What was waiting for them? Nothing, absolutely nothing.
Well, of course, there were always things waiting for them, but not what Katara - or clearly anyone else - had been expecting. Zhi had greeted them at the door with a wide smile, announcing that they would have a formal dinner tonight, so they should wear their finest semi-casual option, and that afterward, there would be a band playing for their enjoyment. It was as though they were returning from an exotic trip out east and not from a day in the war. Was Zhi overcompensating, as she looked at their haggard faces and the dirt-smeared all up and down their skin, or was the palace truly not going to acknowledge what had just occurred?
Well, even if the palace wasn't going to say anything, Katara surely wasn't going to just let the matter drift away like lotus flowers in a river.
"So, what happened to the rest of you?" Katara asked as they waited for their bags at the entrance of the palace. "You know Prince Lu Ten and I found shelter, but what about the rest of you?"
"Forests," Cilla croaked out, still coughing up dust, "I climbed a tree. Never saw any Equalists, but I heard them. Swapping loot, trading...I'm lucky no one looked up."
"I'm surprised we're all alive," Suki said, looking at Katara. She had tried to press her concerns on the ship but was met with tired minds and backlash from Azula. "The probability of that seems weird, doesn't it?"
"You wanted one of us to die?" Ratana demanded, "I was running for my life most of the night with Besu! Wasn't a walk in the park, you know!"
"Besu?" Katara prompted. Besu was looking pensive.
"That's true, we were, and well...I mean...I guess the adrenaline was all there - I had no weapons and they were packing much bigger ones - but they weren't really trying to kill us, didn't it seem, Tana?" Besu offered hesitantly. Ratana sputtered.
"Of course they were!"
"But you tripped and they could have...and they didn't. It seemed it was more of a chase game, but there wasn't any bloodlust that I could tell. And I know these things," she said, raising a chin. "I think they would have been awful had they caught us, don't get me wrong, but they didn't seem like they did at the last Palace attack. I know they were trying to kill people then."
Katara shuddered, recalling the man that tried to stab Alcina, and agreeing.
"And they just left," Nadhari agreed, nodding to Suki to indicate she thought it was strange too. "One second I was blasting them away, and the next...there was some signal, I'm sure of it, but they all just vanished into the trees."
"You're right that they didn't seem intent on killing us," Yue piped up. "One cornered me and he just...looked at me, like he was waiting for something, I'm not sure. But before anything could happen, Azula saved me. She for sure killed him," Yue added with a timid gulp.
"Speaking of which, where were Zuko and Azula during the fight?" Mai questioned, "I didn't see either until the end."
From how it seemed, most saw Azula battling it out at one point or another, but not many saw Zuko. He looked tired and dirt-stained and haunted when they'd found him in the morning, so there was little doubt he was fighting, of course.
"Hey...I have a question," Suki said, finding her bags and handing them off to her handmaid. "Why didn't Prince Lu Ten go with his cousins, to begin with? Why was he with us?"
Katara sharply turned to her. "What do you mean?" she demanded hotly.
"I just...why was he with us instead?" she said, blinking. "He's got more military training than anyone. He should have been the first to be sent out."
"Maybe he was held-up," Mai said curtly, "Or he offered to wait."
"It didn't seem like the sort of situation where there was much choice, though," Suki mused. Whether it was a deep distrust or just meandering thoughts, Katara didn't like it. Lu Ten was like an older brother to her.
"If you think Lu Ten had something to do with that-" Katara began, angrily, furiously.
"I'm just saying! He told us to flee, to disobey a direct order from Ozai," Suki said, crossing her arms.
"To keep us alive?" Cilla pointed out, "Oh, how dare he."
"You guys! I know we all like him. He's perfect, right? Sometimes a bit too perfect-" Ratana agreed, but Zhi came down on all of them, Zuko and Azula following her in with the remaining items from the carriages.
"This is not the place for such discussions, my ladies. I think none of us want to recount that horrible, horrible night. Let's talk about happy things, shall we?" she said in a strained voice, and though it was offered as lightly as it could, it was not a suggestion.
But there were no happy things anyone wanted to talk about, so the girls opted for a heavy silence.
They walked in a single-file line silently back to their rooms, through the palace, as though on a parade for everyone who saw them. They were exhausted, mentally and emotionally, and wondering what the point had even been? Katara sincerely doubted their rag-tag presence had scared off the Equalists nearly two days ago.
Lu Ten joined them near the entrance to the south wings, mopping off his face with a towel and clearly having just gotten done with some boring meeting, and Katara couldn't help but see Suki appraise him with skepticism. While Katara wasn't sure what everyone else's thoughts were clouded with, Katara was torn between fury at Suki for daring to suggest what she had about Lu Ten but also swirling with confusion about the entire situation as it was. Yes, something was weird, she agreed with Suki to that point.
