Kya And Lee's Invitation To Lake Laogi

by moviefan-92

An alternate ending to Book 2 through Book 3. Katara manages to save Aang, but is then captured by the Dai Li and is brought before Azula, where discovers that the Fire Princess has betrayed Zuko. Now Azula has something rather sinister in mind for Katara, Zuko, and Iroh involving the Dai Li's hypnosis, and there is nothing any of them can do about it. This is their fate. COMPLETE

(A/N: Ok, here we go, a pretty lengthy one-shot that I've had in mind for a couple years now. I was inspired to write this after having read a couple other fics with similar plots/themes. Now, if you've read some of my other ATLA stories, you should know that I'm a big Zutara fan. However, I must warn you, this isn't some happy romance. Quite the contrary, it's dark, angst, tragic, and contains some sensitive material. But, hey, not all stories are sunshines and rainbows. If you're still curious though, then read on and enjoy.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

"KYA AND LEE'S INVITATION TO LAKE LAOGI"

He should have known. Zuko really should have known better. After all, Azula always lies. It had practically been his mantra as a child when dealing with his sociopathic sister. So why did he think that this time would be any different?

Of course she had only been using him. Of course she would turn against him and take all the credit for herself. He was, after all, pretty much seen as a traitor to his nation at worst and the disgraced, banished prince rejected by their father at best. Azula loved to humiliate and degrade him, so why wouldn't she claim credit for taking down the Avatar and leave him with nothing? He had been foolish to side with her, thinking she would let him have the honor for himself.

Truthfully though, she may really have actually taken down the Avatar. She had struck him with lightning as he was in the process of entering the Avatar State. And if he died in the Avatar State, then the cycle would be broken, and there would be no more Avatars. But Zuko knew something his sister didn't. The Water Tribe girl, Katara, she possesses sacred water from the spirit oasis. With her ability to heal using her Waterbending, she could, in theory, heal such a fatal wound like the one his sister had inflicted on the Avatar.

His uncle had allowed for that opportunity. As Katara had rushed to the fallen Avatar's side, Iroh had gone to their aid, fighting against Zuko, Azula, and the Dai Li. It had given Katara the opportunity she needed to escape with the Avatar. Afterwards, Iroh had surrendered, giving Zuko a look of sadness and disappointment for his decision as the Dai Li had taken him into custody.

Katara hadn't gotten far though. She made it out of the Crystal Catacombs and reunited with Sokka and Toph, but the Dai Li had been in hot pursuit. Fearing for Aang's life, afraid to move him any more than she already had, she had paused in their escape after having gained some ground when she had spotted Sokka and Toph flying in on Appa. Knowing that every second counted, she'd used the opportunity to use the spirit water to heal the lightning strike Azula had delivered rather than get them up onto the flying bison and taking off right away.

That precious seconds she had taken to heal Aang had been costly, and their group had suddenly found themselves surrounded by Dai Li agents. Katara and Toph had used their Bending to attempt to hold them off while Sokka had dragged Aang up onto Appa, and it seemed like they would make a clean escape. Unfortunately, as they had been taking off, a Dai Li agent had managed to snag Katara with one of his stone chain links just before they were out of range, yanking her off Appa as they flying bison had taken off.

Recognizing the severity of the situation, Katara had shouted for the others to leave her as she fought with the Dai Li, trying to prevent them from snagging anyone else. So it was with great reluctance that Sokka had flown off, leaving his sister behind as a prisoner of war, shouting down to her that they would find her and rescue her.

With her friends having managed to escape, Katara was dragged before Azula in the Earth King's throne room. There she found not only Iroh, but, much to her surprise, Zuko as well as prisoners of the Dai Li, the latter of which greatly confusing her since Zuko had sided with his sister rather than accept what had amounted to her offer of friendship. But she very quickly put together that Azula had betrayed him, and she couldn't help but smirk at the irony in that. Zuko had been betrayed by the one he had betrayed her for. Well, good, he deserved it.

But deserving or not, all of them now found themselves in the same boat; they were all now at Azula's mercy. And from the cruel smile she had on her face, she had some rather nefarious plans in mind for them. Katara almost wanted to be sick as the Fire Princess drabbled on about how now that the Avatar was gone and Ba Sing Se had fallen that the war was as good as won.

Well, Katara certainly wasn't going to let her know that Aang was still alive, and she hoped that the possibility of her using the spirit water to heal him would never occur to Zuko since she had revealed to him that she had it, and she thanked the gods that she hadn't wasted it trying to heal his scar.

"So," Azula said, sounding far too smug for her own good, "now that our victory is all but secure, what am I going to do with you three? As my prisoners of war, I now decide your fates."

"Prisoners, nothing!" Zuko shouted at her as he struggled against his stone-chain restraints. "You betrayed me! You said we would do this together, that I could go home!"

Azula's already cruel smile simply became one of amusement as she shook her finger at him, as if she were disciplining a misbehaving child. "Tut-tut, Zuko. It is you who are the traitor. You and Uncle. Or did you forget how the two of you teamed up with the Avatar and his friends to fight against me awhile back? Does that ring a bell, big brother?"

She got up off the Earth King's throne and casually walked over to him. "With that in mind, what makes you think I would be obligated to keep my word to a traitor? And besides, Father made it very clear that you had to capture the Avatar in order to regain your honor and return home, and you didn't. And seeing as I killed the Avatar, and in the Avatar State no less, you'll never be able to. Such a shame."

Zuko threw her an infuriated look that she simply smirked at as she walked past him. She didn't so much as glance at Iroh as she made her way over to Katara, stopping in front of her. She paused here for several long moments before turning to her and leaning in, still smirking, almost mockingly.

"So, you're the Avatar's Waterbending teacher," she commented. "Or should I say, former teacher." She cocked her head to the side in mild interest. "And I believe I heard that you're also the daughter of the chief of the Southern Water Tribe. How very… quaint."

In response, Katara spat at her, her spit splattering on Azula's face. Both Zuko and Iroh internally winced. As admirable as Katara's bravery was, it also wasn't the smartest decision given the circumstances, especially with who her defiance was against.

Azula, for her part, didn't so much as blink when Katara's spit landed on her face. Rather, she simply remained where she was for a few seconds, her expression never changing, before she calmly reached up and wiped away the spit. Then her smirk became all the more sinister and amused, an eerily strange combination, before she reached out and grabbed Katara's chin, turning her head this way and that, examining her as the Dai Li held the bound Water Tribe girl in place.

"You sure are a pretty thing," the Fire Princess commented. She finished studying her and let her go. "Yes, I think you'll do."

With that, she turned and walked away, heading back to the Earth King's throne and sitting down once more. She fixed her three prisoners with a look of cunning, and both Zuko and Iroh knew she had something quite dastardly planned for them.

"I know you consider me a monster," she told them. "And while I suppose that's true, I'm not completely without mercy or compassion. Uncle, Zuko, you know that I've been ordered by Father to bring you both in… as prisoners." She paused for a few moments for dramatic affect. "But I'm not going to do that. After all, traitors or not, you are my brother and uncle."

"So what?" Zuko asked with a scoff. "You going to let us go?"

"Hmm," Azula muttered, pretending to appear thoughtful. "Yes and no."

"And what does that mean?" Iroh asked, speaking for the first time since his capture.

Leaning forward, she folded her hands beneath her chin. "I hear that you and Zuzu run a rather successful tea shop in the upper ring under the names Mushi and Lee Hong; the Jasmine Dragon, I believe it was called. It seems that the two of you have really carved out pretty decent lives for yourselves here. In light of that, I see no reason as to why you can't simply continue on like that."

Her statement was met with silence as both Iroh and Zuko took in this information. They shared an equally as perplexed look, one that was also filled with discomfort in light of Zuko essentially turning his back on his uncle, before returning their attention to the Fire Princess.

"You would just let us go back to the lives we made for ourselves here in Ba Sing Se?" Iroh asked skeptically.

At this, Azula's smirk widened. "Well, not quite. Will I let you go back to your lives as commoners? Yes. It'll be just like it was before I came. Except that Ba Sing Se will now be under Fire Nation rule of course. However, I do have to make sure that the two of you are out of the way indefinitely. It wouldn't do to have the two of you come out as Prince Zuko and General Iroh at some point in the future. No, I'm afraid I'm just going to have to… get rid of you. Indefinitely."

Her statement was ominous and vague, but the way she said it held a promise of cruelty, and it set both Firebenders on edge. She didn't elaborate on her meaning though, instead choosing to let them sweat.

Unable to deal with the tension any longer, Zuko finally gave her what she wanted. "Enough games! What do you mean by 'get rid of us'?"

Azula's smile widened in satisfaction. "Quite simple, Zuzu. I hear that the Dai Li have a rather offensive method of dealing with troublesome citizens. A kind of brainwashing hypnosis. I think that will be rather sufficient, don't you?"

Iroh's eyes widened in shock. "You're going to have us hypnotized?"

The question was pointless, as the answer was written all over the Fire Princess' smug-filled face. "That is correct, Uncle," she replied, but then she became thoughtful. "Actually, I suppose I shouldn't call you 'Uncle' anymore. After all, you'll soon be becoming 'Mushi' for real. And you, Zuzu, you'll be becoming 'Lee'. The lives you've been living here will become your real ones. As such, I'll report both Zuko and Iroh dead, and you'll go on living here the way you have been indefinitely as Lee and Mushi. That will keep you out of my way, and you can live the rest of your lives as commoners without the burden of your pasts and true identities hanging over you."

"You can't do this!" Zuko shouted, and the Dai Li yanked him back as he lunged forward, fighting against his restraints.

Azula fixed him with a cold glare. "Oh, I assure you, Zuzu, I can. You should be thanking me. Instead of dragging you back to the Fire Nation in further disgrace to live out the rest of you lives in Father's dungeon as traitors, you'll get to live simple, happy lives as commoners. Isn't that what you were already doing anyway? Wasn't that your indefinite plan for the foreseeable future? I'm actually giving you exactly what you wanted and making it real. You think you'd be grateful. Consider it a reward for making the right decision and helping me out earlier."

Zuko and Iroh could only stare at her in horror. They had guessed that Azula had something nefarious planned for them, but they never expected this. Even Katara was surprised by the Fire Princess' intentions for them. She had seen first-hand the results of the Dai Li's hypnosis, or brainwashing, or whatever it was, with Jet. If Azula was really planning on doing that to her own family, then what horrors did she have planned for her?

"And what about me?" she demanded, trying to keep the unease out of her voice. "What are you planning to do with me?"

Azula turned her attention to the Waterbender, her amusement returning. "Ah, yes, the daughter of the Southern Water Tribe chief. Katara, was it? Yes, what am I going to do with you? I suppose you would make a valuable prisoner of war given your status. Or you would have if the Southern Water Tribe wasn't already pretty much defenseless. Your home has basically no protection left, and nearly all of your warriors have already pretty much been defeated and captured, or they soon will be. That includes your father; we're already setting a trap for him and his remaining warriors for when they plan to attack on the Day of Black Sun."

At the shocked look on Katara's face, Azula smirked at her. "Yes, we already know all about your little invasion plan and are taking steps to counter it; you really should have told the Earth King to keep his mouth shut about that. And once your plan fails, we'll have your father and the rest of his warriors. With them out of the way, we could conquer your home at any time with little to no effort, so any value you would have as a prisoner wouldn't mean as much, not compared to your father. At this point, you would be just another mouth for our prison guards to feed, and dealing with your Waterbending could be a nuisance for them. In light of that, and considering the greater value your father would have as a prisoner instead, I have a better idea of what to do with you."

