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Chapter 23: Bloodbender

Appa circled the skies over the cave system below, as the light of the setting sun cast the landscape in twilight red.

Katara's nerves were woven tighter than the coils in a water basket, and she was glad that, for once, neither Sokka nor Toph were cracking jokes. Toph might have returned to her Academy over the course of the month, but they'd managed to pick her up on the way—they figured they could use all the firepower they could get.

Katara stared down at the black spot between the cliffs, where the river below entered the cave where Azula had said the girl would most likely be hiding with Zuko's mother.

So much could go wrong. And that was even if Azula could be trusted, which Katara didn't believe for a moment she could. Katara clenched the neck of one of her water pouches strapped to her back, as her mind briefly wound back to the days before.

Katara waited outside Azula's room.

She paced the narrow space of the dead-end hall, arms folded. The guards eyed her as she moved, but she kept her gaze on the walls ahead, offering no opportunity to ask any questions.

The moment a group of shapes appeared at the far end of the hall, Katara turned.

Aang hurried ahead of Sokka and Zuko—Sokka had the scroll open and was examining it as he walked, and Zuko hovered anxiously nearby, as though worried Sokka might damage it somehow. Aang, upon reaching her, extended a hand for hers. "Is—is it true? Can it really, possibly—?"

Katara glanced toward Zuko. "There's hope anyway."

Zuko and Sokka came to a stop beside them, and they all congregated outside the heavy metal door. Zuko directed his eyes briefly to the guards. "If you would leave us for a moment." Probably safer that the entire palace didn't know of their current circumstances, either of Ursa, or Azula.

The two guards bowed their heads in respect, then made their way back down the corridor, stopping just at the next hall, close enough to be easily recalled, but out of earshot.

Sokka glanced at them, then back. "Sooo," he said, keeping his voice down. "You need a plan."

Zuko dipped his head once. "Yes. What do you think?"

Sokka frowned at the door, rubbing his chin. "I think you're right that whatever plan we have, it's going to hinge on convincing Azula to work with us. Unless you want to play things straight."

There was no need to translate—straight, as in, hand Azula over. Zuko shook his head. "No. I won't do that. Which means—we include her. In the planning."

"Right." Sokka twisted his mouth in a forced approximation of a grin. "Great. Then… I guess we can go in." However, as Zuko turned his back to signal the guards to return to allow them entry, Sokka shot Katara a sideways look, one eyebrow raised. As though hoping she would weigh in on what they should think of Zuko's current sanity.

Katara cast an uneasy glance at the door. She had hoped Sokka might have a way to bypass any need for Azula's cooperation—trying to convince Azula to not do exactly the opposite of what they wanted felt like trying to get Toph to wash the dirt off her hands, or Sokka to stop eating meat. It would be so against nature that no one could ever logically expect it.

It felt like there was little else Zuko could do, yet the thought of something still happening to his mother after all this made her sick to the very depths of her being.

Aang's hand on hers squeezed gently in reassurance, and she glanced up at him, to find him smiling back in understanding and support.

Aang's way of things, his endless well of compassion and thoughtfulness, had never meant more to her than it had this past month. He hadn't said much, only put his arms around her a little more often, telling her that if she wanted to talk, he would be there to listen. She did want to talk—eventually. But he seemed to understand even without words how, even though Ursa hadn't been her mother, even though Katara really hadn't known her that well, bearing witness to Zuko's pain had reawakened in her some of her own grief from so many years ago. Somehow his strength for her had let her be strong for Zuko, too. And it made her feel stronger now as well, even in the face of the worry, as they balanced once again on the edge of a precipice.

The guards returned, and one undid the locks and opened the door. One by one they filed inside, until they were all through, and the door closed behind them, sealing with a heavy clang.

Azula was waiting for them. She sat in her wheelchair as before, her arms bound in the straitjacket. However, now she eyed them all with the cool superiority of a monarch observing the entrance of her subjects to court.

"Fire Lord Zuko," she said politely. "Avatar. And other guests. I do hope you'll forgive my lack of hospitality, I'm afraid I'm—rather tied up at the moment."

