Chapter 39:
The two girls moved through the streets of the upper ring back towards the palace.
"That was rather easy." Freya believed
"It's just the organisation stage. We need to get the details organised next." Katara believed
"Yes, but the fact that we're implementing an actual end of the war is rather exciting." Freya confessed "People can return home, the world can begin to heal itself." Katara nodded
"I mean, we've been at this for almost an entire year, in two months, this could all be over."
"Let's not jinx it just yet."
"I haven't, I said it could be. Leaves room for failure." Freya shrugged.
"Freya, what will you do when it's all over?" Katara suddenly asked. Freya looked at her surprised.
She was silent for a minute as she looked over the town towards the setting sun.
"I guess I hadn't thought about that." she mumbled. "Before we met Aang I stayed with you guys in the South Pole for a few reasons, it was my home, nothing seemed to be waiting for me outside of it and I had no memories of what had happened to me." Freya remembered "I guess I was sort of just lost and unsure on what there was to do next."
"And now?" Katara asked.
Freya looked at her before around the city.
"I'm not sure. But I don't think I'd be able to go back to the South Pole, despite it being where I grew up the most, there's nothing there for me." she admitted "First I believe we'll have to fix what's been broken. The war will end eventually, and when that happens people will need help and a world that's been at war for 100 years will need help healing." Freya believed "That needs to be done first and I'll do what I have to to help fix it. But after that…" she shrugged and Katara nodded.
"I guess even when the war ends it wont really be done with will it?" Katara agreed
"No, not for a while at least." Freya agreed "What will you do Katara? Will you go home?"
"I don't know." Katara admitted "I guess it depends on what Aang's going to do."
"Well it'll be part of Aang's job to rebuild everything. And who knows how long that'll take." Freya nodded "And I don't know about you, but we can't leave him to himself." she chuckled and Katara nodded as she did the same.
"That's a good point." she agreed
"I guess until we get there we wont know what's going to happen. You might find we return home later on in our lives, after all, someone's going to have to teach those little water benders how to bend." Freya said beaming. Katara laughed.
"I guess you're right."
"Of course I am." Freya grinned and the two laughed some more.
"Speaking of Aang, how do you think he's going?" Katara asked
"I'm sure he's acing his training. Though I'm very curious as to what is involved, how does one master an avatar state?" she asked shrugging
"I hope Sokka and Dad are alright. I really miss him." Katara sighed
"That's only expected but you'll see him again even if it's not for a little bit." Freya smiled "Maybe when we're all done here or when Aang and Sokka are back you can take a quick trip yourself."
"Maybe." Katara nodded
"I hope Toph and her mum are alright." Freya added
"You know I thought she'd be back first to be honest."
"Well she has a lot of explaining and catching up to do." Freya reminded her
"True. I can't even imagine how she must be feeling."
"Hopefully joyful that her mother's come to see her and understands." Freya smiled
"I would be." Katara nodded as she reached up to touch mother's necklace.
"That makes two of us." Freya smiled.
They came to a building in which people were walking in and out of, the front door was wide open and many were sitting at tables inside. Opposite it was a pool of water in which the setting sun was setting on, making it glisten.
Freya looked at it with interest before she noticed the name of the small ship.
"The Jasmine Dragon…" she read "No way!" she suddenly beamed. Katara watched as the girl moved forwards to the store before she smiled.
"What do you say Momo? A cup of tea before we get back to the king?" Katara asked. Freya stood at the entrance and looked absolutely surprised as she saw Zuko walking around with a tray in his hands, smiling at customers as he served them. Behind the counter in the kitchen was Iroh, brewing the hot tea to be served.
"Oh my god." she breathed grinning. Katara came up behind her looking around.
"This looks wonderful." she said and Freya nodded as Katara turned to the ladies standing either side of the front door.
"Table for three please." Katara asked
"Uncle, I need two jasmine, one green and one lychee!" Zuko called as he moved to the kitchen.
"I'm brewing as fast as I can!" Iroh returned. Freya laughed as Katara turned and looked shocked. She watched as Freya moved through the tea shop, seeming to forget Katara was even there.
"Zuko!" the boy turned as Freya stopped beside him and he beamed at her. "You're fever's gone!"
