#zk2018

Every full moon since that night with Hama Katara would feel a disturbing tingle in her fingers. The first time this happened she knew immediately what it meant and the memory of that destructive power made her shudder. She swore to herself that she would never use her bending that way again but Hama's words still haunted her nightmares.

"You're a bloodbender now."

She may have chosen not to use that dark power, but having done so once had irrevocably unlocked some dangerous potential within her. No matter how many times she told herself she would not use this power, the possibility would always be there.

And there were moments that she thought she might succumb to such weakness, in spite of everything. Whenever she felt herself overcome with rage at the injustices of the world, that distinct tingle would make itself felt and her fingers would twitch ever so slightly, as if seeking someone they could manipulate. She feared herself the most at such moments and she tried her best not to let the others see her internal struggles. As an additional precaution, on nights of the full moon, she stayed away from the group, making some excuse about needing some time alone to better control her element. It wasn't technically a lie but Toph was slightly suspicious. But the earthbender respected the waterbender's need for privacy.

Katara was also careful to avoid the things that might trigger an unexpected response, an instinctive taking of control. When Zuko first joined the group, Katara feared the worst, that she would so easily give in to her anger towards the firebender. She warned him once against harming Aang and that was was far as she allowed herself to go. For the most part, she observed him but avoided getting too close.

One night, he stumbled upon her in a particularly distressed state. The urge to bloodbend was stronger than usual and she did not understand why. She was sitting down, hugging her knees, trembling and tearful, silently praying to the spirits that she would not succumb to these destructive tendencies.

Zuko had tried his best to stay out of the waterbender's way. After that first dire warning she gave him, he kept his distance even if he desperately wanted to earn her forgiveness and trust. He knew that he should have left her alone that night but she looked so miserable that he could not help but feel concerned. He knew that he had to do something so he approached her carefully.

"Katara, what's wrong?" he asked earnestly.

She looked up at him in surprise and saw that his concern was sincere. But the tingling in her fingers continued and she grew afraid of herself.

"What are you doing here, Zuko?" she asked.

"I saw you alone," he replied, "And I wondered if I could help you in any way."

She shook her head. "I'll be fine," she answered curtly. She wanted him to leave before she did anything she might regret.

He was unconvinced. "You really don't look all right," he said, walking closer to her, "Are you sure…"

"Stay away from me!" Katara cried, standing up suddenly and walking away. "You don't know what I can do."

Zuko was surprised by such a violent reaction but he recognized someone lashing out in pain. That was all too familiar to him.

"I know that you're one of the most powerful waterbenders I've ever met," he said calmly, "And it's probably unwise for me to provoke you during a full moon. But you're not invincible, Katara. Let me at least get someone to help you."

"Why do you care?" she retorted, turning to face him, "You have no idea of what I'm going through right now.You can't possibly understand."

"Try me," Zuko said stubbornly.

Katara stared at him incredulously. He was not in fighting stance and he made no sign of aggression. He simply stood there waiting, an expression of worry on his face. He was not an enemy anymore but she could not forget who he was.

For one mad moment, she felt the urge to bloodbend. She clenched her fist and looked away but Zuko had caught the expression of hatred that had flashed in her eyes, immediately replaced by terror and guilt.

"You would not hurt me, Katara," he said softly.

"How can you be so sure?" she asked.

"You certainly could, you're more than strong enough," he explained, "But you're also one of the kindest people I've ever met. You always see the best in people."

Katara looked at him then, tears streaming down her face. "How can you say that to me after the way I threatened you?"

"I deserve your anger," he replied gravely, "And I will work as hard as I can to earn your forgiveness. But you don't have to suffer alone."

The waterbender unclenched her fists and looked at her trembling hands. Zuko then got a better sense of her struggle, even if he did not know exactly what was plaguing her.

"I don't want this," Katara whispered desperately, "I don't ever want to use this power again. Not on anyone. Not for anything."

The firebender attempted to approach her once more. "You can control it," he told her reassuringly, "If anyone can fight it, you can."

"But how can you know about this?" Katara looked at him questioningly. There was no longer any bitterness in her tone, only despair.