She leisurely sat back as she returned her attention to Zuko, and her smile widened. "I think I'll have you receive the same hypnosis procedure as my dear uncle and brother here. Keep the three of you together, so to speak. And as the daughter of the chief, you're the closest thing you Water peasants have to royalty. So, I think you'll make a lovely wife for Zuko here. Or should I say, Lee."

If her decree of what would become of Zuko and Iroh had been surprising, this was even more so. The Fire Princess' words shocked the anger and defiance right out of Katara, and she found herself looking at Zuko. He looked just as stunned as she did, but her shock was quickly replaced by outrage as she turned back to Azula.

"What are you talking about?" she demanded furiously. "What do you mean wife?"

Azula raised an eyebrow. "Oh, do you not understand basic language? I know you Water peasants are uncivilized, but I assume you at least know what a wife is." She sighed dramatically and leaned back on the throne as she began speaking as if she were talking to a small child. "Very well, I'll spell it out for you. Zuzu and Uncle here will be subjected to the Dai Li's hypnosis to actually become Lee and Mushi Hong, the refugee commoners who run their fancy tea shop here in Ba Sing Se. I think we'll make them be father and son though rather than uncle and nephew. It's simpler that way, less questions about their family members who are no longer around. Besides that will give dear Uncle a replacement son for the one he lost when he tried to take over Ba Sing Se, and it will give Zuzu a replacement father for the one who disowned him. Rather poetic, don't you think?"

"Azula!" Zuko roared, struggling against the Dai Li to get at her.

She completely ignored him though as she continued. "As for you, Waterbender, you'll be given a new identity as well. You'll be a Water Tribe refugee who lost her whole family in the war, and while making your way to Ba Sing Se, you met these two during your travels. You and Lee fell hopelessly in love and become betrothed to each other, but you took a detour in coming here to see if you had any family alive elsewhere, only to find that you didn't, and so came here to be reunited with Mushi and Lee. You'll live together and help run the tea shop, and when you're of age, you'll marry and be one big, happy family, living the rest of your lives as commoners here in Ba Sing Se. That about clear everything up?"

Katara's anger had dissipated as the Fire Princess spoke to become stunned disbelief. She stared at Azula, completely bamboozled, unable to believe what had been told to her.

"Y-You… You can't be serious…" she stammered, not knowing what else to say.

Azula's lips curved into a cruel, amused smirk. "Oh, I'm very serious, little Water peasant. This works out best for everyone. You get a devoted husband and he gets a loving wife. And, let's face it, with that scar of his, landing a wife, let alone one as pretty as you, would be hard enough for him. It also works out better that way since you'll be hypnotized with your own backstory. No risk of contradictions, unnecessary discoveries, or running into anything that were missed with the hypnosis. I'll be sure to make sure the Dai Li do a very thorough job with you three though; we don't want any slip-ups causing problems. And this way, if I ever need to check in on you, I'll know exactly where to find the three of you."

Katara internally shook her head. No, this couldn't be happening. It couldn't! Not only was she going to be hypnotized into becoming someone else, but that person was going to be made to be betrothed, to be in love, with Zuko. Zuko, the enemy who had chased her and her friends all across the nations. Who, when he seemed to have turned over a new leaf, had betrayed her when she had extended the hand of friendship, thus leading them to their current predicament. No, this couldn't be true!

From the look on Zuko's face, he was just as mortified by this as she was, as was Iroh. Azula, however, was very clearly enjoying this, and even seemed to be struggling not to laugh as she watched them squirm.

"Don't worry," she told them almost mockingly. "Like I said, I'm not a complete monster. I'll see to it that the Dai Li make sure you're very happy together. You'll be truly, madly, deeply, passionately, irrevocably, unconditionally, completely in love with each other."

As she talked, Azula had begun rolling her eyes and wobbling her head with each adverb she had dropped in describing their love, sounding both bored and mocking at the same time. But when she took note of the horrified looks on their faces, she smiled in amusement as she continued to lay things out for them.

"You'll also have a very healthy sex life, with both of you being unable to keep your hands off each other. You can't wait to settle down and start a family together, and you'll be very loving parents. Uncle will consider the Water peasant to be the daughter he never had, and she will consider him a second father to the one she lost in the war. Honestly, I'm doing you all a favor by giving you such happy, fulfilling lives away from the horrors of war and free of the burdens of your pasts."

"Like hell!" Zuko shouted at her. "You're not trying to do us any favors or give us happy lives! You're getting a total kick out of controlling our lives and making us do this, to trap us in this… farce!"

A look of false hurt crossed Azula's face and she placed a hand over her heart, but the gleam of delight never left her eyes. "Why, Zuko, you wound me. I'm trying to be nice to you. I'm giving you a happy, simple life with an adoring wife, one who is even technically royalty, and a new, loving father instead of dragging you and Uncle back to the Fire Nation in chains for a life of imprisonment. And Uncle, I'm allowing you to continue on with the carefree life of a successful tea shop owner with a new son to replace the one you lost rather than have you face judgement for treason. And instead of rotting the dungeon as a prisoner of war, I'm giving the Water peasant a chance to start over with a new, better life. I'll even be nice enough to let you pick your new name since we can't have you using your old one."

"I'd rather rot in prison!" Katara snarled, her anger and outrage resurfacing. "I'd rather die!"

Azula just shrugged. "Well, that's too bad. Consider this the consequences for your poor choice of aiding the Avatar and your misfortune of becoming a prisoner to the soon-to-be victors of this war."

With that, she stood up tall and proud, looming over them with all the authority of Fire Nation royalty. "Seeing as you are my prisoners, I control your fates, and this is what I've decided that they will be. Be grateful for the mercy I extend rather than upset for the punishment I've handed out. You don't need to worry about anyone from your pasts interfering with your new lives. When I return to the Fire Nation to announce the Avatar's death, I'll inform them of Uncle and Zuko's demises as well. I'm sure poor Mai will be heartbroken to learn of your death, Zuzu, but she'll get over it. Don't worry though, I'll be sure to tell Father that you died honorably making the right choice; I can at least grant you that. But Uncle, I'm afraid I can't keep your treason a secret, so your death will be a dishonorable one where you fell after siding with the enemy.

"As for the Water peasant, I'll let it be known that you were executed for your opposition to the Fire Nation and aid to the Avatar so your brother, your blind friend, and any of your allies you might have will think you're dead and won't come looking for you. I hope you have very happy lives together. I'll be sure to come visit Ba Sing Se so I can attend your wedding."

With that, she dismissed them, and the Dai Li dragged the three of them off. They struggled, but were no match for the number of Earthbending Dai Li agents and their rock restraints; not even Iroh, the Dragon Of The West, could break free.

"This is all your fault!" Katara raged at Zuko, attempting to lunge at him. "You did this! Because of you, we're going to… I'm going to…" She trailed off, unable to repeat the fate Azula had decided for them, and instead settled with, "I'll never forgive you for this!"

Zuko said nothing, could say nothing, for there was nothing to say. Even Iroh remained silent, unable to find any words of comfort or encouragement to give to either of them.

They weren't even given time to come to terms with their fates, as they were immediately dragged off to separate rooms where they would be hypnotized into their new lives. Azula herself chose to oversee the procedure, wanting the hypnosis to be as strong and as affective as possible, to which the Dai Li would assure her it would be. She then looked on in fascination as Iroh was the first to undergo the hypnosis.

Next was Zuko. He put up as much of a fight as he could, but there was no escaping his restraints, and the Dai Li were too great in number even if he could. Azula watched the whole ordeal with a big, satisfied smirk on her face, taunting him with how it was already too late for Iroh and that she was doing this for his own good.

Zuko wasn't fooled for a minute. This was just like Azula. She wasn't doing any of this out of compassion or mercy, but for her own twisted entertainment; even the act she was putting on by pretending she was doing him a favor was for her own amusement. The whole giving him a new life with a caring father and a loving fiancée, that wasn't for him, she was getting a kick out of the whole thing. It was undoubtedly a twisted form of torture she was dishing out, having him replace Iroh's dead son and his uncle replace the father who didn't want him. In a way, doing this was even more cruel, giving them this false, happy life, as if to mock them with it.

As for Katara, this was especially cruel to her. Making her of all people his betrothed, making them have this so-called deep and loving relationship, "unable to keep their hands off each other" as Azula had said, what a joke. His sister undoubtedly found the thought of forcing them into such a relationship to be hilarious. A whole loving relationship neither of them wanted, that was nothing more than a farce, when they were actually enemies. Yes, Azula truly was cruel.

And there wasn't a single thing they could do about it. Never did he regret trusting his sister more than he did now. He really had been a fool, so desperate for his father's love, his home, his honor, that he had stepped right into her trap, condemning his uncle and Katara in the process as well. How could he have been such an idiot? Azula always lied. And now she was going to make him, Iroh, and Katara live a lie. Not only would she indefinitely be getting them out of her way, she would take credit for killing the Avatar.

Well, the joke was on her. As deadly as her direct lightning attack had been, Zuko knew that the Avatar was alive. Katara had showed him that spirit water she had, and he had no doubt that Katara had used that to heal him. He may be out of commission for a while, but Zuko was certain that the Avatar was still alive; Katara wouldn't let him die. He just wished he could see it when that revelation blew up in his sister's face, preferably in front of their father.

But speaking of Katara, Zuko knew that however bad this was for him and Iroh, it was far worse for her. Azula didn't have any real gripes with her, she was just a pawn in this twisted game his sister was playing. He was pretty sure the Waterbender utterly despised him, especially after the way he had betrayed her in the Crystal Catacombs. To know that she was going to be forced to wed him, to love him against her will, regardless of how much she actually hated him, he truly pitied her.

And he was right to do so. After the Dai Li finished with Zuko, they moved on to her. She put up a fight as well, even more fiercely than Zuko or Iroh did, but without a water source to Bend, it was utterly futile, and she soon found herself strapped to a chair like all the others the Dai Li had done this to.

Like with Zuko and Iroh, Azula was present for her hypnosis as well, even taunting her with how she was going to make sure the Waterbender kept her brother very happy, particularly in the bedroom. And true to her word, the Fire Princess even allowed Katara to pick out a new name for herself.

She had refused to answer at first, unwilling to play Azula's game. However, when the Fire Princess eventually told her that if she didn't pick one on her own, then she would pick one for her, and she would make sure that it would be a name that Katara would hate. With that thought in mind, and the hopelessness of the situation finally settling in, Katara had hung her head in defeat and whispered, "Kya".

Then she too had undergone the hypnosis. And once they had finished with her, she, like Zuko and Iroh had been, was told that "The Earth King has invited her to Lake Laogi". And just like them, she was "Honored to accept his invitation".

And so it was later that day that Mushi, Lee, and Kya left the secret facilities that Iroh, Zuko, and Katara had been dragged into, returning to the small home the former two had been staying in, only now with a new resident.

Katara's presence in the Hong household did in fact raise a few questions from those that knew Zuko and Iroh, and her sudden employment at the Jasmine Dragon didn't go without notice either; it was a rather popular tea shop. All of that was easily explained away though, as per the story Azula orchestrated for their pasts. Katara was Zuko's betrothed from before he and Iroh had arrived in Ba Sing Se, who had come to live with them after losing her family to the war. Even her mother's necklace she wore was passed off as her own betrothal necklace, gifted to her by her own fiancé. And with the rapid way the Fire Nation was taking over, no one really questioned her past, just like they didn't with Zuko and Iroh, knowing the tragedies of war that fell upon individuals was something people preferred not to talk about.

