Chapter 34
Falling Apart
Katara's eyes snapped open. Her body's first reaction was to tense at feeling a hard chest behind her and an arm thrown carelessly about her waist. Then she relaxed and almost laughed at herself as she took in Zuko's face beside her. Her sigh of relief was mixed with sadness as she took in his exhausted features.
It had been two weeks since the tournament, two weeks since the attacks had begun, two weeks since she had seen her husband smile. In fact, it had been two weeks since she'd truly seen Zuko. The only way she would know he had wandered in, in the wee hours of the morning, was the feeling of the bed dipping with his weight as he collapsed beside her. The next morning he was usually gone before she had even begun to think about getting up.
She reached a hand out to stroke his face and then thought better of it, clapping the hand over her mouth as a rush of nausea reminded her why she had awoken in the first place. Slipping easily out of Zuko's arms and rolling out of bed, Katara made a mad dash for the bathroom. Clutching the sides of the toilette she proceeded to empty the contents of her stomach into the golden bowl. Her arms were shaking as she reached to flush and she struggled to pick herself up off the floor to wash her mouth out in the sink. She splashed cool water on her face to remove the sweat that had collected across her forehead. Looking at her reflection, she surmised she looked as terrible as she currently felt.
Leaning her back against the wall, Katara sank down to the cool floor. She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them dejectedly. She was feeling miserable and whatever virus she had caught was only getting worse. She couldn't complain though, especially when Zuko had so much on his mind. Her eyes followed the beam of light that fell into their bedroom and just reached the edge of their rumpled sheets.
She wished there was something she could do to help but he was always locked up in meetings these days, trying to find the source and stop the increasing chaos. The beginning had been little things like stirring up disputes between neighbors but things had progressed. The disputes had turned into hate crimes, people were being murdered for no reason other than not being fire nation or being a member of the fire nation that is sympathetic to outside nations.
The fire nation was becoming increasingly hostile again and some were beginning to feel suspicious of the other nations for sabotage. They were beginning to ask why the Fire Lord didn't respond to such things as the land slide and the ravaging of crops. They wanted to know why they were working so hard to grow crops that were not being eaten by men and women of the fire nation but by refugees. Couldn't they return to their own countries now?
The people were beginning to worry about whether or not the Fire Lord could really keep them safe in their homes. They were wondering if he really had their best interests at heart. To make matters worse there were whispers of Ozai enthusiasts within the city. There were people who thought that Zuko was weak and supremacy was the destiny of the Fire Nation. They whispered about war, about revenge, about freeing Ozai. They had become so restless so very fast that even Katara couldn't think of a useful suggestion to aid Zuko and his council.
The problems in the fire nation were not the only ones though. King Bumi had returned to feuding people who argued that the treaty agreed to by the nations was not a fair compromise. They had heard that King Kuei had returned to far worse in Ba Sing Se. There were rebels were running wild within the city demanding war with the fire nation while others in the city just wanted all the fighting to stop. There were disgruntle peoples in the Northern water tribe but they kept silent and followed chief Arnook's wishes. It was the South Pole alone that held no objections. Her people had been there with her and still offered their support. However, there wasn't much aid they could send to anyone with so few men having returned from the war. They had to focus on repopulating.
Katara sighed, she wished her friends and family were here. She had said her teary good byes one by one and she understood that they had to go but she just felt so darn alone now. Aang was the last to leave. His first intention had been to stay but hearing about the problems in the Earth kingdom, he had left to aid King Bumi in resolving the issues with his people. He said he would return soon but there was no telling when that would be.
Katara now spent her time worrying about Zuko and playing Pia Sho with Azula. However, even those times were few and far between. Azula spent most of her time alone now. She was growing paler by the day if possible. The loss of her bending with Aang's departure had really wilted her. However her resolve to be good hadn't dampened and she and Katara had spent some time bonding over the past couple of days.
Taking a few slow deep breathes Katara raised herself from the ground and made her way back into the bedroom and out onto the balcony. She stared out over the landscape wanting desperately to get out and see the city but she'd been told more than enough time that it was far too dangerous right now. Instead she was encouraged to stay inside and make small talk with the high noble women. She found them to be dull. It was only Azula's blunt words that made her time spent with them bearable. However, as the days grew longer Azula accompanied her less and less and Katara had found excuses to avoid the gossiping women.
Heaving a sigh, she tapped her feet against the floor and tried to figure out what to do with the upcoming day.