"And the victors return home..."
Katara spun to see Ozai leaning in the doorway of one of the palace rooms, his head tilted and a smile on his lips. If he was disappointed to see everyone alive, Katara couldn't tell. Lu Ten narrowed his eyes and took a step in front of the pack.
"Fire Lord," he gritted out, "They're all quite tired. If you can allow us on, please?"
"Of course, I mean not to interfere," Ozai said, blinking innocently. "But Zuko, with me." His voice was clipped.
Katara stopped entirely. She watched how Zuko paused, just for a second, in an unavoidable subconscious reactionary moment. For that brief moment, he had panic in his eyes. It was gone so quick that few would notice, but Katara did. And something else that did not escape her gaze was how a healer was two steps behind Ozai, and how, actually, there seemed to be a healer in the vicinity of Ozai quite often.
"Father, I'm tired," Zuko said, turning away, "and I'm covered in mud. Can I at least take a bath?"
"You will listen to your father, Zuko," Ozai said with a frown. "And respect me when I'm talking to you."
"Respect?" The fury bubbled inside of Katara. "Respect?" she squawked. All the girls down the hall stopped, turning to watch. Zuko realized immediately where her anger flowed from and grabbed her elbow, trying to pull her away.
"It's not worth this, Katara," he sighed, "Go and clean up."
"No, let her speak. Do you have something to say to me, Princess?" Ozai demanded. If Katara were smarter, she would have apologized and turned as Zuko asked, but Katara was exhausted. She had been sent to war and been trapped. Her arms were aching. Her heart was breaking for Zuko. Lu Ten's gift to Zuko had been irreplaceable, but someone else deserved to throw themselves into the ring for him.
"You talk of respect, but you don't know the meaning of the word of respect. Or of honor. Or love. You are incapable of any emotion but greed, and the world will catch up with you. You are a sorry mistake for a man and should be terrified of the day you meet your makers," Katara seethed, stalking up to Ozai, shaking with so much anger that she felt like she might explode on the spot, "Your words are empty and your nation fears you, but they will never love you, and any sensible next Fire Lady would strip you of all your imagined power."
The slap echoed around the wide hallway. Katara stumbled, touching the sting on her cheek and staring at Ozai not with shock, but merely with a sense of pride. She grinned at him.
"Sir!" Zhi gasped, immediately flocking to Katara and rubbing her back comfortingly.
"She leaves now!" Ozai roared. "I've had enough of her! Throw her things off the steps of the palace and kick her out!" he demanded, waving his fingers at the guards, who moved to grab Katara. She wrenched from their grip, throwing her hands up.
"Fine, fine. I'll walk myself," she hissed. She hadn't thought it through, and though her choice had been made for her, she'd do it a thousand times again. Over and over.
"You cannot send her home, you don't have the authority," Lu Ten reminded, looking halfway between wanting to lecture Katara and hug her.
"I am the Fire Lord, I am the supreme leader of all the Nations in this world, and I-"
"Not all," Nadhari spoke up with a wry grin, "You never got the Southern Water Tribe."
Ozai moved, almost ready to demand Nadhari gone too until he seemed to remember that he couldn't. Or didn't want her gone, not when her father so generously donated all his weapons, and what was a military without free fighting tools? Instead, he spun on Katara again.
"Why are you still standing here? You are an enemy to the Fire Nation, and will be fired upon on sight if you step back in here ever again! Guards!" Ozai waved a frantic, unhinged hand.
"No," Zuko said, which stopped everyone at once, glancing at him with uncertainty, the guards with their hands extended to grab Katara, but as though frozen in time. "She is staying. As Lu Ten pointed out, Fire Lord," Zuko growled with so much malice it shook Katara down to her core, "You have no power to send girls away, not truly. You hardly have any actual power as it is! Everything you do is smoke and mirrors and fancy parlor tricks, and it infuriates you that you cannot have actual power! You might strongly suggest, but at the end of the day, I make the final decisions. And this is mine. Katara is staying, and she is not an enemy." He turned to Katara, "You're fine. Guards, back up."
"Are you sure you want to do this, son?" Ozai asked, absolutely flabbergasted at his words. Zuko blinked.
"Without a single doubt," Zuko said. "Now, I am going to change. We will talk after." And with that, Katara watched Zuko take control of his throne and change the shift of power, noticeable to everyone in the room.
Zuko walked with them, and he fell into line with Katara's steps. Though all the remaining girls kept looking at him, Zhi rushed them forward.
