A/N:
Hey, I'm back! Sorry for such a long wait. I'm going to start doing bi-weekly from now on. Recently, found out I'm carrying a little one so stress levels have risen in my day to day life. But no worries. I've been working endlessly on this story, a future story, and the finishing touch for Where We Stand. Sorry for all the excuses but I'm making up for it. My future story will be post in one go since I've finished most of it.
But anyways, enjoy!
Chapter 6:
Toph was all too happy to finally have her feet on the ground. Spirits, that damn carriage was about to be the end of her. But now, now she was one with her beloved earth, dirt, soil, and all. Nothing was better. Except kicking Zuko's brooding ass.
Seeing his blind earthbender friend becoming reacquainted with her element, Zuko stretched his limbs when he got out of the carriage and breathed in deeply. Hira'a was beautiful just like he imagined from the childhood stories his mother had told him of her home. Why hadn't he ever thought to look for her here?
"Hey, Sparky, get out of your head. We gotta go meet your mom." Toph walked up to the Fire Lord as she was stretching her arm.
Zuko signaled for one of his men to come forth and once one did, he asked for the guard that he placed as head of the mission to be summoned. Jiao was the one in charge of finding his mother and keeping her under watch till he arrived.
"Yes, your majesty." The guard reported.
"My mother, where is she being held?" Zuko demanded more so than he asked.
The guard said nothing and did as asked. Following close beside her friend as they were about to meet his mother he hadn't seen in over ten years. She could feel that he was nervous. More than she had ever known him to be. His pulse was practically jumping as they started approaching what felt like a house up ahead. Perhaps that's where his mother was. Amongst all the heart beats she could feel around them, two pounded the hardest and it was her speculation that it was his mother's.
This was more than he could bear. Coming all this way to see his mother. What if she didn't even want to see him? What if she had stayed away long after his coronation because she didn't love him all along. So many possibilities played out in his head. It was almost unbearable. But he couldn't back out now. He had come this far.
"Stop it, Sparky! You're gonna scare her off before you even get to see her." Toph shoved Zuko.
Shoving back, he wished he could send her a look that told her to stop but Toph wasn't the type to take social cues even if she could see his face. Zuko didn't understand why she had to be so pushy. She was worse than Katara in that aspect. Seemed like the only chick he's ever meant that wasn't pushy was Ty Lee. Every other woman in his life had always pushed him no matter how much he just wanted to be left to his own devise.
"Just relax. Okay?" Toph said as she tried a different approach to calming him down. "It's gonna be fine. Regardless of how it goes, at least you know she's not worse than your father."
Oh thanks, Toph. That's so helpful. Zuko sarcastically thought as the earthbender had seem to make everything worse when she tried putting them in perspective.
The guard finally came to a modest house that had a small garden of flowers outside it and paused just before stepping on the stone pebbles of the walkway to the home. He turned and addressed his lord, informing him that this was where his mother lived.
Zuko felt his heart speed up once again but the anxiety didn't show itself. He simply thanked his guard and passed by him to walk the stoney path to the house. Toph stayed behind as it was a private affair. Family dynamics were not her thing and she could speak on behalf of all their friends and companions, no one wanted to get in the middle of Zuko's family affairs. It was just not a good idea.
The breeze blew through his hair as he finally reached the house and stood there, debating if he should knock or open the door himself. But as he tries to decide, the door opened from the other side and a woman with sweet brown eyes looked to him. The breeze brushed by once more as a long pause captured the moment and rendered them both speechless.
"Z-Zuk-"
"Mother." Zuko cut her off from finishing his name as the childlike boy in him was compelled to capture her in his arms and embrace her. She was stiff at first but soon she relaxed in his arms and hugged him back, washing all his anxiousness away. He felt her soft small hands run over his back as she squeezed back, pulling him closer. The sniffles he heard, they belonged to her as she buried her face in the crook of his neck.
Ursa had become overwhelmed with joy, tearful happiness as she held her son once again in her arms. She had missed him all these years. Having to hear about what happened to him from a far had been a bitter experience. Ozai had been all too cruel to him. Some nights she lay wondering if letting Ozai kill him would have been a much less brutal fate. However; hearing that he had joined the Avatar and brought peace back to the world, she knew sacrificing herself had been a wise decision. Her first born and love of her life, Zuko had finally made it back into her arms.
They had pulled a part to meet each other's eyes again, in hopes of stirring some sort of conversation but before they could, a guard ran up towards them with a troubled look upon his face.
"Your majesty! There is urgent news from the capital!" He said as he came up to them.
With a not so happy look on his face, Zuko turned from his mother and looked to the guard. "It had better be!" He scowled.
"My lord, your father has escaped prison!"
….
~Day one~
It was never in his nature to just kill a person he had formed a vendetta against, Ozai enjoyed making his prey of interest suffer before he took them out. The waterbender was no different. As he followed several feet behind her as she shopped in what was a busy market street, he paid close attention to her every move. No detail was too little or too great for him to take in. If he wanted her to suffer in the most agonizing way ever, he needed to keep a mental note of all her actions and behaviors as well as some personal information.
At the moment, she was out looking for decor to place in her new home she had just recently bought. It worked in their favor that she had branched off from her family. This gave him and his men an easier opportunity to take her out and her son.
A slight breeze blew through the waterbender's hair as she pulled some of her loose strands behind her ear. It was slightly more chilly today than it had been these last few days but it was nice. She loved the way the frosted air tickled her nose and made her cheeks a warm rosy color. This was what she had been missing. A long stroll through her village market with no need to look over her shoulder or worry her life was in danger. The political chaos that was the Fire Nation had taught her so much more fear than she was accustomed to feeling. Never had she ever worried this much. Not even when she was still her fifteen year old self fighting for the sake of the world. But now, four years later, she could relax and no longer fear that same fear.
Her sapphire eyes looked over each stand and shop for all that she needed to fill her home with. She had purchased her home with little to nothing and had so much more spending money that she anticipated. Enough to furnish her home exactly how she wanted and still have enough left over until she acquired her next job. She remembered her grandmother pointing out that there was a position opened at the healing huts. A perfect job to have in her small but growing village.
