Chapter XIII
"You did what?!"
"I lost her, okay, no big deal."
"No big deal, it's your sister, how can't that be a big deal!?"
"Sokka, what were you thinking? Taking them on with just your sister? How in the world did that play out well in your mind?"
"What did you want me to do? They had my space sword!" Zuko groaned, palming himself on the forehead. Why was it he had to deal with crap like this? A crazy sister, a crazy friend, and a crazy murderer. It was just what he imagined he would be dealing with when he became Fire-Lord, minus the friend and murderer.
He took a couple steps away from the water-tribe boy, letting Aang take his turn at yelling at him.
Aang had found his group first and led them back to where he had last seen Sokka and Katara. Once they had gotten to the clearing they searched the area, finding signs of battle; damaged trees, water everywhere, as well as a little trail of blood from what turned out to be the gash above Sokka's right eyebrow. They had found him on his knees, staring blankly ahead of himself into the forest. Sokka had had no clue for how long he had been sitting there, but it was long enough for the two airbenders that he had seen to get far, far, away.
Now they merely waited for Mai to return with Jack and Ty-Lee in order to devise their next move. They had to decide whether or not it they should stay as a group or split up once more. If they stayed as a group they would not cover as much ground, but they would be safer. There was no saying that Joshua would leave them be now that he had taken two of them. It was more likely that he was just toying with them all, messing with them before he picked them all off, one by one.
Zuko shook his head, looking around the forest, hoping that no one was spying on them at the moment. Eventually he turned around, finding Aang and Sokka screaming in each other's faces. He came between them and broke it up, shoving them both to the ground.
He looked at them, giving them both a cold stare. "You both need to cool it. We're not going to get through this if we're constantly fighting each other." Aang frowned.
"He got Katara captured!" Cried Aang.
"At least I tried something!" Countered Sokka. Zuko held up his hands, silencing them before they could continue.
"Yes, Sokka got Katara captured, but that doesn't mean we turn on him, it was just a mistake that won't happen again." He said, looking at Sokka askance. "Right Sokka?" Sokka crossed his arms, looking at the ground. The boy mumbled something beneath his breath.
"What was that?" Asked Zuko.
"I said it won't happen again!" Replied Sokka, raising his voice.
"See." Said Zuko, turning to Aang. "Won't happen again." He turned around and walked away from the two, making his way over to a tree, a figure clad in green leaning up against the rough bark, arms crossed. He reached out a hand, tapping the person on the shoulder.
The person whirled on him, eyes wide, fists raised. A moment later she lowered her arms, an embarrassed smile across her lips. "Sorry Sparky, I'm used to sensing someone before they touched me." Zuko walked over to a tree a couple feet away from Toph, leaning up against it.
"How you doing?" He asked. Toph snorted.
"Fine, why would you think otherwise?" Zuko shrugged his shoulders, itching the back of his ear.
"No reason, just, you know, the whole losing your bending and all." Toph crossed her arms again, spitting on the ground.
"You're doing perfectly fine without it, why shouldn't I?"
Zuko looked back at Aang and Sokka, pleased to see that they were merely exchanging malevolent glares. "When I was in the Earth-Kingdom on the run from Azula I had to stop using my firebending. It was pretty tough, but you get used to it. You, however, don't know what it's like to have no bending. It was your sight, your way of life, and now it's gone." Toph blew a strand of black hair away from her emerald eyes, frowning.
"Hey, I can see now, I don't need my Earthbending." Zuko chuckled.
"So you think it's a good trade off?" He asked. Toph looked up at the sky, the sunlight shining down through the branches on onto her face. She then turned her head back and looked at the boys.
"To be honest, I don't know." She said, shocking him. He blinked.
"You mean you'd be willing to trade your Earthbending to be able to see?" He asked. Toph snapped back to him, shaking her head.
"What? No, that's not what I was saying." She said. Zuko raised an eyebrow.
"Then what were you saying?" Toph fumed for a few moments, opening and closing her mouth several times. Obviously she did not want to offer a response, but he was not going to let her off the hook so easily.