"Let's give them a moment of privacy, yes?" she encouraged, herding everyone else along. Azula, who had silently watched the exchange, slinked away with a curious look in Katara's direction, muttering something about an event she needed to pull together for her father. Lu Ten helped Zhi brush the girls toward their wing, leaving Katara and Zuko to walk slowly through the halls.
"Thank you," they both began at once. They both tried to talk again and laughed as they stumbled over each other.
"You...you first," Zuko motioned.
"Thank you for keeping me here, after that. It was stupid." Katara winced, rubbing her cheek.
"It was awesome!" Zuko said. "I think that moment should be immortalized in a statue," he added warmly, "And even if you decide to leave, I want it to be your choice. Certainly not his."
"Right, yeah." Katara understood his meaning. "Erm, you?"
"It should be obvious. Thank you for sticking up for me to my father. For saying something."
"I've been told I have no fear, guess that's true," Katara shrugged. "You deserve that, you know. Someone on your team. Especially after..." She trailed off, looking at his scar. Zuko pursed his lips, shoulders slouched.
"It's not something I want to discuss," he said, not in a way to harm Katara's feelings, more likely that Katara knew he wasn't ready.
"That's fine, but can you be honest about something else?" Katara said, gathering the courage to ask, and before Zuko could stop her. "Does your father hurt you? As in, continue to?" she questioned, and at his stony face, "That healer shadows him. Unless your father is in such poor health...and I just never noticed."
"Not since the start of the Choice," Zuko said quickly, as though he thought this made it better. "When I was younger, a lot. And the healer would fix me before anyone noticed. No scars." He gave a dark smile. "Except this. This was a reminder." Zuko touched his eye scar.
"Zuko, why haven't you ever told anyone? Your mother? Lu Ten?" she demanded, "...Me?"
"Because I thought, stupidly, that was behind us. Maybe he was regretful, or something, I'm not sure. Now I know he's without remorse, but...you want to be able to love your dad, huh?" he said, shaking his head. "If I told my mother...I didn't want to risk her life. Nor Lu Ten's. My father 'cares' for me more than them. I wouldn't let them be disposable, fall to a terrible 'accident' because of my own shit."
"It's not just 'your own shit'. This is horrible, Zuko! The Sages, you must-"
"Katara, I'm tired," Zuko murmured, and she couldn't tell if he was tired in the literal sense or just done with everything. "And I would like to wash up now."
Katara leaned up, kissing him in the halls, for she knew when to push and when to let things go. This was a time to let it go. As much as she wanted to march up to Ozai and freeze the blood in his veins, that would be stupid and would only end in tragedy.
And Zuko, who was the victim here, deserved for his choice to be heard in the matter, despite her own opinions.
"Can we keep it a secret?" Zuko asked softly. "It's not for anyone else to know, really."
"Yes, fine," Katara didn't want to let go of his fingers, "Are you okay?" she asked honestly.
"Never fully, but I learn to cope. Maybe one day I'll really be able to take him on, not just in words but actions, but not today," he said simply. "I'll see you at dinner, alright, Kat?" Right now, using her nickname warmed her heart. She nodded, watching him drag his feet down his hall towards the Royal Chambers.
Katara took a long way back. She went and checked on Sokka, who was sleeping peacefully when she opened his door. His limbs were splayed out like a starfish over all the sides of his bed and he was snoring quite loudly. His wounds were healing well and she was sure by the end of the month - whatever she decided - he'd be healed to take it on. Then, she went and wandered around the gardens a bit.
When she finally made her way back to the Ladies' Room, a little past lunch, she grabbed a few finger items from the table. No one was around; likely either sleeping, bathing or preparing for tonight's meal. Katara decided to eat small items, knowing it was to be a grand affair.
Then, she settled into cleaning the gunk from her body and doing her best to heal her own arms, at least so they didn't hurt so much.
Before long, it was only a few hours until dinner. As Katara was bending the water from her hair, there was a knock at the door. She grabbed a robe and tied it, half-hoping it would be Zuko, but was unsurprised it wasn't. It was a guard, and he held out a silver platter for her with a single letter upon it.
"From your family, Princess," he explained. Katara blinked. She had forgotten that she'd sent a letter to her dad. The letter's arrival was a comfort and a happy surprise.
"Thank you, sir," Katara nodded to him, taking the parchment in her fingers and going to sit on her balcony to read it while she dried off. She considered how she might miss the weather here, the trees, the architecture...she'd come to appreciate so much in the Fire Nation, so many things she hated when she first arrived here. If she were to leave, she knew she'd miss it as much as she missed the coldness of her home now.
She opened it with her letter opener and settled in.