As she spotted a rug shop that also sold curtains and quilts, Katara halted in her step and smiled at the shop owner that was sweeping outside their shop.
"Looking to buy a rug for your new home, child?" An elderly woman beamed up at the younger woman.
Chuckling as she figured word had gotten around due to her chatterbox of a grandmother. "Yes, actually I am."
"Then I have just what you might be looking for." The woman stopped her sweeping and led the waterbender into her shop. "I just received a shipment of Fire Nation rugs. Nice quality and come in various colors, so you'll find one fit for you."
Katara stepped into the store and looked around immediately. She saw not only imports from the Fire Nation but also from the Earth Kingdom. Many reminded her of her stay in Bei Seng Sei during the Imperial Summit hosted annually. Of course these weren't as fine but very close in comparison to them.
"How about these blue beaded curtains from the Northern Tribe? It'll go nicely with your Northern styled home." The shop owner suggested.
Taking a moment to glance over the curtains, Katara agreed that they would indeed be a perfect match for her home. They were beautiful. Purples, blues, and whites colored each bead as if to manifest a physical form of tranquility. These were a must.
"I'll take them and those Earth Kingdom blue quilts. The Fire Nation rugs I'll take a look at first but I'm definitely interested." Katara said gleefully.
The shop owner gathered the things requested as her customer went to scope out the other items in the store. As that took place, the elderly woman noticed another customer make their way into her shop wearing nothing but a black cloak.
"May I help you, sir?" She greeted the man.
Ozai glanced her way and then proceeded to ignore her as he ventured to the back where he spotted his target staring at rugs. He didn't see why not to follow her into the store. For all he knows, she could have picked up on being followed and tried to escape out a back door. However; she was only idly shopping. Paying her surroundings little attention as he stalked towards her in his hooded form, Ozai watched her as she bent over to gather a rug from the pile and lift it over her shoulders. He noted her own physical strength but that was already something he was familiar with. She could put up a fight but in the end, he easily overpowered her.
"Oh I'm sorry." She passed by him obliviously. "Excuse me."
Ozai stepped out of her way and let her pass. She briefly tried to make eye contact but he turned his head away. As the girl headed to the shop owner to checkout, he saw the elderly woman snicker as she leaned forward to whisper something in the waterbender's ear. Katara blushed and pulled away from the woman before glancing his way.
What? Are they on to me? No, that couldn't be it. The waterbender looked more embarrassed than frightened. Then what was it?
Katara hurried and handed over the money before gathering all her things over her shoulder, jetting out the store as if her life depended on it. Ozai didn't like this and proceeded to follow her, however; he was stopped by the storekeeper.
"You should probably introduce yourself if you're smitten with her. She's still on the market, I hear." The old woman laughed in her raspy voice that literally rattled her own bones.
The former tyrant grimaced at the woman's words and hurried after the waterbender.
~Day Two~
The waterbender was out with his grandson holding to her skirt just as his son had clung to his wife's skirt. It annoyed him to find this parallel between the father and son. However; the boy had a spark in him that Zuko didn't at his age. Already Ozai could tell this boy would be a strong firebender, no thanks to the boy's father. If anything, it was his mother's side he would get his strength from. Despite hating the wench, he could not deny the girl's capabilities and strength. It made her all the more a worthy opponent.
"Mama, I'm gonna catch a really really big fish!" Kia yell cheerfully as he held his small spear with one hand.
Holding her own, Katara smiled down at her son and nodded her head. "We'll Both catch enough for us and Grangran. Just watch how I do it first so you won't fall in."
Kia bounced with each step as his mother lead him to the docks' fishing pools which were just shallow pools near shore. Many preferred to still make their own catches rather than buy them from the market. Katara figured until she got a new job, that she'll find her own catch to save money. It would be a great workout for her and her son. Help them become acquainted with their new lives in the South Pole. Being away from home for so long had made her a bit rusty in her survival skills out here but she knew it would come to her the more she got back into her old routine of things.
Reaching the docks, Katara veered away from the heavily crowded shipyard and made her way to the pier where the fishermen were making their daily catches. She knew a good spot just below the pier where she could get the best fish easily. It was a great spot to teach Kia. She remembered when her father had taught her and Sokka, he took them to that same spot. She would do the same for her son and get him acquainted with fishing the same way her father had done her.
Today proved to be a perfect day for fishing. Katara managed to get her son into the hang of handling his spear and how to properly catch the fish or at least the technique her father had showed her and her brother. Kai had enjoyed spending time with his mother and making his first catch. The boy was bubbly all the way home as his mother carried the large vase of fish. Both completely oblivious to the man following behind them with each step they took.
When Ozai spotted that they had made it back home, he waited till they entered before he got any closer and rounded his way to the back of the home. Sneaking into their home at this time of day was not wise and in truth, he wanted to take her down already. The fact that she was prancing around after what she did to him made his blood boil. He'd be sure to make her regretted her transactions against him.
~Day 3~
"My Lord, shouldn't we just kill the waterbender and take the boy?" One of his men questioned him as the other two gasped at him.
Ozai didn't fret, however; he did send the man a look. "That waterbender will not get off so easy. I want her to suffer as greatly as she has made me suffer."
They had wondered for a while what exactly the girl had done to him for him to be so angry but all they could think of was how she was the catalyst for his debacle. The one who found and trained the Avatar, defeated his daughter, and brought him to ruins in the process. It seemed like enough to wish a great death upon her but for her to be his primary focus at the moment when there were still his son and the Avatar alive, it didn't make sense for this girl to be his first target. Third perhaps but not the first.
As odd as he knew it must be for his men to see him obsess over this mere peasant, Ozai had been unable to remove that blue eyed witch from his head after she stole into his thoughts and memories. In her picking and probing at his mind, she incidentally implanted herself. Leaving her mark behind and having him think of nothing else but her. He figured once he killed her in the worst way imaginable, he'd be free of her spell. It drove him mad how often she plagued him these last few weeks. Simply ignoring her presence in his mind was not enough. He had to get rid of her.
