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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 289
Katara’s eyes fell to the document that was presented to her and her head tilted in confusion, “What language is this? I thought the city charter would be in Fire Nation?”
“It is Fire Nation,” Zuko explained, “All of our official documents are written in the old language to make it more difficult to forge them.”
His explanation made Bong Cha laugh and shake her head, “That sounds like something your father would say; although that explanation is a good as any.”
She placed her hand on the document and turned it sideways, “What do you see?”
Katara squinted but Zuko gasped, “Dragons. The words form the shape of dragons.”
“Yes they do,” Bong Cha agreed, wiping her hand on her skirt before outlining the flow of the words for Katara. The written word is a gift from Agni and the first alphabet consisted of naturally occurring patterns found on dragon’s scales. As time passed people forgot about Agni’s gift and went about changing letters and the written word to make things easier for themselves; the form of spoken words soon followed. Now only there are very few able to communicate in the language gifted to us. It is one of the many things you must learn, Princess Katara, to prove yourself worthy as our Ladyship.”
Katara blushed. She had quickly realized the futility in arguing with Bong Cha. Each of her heated words would be met by a quiet observation whose truth could not be argued. She had also come to realize that if things went wrong and they could not escape Bong Cha was her only hope for Sokka. The two of them got along quite well and like The Mechanist they fed off each other’s ideas.
New Ursa would not have its mountain shaped water towers and underground reservoirs if Sokka hadn’t commented the semi-desert city would be safer if the water was hidden. Bong Cha had already drafted a document of conscription in which she offered to take custody of the prisoner in exchange for an extra percentage of goods and services from her city. She too had noticed the coal inside the bricks made by the townspeople and had made a small engine which ran by using them. The engine was deliberately designed with a pull start that produced very little smoke output as the bricks slowly burned; it was one of the many features to make it impractical for use in war but ideal for use in the home. Sokka was now helping her to find a way to put that engine inside a waterproof vessel so their underground water reserves would not stagnate. Currently Earthbenders were used to keep the water moving at regular intervals.
“Thank you Princess Bong Cha, you flatter me with your hopes for my future,” Katara replied politely. She could pretend to tolerate the idea of becoming Zuko’s Fire Lady coming from the woman who was eager to save the life of her brother. As much as she loathed the idea of becoming Zuko’s wife she knew Sokka would be safe and valued in this town. Even if they lost the war Bong Cha would ensure her brother remained alive and safe. He would be bound to the city and possibly never allowed to leave but within its walls he would be able to build a life and have a family.
“Nonsense girl, I’ve known the men of four generations of our family and each one has only had one true love. There may be others who catch their eye or sheathe their dragon but only one who completely fill their hearts. I’ve witnessed it too many times not to know that you are the woman who will always fill my great-nephew’s heart and as that woman, I humbly ask that you, Princess Katara of the Fire Nation to place your name and the date on our city charter beneath his.”
Katara’s jaw dropped but Zuko wasted no time handing her the brush and inkpot. Her hand was shaking as she remembered this place would be a safe place for her brother as she signed her name to an official Fire Nation government document. Zuko kissed her cheek as he lifted tiny ball of wax from the tray next to the inkpot and rolled it between his fingers to soften. Once it was malleable he placed the ball to the right of his name and thinly spread it so that it ran alongside both of their signatures. He removed his ring and pressed it at the tops of the wax then instructed Katara to place hers at the bottom of his so the lower and upper circles overlapped. Once hers was added he made his seal again at the bottom of hers.
Katara covered her mouth with both hands and slumped back in her seat; she had seen that same signature type used at the palace. It was in one of the hallways Zuko had taken her down that depicted his family history. She referred to it as the hall of doomed infants. Beside the portrait of each ugly or cherubic child was the seal of his parents declaring it legitimate. Zuko had explained the double infinity signature was the highest honor and only allowed to be used by wives whose bodies had proven themselves worthy of royal blood. It was not to be used by women who’d simply lain with a member of the royal family, but by those who had carried a child of the royal family. The entire world would know Zuko had gotten her pregnant; his seed had attached and through it his blood had temporarily flowed through her veins.
Katara looked way hoping to find something to distract herself from becoming ill and her eyes once again landed on the document. She leaned forward, pressing her face closer confirming that Zuko and Bong Cha, the only other two to sign thus far had used a different date from her. She moved her hand away from her lips to speak, “Why are the dates different?”