Dear Katara,
I was warned when you were born that one day, I'd have to let you go. It seemed impossible. I loved you from the moment you were born and placed your tiny hand on my cheek. You already looked so much like your mother and I was just overcome with such joy and equally terrified that I would be responsible for protecting you, like your brother. It's difficult to watch your child suffer; the scraped knees, the time you cut yourself on your first hunting knife, or when you and your brother fought or you came home with a split lip because you stood up to the village bully...these were times I wished I could just shelter you and keep you safe, keep you with me.
When you defied my orders and went to the Fire Nation, I was furious. I was furious because I didn't know if I had done enough to teach you and if you died because of it, I would always blame myself. But, I had been comforted by the fact that one day you'd return. When you've given enough of yourself to the Fire Nation, given your time, your passion, your fealty to our tribe, you'd come back home. You would take up the mantle with your brother just as you'd always planned, and my two children would lead the Southern Water Tribe into a beautiful, halcyon set of days.
And I've waited. I told myself you would return soon, despite how much the hearts of your mother and I ache, I knew you were smart. You knew what you were doing. You always gave more than 100% for your people and did it so intelligently that I had to believe that as long as this has gone on, you had some sort of end goal, some magical number in which you'd decided that was good, and you'd victoriously return home.
I have to accept, Katara, you won't come back. And I think that perhaps you do not see this within yourself yet, but listen to me when I tell you...your place is not here.
It is my fault. I accept this now, and my guilt and shame over this have kept me up since I received your letter. If not for the way you were raised, with such heavy expectations pressed upon you, you might have already said yes. You might have found such joy sooner.
We just never guessed there would ever be a life outside of the Southern Water Tribe for you or Sokka. And both of you were so inquisitive, gentle, caring, helpful, and so passionate about your people that it seemed foolish to imagine anyone else who would lead. When your mother and Bato stepped into the position of some historic shoes to fill, they struggled. It is quite the task to take on the well-being of everyone. I had learned from GranGran, naturally, but even if I chose your mother as my wife from a young age and could not imagine a better partner than Bato, they were sheltered from the weight of leadership.
We never wanted you or Sokka to struggle with this once we were gone. We wanted both of you to seamlessly take over, and for it to be as easy as breathing. In this is our folly; we have tied the expectation and the responsibility of this tribe to your ankles like an anchor, and it has pulled you down and made you question everything. You might object and say 'Father, I love my tribe, of course, I'd do anything for them!' and that is true. I have no doubt you would give up your own personal happiness for us, to save us, and for that, I am equally grateful and honored as I'm sure everyone else is too.
But ask yourself Katara, deeply, is it because that's what we've told you to do, or is it because that's what you wish? Really, really consider it, I beg of you.
If you find that you have a passing romance with Zuko or your interests abroad have been sated, by all means, come back to us and I will never press the question again. However, if you at all find yourself torn, perhaps it is time to admit to yourself that it is my voice in the back of your mind keeping you tethered like an arctic bird to your shores, and it is your own heart that tugs you elsewhere?
Even writing to me speaks to me of the answer, and so I am letting you go. Katara, I am releasing you from your legacy. You gave up so much to save us and this is the only way that we can ever really thank you. You gave up your safety, your parents, your brother, and your own feelings to feed our people. But we are fed now; we are planting seeds to grow later, we are re-growing. Your need to remain at the Palace is no more unless you wish it. And if you wish, please stay.
You deserve your own life, free from what you've been led to think is your future. Sokka too; I have realized this as well. While your mother and I have raised children with so much heart that would never hesitate to stop and help others, we have never taught you how to take care of and love yourself. So do that; love yourself and your chosen path, and in doing so, I think you will realize where your heart lies. Love yourself as a separate entity from the Southern Water Tribe. Love yourself as Katara, whose possibilities lay endless before her with no due date back home, and all she has to do is start walking. Love yourself as Katara, the former heir apparent of the Southern Water Tribe, now armed with free choice to marry anyone she wishes and do whatever she wants with the rest of her life.
Our tribe will be fine. We are thriving. There are other people who can lead in the tribe, who can do it well. You are leaving us in fine hands, hands that will grow and blossom.
So, you are now open to love whoever you wish, but I believe we both know who holds your affections. It's not just the way you write about the Prince, it's how you two looked at each other. It's the way Sokka complains about how you two act in your letters home to me. It's the few pieces of media we are receiving from the Choice that makes it so abundantly clear that you are in love with Prince Zuko.
So I am letting go of you twice today, my darling daughter. I am releasing you of your obligation to your tribe and telling you that you've done such a wonderful job, and telling you you are banned from doing any further. Do not feel guilty, feel joy, as you take steps towards your new life. Secondly, I am letting go of my tiny child that I taught all that I know. This is my blessing to marry Zuko.
