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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
- 202
- 203
- 204
Chapter 200

Yong walked down the stairway and out of the restaurant. It didn’t take him long to find the prince. He simply followed the sound of crying. The women had been carried to the opposite end of town from where the barracks were being built. He was not expecting there to be so many of them. It would take longer to build the shelter than he imagined. He wasn’t expecting a quiet voice to speak to him.
“Make a wall around them. It helps not to feel like the world is staring and finding your pain amusing. Put several doors within easy reach so they don’t feel trapped and place windows above eye level.”
Yong did as requested and to his surprise one woman opened a newly formed door and looked out.
Zuko’s voice was loud and clear as he spoke to her, “You are safe here. No harm will come to you inside this place.”
The woman quickly shut the door.
Katara stepped forward towards the Earthbender, “Your name was Yong wasn’t it? Can you go around to the back of the wall and make several smaller rooms with depressions in ground large enough for bathing?”
He nodded remembering what Sing Se had said about pressuring her. He did as he was asked; on a whim he added flowers and trailing vines to the inner walls. He had created thirty such rooms before growing tired, “I have forgotten what it was like to do such work.”
Amayu walked through the door, “Prince Zuko, Lady Katara, we need- nevermind.”
Katara turned around there were several male soldiers approaching, “Zuko you have to stop them. You said the women would be safe here. You have to stop them.”
“No, look closely Lady Katara,” Amayu said quietly, “they are bringing water.”
Katara didn’t have to look. She could feel the water approaching. Most of them carried tubs but some of them carried slighter bodies. They knocked on the door, pushed the water inside, and retreated. In the case of those carrying their victim, they knocked and waited patiently until someone came out capable of relieving them of their burden.
Katara pressed herself against Zuko’s side when one of the larger soldiers approached them. He knelt even after Zuko told him to rise and began speaking.
“My family has served the Zhuán clan for generations. I grew up with Princess Ursa as a servant in her household. She was thoughtful of others even as a child. Even before she understood what was being done to me she was there to wipe my tears every time I was dismissed by her father. I only wish my younger brother had gotten the opportunity to meet her.” His gruff voice grew wistful as he looked towards the sky, “I can’t help but think she would have also helped him to realize even in your darkest moments there is someone who cared; that comfort and solace could also be found this in this world.”
He rose and spoke loud enough for the Earthbender to hear him, “You should build a separate area. Those boys will be coming around soon. The first thing that will cross their minds is that they need to prove they are men. It was a lesson learned the hard way at the first Ursa House.”
Zuko nodded, “Can you make a second shelter next to this one for them?”
“You can do that later, a sturdy wall should suffice for now,” Katara said seeing how tired the Earthbender appeared.
“I’ll tell you where you can put it,” Katara said leaving Zuko’s side and knocking on the shelter door.
A few moments later a large wall of water appeared above the building. Yong pushed the earth wall up to meet it then made it several feet thicker. There were other Earthbenders in the refugee group but many of them were young and untrained. They should not be able to breach it without giving those on the other side plenty of warning.
Katara did what she could for the unconscious boys before joining Amayu on the side with the women. She knew there were men who preferred the company of other men but she did not know males could be rape victims. Most of them were in worse shape physically than the women she had passed by. She was trembling and the water shook with her emotion.
The Fire Nation doctor left the woman she was treating and grabbed her, “Calm down. You are scaring them.”
Katara snapped out of her daze and looked around. Most of the women were staring at her and pointing. Some were getting angry.
“What’s she doing in here? What is that whore doing in here with decent respectable women? Did you come to laugh at us? Does seeing what was done to us make you feel better about yourself? You whore! You betraying whore! Where were you when they were doing this to us? Where were you when we needed help? You show up now that we have been violated and we are supposed to thank you for your benevolence afterwards! You whore! You spirits-damned whore! This is all your doing. You betrayed us. You betrayed the Avatar! You betrayed the world! This is your doing! You let them do this to me and my daughters!”
It was instinct that stopped the woman’s spit from reaching her.
The woman wiped the blob of spittle she’d launched at Katara from her own cheek, “So this is the purpose of your Waterbending? You fight for the Fire Nation and attack decent women after you let them be raped. I hate you. May Koh take your soul and drag it all the way down to his lair.”