Hands practically shaking as she carried a basket of vegetables from the market to her brother's home, Katara looked over her shoulders at least twice every ten footsteps. The feeling of being watched and followed had been poking at her the last few days. She could have sworn there was someone stalking her. Even Kai had said he thought someone in black had followed them. Now every chance she had gotten she looked over her shoulders for someone in black.
La, please don't let it be anyone from the Fire Nation. Last thing she needed was Zuko sending his spies after her and finding out about Kai. She wouldn't put it past him to do such a thing. He had done it whenever she had to travel to the Earth Kingdom or the Northern Tribe. It bothered her to know end. She couldn't even go home and live a normal life without him having to oversee her. Damn him! If he was spying on her, she'd be sure to make him regret it. Nosy bastard!
~Day 4~
"Are you sure, Katara?" Suki, who had arrived a few days ago, asked. "Sure you're not just paranoid?"
Shaking her head frantically as she tried to explain what had been happening to her, Katara ran her hands through her hair and pulled on it. Stressing herself out that it could literally be her life endanger. Now she was for sure certain that she was being followed but it couldn't have been a spy. She kept feeling a murderous vibe from her so called stalker. It was a thick and heavy smothering feeling that would come over her. It paralyzed her with fear. Never had she felt this before. Never. Who was this that was following her? Who wanted her dead?
"Kai's with Sokka today, so hopefully you can relax a little and calm down." Suki said as she took both her friend's hands and rubbed them to soothe her.
Katara nodded her head and stood up, "Yeah, I need to get a grip."
"And a drink or two. I'm sure adjusting back home is challenging. Out of everyone, you were the only one that didn't get to settle in after the war. Even after you had Kai." The Kyoshi looked worriedly at the waterbender as she caressed her face. "Try taking a hot bath and have a glass of wine. I know that cheers me up."
Thanking her as they embraced, Katara forced a hopeful smile and watched Suki as she left out of her home. Closing the door behind the Kyoshi, the waterbender hastily grabbed a chair and put it under the doorknob of her door as she locked every bolt on the door. It was only once she felt no one could break in without her first hearing them, that Katara made her way upstairs.
A bottle of wine sat on the floor next to her tub as she laid in the warm water, holding a glass with its content in it. Suki was right. She needed to relax and adjust herself to being home. Living and working in an environment were one had to always look over their shoulders might have made her on edge with being in her peaceful community. It became a habit to be aware of her surroundings that she might just be paranoid.
Sighing as she brought her glass to her lips, Katara shut her eyes and drank herself into euphoria.
The overly secured door were useless as Ozai managed to sneak into the waterbender's home with ease through her window. He could see she was starting to notice his presence. Yesterday, he could barely keep close with her checking over her shoulder every five seconds. But that didn't matter much to him now. She was home alone and from what he saw of the girl as he watched her was she had taken a bottle of Earth Kingdom wine from her cupboard. No doubt drinking upstairs in her room, making herself vulnerable.
Carefully, he went up the stairs of the ice forged house and quietly took his time peeking his head into each room to see if he had spotted her. When each room he looked through was empty with her presence, he managed to hear a splashing noise come from the last room down the hall. He assumed upon entering that this was her bedroom. Creeping into the room he noticed her clothes were laying on the floor. His brow rose as his eyes traveled from each piece of clothing until it led him to the bathroom. Ozai figured that she must be bathing from the sound of water moving.
It was purely out of curiosity that he crouched down and moved to the other side of the room where her bathroom door was cracked open. He just wanted to be sure she was as he guessed, drinking. It was a mistake for him to have snuck a peek of the girl as she bathed.
Katara laid with her back to the rim of the tub as her hair was pulled over one shoulder. Her breasts set on the surface of the water as she held her eyes shut, breathing even as she allowed herself to relax, glass just barely in her grasp as she found she had gotten herself drunk.
This was not a sight he had ever expected to see and to be frank, he wish he hadn't. The waterbender in this indecent exposure had brought about an uncanny feeling of arousal. One he told himself was merely due to his lack of a woman's company all these years. That and her unusual piercings that were on both nipples. He had never seen anything like it before. They were a testament to just how exotic and foreign this girl and her people were to him.
Agni, he swore before he forced himself to stop staring. It was time to go. Now.
~Day 5~
It was dinner night for the small family. With them being all each other had due the effects of war, it was important to all of them that they spend time together especially with Katara being back home. Suki enjoyed having this small family function. Growing up with both parents dead, the gaang and this was the closest thing to family she had and it gave her a warm fuzzy feeling that she had longer for for years.
Kanna watched her granddaughter carefully as the young woman nervously continued to look out the window, searching for sign of anyone. She had heard from her grandson's girlfriend that Katara had been paranoid as of late and thought someone was following her. As the only parental guidance in the waterbender's life, Kanna knew she needed to address this with her. Surely, it had to have been her imagination.
"Kat, are you gonna help my nephew out or not?" Sokka said as he had already begun fixing Kai's plate.
Snapping out of her daze, Katara quickly apologized with an awkward chuckle before taking the plate from her brother and helped her son to some of the food she and her grandmother had prepared together for dinner. As she took Kai to the table to sit with his plate, the waterbender sighed heavily and mentally berated herself. This was ridiculous. Who was it that was following her? La, it had better not be someone after her and her son.
When everyone had sat down at the table with their food, Kanna looked to her granddaughter and smiled.
"I wouldn't worry yourself, dear. I'm sure it's just an admirer that hasn't worked up the courage to profess his love." She tried making light of the young waterbender's worries.
"So a stalker?!" Sokka looked at his grandmother with a disturbed look.
Suki sighed and shook her head, "You would be the one to use the word stalker."
"Stalker?" Kai said as he looked to his mother to explain the word's meaning.