Nobody immediately replied. Then Sokka snorted, earning him looks from both Zuko and Katara.

He turned the laugh into a cough, folding his arms across his chest, and leaning forward like a tavern guard, trying to intimidate the rowdier patrons. "Yeah, nobody thinks you're funny, Azula."

Zuko took a step forward, palms out. "Azula. Look, I know you don't want to help me. But—just think about it. Maybe we can work out a deal."

Sokka tapped his forehead. "He's right, Azula. You know Zuko isn't going to just hand you over. That gives you all kinds of leverage. Are you really going to let that go to waste?" He added, "Think about it—you really think you can make Zuko more miserable dead than alive? Cause I don't."

Zuko grimaced, shooting Sokka a look. It felt like sound logic, at least to Azula's warped way of thinking, but somehow it felt like asking for trouble to draw Azula's attention to it.

However, as Azula eyed Sokka, her gaze shifting back to Zuko, her face was an almost comical mask of surprise.

"Don't want to help you? What on earth can you mean?"

Katara saw Zuko's jaw tighten. "Helping save Mother. Without—without—"

Azula sighed, and rolled her eyes inattentively toward the decorated dresser against the far wall. "Oh, Zuzu. I think you've misunderstood me somehow. I merely hoped to impress on you the wisdom of doing the obvious, natural thing, but I'm every bit as eager as you are to see poor Mother be rescued. She is my mother too, after all."

Zuko froze. He regarded her uncertainly, good eye narrowed. His gaze shifted briefly to Katara in question, but she had no answers for him.

"However," Azula continued. "Now that you mention it—of course I'm more than willing to save Mother purely out of the goodness of my heart, but perhaps we might discuss just a few itsy-bitsy conditions."

"...Right," Zuko said, wary. However, he was leaning forward, listening closely. If Azula truly had something to gain by cooperating with them, perhaps they might all feel more secure.

Azula rolled her eyes back to him lazily. "First," she said, "this room is far too cramped. I feel positively claustrophobic."

The room was easily four times the size of Katara's entire home growing up, with a bed big enough for two or three people. However, nobody replied as Azula fixed Zuko with a cold smile. "I think I would be more comfortable… in the Fire Lord's quarters."

Zuko choked, giving a half laugh of disbelief. "You want my room?"

"Not your room," Azula corrected. "The Fire Lord's room. It was really made for someone with more of a mind for proper rule, for someone who enforces respect. It would suit me better than you."

Zuko's good eye had narrowed again, face set in a fierce scowl. However, at last he said, "...And?"

"And I'd like you to make me one of your advisors—officially, with a title, stamped and sealed in the royal archives."

She went on before Zuko could answer, "Oh, don't worry, you can still keep me locked up, an oversized grub-caterpillar in a chair. But before you make any important decisions about troop movements or supply distribution or the last assassin come to finish you, I want you to come and consult me. You won't have to follow my advice, but you'll have to listen to it."

Zuko just stared at her. "And… that's it?"

"Oh," Azula added breezily, "and Mai and Ty Lee will have to visit me twice a week."

"Wh—I'm not agreeing to that!"

Katara imagined Zuko was probably picturing Mai's likely reaction, and he added in a grumble, "You just want to taunt them."

Azula frowned. "Zuzu, I'm hurt. Obviously I'm thinking of how lonely I'll be in that grand, majestic room all by myself. It will be nice to have a chance to chat with old friends."

Zuko shook his head. "I can't agree to that. Mai can't always be at the palace that often, even if she wanted to, and Ty Lee—" He paused. He didn't add what they were probably all thinking, that Ty Lee didn't deserve any more than anyone else to be Azula's practice dummy for insults.

Azula rolled her eyes. "Oh, fine. Just every other week then."

Zuko hesitated. "...Maybe."

"And I want to wear my princess crown again," Azula continued.

Zuko folded his arms, shoulders hunched. "No, Azula, that's a weapon. We can't give you that."