“Because my great-grandfather was an idiot and my brother wished to further inflate our family’s ego,” Bong Cha sighed before explaining, “It is considered inauspicious for a Fire Lord to be born at a time other than daylight in the middle of the summer and Grandmother Kesuk was a rather powerful, vindictive Waterbender. She held my father in her womb until midnight the second full moon of fall. She admitted she was trying to keep him until the first full moon of winter but a child will only wait so long to be born.
“Grandfather Kozulon and Great-grandmother Nini explained winter is auspicious to the Water Tribes so that is when his mother wanted him to be born. Father accepted this but Brother Azulon saw through their explanation. Shortly after Father died he changed the calendar so our father could be born in the summer. Strictly rearranging the calendar meant that he would now be born in winter and it would be cold during the summer solstice so Brother Azulon also changed the names and number of days in the seasons.
“We no longer have a Winter Solstice. We have a beginning of Summer Solstice which is when the true summer begins, Soizin Summer which was formerly known as fall, end of summer solstice which begins a 6 week fall, a 6 week winter, then a 3 month spring.”
Zuko then added, “The calendar has been further abused by Father. This is the year that Soizin’s comet returns so he rearranged the dates so the comet will occur during an unnaturally long Soizin summer instead of Winter.”
Katara thought for a moment to reorder the dates, “So the comet that everyone is expecting at the end of this summer will be back...”
Zuko finished the calculation for her, “latter part of next year”.
“But that’s over a year from when Avatar Roku sought out Aang. Why didn’t he say anything when he was rushing Aang to learn Firebending?” Katara questioned.
Zuko shrugged then deadpanned, “He’s dead. How is he supposed to know what we did to the calendar?”
Bong Cha rolled her eyes but nonetheless agreed with her great-nephew’s statement, “As Zuko said, Avatar Roku is deceased. When he was alive the Fire Nation relied on the Water Tribe calendar so there has always been an inversion of summer and winter.”
“The Water Tribe calendar? But why?” Katara stammered.
Bong Cha glanced sideways at Zuko, “My great-grandfather is the true ancestor of this misguided young one. For all of his abysmal treatment of Nini, Great-Grandfather Irohulon truly did love her. She said she would return his feelings in her own time so he began using the Water Tribe calendar in hopes of swaying her. The season Roku referred to as summer is the North Pole summer or winter in the central nations”.
“But he was the Avatar. He came to visit during the Summer Solstice shouldn’t he have known?”
“Uncle says time passes differently in the Spirit World. He was there for five years searching for Lu Ten but he was only gone for six months time. He entered during one solstice and returned on the next but thought several years had passed.”
“But Wong Shi Tong had a sundial that could predict dates and events in his library!” Katara argued.
Bong Cha’s voice was soft as she chastised her, “Wong Shi Tong’s library is of this world but Wong Shi Tong is not. Would the spirit of knowledge have taken the time to build such an elaborate device if he didn’t have the need to determine the passage of time in this world?”
Katara lowered her head, if they would have had the date right, Aang would have been better prepared to face the Fire Lord. They could have found Jeong Jeong again and he would have had Firebending training instead of them rushing to take advantage of the eclipse.
Bong Cha read her expression with the ease of a mother who has reared five children, two of them being mischievous identical twins. Her words carried the same tone as she addressed Katara, “It does one no good to second guess their actions unless they are prepared to confront the flaws in their decision making and improve them in case the situation arises again. Once you stop pitying yourself and think logically you would realize an eclipse is the sort of tactical advantage your forces have been waiting for this whole war and even if the Avatar had not been found someone would have invaded.”
The woman placed her hand on Katara’s and squeezed it gently, “You still fail to realize that because of that failure you are in the unique position to become Fire Lady. It is time to stop thinking of what you could have done and think instead of the things you can do.”
She patted Katara’s hand kindly then before lifting her own making the type of motion one would use to shoo pickens, “Now, off with the two of you, there are other signatures that must be obtained and I must send word to Bingwen about finding me a true sage. I refuse to have one of those ridiculous fops your father surrounds himself with pretending they can interpret the will of Agni.”
Zuko frowned, “I thought his sect was dedicated to Kali.”
Bong Cha smirked, an action which reminded Katara eerily of Azula, “They are but where better for those who have dedicated their lives to the true service of Agni seek refuge but in the bloodstained arms of those who serve his beloved?”
“Ah Zuko,” Bong Cha called out as they were headed out of the door. “I would like to have a word with you in private tomorrow afternoon. I understand Katara has made a friend who has been gifted with her own home.”

Author's Note: Timeline difference finally explained. Barely plausible, creative stroke of literary license or further proof my plot bunnies are out of their rabid mind?
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Borealis: A Zutara Story