"This is my bedroom. These are my possessions. You are now one of them. Find solace and rejoice in the knowledge that you will be a prize jewel in my arsenal." Azula said as she paraded Katara around the overly large luxurious bedroom. Katara did not want to admit that she was impressed. But she was impressed. She had no idea that a single child could own so much finery.
And treat so much of it like toss away garbage. There were luxurious red silk curtains that ran from ceiling to floor. Rugs made of rare and exotic animal furs, so deep and soft that Katara sunk all the way to the ankle. The bed took up most of one wall. With a canopy of the finest see through veils. The pillows were a small mountain. There were enough of them for everyone in Katara's home village to have three.
'I wonder where they got the wealth to have such fine items.' Katara thought scornfully to herself. Wealth did not come from nowhere. She might be young but she was smart enough to know that. The fire nation wasn't wealthy and powerful simply because they were wealthy and powerful. The fire nation was wealthy and powerful at the expense of all the other nations.
"Pay attention pet." Azula said warningly as she yanked on Katara's chain. Katara stumbled with Azula's cruel yanking. Katara was walking as slowly as she possibly could. Trying to take as much time as she could milk. She knew she had to serve these people. But she was going to make it as inconvenient as she could.
"Now. These are my stuffed animals and dolls. I hate them." Azula said gesturing to a rag tag pile of toys. Katara's eyes widened. There were more toys then Katara had ever seen in her life! Fine dolls carved of the softest wood. Fantastical animals knitted with care. The paints and dyes across these items were vibrant. Almost alive with the energy and forethought that the creators had obviously so lovingly placed into each and every item.
"You hate them?" Katara asked in confusion. Azula kicked a stuffed python rabbit onto the top of the pile.
"All I ever receive from visiting dignitaries and relatives are dolls and stuffed animals. Childish toys meant to keep me dull and complacent. I never get what I really desire." Katara glanced between the little girl and the rest of the room. Katara was sure that she had everything she ever wanted in this place.
"And what is it you really want?" Katara ventured.
"Power and real estate." Azula responded. The little girl cleared her throat. Katara noticed a thick layer of make up on Azula's face. The eye shadow and lipstick was also noticeable under the less severe fire lights from the rest of the palace.
Katara noticed a small vanity mirror and sitting chair. Placed before the mirror was a pile of cosmetics. Katara only recognized the strange tubes with the ruby red paint for lips. None of the other things seemed familiar. But Katara could guess. The white sticky paste was like the war paint that men wore for war. The charcoal sticks to make eyes pop. And other tins and bowls full of colors to flatter a woman's complexion.
It all seemed rather overkill to the water tribe girl. And it sat out of place compared to the rest of the room. It sat like a warning. To force the fire nation girl to act more grown up then she really was.
"Your job is to arrange the pile perfectly. Every single day. And to also make my bed. Fetch me my training manuals and to serve me as little more then a living mobile footstool. Is that understood?" The fire nation princess said with a borderline feral smile. Katara quirked an eyebrow. She placed her hands on her hips in a very grown up fashion and glowered at the girl.
"Fine." Katara said with as much ice as she could muster. She did not like the way that Azula was looking at her. There was possession in the girls eyes. There was a sense of superiority. As if Katara was a yappy little chipmunk seal that had wandered too close.
"Do not take that tone with me." Azula snapped and pulled Katara close until they were nose to nose. "Say it like that again and I will burn you."
"Is that a promise?" Katara snarked back. She knew what she was doing was dangerous. She knew what she was doing was wrong. She knew that she was pushing the powerful young girls buttons. And still she had to push. She had to force Azula's hand. She had to force a reaction.
Azula's hand snaked out and whiffed across Katara's face. Katara gasped and clutched her stinging cheek. Azula smirked at the wide eyed little girl.
"Yes." Azula said in a sing song voice. Katara closed her eyes, felt herself close to tears. She had to be good. She couldn't waterbend. She had to protect her mother….