It was true—Azula's princess headpieces were all made of solid metal. Katara had once seen her use one of them like a cleaver to halt her slide down the side of a cliff.

From Azula's smile, it was clear she was just pushing just to push. At last she said, "Well, I suppose I can be satisfied with those for now. I didn't really want much anyway. As I said, I'm like you, I only really want to make sure dear Mother comes back safely…"

Zuko was silent for a long moment, as though waiting to see if she would add anything else. At last he said, "...Okay. I've heard your requests. And… if some of those might be arranged… you would agree to help us?"

Azula's smile was wide, and sincere as a cat-snake in a robbin-sparrow nest. "Of course, Zuzu. You can trust me."

Zuko opened his mouth to respond, but Sokka pushed past him, getting there first.

"Okay, great. We've got a proposal then. You sit tight for a minute, Azula—Team Avatar is just going to have a little conference. Discuss the terms, you know."

"Very well," said Azula, still smiling in that same disconcerting way. "Just don't take too long—or my goodwill might just expire."

Sokka took Zuko by the forearm, dragging him to the farthest corner of the room, soon followed by everyone else. Turning his back on Azula, he pulled them all down into a huddle. In a whisper, he said, "I don't like it."

"I know," Zuko answered in an undertone. "But what choice do we have?"

"We can't trust a word she says," Katara added. That Azula would betray them the very moment she had the chance seemed a given. The best case scenario as she could see it was that Azula planned to betray Zuko by handing herself over in exchange for Ursa anyway, but that seemed doubtful, considering the entire point of Azula wanting the exchange to be made was forcing Zuko to be the one to make the decision.

"If she'd asked for something actually worth something, like a full pardon, there might be a chance," Sokka said, shaking his head. "But just taking your room, which is too big anyway, and a promise for you to come in and listen to her bad advice sometimes? She'll be planning to ditch the first chance she gets, and then she'll be out there and we'll be right back where we started. Not to mention what will happen to your mom."

Zuko shook his head slowly. "What she's asked for is more than you think. She knew I would never just pardon her and let her walk free, but the Fire Lord's room is one of the most prominent, elevated places of importance in the palace. For me to give the room to my sister who fought me for the throne—it will reflect poorly on me and my strength as the Fire Lord. But it's the advice demand that's worse—if she were one of my official advisors, I would be honorbound to inform her of many of the goings on in the Fire Nation and among the nobles. I may not tell my advisors everything, but even a little sensitive information could be of great use to someone who eventually hopes to undermine me. Especially if it's Azula. It would all be bad for my image as Fire Lord, and she knows that."

He hesitated. "But… I don't see that we have a choice. Even if I was willing to hand Azula over, which I'm not, Mother would never want to be saved that way. This is our best chance for the best outcome—I think we have to take it."

They were all silent for a long minute, just standing there, blinking around at each other. Putting Zuko's mother at risk seemed intolerable on so many levels, and a wave of sickness swept over Katara again at the thought. But she knew he was right—to force his mother to be saved at the expense of one of her own children was a cruelty Zuko was too kind to ever inflict, and Azula had offered them a chance, however untrustworthy it might be. They were out of options.

At long last, Zuko took a deep, steadying breath, before he turned to face her.

"Okay," he said in a measured voice. "I'll agree to your terms, Azula. I'll give the Fire Lord's chamber to you as yours, and I'll make you one of my official advisors—if we are able to bring Mother back safely." He paused, then added, "I'll talk to Mai and Ty Lee."

"I suppose it's better than nothing," sniffed Azula. "Well now, let's discuss plans, shall we? Getting the drop on her before her bloodbending power kicks in is probably for the best. And given she wants you to wait for her near your lake, she'll be relatively close by—I know all the most likely hiding places, though there's one or two she would probably choose if she were moderately clever."

Sokka was unwillingly leaning forward in interest—these were all the details, the bits of knowledge of the terrain as the waterbenders had used it, that Sokka didn't have, that would have made his coming up with a plan of his own near impossible.

However, Zuko didn't look quite ready to jump into the details just yet. Instead, he stared at Azula, eyes burning with questions.