"I know a thing or two about darker impulses," Zuko told her gently, "And I know that these can be conquered, when one's heart is true, as I am sure yours is."

Taking advantage of the waterbender's stunned silence, Zuko dared to take her hands in his as tenderly as he could. The trembling stopped at once and Katara looked from her hands to the nervous face of the firebender before her. Gone was that poisonous urge to take control, replaced by an overwhelming sense of relief and profound peace.

To Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe, South Pole,

It was a great honor to meet the father of Sokka and Katara and I enjoyed our conversations when I was last with you and the Avatar's friends on Ember Island.

I enjoyed our conversations about the rare varieties of tea that you have in the Water Tribes and those that you have discovered during your travels. Please know that you will always be welcome at my tea house, the Jasmine Dragon, here in Ba Sing Se.

As for the other matter we discussed, I am glad to know that you approve of my nephew for your daughter and that you have seen his true, generous nature. It will be a unique match but one that we should welcome in these times of peace. And it's obvious that they both care for each other a great deal.

But knowing my nephew, he would never say anything about it to her, and he might not even believe that his feelings are returned. Zuko may seem proud but he is also deeply in need of encouragement and support. I have spoken to him about his admiration for Katara but he believes that she will only ever see him as a friend. This situation needs to be rectified immediately, and I hope that if you and I work together, we will be successful.

They will be paying me a visit soon and I have so many plans of leaving them alone together in the tea-house. All they need is ample opportunities to spend time and to get to know each other better. And Ba Sing Se can be such an enchanting place.

I will let you know of my progress.

Your friend,

Iroh

. . . . .

To General Iroh, at the Jasmine Dragon, Ba Sing Se,

I was pleased to receive your news and the packet of rare jasmine tea that you sent over. This is much appreciated as the fragrance of the tea can be such a balm in the chilly weather of the South Pole.

My son and daughter have come home for the time being while Aang and the others remain in the Fire Nation to fulfill certain duties. Katara is glad to be home with her family though I suspect that she also misses a certain someone. It seems like your schemes to put them together in Ba Sing Se have made some real progress. I often see her sighing and looking towards the horizon and I don't have any doubt about whom she is waiting for.

I confess that it did seem very strange to think that the son of the Fire Lord may become a part of my family. If you had told me this years ago, I would have laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. But now that I've gotten to know your nephew, and now that I've seen how very different he is from his father, I can say that I would be proud to call him my son. Katara and Sokka already thought highly of him and I trusted their judgment.

But my daughter can be stubbornly clueless as well and I'm not sure that either of them have taken steps to admit their feelings to one another. Her brother teases her about this but she is far too serious to do anything yet.

There is one problem I have solved. Some of her doubt seemed to stem from the fact that I might not approve of her choice. But I spoke with her the other day and I made it very clear that I approved of Zuko and that he would be most welcome to join our family (as are you, by the way, Iroh, I must say.)

Her smile of relief and joy was indescribable and she hugged me very tightly when I told her all this. I have never seen her this happy and I am grateful to your nephew for this.

When he comes to the South Pole, I will make sure to let him know that he has my blessing.

I hope that you will have an opportunity to visit us someday as we have much to discuss.

Your friend,

Hakoda . . . To Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe, South Pole,

I believe that we will soon be seeing the fruits of our labor. There is nothing so rewarding as seeing two people I love happy together. And this is finally the case between your daughter and my nephew.

They cannot deny it any longer and they have finally, FINALLY, confessed their feelings for one another. And I am pleased to say that this momentous occasion took place in my own tea house!

Your daughter has undoubtedly told you about this already but I'd still like to share my side of the story. Aang, Sokka, Toph, and the rest had gone to Omashu for some diplomatic conference or other while Zuko and Katara had come here to speak to the Earth King and to pay me a visit. After we chatted, I left them together in their favorite spot in the tea house, a table by the verandah with a wonderful view of the city in the moonlight. I hired someone to play music nearby and, fortunately, the weather cooperated with me as well.