Being hypnotized was a… unique experience. For all intents and purposes, Katara, Zuko, and Iroh were gone, and in their place was Kya, Lee, and Mushi. Of course, who they really were may have been gone, but not entirely. They were still there, beneath the surface, the thoughts and memories of their former selves unable to come out, locked away by the Dai Li's hypnosis. It was as if someone else, someone identical, was thinking for them, feeling for them, both physically and emotionally, forcing them to go through the same experiences as their false identities, while what the real them actually thought and felt stayed confined with their real identities.

In a way, it was almost like being trapped inside themselves, passengers in their own bodies, so to speak. There, but not quite there, prisoners in their own minds. The new identities the Dai Li had shaped them into were the only things that were displayed. And while they were still themselves, they were unable to access the parts of themselves that were Katara, Zuko, and Iroh, those parts of themselves being suppressed and unable to come out or be acknowledged by their Lee, Kya, and Mushi selves, but still being fully aware of everything from the deepest recesses of their minds that they were confined in.

Despite how the experience sounded should their real selves they try describe it to someone, it wasn't possession, nor was it a separate identity controlling their bodies, or some kind of split personality. Rather, their true selves were still present, but unable to do anything. Their old selves were locked away to be replaced by alternate versions of them with the exact same personalities, just with different histories and false memories.

It was like the Dai Li had reached into their heads and extracted the parts of them they didn't want there and locked them in the next room, then put their new parts in their place to make them into Kya, Lee, and Mushi, leaving them unable to think or act outside of who their new identities were, not knowing that their real selves were locked in the next room, unable to acknowledge them or let them out even if they did, only allowing them to think, act, and feel as their new selves would.

It was as if they were the same people but had simply been given different pasts. Which, for the most part, was the same way their real selves would think and act. For Zuko and Iroh, it was no different than going back to their lives as Lee and Mushi, only instead of pretending their real pasts didn't exist, they were unable to acknowledge them, and were instead bound to their new identities.

It was the same for Katara, only she was starting over for the first time as Kya. It was like putting on an act without actually putting on an act. And all the while, her real self was trapped in the confines of her mind she was unable to access, screaming and fighting to get out, but unable to. On the one hand, she felt everything "Kya" would, but the part of her that was Katara, that would have thought and felt the way Katara would, was diverted to the part of her mind that her identity, memories, and feelings as Katara were sealed away in, leaving only Kya behind on the outside.

While her two identities were identical in nature, essentially making them the same person under different circumstances due to the two of them having different backstories, it was only the Kya persona that was allowed to interact with the world while the Katara part of her was kept in check. No one would be able to tell the difference between the two should they meet Kya and Katara as actual separate individuals, but the part of her that was Katara, whose past had shaped her into the person she was rather than the false past that had shaped her into Kya, knew the difference in how she would have felt or acted as Katara rather than Kya, but was unable to do anything outside of her identity as Kya since the Kya part of her was unaware of it. All that was Katara was suppressed along with everything else, still self-aware, but completely suppressed by the Kya part of her.

Was this what it had been like for Jet too? The part of himself that the memories the Dai Li wanted forgotten and the part of him that reacted to those memories sealed away while the Jet with a false past was on the surface, unaware of the real part of himself. Had the real Jet been trapped while the Jet that believed he no longer had his Freedom Fighters went about his life? Or when he had been made to attack them, had the real Jet been unable to stop himself as his body acted out due to his hypnosis?

But Jet had managed to free himself from his hypnosis. The Katara part of her remembered that, and it gave her hope that she could too. The only problem was that for him, she had used her healing Waterbending on him to try and undo his hypnosis, weakening it enough for him to come back enough to access his sealed away memories, allowing him to slowly regain them as his real self slipped through the cracks her Waterbending had made in his hypnosis until he was able to finally break free and come back completely. It gave her hope that she could break free too. And while there was no one to weaken the hypnosis on her, she never did stop fighting against it.

It was a strange sensation, almost like having a different thought process, but only the one that was Kya being allowed to come out. Such was the case when the Fire Nation was now in command of Ba Sing Se. The Kya part of her begrudgingly accepting this misfortune, refusing to believe that the Avatar was actually gone, believing and hoping that he would one day return to defeat the Fire Lord and save the world. The Katara part of her though knew that Aang was still alive and wanted to seek out him and the others to continue to help them in the war. But all those thoughts and feelings were diverted to the rest of the Katara part of her that was suppressed, and instead Kya went about as Kya would.

That part of her knew that what her Kya self was doing was wrong. Katara wouldn't reluctantly accept Fire Nation rule. She wouldn't just go about her life and hope the war turned around; she had gone through that already before she and Sokka had discovered Aang in that iceberg. No, she would fight, she would resist, she would sneak out of the city and find her friends and brother.

But Kya had never gone through those experiences, and so didn't do any of that; such thoughts were never even acknowledged since they were Katara's. After all, Kya didn't even have a brother anymore; he was killed along with the rest of her family, and she had never met Aang or Toph. And so "Katara" could only scream in frustration from the depths of her mind at her inability to act the way she wanted to, the way she needed to while "Kya" fumed about having to live under the Fire Nation's rule with her future husband and father-in-law.

Which was its own complex issue. True to Azula's words, she had arranged it for Kya and Lee to be hopelessly in love with each other. This was, perhaps, the most difficult part for their real suppressed selves. Kya and Lee were indeed in a very deep and loving relationship. Those who saw them would even call them the perfect couple. The Katara and Zuko parts of themselves though knew that this was all wrong They felt the love and affection Kya and Lee felt for each other as if they were experiencing it themselves. However, those parts of them knew that what they felt wasn't real, that it was just the hypnosis making them feel this way, that they didn't feel the way they did for the other person.

The Kya and Lee parts of them though felt no such apprehension. They knew only of the love they had for their intended, and anything Katara and Zuko thought or felt about each other was diverted and suppressed along with everything else that was their real selves. And as Azula had decreed, they were unable to keep their hands off each other, regardless of the Katara and Zuko parts if themselves screaming for them to cease such intimacies. At the very least though, despite their lustful desires for each other, Lee was unwilling to dishonor Kya by taking her to bed before they were married.

Likewise, Iroh, or, rather, Mushi, was a dotting surrogate father to Kya, treating her just as he would were she his real daughter. There was also the change of him going from being Lee's uncle to being his father, which caused some confusion to those who already knew them to be uncle and nephew, but that was brushed aside as misunderstandings and miscommunication, and so it was rather quickly established that the two of them were indeed father and son rather than uncle and nephew.

Despite the sufficiency of the hypnosis, the Dai Li still checked on them regularly to make sure it was still in effect. There was never any cause for concern though, as the Dai Li had ended up being very thorough with the hypnosis. There was never any trouble from Katara, Zuko, or Iroh. They were simple Earth Kingdom residents running a fancy tea shop, showing no signs of rebellion, not against the new leaders the Fire Nation had put in charge of the city or against the Fire Nation itself.

Despite the disdain the three of them felt having to live under Fire Nation rule, Kya, Lee, and Iroh did indeed find themselves living simple, happy, fulfilling lives, and those same feelings were felt by their true selves as if they were experiencing them as well. It was a strange confliction of emotions for those parts of them with Kya, Lee, and Mushi enjoying life and being happy while their real selves hated their predicament. They felt all the emotions, had all the same thoughts as their new identities, but knew they weren't their own, and they fell into conflict with the way they would and should be feeling if they were not hypnotized. Of course, their new identities were completely ignorant of their former selves' thoughts and feelings, let alone the inner conflict it caused them, and they simply went about their everyday lives.

Time passed, and while the three of them proceeded to go about their lives, the war continued to rage on outside of the walls. And then, on the day of the Black Sun, a shocking revelation was made. The Avatar was revealed to still be alive. Apparently, he had been secretly gathering allies, and an attack had been made on the Fire Nation Capital by the opposing nations while the Firebenders had been unable to Firebend, and the Avatar had led the invasion. And while the attack had ultimately ended in failure due to Azula having knowledge of it and being prepared, Aang had managed to escape.

But just the knowledge that the Avatar was still alive filled the others nations with hope. Kya had been particularly hopeful, now that her belief in his survival had been confirmed, while the Katara part of her had rejoiced and been overcome with relief, as there had been an underlying fear that Aang wouldn't survive, despite her having used the spirit water on him. Knowing he was alive, she had faith that he would be able to defeat the Fire Lord one day and save the world. And, hopefully, find out that she was still alive too and be able to help her.

Lee had been somewhat indifferent, since as long as the war didn't affect him or those he cared about, he wasn't all that invested in what had happened with the other nations, while the Zuko part of himself had relished at the thought at how this made perfect Azula appear to their father, showing that not only had she failed to capture or dispose of the Avatar, she had actually lied to him about it; although, knowing her, she would probably come up with some kind of excuse to get herself out of trouble.

Not that Kya or Lee were even aware of how the Katara and Zuko parts of themselves felt.

More time passed, and the day of Sozin's Comet arrived. According to the news that had come out in the days that followed it's coming and passing, Ozai had planned on finally bringing the war to an end and crowning himself as the Phoenix King of the world while naming Azula the new Fire Lord. However, after her deceit and failure regarding the Avatar being believed to be dead, that right had been taken away until she had earned it. And she had been meant to do that by using the power of Sozin's Comet to burn down the entire Earth Kingdom.

Fortunately, this had been prevented by the Avatar and his allies interfering. The opposing nations had hit the Fire Nation hard as well, much harder than anyone had expected, delivering a rather crippling blow to the seemingly unstoppable nation while their guard had been down, thinking they had all but won the war and would be invincible with their enhanced Firebending the comet granted them. As for Aula's attempt at genocide on the Earth Kingdom, the Avatar and his allies managed to distract her from her goal long enough for Sozin's Comet to pass, effectively ruining her homicidal plan, before making a swift retreat. And so, the war continued.

Years passed. The war went on, but Ba Sing Se remained relatively unaffected despite the Fire Nation's rule over it, allowing Katara, Zuko, and Iroh to continue on with their lives as Kya, Lee, and Mushi, making new friends and carving out new lives for themselves in the great city. And for the most part, they led happy, contentful, everyday lives as commoners.

The Jasmine Dragon was a big success, pulling in plenty of business in the upper ring thanks to Mushi's professional skills as a tea master. People came from all over the city to have his tea and receive excellent service. And every time Azula made an appearance to Ba Sing Se, she would always make time to visit "her favorite" tea shop, always closely watching the shop owner and his employees with the utmost amusement, but never interacting with them.

And then the day finally came. Shortly after Kya became of age, the long-awaited wedding between her and Lee took place. On the surface, the two of them were as happy as any loving couple could be, and even Mushi allowed tears of joy to slide down his cheeks out of happiness for his son and soon to be daughter-in-law. Underneath it though, buried deep in the confines of their minds where their true selves were locked away, the three of them screamed in rebellion at the wrongness of it all.

And yet their new identities were none the wiser to these parts of themselves as the ceremony took place, with Kya and Lee staring at their intended with the utmost love and joy, heedless of any suppressed resentment. The Katara and Zuko parts of themselves struggled harder than ever to break free of their confinement as Kya and Lee exchanged vows, declaring their everlasting love and commitment to each other before sealing their union as Mr. and Mrs. Hong with a kiss amongst all their friends and other attendants.

Including family. Not that the Kya and Lee parts of themselves were aware of that, seeing as they believed that aside from Mushi that the rest of their families were gone. Regardless, Azula was still in attendance for their wedding. She'd had the Dai Li keep an ear out for when the wedding date between them would be, and all but invited herself under the guise that she wouldn't want to miss the marriage of the son of her favorite tea shop owner. Neither Kya and Lee were happy about the fact that the Fire Princess was attending their wedding, but they couldn't exactly refuse her presence.