- -
Azula stared disinterestedly out of the window. She was bored out of her mind. In the past, she had been able to fill days like these with ordering servants around and having her hair done but since she was being nicer she really couldn't think of any nice things to do. For that reason, she'd found herself reclosing. She just didn't much feel like doing anything.
She almost wished that Aang hadn't given her, her bending back because now it was taunting her. She knew she had the ability to do it but she just couldn't make it work without him. The distance between them had lessened their bond and now she couldn't even communicate with him which made her feel incredibly alone.
- -
Mai sat in the garden of her family home. The sun was rising as usual but today it chilled rather than comforted her. She was rarely superstitious but the increase of attacks within the fire nation had led to her confinement to the house and all sorts of reports of chaos from the earth kingdom kept filtering in. She had never thought anything of the sun rising red but she'd heard the maids beginning to whisper about rebellion and people saying they were no longer safe. She had given her servants such a tongue lashing for implying that Zuko couldn't handle his job that the women still cringed to be in her presence.
She set her jaw tight. She wished she could go to him. There had to be something she could say or do but she had heard that even Katara was having difficulty seeing him these days. She sighed, picking herself up off of the floor. She found her way easily to the small temple within their home and lit incense for the quick and easy resolution to the troubles the fire nation was facing.
- -
Aang sat next to King Bumi frowning. The reports were ridiculous. They couldn't pinpoint who exactly was causing the ruckus between the two earth kingdoms but it had to stop. Unfortunately the troubles in Ba Sing Se had become so great that Omashu couldn't even get a message to King Kuei. Bumi couldn't leave to deliver the message personally since who knows what might happen in his absence and while Aang wanted to help he'd been itching to get back to the fire nation to talk to Azula.
He had been having the strangest dreams. He was on the beach again and she was sitting at the shore. It was normal enough but then as the dream went on a shadow began to creep up behind her and he'd call out but it was like she couldn't hear him. He'd run to get closer and the shadow would grow larger and darker until she was completely swallowed up by it and he was left in blackness just the same. He didn't know what it meant but it worried him. He wished he could still communicate with her but apparently distance wasn't exactly good for telepathy.
His shoulders slumped. He'd meditated on his dreams and had been able to recall some of the memories that had flashed into his mind when he'd been holding her hand. He'd seen moments of her childhood. He couldn't decide if she'd been treated as more of a pet or a doll. The level of perfection demanded of her was way intense. He'd tried to recall something fun in her memories but there was nothing there. He'd pitied her again and determined in his mind to take her penguin sledding when they went to the South Pole for Suki and Sokka's wedding.
"Tell the Fire Lord no." Bumi's voice brought Aang out of his thoughts. "These are earth kingdom problems and as I hear it he has enough of his own. I think if he sends an envoy to Ba Sing Se it will probably cause more harm than good. We will have to get someone in to Kuei on our own."
"Why don't we send a falcon messenger?" Aang suggested.
"I don't trust his advisors and we know they read his messages before he gets them." Bumi replied. "We'll find another way in, don't you worry about it."
- -
Zuko stared horrified at the devastation before him. He'd barely sat down to breakfast with Katara when a messenger was brought in with a tale so horrid he had to see for himself. Katara had refused to be left behind and now stood beside him staring agape at the scorched bodies and crumbling remains of a refugee camp that stood just within fire nation territory.
"Who was in charge of the unit protecting this camp?" Zuko asked in a steely voice.
"General Shun, my lord." A soldier replied.
"And where is he now?" Zuko's voice remained so deathly calm that his men were beginning to shift uncomfortably, waiting for the outburst that was sure to come.
"He fled, my lord…"
"And what aren't you telling me?"
Katara's eyed Zuko's profile, wondering if she should step back. He'd never looked so tense before and she suspected they were playing with a very uncontrollable fire right now. This poor man in charge of the report was just taunting the flames.
"He…he left before the attack, sire, we believe he may have even let the insurgents in. We've gone through his personal belonging that were left behind at his post and we have reason to believe he is no longer a…a friend of the fire nation." The man tried to explain.
"And whose friend would he be?" Zuko growled.
The men before him exchanged nervous glances not wanting to give the answer. There was the shuffling of feet as the man stalled for time.
"I'm waiting." Zuko snapped.
"He may have joined some rebels intent on reviving the teaching of…" The soldier cringed, attempting to shrink back and away from Zuko. "of Fire Lord Ozai."