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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 282
The small desert town was changing drastically under the Fire Nation. It was larger and a wall was being built around the once open town. The last attack had done much to fuel its progress. Fire Nation soldiers, Dai Li, local and refugee Earthbenders all contributed to its construction. Unlike the previous attacks when the smugglers invaded hoping to take back valuable property those seeking to liberate the Avatar fought with a single purpose and counted on the confusion caused by collateral damage. It was guerrilla warfare at its finest. They injured indiscriminately hoping to distract the Fire Nation from their true goal.
Min-sik and Hiro who had been soldiers under General Fong recognized his fighting style grew angered their friend would use such tactics against their home. Fong was not among those captured and they knew without a doubt he would return. It was with heavy hearts and love for their families they approached Mung offering a simple way to defend their home and children. At their suggestion watchtowers large enough to hold a small company of troops had been erected every half mile. The bases of these watchtowers were rooted several feet inside the earth and had stabilizing legs that served as feelers jutting out in each direction. Attached to the feelers inside were bells that would ring to signal Earthbending in that direction. Despite their height, the towers did nothing to break the monotony of the flat ground. If anything the subtle shades of greens and browns rising from the earth were designed to mimic the flat expanses of the desert plains.
The attack had also targeted the main gardens. Despite their best efforts they were unable to restore many of the plants. The old central garden still existed but it was no longer the town’s primary food source. Several smaller gardens were created throughout the town with the understanding that a portion of each would be dedicated to the town’s food stores. Unlike the old garden the stakes labeling each row of newly planted seeds seemed to contain as many Fire Nation herbs and vegetables as Earth Kingdom. Katara had not known there were so many different varieties of peppers until Zuko took the time to show her the difference in the leaves.
Surprisingly the two small rice paddies created the day of the unexpected shower survived the attack. The small green shoots became a symbol of hope for the desert town.

The most visible sign of change was the refugee children. Many of them were no longer afraid of the soldiers. All of them had begun speaking Fire Nation. Katara wasn’t surprised that the most frequently tossed about phrases were hello, goodbye, food, please, and, thank you but to hear the Earth Kingdom children screaming fun, toy, again, play, aunt, uncle, miss, older sister and older brother did something strange to her stomach. It knotted and unknotted each time a child pulled away from their mother to reach for the man their mother was flinching away from while happily calling out “father”. It twisted farther when a smiling man effortlessly plucked a child from one of his rape victims and cradled it to his chest as if it were his own. Even Gau-Ruk had begun to pout when his mother would send him away from Natsumon’s table.
Zuko was by her side smiling through it all. Unlike her he had no reservations. Each time he saw her clench her fist as a man led a woman from the reconstructed Pussy Garden, shudder when Fire Nation soldier lifted a child onto his shoulder or freeze until she realized the shrill sounds from the child was laughter, he would hold her closer and whisper reassurances, “Katara it will be okay. Look at them. I’ve never seen this in any of the places I’ve been. Those women and children will be fine. The men will look out for them.”
Katara wanted to believe him. She wanted to believe these men were like the Fire Nation citizens she met during her travels but each time she allowed herself to hope these men were like kind Mr. Yao, who was steadfast in his feelings for Hama, something would remind her these soldiers were cruel. She’d ask, “How can you say it will be fine and they will protect them? They are the ones hurting them. How can you look after someone while hurting them?”
A stricken expression would cross Zuko’s face as he replied, “You haven’t seen the things I’ve seen Katara. None of the men who live here or who arrived with the refugees have been killed by Fire Nation soldiers. None of these women or children have been damaged beyond repair. There haven’t been any contests to see who can make someone scream the loudest or throw an infant the farthest, or create the best burned out corpse. This is beyond anything I’ve ever imagined. I wish Uncle was here to see this.”
“Do you really think he would approve of this?” Katara would huff.
“No, he wouldn’t but he’d understand it for what it is. Katara, I know it’s not right and we’ll never agree but what’s happening here is a good thing,” Zuko would declare.
“How can you say this is a good thing?” Katara would ask loudly.
“How can you say it isn’t?” Zuko would yell while waving his hands and stomping his foot before reminding himself they were in public.
It became ongoing argument that both of them seemed determined to win. Each day would bring about a new eruption that ended in inevitably in stalemate with both sides pointing to refugees and soldiers who exemplified the point they were trying to make. Despite the varied ways the argument would start it always ended the same way. With Zuko glancing at the people who’d stopped to stare at them as they fought before sighing, “You act as if you want to see these people experience the hell that is colonization. No one should have to live through that Katara.”
As much as she hated letting him have the last word it was a point she could not argue. No one should have to live through the hell that was colonization. No one should have to watch their homes and family destroyed by an invading army. No one should have to make the choice between virtue and survival but it was a choice she, Qiaolian and several others had already made. She had seen the ashen remains of entire villages and knew Zuko was right. These people were still alive to make a choice and for that she was grateful.
Each night as she lay beside Zuko, Katara would contemplate the things Qiaolian told her. Zuko had given her a life raft to sail down her current river of shit.