I hope to make it in time for a wedding.
With so much love,
Your Father.
Katara held the letter in her fingers, tears rolling down her cheeks. She stared across the Fire Nation and felt not a sense of longing and loneliness, but now a sense of belonging. She sniffled, smiling down and touching the letter gingerly.
"You're always right, dad," she whispered in a tender whisper, carefully folding the letter to keep safe for later.
As she got dressed for dinner, she wasn't quite sure what her brain was concocting, but she was briskly walking down the hallway before she really thought it through. There were still about two hours until mealtime.
If she asked herself, her father was correct. If she was freed to any sort of guilt about leaving her people, the only thing tying her to telling Zuko no was her reservation about her past lives, but even that hesitation felt like it was perhaps fading, or losing grip. All she knew was that she wanted to see Zuko right now. She wanted to tell him that she was serious and that she wanted to make things right in terms of her popularity, because for the first time since his proposal, Katara was sincerely thinking that she was going to say yes at the end of this moon. No, not just a thought, but a certainty, once the Fire Nation was ready for her too.
The idea thrilled her, and unlike before, she smiled stupidly to imagine their honeymoon and their life after. Her father had given the best gift...he'd released her and set her free. She would work through her issues with her identity in the half-moon remaining, she told herself, and by the end of the moon, there would be an end to the Choice.
More than any of this, Katara felt an intense need, a burning, a sort of compulsion to tell Zuko something very important. Three words, eight letters, and a small flicker of hope that had been left unsaid until now.
Katara stopped to pat her face dry in front of a mirror, and couldn't help but notice how warmly her cheeks were flushed and how her smile seemed to take up her entire face. She giggled into her hands, and she had a feeling that if anyone saw her right now, they would assume that the Prince had just proposed or something similar.
Katara turned and grabbed the volumes of her dress, but she had not taken more than another step forward when the wall beside her was blown out, she was thrown back into a pile of rubble, and fire poured like the incoming tide into the Palace walls.
XXX
The alarm came as Zuko was dressing for dinner. Before dinner, he had about eighty million people (or so it felt) that he had to meet with, he promised Suki that they'd spend some time in the gardens together - she apparently needed to confide in him about something very serious - and he was also asked by the chefs to preview the meal. It was always great food, but nonetheless, he was glad people were starting to defer to him.
As the sirens rang out, Zuko poked his head out of his room, waving Atsushi and the Royal Dressers away as he tried to suss out what was going on now.
"What's the matter?" Ursa asked, throwing open her chamber doors, directing her attention to a guard.
"Not sure yet, ma'am," the guard said.
"False alarm, perhaps?" Lu Ten offered, his shirt halfway unbuttoned, changing outfits too.
"There are like twelve steps to sound the alarm. That would have to be one heck of a mistake," Zuko shook his head.
Azula came out, still dressed in sparring gear, her hair was slightly messy from what Zuko could only assume had been a vigorous and terrifying spar for whoever she was up against. It was still let down from a hair tie, which was very unusual for her, and she made no motion to throw it up as she started to see the situation going on. Ozai was the last one out, seemingly unconcerned.
The guards at the doors opened and relayed some information with another guard in the hall.
"It's the Equalists, Fire Lord," the guard stated, looking at Ozai.
"Can we just have a break?" Zuko groaned, seriously, already feeling exhausted for what was to follow.
"Perhaps it's a small matter. We did just see them at the outpost," Lu Ten said, tapping his finger against his chin.
"It's not, sirs," the guard gulped. "From the reports...from the guard that sounded the alarm, there are thousands, it seems." His eyes were wild with terror though he kept standing. "I think it's a coup."
Ursa gasped. "That serious? Are we sure?" And she wasn't wrong for asking. The few other times, well, it had been unclear what the goal of the Equalists was, but it mostly seemed rooted in stirring up mayhem, not taking such an aggressive political agenda as they apparently were now.
"It's a take no prisoners hold, my lady," the guard who had sounded the alarm announced gravely, shouldering his way into the hallway. "We need to get you all to safety."
"Nonsense! We can all fight," Azula cackled. "I think I'd enjoy cracking a few Equalists heads," she said, popping her joints. "I didn't do nearly enough at the outpost. You should get your share of blood too. And why did we keep any of those ladies if they cannot protect their palace?" she asked, looking at Zuko. "Guards, tell the girls to get ready to fight."
"You cannot just...pronounce that!" Zuko growled. "Yes, we might fight, but we just sent them to a battle! They've hardly recovered!" He was terrified that they had no more fight left in them, at least not today!
"Soldiers get no time to recover," Ozai agreed, "Azula is right."
