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Borealis: A Zutara Story	By : jaded_priceless Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > AU/AR - Alternate Universe/Alternate Reality Views: 34026 -:- 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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Chapter 130
Katara wasn’t sure how much time had passed before the bed dipped. She wasn’t even aware of falling back to sleep or that Zuko had risen. She opened her eyes expecting to see his face but it was Azula sitting next to her. The princess clamped a hand over Katara’s mouth and lifted an object from beneath her tunic. Katara realized this was the first time she’d ever seen the princess without her armor. This was the first time she realized how much Azula looked like the pictures she’d seen of Ursa. She had seen Zuko’s handsomeness in spite of his scar but this was the first time she noticed the princess was actually pretty.
Katara began to push Azula away when the princess spoke, “My brother owes everything to you.”
Katara stilled; she had not been expecting that statement or for the pressure from Azula’s hand to lessen. She could hear the anger in Azula’s voice as she spoke. It didn’t sound like her usual mocking tone; it was sincere.
“Before he brought you to the palace Father had no use for Zuko. It was practically assured that I would become Fire Lord but Zuko would become governor of some remote unimportant province. Father allowed him home because he gave his word he could return after capturing the Avatar. He gave Zuko the task of minor adjudications given to all royal children as part of their development. His decisions were without firmness. They were weak; giving and taking from both sides. A nation is not run on fairness and a Fire Lord must realize the futility in attempting to please everyone. He must act with decisiveness and not waste time quibbling over useless things.”
“But you changed that. You strode into my father’s home in chains, threatened him while on your knees, but flinched from my brother. The action intrigued Father. Zuko is dismissed by everyone who encounters him but you, who did not fear the Fire Lord feared him. You made him wonder if our mother’s claims of Zuzu’s potential were true,” she said raising her voice and rolling her eyes, showing her low opinion of Ursa.
“Father watched you make a man of Zuzu. He saw the change with his own two eyes as Zuko rode you. Before that he heard it with his own ears. Your screams for help and mercy echoed throughout the royal chambers. Everyone knew what Zuko was doing to you. Out of all the rebels who’ve been tortured in the palace your screams make them sound as if they were made by children at play.”
“Father wanted to see what Zuko was doing to make you scream like that. Father wanted to see his weak, pathetic son overcome such a strong opponent. You were too defiant to scream but my brother was able to reduce you to whimpers. Whimpers. Screams can be caused by a number of things Katara. Whimpers are a sign of defeat. He called a special meeting to tell everyone how Zuko had broken you. That’s how proud he was.”
Azula repeated Ozai’s words, “My son has shown himself to be a true son of Agni. He has reduced the Avatar’s Waterbender to the so far that she turns to him for solace after he brought her tears, that is the true measure of a conquering warlord. It is only when those who have opposed you, cry at your feet for mercy have you achieved victory.”
Azula lifted her hand from Katara’s mouth and brought the pouch into view once more, “My brother’s honor has been redeemed at the expense of yours. His future has been secured based upon your ruin.”
Azula took Katara’s hand and placed the object inside it, “I do not see what my brother has done to earn such praise or what great deed he has performed to earn Father’s favor. I conquered Ba Sing Se. It was my lightning which led to the Avatar’s capture. He held you down and stuck his penis inside you. He gets glory and recognition, I get overlooked and you get labeled a whore.”
“I rarely disagree with Father but I think he’s making a horrible mistake, don’t you?” She asked patting Katara’s leg and rising.
Katara stared at the object in her hand for several minutes. It was the herb pouch she’d purchased the day before. She got up and pushed it to the back of the drawer where she kept her under-things knowing Zuko would not go in it. She fell back asleep wondering if she had truly woken at all.

Zuko shook her awake. He was already dressed and had laid out some of his old clothing for her to wear. It was as if Azula had never been there. She was starting to think it was all a dream until she saw what was hidden among her underwear. She didn’t realize she had stopped to stare at it until Zuko spoke to her.
“Tend to yourself, Katara. We’re going into town to get something to eat,” Zuko said tiredly.
When Katara was ready Zuko placed her on Korhi in front of him and they rode the rhino into town. He passed all of the places they’d stopped yesterday and choose a different restaurant. It was full of soldiers and the wait staff was hostile. Katara rearranged the food on her plate without eating it. The dim sum, rice and eggroll she’d ordered had been arranged to mimic the balls and penis of a man’s genitalia – the whore’s special.
They left the restaurant and Zuko took her back to the livery stable. It had been burned down and blackened ruins stood in its place. He led her to the market stall where she’d purchased her herbs. It too had been burned along with the stall where he’d purchased the bracelet for her and the shop where he’d bought her clothes.
Katara closed her eyes and leaned her head against his shoulder when Zuko began kissing her neck. That was part of the agreement. She’d wear his mark and wouldn’t remove it unless given permission. His mouth moved upward and she jerked involuntarily when he nibbled on her earlobe before speaking, “This is your fault Katara. One of my soldiers lost his life, another is paralyzed, these people lost their businesses and were jailed because you lied Katara.”
“I didn’t,” she protested.
“Haru and Tyro were the two men at the livery stable when we returned the ostrich horses. When you asked what happened to your brother you were giving them a message telling them that your brother and the Avatar were injured and that we were traveling on the Ursa,” Zuko rasped.
He moved to her other ear, “The soldier who died has a pregnant wife and two children. His family isn’t rich Katara. His salary supported them and both of their parents. His pension will only go so far in such a large household. His wife will mostly likely lie about nursing a child to get a job in the factories. The fumes aren’t that detrimental to adults since their bodies have finished developing, but they do terrible things to infants.”