"Yes, I feel much better." Zuko smiled as he put the tray down and pulled Freya into a hug, kissing her cheek.
"Iroh, you opened your shop!" Freya smiled at the man "I thought you were going to tell me when you did!" she scowled and Iroh chuckled
"Sorry Freya, to be honest we've been rather busy with all the customers."
"Well you do make quite good tea so of course they're swarming in." Freya smiled, earning a laugh from the man as Zuko brushed some of her hair, running his fingers through it.
"Are you doing anything? Or can you stay for a cup?" he asked her
"Actually…" Freya stopped "Oops." she mumbled and turned to the door.
Katara was gone.
"What's wrong?" Zuko asked.
"Uh, nothing, it's alright." she kissed his cheek "I'm actually off to do something but I'll come back and see you later." she promised "You look really good. I'm glad you're better." she smiled and he smiled at her.
Freya had actually never seen Zuko like this. He seemed so happy and content right now, as if this was the best thing that could be happening to him.
"Save me a cup." Freya smiled
"Always." she grinned, surprised and pleased with the answer before she turned and ran out of the building.
Katara must've freaked out. Cause the banished Fire Prince can't just be living in the city peacefully. No he has to have an ulterior motive. Freya huffed as she launched herself upwards and moved quickly through the upper ring towards the palace.
She moved through the door with a wave at everyone before she moved into the throne room. Freya gasped as she saw Katara lying on the floor in a puddle of water that had clearly come from her pouch. A Kiyoshi warrior stood behind her and two in front. Freya looked at them all before she grit down on her teeth angrily.
They weren't Kiyoshi Warriors.
"Azula." she whispered. Freya noticed the girl instantly, despite the white and red make up and the outfits which the three girls had clearly stolen from the real Kiyoshi warriors.
Azula's done something to Suki… Freya realised. Instantly she felt angry as they, Aang, Sokka, Katara, Toph and her, had allowed the three Fire Nation girls to be accepted into the city without first meeting them and checking they were the real deal.
She pushed the thought aside with a shake of her head and rose her hands, drawing them forwards.
Ty Lee was suddenly iced down to the ground by Katara's water, grunting as she did, and Mai and Azula turned surprised.
"Hey girls." Freya grinned as Ty Lee turned to look at the girl upside down.
Freya had the daggers from Mai blocked and then blue fire from Azula dispersed as she moved closer and closer, ducking and dodging. Ty Lee struggled against the ice as Katara watched from her place on the floor, paralysed and unable to move.
"You wanna tell me what you've done with my friends!?" Freya demanded as she grabbed Mai around the ankle with a strip of water and threw her across the room.
"You mean my new prisoners?" Azula asked as the blue fire shot at the waterbender. "They should know better than to get in my way."
"Or they just refused to step aside." Freya responded "I do." she grinned before she had Azula jumping backwards and out the way of Freya's water as the stream suddenly doubled in size and Azula had to dive sideways.
Freya ducked as Mai was back on her feet and the girl dodged a blast of fire and a heap of flying daggers at once. Freya grabbed one of the daggers that was flying past her face and turned to throw it back at Mai who jumped but was caught at the waist and dragged backwards to the wall.
Freya turned back to Azula and watched as she looked at the girl angrily. She began to circle her hands in the fashion Freya knew all too well by now.
Lightning sparked everywhere and Freya took a deep breath as she watched the girl.
"Waterbenders deal with the flow of energy. A waterbender lets their defence become their offence, turning their opponents' energy against them." Zuko looked at Freya who nodded smiling. Iroh began to move his hands and he circled them, pushing his hands out, around and back to his chest before completing the circle. Zuko copied him as he listened.
"It's all about push and pull, moving the energy not just around you but within you too." Freya smiled "Master waterbenders can use their own energy to give them a deeper connection with water, like that time we sparred and I used the water to feel where you were." she explained.
"I learned a way to do this with lightning." Iroh smiled
"You can teach me to redirect lightning?" Zuko asked excitedly.
"If you let the energy in your own body flow, the lightning will follow it."
Freya took another breath and Azula pointed her fingers at the girl.