Katara glared down her brother as she wiped her son's messy face. "Can we not call this 'person' a stalker, please?!"
Rolling his eyes as he pointed his chopsticks at his sister. "Listen Katara, we're calling whoever is stalking you a stalker because that's what their doing. And regardless if Grangran's right or not, you need to confront them and get them to state what the hell they want or he'll have to deal with me!"
"Who says it's a He?"
"Ha! Don't go there, Kat. You're just trying to change the topic." Sokka went back to shoving his mouth.
Folding her arms as she narrowed her eyes at her brother, Katara pouted. He, she, it, or whatever. Whoever or whatever was following her had her on edge. Even worse, she could have sworn they broke into her house yesterday. Drunk as she was, she felt another presence and it wasn't a friendly one.
Still wearing her hopeful smile, "You wouldn't need to worry yourself if you had a good strong man protecting you. I've been telling you since you got here that it was time to start looking."
"Grangran, I'm fine on my own." The waterbender stated in annoyance. "Not like I didn't fight a war or lived for two years in a chaos driven nation."
Kanna frown at her granddaughter's sarcasm, "Well the war is over and you're home now. You need to start thinking about a family and giving Kai the stable household he deserves."
"Why do you think I came back home?!" Katara had finally lost it at the dinner table, slamming her hand into the table as she stared down her grandmother. While she loved the woman with all her heart and was more than appreciative of the woman for stepping in when her parents were no longer around, she could not stand here to be lectured anymore about finding a husband and being a better mother. She knew already she was doing a lousy job but damn it, she was doing her best.
Suki looked to her waterbender friend and knew from the look in her eyes that she was truly hurt by the comment of her grandmother. While Kanna meant no harm, it was obvious Katara would not take light to it. The Kyoshi tried to stop her boyfriend before he added to the confrontation but he was too persistent.
"Katara, she's only telling you the truth." Sokka defended his grandmother as he rose to his feet.
Even more upset by her brother's involvement, "You have no idea how hard this has been on me! You don't have a clue what I've been through!"
"Okay, But you're not the only one whose suffered!" Sokka yelled back.
The redhead woman of the group quickly reached for Kai who sat looking up at his angry mother and got him up from the table. He didn't need to be here to witness this.
As Kai left the room reluctantly with Suki, Katara balled her fists and her face. "I was only fourteen, Sokka! I was only fourteen when we fought the war and defeated Ozai! I was only fourteen when we lost dad! I was only fourteen when I got pregnant with Kai!"
"No one told you to sleep with him!" Sokka lost it. "You say there and laid with our former enemy behind all our backs and got knocked up! That's your fault! No one told you to sleep with Zuko! You knew he was going to be Fire Lord as soon as we won!"
The words tore through the waterbender but she did not break. Not just yet. "I was in love with him, Sokka! Just like you and Suki!"
"Well you aren't us! We're still together and at least , I'd take care of my own child instead of being a coward and running from it!"
"I didn't run!"
"Well you sure as hell didn't stay!"
"Sokka, enough!" Kanna finally intervened.
"No! She couldn't wait when Zuko offered for her to be his Ambassador! She practically threw Kai into our arms before she hopped on the next ship to the Fire Nation! What?! Find out he didn't want you?! That he was just using you this whole time?! I can't believe how stupid you were to believe he cared! You were just his whore! Something for him to use while he was away from that crazy knife chick!"
And that was it. That was the last words she would hear her brother say for a long time. If only they had known it would be their last exchange. Snatching Kai from Suki and storming herself out of her brother's home all she could hear was her grandmother and friend calling for her. Each step became declaration to no longer take crap from those around her. No matter how much she loved them. Enough was enough.
…
The throne room was in utter disaster as Zuko stormed through the giant red doors of it to see his council frantically going about all the details they had acquired from his father's prison break. His brows were furrowed in a hard expression as his mother and Toph followed in quick steps behind him. This was the worst possible thing to have occurred. Ozai had escaped prison and no doubt, with the help of someone from within. He had a lot more than just the issue of his father. Someone amongst him had betrayed him and the nation. He would have to find them and his father.
"When?! When did he break free?!" Zuko yelled demanding an answer.
All his council coward and panicked at the anger written on his face. Luckily, none of them had to answer as Lady Mai appeared to greet the Fire Lord.
"He escaped the night after you departed." She answered his question.
So two weeks?! This news did not settle well with him. There was no telling where his father had gone. Two weeks was enough time to get far away. Damn it!
Mai looked to see that there was another woman, a mature one, behind Zuko. This must be his mother. Wanting to be respectful to the former princess, the noblewoman stepped out of the Fire Lord's way to acknowledge his mother in his shadow.
Bowing her head, "Princess Ursa, it is good to see you have returned."
Shyly, the older woman flushed and nodded her head. She wasn't used to being called princess anymore. Having loved her sweetly humble life, Ursa had enjoyed being seen as only herself and not her title. As much as she loved her son and was happy to finally have him back in her life, she had put up a bit of a fight on returning to the palace. It had terrible memories stored in its walls. Ones she feared to remember, to relive.
"Mai, we can have a proper introduction later. First, we need to get to the bottom of this. Where could my father possibly have gone?" Zuko came up to the table where a few of his men were looking over a map of both the nation and world.
Toph stood close to Ursa as she had somehow managed to become the woman's bodyguard. It was Zuko's belief that his father could be targeting his mother.
Watching the thin noblewoman slither her way to her son's side, Ursa looked to the blind earthbender she had become acquainted with on the ride here. "Who's the woman that greeted me?"
Smirking as she crossed her arms, "That's Lady Mai. Your son's future bride."
Eyes flashing back to the young woman, "Does she always look so dull?"
"So I heard." Toph snickered a little to herself. "Honestly, if she's as dull as she sounds, I'm glad I'm blind."
Ursa couldn't help but chuckle at the witty girl. Her small giggle seemed to alert her son, who had busily been trying to figure out his father's location. She quickly covered her mouth. His expression soften as he re approach her.