And at that moment, Zuko wondered if Ozai had planned this. Had he sent the Equalists to the outpost to weaken the palace here so that no one - surely not the contestants - would have the energy to fight? Or had he sent some mischief makers to loot and sack so that no one would notice what was going on, that a group was gathering in preparation for much worse? But if so, why a coup? Why were the Equalists pressuring so hard? In so many ways, Ozai still held so much power (more than Zuko liked to admit), so why would this be his grand plan?
"It will have to be up to them. Are you going to keep tabs on them, mark on a scroll if they're participating like they are schoolgirls in class?" Lu Ten said with a tone of derision, shaking his head.
Ursa made a sharp inhale, and when Zuko looked at her, her face was white and she was shaking. His poor mother, he thought, was not built for these sorts of fights. She was staring at her children with such pain, such agony, as though she was imagining their deaths already.
"Mom?" Zuko prompted, coming to stand in front of her. Her eyes stayed focused forward, past Zuko, until he placed a hand on her shoulder. When she spoke, her voice shook.
"I don't think this is the time to be arguing. I'm going down to the safe box, and I would not fault anyone for joining me," Ursa said, begging her children to come. But Zuko couldn't; even if Azula wasn't staring with bloodlust in her eyes, he knew he could fight, and thus he should.
"Mother, I have a date with destiny," Azula said, brushing her off. "Guardsman Yaw, please escort my mother to the safe room," Azula commanded a guard standing nearby, before she threw open the doors with her hands, marching into the reddish light of the palace on fire.
Ursa swallowed hard, reaching for Zuko.
"Zuko, please, you must listen-"
But Zuko could not focus on his mother, not right now. He gave his mother an apologetic smile, trying to push the frantic look in Ursa's eyes from his memory. He turned to try to keep tabs on his father, but somehow, Ozai had already slipped away. When he spun around, his mother had too.
XXX
Her eyelids fluttered open, but like someone had put sap between the folds, she could not keep them open.
Boom!
She inhaled, but dust caught up in her throat. Something was pressing down on her chest and she couldn't exhale it out properly.
eeeeeEEEEOOOHHHHeeeeeeee-
The sound around her ears was distorted and there was a warbling, waving ringing that was pounding in the back of her mind.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Like she was underwater, she registered the sound of firepower; whether it was explosions or weapons, she couldn't guess. It all sounded so far away, so fake, and she was beginning to wonder if she was dreaming.
"-Oh great Spirits! Suki...Katara's here-"
Someone was yelling, but their voices were all mixed up, and Katara really struggled to make out what was being said.
She opened her eyes just an inch to see light streaming in, mixed in a heavy cloud of dust that was kicked up. Two people moved a piece of concrete off of her chest and all of a sudden, she was breathing again.
"Katara, hey? Are you there?" Suki pressed a hand to her cheek. "Katara!" She slapped it. Katara felt her mind snap-on, like a fire igniting suddenly, and she turned to retch up what felt like a moon's worth of dust and earth that had invaded her lungs.
"My head..." she said, groaning.
"You hit hard if I had to guess. It's bleeding." Suki pressed two fingers to Katara's temple and when she pulled her fingers away, they were sticky and red.
More than that, it felt like her brain itself had been scrambled. As she sat up, her ribs cracked and stopped her, holding her to the ground.
"Water?" she blubbered, both for her throat and her wounds.
Nadhari, who had found her, laughed. "Girl, it's burning up in here! If we had water, it would be to put out the fires."
As her fields of vision widened, she realized how hot the entire room was and how there was a fine sheen of sweat on Suki and Nadhari's cheeks and foreheads. As she came around, her brain playing catch-up, she saw the room for what it was fully: a room painted in fire. The tapestries were burning, the side tables were piles of ash, and the smoke clouded the tops of the ceilings, seeking ways out.
"We should move, before we become a pile of barbeque and bones," Suki said, trying to lift Katara, but her injuries made her cry out.
"Wait, wait, wait," Katara demanded, looking around for any source of liquid. Her blood slid down her cheeks and onto her pretty dinner dress, ruined and signed now.
Blood.
She didn't know if this would work at all, but she coated her fingers and then pressed it back to her forehead, encouraging it to stitch her mind, reduce the swelling. Slowly, achingly, she felt her clarity return like a view far away coming into focus. By the time she was done, she was able to heal her ribs quicker and yelped as she felt one of her ribs rejoin the bones together.
She wiped the remnants of the blood, not much left, on the wall (it was pretty much ruined anyway) and stood on her own, tearing her dress off, down to her slip so she could move easier.
Suki was smiling widely at her and gave a little clap. Nadhari was even shocked before she shook out her head.
