Katara let go of Mai's throat as Sokka grabbed her elbow. She merely peeked at her brother, his brows drawn, before snapping her attention back to the prisoner.
The non-bender started coughing under Katara's watchful eye.
''Woah, Sugar Queen, easy,'' Toph chuckled. ''We don't even know why she's here yet.''
''We've spent a whole day trying to get her to talk but she hasn't spoken a word since,'' Hakoda came to stand next to the hostage. He glared at his daughter. ''Are you alright?''
Katara bared his teeth at him. ''Untie her.''
''Huh? That would be very unwise...''
''Do it,'' Katara snarled, ignoring the way surprise flickered across her father's features.
Mai gaped up at her, frowning. It was Sokka who took out a knife attached to his belt. Unsheathing it, he cut the ties at once.
''I hope you know what you're doing,'' Toph mumbled under her breath once the last strand gave out.
''You want her to talk?'' Katara beheld the way Mai slowly got up. Both women stared each other down. The waterbender balanced on her feet, spreading them apart. She unblocked her water pouch. ''I'll get her to talk.''
She noticed the knives peeking out of her opponent's sleeve. Slowly sliding down to her hands. ''You wish to fight me?''
Sokka, Hakoda and Toph whipped their heads toward Mai. First words she's said.
Katara smirked cleverly. ''Trust me, it's not going be a much of a fight.''
The non-bender straightened out her long, black robe. ''As much as I'd love to provide you with some entertainment,'' she yawned. ''I am afraid I'm needed elsewhere.''
As fast as a flying arrow, Mai raced towards the caves entrance. Toph heaved loudly but Katara was already on it.
The stiletto Master barely managed to stop before crushing into a wall of ice. Her jaw clenched, she turned around abruptly.
Katara shrugged carelessly. ''Do you always run away from things?''
Pupils dilated, Mai panted like an angry animal. One stiletto after another, she stared throwing them at the waterbender.
She had to admit, it was difficult to avoid them. She used her water whip to push them away, the sound of cluttering steel surrounding them.
''Katara, what are you doing?!'' She heard Sokka's voice as Mai launched herself at her.
Blocking her first punch to the gut, she whipped her head to her brother. The boomerang glistened in his hand. ''Stay out of it!''
''But-''
''I mean it, Sokka!'' She seethed through her teeth, tilting her head back as Mai almost slammed her elbow into her face.
She didn't hear the reply as Mai grabbed her hair. Katara maneuvered the water to wrap around her wrist. It froze her movement before she had a chance to pull.
''You will get nothing out of me,'' the Fire Nation woman growled right into her face.
''We'll see.''
The waterbender kicked her ankle, making her opponent take a step back at once. Finally free of her grasp, she was able to manipulate the water into ice picks.
Puffing with every strain of her muscles, Mai avoided them almost perfectly. She unclasped another stiletto when Katara wasn't looking.
She did not expect the impact of it. Not at it sliced across her shoulder. Letting out a loud battle cry, Katara swallowed down the pain as the wound already started leaking blood.
The satisfaction written across Mai's face was unmistakable.
Prompted into a fight, Katara launched at her. Letting the water fall freely to the ground, she made it flow underneath the black-haired woman's feet. She threw a punch to her face, Mai staggering back into a wall.
She drew out a small knife from her sleeve, only one. She slammed the back of it into Katara's side but the waterbender threw out her arm. It made the water freeze around her ankles, stopping her in place.
Mai's face dropped as she reached into her robe, to realize she had no weapons left.
Katara breathed heavily as she bended the water up to her opponent's wrists, pinning them into the rock, hard wall before she had a chance to reach toward her.
''You filthy peasant,'' Mai snarled right into her face. She struggled against the ice but it was of no use.
She was defeated.
''Talk,'' Katara stared at her furiously.
The woman spit on her shoes. ''Make me.''
''I said...'' the waterbender lifted one of her fingers, the blood coursing through Mai's veins answering her call. ''Talk.''
An Spirits awful scream drew out of Mai's throat. She closed her eyes as her insides clenched, her heart beating too fast, her face crumbling as her muscles trembled.
The sound full of pain had Sokka coming up instantly. His wide eyes watched as his sister manipulated the blood of a non bender.
''It's not right, Katara!'' he yelled through Mai's whimpering. ''Stop it. Stop it now!''
He grabbed the waterbender's elbow but she didn't even turn to him. Her sight fixated on the woman that broke the Fire Lord's heart.