"Mother, I'm sure you don't want to be here watching us work. Please, let Toph escort you to your room." Zuko's voice was the softest it's been all day.
"OH! So I'm an escort now, am I, your majesty?!" Toph marched up to Zuko and poked her finger into his chest. "First, you make me a guard and now this? Okay, Zuko, I hear ya loud and clear. Forget I'm the third most wealthiest person in the Earth Kingdom to King Kuei and King Bumi and I totally helped kick your dad's ass because clearly escorting women is what I do best around here!"
The earthbender snatched Ursa's hand and pulled her along with her out the throne room, "Come with me, I'm an escort." Toph said sarcastically.
"I'll see you later, mother. We'll catch up more once I've handle this." Zuko promised.
Ursa looked over her shoulder and nodded with a smile on her face as she was being tugged away by the earthbender girl. "Alright, my son. Dinner then."
….
"Are you sure, my lord?" Shinji asked as he and the two other men scoped out the house of the waterbender.
Nodding his head, Ozai signaled to Rohan that it was time he carried out his orders. The orders were to enter the home and grab the boy immediately, then leave on the ship headed to the Earth Kingdom. He wanted his grandson out of reach as leverage if he got caught up with things here. Once the boy was captured, the rest of them would attack the waterbender and then lead her out of town where Ozai would be waiting for her. Killing the waterbender would be no easy task and he didn't want others getting involved. They needed to isolate her from her village.
Inside the home, Katara pulled the covers over her son and leaned down to kiss his forehead. Caressing the side of his face she smiled at him as he smiled back. Kai had the sweetest look of happiness on his face all the time but tonight, she could see questions behind his yellow gem eyes.
"Mama?" He said from his small lips.
Brushing his raven hair back as she gazed lovingly at him, "Yes, my love."
"Where's my papa?" The words came with no hesitation, no fear, no desire to retreat. They were the words of a boy who had wondered to himself all along but had only just decided to ask them aloud.
Katara did not let it show on her face the hurt she felt for him. His question was one deserving of an answer but she could not answer it. Not truthfully. Not at all. His lineage was one that came with great bloodshed and suffering. It would lead him down a path that would nearly destroy him if it didn't kill him first. It would be a life that no mother could wish on their child. She took responsibility for her sins committed and she had paid for them all these years. Kai was the one blessing from it all and she swore to do better by him if not herself. He deserved what she couldn't have. He deserved peace and tranquillity. And as his mother, that, she would give to him if not the truth.
"I am here and that is all you need to know, my love." She told him in her softest voice. "I only say this because I love you and I don't want anything to happen to you."
Kai didn't understand but something told him that he shouldn't ask more. If his mother was all he had, then that was fine. He didn't care. She loved him and he loved her. Maybe his father was a bad man and his mother was just trying to protect him. He could understand that much.
Kissing his cheeks as he giggled, Katara smiled at him and rose from the side of his bed. "Goodnight, my love."
"Goodnight mama." He replied sweetly.
Katara closed his door and sighed as she leaned against it. Why now? Her hands went through her hair as she shut her eyes and tilted her head downwards. Her grandmother and brother shouldn't said those things in front of him. It was hard enough trying to keep him from asking when he saw other children with their father's.
Heading upstairs to her room, Katara suddenly noticed a noise coming from her front door. She looked over her shoulder to see the doorknob being twisted from the other side. Her eyes widened as she quickly ran down her stairs just before the door slammed opened. She reached for her son's door and tried opening it until a pair of arms wrapped around her and yanked her back. Next she was thrown to the ground as two other men jumped her while one entered her son's room.
"No!" She screamed. "No!" Her eyes widened when she heard Kai's voice and him trying to stop the man. She couldn't see him but she knew her son was trying to fight back.
Struggling against her attackers, Katara felt a heated hand slam her head into the floor and hold it there. Forcing her to hear the cries of her son. She screamed his name as he screamed back for her. She did this until her voice died in her back of her throat when Kai's screaming seized. Blue eyes were wide like the void sky, her heart had practically stopped beating in her chest, blood running colder than the ice outside her home. No. Was all she could say when she suddenly saw the man that broke into her son's room exit with Kai's small body limp in the cradling man's arms.
A rush of tears spilled from her eyes as she gasped at Kai's bruises cheek. "NO!" She managed to gain her voice back as she started back up thrashing. "No! My baby!" She screamed and hollered over and over again.
One of the men on top of her grabbed a chunk of her hair and yanked it hard before slamming her face back into the floor. He did this repeatedly until Katara's vision started to blur and darken.
"Hey! Don't kill her yet!" Shinji hissed at Lao, who had gotten carried away.
Dropping the waterbender's head into the floor one last time, causing her to blackout, Lao stood up and kicked the girl into the wall. From the looks of it, she was out cold. Good enough for him.
"Sorry, the bitch just kept screaming. Ozai said not to attract any attention." Lao said as he smirked down at his handy work.
Shinji shook his head. While he knew the girl would die tonight, he didn't care to brutalize women. It just wasn't his thing. Especially ones that were pretty like her. He sucked his teeth as he stepped over her body and exited out the front door while Lao followed behind him.
….
Waking up with a throbbing headache, Katara fought to climb to her feet. Using the wall as her aid, she rubbed up against it, hissing through her teeth until she was on both feet. Her sight was impaired from having her head banged into the floor but she could still manage to navigate her way out of the house with her troubled movement. It seemed her legs weren't moving as they should. She must have really hit her head hard. The wobbling and stumpy steps she took to her door nearly caused her to fall over the steps outside her home. She clung to the threshold when she felt herself about to floor.
Biting back her tears, the waterbender sniffles the cries of pain back as she tried once more to make her way down the short steps. La, no pain would stop her. She prayed it would not stop her. That her body would press on until she got to those men. There was no telling how long she had been down but she could definitely see through her poor vision footsteps in the snow.