“The girl who was paralyzed was my age. This would have been her last assignment with the military. She planned to go home, get married and have children then open a school to teach ceremonial Firebending. Their lives were ruined because the third member of their patrol recognized the two stable workers and remembered them from the invasion. He’s still missing. We don’t have any hopes of finding him,” Zuko said before stopping Korhi in the town’s square.
He turned her head sideways and kissed her on the mouth before dismounting. He slid down and crushed her body against his as he pulled her from the rhino. He kissed her again and stroked her temples then thanked her loud enough for the assembled crowd to hear. He took her hand and led her to the platform where Aang and Sokka were on display. Today in addition to the stockades, they were gagged.
Zuko took his seat beside Azula and pulled Katara into his lap. Four guards brought out two men who had been beaten beyond recognition. Zuko brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. The soldiers looked towards the platform and Zuko nodded at them.
Katara screamed as the prisoners were engulfed in flames, “No! Haru! Tyro!”
“Zuko, let me go. I can help them, please let me go,” she begged as she attempted to shake his grip off of her hand. “Please Zuko. Let me go, please Zuko please.”
To her left Sokka and Aang both struggled in their bonds. The entire crowd watched as the Waterbender let two men that supported the Avatar burn to death without accessing any of the large basins of water placed throughout the town square to even try and put them out.
Katara was in shock. She hadn’t even noticed them.
Zuko let her go when all that was left of the bodies were a pile of bones and ashes. She ran towards them sobbing and desperately pulling water from anywhere she could find it and placing it over their bodies hoping to heal him. All that happened were the ashes mingled with the water and flowed onto the grounds.
When only the charred bones remained, Zuko approached her and extended his hand. His words were quiet but kind, “Get up Katara. There is nothing more you can do for them.”
She gazed up at him then down at the bodies and the soot on her hands. Zuko spoke in a loud but gentle voice, “Come on Katara. Let’s go back to the ship. You did everything I asked. I’m proud of you.”
She shook her head to deny what he was accusing her of but Azula removed the gag from Sokka and Aang’s mouth. Their voices mingled as they shouted: “They killed them. They killed Haru and you let them. He was our friend.” “You traitor! You whoring slut of a traitor!” “You let them die! How could you just let them burned without trying to help them?”
The crowd soon began to echo her brother’s venomous words. A bright flame exploded overhead when someone threw something at her and soldiers rushed into the crowded.
Zuko extended his hand to her again, “Come with me, Katara. Let’s go back to the ship.”
This time amidst the cries of “whore, traitor, bitch” the Waterbender took his hand. She followed automatically and allowed him to lift her onto Korhi. She turned sideways and hid her face against his chest after he lifted he sat behind her. Her eyes were open but she didn’t register arriving back at the Ursa or Zuko carrying her to their quarters. Haru and Tyro were her friends. She'd given Zuko Haru's name. She'd killed him. She'd killed the first boy to ever make her feel like a true woman. Haru and Tyro would still be alive if she'd been able to ignore the things Zuko had said and the way Sokka had looked at her. They would be alive if she hadn't felt so ashamed.
She killed them. She killed them. She killed them well before any Firebender drew a flame.
She had passed out by the time Azula came into the room.

“Well done, Zuzu for someone who claims not to like breaking their toys you’re doing a very good job of it,” the princess said smugly.
“What do you want Azula?” Zuko huffed coolly.
“The throne, world domination, millions of barbarian peasants worshiping at my feet, you know, the usual,” she replied with a shrug as she plopped on the bed next to Katara.
She stroked Katara’s hair, “Did you know I overheard Ching Mei comparing my hair to hers. Apparently Katara’s hair has the softest and most luxurious texture she’s ever touched. She’s right you know, about the peasant’s hair. It’s just as soft as her heart. Father even commented on it.”
Azula placed her hands in her lap, “Mai seems to think you were telling the truth about impregnating her. I was in the medical ward demanding access to her records and I mentioned your little pet claims to have started her menstrual cycle.”
“Dr. Bingwen seems to think that is unbelievable news and wants to check her as soon as possible. You know to make sure she really is menstruating and that you haven’t ruptured something else inside her,” Azula called a small flame to her pointed fingertip and shot it at Zuko when she said ruptured. He easily smothered it. “I saw what you did to her, Zuko. It was horrific. I told the men to rape the Kyoshi warriors, but I had no idea that could be done to a woman. I clearly overestimated the influence Mother and his royal tea loving kookiness had on you. I’ve already sent word back home to punish the men under my command at the time for insubordination.”
“It really is a shame about my little niece or nephew. Too bad you took care of the problem before I sent word back to Father. I know she’s a healer; but don’t worry I won’t tell anyone. Dr. Bingwen seems to think that if her body has healed itself enough to go back to its regular moon cycles there’s a chance you may still be able to make her a mother,” Azula sighed before getting up and leaving, “I hope he’s right. I really do want her to give me a strong healthy Waterbending nephew who looks just like you.”
Zuko looked at Katara, he didn’t want to get her hopes up and tell her there was a chance she’d one day have children. He hoped she hadn’t heard Azula and that Dr. Bingwen was principled enough not to needlessly get her hopes up when he took her for the examination. He locked the door then lay down beside Katara and held her repeating the mantra Lu Ten had taught him to deal with his sister, “Azula always lies. Azula always lies. Azula always lies.”
Katara rolled over and pressed her face into the pillow. She’d woken when Azula sat on the bed beside her and she’d heard everything. Tonight she would drink the tea before going to bed and share it with Zuko.
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Borealis: A Zutara Story