She was saved, however, by the arrival of Mai and the others. Zuko walked over to Mai, grabbing her by the hand and giving her a kiss on the cheek. Mai drew back with a frown.
"Zuko I'm fine. Nothing happened." She said. Zuko frowned slightly.
"Sorry, I was just happy to see you." He said. Mai looked at the others, turning back to him with a slight smile.
"I'm glad to see you too." She said, leaning in and giving him a quick kiss. He smiled, letting her walk over to Sokka and Aang. Jack came up to him, Ty-Lee going over to Toph.
"Mai filled me in. Idiot boy got his sister taken?" Zuko ran a hand through his hair.
"Ya, that's what it looks like. Don't call him that though, he's still a friend." Jack grunted.
"Messed up albeit."
Zuko shook his head. "Come on, let's get this figured out." The two walked over to the rest of the group, the others merely sitting and staring at each other. They all turned their heads to Zuko as he approached, the mantle of leadership once again falling to him. He sighed inwardly, the burden wearing him thin. He could not give up, however, if he couldn't lead his friends to capture this lunatic how did he expect to lead his nation to recovery?
Jack looked over at Sokka. "Airbenders, huh?" Sokka merely growled.
"I thought airbenders were all extinct, except Aang?" The others turned, looking at Ty-Lee. Zuko raised an eyebrow at Sokka.
"You sure they were airbenders?" He asked. Sokka frowned, standing up.
"Hey, look, I know you guys don't think I'm the brightest guy around, but when I say they were airbenders that means they were AIRBENDERS!" Yelled Sokka, making Aang jump back. Zuko held up his hands.
"Alright, alright, I believe you. I just don't see how that's possible." Sokka flipped him off, showing Zuko just how much he cared about his assurance.
"I don't give a damn how they got their bending, all I do know is that they got my sister."
"Only because you let them." Retorted Aang, crossing his arms. Sokka glared at Aang, Aang returning the hostile glare with a condescending smirk. Zuko rolled his eyes, suppressing a groan.
"Jack, you got any clue?" He asked. Jack scratched his chin for a moment, thinking.
"Some of my people managed to escape the Air-Nomad genocide, it's plausible that some airbenders escaped the Fire-Nation one." Zuko turned back to Sokka.
"See, you were right. They're airbenders." Sokka gave him the bird for a second time, making Zuko shake his head. That boy had problems.
"So then, I guess it comes down to what is to be done." He said.
Looking at the others, he mulled things over a moment, trying to decide on the best course of action. "Who thinks we should stay together?" He asked, watching as the hands were raised. Only Toph and Sokka kept their hands down, staring each other down. Zuko grunted.
"Well then, I guess that's settled. We go together, as a group from here on out. That way there won't be any more incidents." He said, looking at Sokka. The Watertribe boy ignored him, turning his head away.
"So, which way?" Asked Mai. Zuko looked to Sokka.
"Well? Which way did they go?" He asked. Sokka looked up, then out into the forest.
"They went that way." Said Sokka, pointing south. "But I feel like we should head that way towards the mountains." Zuko turned his head east, looking at the gloomy clouds gathering in the sky. The grey stone jutted out above the trees, menacing and bleak.
"Why would we go to the mountain?" He asked. Sokka shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know, I just have a feeling, that's all." Toph snorted.
"Ohh, you have a feeling, huh? What, did you leave your whore over there?" Sokka stood up, his face indignant.
"Listen hear you little tramp!" Started Sokka, a mess of voices and hands reaching in as the two came at each other. Toph managed to land a fist on Sokka's jaw, making him stumble backwards. The group pulled the two apart, Jack and Ty-Lee holding onto Toph while Aang and Mai restrained Sokka. Zuko stood between them, his hands raised.
"Cool it!" He yelled, the two yelling at each other. Toph clamped her mouth shut, glaring at Sokka. Zuko shot Sokka a look as he opened his mouth to say something. A second later the boy closed it.
"Thank you!" Said Zuko, letting out a steady breath. "Now, let's focus. Sokka, why do you think we should go to the mountains?" Sokka shrugged off Mai and Aang, Mai slipping a knife back into her sleeve.