Katara made it down the steps but fell face forward into the soft ice of the ground. A cry escaped her aching body as she struggled back into her feet. The cry became louder as she panicked at the remembrance of her son. His small fragile body was limp in that man's arms. She remembered that dark purple bruise on her boy's face. More tears fell down her cheeks as she hugged her arms around herself just as a chilling breeze blew by her. No, Kai. He can't be. She knew it. She knew it. She wasn't crazy. Someone had been following them and they wanted Kai.
"Agh! La!" She shouted in a painfully torn voice as she was blown once again into the snow. A blizzard storm must be coming. As dangerous as it was to be out at night while a storm was brewing, Katara could not let those men take her son. She might never get him back.
Lifting herself up on her hands and knees, she looked down fiercely at the snow and saw some of her blood dripping in it. She must have busted her lip or gashed her forehead or something. No matter, this could not slow her down. She needed to be stronger than this. She was stronger than this.
Growling at her own weakness, the waterbender pushed herself off the ground and jumped back on her feet. I won't let them take you! I promise, Kai! I won't let them take you from me!
The footsteps lead her far south east, outside of her village. Whoever these men were they were trying to take her son east to the Earth Kingdom no doubt. Who were they? Spies from the Earth Kingdom. The Dai Lee? How did they know about Kai's existence? No one knew except her family and close friends knew. None of them would dare utter a word. They all knew just what could happen were Kai to be discovered as Zuko's son. But if someone else did know, especially someone of the Earth Kingdom, it could ruin Zuko for good. His reign would be challenged even further and another war could stir from this.
However; Katara did remember an unusual warmth seeping from one of the men's hands. It reminded her of being burned but not quite. That man had to be a firebender. There was no denying it. These men could very well be rebels. No way they were Fire Nation officials or sent here on behalf of one. Zuko wouldn't come for her like this. This could not be his doing. Rebels were the only thing that made sense. But how did they find out and what were they going to do with her son?!
Shuffling through the snow, Katara had almost lost hope of catching those bastards when she saw what looked like a body laying in the snow. Her eyes widened. No that can't be… Her thoughts trailed off as she suddenly found the energy to dash through the snow to the form laying there.
As she vastly approached it, Katara began to realize that this wasn't her son. The person was much too large to be him. This had to be one of those men. La, she swore he better be alive because she had answers she needed to get out of him.
Katara knelt down by the body and yanked the black fur cloak up, grabbing some of the man's hair. Her face was fierce and almost murderous. She was prepared to do what she swore she'd never do again and that was kill. Kai was literally out of her reach. The only way she would get him back was question this bastard.
"Where's my son?!" She growled as she jerked the head of the man up from the snow completely. However; as soon as she met the eyes of this man, she realized just who she was up against.
Snatching the girl's hand off of him as he rose from the snow he had laid in, Ozai smirked at the sheer fear in her eyes and basked in her trembling presence. "You mean my grandson?" Forcing the waterbender on her back where he pinned her, capturing her chin, and tilting it up to look her in the eyes. "Surprised to see me? Well don't be. I told you I'd get out and I'd make you regret ever stepping into my cell, did I not?"
Paralyzed with fear of this man, who had been virtually harmless behind his metal bars, Katara couldn't quite get a hold of her breathing. Not only was he here wanting to get his revenge on her but he had her son. A man who had wanted to end his own son's life and scarred him for life had her son.
"Where is he, Ozai?!" She managed to work up the courage to toss away her fears. This was her son's life at risk. No pain, no fear, no person would get in her way of protecting her son.
Ozai smirked and squished her cheeks together to get her to hush up. "That's none of your concern now, waterbender. He'll be in my care from now on. Your time with him has ran out." He said just as he unsheathed a dagger from his side sheathe and flashed it in front of her eyes.
Fear didn't take over as it should have while she glared into the eyes of her enemy. "So you come to kill me and take my son?! What do you plan to accomplish?!"
"Again," He flickered his eyes to her neck as he lowered his knife there and glimpsed back at her fiery blues. "That's no longer your concern."
"No! My son!" She screamed even louder trying to fight this man off of her. Her voice started going hoarse from how loud she was and the frost in the air.
Thrashing under her attacker, the waterbender begged and begged to be let go as her strength was not enough to move him. She thought to use her bending but with how he had her pinned there was no way for her chi to circulate enough for her to draw from her element.
Fear in its purest form, how it radiated in her eyes, Ozai could find nothing more satisfying. He used his free hand to grab a chunk of her hair and play with it. "It truly is a shame. You are something to marvel at. Especially those frightened eyes of yours." He could see the sickening wash over her face. It made him laugh as he wanted nothing more than to toy with her. Perhaps, killing her could wait. Something told him he could find pleasure in keeping her alive just a bit longer. The way fear contorted her rather attractive features and made her almost appetizing to his taste buds put him in a surprisingly merciful mood. Killing her now would be a waste.
Ozai reached to grab the rest of her hair in his hands and balled it into his fists tight, raising his blade. He saw her flinch and shut her eyes tight as he lowered his blade on her. Fortunately, it wasn't her throat he sliced through but her hair.
Cupping her bleeding cheek, "This face of yours might have just saved your life, girl."
Katara was so overwhelmed in fear to the point she could barely move as she felt him suddenly lift off of her. She knew this was her chance. Her chance to run but damn it, the way he had her pinned with his eyes told her she wouldn't make it far. Even so, she needed to get to her son. Kai. That was her focus.
With her chi circulating once more, the waterbender swept her leg under Ozai's feet and knocked him down. She rushed into her feet and jetted through the snow, using her bending to speed her along. It didn't seem to take Ozai long to get back on his feet and chase after her. She briefly looked over her shoulder to see he was much closer than expected. Damn it, he's faster than I thought. No matter. She could not let him catch her. Kai needed her. And those men he was with, there was no telling what they'd do to him if they were Ozai's goons.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as ran through the twilight winter cold, doing her best to keep a distance from the man that wanted to kill her. She raised a wall of ice behind her to slow him down. Icing over the snow to make it harder for him to stay afoot. Katara even hoisted herself up with a small cyclone of snow to get even further from him but once more, she looked over her shoulder and watch how with ease Ozai took on her obstacles. Breaking through her ice wall, sliding swiftly on his feet on her sheet of ice, and using the slopeness of the snowy hills to keep him close on her trial. While he was close, he still hadn't caught up to her which still gave her the chance to get away. But she couldn't risk him and his destructive nature reaching her village.