She watched the ceremony take place with an amused smile on her face, looking like she was trying not to laugh the entire time. She had even been "kind" enough to provide them with a wedding gift, which consisted of a jar of exotic massage oil, telling them they could use it for their wedding night and honeymoon, looking on the verge of laughing when she said as much, though Kya and Lee couldn't seem to figure out what she found it so amusing.

And yes, their wedding night did indeed come. After a rather glamorous and joyful ceremony and reception, of which Mushi spared no expense, Lee carried his new bride over the threshold of their apartment home where the two newlyweds would consummate their union for the first time. Once again, the Katara and Zuko parts of themselves fought back with everything they had, but alas, it was futile. Kya and Lee remained ignorant to these parts of themselves as they finally gave in to their desire for each other, holding nothing back as they made love for the first time.

As far as wedding nights went, it was everything two people in love could hope for and more. Passionate, loving, pleasurable. Truly a beautiful experience as they cried out each other's names, along with those of several different spirits and deities, while bringing each other to the heights of ecstasy again and again. And by the end of it, Kya wept tears of joy as her husband held her in a loving embrace, both of them thoroughly satisfied. And yet, in another corner of her mind, the Katara part of her internally wept as well, only for an entirely different reason that went by unnoticed by her Kya self, feeling utterly violated and overcome with shame and guilt for Kya part of her that took enjoyment out of it, thus by extension forcing her to as well.

It was truly a conflicting experience for them both, with the Zuko and Katara parts of their minds resisting and attempting to break free with everything they had, even as they felt the love and pleasure their bodies and alternate selves experienced. Had the experience been with someone the suppressed parts of their minds actually loved, it would have been utterly perfect, but as far as Kya and Lee were concerned, it was, leaving their true selves with a conflicting mix of emotions involving feelings of false love and resentment.

Elsewhere, staying with a friend to give the newlyweds complete privacy and full use of the apartment, while Mushi joyfully celebrated Kya and Lee's wedding, the Iroh part of him despaired for Katara and Zuko. And while Kya and Lee left for their honeymoon the next day, he took the liberties to move his daughter-in-law's things into the larger room he and Lee had been sharing while he moved his own belongings into the guest room that she had been staying in.

And yet life went on. A little over a year after their wedding, Kya and Lee moved out of the apartment and got one of their own close by, of which Mushi was a frequent visitor to. They also left the Jasmine Dragon to go into fields of work of their own. With Ba Sing Se under Fire Nation rule, there was no longer a need for Lee to hide the fact that he was a Firebender, and he used his abilities to become a blacksmith. He also, on the side, used his skills with his duo swords to teach swordsmanship to those who wished to learn it.

As for Kya, there was never a need to hide the fact that she was a Waterbdender, and with her skills, she became an accomplished healer, using her Waterbending to heal the sick and the wounded. They still helped out at the Jasmine Dragon on occasion, but Mushi had been able to acquire his own staff while the two of them made a living on their own that allowed for a simple but fulfilling life.

And it was a good life, all things considered. Even their suppressed true selves could reluctantly admit that. Despite the circumstances, they were living good, happy lives. They experienced the same enjoyments their outer selves did as if they weren't hypnotized. It was only the fact that their lives were not their own and that everything was built on a lie that was the issue. But if this really had been their lives, if they really had been born as Kya, Lee, and Mushi, and the backstory the Dai Li had given them were real, then yes, life would have been good. In truth, there were even times where they found themselves wishing that the pasts that they had been given and the lives they were living were their real backstories and lives.

Just as Azula had orchestrated, Kya and Lee's desire for each other never wavered. They loved each other passionately and fiercely, feeling none of the resentment and resistance that came from their true selves. As the Fire Princess had also arranged, they indeed had a very healthy sex life. And all the while, the Katara and Zuko parts of themselves were forced to go along for the ride, experiencing it all on both a physical and emotional level, as if they really were Kya and Lee. Which, in truth, they were. The two of them were simply parts of Kya and Lee that their other selves were unaware of. But for all intents and purposes, they were a very loving couple.

And then the time came. Three years into their marriage, Kya stopped mixing her contraceptive herbs into her tea. And two months later, she was pregnant. Yet while the Kya part of her had rejoiced, the Katara part of her had despaired. Not at the prospect of having a child, but at who she was having it with. As deep and loving as Kya and Lee's relationship was, it was not that way for the Katara and Zuko parts of themselves, their replacement identities lacking the truth of their pasts.

Lee was an attentive and adoring, if somewhat a little possessive, husband, and his protectiveness and adoration for his wife only increased when she was with child. In another section of his mind, the Zuko part, he was overcome with guilt. Although this was ultimately all Azula's doing, he couldn't help but feel the blame, especially since he had betrayed Katara's trust in favor of his sister, thus leading to their capture and predicament. The Lee part of him though felt no such guilt, was not even aware of his true self's past actions, knowing only love for his wife and unborn child, and the joy at the thought of becoming a father.

Nine months later, after a somewhat lengthy labor, during which Lee did his best to support his wife, Kya gave birth to a healthy baby boy. As the newborn's cries echoed throughout the room, Kya shed her own tears of joy as she cradled her son in her arms. And in that one corner of her mind, the Katara part of her wept as well. These, however, were not tears of sorrow or despair. Rather, they too were tears of joy and love she had for the child she held. For regardless of the circumstances, or how it came to be, this was still her son, and she loved him dearly, as both Kya and Katara.

Lee too had unshed tears in his own eyes as he stared down at their son, an arm around his wife while the newborn grasped the finger of his other hand. Like with Katara, the Zuko part of his mind felt his heart swell with love for his child, and that was most definitely not something that came from the Lee part of him alone or his hypnosis. This love for this tiny life he had was real.

Finally managing to tear their eyes away from their son, Kya and Lee looked at each other. Despite the Katara and Zuko parts of themselves being locked away in the furthest depths of their minds, it was impossible for them to truly be suppress completely. Sometimes, traces of their true selves managed to slip through the cracks. They were impossible to notice unless one knew what to look for, but they were there.

It was in the eyes. Small, minuscule indications of what the Katara and Zuko parts of themselves were thinking and feeling could be seen in them in these instances, but only for a split second. Regardless, the Katara and Zuko parts of them had come to be able to recognize these instances when they caught them, and over the years, they had gotten good at reading what they meant, even though they were only for the briefest moments, all while Kya and Lee never noticed, were never allowed to notice.

It happened again, just now as they locked eyes. Like always, it only lasted for a brief instant, but they both read what was going on with the other's real selves loud and clear. Something had changed. This changed things. They now had a child together. No matter how Katara felt about Zuko, he had given her this cherished child that she already loved more than anything.

It was the same for him. She too had given him a son that he too loved more than he thought possible. The circumstances were not what they had wanted, as much as they hated their predicament and whatever they felt towards each other, everything that had happened to them had led to this moment, for them to have created this beloved child together.

It was also, in that instant, that they both stopped fighting everything. Ever since they had been hypnotized, the Katara and Zuko parts of themselves had been fighting. Fighting to break free, rebelling against this farce Azula had forced them into for her own amusement, desperately hoping that one day they would return to themselves and become who they were once more. But now they were both done. They gave into their fates, falling into their roles and resigning themselves to truly being Kya and Lee as they accepted these lives that they had made for themselves.

Almost as if their resignation had been some kind of indicator for Kya and Lee as well, the couple leaned in and shared a loving and heated kiss. And from a distance, Mushi happily watched the new parents, his own eyes wet with unshed tears. Like with Katara and Zuko, he too had begun to pick up on and be able to read what their real selves were thinking and feeling the few times he spotted them. And he saw the ones that had appeared here and now that had quickly passed between the two.

Truthfully, even though he was in the same boat as them, this whole experience had come much easier for him. He had already accepted that he would have to leave behind his past as Iroh and had fully committed to giving his life over to living as Mushi even before he had been hypnotized. And, truth be told, he had been rather happy and content to start over with that life. He had ultimately still been able to live the life he wanted; the Dai Li's hypnotism had simply given him no choice in the matter and prevented any possibilities of Iroh slipping through his façade.

But he knew that the same hadn't been true of Katara and Zuko. Azula truly had been cruel to them, and his sorrow hadn't been so much for himself as it had been for them, knowing that these weren't the lives they would have chosen for themselves, and most definitely not the person they would have chosen to be with.

However, he recognized the resignation and acceptance that had passed between them just now, and it gave him a sense of relief, a relief and hope that the Katara and Zuko part of themselves would now be able to find contentment and peace with their lives and predicament. As he had learned long ago when he had lost his son in the war, sometimes you just had to accept your lot in life and make the most with what you had, even if you wished things were different.

And so, just as it always did, time passed. More years went by. While Kya still kept up her practices as a healer, she primarily chose to be a housewife and stay at home mother to her and Lee's son, who they named Koga. She still offered services to whoever stooped by and needed aid, and she still made house calls, but mostly spent her days taking care of her son.

Lee continued to work as a blacksmith, but he was always eager to return home to his wife and son, the two greatest lights of his life. Mushi, likewise, continued to run the Jasmine Dragon, though he had now become an almost daily visitor to Kya and Lee's home, both to help with the baby and to be a loving, dotting grandfather to Koga.

As the years went by, Koga grew. He was a well-behaved, energetic child that had a happy life in a loving household, despite Ba Sing Se being under Fire Nation rule. Mushi would joke how he was most definitely his parents' son. With the eyes of his father and the hair color of his mother, his facial features and skin-tone a blend of them both. And when he was older, he began showing signs of being a Firebender, which allowed for some good father and son bonding time that Kya watched with pride, if a little envy. Yes, despite the circumstances, both the Katara and Zuko parts of themselves could admit that if one good thing had come from everything that Azula had put them through, it was their son.

Outside the city, the war continued. Under Fire Nation rule, Fire Nation propaganda had been pushed on the citizens of Ba Sing Se; propaganda that very few bought into, but never spoke against, lest the Dai Li come for them. This had included a play that supposedly accurately depicted the story of the Avatar and his conflict with the Fire Nation. The play had originally been performed by the Ember Island Players, but had since been picked up by other theaters.

The Hong family had gone to see it together one night, and while Kya, Lee, and Mushi had observed the play with interest, the true parts of themselves watched with a mixture of sorrow, outrage, and, strangely, humor at some parts. While the play had gotten nearly very thing right, there were certain details that were rather off-based, particularly with the portrayal of several of the characters.

The play even depicted what had happened back in the Crystal Catacombs where they had been captured. In it, however, it showed a very different outcome from what had actually taken place, no doubt due to what Azula had reported. After the actress playing her had struck down the actress, yes, actress, playing Aang and the actor for Iroh had stepped in to help, the actress playing Katara had used her Waterbending to kill the actor playing Zuko. The Zuko actor had died screaming for honor via a deadly icicle the Katara actress had thrown at him before escaping with the actress for Aang.

Meanwhile, the performers playing Azula and Iroh had fought to the death, with the princess coming out as the victor. From there, the Katara actress had reunited with the actors playing her brother and Toph, the latter of which was played by a large, hulking, muscular man. She managed to hand the Aang actress off to them before she was captured by a number of actors portraying the Dai Li, after which she was sentenced to death for killing Zuko with the Azula actress overseeing her execution.

The play had continued onward, showing what had occurred after Katara's execution, portraying the Day of Black Sun as a terrorist attack on the Fire Nation and Azula's attempt to burn down the Earth Kingdom as a brave defense against a planned attack of Earthbending terrorists. The play even took the liberties of portraying the predicted outcome of the future, having the actor playing Ozai defeat and kill the Aang actress in battle, then declaring himself to be the supreme ruler of the world. It was a very bleak outlook for all who saw the play, though no one dared to say so out loud.