"Now get over here and make this bed. If you make it right I won't hit you again. Do it wrong or screw it up and I'll burn you." Azula said as she began walking to the massive bed. Her back turned. Her head held high. Katara felt an overwhelming surge of anger pillowing inside of her. She knew she couldn't water bend….But she was not going to be talked to like that! Katara ground her teeth together. Azula's eyes widened in surprise as a snarling Katara tackled her.
Zuko paused when he heard the banging noise. It sounded like a pair of wild animals were loose in the royal bed chambers. Or like a small army was attacking them. He walked towards Azula's door. His blunt training sword came out of it's sheath. He wouldn't be able to kill anything with it. But it was better then going in weaponless. He knew how dangerous Azula could be whenever she was interrupted. And he certainly didn't feel like having her ire turned towards him.
Zuko eased the door open slowly. Then swung it full open. He stood, shocked, the scene before him was….well rather comical.
Azula's meticulously organized pile of stuffed animals was flung across the room. Her vanity mirror was cracked. The priceless makeup smeared in puffs across the wall. It looked like someones face had been dragged across it. The canopy above the bed had been yanked down as well.
And sitting on the floor was a giant red burrito. Stuffed full of curses, hate, and Azula. Who was face down, her make up smeared, her hair in a wild tangle, and only her eyes showing from underneath the folds of red blanket. Straddling the blanket in a snapped chain was the new water tribe slave girl. Katara's face had some scratches on it, her hair was singed, and it looked like someone had tried to bite her.
"Who can't make a bed now huh?! Who makes promises now huh?!" Katara shouted at the still squirming furious Azula. Who couldn't really move. Katara was bucked wildly as she pushed down on Azula'z back.
"What happened?" Zuko asked in confusion. Katara and Azula stopped their struggling and turned to look at the doorway. Both were red in the face and sweaty from exertion. Azula kicked her feet helplessly against the floor. A large crack ran down the marble.
"MMHMHGNGMMM!" Azula shouted at her brother in a deep mindless rage. The blankets around her mouth muffled everything and were wet with sweat, rage and spit.
"Get off of her." Zuko ordered Katara as he strode forwards. Katara blinked and then paled. Realization coming back to her fast. She quickly slipped off of Azula and took a few steps back. Meekly staring at the floor. Her hands folded in front of her. Zuko kneeled next to Azula in concern.
"Are you alright?" He asked as he slipped his sword back into its sheath and pulled the blanket away from Azula's mouth. Azula yowled as she shook her head free of the blanket.
"Finally! I've been yelling forever! Where are our idiot bodyguards?! I'll have their heads for this! Leaving me alone with a feral animal! She is wild! She could have bitten me!"
"I don't bite!" Katara shouted stomping her foot. Zuko turned to look at Katara in confusion.
"You don't bite?" He asked.
"I don't bite." Katara snarled. Zuko turned back to Azula.
"She says she doesn't bite." Azula glared at Zuko in response. Zuko sighed and stood up brushing off his knees.
"You really made a mess of your room Azula." Zuko snorted. The place looked like a typhoon hit it. Azula gaped up at him as she kicked and squirmed to get out of the blanket cocoon she found herself wrapped up in.
"Me?! She did all of this! Now are you going to get me out of here and punish that brat or not?" Zuko glanced at Katara and then back down at his sister.
"I've never seen you get beaten before. And by a member of the water tribe no less." Zuko said with a cocky little grin. Azula frowned up at him.
"Wipe that smile off of your face or I'll burn you." She threatened. Zuko dropped the grin. He frowned down at Azula as she finally got herself out. She turned towards Katara and howled as she flung herself forwards. Katara dropped to her knees and raised her arms. Not in a protective stance. In a battle stance. Ready to once again duke it out with the youngest fire nation noble.
Before she could Zuko had his arms wrapped around Azula. He was holding the spitting stewing screaming young woman in the air. The little fire nation girl was screaming and pelting obscnetiies at him now. She continued for a few more seconds before finally flopping down in his arms. Compltely relaxed. Like a viper that had been grabbed by the back of the head.