"Bloodbending might be the devil's tool, but damn if that wasn't impressive," Nadhari admitted. "But let's not sit here and applaud Katara as some sort of goddess, let's fight."
"Equalists?" Katara had to guess.
"Yes, but they're more violent than before. And there are so many of them. Hundreds, thousands...I couldn't count. The palace is already halfway torn, and if they're not looting, they're killing. Or worse."
"So that's their goal? Down with the Royals?" Katara tried to understand.
"If I had to guess, maybe," Nadhari shrugged. "But it's not like I stopped one and I was like 'excuse me, sir, I realize you're disemboweling that politician, but do you mind explaining your evil master plot?'" she snorted.
"Right, just saying." Katara rolled her eyes. Even if her opinion of Nadhari had strengthened, only slightly, Nadhari was still a generally insufferable personality. "How are the halls? I need to get to-"
"Sokka?" Suki guessed, "He was already gone. I was close to his room when the attacks happened and knew he was recovering. The door was blown off, but there wasn't any blood," she said.
"That idiot better be hiding, not fighting," Katara growled. Had she been with him, she would have pulled his ass down to the catacombs like he'd done with her what felt like eons ago. However, knowing him (because she knew herself) he likely would think his wounds were healed enough and had jumped to help.
"This way!" Nadhari used her Earthbending to push aside some earth that had covered the hall, but it seemed to take a lot out of her to rearrange the fallen walls like this, "Back that way is only death."
"Is anyone we know dead?" Katara asked as she kept a jogging pace with the two others.
"Lots of guards. Oh, you know that guard that brought On Ji that strawberry tart when she bombed the presentations? He's gone." Suki sighed. "But I'm not sure. So many bodies are just burned beyond recognition."
Katara bit the inside of her cheek hard, nodding.
"What's our goal here, ladies?" Nadhari asked as they jumped over the rubble.
"Erm, not die?" Suki shrugged, "I doubt we're going to single-handedly turn the tide."
"It would be awesome if we could," Katara added. At that moment, she and Suki and Nadhari shared a quiet laugh, a feeling shared between those that did love the thrill of the fight, and she felt a blooming of friendship that, for a second, fizzled away her fear.
The feeling was interrupted by an Equalist barreling down the halls at them. They side-stepped him and Nadhari tripped his run.
"Let's just save some people, and be happy with that," Suki pointed out, throwing her fans into the back of an Equalist. As she tore it out, she raised one fan to deliver a final blow, but Katara jumped forward.
"Wait!" she said, pushing the enemy on their side. She took off their mask to reveal a fighter no more than thirteen. "They seemed too short...it's just a kid, who knows what Ozai has on them," she said, looking at the blood that fountained up through the boy's lips. "We can't kill him."
"Ozai?" Nadhari startled, "What do you mean what Ozai has?"
"He's the leader of the Equalists, obviously. I mean, he's kept it close to his chest, but it's pretty clear now," Katara said, looking up at Nadhari's dubious expression. "Oh, come on, it's not that hard to believe."
"Why would he wreck his own palace?" Suki waved a hand around. "I know that you like Lu Ten, but I think he's hiding something! It's always the ones you never expect."
"It's not Lu Ten," Katara growled, before turning to Nadhari. "Be...because he's power-crazy!" she said, staring back up. Suki sucked in her cheeks, clearly in disagreement.
"Nuh-huh, he's not." Nadhari examined Katara. "I-"
"You might want to stay on his good side, but Zuko knows. He basically told Zuko himself," Katara insisted. "It doesn't matter. He's enlisting kids, like the one at Abbey," Her throat closed as she spoke. "And even though they're killing us, we should be the better people."
"We might be dead people if we let them all live," Nadhari snorted. "But fine, fine. Let's just lock him in there." She pointed to a butler's cabinet. The three hoisted the boy into the mops and pails and shoved a big piece of the fallen ceiling in front.
"Are we going to do that for all of 'em? Just because some are adults doesn't mean they all chose this fight. Lots of people have skeletons in their closet," Nadhari asked, crossing her arms. Katara, who had been feeling good about not killing that boy, faltered.
"Uhm..."
"I'm not entirely sure right now is time for a moral conundrum. I say let's find Yue; out of all the contestants, she's the least able to defend herself," Suki said. "And I know she planned on going to the library to read before dinner. If I'm not turned around, the library is...this way!" She pointed down the hall.
"You got it," Nadhari said, continuing to help cleave away fallen earth and rubble. The farther in they went, the worse it got. It felt like a nightmare escape, one that had unseeable monsters and horrors Katara could never describe when she was awake. It seemed at every turn there was a shadow behind her, another person to fight. They incapacitated most; either way, when the fighting was over, if they were still alive, they'd be tended to.