"Did you see that that Prince Zuko guy had a scar on his face like you, Daddy?" the currently six-year-old Koga asked as they left the play.

Lee nodded; burn scars from anyone who faced Fire Nation soldiers were fairly common, for obvious reasons. "Yes, I saw."

"Only his scar was on the other side of his face," his son noted.

A light chuckle escaped his father. "I noticed. Good thing too, or else people may mistake me for him."

But despite what the play had predicted for the future though, it seemed that Fate had other plans. A couple years later, word had begun to spread that the war was finally over. And no, it was not the Fire Nation that had been victorious. From what was being told, the Fire Nation royalty had been overthrown. Azula had been arrested, her mind having completely snapped. She was officially diagnosed as being certifiably insane and was to be locked away for life.

As for Ozai, he too had been arrested, and, if the rumors were to be believed, the Avatar had somehow managed to take away his Firebending. And with their leaders removed from power and the Avatar now in full control of the Avatar State, the Fire Nation had surrendered, the 100 Year War finally coming to an end.

There was rejoicing all around, including in Ba Sing Se, and in the Hong household as well, even more so from the Katara part of Kya, and even the Zuko and Iroh parts of Lee and Mushi. At long last, the tyranny of the Fire Nation royal family was at an end.

A great many things happened after that. In the months that followed, it was revealed that the former Fire Lady Ursa was still alive, coming out of hiding after years, and with a new husband and daughter as well, the latter of which was named the future heir to the throne. Ursa was then quickly placed on the Fire Nation throne as the new ruler, and worked with the Avatar and other nations to establish peace. All prisoners were set free, including Chief Hokoda, who returned to the Southern Water Tribe while Sokka remained with Aang and Toph, the three of them having been joined by Suki several years ago after they broke her out of prison.

The conquered lands that had been taken over by the Fire Nation during the war were returned, the leadership the conquering nation had placed in them removed. This included Ba Sing Se, where the Earth King was returned to power once he and his bear had returned from their journey. The Dai Li were removed from their positions, as were all the corrupt officials who had worked for Long Feng before Azula had taken charge of the operation he had been running to maintain control of the city, but not before they destroyed all records of their wrongdoings, both from their time serving Long Feng and Azula, and not one of them was willing to talk about anything they had done while under their command, determined to take their secrets with them to the grave no matter what.

And then, one day, five months after the war had ended, it finally happened. Kya, Lee, and a now eight-year-old Koga were having a family outing in the marketplace. Koga had spotted his friends playing a game and asked to go play with them. His parents had allowed it, and had watched as their son went off to play. Not too long later though, an official of the Earth King had arrived, declaring he had a very important announcement from the Earth King.

"Please, everyone, gather around and listen closely," he said loudly to everyone in hearing distance. "This announcement is being made in every section of the city, so please pay attention, because I have a lot of places to get to. If this announcement doesn't mean anything to you, then please discard it, as it does not apply to you, but I need you all to listen very closely."

The crowd had gathered around to hear the announcement, including Kya and Lee, who stood side-by-side, wondering what announcement was going to be made. The official waited until he was sure that he had everyone's attention before he spoke in a loud, clear voice.

"The Earth King has indefinitely retracted his invitation to Lake Laogi," he declared. "I repeat, the Earth King has indefinitely retracted his invitation to Lake Laogi."

His statement was met with silence, leaving most of the crowd confused as to what he meant. But then, after several long moments, a voice cried out from the crowd. "I remember! By the gods, I remember!"

"Me too!" someone else exclaimed. "I remember too! I'm me again!"

"I'm free!" a third person shouted. "I'm… I'm free!"

These were the only three reactions from the crowd, everyone else remained bewildered by the official's announcement, and were now even more perplexed by these outbursts from the three individuals.

Despite being in the same crowd, there were no cries of exclamation from Kya or Lee. Instead, they stood in silence, their eyes as wide as saucers. As the official had spoken those words, and those words in that particular order, the floodgates had opened, and everything that was Katara and Zuko came forth. Years' worth of suppressed and diverted thoughts, memories, and feelings came rushing in, their true selves freed from the confinements of the hypnosis and pouring into Kya and Lee.

They remembered. Kya and Lee remembered everything. No, Katara and Zuko remembered everything. Who they were, what had happened, everything that they, their true selves, had thought and felt while under the hypnosis, everything that had been diverted to the parts of their minds where the real them had been locked away in, it all came in like a tidal wave. Years of thoughts and emotions they hadn't been allowed to feel, that had been sealed away and never noticed, were now laid bare, everything their true selves had undergone while they had been Kya and Lee, it was finally hitting them as they reverted to their true selves.

It was soul-crushing, gut-retching. To finally have their true selves back over nearly a decade and a half, to know who they really were, to feel what they would have felt all along had they not been hypnotized, to have all that was diverted in order for them to remain Kya and Lee be brought to the surface, even the word overwhelming didn't do it just.

Neither moved, neither spoke, not even as the official bowed and departed. The crowd had then begun to disperse as well, clearly confused, as the three other people who had been freed from their own hypnosis continued to cause a scene, two of them with a mixture of joy and sorrow, the other with joy and anger at what had been done to them.

Katara and Zuko simply remained frozen in place, both their hands shaking. Then, finally, tears began to pour down Katara's cheeks. She didn't weep or wail, but the tears flowed all the same. Old tears she had been unable to cry for so long while trapped in her own mind, and new tears for finally being able to cry them now.

Next to her, Zuko didn't cry, but he stood paralyzed by what he felt. It must have been two or three minutes before he was able to move at all, and when he could, he felt himself slowly turning to look at Katara. And then, as if sensing his gaze on her, she turned to face him as well.

They didn't speak, they didn't move. After all, what did one do, what did one say, in such a situation? How did one react to learning that their whole lives were a lie, to having their real lives suddenly dropped back in their laps, to discovering that the feelings you had for a person were a fabricated farce while having your real feelings for that person suddenly clash with those feelings, to feel how your real self felt in contrast to everything your false self felt? What could either of them say to each other?

Though their expressions never changed from the stunned looks on their faces, countless emotions flashed through their eyes. Zuko could read in Katara's eyes all kinds of things he expected to see there. Rage, sorrow, hatred, just to name a few. She fully looked like she might want to kill him where he stood. But then he saw other unexpected emotions. Sympathy, compassion, heartbreak even. And upon seeing such emotions in her gaze, he realized that he felt them as well.

And why not? Their memories and emotions had been tampered with in order to turn them into Kya and Lee, but Kya and Lee had still been Katara and Zuko, merely under different circumstances in another life. What Kya and Lee had felt for each other, it had felt real, and for all intents and purposes, had been real. They were Kya and Lee. Different names and different backstories aside, they were still the same people.

But now conflicting realities clashed together, their perfect world shattered by the reality that had been hidden behind the veil. The Katara and Zuko parts of themselves were now finally free, bringing with them all the thoughts and emotions Kya and Lee had been unable to feel or even notice over the past several years to contrast with the feelings they had felt while under the hypnosis, for all intents and purposes, merging both parts of themselves together. By the gods, how did one come to terms with all that?

Whatever may or may not have been said between them in that instance would forever remain unknown, for at that moment, Koga all but crashed into his parents, occupying the space between them, an arm going around each of their waists.

"Mommy, Daddy, what was that man talking about?" he asked cheerfully. "When did the Earth King invite us to Lake Laogi?"

Both their attention went from each other down to their son. The young boy was completely ignorant to the thoughts and turmoil going through his parents. He hummed happily as he clung to them, not yet realizing the distress they were going through.

Slowly, they looked back up at each other, this time with looks on their faces of being lost. Their perfect world may have crumbled apart, but the lives they had lived while under the Dai Li's hypnosis had been real, and it wasn't going to disappear now that their true selves were free. Kya and Lee hadn't vanished, for they had been Katara and Zuko the whole time, even if they hadn't known it. There was no simply going back to the way things were before their hypnosis, it was impossible.

"Mommy, why are you crying?" Koga asked worriedly.

Katara looked back down at her son, at her and Zuko's son. He had noticed her tears and was now looking at her in concern. She simply stared at him for several long moments before her hands clenched into fists and she collected herself.

Sniffing loudly, she reached up and wiped her tears before forcing a smile onto her face and bending down so she was eyelevel with him before patting his head affectionately.

"It's nothing for you to worry about," she assured him. "Mommy's just a little sad because we're no longer invited to Lake Laogi. We were… um… going to take you there for your birthday and have a big, extra special party for your party."

Koga's face broke into a smile. "Mommy, my birthday isn't for four more months."

Katara's smile became more genuine as she stroked his cheek. "I know, sweetheart, I know." She then pulled him in for a tight hug. "Mommy loves you so much."

"I know, Mommy. I love you too. Now let go, you're hugging me too tight."

But Katara didn't let him go, nor did she loosen her hold, not for several more seconds, and not before pressing a kiss to his cheek. And as she released him and he pulled away, Zuko knelt down beside him as well, placing a hand to the back of Koga's head and pulling him into his chest.

"I love you too, kiddo," he said, kissing the top of his son's head.

"Guy's, stop it; my friends are right there," Koga complained as he shook off his father's hold, giving his parents strange looks. "Geez, you guys are being weird."

Zuko gave him a smile. "Like your mother said, it's nothing for you to worry about. Now go back to playing with your friends."

Clearly embarrassed by the parental public display of affection he had received in front of his friends, Koga quickly rejoined the other children, leaving both Katara and Zuko alone. They both rose to their feet as they watched their son play, both of them lost in their own thoughts, not once looking at each other.

Finally though, Zuko glanced at his wife, unable to not acknowledge the situation any longer. "Katar–"

"Kya," she said insistently before he even finished speaking her name. Slowly she looked at him, her gaze stern and adamant. "My name is Kya."

Zuko's eyes widened as he stared at her in surprise, her expression completely serious. Years of picking up what she felt behind the hypnosis by reading it in her eyes through the brief instances her real-self had slipped through allowed him to understand exactly what she was thinking. That despite the hypnosis being lifted, that despite their pasts, that despite however she may or may not be feeling about him or anything else, she was willing to look away from it all for the sake of their son and the life they had. She would ignore all that and turn a blind eye to it all.

This surprised Zuko. He had expected her to… well, he honestly didn't know what she would do. Hell, he hadn't known what he was going to do. He hadn't even known what he was going to say to her a moment ago, despite being the one to speak first. And yet, as surprising as her declaration had been, he found that he… understood.

How did they just go back to being Katara and Zuko after everything? Was it even possible to go back? He honestly didn't think so. They weren't the same people they had been back when they had become Azula's prisoners, and not because of the hypnosis. They had lived fourteen years as Kya and Lee. Fourteen years. That was the length of Katara's entire lifespan before they were hypnotized, and nearly all of his. Technically, if one ruled out the first couple years of their lives where they were infants still developing as individuals, then they, or at least Katara, had spent more time as their false identities than as their real ones.

And so much had happened during that time. The lives they had led, those had still been real lives, even if the Katara and Zuko parts of themselves had been suppressed. The friends they had made, the people they had met, the experiences they went through, the lives they had made for themselves, those kinds of things changed people. Even if lives were left undisturbed, people still changed over time.

And, of course, they had their son. They both loved their son, that was an absolute, indisputable fact that had nothing to do with their hypnosis, and nothing could ever change that. Even the Katara and Zuko parts of themselves had loved their precious son with their whole hearts.

