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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 212
Zuko and Katara’s exit had not been as covert as they imagined. The opening and closing of their door had drawn the attention of ears well trained to listen for such things. Their whispers echoed up the down the hallway and up to the open window drawing the attention of one whose loyalty was first and foremost to the Fire Nation regardless of current monarch. They slept peacefully not knowing a pair of golden cat like eyes had tracked them from the moment they crept outdoors to the spot they now lay in or that her intense scrutiny had drawn the gaze of another.
“I have never seen one devote himself so thoroughly to being a fool,” the surreptitious watcher commented in disappointment.
“It is only a matter of time before he is executed for blaspheming his mother’s name. Taking his whore to meet her has only tightened the noose about his neck,” replied a like minded companion. “What will you do? Await Fire Lord Ozai’s sentence or take action before then?”
“I have not decided. There is still time before I must make a move.”

Zuko’s eyes cracked open to see a large scythe wielding Earth Kingdom man standing over them. He sat up and quickly pulled Katara behind him, “Who are you and what do you want?”
“I’m Min-sik, the town’s carpenter; I would like to tend to the garden. It’s my family’s duty this week,” the former soldier replied. He had been standing over the two of them for almost half an hour trying to decide whether or not to kill them where they slept.
Every time he shifted his scythe the restaurant was brought into his line of sight. He’d had a childhood crush on Kin that he never really got over. His wife had passed away during childbirth and since Kin returned she’d been helping him with his three year old daughter, Kagome. He knew she still had feelings for her husband and never really believed he abandoned her. He planned to slowly court her over the oncoming years knowing that sometimes patience won the battle.
This Fire Nation prince had thrown a fireball at his Kin, but the Waterbender had saved her. The prince had broken the arm of girl he was starting to think of as another daughter but he had cut a man’s arm off for touching her. He was conflicted and still debating his chances against the two sleepy teenagers when the Waterbender made his choice easy for him.
Katara had spent enough time in the Foggy Swamp learning from Huu to know there was only one way to kill a blade a grass. The scythe would halt its progress but its roots would continue to leech water from the beneficial plants. She reached for the nearest weed and sucked the water out of it then placed it on a vegetable.
“What in Hou-T’u’s name?” Min-sik exclaimed jumping backwards and bringing his scythe to a defensive position in front of him.
Katara had been dreaming of the perfect world Zuko created. One where both their mothers lived and the war had ended. Sokka wasn’t her only sibling; she had a younger brother and sister like her parents had always planned. To wake up to a man wielding a weapon brought it all crashing down in the worse way possible.
Katara’s voice trembled as she spoke and there were tears in her eyes, “All plants need water; without it they and their roots die. You’ll have to expand the garden with all these extra people here. They’ll need food and water. The fresh water on your cart should be taken to the Ursa House or placed back in the community well. If you collect your bathing water, dishwater and water you use to wash your hands I’ll purify it for as long as I’m here. You can boil it and use it for laundry and cleaning. I’ll purify it again and you can use it to water the plants. I’ll do whatever I can to help you while I’m here.”
She smiled sadly at Zuko, gently pushing his hands away as she rose to kill the other weeds in the garden. When those were done she did the same to the weeds several hundred feet into the meadow. “Can you bring me a container to store this water?”
Min-Sik left. He dumped two of the containers he collected back into the community well and took the other two to the Ursa House. He was glad he spared the prince’s and Waterbender’s lives when he got a look at the number of women inside seeking assistance. He returned to the field to see the land behind it burning.
He left his cart and ostrich horse behind but grabbed his scythe as he rushed towards them, “What are you doing?”
It was the prince who answered, “I haven’t touched the soil just the grass. Ash is a good fertilizer. Get the manure from the stables and put it on the burned ground and turn it over. Yong at the restaurant is an Earthbender. He should be able to mix it in and create the garden rows for you.”
The man stomped the ground, “He’s not our only Earthbender. Thank you just the same for the suggestion and for your help with the garden.”
The words were polite but Zuko and Katara didn’t miss the animosity in them. Zuko put out the flames and Katara placed the water she’d taken from the plants in the empty containers on Min-Sik’s cart.
“I miss our own little world,” Zuko mumbled sadly as the two of them walked hand in hand back to the hotel.

The tiny town dying town they had invaded was now bursting with people. Another group of soldiers had arrived and Katara overheard them asking Chu-hua about accommodations for their own group of prisoners. Zuko pulled her closer to his side and whispered, “It has begun. The first to arrive at the colonies are the rovers – small groups of soldiers that function more like mercenaries. They go from place to place fighting and don’t really have a base to call home. Most of them are so far gone it’s probably better that they don’t.”
Katara tilted her head up at him and bit her lips in contemplation. She was unsure if she wanted to ask the question of why, knowing she was almost afraid of the answer.
Zuko saw the apprehension in her face and spoke, “There are some who find the taste of battle addictive. They live for it. Even the most highly contested areas become peaceful once we’ve established ourselves as victors. They don’t want to wake up in a place where there is no enemy to face or villages to conquer so they become rovers. Constantly on the move, constantly fighting, not caring who they are fighting against.”
Zuko smiled sadly, “Uncle and I ran into a group of them; the most famous group of them actually, the Rough Rhinos. They were all friends of Uncle’s and I remember seeing two of them at the palace but they tried to kill us. These men will stay until the colony is established. Once the area is stabilized and becomes peaceful they’ll leave but the damage will be done by then.”
Katara shut her eyes willing the tears not to fall as the soldiers marched the prisoners past them. She didn’t see any men, only women and children. Their eyes were vacant and they moved slowly as if in a trance. Zuko didn’t have to tell her what had been done to them; their traumatized expressions spoke volumes.

Kain: Thank you for your review. Zuko is slowly but surely developing. It’s a rather fun challenge to write his perspective. His moral compass is seriously skewed because of the way he grew up. It’s slowly changing but there are several questionable behaviors that he is okay with.
The “what could have been is one of my favorite parts of this story”. You are correct, Katara is not in love…yet, but the time she spent in the meadow with Zuko has made her realize just how much she relates to him.
I adore that Chu-hua, an OC, was able to get such a strong response. It makes me ecstatic that someone from my little mind is so memorable.
This fic has taken a severe divergence from canon but they have all of their abilities that they had the day of the invasion. Katara can and will Bloodbend.

Erika: Hi Erika, it’s always nice to hear from new reviewers. This is definitely not the end. I am not even sure we’ve made it to the middle. The last chapter was the end of the fairy-tale they created. They have a quite a bit to endure before they reach the end of their journey and reach a point of true understanding.

Raa.Maa.Daa.Saa.Hung: I am glad you enjoyed the updates. I am unable to write and update as frequently as I would like to so I am trying to finish a scene without too many cliffhangers until I am able to get back to a regular posting schedule. I love history, sociology, archeology and anthropology so the cultures I’ve created mostly made up but cobbled from many different societies and cultures. I’ve tried to stick with the canon inspiration of Native American folklore and mythology for the Water Tribes and Eastern folklore and mythology for the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom but there are several references to the druids and European history as well. A PBS special on Boudicca of the Iceni starring Alex Kingston was the inspiration for Queen Boudicca of the Fire Nation.
Yes, Bong Cha is one of the twins that Kokoro birthed. I am so happy you picked up on that. I can’t answer too many of your questions without giving away spoilers but I can say that Ty Lee is Ty Lee. My heart just did a flip-flop – you like my Azula! I was almost afraid I was making her too crazy. I hope you continue to do so…
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Borealis: A Zutara Story