World's apart, Katara and Zuko steal off into the night.

Part 4 - Mirrors - Shard 7/11 - Two Faced

No one questioned the small well-wrapped bundle she carried upon her return to the cave. Why would they? She was the one responsible for keeping track of and buying supplies. Aang and Sokka would always ask what she had, but when they realized it was one mundane package after another, they gave up. Toph just never had any interest.

The Painted Lady. At least that's what Shoe? Dock? Whichever had called her this afternoon. This town, its people needed all the help they could get. If the Painted Lady was what these villagers needed, then that's what she would become.

She laid awake for what felt like hours listening for the soft snores of camp. One by one, they gave in to unconsciousness. Once she was sure everyone had fallen asleep Katara quietly pulled back the covers on her bedroll and gathered up her bundle.

She couldn't help but recall the last time she has snuck away from the others. Much like she was doing now, she had left intent on doing some good. And she had, but at what cost to herself? She looked down at her bared abdomen, attempting to see the invisible marks on her skin in the cover of darkness. No, she had to stop. She picked this outfit on purpose, to prove to herself that no one else could see them. Yet she still felt it, the promise he made, the warmth he wrapped her in, his press of lips against her skin, when he turned on them. La, she couldn't erase any of it from her mind. Why?

Aren't you doing the same thing as him?

She shook her head. She needed to focus. This was different, these people needed help, and she could give it to them. Stealing away from the cave, she unraveled her small bundle. An old tattered dress ripped in all the right places, a veiled rice hat, a small pot of red paint, rope, and a single, perfect, clam-slug shell. All the pieces were laid out before. It was time to get to work.

/|\

He needed to get out. The walls of this place were suffocating. Tch. Over three years, he clawed and fought to come back, and now all he wanted more than anything else was to get out.

It wasn't like he was a prisoner, he could leave, come and go as he pleased. Just not without a guard escort, a palanquin, and a slew of attendants. Every time he stepped foot out of the gates it was a spectacle. He needed time to himself away from the cloying presence of servants and attendants.

Aimlessly he walked the halls of the palace before his feet brought him to stand before the doors of his mother's quarters. He hadn't stepped foot in this room since the day she disappeared. That was about to change. Pushing open the door he was hit with a draft of stagnant, dusty air. Stepping in he lit a flame in the palm of his hand casting a dim glow throughout the room, dust motes floated by catching his golden light.

He walked past piece after piece of intricately carved wood furniture all artfully arranged in her sitting room. Without sparing a glance, he continued to her bedroom.

He had heard the story a thousand times and still, he would ask her to read it again and again.

He continued past her bed, the four posters now stripped of its gossamer canopy and its rich silk sheets.

She had loved it so much that without fail, she had brought them to see the play every year.

He trailed a hand along the mahogany wardrobe as he continued past, silently leaving clear-cut tracks in the dust.

She had loved it so much that she even kept a part of it with her here at home.

He stopped in front of a portrait of his mother and father from their wedding day. Even on a day as joyous as that, his mother still looked troubled. Reaching up, he pulled the painting aside to reveal a hidden alcove. Sitting silently under a veil of dust, the azure mask smiled wickedly back at him.

Both Katara and Zuko don a mask, not only to hide their identity but to also create a type of freedom for themselves. Zuko uses it to escape the confines of his crown, Katara uses it to help others behind her friends' back.

On one of the Zutara facebook groups there was a question about The Painted Lady and The Blue Spirit working together. I do want to do that here but I haven't figured out how to quite yet. I do have another fic that will only update sporadically that features the alter egos and another character I hope to have the first chapter up once I'm done with Mirrors.