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The Price of Peace	By : Looneyluna Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > Het - Male/Female > Katara/Zuko Views: 19136 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Summary – Katara reconsiders her decision. Appa arrives with wary travelers.

Chapter Six –

Gazing into the pond, Katara watched the Koi dance in the water, their colors enchanting her troubled thoughts away. Some were gold. Some were white. Most were multicolored, purposely bred to enhance the beauty of the murky depths of the pond.

On the other side of the pond the caretaker sprinkled food in the water, calling them to the surface. A sea of red and black dominated the turbulent frenzy of feeding.

Seeing the irony in the scene of nature, Katara scoffed. “They are just like Zuko – a bully to the bitter end.”

What had she been thinking? The plan bordered on insane. It was insane! Perhaps she hadn’t thought things through. Perhaps there was another way to do some good here.

Katara shuddered as she contemplated her hasty decision. She should have never agreed to marry Zuko. Now she needed to tell her father that she had changed her mind.

The sound of firecrackers sounded in the distance. The citizens of Wuhan were getting ready to start the Summer Festival. Apparently, it was a big deal around here. Her tribe celebrated the Summer Solstice by washing their heavy parkas and slopping the mush out of their homes.

She must have been drinking cactus juice when she had agreed to marry Zuko. In marrying Zuko she would become what… Queen? Fire Lady? She knew nothing of this foreign land. Her home was made of ice, comforting in its simplicity. She looked at the ornamental roofs of the royal courtyard, their grandeur harking back to their rich history.

She was in way over her head, her brush with the Spirit World steadily losing its influence over her. “It was probably just some strange dream, anyway.”

A Koi, bright with metallic blue gills, jumped from the water, capturing Katara’s attention. It was not feeding like the others. It swam to the shore, begging for the young Waterbender’s touch.

Taking a piece of stale bread from her traveling pouch, Katara placed it in the water. It nipped her fingers, greedily ingesting the offering. A large shadow danced along the surface of the pond, distracting Katara.

Looking up, her breath caught in her throat and the warmth of joy jumped in her heart. “Appa!”

--

Taking Aang’s hand, Meng could not help the blush that suffused her cheeks. When his hands circled her tiny waist as he helped her off the bison’s platform, her embarrassment grew. “Thank you,” she replied breathlessly, thankful to be standing on solid ground.

“You’re welcome,” replied Aang, still holding onto her as she wobbled on her feet. “Are you going to be okay?”

Unaware of her tangled, wind-swept hair, Meng tilted her head back and stared at his lips. “Y-yes. I think so.” The thrill of being close to him took the chill of their journey away.

“Sokka!” a shrill voice screamed on the other side of the giant bison.

“I can’t believe it,” Aang murmured, releasing Meng. He walked around Appa and scratched the sky bison on its forehead.

Meng scowled, feeling neglected and uneasy. There was something familiar about that voice.

“What are you doing here?” Sokka questioned, his voice somewhat muffled as though someone were hugging him.

Holding on to the fur of the groaning beast, Meng made her way around him to what sounded like a happy reunion. She stopped in her tracks, wary from the trip. She didn’t want to believe her eyes, but there she was -- Katara of the Water Tribe…the floozy…the other woman!

Katara was hugging Aang and Sokka. Aunt Wu was watching the reunion with unshed tears in her eyes. A wave of jealousy swamped Meng, but she let her tears flow freely. Any hopes of capturing Aang’s affections were shattered.

“Aunt Wu!” Katara cried, embracing the old woman as her brother and friend looked on.

Meng leaned against Appa who crawled away from her as if saying, “enough was enough.” She lost her balance and fell on her ass.

“Meng!” Aang shouted and hurried to help her up.

She batted his hands away and stood up, swiping the tears away with the sleeve of her simple orange robe.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, befuddled over her behavior.

“Nothing,” she snapped, pulling the hem of the robe up and walking toward Aunt Wu. Katara’s gaze settled on her and she cringed. The Waterbender was a woman, not a girl. Her heart sank and new tears prickled her eyes.

“Meng?” Katara looked over Aunt Wu’s shoulder. Releasing the old fortuneteller, Katara ran to assist Meg and wrapped her arms around her slim shoulders. “Thank goodness! Thank goodness both of you survived!”

Katara pulled away after practically suffocating her. “Hello, Katara,” she greeted, her voice colder than any ice the floozy could bend.

Missing the cold welcome, Katara rubbed the young girls shoulders as if she were still ascertaining if the young teenager was real. “Look at you! You look…er…wonderful,” she said, staring at her tangled hair.