What more, for all intents and purposes, Kya and Lee had been happy together. The love they had felt for each other, though a result of the hypnosis, had been real, or at least had felt real, and the Katara and Zuko parts of themselves had felt the same love and happiness Kya and Lee had felt, despite rebelling against it from their mental prisons, despite knowing it wasn't real. Azula's plans for them may have been some kind of sadistic amusement for her, but she had essentially given them the happy, fulfilling lives she had said she would.

When it came down to it, they had both basically had two different lives, the ones as Katara and Zuko, and the ones as Kya and Lee. And with a simple correction in what he should call her, she had let him know which life she was choosing. All of her that was Katara was there, but she was choosing to ignore all that and continue living the life she had as Kya. For the sake of their son? For herself? For him? Because it would be better for them all that way? Because it would be easier? Because she thought she would be happier that way? Maybe for all of those reasons.

Perhaps she was right. Maybe that would be for the best. To just let their old selves go and continue to live as Kya and Lee as if they had never regained their true selves. It could very well be better for them. It would certainly be better for Koga. Maybe it was the right decision. After all, had that not been Iroh's plan when they first came here and passed themselves off as refugees, to forget about who they were and make new lives here in Ba Sing Se? Azula had taken that choice out of their hands, had made it real, but now, after having lived that way for so long, Katara was choosing to do just that.

It was strange how she was able to convey all that with just a look, and how he was able to read it all in her eyes and expression. But when you spent so long trapped in such a mental state, with such a way being your only method of communicating with someone else in the same position as you, you got good at picking up such nonverbal communication. And, much to Zuko's surprise, he found himself agreeing with her. Perhaps this really was the best course of action. Perhaps this really was for the best. Not just for their son, but for all of them.

She was still watching him, her face set, determine in her decision, and was now waiting for his choice in the matter. He swallowed, giving her a firm nod, and let Zuko go. "Of course, Kya. Kya Hong?"

"Yes," she replied, her face softening, and returned her attention to their son. "And you're Lee Hong, son of Mushi Hong. Right?

"Of course," he repeated, and went back to watching Koga play with his friends. "Who else would we be?"

"No one," Katara, no, Kya replied, her voice cracking only the smallest bit. "No one else. It's who we've always been. Who we always will be."

They watched as their son continued to play for a while longer before deciding that it was time to go, cutting their family outing short. The Earth King's official had said that his announcement would be made all over the city, meaning that everyone the Dai Li had ever hypnotized would be freed of it; a likely precaution since they were not talking and never had any intention to. With that being the case, both Kya and Lee had a sneaking suspicion that they would be getting a visit from Grandpa Mushi very soon.

And they did. It had happened in the middle of dinner. Iroh had suddenly come bursting through the front door, sweaty and out of breath, as if he had run the entire way. The Hong family had been seated at the table having their meal when he suddenly arrived.

Koga looked up from his dinner and his face lit up every time he saw his grandfather, even though that was most days. "Grandpa!"

Panting heavily, Iroh looked to Koga's parents. "I… came as… soon as I… could…"

Keeping his face as neutral as possible, Lee asked, "Father, what's wrong? Why do you look so shaken?"

"Yes, Dad," Kya added, her tone giving away nothing as she addressed him in the same manner she had since her wedding; at his insistence of course. "Is everything alright?"

Iroh blinked a few times, clearly caught off guard by their nonchalance. Then he seemed to collect himself as he eyed them questioningly. "I was… Yes, I'm fine. I was just…"

He trailed off again, clearly unsure of how to proceed. Kya simply gave him a smile as she got up to prepare a plate for him. "Then please, join us for dinner. I made enough for you since I had a feeling you'd be coming."

"Yes, Grandpa, join us," Koga insisted.

Iroh continued to eye them suspiciously, but then stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He carefully approached the table and sat down, looking at each of them in turn as Kya set a plate down in front of him and then sat down beside Lee once more.

"Is there a problem, Father?" Lee asked when Iroh didn't touch his food.

Iroh blinked again, coming out of his thoughts. "What? Oh, um, no, not at all. It's just…" He hesitated for a moment. "Did either of you hear the announcement from the Earth King's official?"

As calmly as possible, Lee asked, "You mean the one of how the Earth King has indefinitely retracted his invitation to Lake Laogi?" He looked him dead in the eye and said in no uncertain terms, "Yes, we heard it."

Iroh's eyes widened. "You… did…? And?"

"And it didn't apply to us," Kya told him in an equally as calm voice. "He said it might not. Right, Lee?"

"Right, Kya."

"Nuh-ah," Koga chimed it. "It did apply to us. You said you were planning on taking me there for my next birthday, remember?" He turned to Iroh. "Mommy was crying because now they have to find a new place for my party."

If possible, Iroh's eyes widened further and he looked at the other two in astonishment. They stared hard back at him, their expressions giving away nothing as they tried to convey their meaning with their eyes. Though nowhere near as good as Kya and Lee had become with each other in speaking with their eyes, he had become good enough to pick up on what they were trying to tell him.

"I see," he finally said slowly and quietly after a long period of silence. "And you're certain of this? Both of you?"

Lee hesitated for a moment before glancing at his wife. When she nodded, he turned back to him. "We're sure."

Iroh closed his eyes. "If that is your decision.

Feeling as if he were missing something, Koga looked from his parents to his grandfather. "What are you guys talking about? Sure about what?"

Without missing a beat, Iroh gave the boy a smile. "Nothing you need to worry about. It's just silly grownup stuff."

Koga still looked confused, but then he just made a face. "Grownups are weird."

The meal continued on just like any other after that, though there was a certain tension in the air from things left unsaid. Koga finished first and asked if he could go play, and his parents dismissed him as they finished their own meals in silence. It wasn't until they had all cleaned their plates and Kya had gathered the dishes to begin washing them that Iroh finally spoke again.

"Is there something either of you would like to talk about?" he asked carefully.

For several long moments, neither Kya nor Lee spoke. When the silence was broken, it was Kya who answered. "No, Dad, there's nothing that needs to be said. We told you, the Earth King's announcement didn't apply to us."

"Yes," Lee agreed. "Nothing has changed. Everything is exactly as it should be… Father."

He heard sincerity in both their voices, and an onslaught of different emotions hit Iroh, causing him to tear up a bit. "So you have no desire to speak about anything?" He glanced at Kya. "Not about your family?" He looked back at Lee. "Or… your mother?"

Once more, several long moments of silence passed with Kya standing with her back to them as she held the dishes before she spoke, her voice cracking slightly. "My family is long gone, remember. I'm the only one left. The two of you and Koga are the only family I have left."

"Same," Lee replied. "My mother died long ago. She was killed by the Fire Nation; we both know that. You're the only parent I have left, Father."

Once more, silence reigned for a time until Iroh let out a resigned sigh and once again said, "I see." And then he too took a deep breath and let his past, and Iroh, go. "Well, if you ever do feel the need to talk, Grandpa Mushi is always here for you."

"We appreciate that, Dad," Kya replied, turning to give him a serious look. "I truly mean it."

And so they settled into their roles, continuing on as Kya, Lee, and Mushi. And, surprisingly, it was much easier than they expected. After all, they had lived for so long as their other selves, it was rather easy to fall back into their roles.

Kya surprised Lee. He thought she would have a harder time than she did. The first night after their hypnosis had been lifted, he heard her cry for most of the night. He didn't blame her; she had a lot to cry for. For the person she had been, for letting her past and identity as Katara go, for everything that had happened to them, for the life that had been forced upon them, for the illusion of that happy life being shattered, for finally being freed from the hypnosis, for so many things. He too almost felt like crying that night, for the same reasons as her, but he kept his tears in check, trying to be strong for her.

But Kya was strong on her own. And after that first night, she never wept again, nor did she ever give any indication that anything had changed since before the official's announcement. Neither did Lee or Mushi, all of them fully committing to their roles as if nothing had happened. No one would have ever suspected that they had been victims of the Dai Li. They were, for all intents and purposes, still the same people they had always been, from both before the hypnosis and after it; certain… revelations and acknowledgements had simply been made for them.

Of course, it was impossible to completely hide the truth of things. Koga was a very bright and observant boy. Occasionally, he would give his parents peculiar looks, as if sensing that something was off, something that he couldn't quite put his finger on, but then he would just shake it off and go about his day like normal. As far as everyone else was concerned though, nothing had changed between Kya and Lee, as they were still the same people they had always been. That was not something that needed to be faked or forced, as they had naturally behaved the same way they always had.

Even when they were alone, they still behaved the same way they always had, with just one exception. The affection they had once showed each other was no longer present. In public and in the presence of their son it was, as they had to continue to portray themselves as the loving couple they seemed to be for the past fourteen-plus years, but in private, they never exchanged an intimate touch.

Despite having always locked the door for privacy's sake so their son wouldn't walk on them being intimate, they still slept in the same room, and even the same bed, for appearance's sake, but nothing ever happened beneath the sheets other than sleeping, and they had both taken up to wearing nightwear when they got into bed when they had previous gone without. Should anyone observe their private daily life, the lack of intimacy was the only notable change that had taken place since their hypnosis was lifted.

Five months since the day the hypnosis had been lifted, it was Koga's birthday. Their little boy was turning eight years old. They still remembered what they had told him about having been planning an extra special party for him at Lake Laogi but had to cancel those plans since the Earth King had retracted the invite; they still remembered everything from that day in full detail. And so they had done just that, planning a big party event for their little boy. Koga and his friends had a wonderful time as Kya, Lee, and Mushi watched the boy with nothing but love and pride.

But as eventful as that day had been, to most, it had been just another birthday, one of many to come. But for Kya and Lee, however, it was different story. For at one point during the party, as they had watched their son, they had caught each other's gaze and held it for several long moments.

Something passed between them during those moments, something akin to what had happened between them on the day Koga was born. They said nothing about it though and simply went back to watching their son.

It was later that night after they had all gone to bed that it happened. They had been lying in bed together, the night seemingly no different from any other of the past five months. Lee was laying on his back with his wife lying on her side, facing away from him. He thought she was asleep, but then he felt her hand make contact with his. It was intentional and deliberate, which had surprised him, as she had never purposefully touched him while they were in bed together since the hypnosis had been lifted.

It was a small, subtle touch, just her reaching behind her to wrap her pinkie finger around his, followed shortly by her placing her hand over his. His eyes shot open in surprise at the contact and he turned to look at her. She didn't move for a long while, but then, slowly, she turned over onto her other side to face him. He turned onto his side as well so he was facing her, and for several long minutes, they simply stared at each other as countless unspoken thoughts and emotions passed between them.

Finally though, she made the first move, the hand that had been covering his coming up to touch his unblemished cheek. She gently stroked him with a touch that was oh so familiar before grazing his lips with her thumb. Lee simply laid there, letting her do what she willed with him, wondering what she would do next.

And then she slowly closed the distance between them and kissed him. It was a real kiss too, not one made for the public to keep up appearances. It was also the first genuine form of intimacy either of them had displayed since the hypnosis had been lifted. And when the kiss ended, they stared at each other once more for several long moments afterwards until Lee moved in to kiss her, and she moved to receive his kiss.

Things progressed from there. More kisses and touches were exchanged as they undressed each other, and for the first time in five months, they made love. It started out slow and gentle, but ended fierce and passionate. Their touches were both familiar and foreign at the same time, and their intimacy blended into a strange mix of love making and hate sex, resulting in an incomprehensible series of emotions for them both.

When it was over, they laid there together with Kya wrapped in Lee's arms, spooning against him. Neither spoke for a long time, and yet so much had been said between them without words, both before and during their coupling. It was Kya though who eventually broke the silence, speaking without looking at him.

"Never call me Katara," she said in the utmost serious of tones. "Never. And don't ever speak of it."