She only heard the begging as the image of Zuko flashed through her mind.
It was unbearable, chest-stopping pain that surged through her every time she thought of his face. Of his reaction. Of his hooded, distant expression when she suggested they should not talk. When she basically suggested they only find pleasure together.
The muscle in Mai's arm gave out. Snapping sound of it was a music to her ears.
''I've even looked for her for weeks.''
Her head tilted back under the pressure Katara's bending put on her.
''She left that night,'' he whispered. His features twisted in pain that the memory surely brought out in him. The waterbender's heart strained. ''I've never heard from her again.''
All it took was the movement of her finger to watch the pain across her face.
''Enough!'' Sokka called to his sister. Wherever she was, it wasn't her standing before him. He pushed at her but she was unyielding as a rock. ''Katara!''
He kept pulling at her, trying to stop her. Katara merely glanced at him before putting her hand down. Her attention once again on Mai, she grabbed her chin.
Her scared eyes peered at her. She lowered her lips to her ear so only she could hear her words. ''I can keep going. For what you did to him, I could tear you apart,'' she surveyed as Mai's pupils widened in understanding. ''I can take his rage. I can explain to him why I've done this. But it'll only break him even more. So, here's the deal. You tell me everything and you get to live.''
Katara could smell her fear. She basked in it like in the sunlight, her teeth flashing at the non-bender as she inched away from her.
The ice melted and Mai fell to the floor.
Gasping, trying to catch a break, she looked up at the waterbender- at the bloodbender in panic.
Sokka and Hakoda appeared at her sides, seizing her by her arms, up to a stand. Their eyes remained on Katara though, wide and unbelieving.
Mai dipped her head low. Defeated and aware of the healer's power, it was a sign good enough for the blue eyed woman to turn away.
''Interrogate her,'' she threw over her shoulder. Her hands trembled so she kept them on her pouch. She passed by Toph, who only stood there still. ''She'll tell you everything.''
....................................
Inhale.
Exhale.
Katara focused on her breathing as she sat on the edge of the cliff, looking out at the uneven hills before her, in the distance.
She healed her arm already but the dried blood remained, as would the thin scar across it.
Did she regret using bloodbending on Mai?
No.
She had no remorse after what happened. She did let her feelings get the best of her though. She revealed too much, to Mai, to her friends.
But as soon as she saw her smirk, that she was well and alive... It enraged her. Zuko spent months blaming himself, thinking he was the reason she left him. Meanwhile, she was out here, unbothered.
With an information that could possibly bring the balance to the world once again.
''I was under the impression you can only use bloodbending during the Full Moon,'' Toph appeared soundlessly next to her. She sat down on the ground. ''How wrong was I, huh?''
Katara didn't reply as she stared at her friend. Her face revealed nothing of what she thought. She couldn't read her. Not anymore.
''Why are you here, Toph?''
The earthbender stretched out her arms. ''I must say, I am rather impressed,'' she yawned widely. She pointed her finger at Katara, her brows drawn. ''Not that I approve.''
The waterbender rolled her eyes. ''It doesn't matter,'' she shrugged. She rubbed at her exhausted face. ''I don't care.''
''Yes, it would seem so.''
The silence stretched between them for a while. Katara shifted uncomfortably when the earthbender breathed out heavily. ''You are such a fool.''
She whipped her head to the blind girl. ''Excuse me?''
Toph put her hands up defensively. ''No offense, princess,'' she scoffed. ''It just wasn't very wise to put out that display in front of your family. Especially Sokka.''
Katara stood up, straightening out her tunic. ''I don't know what you're talking about.''
''You know, I've been wondering about this for a while,'' the earthbender followed her so they leveled out. ''How long have you been in love with Zuko? Or is he just that good in bed that you were willing to kill his ex for leaving him?''
''What?'' Katara's eyes went wide. ''I don't-''
''I told you once to not lie to me,'' Toph cut in, her tone offended. ''Yet, you're still trying to do that, even now.''
The waterbender stared at her friend, at the mysterious smile across her face, at the way her arms were crossed.
There would be no point in lying to her. Through her seismic sense, she could tell if she was telling the truth or not. Ignoring the question was not an option either. She would simply assume things that might not even be true.
So, Katara sat back down, Toph copying her movements.
She told her friend everything.
......................................................................
HI!
Another chapter for you guys tonight! I bet you weren't expecting that, huh?!
Hope you enjoyed reading it.
Thank you for all the support!
Love, Ronnie.