"Azula," he began. "Will you… can you… tell me? What changed your mind."

"I was always planning to help you, Zuzu," Azula said complacently. Her eyes shifted to Katara, expression half bored. "Oh, and the threats didn't hurt either."

Katara blinked to find all eyes suddenly on her. Sokka didn't look all that perturbed, but Zuko's expression was hard to read, and Aang—

Katara's face flooded with heat, and she stuttered, "I didn't—you know I—" At Azula's wide smile, she scowled. "I didn't threaten you, Azula. But maybe I should have."

The others went back to focusing on Azula and her plans, while Katara turned her back, arms folded, face still flaming. It might have been a lie, but unfortunately it wasn't entirely unconvincing. It wasn't a promising start.

Katara kept her arms folded, back turned, as she listened to the others continue to plan.

Katara blinked, coming back to the present. Just in time to see a burst of orange flames from the mouth of the cave—Zuko's signal. Either things were going as they hoped, and Azula had gotten close enough to get Ursa away and safe, or things were going horribly, irreversibly wrong. Either way, dealing with the waterbending girl on her terms was over.

Aang yelled from Appa's head, "Everybody hang on!"

The air was abruptly rushing against Katara's face, her beaded loops whipping wildly over her temples as Appa plunged in a dive. Katara stared down, gripping the neck of her water pouch. She waited until the last possible moment—then, uncorking the top, she unleashed a stream of water, forming an ice slide in the air. Beside her Aang raced on his glider, while Toph summoned a pillar of earth to shoot up from below to catch her.

They each hurtled through the open mouth of the cave, Katara landing in the center of the river, instantly forming another ice slide to carry her forward. She was only vaguely aware of Aang landing and doing the same just behind her, while landed on a strip of cave rock nearby. A moment later there came a sudden burst of wind at all their backs as Sokka flew in on Appa, Appa roaring in challenge.

Zuko was standing just on the edge of the rushing water, his eyes wide and wild. Ahead lay an enormous sheet of ice wedged over what sounded like a waterfall. He looked ready to try to jump the chasm with firebending, but with the slick ice angled away toward the waterfall a safe landing would be near impossible, and trying to swim the raging current to it would be a death sentence.

"Katara!" he shouted. "Aang! My mother—"

Katara raised her arms, and the water of the river swelled beneath her. She rose up high enough to see over the lip—two figures lay at the very edge, but the evening light outside was blocked by the tilt of the ice, and she could make out little more than a pair of opaque masses. However, something dark was spreading over the ice surface, and she caught a gleam of an irregular shape protruding from the back of one—a spear of ice.

Katara's breath caught, as all the nebulous fears that, deep down, she had not truly believed would really happen, hit her at once. She could just see the blue and white of the girl Nukka's parka in the gloom, leaning over the still figure, arms already extended to push the form over the precipice to the falls below.

Katara swung both arms with all her might, and the platform bucked back, righting itself, and the two figures fell back from the edge, Nukka startling in shock, eyes darting to find her assailant, the other limp as a puppet with its strings cut. Katara sliced upward with her palm, and a sheet of ice shot from the platform, momentarily separating the two.

"Aang!" Katara cried. "Toph! Get her! I have to—"

But she didn't have to finish. Aang was already sending a water ripple through the platform, and it hit the girl hard, sending her flying. Her back struck the stone wall of the cave, and earthen cuffs instantly erupted over her arms and legs, holding her in place, unable to move.

Katara raced forward, collapsing to the ice beside the dark figure, sliding the last few feet. Beneath her, dark liquid mingled with melting ice water, soaking her calves to the skin. Her heart hammered, filled with dread—

"You're too late," hissed the girl, from where she was bound against the rock wall. "You can't save her now."

Katara stared at the ice spear, and reached out automatically to dissolve it—before her eyes fell briefly, to find herself staring down at a head of dark hair, tied up in a complete topknot, long bangs splayed out against the ice.

Not Ursa. Azula.

For a moment, Katara couldn't move, couldn't understand—then tentatively she reached out, placing a hand against Azula's back.

