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Borealis: A Zutara Story	By : jaded_priceless Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > AU/AR - Alternate Universe/Alternate Reality Views: 33965 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, Avatar: The Legend of Korra, any historical figures or events, or easily recognizable persons, places or things. I make no profit from this work of fanfiction

Chapter List
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- 115
Chapter 112
Katara felt much better after she emerged from the shower. The steward was cleaning up while Zuko watched. She glared at Zuko. He should have been the one cleaning up the mess. It was his fault she got sick to begin with.
“I’ll finish this, thank you for your help,” Katara said kindly while lifting the water from the basin. She scrubbed the floor then dumped it all in the toilet.
“Thank you Miss Katara! I promise I’ll be back with something for the smell. I’m sorry I didn’t bring it with me. We are having a meal for Prince Lu Ten in the banquet hall. It’s buffet style otherwise I would have been here sooner,” The steward explained while bowing.
“It’s fine. Don’t trouble yourself. Please go back to your meal. Zuko will get something later so don’t worry about it,” Katara replied. Buffet style meals were held once a week so the crew could relax and get to know each other. Everyone including Azula fixed their own plates, poured their own drinks and cleaned up their own messes. The Ursa’s weekly buffet was two days ago so this meal was something special.
Katara had learned the tradition began with General Khan, father of Fire Lady Ilah and smuggler of at least one known living Airbender. All of the meals in the divisions under his command were eaten that way to build a sense of community and kinship. His troops still held the record for lowest number of casualties and greatest number of victories. Several of the books she had managed to sneak out of the library speculated the secrets of his success but only one came close. It had been written in the margins of one of the older books and simply said, “War is not about the head; it is about the heart. You fight harder for people you love and causes you believe in.”
She crossed her arms and glared at Zuko once more. He had called someone away from a celebration to perform a task capable of ruining an appetite. She say the steward bending over to clean again and placed a hand on his shoulder. She smiled and added, “Thank you for coming so quickly. I’m sorry your meal was disturbed. We’ll take care of the rest of this. Please enjoy the festivities without further worry.”
Once he was gone, Katara angrily stalked to the bed where Zuko was huddled beneath the covers. She crossed her arms and stared down at him debating the merits of smothering him with a pillow. He tilted his head and blinked at her as if he had done nothing wrong. She smacked him on the head, “Get up, I’m hungry.”
Zuko sat up and put on his boots. Katara rarely wished to eat after they had lain together. He tied them without looking as she berated him for being selfish and lazy. Despite her authoritative demand, her voice was so low if he hadn’t been looking directly at her and seen her lips move he wasn’t sure if he would have heard her speak. He was grateful he did; she swung at him another time after he got too close when she was putting on her shoes.
Katara was mean and grouchy after sex. Zuko lowered his head remembering it wasn’t sex. It was rape. There was a tremendous difference. Every time he looked at her he remembered how happy she had been then saw her crawling through a pool of her own vomit trying to get away from him. He was nauseous by the time they made it to the kitchen.
Fan gave them a small bowl of food and told them to get out after promising to send one of his helpers with something more substantial on to the rear deck. Zuko took the hint. Most of the time Fan asked where they wanted to eat; something was happening if he told them specifically where to go. Zuko understood when the kitchen helper slipped him a note along with their meal.
Got company. Saw the ceremony for Prince Lu Ten. Don’t know how long they’ll be staying. Bison’s got an upset stomach and her brother’s shoveling. You need to warn her to watch her temper if you are unable to keep her hidden.
Zuko picked at the beautiful dim sum and lightly toasted rice balls that had been placed in a shallow bowl of broth to look like the sky. It was one of Lu Ten’s favorites. He lifted his head to look for any traces of the shooting star that ushered in the morning but like everything else good in his life it had vanished. His lips twisted in a half smile when he saw Katara eating. It figured she would like this dish.
She stopped when she saw him looking, “Why are you looking at me?”
“This dish is one of Lu Ten’s favorites. The nobles at court hated to see him eat it. He’d have it served on each of his birthdays and each banquet he hosted just to annoy them,” Zuko explained fondly.
“Why it’s delicious?” Katara mumbled after taking another bite.
Zuko smirked, “As elegant as it looks it is peasant food. My grandmother Fire Lady Ilah is the daughter of a general not a noble. She grew up on a working island; those not home to a single noble clans. Everyone who lives on them work in some manner. The social structure is more that like what you see traveling through the Earth Kingdom or living in the lower ring of Ba Sing Se. Miller’s Island is on the opposite side of the main island and near the equator. It’s only claim to fame is that it has the best fish since the Northern and Southern Oceans meet. It’s a sign of status for a noblewoman to be able to say she sent her servant there to procure fish for their guest.”