"I don't know why. All I do know is that last night I felt drawn to that mountain, and the next morning I was bleeding and banged up."
"You could have just tripped over your feet." Muttered Toph. Zuko shot her a look, making her turn her eyes to the ground. He turned back around to Sokka, staring at him to make sure he did not try anything.
"There's something over there in the mountain, we should go check it out." Finished Sokka, turning away. Zuko turned to Jack and Mai, raising an eyebrow.
"What do you think we should do?" He asked. Jack shrugged his shoulders.
"Put the two in a room together until they sort it out or one of them is dead." Zuko frowned.
"Not helping." Jack smiled.
"Sorry." He turned to Mai.
"What do you think?" Mai looked between first Toph then Sokka, staring off into the forest.
"Send Jack and me after the brothers, you take the rest and go to the mountains. Watertribe might be right about this." Sokka smiled, then frowned as he realized that he might have just been insulted. Toph perked up behind Ty-Lee, pushing the acrobat to the side.
"Wait, you want me to go with sleaze-bag?" Sokka turned red.
"No." Said Zuko, trying to keep things under control. "I'm asking you to come with me. So suck it up and get ready to head out, got it?" Toph shut her mouth, a frown settling across her lips. Zuko turned to the others.
"Anyone else have any complaints?" They all shook their heads, mouths closed. "Good, now let's get a move on, I want to find both my sister and Katara before nightfall." The others got up, moving off. Zuko turned and grabbed Mai's hand as she went by.
"Be careful. Meet back at camp by high-moon." He said, giving her a kiss. Mai patted him on the cheek, giving him a sly smile as she walked off with the diamondbender in tow. He watched as they disappeared into the foliage, the sound of the footsteps quickly receding. Turning to the rest of the group he led them off in silence, marching towards the mountain, and whatever lay in wait.
Pain flared through her body with every heartbeat. It felt as if someone had stabbed her with flaming pokers, her nerves burning with every twitch. She was being dragged across stone, her feet, now bare, cutting against the cold, jagged, rock. Her eyelids flopped as she tried to open them, unconsciousness holding on to her. Eventually she felt herself fall into a heap, her body shivering as the warmth was sucked out of her. Voices began speaking around her, their words incoherent and blurred.
Eventually she managed to move her fingers, her nails breaking against the rock below her. Shaking, she first raised one hand, then the other, bracing herself and pushing up, forcing her body to a sitting position. Once there she wobbled, her balance unsteady. She was just trying to open her eyes when something freezing cold splashed into her face, shaking off the drowsiness from her body. She coughed and spluttered, shaking her head as water dripped down her face and onto her clothing.
Right as she opened her eyes she felt the water sucked away from her, leaving her dry and cold. She shivered as she looked up, the dark cavern glowing slightly with green and blue tones. Looking around, she noticed three figures, standing ahead of her in the gloom, a bucket of full water resting in one of their grasps. The person set the bucket down with a clatter, a black flame leaping to life in one of the men's hands.
"Well, well, well. Hello my dear." Said a man, his face scarred. He came up to her, blonde hair bobbing about on his head as he kneeled down.
"I dare say that I'm sorry for that little fiasco back there. I hadn't meant to have you abducted so roughly, but these boys are rather…apt to escalate things." Katara blinked, looking at the menacing face.
"Joshua?" She said. The man laughed, flicking the fire to his left and right. Torches lit up in bright orange flames, illuminating the cave they sat in. Joshua stood up, spreading out his thin, long, arms.
He gave a flourishing bow. "At your service." Katara tried to get herself to her feet, but she tumbled over, her toes bruised and cut. Joshua reached out and caught her, setting her back down.
"Easy there deary, I wouldn't want you to damage that beautiful face of yours." He said, taking a step back. Katara sat on her knees, staring up at him.
"Why? You want to do it yourself?" She asked, resistance in her voice. Joshua smiled.
"Ohh, you got spunk, I like that." Katara offered him the best glare she could muster, staring him down. It merely made him laugh.
"If looks could kill I'd be a dead man." Said Joshua.