He didn't answer and simply nodded against her. He hadn't called her by that name since she insisted that her name was Kya five months ago anyway. And, in truth, after all this time, he mostly even thought of her as "Kya" in reference to her whenever he thought of her. Likewise, he also thought of Iroh as "Mushi", and even himself as "Lee" instead of Zuko, a natural transition of having them go by those names for so long, and he had discovered that he had long since come to think of his uncle as his real father, even before the hypnosis.

As for her other request, she didn't need to specify. He knew exactly what she meant when she told him to never speak of "it". The "it" she had been referring to was their lives before the hypnosis, their pasts as Katara and Zuko, and what those parts of themselves had been through while under the effects of the hypnosis. Those parts of themselves had no room in their lives, and it would be necessary to forget them in order for them to truly make this work.

He knew what this was. It was a crossroads of sorts, a threshold they had stepped over. They had silently come to an unspoken agreement, just as they had five months ago when they had decided to look the other away from their pasts for the sake of their son. Now they had once again agreed to truly let go of whatever parts of Katara and Zuko they were still holding onto and fully embrace and accept themselves as Kya and Lee in all ways.

As evident in their once frequent intimacy before the hypnosis, but then the lack of it before tonight once it had been lifted, they hadn't fully committed to being Kya and Lee, not completely. They had still held onto small traces of who they were as Katara and Zuko. But, truthfully, they had missed the love and happiness that had been there when they had simply been Kya and Lee. Despite the Katara and Zuko parts of themselves knowing that it was all a farce, a mere result of the hypnosis, they still missed it and wanted it back. They wanted to be happy, they wanted to feel the love they had felt from before the hypnosis had been lifted.

But they couldn't have that, not as long as they held onto the Katara and Zuko parts of themselves. Katara could never love Zuko, not after everything that had happened between them, and he didn't know if he could ever love her either. But Kya could love Lee, and Lee could love Kya. So they had to let those sides of themselves go completely, and in doing so, rekindle who they had been and what they had before as Kya and Lee, as husband and wife.

It was a very big sacrifice, but it was one they had to make in order to make this work. And so, Lee had agreed. Not simply with her demands or because she had made them, but because he also agreed with her in this. Not just for their son's sake, but for their own sakes as well, finally finding true peace and contentment with their lives.

And in doing so, things got better. Over time, things truly returned to how they had been within the Hong household before the hypnosis had been lifted, in all ways. Both Koga and Mushi picked up on the lack of distance between Kya and Lee, with Koga no longer giving his parents peculiar looks and Mushi raising an eyebrow between them the next time he saw them when he noticed that there seemed to be a different air about them that was more reminisce of how things had been before the hypnosis had been lifted. He never said anything about it, but he had given then both a questioning look, and had only received nods from both of them. He'd simply nodded back and offered them a smile in return, and that had been the end of it.

Yes, things truly had returned to normal, or as normal as could be, all things considered, including the affection Kya and Lee showed each other when they were along, and their intimacies in the bedroom. It was almost as if nothing had changed prior to the hypnosis being lifted. And just as they had agreed, they never spoke of their former lives.

In a way, it was rather liberating to let Katara and Zuko go, to be free of the tragedy and burdens of those lives and truly embrace those of Kya and Lee. It was tragic, painful, and heartbreaking for them to do so for sure, but they received so much in return, and were able to recapture the lives they had before as Kya and Lee, as husband and wife even. It wasn't exactly the same as before, but it was close enough, enough for them to find their own happiness and fulfillment in both what they had before and in what they managed to find afterwards.

But despite finding peace, it seemed that Fate had one final curveball to throw at them. One final obstacle, perhaps, to truly test their resolve of who they were and who they had chosen to be.

A little over two years since they had made their final resolve on the night of Koga's eight birthday, Kya was making her way through the marketplace, doing some shopping. Her husband, father-in-law, and son were elsewhere, doing some clothes shopping for Koga, as the boy never seemed to stop growing. It was just as Kya had finished purchasing a bag full of fruits and vegetables from a shop owner when a voice that she hadn't heard in years suddenly rang out.

"Katara!?"

This was quickly followed by a rush of wind, which was immediately accompanied by a horrified cry of "My cabbages!" as the source of the wind rushed by the cabbage cart, sending it and its contents flying. Kya didn't even register the mortified cry of the cabbage merchant, having frozen at the call of her old name.

The voice had been familiar, but also different. No longer that of a child, but of a grown man, yet still holding vocal traces that she remembered to this day. And despite having frozen, she felt herself reflexively turning at the familiar voice calling out her old name. She had barely completed her turn to the voice before a rush of air whooshed over her and the person in question was enveloping her in a tight hug, causing her to drop her bag of produce in surprise.

"Katara, I can't believe it!" the person exclaimed. "I thought you were dead! We all thought you were dead!"

She almost said his name as she stood frozen in his embrace, but her voice got caught in her throat and no sound came out. She couldn't believe it, Aang was here. She hadn't seen him since Sokka and Toph had flown off with his unconscious form all those years ago.

What was he doing here? He never came to Ba Sing Se; not once in all these years, not even for political purposes or Avatar duties after the war had ended. Not when the Fire Nation leaders were removed, not when the Earth King was reinstated, not when the Dai Li were removed from their stations, not when the hypnosis was lifted, not when negotiations and peace meetings were taking place in the city, not once. So what was he doing here now, and why had she not heard of his coming? Surely people would hear that the Avatar would be traveling to Ba Sing Se, wouldn't they.

His outburst, though, was making a scene, drawing attention to them. Kya soon became aware of the many eyes on them, and it allowed her to collect herself. So, steeling her strength, she took a moment to get control of herself before she stepped back out of his embrace, doing her best to give him an apologetic look and hide what she was really feeling.

"I'm sorry, Aan-Avatar," she told him sympathetically, once again almost saying his name before remembering that most people simply called him by his title, "but I'm afraid you have the wrong person."

Looking at him now, she could see how much he had changed. He had, naturally, grown taller and leaner, but had also put on muscle, his face having lost all traces of childishness, making his features sharper. And yet she could still see it, the traces of the playful, carefree boy she once knew.

At her words, however, she saw the joy on his face become replaced with a look of confusion. "Wrong person?" he repeated, sounding bewildered. "Katara, it's me. It's Aang. Don't you recognize me?"

She forced herself to nod. "Yes, you're the Avatar. Of course I recognize you. Everyone knows you, Avatar Aang. But as I said, you have the wrong person. I'm not this Katara you think I am."

He studied her face, still looking confused. "What are you talking about? Of course you are. I would recognize you anywhere, no matter how long it's been…" He suddenly trailed off as his eyes drifted lower before they suddenly widened in shock. "Wait, spirits, Katara, are you pregnant?"

On reflex, her hands went to her swollen stomach. To answer his question though, as anyone with eyes could see, yes, she was most definitely pregnant. Seven months pregnant to be exact. Some time after she and Zuko had truly committed themselves to being Kya and Lee, they had talked about it and decided to have another child.

There were several reasons for their decision, one of them being wanting to give Koga a sibling, something they had actually discussed a few times in the past before the hypnosis had been lifted, but had been hesitant about because of the war and the unpredictability that came with it. Other reasons included their own desire for a second child, missing and longing for those hard yet joyful days of when Koga was a baby.

And, in truth, there may have been another reason, one they had chosen not to address. While they had decided not to acknowledge their pasts as Katara and Zuko, there was no denying that those parts of themselves were back and would always be a part of them, even if they never acknowledged them. And, perhaps, it was those parts of themselves that wanted a child on their own terms, free of the hypnosis' influence, even if they did now accept that Kya and Lee were who they now were and would be from now on. That was the closest they'd ever come to acknowledging that they had ever once been Katara and Zuko, if one could even call such a thing an acknowledgement.

Having come to their decision, they had brought the subject up with their son, and Koga had been thrilled at the idea of becoming a big brother. And so Kya had once again ceased adding contraception herbs to her tea and eventually found herself with child once more. And somehow, in conceiving another child together while free of the hypnosis, she felt that she and Lee had finally and completely committed themselves into being who they now were once and for all, as if doing so had proven to themselves that they really could let those parts of themselves go and remain Kya and Lee.

At this point in her pregnancy, she was able to use her Waterbending to determine a few things. First, and most importantly, the baby was perfectly healthy, showing no signs of giving any trouble down the line. Second, this time they were having a girl, and they even had a name picked out; they decided to call her Izumi. And third, she could sense through her Waterbending that their daughter was going to be a Waterbender.

Though she wanted to remain unbiased and not play favorites between her children, she did have to admit that she was indeed looking forward to being able to teach her daughter how to Waterbend, to get to experience the same bond that Lee had with their son when he taught him to Firebend. And speaking of Koga, he was very much looking forward to being a big brother, and Lee and Mushi were just as eager for the baby to be born as she was, with Lee being just as protective and hovering as he had been when she was pregnant with Koga.

Right now though, as Aang stared at her stomach utterly flabbergasted, the only things she felt was awkwardness and discomfort. She was sufficiently distracted from that, however, by the arrival of three others who came rushing over, and they were all familiar to her.

"Aang, where'd you go all of a sudden?" the other boy asked.

Looking excited once more, Aang looked back at him. "Sokka, look, it's Katara! She's alive!"

Kya's breath caught in her throat at the sight of her brother. No, she quickly reminded herself, he wasn't her brother, not anymore. He was Katara's brother, and she hadn't been Katara for a long, long time, nor would she ever be again.

But still, it was so hard to see him again after all this time, looking so grown up, so mature from the loveable goofball she remembered. And the other two she recognized as well. Toph, now a grown woman, but still retaining her tough exterior; she had also heard that the former Blind Bandit had also somehow discovered how to Metalbend. And Suki, free of her Kyoshi Warrior makeup and outfit, also now more mature and looking as beautiful as ever.

Kya's eyes widened as they fell upon the sleeping baby in Suki's arms. A little girl, perhaps a year old from the looks of it, with a skin tone a few shades darker than Suki's own and a crop of brown hair. On reflex, Kya's eyes drifted higher, and she spotted the Water Tribe betrothal necklace the Kyoshi Warrior was wearing, causing her to choke back a sob as she realized that the little girl in Suki's arms was her niece. No, Katara's niece.

It took everything she had not to throw her arms around them, but instead she discreetly shifted her top a bit to make sure her mother's necklace, what was now passed off as her betrothal necklace, was hidden by the material, afraid they might recognize it; it was very similar to the one Suki wore. She was also glad that she had worn her hair down and loose instead of in the braid she used to wear it in when she was younger, something she had commonly started doing several years ago, for it would make it a little harder for them to recognize her. She hoped they wouldn't ask her name, otherwise she would need to make something up since her brother would definitely recognize the name of their mother; that would be too suspicious.

Both Sokka and Suki stared at her in astonishment. And even though Toph was blind, she appeared equally as shocked. Sokka's mouth was hanging open in disbelief, his jaw struggling to work as he seemed to be trying to speak. "K-Katara… But… But how…?" Then he too noticed her pregnant stomach and jumped back as he pointed at it in surprise. "Holy Yue, who did that!?"

Suki seemed to get over her shock at his outburst and nudged him. Typical Sokka. Of course he would react that way if he saw her in such a state for the first time after all these years. But as good as it was to see them again, Kya knew she had to nip this in the bud before it became a problem or she accidentally gave herself away. She took a moment to pull herself together so her voice wouldn't crack before calmly addressing them.

"I apologize," she said, surprising herself at how steady her voice was, "but as I was telling the Avatar, I'm not the person you're looking for. I'm not this Katara."