“It’s one of our most beautiful islands. There aren’t any factories there. The most common tree there is a type of willow-bamboo. It’s too flexible to use for most weapons except bows. There boats are light and fast but so are the masts. The wood can only be sealed with a special resin that’s highly flammable.”
“Doesn’t that make the mast unstable?” Katara questioned.
Zuko nodded, “According to the crazy old lady that lives next to Honorable Step-Grandmother Nima it’s because the island is cursed. The Easternmost islands are said to be the body of the first mortal Agni fell in love with. Most people are taught that Kali, the goddess of darkness and the ocean, is a spiritual subordinate to Agni with no true power except for those he found burdensome. On that island there is a myth that Kali is his true wife and consort. After seeing Agni’s infidelity Kali had a tryst with the spirit of the Earth.
The Easternmost islands are the body of Agni’s mortal lover and the first things he sees every morning. The Westernmost islands are the children Kali bore for Hou T’u and the last thing he sees every evening. It makes sense, they have small mountains but no volcanos, rich land suitable for small gardens but the soil is too rocky for commercial use and the Fire Nation’s best seafood. None of the islands natural resources are suitable for war except bows. The Yu Yan archers are our smallest division but don’t work very well against Earthbending. The ground’s instability ruins their aim.”
Zuko pointed toward the mast, “Imagine if there were alternating rings of stone and grate surrounding the mast that could be moved up and down depending on how rigid or flexible you needed the mast. Over time the fishermen began taking the vegetables from the garden and let them roast in the sun as they worked. In the evenings they’d pull the traps and separate the catch into saleable and edible.
“The buyers from the noble houses and restaurants only wanted the largest and best of certain kinds of fish and mussels so they were left with the time consuming crustaceans. Those would be shelled on the trip back home. The smaller bits and pieces would be placed with vegetables on the large flat stone and another would be slid down on top of it. They’d be pulverized by the by the back and forth movement of the ropes and sails used to steer the ship. The liquid produced would drip down into bucket and be mixed with the flour during the latter half of the journey.
“The concept worked so well on the ships all of their wagons had been built with a support in the middle for interchangeable stones and ringed containers. The stones were flat on one side capable of crushing dried grains as the wheels rolled, pressing oil and juices from fruits and vegetables, rolling dough into flat sheets. The other side had handles which were often turned upside to turn mix dry ingredients with wet and form a dough. This dim sum gets its red coloring from a paste of sun roasted peppers and lobster.”
“It gets added to the freshly ground flour, vegetable juices and ocean water to make the dough. Before being stuffed with more seafood the rich refuse to eat and vegetables,” Zuko poked his dumpling, “This is good but it doesn’t come close to the real thing. You can taste the sun and the ocean in the ones you get on Miller’s Island.”
“Is that why you’re not eating?” Katara asked.
Zuko shook his head and told a half-truth, “These remind me of Lu Ten.”
“We used to eat them like this,” He hunkered down over his bowl protectively. “He used to tease me and stick his chopsticks in my bowl telling me this is how they are eaten on the island so birds and greedy cousins don’t get the chance to gobble them up. We’d always get yelled at by Mom when she saw us reaching into each other’s bowls. Father or Uncle Iroh would tell her to lighten up then they’d do the same to us or each other.”
Katara looked down at her own empty bowl and back at Zuko’s half full one. She set her chopsticks down extender her hand and flipped it forward, as she hoped some of the broth flew towards her bringing a dumpling with it. She directed it to her mouth and paused in the middle of chewing, “Too bad none of you were Waterbenders. It would have been an easy victory.”
“You stole my dumpling,” Zuko muttered incredulously. “I can’t believe you stole my dumpling.”
They were interrupted by shouting on the main deck. They ran forward just in time to see a man, presumably one of their visitors being tossed overboard.
Katara had hoped the ship was being attacked. Before going off course messenger hawks had landed daily bearing warnings about Waterbenders. Her disappointment was curbed by someone whose voice Katara didn’t recognize was yelling “I don’t care whose son you are. Each and every thing on this ship belongs to the Fire Lord including the laundress you attempted to molest. You will drown unless you can swim back to your ship and climb aboard without help or one of his children decides that punishment is inappropriate for theft.”
Katara looked past Zuko. There weren’t many women who worked in the ship’s laundry department. Maintaining uniforms, bed linens and towels on a ship that large was strenuous labor as they had to be carried on to a special deck to dry. There were a few women who operated the smaller machinery in charge of officers’ and their clothing but they were mostly…
Katara leaned against Zuko’s and slowly flexed her fingers. The women who worked in the laundry were mostly in their forties and fifties but there were three closer to her age. Two of the women had been allowed to bring their daughters. They were widows and there would have not been anyone at the palace to properly keep an eye on them.
Katara smiled wickedly; she couldn’t do anything to Zuko at this point but she could vent her anger at him towards someone deserving. It was a short distance to the boat and she intended to make the molester’s journey very difficult. She almost drowned the man when the screaming began again.