"I thought you already were." She replied, watching as Joshua's countenance fell. The man frowned, staring at her. She jumped as his eyes turned black for a moment; the spirit.
"Careful lass, I'm not someone to be tested." Said Joshua, his voice low and unnatural, resonating as if with an echo. Katara swallowed. Perhaps it was best to not upset the homicidal bender with an angry spirit inside of him.
Joshua shook his head, his face lifting once more. He turned around, looking back at the two figures behind him.
"San-Lee, San-Jin, is that blood on her feet I see?" He said. Katara remembered the men from the clearing. They had been airbenders. She looked up, peering at them, surprised to see how young they both were. When they had been fighting Sokka they had just seemed so much…older.
"Sorry Joshua, but we kinda had to drag her in here." Said the one on the right, light blue arrows running along his hands.
"Had to drag her in here?" replied Joshua. "Why did you have to drag her in here?" The other brother took his turn to respond.
"She woke up once while we were carrying her and head-butted me in the face. I decided that perhaps if her feet were a bit more cut up she wouldn't feel so inclined to run." Katara tried to remember the incident, but it was fuzzy. That must have been when she had lost her shoes. Joshua tisked.
"San-Jin, that's not how we treat our guests." Said Joshua, gathering water into his hands. The liquid began to glow red as he came to Katara, bending down on his knee.
"Now, if you would be so kind as to let me see those bruised feet of yours." He said, his face next to hers.
Katara recoiled at the smell of burnt flesh coming from his mouth. "I think I'm fine." She replied. Joshua frowned.
"I think you're under the impression that this is an option." He said, the water beginning to freeze. Katara took a deep breath, leaning back on her hands and sticking her feet out. Joshua smiled, giving her a curt nod.
She braced herself as his hands approached her feet, ready for the pain that was to follow, but it never came. A calming sensation ran through her, her feet turning to ice, then melting, the pain running off like water. A sigh escaped her lips as Joshua pulled his hands away.
"There, that wasn't so bad, now was it?" He said, throwing the water back into the bucket. Katara raised herself to her feet, her toes fine and fresh. She wiggled them, checking for any ill effects, but nothing arose. She felt fine, she didn't think she had an evil spirit inside of her. Looking at Joshua, she began to wonder. What was he up to?
Joshua must have noticed her look, laughing as he began to walk towards the back. "Ohh, please, don't do that to me. I can still be courteous." He said, waving her towards him as he walked down the tunnel. "Come."
Katara paused a moment, looking at the dark tunnel lying behind her. The two brothers came up, each grabbing a torch. They stood on either side of her, staring at her. She was pretty sure that the one with black hair was daring her to run.
Holding her head up, she made her way after Joshua, walking with a slight tremble. Joshua led her down the tunnel, blue and green crystals vibrating slightly on either side of them, casting glowing hues as they went past. One of them, a yellow crystal, sparked as she went by, a moment later an image of herself appearing before her in the tunnel, glowing yellow. She stood stunned, marveling at the image; it moved as she moved, a perfect reflection of her. When she reached out her hand it passed through it, glowing yellow.
One of the airbenders came up to her, shoving her along. It was Mr. Black Hair. Katara glared at him, but continued on, looking back at the image as she walked. Right before it disappeared it waved at her, evaporating in a flash.
"What…?" Black hair pushed her again, preventing her from inquiring of the strange image.
Eventually the group made their way to an open cavern, sunlight streaming in from an opening up ahead. Katara blinked, the light blinding after the dim tunnels.
Joshua walked over to a plain wooden chair, sitting down. He looked at Katara, a smile spread across his lips.
"Please, come, sit." He said, motioning to a chair by him. Katara looked around, eyeing the entrance. Joshua followed her gaze, chuckling.
"You can go ahead and try, but unless you've managed to acquire airbending in the past few minutes I don't think it will do you any good." Katara looked at Joshua, then made her way slowly over to the entrance. The two airbenders stood close behind her.
She gasped as she looked down over the mountainside to the forest floor, at least eight-hundred feet below. Wind began to whip past her, catching her hair and throwing her off balance. A hand shot out and grabbed her, pulling her back inside before she toppled over the edge.