"Okay. Let me down now." She said carefully. Zuko glanced between the two girls.
"You aren't going to fight again are you?" He said warningly. Azula gave him a sickening little grin. Filled with sugar and ice.
"No brother darling I will not attack our new pet. But I will punish her."
"Touch me and I'll break your face!" Katara snapped back. Azula stared at Katara in shock before turning towards her brother.
"Can-Can you believe that she just said that?! And to me! To ME!" Azula shrieked.
"You're getting high pitched." Zuko said wincing. She always hurt his ears when she got this upset. "She's new. You can't expect her to understand everything after a day. Give her time."
Zuko slowly placed Azula back on the ground. She glared between the two of them. She brought a hand back. Preparing to backhand Katara. Who just squatted, glaring back. Azula blinked in confusion.
"You're not afraid are you?"
"No." Azula snorted at this before turning around and stalking towards her bedroom door.
"I am too important to bother with this. Clean up my bedroom the exact way that it was before. And if I notice anything out of place I will-
"Burn me?" Katara mocked. Azula paused in the doorway. Attempting to look authoritative and coming off as a little girl playing dress up.
"I leave her punishment to you Zuko. But it had better be appropriate. Otherwise I'll tell father and grandfather." She turned around and marched out. Zuko rubbed his face at the obnoxiousness of it all.
He turned back towards Katara. She stood up and dusted off her knees and her hands. Completely at ease again. Zuko marched forwards and his hand flashed out. It gripped her chin. Katara stiffened in surprise. Her large blue eyes still staring up at him. Glaring, daring him. He looked at her critically.
"Well the scratches aren't too deep. They should heal without any help." He mumbled to himself. Katara continued to glare. Her mouth opened into a small 'oh' of surprise as she felt her knees getting swept out from behind her. She was caught and flipped over.
Katara found herself face down on the cold tile. Her hands far above her back. Wrists held together in one of Zuko's hands. He was pressing his knee into her back and pressed the back of his hand into her cheek.
"I am only doing this because you are new. So the punishment isn't as bad as it could be." With that he rapped his training sword along her ankles and legs. Four times. Katara grunted and glared. She had been slapped around by elders in the village for ruining firepits. This was nothing.
Zuko stood back up and wiped his hands off. He sighed and rubbed his face. He was sore and tired after his sword training exercises today.
"I will have your bed moved to my bedroom. I doubt that you will want to sleep in Azula's chambers tonight." With that the fire princeling walked out. Katara sat up. Her legs burned where he had hit them. She closed her eyes. And she shoved down her sorrow.
Zuko snorted in his sleep. He turned over and sat up. There was something sniffling at the end of his bed. He crawled forward. The five thousand count Earth kingdom silk was pooling like cool water away from him. He crawled forward until he was at the end of his bed.
Curled up on a small red panda dog bed was Katara. Her hands were beneath her head. Her eyes were scrunched shut. And she had tears pouring down her face. Her chain was attached to the foot of his bed. Zuko stared down at her. Her legs were curled up beneath her. She overall looked very small. And very scared.
Zuko started to shift back. Only for his bed to creak. Katara's eyes snapped open and she sat up fast. She glared at him. Zuko stared back in confusion before sighing.
"Okay. What's wrong?" He asked. Katara blinked in confusion. Then in amazement.
"What's wrong?" She asked in a small tear choked voice.
"Well I assume that if you tell me you might actually go back to sleep. So that…I can go back to sleep." Zuko wondered why people always had to be walked through things. It was almost like he was in a foreign world. One where people refused to just outright say things. He always felt like he had to tease it out of them. Or beg it out of them. It was very confusing. It made him feel stupid.
"What's wrong?" Katara said again. She stood up. Her hands balled into his bedsheets and she leaned forward. They were maybe an inch apart. Her eyes were boiling over at him. Her face was a bright red. Spit and hatred came bouncing out of her mouth. Teeth clicking over each word. Almost as if she was punishing them. Almost as if she was punishing him.