Freya raised her hand and the lightning shot straight at her raised fingers. Azula's eyes widened as Freya drew her hand down to her stomach and then raised her other to point it back at the girl. Azula gasped and jumped sideways as the lightning exploded the ground where she'd been standing and Freya turned after Azula again.
"Try it again, I dare you." Freya warned before she rose her hand and the water she'd dropped on the ground when preparing for the lightning rose back up again around her.
"How'd you…?" Azula began and she stood and stared at the girl. Freya stood and waited, waiting for the girl to decide what she was going to do next. She knew she'd confused and shocked the princess by being able to touch the lightning and redirect it. Iroh said he'd created the move, but there was no way it'd be possible for a waterbender to perform such an act.
Freya however watched as the girl smirked ever so slightly and she instantly dived sideways to have Ty Lee cartwheel past her. Freya faced the two as the broken ice now littered the floor near Katara. Mai stepped forwards from it as she'd freed Ty Lee and Katara had begun to slowly raise herself as she felt the feeling coming back to her body.
"You can't beat us all." Azula believed
"It doesn't mean I wont give it a try." Freya admitted.
Azula struck first.
Chains rattled and Freya felt pain through her body.
"Freya, are you alright?" the girl took a breath and opened her eyes. She was in a dungeon and when she went to stand up she felt restraints on her wrists. The girl turned to see cuffs on her arms. Katara was to her right and watched her worried.
"God." Freya groaned annoyed
"You've been out of it for a while." Katara admitted
"Yeah well, Azula got me good and Ty Lee just couldn't help herself could she." Freya growled annoyed.
"Thanks for trying though." Katara shrugged
"One day I'm gonna be able to take on multiple opponents no matter who they are." the girl complained as she yanked on the chains.
"Why didn't you use your fire bending?" Katara asked
"To be honest I think the last person who should know about that is Azula." Freya confessed "Azula will report right back to the Fire Lord and then who knows what he'll do."
"But Zuko knows doesn't he?" Katara said
"Yeah but Zuko's both banished and a dubbed a traitor along with his Uncle, they can't return no matter what." Freya said rolling her eyes.
Katara looked surprised.
"They're traitors?"
"Well yeah. Why do you think they're in Ba Sing Se? For a holiday?"
"Well…"
"You thought they were here for Aang." Freya nodded "Because that's why they now own a Tea shop and have an apartment in the upper ring. Makes so much sense that they'd stay and work so hard for such when Aang was their prize."
"How long have you known that they've been here?" Katara asked
"Weeks." Freya admitted with a nod and Katara pursed her lips.
"That's where you've been going." Katara realised and Freya nodded again "Why didn't you tell us?" she demanded
"Because I knew you'd react like this." Freya admitted "Katara, they're here as refugees. They got on the ferry before we even got our passports and they went through passport control. They had an apartment in the Lower Ring and had jobs working in a tea shop. Iroh got given a shop in the upper ring as well as a new apartment. They're here for a fresh start. I didn't need you guys all ruining that for them just because you hold a grudge against them."
"A grudge? They're Fire Nation!"
"So am I!" Freya suddenly snapped and Katara looked at her surprised. "I may have grown up mostly in the South Pole, and I may water bend, but I also grew up on a Fire Nation Navy ship and can fire bend. And you know what? Avatar Roku was Fire Nation as well, yet I've heard amazing stories about him. He was a good person despite being Fire Nation. Long Feng is from the Earth Kingdom and yet he's just like the Fire Nation, don't you think?" Katara was silent as the older girl scolded her. "It's not where they're from that's the issue it's their actions and their attitudes that matter, and that comes from the people they grew up with. The environment in which they were raised." Katara turned her face away.
The two fell into silence as Freya glanced at the cuffs on her arms. Before she could even think about melting through them however the door to their cell opened and Azula stood there. On either side of her were two Dai Li agents.
Freya looked surprised as the agents moved in towards the two girls.
Azula… why does she have the Dai Li? Freya asked as her cuffs were removed.
"Time for a new home." Azula smiled at the two before they were pulled from the cellar by the Dai Li on the princess' command.
Azula has control of the Dai Li! Freya realised with shock.