As soon as the lights of her villages came into view, Katara dispelled the swirling snow beneath her feet and turned to face her enemy. She had to end things here and now. When Ozai reached the bottom of the hill where she stood waiting for him. He unsheathed his dagger again and she formed her one of ice.
"You have one of two options, girl." His boots crunched in the snow as he proceeded to pursue her. "Either you cooperate or you keep up this fight and I break a few bones of your."
Hissing through her teeth, "How about no!"
Shaking his head as he chuckled, "You make it hard to resist killing you, girl." Ozai tilted his head to the side and beckoned her to come forth with a wave of his hand.
The waterbender didn't hesitate to lunge at him, hold her dagger out before her as she bended the snow around her to blind his vision just as she was about to strike him. His fist knocked her dagger out of hand and then struck her in her stomach. The breath was knocked out of her and her body collapsed over in the snow.
"Be a good girl and I won't make this hurt anymore than it has to." Ozai said as he forced her to roll over onto her stomach.
In her last attempt to win, she made another dagger of ice but her wrist was caught and Ozai twisted it till there was crack and she ended up screaming to the top of her lungs.
Leaning down to her ear as he sat on top of her. "Be very careful from now on, girl. Your son is safe for the time being but I can't promise anything if you keep this up."
Still in excruciating pain, Katara tried to reel in her fight but her instincts told her to keep fighting. Wrist broken or not. She had to fight.
"I won't let you hurt him!" She shouted.
Striking a pressure point, the former tyrant watched as the waterbender's lights went out and she laid limp in the snow. Agni, he should have stuck to just killing her but wasting a girl as young and beautiful as her would not due. Not that he wanted her for any release but seeing those deep blue eyes frighten of him fed his sadistic side all too much for him to simply kill her, which he still planned to do if she became problematic.
As he got up, he grabbed the girl around her waist and threw her over his shoulders. It's been awhile since he's a pet. Something told him he was going to have fun with her. Besides, what could be more satisfying than tormenting the girl that helped take his throne from him, defeat his prodigy, became the whore of his son, and humiliated him while he was a captive? He would make her wish she had never left her village of frozen rubble.
…..
The way back to the village had taken longer with the unconscious girl over his shoulders as he walked through what was a developing storm. When he reached the home of the waterbender, he carried her inside and laid her down. The girl was as good as dead once he left this place with her. Might as well make it look so. Besides, that thin woman his son was engaged to had desired the waterbender dead. He didn't want the bitch to give away where he was headed or any of his plans she might have overheard. So he'll make her believe that he in fact had kill the blue eyed whore.
Digging in his pockets he pulled out the lock of hair he cut and the blue choker that she had left behind in the Fire Nation. Throwing them loosely on the floor, Ozai removed a match from his pocket and lit it before throwing it to the window curtains. He hated resorting to such a thing as using a match when he had once had the power of fire at his disposal from within. Glancing at the unconscious waterbender, he could not keep from blaming her for his demise. She did this. This was all her fault. And he would make it so she would never live a day after this without knowing what she had done to him.
As the flames caught and spread, Ozai gathered the girl and hurried from the burning home. He needed to make it to the docks where two of his men were waiting on a small ship they had stole while the other had taken his grandson by the steam ship they had arrived on. It turned out to be a perfect plan now that he had decided to keep the girl alive. Now he could keep her in line throughout their journey.
Reaching the ship, the former tyrant noticed his men waiting for him above deck had taken interest to what was over his shoulder. Ozai could only smirk as he boarded the ship and order Lao to man the ship immediately. Shinji followed him as they all head below deck.
"Have you scoped the entire ship?" Ozai asked, wanting make sure no one but them was aboard.
Shinji nodded as he followed behind his master and tried to get a look at what he was carrying. It looked like a person but he couldn't be too sure.
Opening the door and peaking into each room, Ozai checked out which he could stow the girl away in. One with no window would be ideal. "Is there a room without a window on this ship?"
"Ugh, yes sir. One further down the hall but it's a smaller room. Servant's quarters I believe." Shinji told him.
Going to the door of the said room, "Works fine." He said as he opened the door and entered, shutting it behind himself. "Bring some of that sail rope down here and leave it at the door." Shinji bowed and did as told, no questions asked.
Ozai laid the girl in the small bed in the room and unrolled her from the rug he had wrapped her in. When he uncovered her face, he could see she was anything but unconscious. She glared him down with her lips turned up into a snarl. He said nothing as he heard the knock on the door and answered it. Outside was Shinji with the rope he had asked for.
"My lord, we are about to depart. Is there anything you need from me before I help Lao with navigating?" He asked as he peeked his head in only to see a blue eyed girl with bruises on her face glaring at the back of his master's head. Isn't she supposed to have been killed?
"Tie her up and don't bother worrying about her wrist. She should have known better to challenge my mercy." Ozai said before he shoved his way past his subordinate.
As Shinji entered the room with the waterbender and shut the door behind himself, he noticed the girl's face grow even more callous than before.
Katara glared this man dead in his eyes as if to reach inside him and tear his soul from him. He had to be one of the men that attacked her. She could tell. He had a look in his eyes that told her that he recognized her.
As he approached her with the rope to tie her up, she snarled at him when he tried to touch her. "Touch me and I'll kill you!" She threatened.
Ignoring her as he grabbed a small stool and pulled it up to her bed, "I'm not here to play juvenile games with you. I'm only doing as is ordered of me."
"Where's my son!" She suddenly demanded.
"He's on a separate ship heading to where we're going, only he'll arrive before us. We have to take a longer root to protect our Lord." Shinji told her. "It is in your best interest to cooperate. I'm sure my master hasn't spared you so you can continue being a thorn in his side."