Katara looked at the woman and at the others staring at her. Several were Fire Nation soldiers, some were from the Ursa, but most were from the other division. They did not know what Zuko had done to her. They only knew what he was trying to do for those women. Katara had heard how he had asked for help; it wasn’t because it was the right thing to do. He did it as a son to honor his mother not because he actually believed in her work.
Katara laughed dryly at the irony of the situation. Her response could be the one thing that prevented them from getting the help they needed and get she and Zuko shipped back to the Fire Nation. She had no doubt Ozai would make good on his promise to hand her to the nobles and place Zuko in a cell where he could watch what they did to her.
Amayu patted her on the back and nodded. Apparently that had been the right response. The other Fire Nation women smiled at her approvingly and went back to their tasks. Something inside her died as she saw that the Earth Kingdom women who attacked her were willing to accept their help but not hers. The Fire Nation women were the ones who actually had power to stop what was being done to them but they sat back and watched. They had not lifted a finger to prevent their comrades from raping them or thought about taking measures to assist them afterwards but they were not attacked like she was.
She was trying to help them and they never stopped to imagine it was because she knew firsthand what it was like to be victimized. Too hurt to do anything else, Katara shook her head in disbelief and stormed out of the building, “This is whaleshit. I can’t be around you people.”
Her words and actions were taken out of context. The remaining few who still had faith in her closed their eyes and sobbed thinking they had been abandoned by her. She had inadvertently validated those who were willing to believe the worse. The Fire Nation women from the upper levels of society grudgingly admitted that even though she was from a lesser people she had the proper attitude suitable for relieving their prince’s baser urges.
Katara didn’t stop walking until she reached the hotel room. She refused to cry in front of them so she kept moving; putting one foot in front of the other holding the tears at bay until she reached the top of the stairs. The tears came faster and larger with each step down the hallway. By the time she reached their door her vision was blurred and her sniffles had given way to sobs. She placed her hand on the doorknob but it wouldn’t turn.
Zuko had kept both keys to the room. He didn’t give her one.
“Stupid!” Katara screamed slamming her body then her fist into the door. “I didn’t do anything wrong! I’m not a whore! I’m trying to help them why can’t they see that. I’m not a whore. It’s not my fault.”
“I didn’t want this! I didn’t want this. I don’t want this! It’s not my fault. It’s not my fault!” Katara continued as the punches turned to kicks, headbutts were added to the body slams and her sobs turned to wails.
Zuko watched from the top of the stairwell as Katara broke down. Amayu had run out of the building after Katara and explained what had been said to her. She had come to know Katara well enough to understand Katara’s words and actions had been from pain and frustration not callousness or guilt. She had been the one to not so subtly encourage him to go after her by tripping and landing elbow first against his side pushing him towards her.
He had called her name the entire way but she ignored him. At least he thought she had ignored him, seeing her like this he wasn’t so sure. She had barreled past everyone in front of her almost knocking over the much larger Zhao twin in her desperation to get back to the hotel. Zuko slammed his fist against the wall knowing he was the one who had done this to her and no matter how much he wanted to, it was something that he could not make better.

“It’s not my fault!”
Aang sat up straighter leaning his ears towards the sounds coming from the hallway. He began struggling in his bonds as her words became more guttural and broken, “That’s Katara! Why is she screaming? What’s wrong with her? What’s Zuko doing to her? Katara! Katara!”
The curtains began flapping and knick-knacks starting flying off the shelves. Ty Lee reached over to chi block him but quickly withdrew her fingers when he bit at her. The acrobat flew into the wall when he blew a puff of air at her. Aang turned his head knocking over several of the soldiers guarding him.
“I thought he was on bending suppressants,” Mai yelled as she rushed to check on her friend.
“Katara, I’m coming,” Aang screamed struggling against his chains and wishing he’d put more effort into learning Metalbending.
One of the soldiers had the sense to pick himself off the floor and run into the hall, “Prince Zuko, control the Waterbender. She is upsetting the Avatar.”
Zuko stepped into the hall and gently lifted Katara. He carried her down the hall towards the commotion. The winds increased when Aang saw her, “What’s wrong with her? What did you do to her? Why is she crying?”
