stature droop down, "Personal stuff huh?" asked Mai as she turned to face Katara again.
Katara nodded in agreement, "I don't want to talk about it." said Katara as her watery eyes focused once again to her empty tea cup.
Mai let out a small smile, "Well, if you're willing, I can talk to you about the other reason I came to see you." implied Mai as she sympathetically looked into Katara's teary eyes.
Iroh noticed the personal connection giving off from the two young women, his eyes darting back and forth at them as he gave a clueless look, "And that's my cue to leave." said Iroh cheerfully as he hastily got up from his seat, taking leave as he made his way up the stairs, disappearing from sight.
Mai's eyes followed Iroh until he was no longer visible, rolling her eyes as she let out a chuckle. Her focus then turned to Katara, who was eagerly waiting for her to speak, "So you ready to hear this?" asked Mai.
Katara nodded agreeably as she placed her hands onto her thighs, anxiously waiting to hear the other reason why Mai traveled so long to speak to her about, "Yes, talk away." said Katara as she lightly chuckled at the gloomy woman before her.
Mai turned her face slightly, feeling bashful for what she is about to ask Katara advice for, "Well, I wanted to talk to you about something, something…personal." said Mai as she fidgeted with her fingers.
Katara raised her eyebrow, "Uh huh…. Go on." mentioned Katara as she gestured with her hand to proceed.
Mai took a slight deep breath, releasing her tension from her breath as she turned to face Katara, "I think….Zuko's trying to hint at me to have children, but I'm not sure." said Mai as she lightly blushed.
Katara's face brightened in happiness, "Really? That's great! Where's the problem?" asked Katara.
Mai focused on her half empty tea cup, "There's no problem; really I would love to have children with Zuko, but I'm not sure if that's what he's really gesturing to do." expressed Mai disappointingly.
Katara then smiled lovingly to Mai's vulnerability, "Mai, did you even try to talk to him about it?" asked Katara as she raised her eyebrow slyly at a distraught Mai.
Mai slightly opened her eyes, "No; I've been trying to avoid the subject, just so that I don't set myself up for disappointment." explained Mai as she rested her head on her arm.
Katara's questionable expression soon turned cheerful as an epiphany came to her, "Aha!" said Katara as her eyes widened, eagerly raising her finger up to the air.
Mai looked at Katara, perplexed by her actions, "What, did a light all of a sudden go off in your head?" asked Mai sarcastically.
Katara got up from her seat, slamming her hands onto the table in front of her, "On a night in which you two are…you know…bring up the subject, indirectly of course. I'm sure he won't hesitate to say yes then." said Katara as she gave Mai a seductively look.
Mai's face slightly brightened from her usual gloomy expression, "Sounds like a decent plan, but is it definite that he'll say yes?" asked Mai as she crossed her arms, her eyebrow rose in question to Katara's idea.
Katara gave Mai a dumbfounded look, then proceeded to take her seat as she came down from her high wind, "Well, I don't know Mai. But one thing's for sure, you'll definitely know if you ask him while you're both intimate." finished Katara.
Mai nodded her head in agreement, "Yea, I guess you're right. Better to know then than constantly question 'what if', am I right?" said Mai as she lightly chuckled, taking one final sip of tea.
Katara looked down into her empty cup once again, as if Mai somehow hit a nerve with those very words, "Yeah, you're right." said a disheartened Katara as she let out a deep sigh.
Mai slightly tilted her head in curiosity to Katara's constant change of behavior, "Does this have anything to do with Aang?" asked Mai.
Katara immediately perked up, "NO NO NO it has nothing to do with Aang!" said Katara as she excitedly waved her hands.
Mai was taken aback by the young water bender's actions, "Okaaayyyyyy…..just asking." said Mai as she took one final gulp of tea, rising from her seat, "Well, I'd better be off." said Mai.
Katara gave Mai a look of confusion, "What? But you just got here!" said Katara as she rose from her seat.
Mai proceeded to put her cloak hood over her head, turning to face Katara as she finished going incognito, "I already told you, I can't afford to be seen; I've already been away from the palace for several hours. I need to get home so the royal military won't become suspicious of my absence." explained Mai.
Katara walked towards the young Fire Nation woman, "Please make sure you get home as soon as possible." expressed a concerned Katara.
Mai chuckled, "Don't worry; I'm taking the last ship of the evening so I'll be home by tomorrow morning; which by the way, I must advise that if you want to make it to the event on time tomorrow, you better take the earliest ship to the Fire Nation." advised Mai as she shot Katara a cool grin.
Katara smiled at Mai's suggestion, "Don't worry; I have everything ready for tomorrow, clothes, tickets, you name it." answered Katara cunningly as she gave Mai a thumbs up.
Mai nodded her head, and swiftly made her way out the door, disappearing into the dark alleyway outside the tea shop.
Katara felt happy by the Mai's surprise visit, but fear overtook her happiness as she thought of the fact that Azula was out there somewhere, probably contemplating her next move on one of them. She immediately discarded her fear, trying to rationalize the whole situation, "Maybe she's not after me; after all, we all played a role in bringing her and her father down. I didn't play such a crucial role in that now did I?" asked Katara consolably to herself as she let out a cracked smile. But then, another thought crept up into her head, one that overpowered even her fear of Azula: Aang. She realized that she would be seeing Aang at the Event tomorrow evening, alongside his new lover. The thought of Aang's fingers intertwined with another woman's sent shivers of disgust through her stomach, even if she was a nice girl, it still made her feel uncomfortable. Katara realized where her thoughts were going and immediately attempted to stop herself from continuing to dwell on the subject, "Why the heck are you still in my mind Aang!" asked Katara to herself as she placed her hand over her face, trying to figure out why the renegade thoughts of Aang still coursed through her mind as much as it did since the day they broke up. She shook her head as if trying to shake away the intrusive thoughts in her head, "Come on Katara, hold yourself together! Lee is in your life now, and you're both going to have a great time tomorrow; don't let Aang ruin it for you." mentioned Katara reassuringly to herself as she proceeded to calm down from her slight fit, taking in a deep breath as she approached the Tea Shop doors, closing them to the general public.
After traveling on the quiet on board the Earth Kingdom ship, she finally made it to her destination, disembarking as she skimmed her surroundings. She didn't know what to say; the view was both breathtaking, and disgusting to her.
"Ugh, my brother happened to mess things up, yet again." mentioned Azula quietly to herself as she proceeded to leave the harbor, fixing her hooded cloak as she continued to walk towards the outer skirts of the Fire Lord's Palace, "No matter, he can have this treacherous country. My concern is only on one…person..." finished Azula ominously as her menacing cackle echoed through the night.
Okay my faithful readers, the next chapter will be, yep, you guessed it, the Fire Nation Event, what many of you have been patiently waiting to occur so remember to stay tuned!