With that, he snatch her wrists up, ignoring her cry of pain as he began tying her up. He didn't like hurting women but in the end, if he need to, he did. And right now, this girl left him no other option. "Like or not but your son's life is in our hands and out of your reach. I wouldn't challenge those that could easily crush What's precious to you, Ambassador."
Ambassador? Why would he refer to her as that? Did he know her or of her? Well, of course he knew of her. She and her friends were practically known all over. It was hard to not know of her. Especially being that this man was Fire Nation. Her name had become even bigger there than anywhere else due to her work after the war.
"I was a part of Fire Lord Zuko's council. You spoke on my behalf when he suspected me of plotting against him." Shinji tried to rejog her memory.
Now that she thought about it he was familiar and what he said did ring a bell but she can't quite put her finger on exactly who he was. There were so many being falsely accused by Zuko due to the unrelenting assassination attempts. But to think she spoke on this man's behalf to prove he was innocent only to find he was anything but, it made her sick to think she could have easily prevented this if she had let Zuko continue the investigation on those accused.
Ashamed of herself, Katara looked away from the man as he continued to tie her wrists, hissing whenever too much pressure was applied to her left wrist.
Shifting his gaze between his work and the waterbender's face, "I wonder what prompt him to keep you alive. All he could think of since getting out of prison was killing you."
Balling up her face as she angrily gazed at the floor. "How the hell should I know?! That man is a psychopath! No telling what he's thinking in that head of h-" she jumped a little and winced in pain as extra pressure was applied to her left wrist.
"If I were you, I'd prepare for the inevitable. You are the only woman he's had contact with in four years. Be careful, Ambassador." Shinji gave her a serious look as he got up after finishing her bindings.
Katara gaped at him as the man left out of the room and locked the door from the other side. What the hell does that mean?!
….
This wasn't happening. As he stood in a frozen state at the sight of the burned down home of his sister, Sokka knew this could not be happening. She was just eating dinner with him last night. Her and Kai. They both had just been over for dinner. So how was this really happening?
He didn't move or flinch when people seldom looks and offer physical comfort. Patting his shoulder or embracing him for a moment. He did not tear his eyes away when some of the men of the tribe tried lifting the burnt wooden fixture that held the home together. He needed to see remains. For him to believe any of this. He needed to see with his own eyes.
Somehow in his moment of disbelief, Sokka managed to drown out the loud and hysterical cry of his grandmother as she knelt before the rubble, clinching ash in her hands. He could not hear her but a tear fell for her as she had found herself in yet another despairing moment. Suki knelt with her, she too was in disbelief but reality was dawning on her faster and faster. Tears rolled down her eyes as the rubble was being removed. A body or two needed to be found. For a proper burial, for reassurance of their doubt, for this to be deemed real.
One of the tribesmen lifted the heavier stilt of wood with a little help and something blue shimmered in his eyes. Tossing the wooden stilt, he crouched down to grasp it and with it, a lock of hair. He slowly raised back to his feet, staring in mourning at his discovery before looking to the eyes of a weeping a grandmother and a doubtful brother.
"KATARA!" Kanna screamed to the top of her lungs when she saw her granddaughter's necklace and the burned locks of her hair.
Sokka crashed to his knees as finally it had hit him. This was happening. This was real. Katara, his sister, she was gone. But how? How did this fire start? How?
"She was murdered!" A woman yelled from the crowd gathered around at the sight. She had her baby on her hip.
With his grandmother and Suki, Sokka turned to look at this woman as did everyone around them.
Kanna rose to her feet with the help of Suki, tears still falling from her eyes. "Nyla...what do you mean, murdered?"
The tribeswoman came through the crowd and stared pitifully at the elderly woman. "There was blood in the snow this morning when we discovered the ashes. An obvious struggle. Someone had did this to her."
"Yes, and there was a man following her when she was at my shop." The store owner from earlier in the week second that. "He wore a black cloak and trailed behind her. Maybe he did this."
The brows of Sokka furrowed together as he started piecing together what the two women were saying and what his sister had tried to tell him. Someone had been following her and she felt something ominous about it to the point she was paranoid. Did she somehow know whoever it was would kill her? No, that couldn't be, she would have made Kai stay away from her. Keep him from getting caught up in whatever she felt would happen. Or maybe, it wasn't his sister being targeted. Only his sister's remains had been found as of yet. Which could mean-
"No, this can't be. Who would want to kill my granddaughter? Katara never hurt anyone. She never would warrant this. Never." Kanna was even more distraught by the accusation that someone had personally sought out her granddaughter and killed her. And what of her nephew? Where was he under all this rubble?
As the woman broke into another fit, Suki tried comforting her the best she could as other women of the tribe came to offer comfort to them both. This was a tragic morning. They would soon need to send word. Katara was more than her friend, Sokka's sister, and Kanna's granddaughter. She was the girl that started the begin of the end of the war. She trained the Avatar and helped him along on his journey to ending the chaos ridden world. Katara was friend of the Avatar, last waterbender born of the Southern Water Tribe, friend of both Earth Kings, close companion of the famous Toph Bei Fong, former Ambassador of the Fire Nation, and dearest love of the current Fire Lord. She would be mourned on every continent.
Sokka tore away from the crowd of people outside his sister's burned house. He needed to think. If he was going to ever catch who did this to his sister and where his nephew was, he needed to plan his trip to the one person that could have insight on the matter. Zuko had spent the most time with Katara in these last few years. He was bound to know if she had enemies. And seeing as someone could have possibly been made aware of Kai's existence means it had to be someone from the Fire Nation. Who else would go so far as to kill his sister and possibly kidnap his nephew? He needed to think and sort things out. His sister would receive justice. It was without a doubt that she would. And he would give it to her.
Just you wait, Katara. I'll make whoever did this pay! I promise!
…
A/N:
Hoped you all liked this chapter! Review to let me know what you guys all think! Thanks for reading! Love you guys!