I didn't hear exactly what they said although I was very tempted to eavesdrop. All I heard was Katara laughing at first, followed by Zuko (who rarely laughs!) and then when I went to check on them, they were locked in a tight embrace, with tears of joy on their faces.

Katara smiled at me then and said, "What would you say to having a waterbender as a niece, Uncle Iroh?"

And I confess that I burst into tears as well.

It seems you and I will officially be family soon and there is nothing that could please me more.

Your friend,

Iroh

. . . . To General Iroh, at the Jasmine Dragon, Ba Sing Se,

You should received the invitation by now but I would still like to take this opportunity to personally invite you to the wedding. There will be  simple ceremony here, following our traditions, and then one more later this year in the Fire Nation.

Zuko has already fashioned a betrothal necklace for my daughter and she wears it proudly. He has been studying our traditions and he is committed to upholding all of these during the ceremony. Sokka has taken it upon himself to "educate" his future brother-in-law but I fear that my son is having too much fun at Zuko's expense. Fortunately, I am also helping him learn our culture and I think he is more relieved when the information comes from me instead of my son.

I am so proud of them both and I have not stopped telling them this. They have grown up so much in the last few years and they have done so much to rebuild the world after the war. The Fire Nation is lucky to have such a kind and just leader and never would I have imagined that my own daughter would be the Fire Lady. But, as you always say, Destiny is a funny thing.

I will keep this note short as I will be seeing you soon. Let us share a pot of tea together and celebrate the union of our two families.

Your friend,

They didn't remember much about the first time they kissed, only that it happened and it was a turning point in their relationship. But there had been too many other things going on around them and there had been little opportunity to mark the moment significantly.

It had been in the heat of battle, with the whole team spread out as they fought against an elite squad of firebenders sent by Ozai. Aang had still been away seeking answers to how he would eventually face the Fire Lord and they had been planning how they could help him. But being attacked constantly came with being associated with the Avatar.

Toph, Sokka, and Suki stayed together while Zuko and Katara split up from the group to try and divert their attackers' attention. Their opponents were among their fiercest yet, all master firebenders and swordsmen as well as Yu Yan archers. Given the skills of the Avatar's friends, it was unlikely that they would be defeated, even by such capable foes, but it was most likely that the enemy simply wanted to delay them from making a real difference in the war.

There had been no time for grand declarations and earnest confessions. Not a moment to spare for any remotely romantic gesture. No flowers, no music, no candlelight. Only the chaos of battle all around them, the thrill of fleeing from their enemies, and the excitement of combat. There was shouting and explosions and the air was filled with smoke, steam, and the metallic stench of blood. And yet, all this madness was the perfect setup for them both to finally act on their feelings.

Zuko had realized it first but had been too afraid to say anything about it, believing that, despite everything they had been through together, Katara would only ever see him as a friend. Their history was too complicated.

Maddeningly, Katara felt the same way. She had opened her heart to him after he helped her come to terms with her mother's death and after spending more time getting to know him, she had truly come to cherish the firebender. But she also believed that there were so many obstacles in their way.

And had this all happened during peace time, they might have spent months or even years in denial, dancing around each other, and living in uncertainty. But war had a way of accelerating things.

So there they were, fighting back to back, Zuko launching fireballs and Katara wielding her water whip. After successfully subduing one group of attackers, they found a safe place to catch their breath.

"We make a good team, don't we?" Katara said proudly.

Zuko nodded and smiled. "I think I'm at my best when I'm at your side," he said earnestly.

"As am I," Katara replied, blushing.

Their peace was short lived as a few arrows flew over their heads.

"Promise me, you'll get out of this alive," Katara said urgently.

"I promise," Zuko reassured her.

The waterbender made a split-second decision and pulled the firebender towards her and quickly brought her lips to his. He kissed her back for a moment, and held her tight.

But the battle had beckoned and after smiling shyly at each other, they had to pull away and resume the fight. But they both knew that they had crossed an important line and they were both happier for it.

The kiss had been a mess, not much more than both of them clumsily squishing their lips together. Their faces were both sweaty and their teeth bumped against each other a bit. There had been no time to adjust their positions. It was over before they had any chance to appreciate the momentous occasion.