“And you, didn’t I tell you about taking those yard-apes everywhere! I don’t care if they are your officers and your closest friends. If you can’t control them and they can’t control themselves they are not fit to be members of this navy. Now take each and every last one of the bums you brought and get your behinds off this ship!”
“But Mom-”
“Don’t you ‘but Mom’ me young man! Go now before I take this shoe and plant it so deep in your rear we’ll both be court-martialed for dereliction of duties.”
Katara peeped around Zuko’s back and started giggling. The person being fussed at like a child was a tall man with gray hair. Tears came to her eyes as she tried not to laugh harder. She had been in the navy’s custody long enough to match uniform decorations to ranking; the man was a rear admiral. She couldn’t tell who was yelling at him but guessed his mother was assigned to the Ursa.
“Moh-hom, I only wanted to come visit you.”
“You little liar. You saw flashing lights and like all moth-raccoons came running towards it! You stayed because you smelled food! Chu-hua had no better sense than to feed you!”
Katara snorted when the Admiral in charge of the Ursa shrank back when the unidentified older woman yelled she hadn’t learned her lesson from feeding strays thirty years ago.
“But I saw the orchid! I had to make sure you weren’t in trouble,” the beleaguered man stuttered.
“Well I guess you are a good boy. Stupid but nonetheless a good boy, go about your business son and be careful. Mommy loves you.”
“I will but Mom, you be careful too. You’re too old for all this running around. You should be at home reading books for Dad and knitting socks for your grandchildren.”
She and Zuko were several yards away but they heard the impact of armor against armor and saw sparks as the angry woman made good on her promise to kick her son in the rear. Unlike his stupid friend who was thrown overboard, this man ran to the rails and jumped into the ocean completely ignoring the gangplank connecting the two ships; an action which earned another loud lecture from his mother.
One by one like lemming-ants his devoted crew followed his example.
After laughing at their floundering for several minutes Katara gave them a sly nudge towards their ship before running to the restroom so she wouldn’t wet her pants. Any man that afraid of his much smaller mother was exactly the type who needed to be in the military. She made a mental note to spread his name among the resistance members. He seemed like the type who would break under interrogation. When she came out Zuko and the Zhao twins were in the room.
Zhao 1 was holding his hand a little below shoulder height and laughing, “It was Bong Cha the little feisty woman in engineering.”
“Feisty?” his twin teased. He looked around comically before whispering, “Normally you call her old.”
His eyes widened, “Not anymore I won’t. She kicked Rear Admiral Qin’s ass hard enough to dent his armor. From this day forward I’m officially scared of her!”
“I’m officially scared of Mu,” Zhao 2 shuddered, “Who’d give something that big a suppository?”
“Aw yeah, we did come here for a reason didn’t we?” Zhao 1 said making a face and holding up a scroll, “Lady Katara on the orders of Admiral Chu-hua you have been officially impressed by the Fire Nation military and given the rank of Seaman Apprentice. Such duties and ranking will expire in 24 hours or after the laxatives no longer are affecting the bison”
“Now go swab the deck with your brother!” Zhao 2 ordered while pointing at the door.
Katara’s eyes lit up and she rushed forward. She stopped at the door and looked back at Zuko, remembering what he did last time, “Can I?
Zuko glanced up from the paper he was staring at and held it up for her to see. He angrily replied, “Chu-hua really did make you a private. This ship is under her command. I can’t interfere with her orders.”
Katara didn’t care that she had been forcibly enlisted by the Fire Nation as she bent Appa’s waste overboard. She got to spend the next 24 hours with Sokka and didn’t have to worry about Zuko. Under the military laws it was illegal for anyone, including the Fire Nation monarchs, to frivolously interfere with a member of the military and cause them to derelict their duties.

Arraye: Thank you for the review. I know it seems like I’m going in circles and to a certain extent you’re right. Katara is still a prisoner and Zuko is still her captor. They are getting along better due to time and proximity but Katara is still very angry at Zuko. She’s also aware of her status and value as a prisoner. If she gives up and gives in she’s ceding a victory to the Fire Nation in the war.
Zuko has stopped thinking in terms of the war when it comes to her but he is still struggling with the things that he knows are right and his feelings of entitlement. All of his life he was raised to believe if he wanted something take it. His mother was a strong influence but she was 1 person out of everyone he came in contact with.
There are also differences in their cultures. In the Fire Nation virginity is important as bargaining tool. Once it’s gone having sex is no big deal (in some ways it is expected) but speaking of it and urges is rather taboo. In the Water Tribes talking about sex and urges is accepted but sex outside of marriage is taboo.
I didn’t toy with their ages because they are at the stage between childhood and adulthood where there world view is changing. They have to decide things for themselves but don’t necessarily have the wisdom and experience to make good decisions.
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Borealis: A Zutara Story