"I was kidnapped by a fire nation navy. I was torn away from my home. My brother. My father. I was dragged halfway across the world before being torn apart from my mother! I was stripped bathed forced into some ridiculous costume! Slapped! Hit! Insulted! I was forced to clean up a room that is larger then my village! It is too hot! I am alone and I don't know where my mother is! I…I…I…."
Katara was breathing heavily. Her eyes wide. Tears streaming down her face. Her chin quivered and then her entire composure broke.
"I just want to go HOOOOOoooooooMmmmmmmmeeeeeee!" Katara wailed as she collapsed onto her knees. Her hands clasped over her eyes. Her sniffling sobs juggled out of her. She hiccupped and coughed and choked. Zuko stared in thin lipped distress. He honestly almost felt like crying himself. After all he had never comforted a crying girl before!
He hadn't even known girls could actually cry. He didn't know anyone could actually cry! He had never seen tears like this! His life was always very pleasant. He knew fear. And he knew babies would sob at times. But not big kids. Not her age.
Zuko scooted forwards. His sleeping robes billowing around him like wings. He reached out carefully and patted her shoulder. Just a few times.
"There there." He said nervously. Katara shook his hand off the first time. Then she let him keep it there. She continued to hiccup and sob as he rubbed her shoulder. Zuko closed his eyes. He could get into so much trouble for this.
"Come up here." He ordered. Katara blinked a few times. He frowned down at her. "Come on. Get up here."
Katara awkwardly stood up. Still sniffling. She crawled onto the bed and stiffly got underneath the covers with Zuko. He pulled the covers up to their chins. Katara stared at Zuko in mute anger. Zuko stared back.
"I've never been this close to a member of the southern water tribe before." He said. Katara rolled her eyes. Tears were still leaking out of them. But she was starting to think this kid might be a little stupid or something.
"I've been this close to like fifty different fire nation people. And southern water tribe members. I'm not impressed." She said icily. Zuko glanced down between them. She was wearing the same loin cloth and top outfit that they had given to her when she arrived. The golden collar around her neck was leaving a red mark. It was too big.
"We'll find you a better collar tomorrow." He promised. Katara pulled on her collar in irritation as she continued to glare back at him.
"What is this? Why are you trying to be so nice to me?" She said suspiciously. Zuko blinked in surprise.
"Because I'm nice?" He said. She stared back. She snorted. Then laughed. Zuko glared at her. The amusement was not infectious.
"What?"
"Nothing. You're just…you really do think you are don't you? You think that me being here…makes up for…all that I went through. You took me from my home. Took away my mother. My entire world….And you think you are being nice." She chuckled again. She felt more guffaws growing within her. She felt like she wanted to bend over and just laugh until she vomited.
"I didn't take you from your home. You were gifted to me. There's a big difference." Zuko defended himself. "Besides. This could be your new home. Isn't it nicer then some snow village at the bottom of the world?"
"Do you even know anything about my tribe? About my people?" She said angriliy. Zuko shrugged. Katara sighed and closed her eyes. This bed was soft. And the sheets smelled nice. And so did Zuko. He smelt clean. Dry. Like sands dancing over a persons nostrils. With the vaguest hint of spice on his skin.
"I…It's never been important." Zuko defended himself. Katara chuckled again.
"Well it was to me." She kept her eyes closed. Fingers digging into his mattress. If he was going to change his mind and kick her out of his bed then she was going to make him work for it!
"I understand. I can imagine what you are going through." Zuko said sympathetically.
"No. You really can't." Katara responded. Zuko frowned. Katara yelped and shot up. She rubbed her earlobe where he had pinched it.
"What was that for?!"
"You can only take that tone with me for so long. I am being nice. I am being polite. But that was a warning pinch. And Azula won't just pinch. She will treat you much worse then that." Zuko said warningly. Katara frowned and lay back down next to him. She glared at him. He glared back.
"My sister is a little monster. Don't you forget that. She doesn't like anyone. And no one likes her. She's a terror." Zuko warned Katara. Katara stared back. Her eyes widened in shock.