Zhao 2 and Zuko made good on their promises and Katara saw the Earth Kingdom girl more often. Qiaolian also began accompanying her and Ty Lee on water duty when Zuko was called into meetings. Now that it was widely known she was an Earthbender, Qiaolian made a small cart to haul the water Katara obtained citing, “it was far more slightly than seeing her leave it lying outside in puddles on the ground.”
Katara began to wonder if there was something about female Earthbenders that incited her urge to argue only with Qiaolian it sometimes felt as if she was the one being mothered. She made a mental note to be more understanding towards Toph. The boys found the whole thing rather amusing. One night after leaving the restaurant Mu commented seeing Qiaolian and Katara reminded him of Quanli and Eun Lee, his wife and her older more uptight sister.
Katara stopped and frowned, “Sisters? Qiaolian and I argue like sisters?”
“Oh yeah,” Mu and even the Zhao twins agreed.
Zuko laughed, “Quanli and Eun Lee? That’s pretty harsh. But still, I’m glad she was able to escape. I’m glad they all were.”
“Escape? What do you mean escape?” Katara inquired. Zuko had never spoken of the things he’d seen in Ba Sing Se after the fall.
Zuko belated realized his error. He chose his words carefully and said, “It’s in the middle of the desert, there’s less soldiers here. It’s more peaceful.”
“But you said she was lucky to have escaped. What did she escape from?” Katara pressed thinking of the things she’d seen in this city and the things Qiaolian confided in her, “Tell me Zuko, why do you think she is so lucky. Why do you think the others are? What do you know that I don’t?”
“Katara, they are all alive and with their families. Don’t you think that is lucky enough?” the prince replied quietly.
She closed her eyes remembering what Jin and Qiaolian said to her, “What else happened in Ba Sing Se Zuko? What did you see to make you say these people are lucky?”
Zuko sighed, he knew Katara well enough to no he wouldn’t be able to escape without giving her an answer, “The things that happened in Ba Sing Se were no different than the things that happened in other places.”
He lowered his head, hiding from her gaze as he continued in half-truths, “My perception of what I was seeing has changed. I was older and did not have Uncle to shield me from the worse of it. I had lived in Ba Sing Se and could compare life before the Fire Nation to life after the Fire Nation. The thing that makes Ba Sing Se so terrible is the role I played in destroying those people. I helped Azula to overthrow the Earth King. If I had chosen differently you would have defeated her in that underground chamber; none of these people would have been forced to leave their homes. They would be safe and none of those terrible things would have ever happened.
“If I was able to realize how happy I was there with Uncle and the feeling home I was searching for didn’t exist in the Fire Nation, none of this would have happened. If it weren’t for my selfishness none of this would have happened. If I had just listened to Uncle all of these people would have their freedom. You would have your freedom. None of this would have happened Katara, none of it. I would still be a tea server, we’d both still be virgins, and the invasion would have worked. The war would be over and no one would have gotten hurt it I had just chosen differently. That’s what makes Ba Sing Se so different and why I can say with 100% certainty that the fall of Ba Sing Se wasn’t your fault. It was mine. We had spies in the city but none of them were present when the King was overthrown. I was.
“I was the only member of the Fire Nation military in the palace at the time of the coup. The history books are being written to show the conquest of Ba Sing Se as my victory. Everything that happened to all of those people will be attributed to me. I can’t deny my poor decision making led to the ruin of that city and the lives of its people. The Ursa House is the least I can do to help them. Mung will be the general in charge of this outpost but we don’t know who will be appointed provisional governor, what laws they will chose to enforce them or how they will interpret them. It’s better for these women and children if the soldiers bond with them and offer them permanent protection.”
“Mung?” Katara snorted, “Is that supposed to reassure me? You saw what he did in Jang Hui?”
“Katara I did! You have no idea how well he managed that city!” Zuko insisted but all of his efforts to explain that Jang Hui was one of the better factory cities fell on death ears.

Koi: You are right does need a friend. She hasn’t had anyone who understands her situation to confide in. Neither she nor Sokka can see each other’s pain because they are too busy suffering. Katara will also find out about Sokka. Zuko and Iroh will reunite eventually. I think that’s enough spoilers for now. Thank you for reading.
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Borealis: A Zutara Story