The library was on fire too, books burning rapidly and falling to the ground to create a carpet of lost knowledge and crusting, flaming soot.
"Yue!" Suki cupped her hand and called, "Yue, are you alive?"
Katara used the three girls' sweat to create an ice sheet over some of the flames, which sizzled and sent smoke rising like trees around them. The floor crinkled as they walked over pages.
"Yue! Yue-"
"Wait, listen!" Katara shushed Suki. There was a whimpering from behind a shelf that had fallen to create a hide-out. Nadhari moved the earth under the library to tip the shelf the other way, revealing Yue blubbering and grasping her chest, an Equalist dead in front of her.
"Yue, are you okay?" Katara ran over to her, over the warm ground, hugging her shoulders.
"I...I didn't..." Yue sniffled, snot running down her face. Even now, she still looked stunning, which Katara thought was sort of unfair, but it was impressive on Yue's side.
"He's for sure dead. Drowned." Suki knelt down to the Equalist. She looked up at Yue with a question in her eyes.
"I waterbended. I didn't mean to, but he grabbed me and he had a knife and I was so scared." Yue wiped her eyes.
"Where did the water come from?" Katara questioned.
"I had a cup...I was drinking tea," Yue's eyes were wide. "I don't know what I did, Katara. I just wanted him dead at that moment, or rather, I wanted myself alive. And then he was choking on my tea and dropped. It was awful."
"Your first kill?" Nadhari asked sympathetically, "You don't often forget it, Princess." She pursed her lips. "Hey, you're fine now. I think you should stick with us."
"But...but you're fighting!" Yue frantically began to back up. "I won't, I won't, I can't...I can't.." she began to chant.
"Better than the alternatives. We'll keep you safe. It's dangerous by yourself and I'm not sure there are many hiding spots left," Katara pressed her hand to Yue's face. "Hey, hey...we'll make sure you don't have to waterbend again, alright?"
"Where are the others?" Yue looked up, "The girls? Zuko?"
"Haven't seen Prince Zuko yet," Suki sighed, "Fighting? And the rest, well, Mai ran off as soon as the sirens went. Besu too...and Ratana, erm," Suki trailed off. "Ozai was right about one thing. He's pared us down to those that would basically run right into a fight. So we're all battling," she said. "It's been hours. Who knows where everyone is now?"
"Hours?" Katara choked out. Great Tui and La, how long had she been knocked out for?
"It seems like minutes," Nadhari agreed, "But we're far past dinner. Glad I ate before, or I'd be starved."
Katara's stomach growled at that, but she tried not to think of it. She also tried not to worry about Zuko, or think of him too much, or what she wanted to tell him...or else she'd spiral and never get out of this panic.
"Let's try to get Yue to safety. I think I recall Zuko talking about a panic room, from the first big Equalist attack. Fire Lady Ursa will likely be there with the elderly and children. Not sure if we can get her in too, but it's worth a try." Katara pushed everything down and focused on getting Yue out of this alive.
"Right, where's that?"
"Behind the turtle-duck ponds, I think," Nadhari gulped, "Back the way we came."
"We can do it," Suki said without a beat. "We got this, girls."
They did not.
Not only was the way back through the palace more wrecked than before, at every turn they were fighting off at least eight Equalists all trying to get kill shots in. Even with their extensive knowledge of the palace, it seemed every new path they took brought them face to face with some unpleasantness. As good as fighters as they were, they were already exhausted, and all suffering wounds. Plus, for every Equalist they took down, another would jump into its place, leaving them fighting an uphill battle.
It took a bit, but finally, Katara realized after they had to retreat what felt like the hundredth time for a new way. "They're corralling us, pushing us to the center of the Palace," she said, realizing they had not made headway at all past a certain point. "They're encroaching on all sides. We're trapped."
---
DUN DUN DUUUUUNNNNN!
Can you believe we only have two chapters left after this to finish it all out? I think the next chapter is about 16 pages (one of the longest yet!) and the chapter after that is 11, to give you a sense of how many words we have to leave this at a sense of resolution...well, as much resolution as a middle book of a trilogy can have XD
The next chapter will be released three weeks from now on September 10th. Even if my beta edits in two weeks, I know that I personally will likely not have the time. I'm starting a new job on Monday (second year as a teacher, first year with my own classroom), and it's an entirely different age group than what I studied in, so I'll probably be just playing catch-up for a bit XD
So who do you all think is the leader of the Equalists? Ozai? Ozai and someone else? Lu Ten? A different person entirely? Last chance to get your guesses in, because next chapter, all is revealed.
So, until then, enjoy!