"She's your sister." Zuko snorted.
"So what? She's the worst." The sheer amount of casual venom in his tone of voice was staggering. Katara drew back in amazement.
Katara did not want to feel pity for Azula. She did not want to think of the royal fire nation princess as anything else then an annoyance. Something to ignore or to humor until a good chance at escape could arise. But something in Zuko's words. Something in the way that he held himself when he said it. Katara felt her heart do a weird little pitter patter. She did not want to feel sorry for Azula…and yet here she was.
"She's your sister. Don't you love her?" She said softly. Zuko stared at Katara. He didn't know what she was asking.
"I have a brother. Back home. Back in the south. I love him. I miss him. And I don't know if I will ever see him again. He is about your age. His name is Sokka. I would give anything to see him again. I would give anything to see home again." Katara closed her eyes and let out a shuddery breath. Tears were streaming down her face again. Not fast. Not harshly. Not like the typhoon of sobbing emotions that had broken free when she had finally laid down to sleep. But a softer more helpless feeling.
Zuko gulped. He reached out and softly brushed the tears away from her face.
"I….I'm sorry. This is your home now. I will-I will try to make it a nice one for you." Zuko didn't know why he was talking so softly to her. To a pet. To a toy. To a gift that he could do anything he wanted to. But he felt pity for her. He felt overwhelming pity for this water tribe girl.
Katara let out a shaky breath and pressed a palm to the back of his hand. She chuckled softly. He kept his heavy warm hand there until she finally fell asleep. Her breathing was deep and full. Zuko stared at her. But for some reason he wasn't tired. Even after a full day of training and education…He just couldn't get his mind to turn off and for him to go to sleep.
"Sokka. You need to sleep." The old woman said behind the kneeling boy. The wind was whipping rapidly on the edge of the great glacier. The young southern water tribe boy remained kneeling. His bare face was wet with tears and snot. But his eyes had a dark hard look to them. An adult look. It did not sit well in his too young face.
Sokka turned to look at his grandmother. The charcoal where he had drawn on fake mourning eyebrows was starting to flake. He had down the mourning ritual. He had shaved his head and face. And now he was sitting in front of the three empty graves.
The sea had claimed his father during the raid. And his mother and sister had been taken into the belly of the invaders iron ship.
"They took them." Sokka pipped out. He stood up and stared at his grandmother. The last family he had left.
"They are in a better place now Sokka. They are with the spirits." Kanna said gently. Sokka scowled and leaned down to scoop up a handful of snow. He scrubbed his face aggressively until the charcoal and powder rubbed off of his face.
"They are not in a better place! They are not dead! They were taken! The fire nation took them! My mother! My sister! They killed my father!" Sokka gripped his mittens inbetween his teeth. He tore them off and heaped more snow together. Kanna watched quietly. Waiting for the sorrow to flow from the young boy.
"They killed my father! My village! They took my mother! My sister! Damn them! Damn them all!" He took the black and white snowball and pitched it towards the sea as hard as he could. He turned towards his grandmother. His red face was damp with tears.
"I will save my sister! I will save my mother! I will avenge my father! I will destroy the fire nation!" He shouted. He shouted it again. And again. And again. Until his voice was hoarse. He collapsed onto his knees. He punched the raw pebbles that surrounded him.
Kanna reached forward and rubbed her grandsons back. He clung to her. Sobbing. Eventually the two of them stood and walked back towards their tent. It stood in the center of the other tents. The reconstruction of the wolf cove village would take weeks to complete. Especially with only young children, old women and the wounded.
Sokka paused and glanced back towards the cemetery. He sniffed and rubbed his nose. He would not return. Not until he could show his mother and sister Hakoda's grave. And remove the rocks with Katara and Kya's names, that marked their empty graves. Sokka continued to mutter to himself. Even when he was laid in his travel sleeping bag.
"I will save you Katara. I will save you mother. I will avenge you father. I will kill you father lord."