She spun around to see the brown haired airbender holding her hand, a shy smile spread across his face.
"Hi there." He said. Katara took in a deep breath, calming her racing heart.
"Thank you." She said. The boy gave a little bow.
"Anything miss." Katara turned to Joshua, walking over and taking the seat by him. He grinned coyly at her.
"Told you." He looked down at her shaking hands. "Nervous?" He asked.
Katara ignored his question, focusing on steadying her trembling hands. She was currently in a cave high up in the mountains with a psychopathic murder and two airbenders hidden away from all her friends and without any bending. Of course she was nervous!
Joshua reached out and patted her hand, grabbing it. "Don't worry, I don't want to hurt you." He said. Katara pulled her hand away, shoving it in her lap.
"Then why did you send your two goons to kidnap me?" She asked. The smaller of the two snickered, pointing at his brother.
"I just wanted them to bring you here so I could talk with you, that's all. Apparently they thought that constituted the need to abduct you in a rather…barbaric manner." Said Joshua. Katara looked at them, watching as the older brother smacked the younger one over the head. It didn't stop the snickering.
"Where did you find them? I thought all airbenders were extinct." Joshua chuckled.
"They said the same thing about my people, but I'm still here." Katara watched as the two airbenders began to tussle, the larger one picking the smaller one up and walked over to the entrance. Her heart leapt into her throat as she watched the older brother toss his younger brother out of the entrance, turning around and dusting his hands off as the other boy plummeted down.
Joshua chuckled at her shocked expression. "Don't worry, San-Lee is crafty, he'll be fine." A few moments later one of the boy's hands shot up over the ledge, pulling himself up. The boy brought himself back into the cave with a burst of air, his hair wild and blown back, exposing the blue arrow on his forehead. He smiled over at her.
"They're always doing things of the such." Said Joshua. "Now then, if we could get down to business." Katara turned to Joshua, raising an eyebrow.
"What business?" She asked.
"Why, the negotiation to leave me alone with Azula, of course." Katara blinked.
"You want to negotiate for someone you already have?" Joshua chuckled, slicking his blonde hair back with a bony white hand.
"I know Zuko, better than you I dare say, and believe me when I tell you that he won't stop hunting me until either he's dead or he's got Azula back." Katara did not argue. Zuko was rather stubborn, even when it came to his crazy sister.
"Alright, so you want us to lay off your back. Why don't you just kill us? You took away our bending, except for Sokka, who apparently you gave bending to." Joshua looked at her, confused.
"Your brother can bend?" He asked.
"Uhm…ya, that was your doing, wasn't it?" Joshua looked over at one of the airbenders.
"Is this true?" The one named San-Lee nodded his head. Joshua swore underneath his breath, making Katara suspicious.
"What did you do to my brother?" She asked, narrowing her eyes. Joshua waved her off.
"I assure you that it was not me who did this to him." He replied.
"Then how did he get bending?" She demanded. Joshua shrugged his shoulders.
"Who's to say; perhaps he got it from one of his lovers." Katara closed her mouth, caught off guard by his remark. Had he been spying on them?
Joshua noticed the look on her face, laughing once more.
"Dear girl, did you really think that I just left you all alone without any consideration? They obviously have not told you much about me." Said Joshua, standing up. He began to stride about, speaking to her with wide and grand gestures as he spoke of himself.
"I am quite the perfectionist. Nothing is left to chance. Every minute detail is underneath my scrutiny. I'm also known for my cunning intellect and fiery temper, but that can be set aside for the moment. What I want, and this is important mind you, is to just have Azula and be left alone." He said, turning to her. "That's it." Katara raised an eyebrow.
"Why do I think it's not that simple?" Joshua tutted.
"But it is, it is my dear." He said, coming back over to her. Katara frowned, getting sick and tired of being referred to as 'dear'.
Joshua leaned up close to her, placing his hand on top of hers. "I just want Azula, promise, honest and truly, that's all I want." He said, his voice earnest. Katara pulled her hand out from his bony clutch, standing up and backing away from him.