The look of surprise on Toph's face became a frown and her brow furrowed in confusion. Kya's gut clenched as she suddenly remembered that the blind girl was a human lie detector, able to tell when someone was lying by using her Earthbending to pick up even the smallest of vibrations, including the tiny, minuscule ones that came from the change in a person's heartbeat when they lied.

But no one's attention was on the Earthbender as they focused entirely on her, and Aang spoke out once again. "Katara, what are you saying? What's going on? Where've you been all this time? What happened after you were captured? We were told that you were executed."

"Yeah, Azula even bragged about it right to our faces," Sokka practically shouted.

Kya was clenching her fists so tightly to keep her hands from shaking that her nails dug so deeply into her palms that they nearly drew blood. "Yes, Katara. I remember her now. She was in that play about the Avatar I saw." She gave Aang a pointed look. "She was your Waterbending teacher, wasn't she? She did die, didn't she? That's what happened in the play anyway."

The look of confusion on the Airbender's face was heartbreaking, as was the one of uncertainty on Sokka's. Suki's held uncertainty now too, but there was also sympathy as she reached out and placed a hand on Aang's shoulder.

"Aang, are you sure it's her?" she asked carefully, sounding doubtful.

He shook off her hand. "Of course I'm sure. I would recognize her anywhere."

Suki took a step back at his harsh tone. "Aang, I know that, but… that was sixteen years ago. You last saw her when she was only fourteen. She wouldn't look the same then as she would now; none of us do. If she were alive, she'd be all grown up."

"Exactly. She is alive, and she's right there!" Aang insisted, pointing at Kya. "She's a dead ringer for a grownup Katara."

Sokka looked her up and down, studying her closely. "I have to admit, she does look just how I'd imagine Katara would if she were grownup, but, Aang, it's been sixteen years. Even… Even my memory of how she looked is fuzzy." It was obvious that admitting this pained him greatly. "We can't say for certain that that's her. And she's telling us that she's not."

This was almost too much to bear. It was taking everything Kya had to hold back her tears, and she took a step back from them. "I'm very sorry, Avatar. It's true that I'm Water Tribe, and I suppose it's possible that I look like this Katara, but I assure you, it's not me."

The look on Aang's face tore at Kya's heart. It bordered on desperation, as if he were silently pleading with her to be who he wanted her to be, for her to tell him that he wasn't mistaken. "But you are…" he said quietly. "You have to be…"

A look of defeat now crossed Sokka's face as he reached out and placed a hand on Aang's shoulder. This time, the Airbender didn't shake off the comforting hand. "Aang, we all knew how hard it would be coming back here. That's why we always avoided doing so until it was unavoidable. It was a mistake coming into town though; we should have just taken care of our business with the Earth King and left."

Aang continued to allow the comforting gesture, but he didn't take his eyes off Kya. Deciding it would be best to make her exit, she offered them a polite bow, making sure her necklace remained hidden, glad that she had worn something that would keep it so.

"I'm very sorry I wasn't who you thought I was," she told them, not having to feign her sorrow, "and I'm terribly sorry for your loss. It was truly an honor to meet you Avatar Aang, you and your companions, and I thank you for all that you've done for the world. Now, if you'll please excuse me, I'm afraid that I'm in the middle of something, and my family will be waiting for me."

With that, she picked up her bag of produce, turned her back on them, and began walking away, blinking back tears as she did so. She hadn't taken more than a dozen steps before Aang's voice called out to her again.

"Ma'am, wait!"

She froze, wondering if she should just ignore him and continue on her way, but she had already stopped walking, and so slowly turned back to him. "Yes, Avatar?"

Aang studied her hard for several more seconds before he said, "Katara, the Earth King has indefinitely retracted his invitation to Lake Laogi."

She recognized those words. They were the same words used to bring the hypnosis to an end. She also recognized what this was from him, a last desperate hope he still may have that she was Katara. This was it, her one final chance to go back to who she once was.

But she knew that that part of her was in the past. So instead, she kept her expression and voice neutral as she said, "I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you mean. As I said, I'm not this Katara."

She saw those last traces of hope Aang was still clinging to come crashing down on him. And after a few more seconds of silence, Toph, who had been carefully and silently studying her this entire time with a look of confusion and thoughtfulness, turned to Aang.

"It's not her," she replied. "My feet never lie, Aang. She might look like Katara, and I know how much you wish it was her, but I'm afraid you're seeing ghosts." She glanced back at Kya, a symbolic gesture since she was blind. "It's not her."

She seemed to have said the last part to Kya rather than Aang. She knew, Kya realized. Toph knew. She may not know everything, and she may not understand, but the Earthbender's lie detector skills had allowed her to ascertain enough of the situation. And she was choosing to honor Kya's wishes in this.

Aang's shoulders slumped and he hung his head, now wearing the same defeated look Sokka had worn. The Water Tribe boy in question still had his hand on the Airbender's shoulder, and he gave it a comforting squeeze.

"Katara's dead, Aang," he told him sadly. "Toph's right, being back in Ba Sing Se is having us seeing ghosts. But she's gone, Aang, and she's never coming back."

Slowly, Aang nodded. Lifting his head, he wiped the tears from his eyes. "Yes, you're right, Sokka. I'm just being foolish." He then offered Kya a bow. "I'm very sorry for bothering you. You just look so much like my old friend that for a moment I thought I had her back."

Throat tight, Kya nodded back at him. "I understand. I too have lost loved ones to the war, so I know how hard it can be. I wish you and your friends well, Avatar."

Aang nodded at her once more, this time in departure. "Thank you, ma'am." He then turned and walked past Sokka. "We're never coming back to Ba Sing Se again. I don't care what the reason is for our presence."

"I'm with you on that," Sokka agreed as he and Suki turned to follow.

Toph lingered behind a few seconds longer, staring blankly at Katara with unseeing eyes. Kya stared back at her, then made a clear display of mouthing the words "Thank you" to her. She knew that the Earthbender would pick up the vibrations and use it like a sonar, enabling her to "see" the words she had mouthed. Toph simply gave her a nod, then turned and went to follow the others.

Kya watched them leave, knowing that this would be the last time she ever saw them, and she silently whispered, "I'm sorry," both to herself and to them.

It was, perhaps, the hardest thing she ever had to do, watching them walk out of her life forever like this, but it was what needed to be done. Her life was too different now, she had changed too much, become too much of a different person. To become Katara again would destroy everything, the life she had, the family she had, and she didn't want that. She couldn't go back to being Katara anymore; not now, not ever. She knew that that part of her life was over. Katara was long gone. She was Kya now, wife of Lee, daughter-in-law of Mushi, mother of Koga and, in a couple months, Izumi. And it was Kya who she would remain from now on.

That didn't make watching the others leave any easier, and when they were no longer in sight, she finally let the tears start flowing. It was the first time she had cried since the night the hypnosis had been lifted, and it was also, once again, the closest she had ever come to acknowledging her past as Katara, and the last time she ever would. There was no going back, she could only keep moving forward. The loss of her old life was just one more causality of the war, just one of the many lives that was destroyed by it.

A hand on her shoulder startled her, and she glanced behind her to see her husband standing behind her. He wore a somewhat melancholic look on his face, his eyes slightly wary and full of concern, making her wonder how much he had seen. He had obviously decided not to reveal himself to the others, lest they recognize him as well. A wise decision. She had been able to pass herself off as a Katara look-alike, but if he had been there too, she never would have convinced her old comrades that they were mistaken.

"Are you ok?" Lee asked her.

Sniffling, she turned to him as she reached up and wiped her eyes. "Yes, I'm fine. The Avatar and his friends just mistook me for someone else they knew a long time ago. Someone who's long dead. But… they were wrong."

He studied her for a long while before asking, "Are you sure?"

Wiping away another stray tear, she gave him a nod. "Yes, I'm sure." She then looked past him before giving him a questioning look. "Where are Koga and your father?"

He sighed and rubbed the back of his head in discomfort. "We finished shopping and were coming to find you. But then I saw the… commotion that was happening, so I told Father to go buy Koga a treat for being such a good boy while I… waited for you to finish your conversation." He offered her an apologetic look. "I thought it best if we weren't seen by them."

She gave him another nod. "That was the right decision. No need to… further complicate things."

He continued to awkwardly rub the back of his head, then glanced down at the bag she held. "Did you finish your shopping?"

Another nod. "Yes, I'm done."

He reached out and took the bag from her, even though he was already carrying another bag containing the purchases made for Koga's new clothes. "Then let's go find Koga and Father. I have an idea of where they went."

She followed as they made their way through the marketplace, resisting the urge to glance back in the direction the others had headed off in, keeping her head facing forward instead. It turned out that Lee was right about where Koga and Mushi had gone, spotting the two heading their way through the crowd, the former with a half-eaten sweet roll in his hand.

"Mom, Dad, over here!" the ten-year-old cried.

He had begun calling them "Mom and Dad" instead of "Mommy and Daddy" not long after Kya had become pregnant with Izumi. It was either a natural transition in speech as a result of him getting older, or an intentional, conscious decision on his part to come across as more mature since he was going to be a big brother. Either way, it was a sign that her and Lee's little boy was growing up.

Pushing any sad thoughts aside, she smiled down at her son. "I hear your father let you have a treat because you were so cooperative when you were shopping even though you hate trying on new clothes."

He returned her smile with one of his own and held up his half-eaten snack. "I got a sweet roll." But then his smile faded as he looked at his mother. "Mom, are you alright? You look like you've been crying."

Quickly rubbing her eyes once more, she gave him another smile. "No, no, I'm alright. I was just feeling a little hormonal." She gave her son a pointed look. "Remember I said that can happen?"

"Oh, yeah," Koga replied. "Because of the baby."

Kya nodded. "Right. It's nothing to worry about."

"And you're certain there's nothing wrong?" Mushi asked meaningfully.

She just smiled at him. "Yes, Dad, I'm sure."

Mushi studied her for a few moments before nodding as a big smile made its way across his face as he cheerfully said, "Well, in that case, what do you say we head home and have a nice game of Pai Sho. Let's see if any of you can finally beat this old man."

With a smirk, Koga gave him a challenging look. "I'll beat you this time, Grandpa!"

Mushi chuckled as he took the boy's hand and began leading him away. "We'll see about that, young one."

The two of them headed off while Kya and Lee lingered behind a little longer. Kya appeared lost in her thoughts as she watched the retreating forms of her son and father-in-law.

Lee stared at her for a short while before finally asking once more, "Are you sure you're ok?"

She didn't answer for a few moments before letting out a sigh and giving him a resolute yet tranquil smile. "I'm sure. Everything is fine, Lee." She then nodded after Koga and Mushi. "Come on, let's go home."

She held out her hand to him. Lee transferred her bag of groceries to his other hand already carrying Koga's new clothes and reached out to take the offered hand, and together, they followed after Koga and Mushi, never once looking back.

THE END

(A/N: Well, that's over. Whether you can consider the ending to be happy is up for debate. I guess it depends on how you look at things. Katara, Zuko, and Iroh decided to look the other way and ignore their pasts so they can continue to live as Kya, Lee, and Mushi to preserves the lives they now have, despite the sacrifices that came with their decision. I admit, I did get the idea to wrap things up this way from the movie Obsessed and its remake, Possession. I guess it's more of a bittersweet ending. If you don't like how things turned out, well, I did warn you all at the beginning that this story was going to be dark and angsty. I'm also aware that this story had little written dialogue. I actually notice that quite a few of my stories with little or no dialogue are ATLA stories. Huh, I wonder why that is. Something to think about I guess. In the meantime, let me know what you thought of this story and I'll see you next time.)