Zuko ignored him and carried Katara towards Sokka, “Unchain her brother.”
‘But Admiral Chu-Hua…”
“Admiral Chu-hua is not here. Unchain him!” Zuko commanded authoritatively.
Sokka was still rubbing his wrist when Zuko placed his sister in his arms. The prince took a place in the corner opposite them on the floor. He brought his knees to his chest, placed his elbows on top of them and cradled his head with his hands seeming completely oblivious to the chaos around them. Katara was still sobbing, Sokka was trying to quiet her and Aang. Aang was screaming and sending air everywhere as he tried to escape his chains.
Mu was in the lobby when he heard the commotion. He calmly walked up the stairs, reaching inside his pocket and fingering his weapons. He peered inside the room and removed a senbon then waited until the young Avatar inhaled to throw it at him. Everyone but Katara grew quiet when Aang gasped and slumped forward.
Mu rushed into the room amidst stunned whispers of “You killed the Avatar” and removed the needle from the younger boy’s thigh. He inspected it and then the younger boy. He lifted his weapons pouch and shrugged, “The needles are in the wrong order. I meant to use pit-bull viper strength instead of ostrich horse. He’ll be somewhat disoriented and very thirsty when he wakes up tomorrow.”
Ty Lee’s eyes widened, “You drugged him? I’ve been blocking his chi; you don’t know what effects that will have.”
“I am a fully trained medical professional, let me assure you the effects will be minimal. He’ll be groggy for an extended amount of time since the chi blocking has slowed his body’s natural rhythms,” Mu explained.
“You’re a veterinarian, Mu. How is that a medical professional?” Mai asked irritated.
Mu smiled slyly and tilted his head towards Zuko as he looked at her, “All living creatures have the same basic needs: food, shelter, water, air. Sex. We all have the same anatomy in different configurations so the use of herbs and treatments remain relatively similar. I suppose if you were more educated you would know this.”
“I didn’t come here for this purpose. An Ursa House has been established. I will stay here if any of you would like to go help. I have already provided my services,” Mu said turning his gaze to Ty Lee.
She rubbed her shoulder that had come in contact with the wall and nodded. She had often accompanied her grandmother, mother, and older sisters to the Ursa Houses to do charity work. They had trained her in the healing arts of reiki and chi massage as well as reading auras while they were there. She had fully mastered all three but wanted to wait until she completed her acupuncture training to apply for a medical license.
She had exited the room then stopped after realizing she was alone in the hallway, “Mai are you coming?”
Her friend looked up at her puzzled, “What is an Ursa House and what do you do there? It is some type of spa?”
“Perhaps it would be better if you stayed here or went to find Azula,” Ty Lee said kindly as she remembered Mai’s parents were never very philanthropic – a trait they had passed on to her.
Mai’s nose twitched faintly at the slight; she still wasn’t on very good terms with Azula, “Why can’t I come with you?”
“Um,” Ty Lee began not sure how to explain the Ursa House or its true purpose and why Mai should never set foot in one. Luckily she didn’t have to.
“Ursa House is a charitable organization designed to give comfort to other people. By nature you are entirely too selfish and utterly incapable of doing that. You would be more suited to assisting Azula with today’s captives,” Mu bluntly delivered. “Surely your heartlessness hasn’t crippled you into such a frigid gold-digging bitch that you no longer care if you remain in the room with your fiancé and his beloved Katara?”
Mai’s eyes narrowed. She glared at her cousin, then Zuko, then back at her cousin and then to the room’s other occupants. The other guards weren’t attempting to hide their snickers. Zuko paid no heed to them; he was focused solely on the blubbering Waterbender. She was speaking to her brother in tones that Mai mostly associated with animals.
The noblewoman bristled at her cousin, “Zuko are you going to let him speak to me like that?”
The prince continued to ignore her.
“Zuko! Are you going to let him speak to me like that?” Mai repeated more forcefully. Still no response. “Zuko!”
This time the prince jumped, “Oh I’m sorry Mai, were you saying something?”
She muttered “unbelievable” but it went unheard amidst the others laughter.
“You know what, Zuko, just forget it,” she huffed rising to her feet and exiting the room with her head high. The prince frowned in question but resumed his perusal of Katara.
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Borealis: A Zutara Story