"If that's all you wanted then why did you kill Suki? Why did you go back to the palace? Why did you toss my brother in a demon infested tunnel?" Joshua shrugged his shoulders, thinking about it a moment.
"Hanging Suki was…necessary. And for the other things it was just part of a plan that, to be honest, was a bit convoluted." Katara wasn't buying it. This guy was up to something, he always was up to something!
She shook her head, backing further up. "I still don't believe you." She said, stopping as she neared the edge. Wind whipped up past her, catching her hair and making her sway slightly. Joshua smiled.
"Well, I don't need you to believe me, I just need you to believe what you've seen. Like you've said yourself, I've had ample opportunity to kill you and your friends; you have no bending, I had both your brother and that blind earthbender, yet I didn't kill them. Come on, trust your instinct, you know I don't really want to hurt you." He said, offering her his best smile.
Katara swallowed, trying to keep herself calm. The problem was that she saw what he was talking about. It actually did seem like he was telling the truth, but she knew she couldn't think that way. Joshua never told the truth, he always lied. He was just like Azula, and that's how she had to keep it. Someone who was always playing the angle, looking for the advantage, trying to push some hidden agenda.
However, at the moment, she had to consider her situation. She was trapped in here with three psycho-benders who could kill her within a moment's notice. She needed to buy time until the others could find her and rescue her, if they could find her.
She looked up at Joshua, taking a step away from the edge. "Alright, but you need to let me think about all of this. It's rather much, you know." Joshua smiled, reaching out a hand.
"Of course my dear. Please, I've got the perfect place for you to ponder upon these developments." Katara reached out hesitantly, taking his cold hand. It closed around her fingers like a vise, leading her on with a gentle tug.
Walking down past several other tunnels and doorways, Joshua led her to a wooden door, metal bars in the window. He took out a key, fitting it into the lock and twisting, the gears grinding and opening with a stiff push.
"Here you are." He said, waving into the room. Katara took in a deep breath, stepping into the small, stone, room, an idle torch sitting on the wall. Joshua tisked.
"My, my, I forgot to light the room." He said, snapping his fingers and sending a black spark onto the torch. A moment later it bloomed into life, orange flames illuminating the bare cell. Katara turned back to him.
"Thank you for the room." She said, sitting down cross-legged. Joshua smiled.
"Well, don't get too comfortable, you're about to have a roommate." He said, closing the door. Katara listened as the gears ground back into place and his footsteps receded, leaving her alone in the dank cell.
She looked about at the plain room, pondering upon her situation and her options at the moment. The ideal plan, for the time being, was to stall Joshua until the others showed up and rescued her. However, the natural problem with that plan was the assumption that the others were going to find her. For all she knew Sokka could have just wondered off and forgotten about her, or he might have passed out, or one of the airbenders might have killed him. Even if he was out there searching for her there was no way that he kept up with them, which meant that he would have to try and track her down by following their trail. Oddly enough that was not a reassuring thought.
One of the other options she had before her was to devise her own escape plan. Of course, without bending or a weapon of any sorts, disregarding the fact that even if she did have a weapon she wouldn't know what to do with it, the odds of her escaping here were pretty slim. Even if she did manage to get out of her cell she would have to sneak past the three lunatics and find the correct tunnel out, unless she decided on flying. And even then she would have to make it back to the others before one of the airbenders caught up with her, and there was no guarantee that she could outrun them.
So, that left her with her last option. To trick Joshua. Of course, it was a lot easier said than done. If what they said about this guy was true and he was as crazy as they all thought then this guy would be so paranoid that he would suspect anything she said as a ploy. Who knows, he might have already guessed her intention in asking for time to think about it, there really wasn't any way to tell. He might let her go just to try some different angle or plot. Who knew?
Katara let her head lay against the cold stone, letting out a breath. She needed to calm down. She was overthinking everything, just like Joshua did. All she had to do was keep her eye open, and when the opportunity arose she would have to take it. That's all there was to it.