Sokka cleared his throat. “What are you doing here?” he asked, demanding the answer to his earlier question. “We thought you were at the South Pole with Gran Gran. Oh no! Is Gran Gran –”

“She’s fine,” Katara responded, taking one of her brother’s outstretched hands.

“What are you doing here, Katara?” This time Aang asked.

Looking to the ground, Katara tried her best to stop the blush that crept up her neck and into her cheeks. “Well, that’s a little difficult to explain.”

“She’s here to find a husband!” a disparaging voice called out from the sideline of the reunion.

“Huh? What? Really?” Aang, Sokka, and Meng’s voices rang out in unison.

Out of habit, Sokka reached for his boomerang and stepped back.

Aang put his fists together and bowed in respect. “Fire Lord Zuko.”

Hands at his side, Zuko returned the gesture and greeted the young man. “Avatar Aang. It is lucky the summit was postponed. You have arrived just in time. It starts tomorrow. Welcome to my home.”

Aang scratched his head. “It sure has changed since the last time I was here.”

“What do you mean you’re here to find a husband?” Sokka gaped at his sister.

“Have you picked out a dress yet?” Meng grabbed Katara’s arm as she stumbled over her long robe. “When are you getting married?”

“I – no – I,” Katara huffed, glaring at Zuko. “I’m not here to find a husband. I had agreed to marry Zuko, but he’s decided that I would be better suited as a concubine, which is not going to happen.”

“What?” Sokka growled, reaching for his boomerang again.

Meng’s hopeful expression died and she walked to Aunt Wu who was watching the interaction with amusement.

Aang watched peer group with growing apprehension. It was always the same. They were always fighting – first words, then fisticuffs. “Look –”

“I put up with a lot of your garbage when we were trying to defeat your dad, but I have had enough.” Sokka’s voice increased in volume with each word. He brandished his boomerang in a threatening manner and glared at the Fire Lord.

“Sokka –” Katara tugged on her brother’s arm.

“No, Katara!” he barked.

“Sokka!” Aang warned, eyeing the gathering Fire Nation guards who stood poised to strike.

“I’ve beaten you before,” Zuko stated calmly, taking a fighting stance and waving off his guards.

Katara released Sokka’s arm and opened her water pouch, pouring it on the ground between her brother and the Fire Lord. They circled one another, oblivious to anything around them, especially the mud they were stepping in.

As if reading each other’s minds, Katara and Aang turned the water into ice, effectively trapping the two posturing dolts.

Aang stepped between them, glaring at both. “Will you two stop it? This isn’t the time for petty squabbles!”

Sokka snorted, chipping away at the ice with his weapon. “He insulted Katara’s honor!”

Zuko rolled his eyes and worked on melting the ice that encased his feet. If the idiot only knew…

“We have more important things to deal with.” Aang held his hand out to Meng who hid behind Aunt Wu. “Come on, Meng. Don’t be frightened.”

The young Earth Kingdom girl shook her head, looking from Zuko to Sokka.

Aang glared at Zuko. “The attack at Mt. Mahaku… It wasn’t Firebenders. It was Earthbenders who attacked the village.”

“We know that,” Zuko replied softly.

Walking toward Meng, Aang coaxed the reluctant girl from her hiding place. “But do you have an eye witness?”

Zuko shook his head and forget the earlier challenge. “Either way, the Earth Kingdom is going to believe what they want to believe.”

“B-but, I saw them,” stammered Meng, emboldened by Aang’s touch. “They—they were dressed like Firebenders, but they moved the lava around like Earthbenders.”

“I don’t see what difference this makes,” Zuko replied, crossing his arms over his chest and adopting a petulant pose.

Helping her brother from the ice anklets, Katara rolled her eyes. “You have an eyewitness,” she retorted. “The Earth Kingdom can’t ignore Meng’s testimony. When the summit starts, have her address the council.”

Aang nodded his head in agreement and squeezed Meng’s hand reassuringly.

“Aunt Wu, did you see anything?” Katara asked.

“No, I did not,” replied Aunt Wu. “There was too much smoke. I am lucky to be alive.”

Zuko watched the interplay between the people before him, almost envious of their easy camaraderie. Katara’s brother stared at him with hatred in his eyes.

“I don’t know what the Earth Kingdom is up to,” Aang announced solemnly. “But I’m not going to stand by and watch another war.”

--

TBC
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The Price of Peace