Katara found the family of turtleducks on a pond in a secluded area of the walled city.

She had been wandering around Ba Sing Se, lost in thought, and hoping to find a quiet corner where she could find some peace. As much as she loved her companions, she longed for some solitude and now that they were in a relatively secure situation, she could afford to stay away from them for an hour or so.

The sight of the mother turtleduck watching over her young made the waterbender smile. Such a domestic scene gave her comfort and she found a rock near the pond where she could sit and watch them quietly. It was a soothing activity and one that that temporarily distracted her from her worries.

At one point, one of the turtleducklings ventured too far away from its family and looked slightly frantic so Katara raised her hand and gently guided the duckling across the water back to its mother. She wasn't sure if the mother realized what had happened but she certainly seemed relieved to have her child back. Katara found she had grown immediately attached to them and she regretted not having anything to feed them.

She returned a few days later with some pieces but, to her surprise, found that they were already feasting on similar nourishment. Someone had found them and fed them, undoubtedly sharing the waterbender's fondness for the creatures.

Katara felt slightly disappointed that her secret spot had been discovered but curiosity overcame dismay and she wondered who could have left the food for the happily swimming turtleducks. She would return to the spot at different times but she never seemed to catch the turtleducks' mysterious benefactor.

Once, as she approached the pond, she caught a glimpse of a cloaked figure hurrying away, but by the time she reached the pond, the person had disappeared into the labyrinth of Ba Sing Se. Katara sighed and looked at the turtleducks, who were cheerfully nibbling at the treats their friend had left them.

"Oh, if only you could talk to me," she said with a smile, "I'm sure you'd have some pretty interesting stories."

But it became trickier to find time to visit her little friends as Aang and the rest of the group learned more about the politics and intrigue of Ba Sing Se. Still, every now and then, Katara thought of the mysterious figure who visited the turtleducks and wondered about his or her identity.

She had never spoken of the pond and the turtleducks to anyone in the group, somehow wanting to keep it her own secret place. But she knew that there was at least one other person in the city who shared this secret and she was desperate to know who this was.

One day, she finally got her wish. She had almost given up hope of ever meeting the other visitor when she chanced upon him sitting by the pond, quietly tossing small pieces of bread to the appreciative turtleducks. He was a young man dressed in the traditional green Earth Kingdom garb and he had his back to her.

She approached him carefully, and she inexplicably felt that there was something familiar about him. And though he could potentially be dangerous, Katara's instincts told her that she could trust him somehow.

Now that she had finally caught him, she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do or say.  It was like they had been sharing the secret of the secluded sanctuary for weeks and if either of them spoke, some spell would be broken.

But before either of them could say a word, it was the turtleducks that gave Katara away. They had recognized her and greeted her arrival with excited quacks. Their other visitor stood up and turned around abruptly to see who had come and they both stared at each for a long time.

"Zuko!" Katara was the first to break the silence, trying to process what was happening, "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged and said sheepishly, "Feeding the turtleducks."

Stating the obvious seemed the only response he was prepared to give and somehow this made Katara laugh and roll her eyes.

"I can see that," she said, and there was another awkward silence as they watched each other carefully.

"I don't want to fight you," Zuko said suddenly, and Katara saw that he was sincere.

"Neither do I," she replied earnestly, before adding with a smile, "At least, not in front of our little friends."

Her remark seemed to provoke a small smile in the firebender, and that was the biggest surprise of all. He then looked away shyly.

"Maybe I should go," he said, turning to walk away.

"No, you don't have to," Katara protested. Zuko stared at her curiously.

She still had so many questions, and there were a lot of explanations to be made. And yet, she wasn't eager to get into all those complications just yet.

It was clear that they came to this hidden spot of the city to seek refuge from their troubles, so it didn't seem right for them to be deprived of the peace they sought.

"Whenever you are lost in the dark, the Painted Lady will light a torch to guide you back home."

This was the story parents told their children in the Fire Nation, about the mysterious but benevolent figure who protected the weak and the helpless. The children would listen in wonder as they were regaled with tales of how the Painted Lady comforted the distressed and championed the oppressed.