The moment her fingers connected, she felt it. She couldn't—fix this. The ice had gone straight through her back, sliced deep into her heart and the nearby artery, and now the blood was pumping onto the ice. The wound was too deep, too catastrophic, especially when she couldn't see it. Azula had perhaps minutes to live.

In spite of everything, tears stung her eyes. Azula hadn't—been a nice person. And Katara herself had thought the world would be better off without her. But Azula was here because she had agreed to help Zuko try to save their mother's life. That she should die this way, not being stopped from hurting someone or doing something horrible, but something that could almost pass for good, all because Katara's healing wasn't good enough—

Katara heard Zuko shout her name again, and it sounded closer now, like he had joined her on the platform. She imagined she could feel his gaze boring into her back with desperation, panic—

Without knowing quite what she was doing, Katara reached forward, melting the handle of the ice spear and coating her hands in its water. She left the rest of the ice blade embedded where it was, hoping it would partially block the hole, before rolling Azula onto her back in hopes it would let her breathe easier. Then she pressed her hands to the wound.

In spite of the ice, the blood was gushing freely, soaking her hands, and the front of Azula's Fire Nation tunic. She couldn't save Azula—she had never healed a deep piercing wound like this before, and the most she could do was try to slow the bleeding. But maybe she could prolong Azula's life a little longer. Maybe it would give Azula time to wake up, and say a few final words.

Katara was vaguely aware as Appa blew by overhead, and circled down to the bottom of the waterfall deep below. She also felt, in a distant way, as the others came to stand around them. Aang, Toph, Zuko. Aang crouched down, handing her a strip of cloth he must have torn from his tunic to press against the wound, holding up a flame over his palm as light for her to see. Appa soon reappeared over the top of the waterfall, and Sokka got down from the saddle, dripping wet—followed by a tall willowy figure, who collapsed to her knees on the ice not far away. Aside from being as soaked as Sokka, from what Katara could tell from her peripheral vision, Ursa seemed perfectly well, except for her ashen face, staring at the inert, prone form under Katara's hands.

All were silent as they watched, and Katara knew she should say something. That she was giving them false hope. But she kept pushing at the chi, pushing to slow the bleeding, hoping Azula would open her eyes, even if it was just for a moment. To let her say something, anything, before the end.

Katara felt tears coursing down her face, and perhaps that was message enough, because out of the corner of her eye she saw Zuko turn from her. He stumbled a few paces away, then fell to his knees.

Zuko's mother shifted closer—and silently she reached out, gently brushing Azula's still face.

Katara blocked out everything, the roar of the nearby waterfall, the girl's hisses of fury, hearing nothing but the healing hum of the water. Even so, she couldn't hold on. The blood was everywhere, dark pools soaking into her knees, oozing past the cloth no matter how hard to she pressed it. As though Azula's life were water slipping through her fingers.

Wake up, she thought. Wake up, Azula, if just for a minute—

"Katara." Zuko's voice was gruff and rasping in the quiet. "Is she…?"

Katara swallowed the sickness in her throat. She didn't know how to say the words aloud, with Zuko and Ursa both watching her. She would keep at it until the bitter end, but she didn't know how much longer her strength would hold out.

And yet—

Yet something seemed to be changing. All was dark but for Aang's small ball of flame, yet the glow of the water on her hands seemed to brighten in the dim light. She felt—stronger and, though perhaps she was imagining it, Azula's chi seemed to respond to her push more readily.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Sokka had stepped away from them, over toward the edge of the ice sheet, and was gazing over toward the sky outside. "It's night," he said softly. "The moon's rising."

Katara stared down at Azula, and she realized for the first time that the red tint of twilight had been replaced with the silver light of the moon. New power was surging through her—and suddenly, she knew exactly what to do.

Pulling her hands away from the wound, she raised them in the air, fingers bent—and the blood pouring onto the ice instantly stopped.

