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Borealis: A Zutara Story	By : jaded_priceless Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > AU/AR - Alternate Universe/Alternate Reality Views: 33555 -:- 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 208
Katara thought for a minute then spoke, “We met in a hotel in the Earth Kingdom. We were visiting Omashu with our parents. Our mothers are old friends that bumped into each other. They decided to introduce their families over dinner. Your sister is very competitive so when she saw how much Sokka was eating she challenged him to an eating contest when our moms went to the powder room.”
Katara waited until Zuko stopped laughing to continue, “They tied and both got sick. We were sent out to get medicine for them since our dads were at the hotel being yelled at for taking bets instead of stopping them. Your mom suggested that you escort me since it was starting to get dark. She was afraid that a girl out by herself would attract thugs. The thugs were just as attracted to what they thought was a rich young man on a date with his pretty girlfriend. They grabbed me and I kicked their asses while you watched dumbfounded.”
“As if I would just stand by and let a girl fight,” Zuko countered. “I kicked their asses while you watched.”
“Yeah, that’s me, meek, mild Katara content to let a big strong man protect me while I do nothing,” she retorted sarcastically.
“Fine, we both kicked their asses,” Zuko conceded. “After doing that we bought the medicine and went back to the hotel. When we told our moms we’d been fighting together, they assumed it was against each other. They left us at the hotel room for punishment while they went sightseeing the next day. We snuck out of the room and spent all day without Azula and Sokka or hearing, ‘stand up straight you’re slouching’ and ‘that can’t even be called food since it has no nutritional value’. We had so much fun enjoying each other’s company we decided to get in trouble so we’d be left behind again.”
Katara smiled wryly, “Yeah sometimes it does feel like we’re partners in crime. You’re not so bad at storytelling. Tell me another one.”
Zuko’s brow creased then relaxed as he began to talk, “My cousin Lu Ten never died so Uncle Iroh became Fire Lord. He’s tired of the war but knows we just can’t end it so at Lu Ten’s suggestion he decides to return to traditional warfare. Centuries ago before our nation was founded the warring tribes would choose a champion to fight for them; whichever champion won was declared the victor and the loser’s tribe paid tribute for seven years.
You were chosen as the champion of your people. If you won then it meant the Water Tribes would be free of Fire Nation raids and we’d provide coal, vegetables, fruit, spices, labor and other goods for the next seven years. If the Fire Nation won then you’d provide furs, we’d have fishing rights in your waters and labor. To keep things fair the Fire Nation had a champion to battle a warrior from the other nations. I was chosen to battle the champion of the Water people.
There was no clear victor in our first battle, or the second or the third. We’d fight every three days but after weeks neither one of us could best the other but we slowly began to respect each other. After a few months of fighting and no victor we had formed a friendship after being subject to the same investigations and accusations of cheating.”
“Why would there be investigations and accusations of cheating?” Katara asked.
“If no victor is determined the war ceases and the two tribes are declared equal in the eyes of Agni as siblings. Those two tribes can never fight again Katara. They become united in the spirit and the corporeal worlds through a series of marriages and trade exchanges. The champions have options - they can switch homelands or they can both abdicate their station as their village champion and go live peacefully in another area,” Zuko explained omitting that if the champions were male and female and they wanted to remain in their homeland they had to have a child for each village.
“Oh so we could end the war forever if we wanted?” Katara chirped.
“Yeah but only if were proven to be will of Agni and not our own doing,” Zuko answered before resuming his story. “The only way to determine if it is truly the will of Agni is to send the champions on a quest. If both survive it is Agni’s will. If one dies then it means they were cheating as Agni has chosen his own victor. The living champion is executed as punishment but his village is declared the winner.”
“When we reach the six month mark we are sent with only the clothes on our back, two personal items and a day’s worth of food to a remote island. If we are both alive at the end of two months then the war between the Fire Nation and Water Tribes is ended forever. You want the war to end so you’re interested in our mutual survival from day one. I don’t want to be seen as the person who cost us the war so I’d rather look after myself and leave our fates to Agni.”
Katara tapped his forehead lightly, “I see, even in your dreams you’re stupid and stubborn, I should have known. Let me guess after you get dehydrated, injured, and food poisoning you realize there are benefits to partnering with a strong warrior who is a master healer and top notch cook?”
“Yeah if you say so. I was thinking more along the lines of the stubborn Waterbender realizes she’s out of her element and has no way of cooking her food so you use your wicked charms to coerce me into helping you,” Zuko replied with a chuckle.
“My wicked charms?” Katara asked angrily.
“Well yeah, during the course of our six months fighting you realize I’m ticklish. Fire Nation war battles are no holds barred. What did you think I meant?” Zuko inquired genuinely confused.
Katara blushed as shook her head ashamed of the conclusion she’d jumped to, “Nothing much, just a few water whips to head, making it rain every on you every time you went to sleep, snatching water away from your lips when you try to drink, the usual.”
“You are an evil woman Katara,” Zuko muttered realizing how lucky he’d been that she had not done most of those things. He licked his lips to wet them before continuing, “For my two items I brought my swords and cookware. You brought a medicine kit and a waterskin.”
“So neither of us intelligent people thought to bring a tent or sleeping mat?” Katara intoned dryly.
“The temperature drops at night but it is still warm most nights; you’re from the South Pole and I can control my body temperature, besides we can sleep on the ground can’t we? It’s not like food just gets together in one spot and lets you eat it,” Zuko replied defensively. “Now be quiet I didn’t interrupt you during your story or say anything about that absurd eating contest between Sokka and Azula. She hasn’t done that after losing poorly when she was five.”
Katara’s eyes widened, “You’re kidding, she really did that? Who’d she challenge you?”
“Nope,” Zuko giggled, “The first time a squirrel stuffing its face with nuts. She second time she challenged Mai.”
“Mai? Gloomy Needles stick thin Mai?” Katara said in disbelief.
“She may be little but it’s not because she doesn’t eat,” Zuko exclaimed, “She and Mu have the metabolism of one of those rodent things that has to eat twice its body weight every day. Watching her eat is scary and kind of sexy at the same time. Anyway Azula challenged Mai to a cake eating contest on Mai’s sixth birthday. Her parents had ordered three huge cakes because they’d invited so many people but I don’t think anyone other than the two of them Ty Lee, me, Mu and three of Ty Lee’s sisters got any. Mai was fine but Azula was so miserable she crawled into my bed begging me to rub her belly after the palace physician agreed with Mom that it was safe to let it be a lesson against overeating.”
Zuko frowned and once again grew serious, “That’s when their friendship changed. After that day Azula started picking on her. Mai wanted to stop coming over and stop being friends with her but her parents wouldn’t let her.”
Zuko snorted in derision and raised his voice to a nasal falsetto to mimic Mai’s mother, “Silly girl no one snubs the princess,” before returning to his own tones. “I used to feel bad every time I saw Mai hiding in the bushes crying. I would go talk to her or share my toys because I knew how she felt. Azula had noticed the way Father treated me and she started doing the same. I think that may be part of how we ended up engaged. I didn’t mind at first, Mai was actually one of the few girls I could stand but now we no longer want or appreciate the same things.”
“Mai’s not a bad person and I feel bad for hurting her but there is so much she won’t open her mind to understand. I can’t be with anyone who doesn’t see what we’re doing to the world and our own people is wrong. I need someone I can trust to help me find Uncle Iroh and…” Zuko stopped before admitting any more and rolled onto his back once more to look at the sky. “I can’t help but to think that’s what my mother would want.”
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Borealis: A Zutara Story