Submitting herself to her fate, Katara closed her eyes, trying to relax and rest. The sound of boots walking down the hall, however, brought her back to the door of the cell. The key was inserted once more, the door being swung open and banged shut, but not before something could be thrown in. It landed roughly on the floor, a pained noise escaping it.
Katara gasped as she recognized Azula, her clothes in tatters, her back shredded with lashes and blood. The girl was unconscious at the moment, her cheek pressed against the stone.
Katara came over to her, turning her over and laying her head in her lap. She looked down at Azula's bruised face, blood smeared across her pale skin, red flowing from a busted lip. Her left eye lay black and swollen, her raven hair soaked and clinging to her head. Labored breaths came from her mouth and nose, blood trickling down her chin.
"Azula, Azula! Can you hear me?" Asked Katara, whispering softly in the girl's ear. Azula did not stir, remaining still in Katara's grasp. Katara could feel a tear snake down her chin as pity welled up inside of her, looking at the broken and shattered form below her. Sure she didn't like Azula, and sure a lot of things that Azula had done were evil, but seeing her like this, so tender, so broken, it was just wrong. No one deserved to be tormented like this, not Joshua, not Jack, and not Azula.
She shook her head. If only she had her bending, she could heal some of her wounds. But she had nothing, so all she could do was sit and hold her, gently stroking Azula's hair, brushing it back behind her ear.
Eventually, as time passed, Azula began to stir, her right eye slowly cracking open. Katara looked down at her, offering her a smile.
"Are you okay?" She asked, realizing a moment later that it was a rather foolish question to ask. Azula moved, backing up against the wall with a grimace. The girl turned and stared her down, her body shaking slightly.
"What are you doing here?" Asked Azula, bringing her tattered clothes about her, covering the cuts and bruises. Katara sat up straight, clearing her throat.
"I was kidnapped by two airbenders." She said, watching Azula. The girl snorted at her, cringing a moment later at the pain. Katara reached forward, intent on helping her.
"Are you okay?" She asked again. Azula smacked her hand away, offering her a vehement stare.
"Stay away from me! When have you ever been concerned about me?" Katara drew back.
"Look, I know we didn't get along in the past, but we need each other at the moment." Azula frowned.
"I don't need you, I've never needed you. Besides, why should I trust you, you always liked Zuko best." Katara raised an eyebrow, confused.
"Well, ya, he did make up for being a jerk. You on the other hand were always against me." Azula blinked.
"So you admit it, you were conspiring with Zuko against me." Katara grunted.
"I didn't think it was such a big secret. You were nuts, you had to be taken down." Katara looked at Azula as she began struggling for words. Something clear started to trail down her cheek. She finally managed something.
"You think I'm a monster, don't you?" Katara tried to think of a reassuring response, but all she could come up with was the truth.
"Yes, I do think you're a monster, but just a misguided one." She added, watching as pain crossed Azula's face. "You can change, really, you can, and I can help." She said. Azula waved her off, tears streaming out of her good eye.
"No. I don't need you!" Snapped Azula, turning her face away from Katara. Katara watched her for a few moments as her shoulders heaved up and down, the only sound in the room that of her shaking body. Eventually she turned back to Katara.
"Did you ever love me?" Asked Azula, softly. Katara sat back, shocked. She fumbled around for a few moments, trying to find the proper response. How did you reply to that?!
"I…uhh…what?" She asked, scooting further back into the stone wall. Azula merely shook her head, turning herself away.
"I can't believe it." Mumbled Azula. "Even my own mother hates me." Katara sat stunned for a moment. What was going on? She looked at Azula, titling her head. Did Azula think that she was Ursa? Katara held up her hands.
"Wait, hold on a moment Azula. I'm not your mother." She said. Azula whirled on her, fire leaping from her open eye.
"How can you say that?! Did I mean nothing to you? Am I such a disgrace that you cast me out and away from the family? Because I'm not like your precious Zuko?" Katara shook her head.
"No, no, Azula, that's not it! I'm really not your mother!" She said. "It's me, Katara, the snow peasant?" She pointed at her face, offering her a smile, trying to jog her memory. Azula narrowed her eye.