She was described as a beautiful, dark-skinned woman with long, flowing brown hair, always dressed in a scarlet dress with a conical hat and veil. Her face and arms were adorned with elaborate tattoos that effectively masked her true identity. Those who had been lucky enough to be close to her claimed to have seen her smile kindly at them.

She always seemed to appear when she was needed; whether a group of travelers was being attacked by bandits, soldiers were terrorizing a town, or even when a young child was being chased by wolves.

She never spoke but always expressed herself through her firebending, whether by gently illuminating a dark path or by launching fireballs and fire-whips at her enemies. She was an expert at creating large but controlled explosions and she could launch fire balls with uncanny accuracy.

There were those who claimed they had seen her redirect lightning, leading to more fabulous tales of her exploits. On particularly stormy nights, there would be whispers about the Painted Lady engaged in an Agni Kai with another powerful firebender.

No one could be sure if the Painted Lady was an ancient spirit or simply an exceptionally powerful firebender. But everyone who knew of her believed that she was real and not some folk story to keep small children entertained at night. She was a true hero. . . . .

"Those who are gravely injured can call on the Blue Spirit to heal them with glowing water."

This was the what the elders of the Southern Water Tribe told the younger generation when they needed some hope to cling to in the midst of adversity. They drew strength from the moon and ocean spirits but also from the knowledge that they had a more approachable protector.

Many of them had seen that shadowy figure, clad all in black except for the distinctly elaborate mask of the Blue Spirit. Moonlight would shine on this mask, making it glow in the dark, heralding the arrival of a swordsman and healer. He never spoke but all who had encountered him claimed that there was something in his manner that showed both nobility and kindness.

The masked crusader would spend time with the injured, using his waterbending to soothe even the deadliest of wounds. But he only stayed long enough for people to be pulled back from the brink of death. No one had dared try to remove his mask or ask him to reveal himself. Gratitude always overwhelmed the curiosity of those he had helped.

The heroic stranger had once redirected the snow from an avalanche in order to save an entire village. And those who lived by the ocean had seen the Blue Spirit controlling the waves so that small boats could find safe passage to their shores.

No one could be sure if the Blue Spirit was an extremely powerful waterbender or a mythical being. All they knew was that when there were members of their tribe in need of protection, they could rely on the Blue Spirit to provide it. . . .

When a powerful typhoon threatened to annihilate a coastal village, both the Blue Spirit and the Painted Lady arrived to help evacuate the inhabitants. A calamity of such magnitude had never befallen anyone in the Four Nations and even the skilled waterbenders of that village were unable to manage the tumult of the waves and the heavy rainfall. They were forced to flee and to protect their families as best as they could.

The Blue Spirit used his waterbending to regulate the rainfall and to prevent flooding, clearing a path for the people to take to higher ground. The way forward was illuminated with the help of the Painted Lady's firebending as she lit torches for the fleeing villagers to take with them. There was no time for the victims to marvel at this unique event but many of them would remember the significance of this encounter even years later.

The vicious storm raged on mercilessly, wreaking havoc all around. Fortunately, most of the villagers had reached safety but the typhoon continued to destroy everything in its path. The two legendary figures fought their hardest to minimize the damage, putting themselves at risk just to help others.

Many times lightning struck the ground, setting off fires that were quickly extinguished by the rain. More than once had the Painted Lady been forced to focus all her energy on redirecting the lightning away from innocent lives. And at one crucial moment, she just about managed to divert the lightning away from the Blue Spirit, but in doing so she sustained several injuries.

The Blue Spirit rushed to her side at once and began to heal her wounds. No one had been close enough to hear the words exchanged between the two legends but those who had been close enough to see their interaction said that the Blue Spirit had taken the firebender's hands in his and kissed them tenderly. And the Painted Lady had smiled.

No one could be sure if the two mysterious figures had known each other before this event but all who had witnessed it said they had never seen the elements of water and fire work in such harmony before. Before anyone could approach them to thank them properly, both the Blue Spirit and the Painted Lady had disappeared, almost as mysteriously as they had arrived, further suggesting that they were not mortal beings.