Another furious hiss escaped the girl bound behind her, but Katara ignored her as she reached for the blood on the ice next. It had mixed with the melting water of the ice, keeping it from solidifying, and now, feeling the distinct difference between the thicker liquid and the water, she separated them, drawing out every bit of foreign material from the heavier liquid, before sending it back into the wound. She took control, forcing the blood to pump back along its natural path of arteries and veins, blocking it from escaping.

"Aang," Katara said, as her hands continued to move. "I need you to take us down to the lake, where I can be under the moon. Keep us on the ice, I think the cold is helping with the bleeding."

"You'll regret this," hissed the girl. "You know the ashmaker will make you regret it!"

Katara didn't answer as a chunk of ice carved itself out beneath them and rose into the air. Then they were moving, the cool cavern air whipping over her face. She vaguely sensed Aang beside her, arms circling in a steady motion again and again as they shot toward the cave entrance, while Zuko had taken Aang's place on her other side, now the one holding up a flame for light. However, she focused entirely on what she was doing—she might be able to control the blood, but she still couldn't see, and had to go by feel alone, following the paths of the arteries and veins, adjusting when she was met with resistance. Push too hard in the wrong place, and she could undo everything. She concentrated, with every bit of care she could muster.

At last, they stopped moving, and though Katara didn't look up, she knew they would be right on the edge of the lake.

"Aang," Katara said again. "Now if you could just—hollow me out a place in the lake. Just big enough for one person."

Another movement of arms beside her, and a rumble of shifting earth told her it was done. Now Azula just needed to be moved.

The ice sat beside the lake, but though Aang carefully took up another waterbending stance, he hesitated, eying them both uncertainly. He seemed unsure he could make the transfer smoothly.

Before Katara could give any more instructions, Zuko was beside them again. He had put out the flame over his hand, the full moon overhead light enough.

"Should I…" he began, tentatively stretching out his arms toward Azula's limp form.

"Yes," Katara said immediately. "Please."

Zuko gingerly slid his arms underneath her, carefully raising her to chest height. As Katara kept a tight hold over the circulating blood, she was distantly aware of Aang beside her. Toph and Sokka were still back in the cave, keeping a watch on Nukka so she didn't get out of her earth bindings, but Zuko's mother had come with them, and now she followed Zuko to the edge of the water.

Zuko, standing up to his knees in water, slowly lowered Azula into the hollow, until she was submerged up to her neck. As he stepped out, Katara took his place, standing in the water beside Azula.

Katara raised her hands, and all the water of the circular pool began to glow, a bright silver orb like the moon above. She felt it sink deep into the wound with its healing power, and even deeper still to the chi pathways. They responded to her urging, life force redirecting itself to Azula's heart. Again and again Katara shifted fingers and arms, one form after another keeping the blood circulating, redirecting chi for healing, constantly vigilant against mistakes, reacting quickly when she felt herself pushing where she shouldn't push.

After what felt like an eternity, Katara finally let her arms fall. She bent, hands to knees, her arms feeling like stone as sweat poured down her face. At last, she raised her eyes, almost afraid to look.

Azula lay in the water, body still slack, unmoving. But then her eyes seemed to flicker behind her eyelids, and at last they opened. She surveyed them all vaguely, for a moment expressionless. Before at last her gaze settled on Zuko.

"You lied, Zuzu," she said, in a thin, croaking voice that was somehow every bit as condescending as ever. "You swore… on your honor… not to play a trick. And then you did." Eyes sliding closed, she added, "I really am… very proud of you."

Katara breathed. Then she raised her hands again. Azula was out of danger—but she still had a long night ahead of her.

A/N: One of the few chapters that remained (in essence if not in wording) mostly the same as the original version from 2017. I have to admit, the idea of using bloodbending for healing seemed a lot cleverer when I first wrote it, back when I was a relatively new Avatar fan and didn't realize pretty much everyone in the fandom has already suggested this at some point. Oh well, I guess you can't win them all.

Well, just one chapter left now, plus the epilogue. Still some editing to be done, but hoping to get them out next week, we'll see how it goes. Wish me luck!

Thank you so much for reading! If you have a moment, let me know what you thought, and hope to see you in the last ones!

Posted 9/18/23