"You mean, you're not Ursa?" Katara nodded her head.
"Yes, yes! I'm Katara, the waterbender? Remember?" Azula drew back, looking at her curiously.
"If you're a waterbender, then that means you're from one of the water-tribes." Katara nodded her head again.
"Yes, exactly! I'm from the southern Watertribe!" A sinister glint sparked in Azula's battered face, an unnerving smile spreading across her busted lips.
"That means Zuko is not of the royal lineage." She said. Katara sat back, confused once more.
"Wait, what?"
"What did you do, give my mother that child? Was he born from an unholy spawn of fire and water? And when you saw that he was destined to burn with flames you gave him away? My mother always did have a soft spot for orphans. I bet you knew her." Katara just shook her head, following none of this.
"Azula, it's me!" She yelled, daring to lean over and slap the girl. Azula sat back, stunned. Her hand reached up and touched her cheek, her good eye glinting at Katara.
Katara sat back and watched, hoping that the smack had snapped her out of her hallucinations.
"Snow peasant?" Said Azula, her face perplexed. Katara sighed, leaning back against the wall.
"Yes! Finally, you're back." Katara watched as Azula looked around at the cell, raising a hand to touch her swollen eye. She winced, drawing her hand back.
"So, you were captured as well." Said Azula, leaning back against the wall. Katara nodded her head.
"Ya, two airbenders grabbed me." Azula nodded her head.
"Same here." They sat silent for a few moments, Azula gazing about the cell.
"You have your bending?" Asked Katara. Azula shook her head.
"And I doubt you do either?" Katara shook her head. Great, that left them there, in a cell, in the mountain, with no bending, and a bunch of lunatics.
Katara looked back over at Azula, looking up and down her broken body. "How do you feel?" Azula laughed, or at least tried to, the noise ending with pained coughing.
"How do you think I feel peasant? I wasn't exactly playing chess with the man now was I?" Katara closed her mouth. Wrong question to ask.
"What do you think we should do?" She asked after a few more moments of silence. Azula ignored her, looking over at the torch on the wall, stretching out a hand and swirling her finger. The flame began to wave.
"I thought you just said you can't bend?" Hissed Katara, crawling over to Azula. She sat up against the wall next to her, looking at the base of the door to see if anyone was coming. Azula drew her hand back in, the torch still flickering on the wall.
"It was just a suspicion. Whatever he did to us is in our blood; the sooner it's replaced with new blood the sooner we get our bending back." Katara looked at Azula's bleeding body.
"That's why you have your bending back, because of the torture." Azula grinned mischievously.
"You should have heard some of the things I came up with. Got him quite irate." Katara looked over at the door.
"I bet." She said, imagining some of the things Azula would say. It wasn't pleasant, even in her head.
"That means that you can attack them the next time they come back here." She whispered. Azula laughed mockingly in her face.
"You fool, I've only have the barest hint of bending back. Even Zuzu could do better than me at the moment. It's going to take a lot longer before I'm back to my normal, glorious, self." Katara leaned back, deflated. She had thought that they were going to get out of here pretty quick. Azula noticed the look on her face, tisking.
"Ohh, did you expect to escape now that I have my bending? Well, I'm sorry to say that we're going to have to spend some more time here. Of course." Said Azula, leaning her head back. "I'm the one that has to take all the knocks." Katara frowned, moving back over across the cell. She looked around, holding her hand out in front of her. She wiggled her fingers around, trying to feel her bending come back to her. It wasn't working.
"I'm going to get my bending back too, right?" She asked, her nerves feeling dull. Azula shrugged her shoulders.
"More than likely. Not that it'll do us much good."
"What do you mean by that?" Asked Katara, annoyed. Azula smirked.
"Let's just say that you're not the best person to have at the moment. Surrounded by rock with almost no water anywhere?" Katara thought about it for a moment, realizing that she was right.
"Ohh." She said softly.
"I'd rather have the little blind girl, she would at least be of some use to me." Katara leaned further back into the wall, sighing.
"Well, you don't have her, you got me. So get used to the idea." Azula frowned.
"I'm trying."